The Public Life of Sweetie Belle

Chapters

Hush
Back to School
Pink
Memorial
Sweet Apple Acres
Nightmare Night
Get Help
Getting Help
Perceptions
Screams Without Sound
Sweetie Belle's Joy
A New Era
It Was Me
Children
Alone
Blossom
The Reckoning of Sweetie Belle
The sequel hath arrived!

Hush

Sweetie Belle stared at the unmoving form that was her sister, hoping that what she was seeing was a dream but knowing that it was not. Her big sister Rarity, the pony that she had looked up to her entire life, was dead. She had spent her last moments of life singing to Sweetie Belle the lullaby that she had sung to her so many times when she was a filly. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed.

Sweetie Belle pushed on the glass that separated her from her sister as the executioners moved about her sister's body, doing whatever official stuff they needed to do. Behind her, Twilight and her friends moved to leave the room with Scootaloo in tow.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder and she turned around to see her parents, both looking more broken and helpless than they had ever been in their lives. "Come on, Sweetie Belle," said her father. "Let's go home."

"But what about Rarity?" Sweetie Belle whimpered. "What's going to happen to her?"

"I don't know," said her father. "But we can't stay here. We'll figure out what will happen with her soon, okay?"

No, it wasn't okay. Nothing would ever be okay ever again. Nopony could ever fix the hole in her heart that her sister's execution had made.

She followed her parents as they slowly trudged out of the observation room. Her mother was weeping beyond belief and her father... well, his expression was helpless. He had always been the kind of stallion who had prided himself on being a leader for his family, who knew what to do in a lot of situations. It didn't seem to apply to the execution of his firstborn daughter.

Sweetie Belle's head hung so low that her muzzle nearly touched the ground. She left a trail of tears in her wake. She glanced to her left and registered that the door nearest to her was the execution room. Her sister was on the other side; or rather, the body that used to be her sister.

She bolted to the door, ignoring her parents as they called out to her, hoping that she would stop. No, nopony was going to stop her now. She pushed the door and was thankful that it swung open, allowing her inside. The first thing that caught her attention was the table. She couldn't see her sister's body, but her perfectly styled tail hung over the edge, as lifeless as its owner.

She heard the guards beside her whisper something to each other, but they didn't make any effort to stop her. She was glad that even if they had taken her sister from her, they weren't going to stop her from giving her one last goodbye.

Resolutely, she walked up to Rarity's body and put her front hooves on the the table to balance herself. Her eyes met Rarity's gaze and that alone almost made Sweetie Belle break down completely. Her eyes had always been so full of life, so vibrant, so full of expression. Now they were completely devoid of anything. They were completely empty, and they would remain so for the rest of eternity.

Sweetie Belle reached out and stroked her sister's perfectly styled mane. Even in death she looked as beautiful as she always had. Her body was still warm when Sweetie Belle placed her hoof on Rarity's foreleg. It still felt warm. Death had not yet taken that from her.

Sweetie Belle leaned in and quietly kissed Rarity on the forehead, just below where her horn used to be. "Drifting off to sleep, the exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep let the joy of dreamland find you," sang Sweetie Belle to her lifeless sister, hoping that finishing the lullaby would somehow wake her sister up and they could all go home and be happy.

Rarity didn't move and Sweetie Belle resumed her silent tears. She reached a hoof over to her eyes and closed them. Now she could be sleeping. "Goodnight, Rarity," whispered Sweetie Belle. "I love you more than anything."

With that, Sweetie Belle put her front hooves back on the floor and silently walked out of the room. She turned back to see her sister one last time before following her parents out of the station.

* * * *

The ride back to Ponyville was dead silent as the train moved through the land. Each of the ponies in the car was feeling unbelievable grief at Rarity's execution, and they stewed with their own thoughts as the train ride went on.

Pinkie Pie's mane and tail were both deflated and now hung like curtains instead of their normal bouncy state. Her pink coloration had lost its brightness as well and she sat in a corner, rocking back and forth.

Rainbow Dash had Scootaloo in her forelegs and the orange filly had her forelegs wrapped around her idol's waist, clinging desperately to the last bright spot that she had in this world. Neither was shedding tears as neither had any tears left to shed.

Twilight had Spike wrapped in a hug, and the young dragon was holding on to her in the same way that Scootaloo held Rainbow Dash. He was shedding tears while Twilight merely looked contemplative.

Fluttershy was hiding in her mane and crying softly. Sweetie Belle knew that she still didn't fully understand all that had happened in the past few days or why it had happened at all. All she could really comprehend, although she didn't want to, was that the friend that she was closest to in the group wouldn't be meeting with her anymore. They wouldn't have any more weekly spa sessions, they wouldn't go back to one of their houses for tea, nothing. She was gone forever.

Her father had her mother wrapped in his forelegs as well. She was resting her head on his shoulder and both were crying silently.

Applejack and Big Macintosh were away from the main group and they were in the back of the car comforting Apple Bloom. All three of them were crying as well and it really hit home with Sweetie Belle that even the normally stoic Big Macintosh had tears streaking down his face, though not to the extent of the others.

The silence continued for another hour before Applejack stood up and walked over to the main group. "So... what now?" she asked.

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I suppose that we just..." She sighed and shook her head. "No, I don't know."

"Did Princess Celestia say anythin'?" asked Applejack.

"I talked to her briefly before... that and she used it as an opportunity to disown me as her student. I'm not her protégé anymore," said Twilight. Applejack gave a soft gasp of shock but Twilight merely shrugged again. "Once she found out that I knew about what Rarity was doing I really didn't expect anything else. None of us are getting a prison sentence for this though. But overall, that's pretty much the extent of what Celestia said."

"Oh Twilight..."

"I'm just a normal old librarian now," said Twilight, her voice faltering slightly. "No more advanced studies, no more letters to the princess, and no more Elements of Harmony either. I'm just the town librarian."

"Is Ponyville going to hate us?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight shrugged. "I imagine that they won't hate you, Fluttershy, or Pinkie Pie because you genuinely knew nothing about any of this. They don't need to know that Applejack and I knew anything either so I think they'll move on pretty quick in terms of suspicion of us."

"Will they hate us?" asked Rarity's mother fearfully, looking up from her husband's chest.

Twilight looked at her sadly. "I can't say for sure since you really didn't know either, but... yes, I think they will blame the three of you somehow, you two especially."

"But we didn't do anything!" Rarity's father insisted.

"I know that," said Twilight. "We all do. But they'll blame you for how Rarity turned out."

Rarity's father groaned and he shook his head. "It isn't fair," he said. "None of this is. It isn't fair that we have to suffer for what Rarity did, it isn't fair that Rarity was forced into a position where she had to kill in the first place, none of this is fair to anypony!"

"I know," said Twilight. "But we can't do anything about it."

Sweetie Belle looked up at Applejack and touched her foreleg with her hoof. "Applejack, what's gonna happen with me, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom?" she asked.

Applejack sighed. "Ah ain't gonna stop you from seein' Apple Bloom. You weren't responsible for any of this and Ah don't want to punish you for stuff that Rarity did. As for Scootaloo, Ah can't say."

"Why not?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Because Rarity is the reason that Scootaloo is an orphan. She killed her parents then dropped her off at the orphanage as a young filly."

Sweetie Belle looked at Applejack in shock. "Rarity killed Scootaloo's parents?" Applejack nodded. Sweetie Belle looked back at the orange filly who was clinging to Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle wanted to go over to her and comfort her, but there was simply no way that Scootaloo would want to be around her right now. She would likely look at her friend and see only her sister.

She hoped that Scootaloo wouldn't hate her so much that she never wanted to talk to her again.

* * * *

The train reached Ponyville a few hours after midnight, and the eleven ponies and one dragon departed and immediately went separate ways. Sweetie Belle saw that Scootaloo was sleeping on Rainbow Dash's back, and that Rainbow Dash was flying towards her cloud house. Sweetie Belle hoped that Scootaloo could at least get a good night's sleep.

Sweetie Belle's parents walked in the direction of their house and Sweetie Belle followed them. Part of her wanted to go back to Carousel Boutique - it was technically her house now, after all, but she knew that the royal guards would undoubtedly still have the place locked down tight. However, Sweetie Belle still planned to begin living there as soon as she possibly could.

As it was past midnight, the streets of Ponyville were empty so the trio of ponies didn't run into anyone as they walked back to their home. As soon as they were inside, Sweetie Belle walked up to her room and shut the door. She didn't want to be around anypony right now.

She laid down on her bed and looked around her room. The various objects inside looked foreign and unwelcoming to her in the darkness. She almost felt that she was in some stranger's house. She felt that she belonged in Carousel Boutique with Rarity.

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. She remembered something that Rarity frequently said to her about how things always looked better in the morning after a good night's sleep.

But things wouldn't look better in the morning. Things would never look better ever again.

Back to School

Three weeks later

Sweetie Belle sat in her room in her parents’ house looking blankly up at the ceiling. Her mind was completely blank as she had drained herself of emotions in the proceeding three weeks. To feel such consistent heavy emotions had left her completely empty. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt anything other than sorrow, but every now and again she would try.

She hadn't cried about Rarity's death for a week now. She didn't feel that she had any more tears to shed, nor would she for a long while. She suspected that all of the ponies who had known Rarity were feeling something similar. She didn't know how long it would be before any of them began to move on from what had happened. It was just so sudden for all of them. One day Rarity was hanging out with them without a single care in the world and the next they were watching her execution.

She had been kept out of school for the past three weeks as her parents didn't feel that interaction with other ponies was a good thing right now. You need some time to adjust her father had said. It wouldn't be the best environment for you right now, Sweetie Belle, her mother agreed. She didn't argue, but she missed Apple Bloom and Scootaloo very much.

Sweetie Belle was brought out of her melancholy contemplations by a loud knock on her door. She gave a tiny grunt to show that she was in the room and her parents opened the door. She didn't turn her head to acknowledge their presence and opted to continue staring at the ceiling.

Her parents watched her in silence for a brief moment before her father cleared his throat. "Sweetie Belle," he said gently, "your mother and I have decided that you should go back to school today. We want you to try to begin to...to get back to something resembling a normal life if at all possible."

"Is that the reason or do you want to take me to school so you can look in different places when you look for jobs?" asked Sweetie Belle. True to Twilight's assumptions, her parents had indeed been fired when their bosses had discovered that they were the parents of the deadliest serial killer in Equestrian history. It wasn't out of hatred for them but rather the cruel fact that nopony wanted to give any place that hired them their business and they certainly wouldn't want to buy products directly from the two of them.

"It's both really," admitted her father.

"Why?" she asked. "We have Rarity's money. We can live off of that for a long time."

"Actually... we don't," said her father.

For the first time since they had entered, Sweetie Belle looked over at her parents. "Why not?"

The two exchanged a brief glance before her father turned his attention back to her. "Well, before Rarity... died, she filled out her will. I know that she told you that she was leaving you everything and that is exactly what she did. However, the laws in our country are complicated when it comes to giving that much money to somepony your age. We can't access her money and neither can you until you turn fourteen."

"So it's just going to be in the bank for four years before I can have it?" said Sweetie Belle.

Her father nodded. "But we're getting a bit off topic here," he said. "We need you to get ready for school right now."

Sweetie Belle slumped back down on the bed and resumed staring at the ceiling. "They'll hate me. They'll all hate me."

"You can't know that unless you go," said her mother, trying her best to sound supportive.

"What if they try to hurt me?" asked Sweetie Belle. "What if... what if I try to fight back and..."

"That's not going to happen!" said Sweetie Belle's father sharply. "You won't get beaten up!"

"How do you know?"

"We talked to Cheerilee before we made our decision about this," said her mother. "She's going to be keeping a close eye on you to make sure that you don't get hurt."

"Okay, I guess that means that they'll just say mean things instead of hitting me," said Sweetie Belle blankly.

Sweetie Belle's parents exchanged another helpless glance. "You don't know that," said her mother.

"Yes I do," said Sweetie Belle. "I heard you two talking to each other about how ponies on the street treat you. A lot of ponies hate us a lot."

It was true. Life for Sweetie Belle and her remaining family members had gone even more downhill once Princess Celestia had made Rarity's deeds public knowledge. It was immediately the scandal of the century. A wielder of an Element of Harmony was secretly the deadliest serial killer in Equestrian history. It was still in the newspapers these days, often consisting of gossip and rumors as well as interviews with the family members of Rarity's victims. Sweetie Belle wasn't entirely sure what it all said, as she had largely ignored stuff like that.

Sweetie Belle's father looked sadly at her. "What do you want to do then?"

Sweetie Belle sighed sadly, sat up and got up off her bed. It was seven in the morning; class would be starting in an hour. The idea of not going today was admittedly tempting but... her father was right, she couldn't stay in bed and mope for the rest of her life. "I'll go," she said quietly.

* * * *

Sweetie Belle slowed her steps as her school came into view. She tried to mentally prepare for the horrors that were to come when the foals in the schoolyard saw her coming up the road. Right now they were at recess and they looked so happy. Sweetie Belle desperately wished that she could have even a small fraction of that happiness and innocence at that moment.

When she approached the school yard, a few fillies saw her coming through the gate. They immediately stopped playing and stared at her. Sweetie Belle glanced up at them but she largely ignored them otherwise. There were only two fillies that she wanted to see right now.

Little by little, the foals playing in the schoolyard saw Sweetie Belle among them, and they stopped what they were doing and just stared at her. Sweetie Belle heard some of them whispering amongst themselves but she didn't bother to listen in on them. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, she needed to find Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

She scanned the school yard and finally her eyes caught a flash of orange. She looked in that direction to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom staring intently at her, just as the rest of them were. She took a deep breath and walked up to them. "Hi there Sweetie Belle," said Apple Bloom nervously.

"Hi Apple Bloom," replied Sweetie Belle. "Hi Scootaloo."

Scootaloo didn't return the greeting. She merely stared at Sweetie Belle with a look of pure contempt on her face. "Why are you here?" growled Scootaloo. "What gives you the nerve to think that you can just come up to me like nothing has happened?"

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof to take a step backwards, but took a deep breath to gain the courage to speak to her friend. "Scootaloo--"

"You know what your butcher of a sister did to me, right?" she snarled.

Sweetie Belle looked at the ground and nodded. "She..." Sweetie Belle couldn't find the strength to finish it.

"She killed my parents," spat Scootaloo. "She just came to my house and murdered them!"

Sweetie Belle looked back up at her friend with wide, helpless eyes. "But I didn't--"

Scootaloo cut her off with an angry wave of her hoof and continued her angry tirade. "Do you know what it's been like? Do you know what I've missed out on? Do you care at all that I had to grow up without parents who cared about me, who loved me more than anything, who would have been there to tuck me in at night or comfort me after a hard day? I SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT, BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR SISTER I HAD TO GROW UP IN AN ORPHANAGE!"

Sweetie Belle began shaking but no tears fell. "But I didn't have anything to do with that!" she whimpered.

Scootaloo kept staring angrily at Sweetie Belle, never moving her piercing gaze. She stood up and began walking towards the school entrance. "Don't ever come near me again."

Sweetie Belle ran up to Scootaloo and blocked her from going any farther. "Scootaloo! Please don't--"

All of a sudden Sweetie Belle was knocked back as an orange hoof connected with the side of her head. She fell to the ground, blood squirting from her muzzle. "I said don't come near me ever again!" Scootaloo yelled. Sweetie Belle raised her head just in time to see the orange filly run out of the school yard.

Sweetie Belle sat on the ground with the entire school watching her and blood pouring from her muzzle. She didn't know what to do right now. She had expected Scootaloo to be resentful on some level, but that... that was too much for her to bear. She began shaking on the ground, wishing that something would happen to make the pain of Scootaloo's rejection go away.

She looked up to see Apple Bloom looking down sadly at her. "I suppose you want to tell me that too," whimpered Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom looked down at her friend sadly and sat on her haunches before wrapping her forelegs around her in a comforting hug. "Ah would never do that, Sweetie Belle" said Apple Bloom. "Ah'll never blame you for what yer sister did."

Sweetie Belle leaned her head against her friend's shoulder. "You would if you were Scootaloo."

Apple Bloom sighed and put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "Maybe Ah would," she agreed. "But Ah don't wanna play the 'what if' game. Ah know that ya need me right now, so I'm gonna be here for ya. Scootaloo will come around too, just you wait."

"But what if she doesn't?" asked Sweetie Belle. "What if she hates me forever?"

"If Ah know Scootaloo, she won't," said Apple Bloom. "But it may take a long time for her ta figure out that you didn't have anythin' to do with her parents."

Sweetie Belle sadly nodded and stared at the ground. Apple Bloom looked up and realized that the entire school yard was watching them. "I don't recall this bein' a freak show!" she said growled. "Y'all just go away!"

"Why should we?" asked a familiar snide voice in the crowd. "How does she even get the nerve to come here anyway?"

"Diamond Tiara, how could you say a thing like that!" yelled another familiar voice. Sweetie Belle glanced up to see a livid Cheerilee walking into the schoolyard towards Diamond Tiara.

Diamond Tiara took a step back. "But I'm right aren't I?" said Diamond Tiara. "Why does she think that she can just come back here and pretend like nothing had happened when her sister butchered half of Ponyville?"

Sweetie Belle's head snapped up and she glared at her tormentors. "She did not!"

"She might as well have," retorted Silver Spoon. "My daddy told me all about her little basement. Word on the street is that the royal guards who found it are taking time off to recover from what they saw."

"That is enough you two!" Cheerilee yelled. "One more word out of you and I swear that I'll ban you from recess for the rest of the school year!" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon continued to glare at Sweetie Belle but they kept their mouths shut.

Cheerilee turned to the entire school yard. "Now I want everypony to listen to me right now! If I find out that any of you have been saying nasty things to or about Sweetie Belle because of what happened recently, I will give you the punishment that I just mentioned. Is that clear to everypony?"

The crowd murmured an agreement. "Good," said Cheerilee with a nod. "Now if everypony could go inside, it's time for class to start."

The crowd of foals muttered to themselves and each other but they filed into the classroom all the same. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom began walking in too, but they were quickly stopped by Cheerilee. "Can I talk to you for a moment Sweetie Belle?" she asked, kindness and sympathy filling her voice. Sweetie Belle nodded and the two walked over to her office in a back room of the school. When they were inside, Cheerilee sat down at her desk and pulled a chair up so Sweetie Belle could sit down too. The room was silent for a moment before Cheerilee spoke up. "Are you okay?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No," she said bitterly. "I'm not okay. I haven't been okay since Rarity tucked me in and sang me to sleep right before they arrested her. I don't think that I'm ever gonna be okay ever again."

Cheerilee looked sadly at Sweetie Belle and took a deep breath before responding. "If you ever need anypony to talk to, think of my office as a safe place you can come. You don't need to go through this alone."

Sweetie Belle looked out the window towards the schoolyard where the foals were filing into the classroom. "You can't protect me though."

Cheerilee cocked her head. "Protect you from what?"

"Hate," said Sweetie Belle. "They hate me and they're afraid of me for something my sister did. They'll hate me for the rest of my life! Nopony can stop that!"

"You don't know that!" Cheerilee insisted.

Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped back to her teacher. "Well Miss Cheerilee, what do you think is gonna happen?"

Cheerilee opened her mouth to respond but no words of comfort came to her mind. She sighed sadly and closed her eyes. "I...I don't know, Sweetie Belle," she whispered. "I don't know what is going to happen to you going forward." Cheerilee's eyes opened and her expression shifted to a more determined one. "But I can promise you that as long as I am in charge of this school you will not endure any hatred while I am watching. You will have Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to help you through this too!"

At the mention of her pegasus friend a lump formed in the back of her throat and she turned her gaze to the floor. "No I won't," she whimpered.

Cheerilee cocked her head slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"Did you know that Rarity killed Scootaloo's parents?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Cheerilee's jaw dropped and she gasped quietly. "No I didn't," she said.

"I talked to Scootaloo today and she told me to never come near her again. She punched me in the face when I tried to talk to her and ran off."

"Oh Sweetie Belle," said Cheerilee softly.

Cheerilee stood up from her desk and walked over to Sweetie Belle to embrace her in a comforting hug. Sweetie Belle sniffled and leaned into her teacher's chest. "She blames me for what Rarity did when we were both little fillies!" said Sweetie Belle. "It isn't fair!"

Cheerilee shook her head and stroked Sweetie Belle's mane. "No, Sweetie Belle, I don't think she truly blames you. I think she's just hurting and is unjustly taking it out on you."

"She does hate me!" Sweetie Belle insisted. "You should have seen how mad at me she was this morning! She doesn't want to be around me anymore!"

"But you didn't know what Rarity was doing!" Cheerilee pointed out. "How could you have known?" Sweetie Belle paused for a brief moment. She had known, and she almost wanted to say so. Instead she merely remained silent. Cheerilee sighed and released Sweetie Belle from the hug and stood up. "I have to get class started for the day. If you want to just go home, you are free to leave."

Sweetie Belle nodded but she stood up and followed Cheerilee back into the classroom.

* * * *

Class was just like Sweetie Belle remembered it. Cheerilee stood at the front of the class and lectured to the foals about different subjects at different times. It was very much routine for Sweetie Belle, something she had hoped would be a comfort as it was an imitation of happier times. However, she really wasn't paying much attention to anything that Cheerilee said. She merely stared at the wall behind her teacher, waiting for class to be over so she could go home for the day and shut herself in her room once more. Apple Bloom had noticed her demeanor and had promised to copy her notes for Sweetie Belle so she wouldn't miss out on anything important.

"...swelling her lips to twice their normal size." Cheerilee shut her notebook and glanced up at the clock. "Okay class, that's probably a good place to stop for right now. We'll break for recess and be back here in thirty minutes. See you then!"

The foals all stood up from their desks and eagerly filed out of the room, hoping to get outside for a brief window of sweet, sweet freedom from the boring lectures of their teacher. However, Sweetie Belle merely walked to a corner of the school yard and sat down, staring at a small section of the woods that was nearby. Apple Bloom walked up to her and sat down next to her. "Is there anythin' Ah can do to help you?" she asked. Sweetie Belle shook her head. "What can Ah do?"

Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I dunno," she mumbled.

"Should I talk to Scootaloo for ya?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Speaking of which, where is Scoots anyway?" questioned a familiar voice. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked up to see Rainbow Dash perched on a fence post a few feet in front of them.

"She ran away," said Apple Bloom.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and jumped down next to the two fillies. "Why?" she asked.

"Because she never wants to be near me again," said Sweetie Belle.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she took a step backwards. "What?! Why not?!"

Sweetie Belle absentmindedly began poking at a few blades of grass, never looking up at the blue pegasus. "Guess," she said bitterly.

Rainbow Dash walked over to Sweetie Belle and sat on her haunches next to her, putting a comforting hoof on her head. . "She blames you for what Rarity did, doesn't she?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "She told me to never come near her ever again and she punched me in the face when I tried to stop her to talk to her."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes sadly. "Aww, Scootaloo..."

"Can ya go talk to her for us?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Of course I can!" said Rainbow Dash, getting up and spreading her wings. "I'll get on that right away!"

"Thanks Rainbow Dash," said Apple Bloom.

"Anytime kid," said Rainbow Dash before leaping into the air and flying off.

Apple Bloom took Rainbow Dash's spot next to her friend. "See, Rainbow Dash is gonna go and talk some sense into Scootaloo for us. It'll be okay."

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to respond but she was once again cut off by the nasty voice of her spoiled tormentor behind them. "Well, if it isn't the mini psycho here with her hick buddy," Diamond Tiara snarked. "Are you planning the best way to follow in your sister's hoofteps Sweetie Belle?"

The two turned around to see Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara behind them. Apple Bloom stood up in front of Sweetie Belle and glared at the duo. "Go away right now!" she yelled.

Diamond Tiara's evil smirk widened. "Or what?"

"I'll tell Miss Cheerilee on you!"

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon simultaneously giggled. "Gonna be the rat?" mocked Silver Spoon.

"Now look girls, I know that we kind of hate each other, but pickin' on her for this is too mean! Just leave her alone!" growled Apple Bloom.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, is it true that your sister murdered Scootaloo's parents?" Diamond Tiara called out.

"Isn't that just tragic?" said Silver Spoon mockingly.

Somehow the piercing words of the cruel ponies awoke a fire inside of Sweetie Belle. She slowly stood up and moved beside Apple Bloom, glaring daggers at Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. "Shut up," she growled, an impressive amount of venom behind her words.

Diamond Tiara scoffed. "Or what? You gonna follow in your sister's hoofsteps and drag us down into some basement to cut us up?"

"SHUT UP!" Sweetie Belle screeched.

Diamond Tiara returned Sweetie Belle's glare and took a menacing step forward. "Face it Sweetie Belle, your sister was the most evil pony in the history of Equestria. I'm glad that she's dead, and if you had any sense in you, you would be too!"

That did it. With a snarl of rage that would have frightened Celestia herself, Sweetie Belle tackled Diamond Tiara to the ground and began repeatedly punching her in the head as hard as she could. Each blow to Diamond Tiara's head felt... marvelous. "I'm gonna rip you apart piece by piece!" screeched Sweetie Belle. "You're gonna wish that your mother had never had you by the time that I'm through tearing your soul apart!"

Diamond Tiara was screaming in pain as Sweetie Belle's hooves collided with her head and any attempts the filly made to block Sweetie Belle's assault was made futile by the sheer rage that Sweetie Belle had for her tormentor. Silver Spoon had long since run to go get Cheerilee, screaming that a murder was happening in the schoolyard.

Apple Bloom rushed over to Sweetie Belle and began trying to pull her off of Diamond Tiara. In her rage, Sweetie Belle pushed Apple Bloom away, shoving her into a fence and knocking the wind out of her. She turned back to Diamond Tiara and was pleased to see that her face was almost an unrecognizable mess. As a final insult, she grabbed Diamond Tiara's tiara and snapped it in half before throwing the pieces as far as she could. She pulled her hoof back to continue her barrage of blows, uncaring about the fact that Diamond Tiara was looking up at Sweetie Belle with fear in her eyes, whimpering pathetically.

Before Sweetie Belle could continue, an authoritative voice rang through the schoolyard. "SWEETIE BELLE GET OFF OF HER AT ONCE!" yelled Cheerilee. Sweetie Belle looked up to see their teacher walking towards Sweetie Belle with a sobbing Silver Spoon walking behind her.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and all at once her blood lust faded away. She got off of Diamond Tiara, who promptly stood up and rushed over to Cheerilee and wrapped her forelegs around one of Cheerilee's legs and began sobbing hysterically.
"Oh no." Sweetie Belle whispered. She looked over to Apple Bloom who was still trying to catch her breath.

"Sweetie Belle," said Cheerilee crossly. "Would you mind explaining this to me?"

Sweetie Belle's legs gave out and she collapsed onto her haunches. "I...I'm a monster," said Sweetie Belle quietly.

Diamond Tiara turned her head to glare at Sweetie Belle. "N-N-N-no d-duh!" she spat.

"Diamond Tiara that's enough," said Cheerilee. Diamond Tiara leaned her head against Cheerilee's leg and cried into it.
"Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle I need you to look at me." Sweetie Belle forced herself to look up at Cheerilee and meet her gaze. "What happened?"

Sweetie Belle's lower jaw quivered but she forced back the tears. "She said that my sister was evil and that she was glad that she was dead and that if I had any sense then I would be glad that she's dead too.."

Cheerilee gasped and looked down at Diamond Tiara in shock. She pulled her foreleg out of Diamond Tiara's grasp and gave her a look of disgust. "Is that true?"

"No Miss Cheerilee, it isn't true!" wailed Diamond Tiara.

"Yes it is!" said Apple Bloom, who had regained her breath and was walking over to join the conversation. "Why else would she attack her?"

"Because she's a psycho, just like her sister!" said Diamond Tiara.

"Diamond Tiara that is enough!" yelled Cheerilee. She looked around at the four frightened fillies and took a deep breath. "I want all four of you to come with me to my office so we can get this straightened out. Now.

The four fillies merely nodded, not daring to disobey, and followed Cheerilee to her office. When they were inside, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon sat down on the two chairs in front of Cheerilee's desk while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stood beside them. Cheerilee took her place behind her desk and looked at the four fillies before taking a deep breath. "Now what happened?"

"She attacked me!" wailed Diamond Tiara, pointing an accusatory hoof at Sweetie Belle.

"Why did she attack you?" asked Cheerilee.

"I told you, it's because she's a psychotic nutcase like her sister! She told me that she was going to rip me apart piece by piece!"

Cheerilee turned to look at Sweetie Belle. "Is that true?" she asked. Sweetie Belle paused for a moment before she nodded. "Why did you say that to her?"

"I... I was just so angry," she said. "It was like I couldn't help myself! I'm sorry for what I said, Diamond Tiara!"

"Apology not accepted, freak!" spat Diamond Tiara who had taken a box of tissues off of Cheerilee's desk and was doing her best to wipe the blood off of her face.

"Diamond Tiara I will not allow you to speak that way to one of my students!" said Cheerilee crossly. "Now, why don't you tell me why she attacked you like that?"

"I don't know!" Diamond Tiara wailed.

Cheerilee's expression hardened. "Okay then, let me say this out loud, just to make sure that I have all of the facts straight. Correct the story when I get something wrong. You and Silver Spoon were at recess, minding your own business when Sweetie Belle suddenly dragged you to the corner of the school yard, where mere moments before she had been sitting quietly, and began beating you up?"

"Well--"

"Because the only way that you could have gotten over there was if she dragged you over there herself! She had no reason to go anywhere near you and you had no reason to go near her! So who came up to who first?" Diamond Tiara sat in silence, knowing she was caught in her lie. Cheerilee nodded grimly. "Well, I can imagine that you really did say that to Sweetie Belle. What in Equestria possessed you to do that?"

"Because her sister was evil," mumbled Diamond Tiara.

"Why is that Sweetie Belle's fault?" she asked. "Why do you feel the need to exacerbate the insane amount of grief she is going through when you don't even know all of the facts?" Diamond Tiara sat in silence and Cheerilee shook her head. "Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, both of you are banned from recess for the rest of the year. I am also suspending you for a week."

"But Miss Cheerilee--"

Cheerilee held up a hoof to stem the pleading. "I suggest the two of you go home before you do something else you'll regret later!" said Cheerilee sharply. The two fillies stood up and left the office without another word. Cheerilee looked towards Sweetie Belle with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry Sweetie Belle, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give you the same punishment."

Sweetie Belle's ears drooped and she dejectedly turned her gaze to the floor. "I know," she mumbled. "I just got so mad when she said those things about Rarity."

"Sweetie Belle, you have to understand that the whole town has been deeply affected by this," said Cheerilee. "For some ponies that comes out in very nasty ways.

"I do understand," said Sweetie Belle, looking back up at her teacher. "But why did she have to say that?"

"Because she's a cruel, spoiled, selfish, narcissistic brat that has probably never been punished for anything she has ever done in her life, and as such she didn't expect consequences for saying those things either," said Cheerilee bluntly.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom's jaws dropped, something that triggered a vaguely amused smile on Cheerilee's face. "What? I'm not an idiot. She's a nasty little filly who frankly deserved what she got."

"But you said violence was never the answer!" said Sweetie Belle.

Cheerilee's small smile faded. "And that is still true. It was the wrong thing to do and I wish you hadn't done it. I wish that you had simply come and told me what happened."

Sweetie Belle returned her gaze to the floor. "I wish that I could take it back."

"I know you do," said Cheerilee. "And I want you to understand that you are not a monster! You are simply trying your best to deal with an event that almost no one in the history of Equestria has ever had to deal with at a very young age. I don't expect you to be perfect right now."

"Are you sad Miss Cheerilee?"

Cheerilee's eyes trailed to the floor and her ears flattened against her head. "I am very sad, Sweetie Belle," she replied. "I was her first friend in school and she was one of mine as well. To know what happened only a few months after we met and why was... well it was tough, to say the least." Cheerilee shook her head and cleared her throat. "Well, I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle, but I need you to go home right now. Apple Bloom, you can go back to recess."

The fillies nodded and walked out the office door.

* * * *

Scootaloo sat under a tree not far from the Crusaders' clubhouse, idly fiddling with one of the wheels of her scooter. She knew that Applejack wouldn't be bucking these apple trees for a while so she knew that she would be undisturbed. She looked at the sky above her and remembered the events just a few hours prior.

How in Equestria did Sweetie Belle have the nerve to come near her after what her sister did to her parents? Why did she think that they could still be friends after that!? Did she really understand what it meant for Scootaloo to be an orphan, wondering each day when your next meal would be or where you were going to find a place to sleep? Well Scootaloo did have to experience that and it was all Rarity's fault!

She continued looking up at the sky, wishing desperately that she could fly away from all of this. Maybe she would have better luck in Cloudsdale around Rainbow Dash. Maybe she could get a job at the weather factory or something where she could be away from Sweetie Belle forever!

At that moment, a familiar streak of Rainbow came flying across the sky. Scootaloo actually managed a small smile as her idol spotted her and flew down next to her. "Hey Squirt, how are you doing?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Absolutely terrible," said Scootaloo dryly. "How are you doing?"

Rainbow shook her head and held up a hoof. "I'm not here for small talk," she said. "I'm here to ask you why you abandoned Sweetie Belle."

Scootaloo's expression hardened into a glare. "Because her sister murdered my parents!"

"How is that her fault?" retorted Rainbow Dash. "Why are you punishing her for something that she had nothing to do with?"
Scootaloo aggressively stood up and flared her wings out. "Because every time I look at her I see that butcher she called a sister!"

Rainbow Dash flinched a bit at the term but recovered quickly. "But she didn't do anything wrong!" she pointed out.

"I don't care," said Scootaloo bitterly. "I still feel betrayed. I mean, don't you?"

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you feel betrayed because the pony that you thought that you knew really well, that you saw as part of your family, turned out to be a serial killer?" asked Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash looked sadly at the ground before walking over to sit next to the filly. "Scootaloo, I feel more betrayed than you can possibly imagine. Sweetie Belle is like a sister to you, but in the end, you know full well that she didn't do anything. Well, Rarity was like a sister to me and she did do something. She...she killed one of my best friends in the world and hung her pelt on the wall like some sort of sick trophy!" Scootaloo's eyes widened and to her surprise, Rainbow Dash began crying. "Even if we did have a falling out, she was still one of my best friends. There were a lot of times in my life that I wouldn't have gotten through if it wasn't for the support that Gilda gave me, and with one fell swoop Rarity snuffed her life out."

Scootaloo tentatively reached out a hoof and touched her idol's foreleg. "Do you hate her?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Part of me wants to hate her, but another part of me just wants to remember the Rarity that I knew and loved like family. I'm not sure which side is winning to be honest."

"But you're the Element of Loyalty!" said Scootaloo.

"And that's the only reason that there's a battle in the first place," Rainbow Dash explained. "If loyalty wasn't a trait that I valued so much then I would have no problems hating her for the rest of my life." Rainbow Dash had to take a deep breath before continuing. "But I'm not here to talk about that, I'm here to talk about you and Sweetie Belle."

Scootaloo looked away from Rainbow Dash and back to the ground. "Why?" she said blankly.

"Because she needs you!" said Rainbow. "Whatever you are feeling right now, she's feeling it too. She had to watch her sister die in front of her because she was a serial killer. I don't know a single pony that would handle that without serious help from her best buddies in the whole world."

"But her sister killed my parents!"

Rainbow Dash put a comforting hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "The key word there being 'sister', Scootaloo. It isn't fair to Sweetie Belle if you punish her for something her sister did that she had no control over, especially when she needs you the most!"

"I don't know how I can even look at her," whimpered Scootaloo.

"Scoots, I'm not saying that the scars are gonna heal right away," said Rainbow Dash. "I know that the scars from all of this will take years to heal for all of us, you especially. Me and the others lost a friend, you lost the two ponies who were supposed to help you through these stages of your life."

Scootaloo's eyes trailed to the ground and she leaned her head against Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "But it isn't Sweetie Belle's fault."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Exactly," she said. "She needs you, and frankly, you need her right now too. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to all need the help of each other if you are going to make it through this."

Scootaloo nodded before her bottom lip began to quiver. Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug and Scootaloo began softly crying. Rainbow stroked the mane of her number one fan and did her best to calm her down. "Shhh," she soothed. "It's gonna be okay Scootaloo. I don't know when or how, but I promise you that it'll be okay."

Pink

Suspended from school because of a fight on day one. How was she going to explain that one to her parents? They had sent her back to school in the first place to reintegrate her back to society and normal life, but now that seemed to be even more of an impossibility than before.

Sweetie Belle trudged back home from school after her suspension with her head held low to the ground. She occasionally heard whispers around her as she walked through town to her parent's house, but she tried to tune them out for the most part. Still, occasionally she picked something up.

"It's Sweetie Belle!"

"What's she doing out around us normal ponies?"

"Probably something evil. I heard that she just got expelled from school for trying to murder two of her classmates."

"Really?!"

"Yes. I think she'll turn out just like her psycho of a sister."

Sweetie Belle glanced towards the direction of the noise to see Berry Punch and Lyra Heartstrings looking straight at her with wide eyes and their heads together so they could whisper rumors to each other. When they saw her looking at them, they took an uneasy step back. Despite her internal warnings, Sweetie Belle walked over to the two of them with a glare. "Why are you saying bad things about me?"

The two ponies looked at each other uneasily. "Uh... w-we're not!" said Berry Punch with a nervous laugh.

Sweetie Belle shifted her gaze between the two of them, glaring daggers at the ponies who used to like her. "You just said stuff about me doing something bad. I haven't been expelled and my classmates are okay."

"Oh... well that's good!" said Lyra with false happiness.

"Why are you saying things about me like I was the one that did something?" asked Sweetie Belle angrily. "I haven't hurt anypony!"

"Well, I--"

"And what did you said about me being around you 'normal ponies'?" she asked. "Am I some kind of freak?!"

"No of course not!" said Lyra. The two were backing up from Sweetie Belle as if she was brandishing a weapon and threatening to go after their families.

With each step backwards that the two took, Sweetie Belle followed up with one in their direction. "I'm only ten years old! What in Equestria could I do to any of you?!"

"Well wasn't Rarity eight years old when she--"

"Excuse me?!" said Sweetie Belle angrily.

"Well it's a fair point isn't it?" asked Berry Punch. "Didn't Rarity--"

"No! You don't get to talk about my sister like that!" she screeched.

Berry Punch and Lyra and exchanged another look, and Sweetie Belle thought she saw traces of fear in Berry Punch's eyes. "Why do you think that I'm gonna do the stuff that my sister did? What makes you think that I would want to hurt anypony?"

Lyra and Berry Punch didn't answer; they just looked uneasily at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle surmised that they weren't going to answer so she turned around and walked away. As she walked away, she heard Lyra say, "Well I know that I'm going to lock my door tonight!"

Sweetie Belle desperately wanted to turn around and berate the duo some more but she realized that there wasn't any point. She simply did her best to continue ignoring the stares and whispers that she was getting. She knew that even the simple confrontation with Lyra and Berry Punch was worthless in the end. The whole town hated and feared her anyway.
At that moment, her stomach growled and she realized that she hadn't actually eaten anything that day. She looked up to see if there was anywhere that she could get a little snack before heading home and she spotted Sugarcube Corner in the distance. It was as good of a place as any.

It was only a ten minute walk to the confectionery from where she spotted it. She was surprised to see that despite the fact that it was the lunch rush, the building was empty.

She opened the door to the shop and immediately a feeling of depression washed over her. The building was still brightly lit and the decor hadn't changed at all. There were dozens of tasty treats in the display case under the counter but they all seemed to have been baked that morning, something that was unusual for the confectionery as the morning batches were usually long gone by this point.

However, the real reason that the shop was drenched in a dark mood was the pink pony that was sitting on a stool behind the counter, quietly humming to herself with her back to the door. Sweetie Belle gulped and slowly trotted up to the counter. "H-hello Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie's head looked up and she turned around on the stool to see who had come in. "Hi Sweetie Belle," said Pinkie Pie in an emotionless tone. Sweetie Belle took a step back at the sight of the pink pony. Her face was sunken and it looked like the skin on her head was stretched too tight. There were heavy wrinkles under her eyes, which had themselves lost their shine. Her coat which had always been a bright pink was now dulled considerably and it looked unkempt as well. However, the most frightening thing for Sweetie Belle was that Pinkie's normally bouncy hair was completely flat and hung like curtains. When she saw Sweetie Belle take a step back, she frowned. "What's wrong Sweetie Belle?"

"What happened to you?" Sweetie Belle whispered.

"Same thing that happened to you: I was arrested in the dead of night before I found out that one of my best friends was a serial killer before I watched her execution."

Sweetie Belle's ears flattened under the gaze of the pink mare. "Why do you look like that?"

Pinkie's eyes narrowed. "Why? What's wrong with the way that I look?"

"I...I..."

Pinkie Pie stood up form her stool and leered down at the filly. "Do I look like some kind of a monster to you? Is that it?"

Sweetie Belle took a step backwards, but managed to work up the courage to speak. "Pinkie Pie... when was the last time you smiled?"

Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow before the corners of her mouth turned up and she gave a twisted smile. It was not one of happiness; it was a twisted perversion of what Pinkie Pie's smile had once been. It was a mere shadow of the happy grin that Sweetie Belle knew and loved. "Is that good?" she asked.

"Pinkie--"

"What can I get for you?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"What?"

"Well, you're here in Sugarcube Corner aren't you? I just assumed that you came in to get something to eat. So, based on that, what can I get for you?"

"Pinkie, what happened to you? The others are sad but they aren't acting like this."

Pinkie Pie's ear twitched but she continued on like she hadn't heard Sweetie Belle say anything. "We have cupcakes, some pieces of actual cake, apple strudel, caramel apples--"

"Pinkie Pie, you're scaring me!"

"Or if you want something other than that, I can whip up something in a flash."

"Pinkie--"

"Is everything alright down here?" asked Mr. Cake who had just come downstairs, carrying Pumpkin Cake on his back.

"Everything is fine Mr. Cake!" said Pinkie Pie, flashing the twisted smile again. Pumpkin Cake whimpered and buried her head in her father's shoulder. "Aww, what's the matter Pumpkin Cake?" asked Pinkie Pie. "Is something bothering you about Auntie Pinkie Pie?"

"Pinkie Pie, please don't do this," whispered Sweetie Belle. "Don't let Rarity's death rule your life."

At the mention Rarity's name, Pinkie Pie twitched a bit but she regained her composure and smiled once more. "Who says that I'm letting it rule my life?" she asked. "I'm perfectly happy with with what I'm doing right now, but what. Can. I Get. For. You?!"

Sweetie Belle gulped nervously. "Just a blueberry muffin," she said quietly.

Pinkie smiled once again and reached under the counter and put a large blueberry muffin on the counter. Sweetie Belle looked at it, daring herself to walk up to the counter and collect the muffin. However, it would mean getting closer to Pinkie Pie. "What's the matter?" asked the eerie baker. "Don't you want your muffin? I made it myself, they're very good."

Sweetie Belle gulped and slowly walked up to the counter to get her muffin. She glanced over at Mr. Cake who looked just as uneasy as Sweetie Belle felt. Sweetie Belle felt Pinkie Pie's piercing gaze grow stronger with each step that she took. She reached the counter and looked up. The pink pony was even more frightening this close up.

Sweetie Belle reached up and took her muffin off of the counter before reaching into her saddle bag to pull out two bits. Pinkie Pie scooped them up and placed them in the cash box near the counter.

"Thank you! It's the only sale we've had today!" said Pinkie Pie.

Sweetie Belle looked at Mr. Cake with a horrified expression. He sighed and nodded. "We haven't had a steady stream of customers for a few days now," he said sadly.

"It'll get back to normal," Pinkie Pie assured.

Mr. Cake nodded again. "I have to go feed the twins," he mumbled before he walked back upstairs.

"I think I have to go too," said Sweetie Belle.

"I understand," said Pinkie Pie. "Be sure to come back soon!"

Sweetie Belle put the muffin in her saddlebag and ran out the door, hoping to escape that world as soon as possible.
When she went out the door, she noticed that the very mood of the town seemed to have changed. It was still sunny, the ponies were still talking to each other happily, but the happiness was almost mocking Sweetie Belle now. How could anypony be happy when Pinkie Pie was acting like that?

She walked over to a bench and pulled out her muffin. She took a bite and immediately spit it out. It tasted absolutely disgusting! Much like Pinkie herself, her cooking was a perversion of what it had been.

She tossed the muffin in a nearby trash can and put her head in her hooves. In its own way, Pinkie Pie's demeanor was the worst thing that had happened to her since Rarity's death. It was certainly more disturbing than the way that she had acted with Diamond Tiara that morning.

She glanced over at her saddlebag and pulled it closer to her. She knew that it was time to go home now. Before she could, she heard a voice coming from behind her. "Excuse me, are you Sweetie Belle?" asked a male voice behind her. She turned around to see a pair of unicorn ponies looking at her expectantly. One had a camera around his neck and the other had a reporter's hat on.

"Uh...no," she said. "But a lot of ponies think that." She stood up and slung her saddlebag over her shoulder.

"Oh come on, don't take us for fools kid," said the photographer. "We know it's you."

"Fine, it's me. Can I go now?" she said.

"Well just hang on a moment," said the reporter, moving in front of her to block her path. "We know what you're going through, and we want to say that we are sorry for your loss."

Sweetie Belle glared at the two of them, knowing full well why they were there. "I don't wanna do an interview!"

"But don't you want your side of the story to be told to the public?" asked the reporter who, had pulled a notepad and a pencil out of his saddlebag.

"Please go away," said Sweetie Belle who turned around and tried walking away in the other direction but she was blocked by the photographer.

"If the issue is about money, you will be well paid for the interview," said the reporter. "I know that your parents lost their jobs."

"It's not about money," said Sweetie Belle angrily. "I just want to be left alone!"

"But surely you want to tell your side of the story! Ponies want to know, they have a right to know!"

"Go away!" said Sweetie Belle.

"But--"

"I said, go away!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she pushed her way past the photographer and began running as fast as she could.

"Stop her! I promised the boss that I'd get this interview," said the reporter.

"No!" said Sweetie Belle who began running wildly, not even bothering to pay attention to where she was going.

"Come back!" said the photographer desperately. "We just want to ask you a few questions!"

Sweetie Belle merely continued to run. She hardly registered the direction she was running which proved to be a gigantic problem. She turned a corner and found herself in an alleyway bricked off at the end. She had hit a dead end! She turned around to see the reporter and the photographer walking up to her from behind. She backed away slowly, hitting the end of the alley in a few steps. "Look, we just want to ask you a few questions," said the reporter in a placating tone. "We don't want to hurt you, we want to help you!"

"No," whined Sweetie Belle as she shrank back into a corner of the alley. The duo came closer to her, both with looks of sympathy on their faces. Sweetie Belle knew that they were fake, that they were just trying to get a good story. She whimpered as the two of them cornered her.

"Look Sweetie Belle, I just want to ask you a few questions about your sister, that's all. We can give you good money for the story, would you like that?" Sweetie Belle merely whimpered again and the reporter glanced at his notebook. "Okay, question one: What can you tell us about the Rarity that you knew?" Sweetie Belle curled her tail over her body, trying to make herself as small as possible. "Just a few sentences will do," said the reporter.

At that moment, Sweetie Belle's bottom lip began trembling and the reporters looked at each other uncomfortably. "Are... are you okay?" asked the photographer. At that question, Sweetie Belle burst into tears. She began loudly sobbing, just wishing for this nightmare to be over. The two took a small step forward, neither of them quite sure of what to do.

"We need this story," whispered the reporter.

"Look at her, man, does she look like she's gonna give us the time of day?" said the photographer.

"I don't understand it; doesn't she want her story to be told?"

Suddenly, a yellow blur smashed into the ground with enough force that Sweetie Belle was surprised that there wasn't a small crater where it had landed. She looked up and to her total surprise; she saw Fluttershy standing between her and the reporters. Every inch of her, from her flared wings to her aggressive stance, told Sweetie Belle that Fluttershy was more livid then she had ever seen her.

"WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" she screeched.

The reporters took a small step back. "We were just doing our jobs," said the reporter.

"WHERE IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION DID IT SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN EMOTIONALLY FRAGILE TEN YEAR OLD CRY?!"

"Well we--"

Fluttershy suddenly grabbed the photographer's camera in her teeth and with one sharp tug, she tore it from his neck. She slammed it on the ground before shattering it under her front hooves. "YOU SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" she yelled. "IF I DIDN'T HAVE BETTER SELF CONTROL, I WOULD KICK YOUR FLANKS ACROSS PONYVILLE!"

The two reporters looked very scared now. "We just--"

"I don't want to hear it," said Fluttershy, venom and rage dripping from every syllable. The reporters took another step back. Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag and tossed four bits on the ground. "For the bucking camera."

The two reporters glanced at the money but they both looked too scared to pick it up. Fluttershy continued to glare at them. "Get away from us RIGHT NOW!" she said and with a yelp, the two reporters ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

Fluttershy turned around to look at Sweetie Belle and her expression immediately softened. She slowly trotted over to her and sat down next to her. Sweetie Belle looked up at her and saw that Fluttershy was crying a bit too. She wrapped her forelegs around the Pegasus' waist and buried her head in her chest. Fluttershy returned the hug and lovingly stroked Sweetie Belle's mane. "Shh, it's okay," she said soothingly. "I'm here now. They're gone, they're not gonna hurt you."

Sweetie Belle continued crying and Fluttershy tightened her hug. She wanted to say that everything would be okay, that the nasty ponies how wanted to exploit her would stop coming, but she didn't know if that was the truth. She didn't know how to comfort her, how to help her through this dark time. She felt as helpless as Sweetie Belle did.

Memorial

Fluttershy opened the door to Sweetie Belle's house and gently led the still sobbing filly inside. It hurt her heart, seeing Sweetie Belle this way, although not as much as it hurt knowing why. In hindsight, she shouldn't have gotten so mad that she had destroyed the reporter's camera, but another part of her wished that she had gone farther.

She led Sweetie Belle up to her room and quickly left for a brief moment to go get a wet washcloth, which she used to wipe the tears from Sweetie Belle's face. It was a technique she had picked up a few years ago, and it did wonders for Sweetie Belle now. At the very least, she had stopped sobbing.

"Shh, it's okay, they're gone now," said Fluttershy soothingly. "They're not gonna hurt you anymore."

"W-w-w-hy did th-th-they d-d-do that in th-th-the first place?" stuttered Sweetie Belle.

Fluttershy looked sorrowfully at Sweetie Belle. "They don't understand what you are going through and they want to exploit it. It is very, very, very wrong of them and I hope that it doesn't happen to you again."

"D-d-do you th-th-think it w-w-will?" Sweetie Belle sniffled.

Fluttershy sighed before she slowly nodded. "Yes, but I hope it doesn't."

Sweetie Belle whimpered and buried her head in Fluttershy's chest once more. She didn't begin sobbing again, but tears streamed down her face all the same.

At that moment, Fluttershy heard the door to the house open and the voices of two ponies coming from downstairs. She recognized them as the voices of Sweetie Belle's parents. "Isn't it amazing?" her father said. "He gave us a job, right on the spot!"

"I know!" said her mother. "I know that it doesn't pay too much but between the two of us I think that we can make it work."
Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle heard her parents coming up the stairs, chattering excitedly about their new jobs. Fluttershy saw Sweetie Belle's father walk past the door and glance inside Sweetie Belle's room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his daughter crying and in the embrace of the yellow Pegasus. "Sweetie Belle!" he said in a shocked voice. "What's wrong? Why are you home from school?"

Sweetie Belle removed her face from Fluttershy's chest and wiped her eyes. "I... I got in a fight with Diamond Tiara," she said sadly. "We both got suspended for a week."

Sweetie Belle's parents walked into her room. Fluttershy noted that Sweetie Belle's father seemed to have an expression somewhere between anger and sorrow on his face. "Why did you get in a fight?"

"She told me that she was glad that Rarity is dead and that if I had any sense, I would be too," said Sweetie Belle.

The jaws of Sweetie Belle's parents simultaneously hit the floor and even Fluttershy looked more than a little shocked. "Did she really say that?" asked her father. Sweetie Belle sadly nodded. Her father gave a frustrated sigh. "I suppose it's just as well that we're moving then."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"We're moving to Hoofington. We both just got jobs there and we have to move there if we want to keep them."

"No!" said Sweetie Belle. "I don't want to leave Ponyville!"

"But Sweetie Belle--"

"No! My whole life is here! My friends are here, my house is here, all of my memories are here! I can't just leave that!"

"But Sweetie Belle, pain and suffering are here as well!" said her mother. "They'll just keep doing what they're doing!"

"But won't we get that in Hoofington? Rarity killed there too!" Sweetie Belle's mother flinched at that.

"But we need that job!" said her father. "We can't just ignore the offer, we need the money!"

"What'll you do when I can have Rarity's money in a few years?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Her parents looked at each other. "Well... it's your money really. We can't touch it ourselves," said her father. Sweetie Belle wiped her eyes once more, hoping that she wouldn't begin crying once more.

"Can I...can I just go live in my house instead of moving to Hoofington with you?"

"Sweetie Belle, you're ten years old!" said her mother. "You have no money and you don't know how to care for yourself!"

"But I don't want to move to Hoofington!" said Sweetie Belle angrily. "That's a long ways away from here!"

"Sweetie Belle, we're moving to Hoofington and that's final," said her father crossly. Sweetie Belle's eyes filled with tears and she once again buried her head in Fluttershy's chest.

Fluttershy looked up at Sweetie Belle's parents with sad eyes. "What will you be doing there?" she asked.

"We'll be ditch diggers," said her father. "It isn't much, but it's something."

"Will you be able to support the three of you?" she asked worriedly looking at Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle's father sighed but nodded all the same. "I have to admit that it'll be pretty tough, but I think we can make it work."

"How tough?" asked Fluttershy. "Will you be able to afford food and a place to stay?"

Sweetie Belle's mother bit her lip and scratched the back of her neck. "Uh... probably."

Fluttershy looked at the sad filly in her forelegs and sighed. "Listen... I know that she's just under eleven years old, but maybe she could stay here."

"No!" said Sweetie Belle's mother. "I can't leave my only child! Not after what just happened!"

"But you need this job, and I can't let her go with you if I'm not sure that she'll have a good life. Here, me and the others can help her! She doesn't need to live in poverty."

"But she's only a filly! If she was a teenager than maybe we would be more open to this, but she's too young to be out on her own," said Sweetie Belle's father.

"But she has a house and ponies here that will be able to take care of her. She knows the ponies around here, and for the most part they want to help her! If she moves to a totally new town then I don't know how she'll cope! She wouldn't know anypony around there, and she certainly wouldn't have ponies like us to help her through the dark times."

"But she'll be hated and despised if she stays!"

"She'll be hated and despised in Hoofington too."

"But she's only ten!" said her mother.

Fluttershy sighed. "I know that, and I know that you don't want to leave her, but you can't support her with the jobs you have right now. She's going through a tough enough time without having to live in poverty on top of it. If it's just the two of you, then you can live a semi-comfortable life. With Sweetie Belle in the mix, you can't." Sweetie Belle's parents looked at each other. Her mother seemed to be crying. "We can help her," said Fluttershy.

"In a few years I can take care of myself anyway," said Sweetie Belle.

Fluttershy nodded. "Look, it truly is your choice; I'm just saying that she had strong relationships here. In Hoofington she doesn't. She can build up trust much faster and even those who hate her will eventually grow to understand. In Hoofington, it would take far longer for that to happen."

Sweetie Belle's father sighed. "We'll think about it," he said.

* * * *

In the coming weeks, a memorial for Rarity's victims had been constructed to honor those that had died in Rarity's reign as the deadliest serial killer in Equestrian history. It was a large statue of an alicorn pony, meant to represent the races of all who had died, with large plaque with all of the names of the victims on it. However, a lot of ponies who had lost family members to Rarity had come from all over and they had brought photos and notes of the victims with them to place on the memorial. Twilight had shown up to the unveiling and had used her magic to put permanent protection spells on the photos so that they would always be a part of the memorial.

Sweetie Belle slowly walked down the street to the memorial ceremony. All around her, ponies dressed in black walked silently towards the statue as well, some of them occasionally shooting her dirty glances, as if blaming her for what had happened. However, some of the ponies shot her sympathetic glances. It was those that encouraged Sweetie Belle to keep moving forward.

Once the crowd had reached the statue, the Mayor stood up on a podium in front of it and began a long speech. Sweetie Belle tuned it out for the most part. She knew that a portion of it would vilify Rarity, and that was something that she couldn't bear to hear right now. Or ever, for that matter. Still, portions of the speech did make it through. "Never forget... tragic... honor them by... life ended... together we can move on..."

The usual stuff.

Sweetie Belle was really only there to do one thing and she hoped that it would be coming soon. She couldn't bear to listen to any more of the Mayor's pretentious speech. She had not lost any family in Rarity's basement, so Sweetie Belle wondered how much of her sorrow was genuine. The stereotypical speech left little doubt in Sweetie Belle's mind that this was just the Mayor doing her job and not actually feeling too sad. Surely she was shocked by the reveal, just as the rest of the town was, but Sweetie Belle heard the phoniness in her sorrow.

"And now, I would like to open up the podium to anypony who wishes to say a few words during this tragic time," said the Mayor. Sweetie Belle began pushing forward in the crowd, hoping to get a good spot in line so that she could say what was on her mind as soon as possible. However, she didn't expect a warm reaction when she did but she still hoped that they would at least be polite and listen.

The first ponies up were three fillies, slightly older than Sweetie Belle herself, who were flanked by a sorrowful couple. The oldest of the three was given a box to stand on, and she stood on her hind legs and used the podium for balance when she spoke. "Uh... hi," she said nervously. "I'm here today because Rarity killed our mommy, daddy, and older sister. Because of Rarity, we had to wake up one day to discover that our mommy had k-killed herself. We didn't know somepoy had actually come into our house to kill her. Our daddy had already disappeared, so we had nopony to take care of us. Our sister Trixie was on the road performing, but nopony could find her so that she could take care of us." The filly began crying now. "We don't know what our parents and sister did to deserve what happened to them, but we know that they're in a better place right now.

"I also think that I speak for all of my sisters and our adoptive parents that we don't blame Rarity's parents or sister for what happened. Even if her sister lived with her, we don't think that there was any reason for her to know about what her sister was doing. We don't give them any blame and we hope that you don't either."

Trixie's sister jumped off the podium and walked over to the statue. She took a photo of a filly Trixie surrounded by her parents from her adoptive father and stuck it on the memorial. Twilight, who was standing next to the statue, attached it to the memorial permanently.

The next pony up was a gray earth pony mare. She had to take a few moments to compose herself before she began. "I would like to begin by thanking all of you for coming out. I know your mayor did that already, but I just want you to know how much it means to me that kind and good-hearted ponies like you have come out to support the families of the victims, even if you didn't know any of them or lose any family to that butcher." The crowd murmured in agreement but Sweetie Belle flinched at the term. "I had a sister who worked at the Ponyville Post Office as a clerk. Her name was Janice, and she simply disappeared one day. My parents and I came to Ponyville looking for her, but we couldn't find her. Nopony knew where she was, so it was assumed that she had just moved away. Murder was hardly the first thing anypony thought of because nopony had murdered another for hundreds of years! Well, when we heard about this, we feared the worst but we continued searching for my sister, hoping that she wasn't another victim of Rarity's rampage. However, we got the visit from the royal guard a few days later."

The crowd gave sympathetic murmurs and the mare had to regain her composure once more.

"Like the filly before me said, I know that she's in a better place right now. I know that she's in a place where monsters like the one who killed her can't touch her ever again. I know I'll see her again but I hope that everypony here who has lost family and friends will have their wounds healed by time. I myself just want to remember the good times we had. I hope you all do the same. The sooner we stop focusing on the murderer, the sooner she holds no power over us, even in death."

Sweetie Belle whimpered at that statement. She understood what they were all going through, but she still wished that they wouldn't talk about her sister like that. However, she knew that she simply had to endure it until her time to talk had come.
One by one, the ponies in line talked about their loved ones and the fond memories they had of them. A lot of the time the ponies would include hateful words about Rarity and what she had done to them, but Sweetie Belle tried her best to look past that. She silently waited her turn to speak.

Her turn came after about half an hour of speeches. She didn't have a photo of Rarity to put on the memorial, although she knew it would be a bad idea to include one at any rate.

She stepped up on the stage and glanced at Twilight, who looked sadly at the filly. Sweetie Belle turned her head towards the audience, who were murmuring among themselves. Some of them looked extremely angry that she was up there, but she knew that she had to do this if she was going to begin a healing process of her own.

She stepped up on the box that had been put out for any foals that wanted to say something, stood up on her hind legs, and, using the podium for balance, cleared her throat. "Uh... I just want to say a few--"

"Get off the stage you psycho!" yelled a random pony in the crowd to a few murmurs of agreement.

Sweetie Belle flinched back and flattened her ears. "I... uh..."

All of the words she had so carefully chosen slipped away from her at that very moment.

"How do you get the nerve to be around civilized ponies when your sister is the reason we're all here?!"

"But I didn't do anything!" said Sweetie Belle pathetically.

"Yeah, right," srarled another pony. "If you had just paid better attention, my son would probably be alive right now!"

"No, please don't--"

"Face it; you're just as guilty as your psycho sister!"

Sweetie Belle began crying now and she tried to figure out something to do, something to say that would make them accept her again. Nothing came to mind. She got off of the podium and began walking towards the edge, away from all of the nasty ponies who hated her. Maybe she should move away with her parents.

However, to the surprise of many of them, a lone voice rang out in the crowd. "Leave her alone! She didn't do anything wrong!"

The crowd began confusedly talking amongst themselves. Sweetie Belle looked towards the source of the noise to see a pony trying to push her way through the crowd. After a few seconds, the pony was revealed to be a filly about Sweetie Belle's age. She jumped up on the stage and stood in front of Sweetie Belle.

"Why are you treating her like this?!" asked the filly angrily. "She didn't do anything bad! She didn't know; how was she supposed to know?" Somehow, the filly's words stung just as much as the hateful ones. She actually had known what her sister was up to, at least in part. An angry mare walked up to the stage as well.

"June Star you get off the stage this instant and stop this nonsense right now!"

"No mommy!" said June Star. "I don't want them to hurt her!"

"Her sister killed Scarlet Tomato!" said the mare angrily.

"But she didn't!" said June Star. "She wasn't the one who killed my sister, she wasn't down in the basement when my sister died, and she didn't even know that there was such a place. Why does she have to suffer for her sister's bad actions?"

The tears began flowing faster from Sweetie Belle's eyes. She had been in the basement when her sister had killed Scarlet Tomato; she had seen her sister slice open her femoral artery, bleeding her out in seconds.

The mare walked up to the stage with the intent of dragging her daughter away from Sweetie Belle, but she found herself blocked by another protective mare. Upon closer inspection, Sweetie Belle saw that it was Derpy Hooves. Her wings were flared out, blocking Sweetie Belle from the mare's vision.

"Don't you hurt her!" growled Derpy.

Sweetie Belle was shocked to see Derpy so irate. Normally she was very good-natured. However, these were not normal times.

June Star walked closer to Sweetie Belle, gently placed a hoof on her shoulder, and gave her a small smile.

"You're a victim in this too," she said. "It's wrong for us to blame you." Sweetie Belle did her best to return the smile but she didn't know how. Not to this pony.

All of a sudden, ponies from inside the crowd began walking up to the stage and putting their hooves on Sweetie Belle too.
"We don't blame you," said a mare sympathetically.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"We're here to help you."

"We don't want to hurt you."

"It's going to be okay."

Sweetie Belle looked around to see that dozens upon dozens of ponies had come up on the stage to comfort her in this time of need. When there was no more room around her, the ponies paced their hooves on the shoulder of the pony next to them.

Sweetie Belle looked around at all of the ponies who were standing around her, giving her comforting smiles. She looked back at June Star, who widened her smile ever so slightly.

"You're not alone."

Sweet Apple Acres

Sweetie Belle slowly walked down the street towards Sweet Apple Acres, her head held low to the ground.

The display of trust and understanding that the ponies of Ponyville had displayed at the memorial for both Sweetie Belle and her family was...well, it was unlike anything that Sweetie Belle had ever experienced before. She expected hatred, she expected distrust and fear from the town and she had received it in spades. The whole town had hated her, and they didn't trust her at all because of what Rarity had done!

At least, that's what she thought, anyway.

She still wasn't entirely sure that she could trust her own memory on what had happened at the memorial service. Had most of the town come up to her to say that they didn't hate her or blame her for Rarity's murders? No, surely they were like Diamond Tiara for the most part; they hated her just as much as they hated Rarity.

But if that was the case, why did over half of the town tell her otherwise? Why did they support her?

That wasn't to say that the entire town suddenly changed their minds about her. A decent portion of the crowd still saw her as just as much of a monster as Rarity was. Even after the outpouring of support, there were still a lot of ponies that shot her angry glares and even shot her a few harsh words when the service broke up. Sweetie Belle knew without a doubt that they would try to make her life miserable in the coming years. She wondered if they would ever truly come to accept her again. Still, she knew that she had protectors.

She walked through the gate to Apple Bloom's farm, hoping to see her friends there. As loving as they all were, very few of Rarity's friends had actually shown up to the memorial. Twilight was there obviously, but Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack had merely sat in Applejack's barn, talking amongst themselves until the memorial was over. Only Rainbow Dash had shown up to the memorial as well, although she had watched the ceremony from the clouds.

Sweetie Belle sighed and walked past the rows of apple trees towards the barn. She stopped to examine one for a brief moment and she saw that it was highly dented at the base. It had even begun splintering in some places. She walked over to the tree and ran her hoof over the dent. It was unmistakably Applejack's hoofwork as the hoofmarks were simply too small to have come from Big Macintosh.

Sweetie Belle shook her head sadly and walked back towards the barn. She was unsurprised to see rows and rows of dented trees on the way to the barn. She knew that Applejack immersed herself in her work when she was feeling down and the sheer amount of emotional pain that the farmer pony was feeling right now... well, clearly this was how it was coming out.

She walked up to the barn to see it the barn door open slightly. She pushed it open a bit more and walked inside. Applejack had set up a pair of large tables around which she, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo sat. They all looked up when she walked in and gave her small nods of greeting. She walked up to a chair and sat down between Twilight and Apple Bloom.

"How was it?" asked Pinkie Pie. Sweetie Belle wanted to respond to her, but she was still too scared of her. This Pinkie Pie was still the one that she had come across in Sugarcube Corner. She obviously hadn't been coping any better.

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and shrugged. "I still don't know," she said as she stared down at the table.

Apple Bloom cocked her head. "What d'ya mean?" she questioned.

Sweetie Belle began idly examining a stain mark on the table in front of her. "Well... they let ponies give speeches if they wanted to about who they were there for and I tried to give one about Rarity," she began.

Applejack nodded grimly. "Ah take it that didn't go too well," she guessed.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "I expected them to come on the stage to hurt me right when I started talking. Nopony was there to help me, nopony stood up for me." She turned to Twilight. "Not even you."

Twilight frowned. "Is that what you think?"

The first hints of a glare appeared on Sweetie Belle's face. "You didn't say anything to stop them!" she accused.

"I...I didn't know what to say," said Twilight, hanging her head in shame. "I was worried that if I spoke up it would make things worse. Rarity and I were close after all."

Sweetie Belle's expression hardened. "So you were just going to let them hurt me?" she growled.

Twilight's vigorously shook her head. "Sweetie Belle, the second the crowd acted up I put a protection spell on you that Celestia herself would have difficulty breaking."

"And I was in the clouds ready to smash anypony that came near you," Rainbow Dash piped up.

"But you didn't," said Sweetie Belle bitterly. "Derpy helped me faster than you two did."

Twilight's face hardened and she returned Sweetie Belle's glare. "Yeah, well next time we're at a memorial service for the victims of one of our serial killer friends and they start to pick on her sister we'll know exactly what to do then, won't we?" snapped Twilight.

Sweetie Belle's glare faded to a more nervous expression and she flinched back. "Twilight--"

Twilight waved a hoof and continued her rant. "You do know that I'm suffering as much as you are, right? You do know that I felt as helpless as you did right there, right? You know that I was as scared as you were at that moment? That I didn't know what was going to happen, what I was supposed to do, what I was supposed to say?! I was scared Sweetie Belle, I was really, really scared, okay?!"

The whole room was dead silent, each wondering what to say to that. Twilight began silently crying and she gently placed a hoof on Sweetie belle's shoulder. "I know I failed you Sweetie Belle," said Twilight sadly. "You really needed me right there and I wasn't there. I just stayed in the background, hoping that I wouldn't have to interfere. But I know that I should have interfered in the very beginning, I'm sorry."

Sweetie Belle nodded and went back to staring at the table. Silence ruled the barn once more for a few moments before Applejack spoke up. "What do ya mean, 'Derpy came to help me'?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle looked up and her eyes began filling with tears. "A filly came up to me to tell the crowd to stop. June Star was her name, she was Scarlet Tomato's sister," said Sweetie Belle. Twilight gave a small gasp that Sweetie Belle ignored. "She...she came up to me and told me that it wasn't my fault and that she didn't blame me for what Rarity did. Her mom was one of the ponies that does so she walked towards me to make June Star go away but Derpy stopped her. "

Sweetie Belle began openly crying now. "Then a bunch of ponies came up to me and they told me that they didn't blame me and that they didn't think that it was my fault at all. They supported me!"

"So what's wrong with that?" asked Applejack. "That sounds mighty wonderful!"

"But I don't deserve it!" wailed Sweetie Belle. "I could have stopped Rarity if I had just paid more attention, I could have stopped her after you cleansed her with the Elements! I could have done more!" She stared at the ground now and silent tears fell from her face. "I could have done more. I could have stopped it."

Applejack walked over to Sweetie Belle and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "No, sugar cube, if anypony could have done more it's us," she said. "We were the ones who hit her with the Elements and we all saw how that turned out."

"Would you have turned her in if you could go back? Would you have Princess Celestia kill her to save the ponies she hurt after you tried to help her?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Applejack remained silent for a few moments before her head slowly went up and down. "Yeah... Ah think Ah would have," she admitted. "But Ah think Ah'd also regret it for the rest of my life."

"But you'll regret not doing it forever too?"

Applejack nodded once more. "There's no easy answer for that." She sighed. "There's no good outcome."

Sweetie Belle turned to Rainbow Dash. "What would you have done?" You're the Element of Loyalty after all; would you have told Princess Celestia?"

Rainbow Dash actually let out a small growl at the question. "Don't ever ask me that again," she said sharply. Sweetie Belle flinched back and Rainbow gave a pained sigh. "I don't want to have to think about it. I don't want to have that many lives depend on me so please just don't ask me that."

"Sorry," mumbled Sweetie Belle. Rainbow Dash merely gave her a nod. Sweetie Belle looked over at Scootaloo who seemed to have been avoiding her gaze the entire time. Sweetie Belle couldn't have that. She needed to have all of her friends with her. Despite the support from a lot of the town, a lot of it still hated her beyond belief. She took a deep breath.

"Scootaloo," she said quietly. Scootaloo's head snapped up and she made eye contact with Sweetie Belle. "Do you still hate me, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo looked back down at the table, saying nothing. However, it was obvious that she was still deep in thought. Rainbow Dash scooted over closer to her had put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Scootaloo looked up at her and Rainbow gave her an encouraging grin and a nod. Scootaloo looked back at Sweetie Belle and sighed. "No, I guess I don't hate you," she muttered. "I just...I just..." Scootaloo growled in frustration and put her head in her hooves. "I don't even know."

"No one expects ya to know what to do, sugar cube," said Applejack.

Scootaloo's gaze trailed back up to Sweetie Belle. "I mean, your sister killed my parents and dropped me off at an orphanage, what the heck am I supposed to think about that?"

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo sadly. "I guess...I guess I don't really blame you for being mad," she said. "My sister--"

"Stole my life from me!" finished Scootaloo bitterly.

Rainbow Dash gently put a hoof on the orange pegasus' shoulder. "Scoots, no need for that," she chided.

"But she did!" said Scootaloo, looking desperately up at Rainbow Dash. "I don't have parents anymore! I don't have anypony to take care of me! Do you know how many nights I had to wander the streets, wondering when my next meal was going to be?"

"Yeah Scoots, I do," said Rainbow Dash. "I know but I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you. But don't blame Sweetie Belle for that! She was hardly your age when it happened."

Scootaloo opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it again and looked back down at the table.

The group stared silently at the depressed orange filly before Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "I...uh...I was gonna save this for later but I think I need to do it now." She began leafing through her saddlebag, which was slung over a chair, for a few moments before she pulled out a few sheets of paper.

"What are those?" Fluttershy questioned as she tried to get a look at the papers.

Rainbow Dash wordlessly put them on the table in front of Scootaloo who silently examined them. After a few second, her eyes widened and she looked back up at Rainbow Dash. "These are adoption forms," she said quietly.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah uh... I mean, if you want me to, the offer's on the table."

Scootaloo's eyes began to fill with tears. "You wanna be my mommy?" she whispered.

Rainbow Dash uneasily scratched her back of her head. "Well, uh, more like your big sister, ya know? But yeah, I guess if you want to look at it that way," said Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo's eyes widened even more and before Rainbow could do anything, Scootaloo wrapped her in a hug and sobbed into her shoulder. Rainbow uneasily returned the hug. "Uh, does that mean you want me to?" said Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo nodded and the group gave happy sighs.

"Well that's just dandy, RD," said Applejack as she took Rainbow's hoof and began shaking it.

Rainbow gave her a small smile and a weak chuckle, "Thanks AJ," she said. "Thanks."

Scootaloo looked up from her hug with her new big sister and looked directly at Sweetie Belle. She got up and walked over to her fellow Crusader before wrapping her in a big hug too. Sweetie Belle sat in shock for a few moments before she relaxed and returned the hug. "It still hurts," said Scootaloo. "And I think it will forever, but I guess I don't have to blame you for something that you didn't know about."

"You guess?" said Sweetie Belle, pulling away from the hug with a small smirk.

Scootaloo laughed nervously and nodded. "Yeah well, you know what I mean," said Scootaloo.

"I sure do," said Sweetie Belle. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Family forever?" Scootaloo high-hooved her before Apple Bloom walked over and the three started a large group-hug. The four other ponies in the room all smiled fondly at the Crusaders. They knew that life would be okay for them.

However, there was one mare in the room that didn't smile at the display. Indeed, she still had a blank stare on her face. Applejack looked over and frowned. "You okay, Pinks?" she asked.

Pinkie Pie shook her head. "Call me Pinkamena," she growled.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she flattened her ears. "Uh-oh," she whispered.

Fluttershy frowned and cocked her head. "What do you mean, 'Pinkamena'?" she asked.

"Just what I said, Pinkamena," Pinkie Pie snapped. "It's the name I was born with."

Twilight and Applejack exchanged an uneasy glance. "Uh... okay, but what's wrong then?" asked Twilight.

Pinkamena growled and slammed her front hooves onto the table. "What do you think is wrong?!" shrieked Pinkamena. "Rarity is dead! She was executed for being a serial killer! I trusted her and she lost that trust the moment she told me what kind of a monster she was!" She slammed her hoof on the table again. "That's what's wrong!"

The other four looked at each other sadly. "Pinkie Pie--"

"MY name is PINKAMENA!" screeched the pink mare.

"No it ain't!" said Applejack angrily. "Yer Pinkie Pie. You've always been Pinkie Pie and ya always will be!" Pinkamena gave Applejack a menacing growl, causing Applejack to flinch back a bit but she remained steady in her resolve. "Now look sugar cube, that all happened to all of us too! Ah was arrested in the middle of the night the same as you were. Ah was forced to watch a pony Ah loved like kin die in front of me the same as you! Ah haven't been takin' it like you have!"

"Well lucky you then," said Pinkamena bitterly. "But I've seen the apple trees out there. How many of them do you think you can save?"

Applejack faltered for a moment before she steadied her resolve once more. "Ah ain't sayin' that what happened hasn't left scars on me," she said. "We'll all suffer from the effects of what happened for the rest of our lives, but Ah ain't gonna let it rule my life!"

"We've all gone through it, Pinkie Pie," said Twilight. "Princess Celestia disowned me because of what happened, believe me, I know what you're going through." Pinkamena looked angrily around the table, hoping that... well; she didn't know what she was hoping.

"Ya need to let go of the pain as best ya can sugar cube," said Applejack.

"I'm trying!" she shrieked. "Don't you think that I would erase all of the pain and betrayal in a second if I could!? Don't you think that I would erase every memory of Rarity if I could so I could stop all of this!?"

"Come on, Pinks, you wouldn't erase every memory of Rarity if you could. None of us would!" said Rainbow Dash.

"Why not?" retorted Pinkamena. "Thinking of the good memories only makes the bad memories worse!"

"Only if you let them!" Fluttershy insisted.

Pinkamena turned her piercing glare to the yellow pegasus. "Well how am I supposed to stop them?!"

"By lettin' go and movin' on," said Applejack simply.

Pinkamena shot her an icy death glare that would have turned a cockatrice to stone. "I Don't. Know. HOW!" she screamed. "How am I supposed to just forget and move on? How am I supposed to just ignore what happened? How am I supposed to just get over it, it's impossible!"

"We did it," Twilight pointed out.

Pinkamena let loose a joyless cackle. "Don't make me laugh!"

"Deal," mumbled Rainbow Dash.

"You haven't forgotten, you haven't moved on. You replay that horrible day in your head over and over again just like I do! You dream about her final moments and you feel betrayed, just like I do! You wish you could have seen the signs and stopped her from murdering everypony, just like I do!"

The four looked at each other quizzically. Twilight leaned her head closer to Pinkamena. "Pinkie Pie... do you blame yourself for her death?"

"Of course," she snapped. "Don't you? Don't you wish that you had seen the signs? If we had just paid better attention than none of this would have happened!"

Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes sadly. "Oh, Pinkie Pie," she whispered.

"None of us are to blame for what she did, sugar cube," said Applejack.

"Oh yeah, then why did Celestia disown Twilight?" retorted Pinkamena. "Why punish an innocent pony like that?"

"Because I am a little guilty," Twilight admitted softly. "I did know what she was doing."

Pinkamena's eyes widened and she had to take a second to process the unicorn's words before they narrowed once more. "You what?" Pinkamena growled, venom dripping from every syllable.

"Girls, go outside and play for a little while," said Rainbow Dash, shooing the Crusaders out of the barn. The three knew better than to argue and they rushed out of the barn leaving four very frightened mares with one pony out for blood.

"You KNEW what she was doing?!"

Twilight held up her hooves defensively. "Pinkie Pie, let me explain..."

Pinkamena stood up from her chair and began menacingly approaching Twilight. "You could have stopped her and you did NOTHING?!" Pinkamena screeched.

Twilight stood up and backed up a bit. "I didn't do nothing, Pinkie Pie! Why do you think we hit her with the Elements?!"

Pinkamena stopped advancing and looked at Twilight curiously. "Huh?"

"I didn't want her to die when I found out," said Twilight desperately. "So I had Princess Luna hit her with the Elements of Harmony! We hoped that it would cure her and it did for a while! For a while there, she was the Rarity that we always thought that she was!"

"But it didn't work!" Pinkamena snapped.

"How was I supposed to know that it wouldn't?" said Twilight desperately. "It freed Princess Luna didn't it?" Pinkie Pie didn't advance any closer to Twilight, but she didn't lose her glare. Twilight sighed. "Pinkie Pie... what would you have done?"

Pinkamena didn't respond. She merely stared at Twilight, unblinking. Twilight didn't know what was going on in her head at the best of times and now... well, now she almost feared for her life.

"P...Pinkie Pie?" she said nervously. "What are you thinking?" Pinkamena continued her gaze for a few more moments before she let out a small whimper. "Pinkie..." Pinkamena sat down and leaned her back against the barn wall and began loudly wailing. Her tears came out by the gallons and it was the type of crying that the group expected from Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie Pie?" whispered Fluttershy nervously as she slowly walked over to the sobbing pony. Pinkie Pie looked up at her yellow friend and pulled her into a tight hug. Twilight was relieved to see that some of her pink brightness had returned.

"I don't wanna forget her," she said pathetically.

Applejack smiled warmly at Pinkie Pie and joined in the hug. "None of us do sugar cube," said Applejack. "We all want to remember the Rarity that the Elements chose to wield them."

Pinkie Pie shifted her head to look at her farmer friend. "But how can I forget what she did?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"You can't," said Rainbow Dash. "But you can do your best to move on."

"Ah ain't sayin' that it'll be easy or even fast, but we have to try. If we let this rule our life then, well, what good is livin' it?" Pinkie Pie whimpered and buried her head in Fluttershy's shoulder. The other ponies gathered around and hugged Pinkie Pie tight.

Unbeknownst to the group, the Crusaders had poked their heads back into the barn and had seen most of the events that had transpired. When the five had begun hugging, they moved away from the barn and began walking towards their clubhouse. "Do ya think she'll go back to bein' Pinkie Pie?" asked Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "I think so," she said. "I think she is already kinda back to the Pinkie Pie we know."

"Do you think she'll totally get better?" asked Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No, I don't think any of us will. I know that I sure wont," she admitted.

"But we'll always be here to help each other, right?" said Apple Bloom. "I mean, what's family for anyways?" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo smiled at the term and Apple Bloom looked at them confusedly. "What, ain't we sisters?"

"Of course we are," said Scootaloo. "How can we not be?"

"Whatever we need to get through we'll get through together," said Sweetie Belle. "We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders after all!" She looked over at Scootaloo. "Right?"

Scootaloo gave a small smile and nod as the trio entered the clubhouse.

Nightmare Night

Ten Years Later

"And every Nightmare Night, The Ponyville Butcher rises from the grave, seeking little foals who come to close to her house. Her purple mane and tail hang like twisted curtains, waiting to ensnare anypony that she deems unworthy to live! Her cutie mark is a skull with blood dripping down her flank and her eyes are black and lifeless and If she catches you, she takes you down to her basement and straps you to her table. Hanging on the walls are the skins all of the other foals that were foolish enough to come too close to her home and once you are on the table, she takes her jagged knife and slowly begins slicing into your skin, tearing it off piece by piece!"

Three foals, two colts and a filly, sat around the Ponyville memorial, telling each other ghost stories. It was Nightmare Night and all manner of hideous creatures were out and about, searching for candy from their kindly neighbors. These particular foals had filled up their bags of candy and had decided to take a break near the memorial before going home. The eldest had decided to tell the other two The Legend of the Ponyville Butcher and it was going quite well for him. The other two looked scared out of their minds.

"Once she's done tearing off your skin, she takes a rusty hacksaw and cuts open your stomach so she can eat your inner organs because she thinks it'll grant her eternal youth and beauty!"

"Nu-uh!" said the filly who had finally worked up the courage to speak up. "My mommy said that she was just a sad lady who did angry things! She didn't eat foals!"

"Well my daddy said that the royal guards found the remains of a mother and her filly in the basement and that their eyes had been eaten and their hearts cut out too!" said the other colt knowledgeably.

"Will you two cut it out?" snapped the lead colt. "You're messing up my story! I was just about to get to the best part!"

"But you're telling lies!" the other colt accused. "And my mommy said that The Ponyville Butcher will come get you if you tell lies!"

"She will?" asked the filly. "I thought that they executed her!"

"Oh that's what they thought," said the lead colt with a smirk. "But I heard that she switched faces with another mare that was executed in her place!"

"How can you switch faces with another mare?" asked the other colt. "I haven't ever heard of magic that can do that!"

"She was well versed in black magic," said the lead colt ominously. "That's why even Princess Celestia is too scared to go get her."

"But if she didn't die then how does she rise from the grave every Nightmare Night?" asked the filly.

The lead colt opened his mouth to respond, but he promptly shut it once more and a contemplative look crossed his face. "Uh... I dunno."

"I think you made the stuff about black magic up!" said the other colt triumphantly.

"Nu-uh!" the lead colt insisted. "She did black magic! I have a friend who has a friend whose daddy told him so!"

"But she was executed, right?" asked the filly. The lead colt rolled his eyes and grumbled a bit.

"Okay, so maybe she didn't switch faces with another mare, but she still did lotsa black magic! If you go to her house she'll get you!"

"But her sister lives there," the filly pointed out. "I've heard that she's a perfectly nice mare that never harmed anypony!"

"You really believe that?" the lead colt scoffed. "She's in cahoots with her dead sister, I'm sure of it. If you go by her house on Nightmare Night then they get you!"

A sly look crossed the other colt's face. "Oh really? Then I triple-mare dare you to go to her house."

"What?"

"The Ponyville Butcher's house, I triple-mare dare you to walk up to it and ring the doorbell." The grin widened. "Or are you too chicken?"

"I'm not chicken!" the lead colt insisted. "I've been near that old place dozens of times; it's not a big deal."

"Well then go do it," said the filly eagerly. "Go ring the doorbell!"

Realizing that he was trapped, triple-mare dares are not something that one can simply ignore, the lead colt stood up and tried his best to make a brave, yet casual, face. "I will!"

The three foals immediately began walking towards the home of the Ponyville Butcher: Carousel Boutique. Everypony in town knew what had happened there, it had only been just over ten years since Rarity's execution, but on the whole they generally ignored it. In fact, ever since her sister Sweetie Belle had begun to live there, they began working up the nerve to be around the house again. However, most ponies in town still didn't have the nerve to actually go inside. Not after...that happened. However, every Nightmare Night the house became the stuff of legends and dark tales. Whispers echoed through the night about the horrors that had taken place in Rarity's basement as the townsponies quietly gossiped about Rarity the unicorn and her murderous urges and the simple house became the place where nightmares formed.

That was the basis of the journey of the three foals towards Carousel Boutique. The lead foal most certainly didn't want to go ring the doorbell of the house, who did? Not on Nightmare Night. Never on Nightmare Night.

However, the lead colt found himself slowly trekking towards the house in question as his eager friends walked behind him, curious as to whether or not he would actually complete the dare.

Within a few minutes, the looming building that was Carousel Boutique appeared in front of the three mischievous foals. It had been decorated for Nightmare Night, just as it was every year, with cheap paper decorations that were far more silly than actually scary. The sister always made an effort to make the house look as non-threatening as possible, not that it ever worked. The house was always scary on Nightmare Night.

The lead colt looked back towards his friends who gave him eager nods of encouragement. This would be good, they could already tell. The lead colt gulped nervously and slowly began walking up towards the door. The cold wind blew and a a nearby streetlamp flickered ever so slightly which only increased the ever-growing feeling of dread in the colt.

"She's not gonna eat me," whispered the colt to himself. "She's not gonna eat me."

The colt managed to reach the door after a few more moments and he looked up at the doorbell. It seemed to him to be miles in the air and he wondered if he could even reach it. Looking back at his friends he saw them give encouraging nods once more and she raised his hoof up high, hoping that he couldn't reach the doorbell and that this stupid dare would be over so they could get back to eating candy and telling stories that didn't put his life at risk.

However, he noticed that he was more than capable of reaching the doorbell and he gently placed a hoof on it and pushed the button.

Immediately a pleasant chime filled the colt's ears as the doorbell went off. It reminded him vaguely of a song that his mother enjoyed playing every now and again but--

At that moment the door swung open and Tartarus in Equestria was revealed. For there, standing before the young colt in all of her twisted glory was The Ponyville Butcher. True to the legends her mane hung from her head like twisted curtains. They seemed to be faded slightly but that merely added to the terror. The legends were also true about her cutie mark which was indeed a skull. However it was her eyes that frightened the colt the most. They were the most blank and lifeless eyes that he had ever seen and it seemed to him that they were staring into his very soul, hoping that it could catch him so that she could eat it.

The colt gave a loud shriek of fear and bolted away from the nightmarish creature before him. He tripped over a large bowl and he was sent tumbling. However, he wasn't down for long as sheer terror motivated him to stand back up and run back to the safety of...wherever the butcher wasn't. The colt ran back towards his equally terrified friends, shrieking the entire time.

"SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" screeched the terrified colt and with a scream of terror, the three foals grabbed their fallen bags of candy and ran into the night.

The Ponyville Butcher stared after them, watching them flee with a satisfied expression. She shook her head and used her magic to put the bowl back in its proper spot as well as put the large amount of spilled candy back into its proper spot.

'The Ponyville Butcher sighed and took off her wig and fake cutie mark revealing the tired form of Sweetie Belle. She shook her head once more, although there was a hint of sorrow in the movement this time, before she used her magic to grab a piece of candy, nopony ever took any from her house anyway but she put it out every year just in case, and walked back into her house.

The years had been a mixed bag for Sweetie Belle since the execution of her sister. She had been allowed to stay in Ponyville while her parents moved away to their jobs in Hoofington. The big deciding factor had been Twilight making a plea to Celestia to get the bank to unlock Rarity's money so Sweetie Belle could support herself. Her parents had left for Hoofington a month after the memorial.

Sweetie Belle sat down in her kitchen and opened up her Three Maresketeers bar and slowly nibbled on it as she reminisced.

She had gotten her cutie mark only a few months after her parents had moved away. Surprisingly enough she actually managed to find it while she was crusading with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. She had felt an overwhelming urge to sing when the Crusaders had finished trying out to be Cutie Mark Crusaders Ice Sculptors and had, once again, failed miserably. She had noticed that a chunk of ice resembled a failed set piece from their failed concert. She began singing the Crusaders theme song and in a few moments, a large crowd had gathered around to hear her sing. Their encouragement caused her to keep going and a few seconds after she had finished the song, her cutie mark appeared. It was a simple thing; just a silver bell with a matching eighth note but it meant the world to her.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had gotten their marks only a few months later. A storm blew through Ponyville one day and Apple Bloom had helped repair the damage which earned her her mark. Scootaloo got hers while doing tricks on her scooter to the amusement of a crowd of ponies that had gathered. It seemed that Scootaloo was destined to perform tricks from that moment on. A Wonderbolts poster that was hanging in Sweetie Belle's room signed by both Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash confirmed that particular idea.

However, there had been hard times too. A fair portion of the town still didn't trust that she wouldn't turn out to be a psychopath like her sister had and that made life incredibly difficult for Sweetie Belle. Rarity's money meant that she didn't have to work if she didn't want to, but she still tried to hold down jobs. She was currently working as a waitress at a local restaurant but she suspected that she would have to move jobs again. The ponies of the town who hated her always refused to give the places where she worked their business.

Then there were the Nightmare Nights. Ah yes, the Nightmare Nights.

Nightmare Night had always been Sweetie Belle's favorite holiday before Rarity died. She had many fond memories of trick r treating, with Rarity by her side every step of the way, until her bag was full and she was so tired that she couldn't walk anymore. Rarity would always carry her back to her home before gently taking off whatever costume Sweetie Belle wore and tucking her into her nice warm bed before singing her to sleep. In an odd way, Nightmare Night was one of the most comforting nights, the one night of the year where she felt most loved and secure. Now though, now she dreaded every second of the wretched holiday.

Nightmare Night had always been a night to demonize things. It was a night where all of the worst things came out to prey on the fears and weaknesses of Equestria and a lot of ponies took it seriously. Based on that, how would Rarity's legacy not be dragged through the mud even more during the one holiday where demons and ghosts roam free?

Every year it was the same thing: a group of foals would come up to her house and doorbell-ditch her. Or at least, when she was lucky that was all that happened to her. It wasn't unusual for her house to get egged or even for crude pictures of Rarity killing other ponies to be drawn all over her house. Every year she would wake up after Nightmare Night and take her bowl of candy that she had set out for the foals inside, still just as full as it was when she left it out, before she got to work repairing the damage that the pranksters played on her that year.

Well, this year she had decided to get them back a little for their cruelty.

She finished her candy bar and tossed the wrapper into the trash. She casually glanced at the clock and saw that it was only 8:15 which meant that the worst pranks on her house were yet to come. She groaned and put her head in her hooves. She sighed and idly began playing with her Rarity wig. She had made it herself only a few weeks ago to scare any foals who came up to her house with the intent of pranking her.

At that moment, she heard a loud knock on her door followed by three rapid rings of her doorbell. She frowned and curiously stood up. She walked towards her door and looked through the peephole. Standing on the other side of her door were two mares and an extremely angry stallion. She groaned but opened the door nonetheless.

"Can I help you?" she asked. The stallion, a rather ill-tempered fellow by the name of Barley Brewer, glared at Sweetie Belle as if hoping that his mere look would kill her on the spot.

"Yeah, you can!" he said angrily. "You can help me by telling me why you did that to my son!" Sweetie Belle sighed and looked at the two mares.

"I take it you're here for the same reason?" she asked. The two mares nodded and Sweetie Belle nodded as well before she turned her attention back to Barley Brewer. "I thought I made it clear that I wouldn't tolerate pranksters this year Mr. Brewer."

"So you decided to scare the living daylights out of them by making them think that your butcher of a sister was coming to get them!?" growled Barley Brewer. Sweetie Belle flinched, she still hadn't gotten used to the townsponies calling her sister a butcher, but she recovered and frowned.

"I thought I brought it up during the annual town Nightmare Night planning meeting that I would take drastic measures to deter anypony who wanted to prank me this year," said Sweetie Belle irately. "You know that it costs me hundreds of bits to repair the damage to my house and frankly I'm sick of it."

The stallion continued to glare at her.

"Can we come in?" he asked. "There are some things that I would like to say to you that I don't want the public to overhear." Sweetie Belle frowned but she nodded and led the three ponies into her kitchen. Sweetie Belle noticed that Barley Brewer was a little disoriented. Great, he had been drinking.

"So what do you want to say?" she asked.

"I want to tell you that I think you're a blight on this whole town!" said Barley Brewer. "They should have locked you up after they put your sister down so that we civilized ponies wouldn't have to deal with this." He pointed to the discarded wig that was lying on the table. Sweetie Belle glared at him.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked angrily. "You just want to tell me the same nonsense that I've been hearing from half the town for the past ten years?"

"I ain't finished!" said Barley Brewer angrily. "I--"

"You know that nothing you're gonna say is going to surprise me in the least," said Sweetie Belle. "I've heard it all before and I'll hear it some more for the rest of my life. Right now though I want you to take your sorry drunken flank and exit my house before I do more than just scare your little brat with a fake wig! If I had any sense at all I would have slammed the door right in your face the minute I opened it!"

Barley Brewer's eyes narrowed and he walked up close to Sweetie Belle and brought his face in close.

"I--" he began.

"I don't want to hear it," said Sweetie Belle. "Get. Out. Of. My. House!"

The two glared at each other for a moment before Barley Brewer turned around. Sweetie Belle gave a satisfied smirk that this drunken fool seemed to have given up. However, the grin soon faded when Barley Brewer suddenly bucked her directly in the face, sending her flying backwards. She hit her counter with such force that the wind was knocked out of her. She heard the mares scream as Barely Brewer walked up to Sweetie Belle with a mad glint in his eye. Sweetie Belle gasped and opened up the nearest drawer, hoping that she would find something that could defend her against this drunk.

"Stay away from me!" she said. "Get out of my house!"

"Nopony talks to me or about my son like that!" said Barley Brewer angrily. Sweetie Belle focused on the contents of the drawer and found the perfect weapon. Just as Barley Brewer reached her, Sweetie Belle pulled a large bread knife out of the drawer and swung it at his face. Barley Brewer howled in pain as the jagged end of the knife sliced his left cheek open. He stumbled backwards, clutching at the large gash would on the side of his head.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and she dropped the knife.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she said as she gingerly stood up. "Here, I have a first-aid kit around, let me help you--"

Sweetie Belle was flung back once more as Barley Brewer's hoof connected with the side of her head.

"I knew it!" he said as he regained his balance. "I knew that you were a psycho, just like your butcher of a sister!"

"No!" said Sweetie Belle desperately. "I was just--"

"They'll lock you up forever for this," said Barley Brewer angrily as he ran towards the door, followed by the mares. "They should have never let you near civilization!"

"No!" said Sweetie Belle who was struggling to get up but it was too late. The three of them had already run out into the night.

Sweetie Belle sat up as blood began dripping from her muzzle. That had escalated extremely quickly. She looked over to see the fallen bread knife and her eyes widened in horror when she saw the crimson stain upon the blade that was dripping on the floor. She had attacked another pony with a knife! She gave a small whimper and continued staring at the knife. Was she a psychopath after all!? Of course, the attack had clearly been self-defense, but that was how Rarity had gotten started too!

She slowly stood up and grabbed the knife with her magic before she cleaned it off in the sink and returned it to its normal spot in the drawer. She then sat down at her table and once more put her head in her hooves. For the first time in ten years, she had attacked and injured another pony.

"What have I done!?" she whimpered sadly. "I didn't need to slice his face open!"

At that moment Sweetie Belle heard the sound of what seemed to be three ponies entering her house. What now!? She looked up to see three police officers entering the kitchen, each with a grim look on their face.

"Are you Sweetie Belle?" the lead one asked. Sweetie Belle dejectedly nodded. She knew what was coming. "You are under arrest for the assault with a deadly weapon of one Barley Brewer." Sweetie Belle silently stood up and allowed herself to be hoofcuffed and escorted out of her home.

Get Help

Sweetie Belle laid her head on the table in the interview room in the Ponyville police station, desperately wishing that she could just go home.

The interview room was a simple thing. It was plain white with a simple table in the middle and a two way mirror on the wall opposite Sweetie Belle. That was it, there was nothing else. Sweetie Belle shifted in her seat a little as the feeling that she was both trapped and in deep trouble crept up on her. She had attacked another pony with a knife! Sure he was attacking her, but did she have to go for the knife right away? Couldn't she have just kicked him where the sun didn't shine instead? That would have certainly done it and she wouldn't be sitting on a hard metal chair in a police station.

She sighed and ran her hoof through her mane in attempt to curb her restlessness. She had been sitting here for hours! Each second of the clock that ticked by seemed like an eternity, made longer by the fact that the thought was creeping up in her mind that she would get some serious prison time for this. If she wasn't the sister of the most notorious serial killer ever then she would probably have gotten off for this. Heck, maybe her attacker would have gotten some prison time for himself. However, the fact stood that she was Rarity's sister and that made the law quite wary of her. It was almost like they expected her to turn out just like her sister.

Sweetie Belle raised her head up and gave a frustrated groan. Somepony should have been here already! She stood up from her seat and walked up to the two way mirror.

"Hello? Is anypony behind there? I've been sitting here for hours! Can somepony please just tell me how much prison time I'm getting for my self-defense attack so we can be done with it?"

Silence.

"Oh come on! You guys are just being cruel now! I promise I'm not a psycho so if we can just get this meeting underway I would appreciate that! I'm actually looking forward to curling up on the bed in my cell and pulling my mediocre blanket over me as the wind chill from this cool autumn air turns me into a pony-cicle. At least then something will have been done and I can just go to bed!"

Silence.

"Seriously? I don't want to be here all night! If you could just--"

"There's nopony behind there you know," said a voice to Sweetie Belle's left. The sudden appearance of this voice made Sweetie Belle jump a bit but she shook it off and turned to examine who the source was.

"Hello Sweetie Belle."

"Hello Featherweight."

Featherweight stood in front of Sweetie Belle, a small smirk etched across his face. He motioned to Sweetie Belle that she should sit back down and she dutifully complied. She really didn't look forward to the metal chair again but at least something was being done.

Featherweight sat down opposite her and cracked his neck a little bit before adjusting his tie slightly. Sweetie Belle had to admit that he didn't look half bad in his Ponyville police uniform. He had joined the force roughly three years ago. Featherweight cleared his throat and put a manila folder on the table which he opened up.

"Rough night huh?" he said as he leafed through the pages.

"I guess you could say that. I've had worse though."

"Oh I think we all know that," said Featherweight. Sweetie Belle scoffed and nodded. Featherweight found the page he was looking for and a grim expression crossed his face. He shook his head and closed the folder. "I'll be willing to bet a substantial amount of money that you've been kind of frustrated by you being ignored for four hours."

"Is that how long it's been? Funny, it seemed like it should have been longer than that."

"Well it should have been, actually," said Featherweight. "You caused quite a ruckus tonight."

"Well that moron deserved what he got," said Sweetie Belle.

"Oh no arguments there," said Featherweight. "But your actions have fired up some of your more violent detractors."

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What I mean is that your attack on Barley Brewer pretty much incited a lynch mob to form to come get you. That's why we haven't been here sooner; we had to quell that before it got too out of hoof."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in shock.

"They wanted to kill me?" she asked.

"Well I doubt that they would have intentionally gone that far but they definitely wanted to rough you up for sure."

Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment as she digested the news. Featherweight gave her a sympathetic look before he got up and sat in the chair next to her.

"Look if it's any consolation, the troops here are on your side. Trust us, we've seen the dark side of ponies before and we know that innocent ponies get hurt in situations like this. Part of our job is to assume that ponies are innocent until proven guilty and we have no reason to believe that you're anything more than a victim in all of this."

"Thanks," said Sweetie Belle blankly. "Now can you convince the rest of the world to think the same way?"

"Yeah well, we all know what the odds of that are," said Featherweight sadly. Sweetie Belle nodded and began studying the table. Featherweight put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"I think you could use some good news before I get to the bad," he said.

"One might assume," said Sweetie Belle.

"I thought so," said Featherweight. "To put if frankly you're going to be fine in all legal senses. Even the most biased judge would be 100% on your side in this case. He was drunk and attacked you first in your house. Yeah, he's the one in piles of trouble, not you."

Sweetie Belle exhaled a huge sigh of relief at this news and gave Featherweight a large smile.

"He's the one in trouble, huh?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, we're talking a month at least," said Featherweight.

"Good to hear that not everypony in town is against me," said Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah well like I said, we're all pulling for you here," said Featherweight. "However..."

"Oh yeah, you did say that there was bad news, huh?" said Sweetie Belle. Featherweight looked exceptionally uncomfortable.

"Uh...now don't be mad at us because this is only for your protection, but we're going to have to keep you here in custody tonight."

"What!? Why!? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"I know that and everypony around here does too, but it's more protective custody than anything."

"How do you figure?" asked Sweetie Belle angrily.

"Well..." Featherweight sighed. "Basically we have to 'punish' you for what you did. If you do some time then the townsponies who are against you will let the issue drop or at the very least, they won't string you up outside the Everfree Forest the minute you step out of here. I'm sorry to say that we can't protect you as much as we would like to if you leave tonight. I don't trust your detractors any more than they trust you."

"Are you scared of them?" asked Sweetie Belle a little mockingly. Featherweight frowned slightly.

"Oh come on, you know me better than that. We're just going to keep you here for the night to placate the mob. If they don't feel justice is served then I'm worried that they'll come at you whenever they feel we aren't watching. You have to remember that they see this as proof that you just might be like your sister."

"But I'm not!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Again, I know that," said Featherweight. "But I'm not sure what else you want me to do. I'm open to suggestions."

Sweetie Belle went back to studying the table, hardly able to make eye contact with Featherweight. Featherweight put his hoof on her shoulder once more.

"Don't worry; this won't go on any kind of record at all. We'll take good care of you while you're here. We've even got some cops staking out your house so nothing bad will happen there."

"Thanks," said Sweetie Belle blankly.

"We'll still be sure to keep an eye on you when you get out for a little while," said Featherweight. "I still don't completely trust them but I'm banking on Barley Brewer's punishment to hold them at bay."

"Right," said Sweetie Belle. Featherweight stood up and put the file he brought out in his saddlebag.

"Look, you gotta be tired so just come on and get it over with. We'll make sure that you're not miserable while you're here."

"Okay."

"Don't be mad at me," said Featherweight. Sweetie Belle silently shook her head but she stood up and followed Featherweight out of the interrogation room. The two walked silently towards the holding cell and Featherweight opened up the first one when they arrived. Sweetie Belle walked in and sat down on the bed. It was surprisingly comfortable and she pushed her hoof down on it to test its softness. She looked up at Featherweight who managed a small grin.

"Like I said, we're going to try to make this as easy as possible for you." Sweetie Belle nodded and laid down. Featherweight sighed quietly and shut the cell door, locking Sweetie Belle in. "It's past midnight. We'll let you out in the morning. I'll come by with a good breakfast, how does that sound?" Sweetie Belle merely grunted and pulled the warm comforter over her tired form. Featherweight watched her for a few more seconds, desperately wishing that he could make things right, before he went back to his desk.

Sweetie Belle curled up on her bed and faced the wall. Despite Featherweight's assurances, she still couldn't shake the feeling of utter betrayal. Sure she had expected to end up in this exact situation when she had been arrested, but the knowledge that she was actually innocent of any wrongdoings in the eyes of the law but because of the fear of the police she was still locked up was a little much for her. Despite the warm blanket over her, she still shivered from the draft that blew through the cell. Was this how Rarity had felt during her last night alive?

Rarity.

Sweetie Belle flashed back to the last time she saw her sister before her execution. She had been sitting on her bed in her own cell, completely broken and defeated. There had been very little of her sister left when she had seen her. No, the Rarity she had known was kind, loving, happy, generous, stressed...self-absorbed...obsessed with her looks...a murderer. Sweetie Belle had to fight back tears as she remembered her sister's final moments. She had sung to her just as she had when Sweetie Belle was a filly. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Then the embrace of death tore Rarity from the world, leaving Sweetie Belle alone. Just as she was alone now.

She wrapped the blanket tighter around her, hoping to maximize the amount of warmth it provided, but she was surprised to feel a hoof on her shoulder. Strange, she hadn't heard the cell door open.

"Sweetie Belle, I'm here," said a familiar voice, one that Sweetie Belle thought that she would never hear again. Her eyes widened and she turned around and her jaw dropped slightly.

There, standing before her with a smile on her face was Rarity. The real Rarity, the one that Sweetie Belle remembered and loved. This Rarity looked healthy and happy, her horn was where it should have been and her purple hair was perfectly styled as always. She looked as if she had never died. Sweetie Belle shot up and wrapped her hooves around her sister before burying her head in her shoulder. Rarity chuckled slightly at the display.

"Yes, I'm happy to see you too," she said. Sweetie Belle tightened her hug and she felt Rarity return it. Her sister's embrace was warm and welcoming, just as she had always remembered it.

"How are you, Sweetie Belle?" asked Rarity. Sweetie Belle broke off the hug and sat back down on her bed.

"I've been better," she said. Rarity sadly nodded and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I know how you feel," she said sympathetically. "This isn't easy." Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"No it isn't," she agreed.

The duo sat in silence for a brief moment before Rarity put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you," she said. "I never wanted you to get hurt. I promised that I would never hurt you!"

"I know you did," said Sweetie Belle. "And I know that you truly meant it but it happened anyway."

"I would have given anything to protect you from this," said Rarity. "I would turn back time, I would go back to the day of my birth and erase myself from the world forever, I would kill the whole world, I would do anything to save you from this."

"But you can't," said Sweetie Belle. "Nopony can." Rarity sadly nodded.

"I'll understand if you hate me forever," she said. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and she vigorously shook her head.

"I don't hate you!" she said. "I would give anything to have you back, to make things go back to the way that they were! I have never hated, or resented, or even had any bad feelings towards you at all! I just want you back."

"I don't deserve your admiration and love," said Rarity sadly. "You know what I did, you know some of the ponies that I killed."

"I do know," said Sweetie Belle. "But you're still my sister and I still love you." Rarity looked down at the floor and nodded before standing up.

"I have to go now," she said. "I'm sorry that I can't stay longer but I have to go." Sweetie Belle nodded.

"I understand, sis," she said.

"Before I go...I know you're a grown mare now but...I don't suppose you're too grown up to let your big sister tuck you in? Even if you are in a jail cell I'd still like to." Sweetie Belle smiled.

"I'd like that," she said. She laid down on her bed and Rarity used her magic to pull the blanket over Sweetie Belle. Somehow the blanket was warmer and the bed more comfortable this time. Rarity stroked Sweetie Belle's mane and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Goodnight Sweetie Belle," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too big sis, I love you too."

* * * *

Sweetie Belle's eyes fluttered open as the daylight flooded through her cell. She looked up to see if Rarity was still there but she saw only a single beam of sunlight. It had all been a dream. Or had it? Had Rarity actually come from paradise to comfort Sweetie Belle in her hour of need? Was her sister in paradise at all?

She sat up and stretched a bit. The cell was just as cold and unforgiving in the morning as it had been when she had been put in here last night. Still, she would hopefully be out of here any minute now.

She walked up to the bars and peered out to see Featherweight sitting at a desk near the cell with a cup of coffee in one hoof and a doughnut in the other. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but smirk a bit at the stereotype.

"So it's true then, you guys do pound down the doughnuts?" she said. Featherweight looked over at her and returned the smirk.

"Well what can I say? Pinkie Pie knows how to make one heck of a good doughnut."

"I take it that's your third then?"

"Fourth," said Featherweight.

"Gotcha."

Featherweight stood up and brought the nearby box over to him and slid it through the bars to Sweetie Belle. She gratefully accepted it and flipped it open. Sure enough, four out of the six were missing.

"Pig," she jabbed humorously. Featherweight scoffed.

"I'd like to see you resist a whole box of Sugarcube Corner doughnuts sitting by your desk, calling out to you with a soft, loving voice. Sweeeetie Beeeellllle, eat us Sweetie Belle, eat us!"

"Uh-huh," said Sweetie Belle who had taken a doughnut and was in the process of trying to find where to bite into it so the custard filling wouldn't spill out the other end. She shrugged and dug in.

"What did I say, they're good aren't they?"

"It's a wonder you're not too fat to move," said Sweetie Belle. "Having said that...dang these things are awesome."

"Pinkie Pie really got better at those after her sabbatical to learn as much about baking as she could, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but that was kind of a boring year though, wasn't it?" said Sweetie Belle. Featherweight nodded before he closed a folder he was looking at and stood up.

"Ya know, I think you've done enough time, give me a minute to find my keys and I'll let you out. You just go on ahead and finish those up," said Featherweight.

Pinkie Pie doughnuts and getting out of jail, the day was looking up.

Featherweight came back after a few minutes, by which point Sweetie Belle had already finished the doughnuts, and unlocked the cell door. Sweetie Belle bounced happily out of her prison and began walking towards the station entrance. Featherweight walked beside her.

"How was your night?" he asked sympathetically. Sweetie Belle grimaced.

"It could have been worse," she said. "It was cold in there and I just...I just kind of felt like I knew what Rarity was going through the night before they...you know." Featherweight nodded and sighed.

"I hope that you aren't too mad at us. We really did just want to protect you from the mob."

"I know," said Sweetie Belle.

The duo reached the door of the station and Featherweight held it open for Sweetie Belle. The autumn air was crisp and cold and the wind stung a bit as it blew through the town. Sweetie Belle was rather looking forward to curling up in her own bed with a mug of hot cider and a good book.

"I'll see ya later, Featherweight," she said to her friend.

"Uh, one moment, Sweetie Belle," said Featherweight uncomfortably. Perplexed, she turned around and examined him.

"What now?" she asked. Featherweight descended the steps of the front of the station and walked up next to her.

"Now...please don't take this the wrong way, but I'd...I'd feel better if you got some help." Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow.

"Help? Like, help around my house? I can deal with--"

"No...I mean professional psychiatric help."

Sweetie Belle's eyes narrowed and Featherweight took a nervous step back.

"What did you say?" she asked venomously.

"It would make me feel better is all," he said nervously. "I mean...we all care about you and--"

"I'm doing fine by myself, thanks!" she said angrily.

"Oh come on, don't take me for a foal," said Featherweight. "I know it's been over ten years now but I know you still have scars!"

"Of course I do! I'll have scars forever!" said Sweetie Belle.

"I'm talking 'infected scars', so to speak," said Featherweight. "I don't think you've truly done your best to move on and I think it's affecting you!" Sweetie Belle continued to give her friend a piercing glare. He sighed. "Look, I wouldn't even bother asking if I didn't think that it was absolutely essential. I...I heard you talking in your sleep last night." Sweetie Belle dropped the glare and a surprised look replaced it.

"You did?" she said.

"Yeah," said Featherweight uncomfortably. "I heard you talking to Rarity."

Sweetie Belle looked down silently as she digested the news.

"I was?" she said. Featherweight nodded.

"You seemed really beaten up about it. You were even crying for a while there. Do you see her in your sleep very often?" said Featherweight. Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"This was the first time I think," she said. Featherweight nodded grimly.

"Now again, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just worried. I mean, if you're seeing Rarity right after something like this then--" Sweetie Belle's eyes flashed with anger once more.

"You said you didn't think I'd turn into a psycho!" she said angrily.

"I don't!" said Featherweight, taking another step back. "I don't think you'll turn into a serial killer, I just think that if you don't at least try for some help then you'll do something major that you really regret!"

"I'll see you later," said Sweetie Belle angrily. She turned around and angrily stormed off.

"Sweetie Belle--"

"Goodbye!"

* * * *

Sweetie Belle angrily stomped through town. How could he even think to say that to her? He was worried that she was going to turn into a serial killer, wasn't he!? Well she wasn't! She didn't have any open psychological scars and she wasn't going to do anything foolish! She wasn't going to turn out like Rarity in that way!

She mumbled angrily to herself as she walked back to her home. Stupid Featherweight, what did he know about her anyway?

She slowed down a bit as the memories of what Featherweight said to her returned. He told her that she had been talking to Rarity and crying in her sleep. Was it just a coincidence that that had happened right after her arrest? Rarity had been in a similar situation and she had turned into a serial killer. Now that Sweetie Belle had been forced into that situation, was she going to end up that way?

A million possibilities and questions flooded her mind, blocking out any other reasonable thoughts. Her left ear twitched slightly as she imagined herself as a serial killer. She had seen what that life was like; she had been in Rarity's basement when she had killed Scarlet Tomato.

She sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. She knew that Featherweight merely had her best interests at heart. He really did want to see her get better. He wanted her in therapy because he thought that it would help her, not because he wanted to protect the town from her supposed homicidal urges, which is why a lot of the other townsponies wanted her in therapy. She growled in frustration and ran her hoof over her mane. Why did this all have to be so darned complicated!?

She gave a deep frown, stood up, and walked in the opposite direction. Why was she doing this!? She could just go home and curl up in bed to relax after a night in prison, but why was she doing this instead!? Sometimes it was like she didn't know her own mind anymore.

Within five minutes, she reached her destination Ponyville Psychiatric Help. With another frustrated groan she walked up to the front door and pushed it open.

Getting Help

"What am I doing here?" Sweetie Belle asked herself as she walked up to the front desk of the psychiatric office. "I don't technically have to be doing this, the receptionist hasn't seen me here, and I can just turn around and walk away. I should do that now, right now."

However, despite her brain telling her that it was the best option, her legs continued to move forward. It was if they wanted her to get therapy for what had happened, not just that night but for the past twelve years. It was frustrating for Sweetie Belle to not have control over her own limbs.

Within a few moments she was standing in front of the front desk where a familiar looking mare was sitting at a chair, idly flipping through a fashion magazine. It still wasn't too--

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and the receptionist looked up. Well, it was too late now.

The receptionist looked at Sweetie Belle for a few seconds before a wide smile split her face. "Sweetie Belle, is that you?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle managed a grin of her own as she nodded. "Hello June Star," she said. "Yes it's me."

The mare who had once protected Sweetie Belle from an angry mob stood up and walked from around the counter to see Sweetie Belle and wrap her in a hug. "It's been too long," she said happily after she let go of Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah, I guess I've always been wary of this place and that's why we've never run into each other. You live around here don't you?"

June Star nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's why." A small frown crept across June Star's face. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Sweetie Belle sighed and sat down on a nearby chair.

"Did you hear about last night?" she asked. June Star nodded.

"Yeah. I imagine the whole town knows by now, although I have yet to run into anypony around here who hates you for it."

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm here. After Featherweight let me out of the station he asked me to come here just in case...just in case some stuff was up," she finished lamely. June star nodded.

"I get that and we'll do our best to make sure that you feel as safe as possible."

"Thanks," said Sweetie Belle.

"I mean it Sweetie Belle, we aren't going to make you feel uncomfortable here, we just want to help."

"And what would you say if I told you that ponies have been saying that to me for ten years now?"

"Oh come on Sweetie Belle don't be ridiculous. We're professionals here, we don't want to hurt you."

"I know," she said.

"So do you want to see somepony or not?" asked June Star. Sweetie Belle sighed and looked at the wall.

"I guess that if I came in here I might as well see somepony just once," said Sweetie Belle. June Star nodded and looked down at a schedule.

"Dr. Working Mind should be available if you wish to speak to somepony right now."

"Working Mind," repeated Sweetie Belle.

"Shall I set up the appointment?" asked June Star.

Sweetie Belle sighed and nodded. "It's what I came here for."

June Star nodded and wrote a few things down on a piece of parchment before she stood up.

"I'll just be a moment." Sweetie Belle nodded and took a seat on one of the chairs, hoping that it wouldn't be long before she was seen. In truth she only wanted to be here for one session, just enough to placate Featherweight so that he wouldn't see cause to order more sessions. Ideally this 'Working Mind' pony would check her out and say that she was perfectly mentally fit. She would not kill anypony if she could help it. She had never even hurt another pony aside from that one day with Diamond Tiara when she went back to school and last night with Barley Brewer.

It was only a few more moments before June Star returned to tell Sweetie Belle that Dr. Mind would see her now. Sweetie Belle thanked her and walked down the hall where she was directed. Three doors down she was at an office with a placard on the door that read 'Dr. Working Mind PhD’. With nothing else to lose she slowly raised a hoof and knocked.

"Come in," said a warm male voice from inside. Sweetie Belle sighed and pushed the door open to reveal a brown unicorn stallion with a light gray mane. The stallion briefly raised his eyebrow when he saw who had entered, but he quickly smiled at her.

"Hello there," he said. "You must be Sweetie Belle. How are you today?"

Sweetie Belle frowned at him. "Have you heard what happened to me last night?" she asked. Working Mind's smile faded slightly and it was replaced by one of sympathy instead.

"Yes I did, and I want you to know that I'm sorry for what happened to you. if I heard right, he attacked you in your home, yes?" Sweetie Belle nodded. Working Mind's eyes went to the couch on the other side of the desk and he motioned for Sweetie Belle to sit down. Sweetie Belle sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down. It was surprisingly comfortable. After she had sat down, she looked back up at Working Mind who continued to give her the same warm smile.

"So..." began Sweetie Belle. "What now?"

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle merely shrugged.

"To be honest, I'm not really even sure why I'm here. I only came because a friend of mine suggested that I come here after what happened last night."

"And you're not sure why you came?" questioned Working Mind who had begun taking notes on a notepad. Noticing his writing, Sweetie Belle looked uneasily at the moving quill. Working Mind picked up on this and gave a slight chuckle. "Don't worry; I'm not going to exploit whatever you tell me. I promise that you and what you say are quite safe here. I won't even tell my co-workers unless you decide to see one of them."

"Okay," said Sweetie Belle uneasily.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, why did your friend want you to come here?" asked Working Mind. At this question, Sweetie Belle's eyes filled with tears but she managed to avoid shedding them.

"He... he was worried that I might turn out like my sister," she responded after a few moments.

"How so?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle sighed and began mindlessly playing with a loose stitch on a nearby pillow.

"Do you know the story of her first kills?" whispered Sweetie Belle. Immediately Sweetie Belle sensed Working Mind tense up slightly at the question but he did his best to maintain his friendly attitude.

"Uh, yes I believe I heard the story."

"What have you heard?" asked Sweetie Belle. Working Mind cleared his throat slightly before answering. He clearly did not want to talk about what he knew.

"Uh...I heard that she first killed three foals when she was a filly herself during her first months of school but it was merely self-defense on her part." Sweetie Belle nodded.

"But she got a taste for it," she said. "She killed on accident but she still got a taste for murder."

"That's right."

"Well, that's why Featherweight wanted me to come here. I was attacked by Barley Brewer last night, but I cut him with a knife to defend myself. Featherweight was... was worried that I might..."

"That you might get addicted to the feeling you get when you hurt another pony if you didn't get help?" guessed Working Mind. Sweetie Belle's eyes moved to the floor and she glumly nodded. "I see."

"I'm not crazy," said Sweetie Belle.

"Why do you say that?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped up and she looked at Working Mind with a look of horror on her face. Working Mind sensed that the question came out wrong and adjusted his track. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is, why do you think that you are not crazy? Why do you think that you don't have the urge to kill? I merely ask because if we can pinpoint the truth of the matter then we can work from there."

"Do you think that I'm crazy? That I'll turn out like my sister?" Working Mind sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hoof.

"No, I don't," he responded.

"Even though I lived most of my life with Rarity up until she died?"

"Sweetie Belle, if I recall correctly, there have been forty-seven pony serial killers throughout the entire history of Equestria. each and every one of those forty-seven ponies had families, friends, ponies who cared about them very much. Many of them had children, none of whom turned out to be killers themselves. I don't think the odds of you turning out like your sister are very high at all to be honest."

"Why not?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Do you want to hurt other ponies? Did you like the idea of attacking Barley Brewer last night?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle immediately shook her head.

"No, I didn't want to hurt him. I only did it because he looked like he was going to attack me again."

"There you have it," replied Working Mind. "I see no reason to believe that what you did was malicious, especially if you don't. Self-defense is not a crime in any corner of Equestria."

"I still spent the night in jail, though," said Sweetie Belle.

"If I understand the rumors from the ponies that support you right, that was for your protection, yes?" Sweetie Belle nodded and the room was silent for a few moments.

"I still felt hurt, though," said Sweetie Belle after a few moments.

"Why is that?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle sighed and continued staring at the ground.

"I just...I just can't shake the feeling that everypony is worried that I'm going to turn out just like my sister did. If you know the events of last night then you know that half the town was out for my blood. Me. They wanted to hurt me for defending myself."

"Well I won't sugarcoat it, Sweetie Belle; there are indeed ponies who are worried about that."

"But I've never wanted to hurt anypony in my life!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Forgive me for asking this, but...have you hurt anypony in your life?" Sweetie Belle's eyes filled with tears once more at the question and it took her every ounce of willpower to not begin crying at the question. Working Mind picked up on her sadness and gave a sad sigh of his own. "I take it that you have then." he said. Sweetie Belle slowly nodded.

"It...it was my first day back at school after Rarity died. There were two bullies that I went to school with back then named Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. They immediately began verbally abusing me when I got back, even though my teacher tried to get them to stop."

"I assume they didn't even though your teacher told them to?" said Working Mind. Sweetie Belle nodded.

"I was sitting in a corner of the schoolyard with a friend during recess when the two came up to me again and started their verbal assaults. My friend tried to stop them, but...but they just wouldn't stop! Then diamond Tiara said that she was glad that Rarity was dead and that if I had any sense I would be too."

"Oh...oh my," said Working Mind. "What did you do then?" Tears began falling from Sweetie Belle's eyes now, despite her best efforts at holding them back.

"I...I couldn't help myself," she said. "I just felt so angry at her for what she said that I...I attacked her and began beating her up."

"Oh dear," said Working Mind.

"She was hurt pretty bad," said Sweetie Belle glumly. "It was a month before all of the bruises went away and from what I heard I even knocked a tooth out. Zecora healed that up, though." Working Mind jotted down a few more notes silently before looking back up at Sweetie Belle.

"Forgive me once more for asking such a stereotypical question, but...how did that make you feel?" Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof.

"The same way that I felt after I attacked Barley Brewer: like a monster. I...I felt that everything that they were all saying to me was true, that I was going to turn out just like my sister."

"But you don't want that, do you?" Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"Dr. Mind, I loved my sister more than anypony in my life, even after I found out what she was doing. But...no, I don't want to hurt other ponies."

"You never want to kill even the ponies that hurt you or your friends like Rarity did?" Sweetie Belle vigorously shook her head.

"No, I don't."

"Why is that?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle looked up at him with a confused look and he managed a small smirk. "Once again, that isn't me questioning what is right or wrong with you, I just want to know why you believe that, even if I feel that I already know the answer." Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and nodded.

"I remember the memorial we had for Rarity's victims," she began. "I remember just how torn up everypony was that their loved ones had died. Even if their loved ones did objectively horrible things to Rarity of her friends, that still doesn't justify killing them. When they died in that horrible way, it tore entire families apart. Rarity orphaned one of my best friends just because her father tried to extort her! Yes her father was wrong to extort my sister, but because she murdered him and his wife, my friend had to grow up in an orphanage. Nothing that he did was worth that."

To Sweetie Belle's surprise, Working Mind's face broke out into a wide smile.

"And there you have it," he said.

"Have what?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"There is the reason that I believe that you will not turn out like your sister. You know right from wrong, you know what committing that most heinous of sins can do to other ponies and it horrifies you. I do not think that you would ever kill, because you would never see it as okay, you would never find the reason in your mind to justify cold-blooded murder." Sweetie Belle merely stared at Working Mind.

"So what you're saying is..."

"I'm saying that mentally you are a perfectly normal mare, Sweetie Belle. The only two times that you have ever hurt another pony are both completely understandable. You did one out of self-defense and the other was out of anger that came out of a tragic situation combined with a frankly evil comment. You aren't some psychopath because you lost your temper because of some nasty remarks during the worst time of your life, even if you did really hurt her. Did you feel good about what you had done right after the attack?" Sweetie Belle shook her head. "Exactly. You are a normal mare who has had to cope with an event that few ponies in history have ever had to cope with before. There is no textbook advice that anypony could give you to make the pain go away, no magic words to make it all better. The mind has to deal with events like these as well as it can and, all things considered, I think you did alright for yourself."

For the first time since she had entered his office, Sweetie Belle managed a small smile.

"Thanks," she mumbled. Working Mind widened his own smile.

"Don't thank me," he said. "I'm just pointing out what any pony with half a brain could see." With that, Working Mind glanced at a nearby clock and took a deep breath. "Well, that is time for today. I thank you for coming in."

"Time already?" asked Sweetie Belle. Working Mind nodded.

"I'm afraid so," he said. "But...same time next week?" Sweetie Belle frowned. Technically she had done her duty to Featherweight, but to be honest, hearing from a professional that she wasn't completely insane...she kind of liked it. As far as she knew, Working Mind wasn't just making speculations, he was giving an unbiased, professional opinion of her. She wasn't insane.

Slowly, Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Same time next week," she confirmed.

Working Mind may not have thought that she was a psycho, but there were certainly other scars that needed healing.

Perceptions

Sweetie Belle nervously tapped the armrest of the couch and glanced over at a small cup of water that had been placed next to her. Dr. Working Mind had been called out of the room for a few minutes just as their second appointment had been about to begin, leaving Sweetie Belle alone in the room. She sighed and used her magic to take a small drink from the cup before putting it back down.

She briefly flashed back to a short meeting with Featherweight right after her first session. He had been glad for her, glad that she was getting the help she needed. His words sounded suspiciously mechanical, almost as if he had practiced them a thousand times before talking to her about it. It was probably because he had rehearsed them so as to minimize the risk of making her angry. He meant well, of course, but then again, they all did.

It was always the same with her old friends: they always meant well whenever they talked to her. They often treated her like Rarity had died only yesterday. Of course, they didn't always treat her like that. She relished the days when they acted like Rarity hadn't been executed, like how life would have gone if it wasn't torn apart. Well, Rarity hadn't been executed yesterday. Rarity had been dead for over ten years now.

The door opened and Working Mind walked in carrying Sweetie Belle's file.

"So sorry, Sweetie Belle. An old patient of mine called and I had to go talk to him. Old stuff, very boring. How are you today?"

"Fine," said Sweetie Belle simply. Working Mind sat down behind his desk and opened up her folder.

"No new incidents? Nothing like a repeat of last week?"

"I quit my job at the restaurant I was working at," replied Sweetie Belle. Working Mind stopped flipping through the folder and he glanced up at her.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"I was about to get fired," said Sweetie Belle. "I just figured that I'd save us both the trouble."

"How do you know you were about to get fired?" asked Working Mind. "Had your boss expressed displeasure with your performance?"

"Are you kidding? He was very happy with my work. It's just that after the Nightmare Night incident, nopony who didn't support me was going to give him their business because I was working there. As much as he liked me, it was too much of a financial strain on his restaurant to keep me on. This way he doesn't have to pay me severance and he gets his customers back."

"What will you do for funds?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle gave a small smirk.

"Rarity's special talent was finding gems," she said. "She was set up for life at the age of sixteen."

"And you inherited that money," finished Working Mind. Sweetie Belle nodded.

"I only work to keep myself busy. I don't want to sit around all day living off of Rarity's money; I want to earn my own."

"That makes sense," said Working Mind. "And I think it's a good idea. It's important to keep busy, especially during hard times."

"Well then I should keep busy for the rest of my life," replied Sweetie Belle dryly.

"Oh come now, this will pass."

"Will it? It's been ten years and already half of Ponyville still wants me dead for what my sister did, even those who didn't lose family or friends."

"But I believe that the scars are healing," retorted Working Mind. "Being honest, Sweetie Belle, the scars of murder run deepest, particularly for those who knew the murdered and even the murderer. Rarity was a prominent figure in the town, correct?"

"Yeah. Everypony knew who my sister and her friends were."

"Precisely. The fact that they knew her and they still did not see who she was, well, I imagine that some of them blame themselves. All of them feel betrayed because when it comes down to it, they didn't know the real Rarity. They saw only one side of her and they trusted that side. When the other side came out, they felt very betrayed."

Sweetie Belle looked down at the floor and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Do pardon me for asking this, Sweetie Belle, but didn't you feel betrayed when you found out?" said Working Mind. Sweetie Belle's ear twitched slightly and the first feelings of tears began creeping up.

"Yes," she whispered. "I mean, I was in shock at first, but... but once I really understood what she was doing, I felt like I didn't even know my own sister anymore." The first tears began falling from Sweetie Belle's eyes and Working Mind levitated a box of tissues over to her.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you find out?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle's ear twitched once more and she began taking deep breaths.

"I...I found out...I found out just shortly after we were arrested," said Sweetie Belle. "She told me in the police wagon."

The room was silent for a brief moment. Working Mind merely sat on his chair, contemplating Sweetie Belle's words. Sweetie Belle glanced up at him and saw that he stared at her, unblinking. She didn't know why, but his gaze unnerved her. It had previously been so kind, so welcoming. Now it was almost unforgiving, cold, calculating...

"Dr. Mind?" said Sweetie Belle nervously. "What--"

"You're lying."

Sweetie Belle flinched back and her eyes widened.

"What?" she whispered.

"You're lying," he repeated. "You knew what she was doing before then."

"N...No I--"

"Your hooves are shaking, your ears were flat, and you refused to make eye contact with me. Not only that but you were, and still are, clearly nervous. You. Were. Lying."

"I--"

"Sweetie Belle, when did you really find out?"

Sweetie Belle's bottom lip began to quiver and in a few seconds she had burst into tears. She couldn't tell him. He couldn't know what she had seen, what had happened with Rarity the day she met her fellow Crusaders. But he already knew something, didn't he?

"Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle I need you to look at me." With a great deal of effort, Sweetie Belle pulled her head up and used every ounce of her willpower to keep eye contact with this relative stranger who seemed to have figured out her darkest secret. To her utter surprise, she saw a hint of compassion in his eyes this time. "Sweetie Belle, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to. In the end, I can't force you to reveal anything."

"Okay," Sweetie Belle whispered.

"However," continued Working Mind. "I cannot help you if you are not honest with me. I can't help you through problems that are lies in the end. I also want you to know that what you say here is completely confidential. If you told me that you were the real mastermind behind what your sister did, it would be illegal for me to turn that information over to the police." Sweetie Belle nodded glumly and resumed staring at the ground. "So, with that in mind, do you want to tell me when you found out about what your sister was doing?"

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth and tried to form words. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to tell him. The words kept trying to force their way out of her mouth and her mouth moved as if she was a fish gasping for air. The words were there, but they weren't coming.

"Sweetie Belle--"

"I was eight years old," murmured Sweetie Belle. She heard Working Mind take a deep breath. "I had always wondered if something was up with my sister. There would be a lot of times where I'd be in my room and I'd hear her playing a piano somewhere. But my sister didn't have a piano that I knew of so I didn't know where the music was coming from. Whenever I heard the music, I went downstairs to find her, but she was never there. Her house had a bell on the front door but I never heard that ring so I knew that she was still in the house, even if I couldn't find her."

"She was in the basement," said Working Mind. Sweetie Belle nodded glumly.

"I guessed that she had one and it wasn't too long before I found the storage closet and the piano. I knew the song, I'd heard it enough, but I didn't have the courage to open up the basement door. When my sister wanted to keep something from everypony, she didn't like it when ponies tried to find out what it was."

"A by-product of her activities I'd imagine," guessed Working Mind. The words caused a sob to escape from Sweetie Belle's throat and Working Mind shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Uh... I'm sorry, that was wrong of me to say."

"It's okay," whispered Sweetie Belle.

"What happened next?"

Sweetie Belle wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof and took a deep breath before continuing on.

"One day I had just come back from a party. I had met two friends that day, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. We became best friends almost immediately. We formed this group called the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'."

"You were going to help each other earn your cutie marks?" A small smile crept up on Sweetie Belle's face.

"Yeah, we were. Almost every day we'd go out and crusade for our cutie marks. It was just us fillies being fillies."

"It sounds quite wonderful," said Working Mind. Sweetie Belle's smile widened and she nodded.

"It was. It really was. It was a few years before we got our cutie marks, but it was the best time of my life." Sweetie Belle sighed. "Well, there were problems, though. We had two bullies in our class, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara."

"Filthy Rich's daughter? The one that you beat up for saying those things about your sister?" Sweetie Belle nodded.

"She would tease us every day for not having our cutie marks," said Sweetie Belle. "It bothered me. It made me really angry."

"How angry?" asked Working Mind. The last traces of Sweetie Belle's smile faded away and were replaced once more by tears.

"I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to make her suffer. I wanted to bash her brains in with a rock while Silver Spoon watched before I moved on to her. I...I really wanted her dead."

Working Mind was silent as he contemplated her words. Sweetie Belle looked at him nervously, expecting him to express disgust at any moment. However, he merely shook his head and sighed.

"How does that connect with your sister?" he asked.

"Well, I was mumbling to myself that I wanted to hurt her. You know how you have to say some things aloud to get them straight in your mind? Well that's what I was doing. I guess I was louder than I intended and my sister heard me."

"And she talked to you about this?"

"Yeah. She wanted to make sure that I wasn't actually going to kill Diamond Tiara. She said that acting on angry feelings was a dark road that was hard to get away from. I asked her how she knew that and she froze. I don't know why, but she didn't even attempt a lie for a few seconds. Even then it was a pretty weak one."

"And you found out about what she was doing from that conversation," finished Working Mind.

"Not only that, but I gained the courage to open up her basement."

"What did you see?"

Sweetie Belle paused for a moment to regain her emotions as she flashed back to that horrible moment when she saw the horrors of her sister's basement for the first time.

"Everything," she whispered finally. "I saw everything."

"I assume you mean her victims?"

"Yep," confirmed Sweetie Belle. "I saw her trophies, I saw her table, I saw her knives, I saw everything that she had down there. I...I remember screaming. I screamed at what I saw down there."

Working Mind was silent as he processed what Sweetie Belle said. He jotted down a few notes before continuing.

"What happened then?" Sweetie Belle took another sip of water before continuing her story.

"She eventually let me audit a kill. She didn't let me do anything, but she let me watch. She brought down a mare and cut her ears off before stabbing her in the leg, severing her femoral artery and killing her almost instantly."

At this Working Mind frowned.

"That's it?" he said. "She just stabbed her in the leg and that was it?"

"That's all I remember," said Sweetie Belle. "To be honest, the memory is kind of fuzzy." Working Mind's frown deepened.

"Hmm. Do pardon me for saying this, but that seems... unusually quick."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I understand your sister's methods, she liked to drag it out much more than that, correct? I don't understand why she'd make it so quick."

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth but closed it again and frowned.

"I...I don't know why. I guess it's because I was down there, maybe. Like I said, the whole memory is kind of fuzzy, although that might have been the memory spell." Working Mind's eyebrow rose at that.

"Memory spell?"

"Yeah. Rarity put a memory spell on me so that I'd forget what I had seen in the basement. Unfortunately, she cast it wrong and it ended up eating away at my memories. The doctors at the hospital had to fix me up and they were almost too late."

Working Mind frowned once more and he summoned a nearby book on his bookshelf over towards him. Sweetie Belle cocked her head.

"What?" she asked.

"It's odd," began Working Mind. "But I don't see how your memories would be fuzzy, particularly for an event that should be so clear. You watched your sister murder another pony, there should be no moments that wouldn't have returned once the memory spell was reversed, particularly if they were restoring memories like that." Sweetie Belle shrugged.

"Maybe they adjusted it so that I wouldn't remember it clearly." Working Mind shut his book and shook his head.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "Remember, the doctors knew nothing about this, correct? Why would they deliberately blur a memory that they didn't know you had?"

Sweetie Belle frowned and she shrugged again.

"Maybe they didn't do a good enough job." Working Mind shook his head again.

"Not likely," he said. "They're trained professionals and memory spells are incredibly simple. I myself could perform one with little difficulty and have it turn out perfectly. It isn't likely that the hospital staff would have messed up a memory spell like that, particularly not in that situation where your very identity was at stake."

"So...so are you saying--"

"I'm saying that your memories were tampered with further by somepony who knew what he or she was doing." Somepony knew what you saw down there and that somepony wanted you to forget something. Can you think of who that was?"

Sweetie Belle only had to think for a moment. The one pony that could cast a spell like that and knew the situation was...

"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle could have done it."

"Why would she have only altered your memories as opposed to completely erasing them?" asked Working Mind. Surely if she was going to tamper with those memories she would have erased them, yes?"

"I suppose so," said Sweetie Belle.

"I may be grasping at straws here, but I think you saw something else down there, something that she wanted you to forget."

Sweetie Belle silently contemplated his words for a few moments before Working Mind cleared his throat.

"Well I'm afraid that we're out of time for today, Sweetie Belle. Do me a favor and talk to Twilight. If I'm going to help you, I can't have altered memories. Trust me, they're no good in the long run."

"I understand," said Sweetie Belle as she stood up.

"Same time next week?" asked Working Mind. Sweetie Belle nodded and left the room.

As she walked out, she contemplated Working Mind's words. It did make sense that the hospital doctors wouldn't have messed up on the memory spell. That meant that Twilight was the only pony who could have and would have altered her memories of what was in that basement.

Sweetie Belle sighed. She really didn't want to aggravate these old scars.

So why was she walking in the direction of Twilight's library?

Screams Without Sound

Sweetie Belle screamed.

Sweetie Belle screamed as if there was nothing left to her life except for the memory that had just been restored to her. The memory of her murdering another pony. Another pony with thoughts, dreams, hopes, ambitions, likes, interests, a family. With one swing of a knife, Sweetie Belle had taken all of that away from her forever. She could never take it back; she could never say she was sorry to Scarlet Tomato. It was done. Forever.

Sweetie Belle screamed. She screamed the scream of a mare who had committed the ultimate act of evil. She had killed another pony. Celestia would give her the needle if she ever found out.

Sweetie Belle found herself backed into a corner, sitting on the floor and screaming. The very depths of her soul were tortured with what she now remembered. She wanted it to go away, but it wouldn't.

Through the screams that pierced the clinic, she vaguely heard somepony talking to her and it was only a few seconds before she felt a pair of hooves on her shoulders. Somepony was shaking her, but Sweetie Belle wasn't quite sure who.

Well, it wasn't like it mattered very much to Sweetie Belle at the moment. All there was for her now was her memory, the single most horrifying memory that she had ever had. The one that she would desperately want to go away, but never would.

"SWEETIE BELLE, SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!!"

The sudden sharp noise snapped Sweetie Belle out of her shock and she quickly looked up at the pony who turned out to be Dr. Mind.

"Sweetie Belle, I need you to calm down, please. Carrying on like this isn't going to help you at all!"

Sweetie Belle did stop screaming, but her screams merely dissolved into quick hyperventilation and heavy sobbing. Mere words could not solve the damage to her soul that the unveiling had caused. Nothing ever would.

"Is everything okay?" asked another voice. "I heard screaming."

"Ah yes, June Star, I believe everything is under control, thank you."

Sweetie Belle's eyes shot up and what she saw somehow exacerbated her pain. It was June Star; the first pony who had defended her during the memorial for Rarity's victims. She had said that Sweetie Belle wasn't to blame for what Rarity had done and that she hadn't done anything wrong herself. She didn't know it, but she was staring directly at her sister's killer.

"Oh no," whispered Sweetie Belle. "June Star..."

"Yes, Sweetie Belle?" said June Star who began walking up to Sweetie Belle. "Are you--"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Sweetie Belle screeched. "GO AWAY! GET OUT!"

June Star took a few shocked steps back and it seemed that she was suddenly fighting back tears. "Sweetie Belle, I--"

"PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LOOK AT YOU!!!"

"Sweetie Belle I cannot allow you to speak that way to my secretary!" said Working Mind crossly. "Now, you need to calm... calm..." Working Mind's words faded away as the cogs in his head began to turn. He looked at Sweetie Belle who was still huddled in a corner, crying her eyes out and trying to avoid contact with June Star. It only took a few ticks of the clock on the wall for the harsh reality to slowly creep into Working Mind's understanding.

"June Star, would you please leave us?" he mumbled. June Star seemed just as hurt by Working Mind's insistence that she leave as she was by Sweetie Belle's. "June Star, please just trust me on this. I'll talk to you about it more later, but I'm afraid that you aren't doing Sweetie Belle any good by being here."

June Star looked at Sweetie Belle for a few more seconds before slowly nodding and dejectedly walking out the door. When she closed the door behind her, Working Mind gingerly walked up to Sweetie Belle and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"You killed her, Scarlet Tomato I mean, didn't you?" The question only increased the intensity of Sweetie Belle's sobs and she swatted Working Mind's hoof away.

"Go away," she groaned. "Leave me alone."

"Sweetie Belle, I need you to listen to me. I need you to tell me what it is that happened that night in Rarity's basement. Why did you kill Scarlet Tomato?"

Sweetie Belle's only response was to shrink away from the psychiatrist even more and swat his hoof away. No, he shouldn't ask her, it wasn't any business of his. He was a stranger and she just couldn't open up to him about that. Anything but that. It wasn't for him to know, he shouldn't pry. Yet he did.

"Sweetie Belle, please--"

"SHUT UP!" Sweetie Belle screeched. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

"Sweetie Belle, please control your temper!" said Working Mind.

Sweetie Belle ignored his order and stood up from the floor. "I told you to go away, you're not going to help me anymore, you've done enough of that, you and Twilight have messed around with my mind too much!"

Twilight.

This was all her fault. It was all her fault that she was feeling this way! She should have tried harder to stop her, to explain why she shouldn't get the memory reversed! There was still Working Mind, though.

"Sweetie Belle, I'm trying to help you!"

"Help me?" Sweetie Belle let out a joyless caw of a laugh. "That's rich. You don't want to help me; you just want to help yourself! Imagine the glory that would come from curing Rarity's psychotic sister! That's the only reason you took my case on, so you could get famous later!"

"Sweetie Belle, that's enough! I am not trying to exploit you; I'm trying to help you!"

Sweetie Belle advanced towards her psychiatrist with a fire in her eyes that caused him to take a few nervous steps back. "You're lying. You shouldn't have restored my memory! Didn't you know that Twilight... uh, Twilight, this is all her fault! She..." Sweetie Belle gripped her head with one hoof before slamming it on the ground hard enough to leave a small dent in the floor. The action only caused her to remember how a similar motion had ended the life of Scarlet Tomato and she let out another shriek. This was all Twilight's fault. Working Mind should just leave her alone and not pry in her business!

"Sweetie Belle, you're not right in the head right now! You've had one of the worst shocks that a pony can get and it's made you unstable; please try to calm yourself down! We can talk about this if you just calm down!"

"No, you want to delve deeper into my mind so you can exploit what you find out about me for later! You and Twilight are both the same. You don't care about me, you only care about yourselves!"

"Sweetie Belle you know that is not true! I don't know Twilight personally, but I can assure you that she only had your best interests at heart! You're shifting blame to avoid some of the worst emotions you have ever felt!"

"SHUT UP!!"

"Sweetie Belle, you know that Twilight is not to blame for what you did! For Faust's sake, listen to what you are saying! It makes absolutely no sense!"

Sweetie Belle took another threatening step forward and Working Mind began to wonder if he needed to subdue her for his own safety. "Sweetie Belle, you're unstable right now. If you aren't careful then you are going to do something that you regret!"

"I already did and Celestia will kill me if she finds out!" said Sweetie Belle. "She'll strap me to a table and snuff my life out like it was nothing! She doesn't care why I did it and neither do you or Twilight. You just want to use me for your own gains!"

"Sweetie Belle, you are shifting blame here. We are not your enemies. Think about what you are saying; it makes absolutely no sense! Why would Twilight or I do anything to harm you? Twilight tried to prevent this very thing if I understand you right. She didn't want this to happen."

"Well she should have tried harder," growled Sweetie Belle. "She should have known that I... I..." Sweetie Belle let loose a half gurgle, half cry of sorrow before she fired up her horn and smashed a bright beam of light into Working Mind's desk. The desk flew backwards and crashed into the wall, knocking a large hole into it.

Working Mind gasped and flinched back when the desk hit the wall. "Sweetie Belle, that was absolutely uncalled for!"

Sweetie Belle stared at the broken portion of the wall. "Just another way I'm a bad pony. I... I'm evil. I know that. Good ponies don't kill other ponies."

Sweetie Belle turned tail and ran. She ran right out of Working Mind's office. She vaguely heard him call out to her, but thankfully he did little to pursue her. She couldn't be around him right now. He would try to talk her out of it; he would try to convince her that she wasn't a bad pony. She was a bad pony, though, and he was just out to help himself.

"He's just out to help himself." Sweetie Belle's lower jaw quivered as a pair of tears streaked down her face. "He doesn't care about me any more than Twilight does! He's just out to help himself! He doesn't care how I feel about slaughtering Scarlet Tomato like..." The words caught in Sweetie Belle's throat and she let out a sob. "Like an animal. I slaughtered her like she wasn't even a pony."

Sweetie Belle ran down the streets of Ponyville. Where, she didn't know, but she had a good idea. If she ended up there, fine. If not, well, Twilight Sparkle would get her reckoning somehow. Somehow this was all her fault. She knew that Sweetie Belle had killed Scarlet Tomato. It had been an accident, though. She certainly didn't mean to sever her femoral artery. She had only meant to give her a little cut, just enough to get a taste of what Rarity did.

The library. Yes, the library was coming into view now. Sweetie Belle ran towards it with the same singularity of purpose that she had had when she had ran towards Dr. Mind to get the memory spell reversed. Twilight shouldn't have even put the memory spell on her in the first place!

Sweetie Belle burst through the door of the library, looking for one of the mares who had ruined her life. As luck would have it, Twilight was dejectedly organizing a few shelves of her library. The bang of the opening door caused the librarian to yelp in shock and her concentration broke, causing dozens of books to crash to the ground.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!" Twilight turned and saw Sweetie Belle standing in her doorway. When she saw her, her ears flattened and she let out a small whimper. The weakness she displayed only strengthened Sweetie Belle's resolve. What did she resolve to do? She didn't know, but Twilight had to pay somehow.

"Hello, Sweetie Belle," Twilight whispered.

"I killed her." Sweetie Belle stomped into the library. "I killed Scarlet Tomato."

Upon hearing Sweetie Belle utter those words, Twilight broke down into sobs. Seeing Twilight, a mare she had looked up to in her fillyhood, cry like she was a filly herself caused Sweetie Belle's anger to falter slightly. She seemed kind of pathetic. Almost as if it wasn't right to get mad at her.

Yes, yes it was. She had toyed around with her memories and that was going too far for Sweetie Belle. She ignited her horn and slammed the door shut, hoping in the back of her mind that Spike wouldn't be around.

"He restored my memory, you know," said Sweetie Belle. "I remember it now as if it had just happened. I took a scalpel and I stabbed her in the leg, bleeding her out like a stuck pig!"

The words caused Twilight to collapse on the ground, wailing in sorrow. It was a day that she had hoped for years would never come, yet one that she knew would come eventually. However, the furious mare had no sympathy for her.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" she growled.

Twilight looked up at Sweetie Belle with wide, watery eyes. "M-m-m-me? What d-d-did I d-do?"

"You altered my memory when you had no right to do that!"

"I only wanted to protect you!" Twilight wailed. "You were just a filly; you didn't need to live with the memories that you had killed another pony!"

"What, were you worried that if I did remember killing at eight then I'd turn out just like my sister?"

"No, Sweetie Belle, that isn't it at all! I know you, you are a good mare and you were a good filly! You didn't need that on your conscience! You still don't!"

"Well it's too late for that!" said Sweetie Belle. "My memories are back and you can't change them anymore!"

Twilight shakily got to her hooves and did her best to meet Sweetie Belle's piercing gaze. "What did you want me to do? Would you want Scootaloo or Apple Bloom to live with those kinds of memories?"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING THEM INTO THIS!" Sweetie Belle stomped her hoof on the floor so hard it left a slight indentation in the wood. "YOU DON'T GET TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF BY MANIPULATING ME!!!"

"No, I'm not manipulating you, I'm trying to make you understand why I did what I did! I wanted to protect you; Rarity wanted to protect you! She thanked me when I told her that I was going to do it!"

Sweetie Belle increased her glare and slowly started advancing on Twilight who took a step back for each one that Sweetie Belle took. "You're lying. My sister would never betray me like that."

"Betray you? Sweetie Belle, listen to yourself! She didn't betray you; she never wanted you to have those memories either! She wanted to protect you and so did I!"

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to retort, but before she could she took one more step forward, causing Twilight to take her step back. Unfortunately for her, she had left her basement door open and in her attempts to get away from Sweetie Belle's wrath, she had unknowingly backed towards the basement door. That final step backwards was all it took and Twilight suddenly found herself without balance. With a yelp of shock, she tumbled backwards down the stairs and out of Sweetie Belle's view.

Seeing that Twilight had fallen, Sweetie Belle quickly rushed towards the basement door to see the purple mare's fate. She looked down the stairs and saw the unmoving librarian lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs.

Sweetie Belle quickly rushed down the stairs and checked Twilight's pulse. She was alive, just unconscious. Still, a simple fall wasn't enough. She had been injured, it was true, but a small thought in Sweetie Belle's mind told her that more drastic measures needed to be taken with her.

* * * *

Twilight Sparkle awoke a few hours later to find herself lying on a table in her basement. Her mind was fuzzy at first, an after effect of being knocked out from the fall, but she was vaguely aware that she couldn't move. Her first terrifying thoughts were that she had broken her spine in the fall as she couldn't feel anything below her neck.

"Good, you're awake," said a voice beside her.

"Sweetie Belle?" Twilight groaned and tried to move her head. "Where are you?"

"It's just you and me now, Twilight." Sweetie Belle scoffed. "Well, more specifically it's you, me, and this knife here."

"Knife?"

The shock instantly returned all clarity to Twilight. Her vision cleared and she saw Sweetie Belle standing next to her with a blank expression on her face. True to her word, she was levitating a large knife next to her. A singular whimper escaped from Twilight's throat.

"Please don't do this," she whispered.

"Do you want to know something interesting?" said Sweetie Belle, ignoring Twilight's plea. "When I saw you lying on the floor after your fall, I think I finally began to truly understand why Rarity did what she did. As I saw you lying there, I realized that I had complete and total control of your fate. You were unconscious, and no matter what I wanted to do to you, you couldn't stop me. In fact, you still can't. I still hold complete power over you, just like you held complete power over me when I was unconscious in the hospital after the bad memory spell. Well, you used that power to tamper with my mind when you shouldn't have. And now..."

Twilight looked down at her body. It wasn't strapped down to the table, but she couldn't move all the same.

"Sweetie Belle--"

"So, I placed a freezing spell on you and put you on the table. It only took a few seconds of rummaging around in your kitchen to find this right here," Sweetie Belle continued in the same blank tone. "And now I continue my total power over you."

Twilight's tears began anew as she realized that she would die down here, slaughtered in her own library by one of the kindest fillies she had ever known. She was going to be murdered. The thought briefly crossed her mind that Sweetie Belle was right, that she did indeed deserve the fate that was rapidly approaching. She quickly pushed it out of her mind as Sweetie Belle drew closer with the raised knife. Nopony deserved this.

With one last burst of strength and will, she turned her head up towards Sweetie Belle, who had stopped moving forwards and was standing over her victim, ready to bring the knife down to end her life. With tears pouring from her eyes, she opened her mouth and stuttered out what she knew would be her last words.

"Sweetie Belle... make it quick."

That simple phrase seemed to hit Sweetie Belle like a punch to the gut. She let out a small gasp and began blinking rapidly, showing expression for the first time since she had set up the kill. Twilight was surprised to see the magical aura around the handle of the knife quickly sputter out until it disappeared altogether. The knife clattered to the floor with a loud clang.

"Twilight..." Sweetie Belle whispered. "I..."

Sweetie Belle backed up until she hit the wall of the basement. Colliding with the solid wall seemed to drain her strength from her and she collapsed on the ground. Twilight found that warmth spread over her body as the freezing spell was lifted. When she regained full control, she quickly jumped off of the table and backed away slightly from Sweetie Belle.

Seeing Twilight back away, Sweetie Belle's jaw began to quiver until she let loose a full blown wail that shattered the previous silence of the basement. Twilight flinched back as the sound pierced her ears, but she quickly recovered and rushed over to her.

"Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie Belle looked up at her and before she could do anything, Sweetie Belle wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Twilight, please forgive me! I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you! Please forgive me, I didn't mean it. I'll do whatever you ask, just forgive me! I know I don't deserve it, I'll never deserve it for as long as I live and I don't blame you if you hate me forever! I'll hate me forever too if that's what you want from me!"

Twilight gingerly touched Sweetie Belle's mouth with her hoof to stem the apologies. She allowed herself a comforting smile and returned Sweetie Belle's hug. Sweetie Belle buried her head in Twilight's shoulder and began sobbing, soaking Twilight's fur with her tears.

"Shhh, it's okay," said Twilight softly, stroking Sweetie Belle's mane. "I do forgive you, Sweetie Belle. I don't hate you and I don't want you to hate yourself either."

Sweetie Belle looked up at Twilight, her huge watery eyes filled with disbelief. "But I just tried to kill you! I really, really wanted to, Twilight. I was gonna do it! I was gonna kill you just like I killed Scarlet Tomato, but on purpose!"

Twilight flashed her comforting smile once more and helped Sweetie Belle to her hooves.

"Sweetie Belle, I know that you wanted to and part of me us unsure if you would have if you weren't brought to your senses." Twilight held up a hoof to stop Sweetie Belle from replying. "But, I know that you aren't a killer. You are not the mare that your sister was. I truly believe that you will not turn out like her, that you will go on to do great things. Yes, you killed a mare in your sister's basement. Yes, that guilt will haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle, but you're going to have to live with that forever." Twilight sighed and sat down on her haunches. "I wouldn't cast a memory spell on you again if you asked me to. A lot of me thinks that it was a mistake to do it in the first place. You could have begun to heal earlier instead of allowing a scar you didn't know you had to fester. For that I will be sorry until the day I die."

"Which was almost today," said Sweetie Belle bitterly.

"But it wasn't," said Twilight. "You stopped before you killed me." Sweetie Belle nodded.

"I just... I don't know. After you said that, something just clicked. I began to realize that you were like Scarlet Tomato. You had a life and everything that goes with it, something that I had absolutely no right to take from you, whatever it was that you had done. You didn't mean to cause me all this pain, and I brought most of it on myself, and I shouldn't kill you for that."

"And that is what makes you different from your sister. If Rarity was in your position, she would have torn me to shreds before she killed me." The words caused Sweetie Belle to flinch and she glanced briefly at the knife and took three steps away from it. Twilight flattened her ears. "I'm sorry, those were poorly chosen words." Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"No, no you're right," she whispered. "I need to stop it, Twilight. I need to stop lying to myself about what kind of mare my sister really was. She was a serial killer, Twilight. She kidnapped, tortured, and murdered dozens of ponies. After her death, I... I guess I still kind of saw her as a victim in all of this. I felt like I needed to protect her reputation, even if she might not have deserved it. Heck, she didn't deserve it. Not at all as a matter of fact."

"Sweetie Belle, she was your sister, whatever else she was. You were just a filly when you found out about all of that. I think that to cope you tried to justify your sister's actions to yourself. You took out most of the evil of what she was doing and you allowed yourself to keep her on the pedestal of a wonderful big sister who loved and cared for you with everything that she was. You were eight years old. You could hardly be expected to deal with that in a rational way."

"You were twenty and you didn't really do that either," said Sweetie Belle. "You did your best to hide it and fix it too."

"I know I did," said Twilight. "And I'll regret that forever too."

A veil of silence fell over the basement once more. The two mares sat on the floor, each wondering what to do now. It was Sweetie Belle who broke the silence.

"Well, I think I have to go now. I have a lot to think about," she said.

"Of course!" said Twilight. "If you ever need somepony to talk to, you know where I am." Sweetie Belle thanked Twilight and after a goodbye hug, she walked out of the library.

* * * *

Sweetie Belle laid down in her bed, desperately wishing that she could fall asleep. However, the events of that day had thwarted the many attempts of the sandpony to whisk her off to the dreamworld she longed for so much. Twilight had told her that to live with her sins; she needed to take it one day at a time. Right now she wished that today would just be over so she could move on to the next one. She mused that she needed to go see Dr. Mind and June Star to apologize to them, maybe even fork over some bits to repair the damage she had done to his office.

It took a while, but eventually she felt her eyelids become heavy as she pushed the memories of the day out of her mind. But before she could fall asleep completely, she felt what seemed to be somepony sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle," whispered a voice. Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and sat up in bed to see Rarity sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Hello, sis." Rarity smiled a small, sad smile at her younger sister and stood up to walk closer to her.

"Hello, Sweetie Belle," said Rarity. Sweetie Belle had to fight back tears at the sight of her sister. For once in her life, she was the last pony that Sweetie Belle wanted to see.

"I... I don't know if I want to talk to you right now," she said. Rarity's eyes widened and she took a few steps back.

"Sweetie Belle, I know that I was a terrible sister who did a wretched job of protecting you from what I did, but--"

"Rarity, it's like I told Twilight: I can't keep lying to myself about what kind of pony you were. You were a serial killer who relished in torturing ponies and slowly murdering them. When you got caught, it left me without a sister to take care of me and I had to deal with the fallout." The tears that had been welling up in her eyes began falling as she prepared her next statement. "Rarity... you ruined my life."

Rarity's jaw dropped at the declaration and tears began pouring from her eyes as well.

"Sweetie Belle I..." Rarity burst into tears and rushed over to wrap her little sister in a hug. "I know I ruined your life, Sweetie Belle and I'm sorry. I'll be sorry until the end of time! I deserve worse than Tartarus and I never deserved Paradise! You deserved a much better sister than I could ever be! You were right to want Applejack as your sister over me. She wouldn't have destroyed any chance you had at a happy life, but I did! I did, and I deserve every bad thing said about me and much, much more! I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle! Big sister is sorry!"

Rarity sobbed into Sweetie Belle's shoulder much like Sweetie Belle had done to Twilight earlier that day. Sweetie Belle awkwardly wrapped her forelegs around her sobbing serial killer sister and held her as she cried.

"I don't hate you, Rarity," she whispered.

"But you should!" Rarity insisted. "You should hate me for the rest of time! I don't deserve any love or admiration that I get from you, now or then! I let you watch me mutilate a pony and you killed her later! You almost killed Twilight today because of that and it is all my fault! I'm the worst pony in the history of Equestria!"

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath before responding. "Yeah, sis, you were. I hate to admit it to myself, you were one of the worst and you did ruin my life as a result. But I've been doing a lot of thinking and I think I realized something: you only ruined my life because I let you. I held on to the anger and fear and resentment of you and everypony else for over ten years and those ten years have been the worst of my life. But if I let go, if I let you go and move on, then maybe I can have a chance for a better life, one that doesn't rest in the shadow of what you did."

Rarity broke away from the hug and stared at Sweetie Belle with wide, watery eyes.

"Sweetie Belle, I would wish nothing less for you. I think that letting me go and doing your best to move on... well, it's what I've wanted from you for years. You deserve better than what I gave you, and I never wanted my death to control your life."

Sweetie Belle smiled at her sister who returned one. "Even though you were a serial killer, I still love you, sis, and I wish it could have been different."

"I love you too, Sweetie Belle. I wish that too."

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes to blink once and when she opened them, Rarity was gone.

Author's Note

I added two new chapters to a story I should have finished long ago. Also, I have a threequel in mind if you guys want it. I know that it is bad to extend a story too much, to milk a story long after it's run its course, but I have ideas if you guys want to see them.

As before, these next few chapters are the last ones. I really hope that you guys liked this one and I hope that you like what I do going forward, particularly as it relates to the third one. Like I said, if you're tired of the killer Rarity story then I can just leave it as is and not write another one. Although, the ending I have planned might leave you begging for a third. Neither of us can know until we get there, I suppose.

Sweetie Belle's Joy

Three years later

A one night stand. That was how it the next chapter of Sweetie Belle's life began.

The stallion had been so gentle, so kind, so loving. He had told her sweet nothings and bought her some fruity drinks followed be a little bit of hard cider. That night, well, it had been consensual and frankly wonderful for Sweetie Belle. In truth, she had only intended it to be a one night stand. It was just something for a little fun to blow off some steam. In hindsight, it was a little impersonal for her first time, but that was likely the alcohol.

Still, the knowledge that the stallion had only gotten with her to get bragging rights that he had lain with the sister of Equestria's most notorious serial killer had hurt. A lot. She knew that some fragments of Rarity's shadow would haunt her forever, but after thirteen years she had expected most of it to have faded away. The knowledge that ponies saw her merely in relation to her sister hurt, particularly when they saw her as merely a conquest. It was more than a little demeaning.

Especially when it had its unintended side effects.

Sweetie Belle sat in Dr. Redheart's clinic, fidgeting on the uncomfortably padded table that she had been instructed to sit on her haunches on. She had to fight a vaguely nauseous feeling. Strangely enough, it had only come in the morning for the past few weeks. She had wanted to think that it was a complete coincidence and that she had merely come down with something, but after some pressing from Twilight, she had gone to see nurse Redheart just to make sure that it wasn't something... unexpected.

Sweetie Belle heard the door open and her head shot up just in time to see the nurse walk through the door with a file in her mouth.

"So, is it true?" she asked. "Am I--"

Nurse Redheart held up a hoof to stem further questions and placed the file on a nearby counter. She flipped the folder open and scanned the contents for a moment before sighing and turning back to Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, the results are in."

"I figured that. What do they say?" questioned Sweetie Belle.

Nurse Redheart closed the file and fully turned to face Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle... you're pregnant."

* * * *

Sweetie Belle slowly trudged up the path to Sweet Apple Acres, a million thoughts racing in her mind at once. She had told Applejack and Apple Bloom that this might have been the case, but she wasn't quite sure how to tell them that she was with foal.

Oh, Luna she had gotten knocked up. How was she supposed to explain to her friends that an ultimately manipulative one night fling had resulted in her becoming a mother? Of course, it wasn't exactly unheard of, that a one night stand resulted in a foal, but it was just one of those things that always happened to other ponies. It never happened to Sweetie Belle or anypony she knew. It was always somepony else that forgot to use protection.

Well, now it was Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle was pregnant. A foal was on the way.

Somehow the path up to Sweet Apple Acres seemed to expand as she walked across it to see the Apple family.

Of all of the ponies she had to tell, the Dashes, Twilight, her parents, somehow the Apples seemed to scare her the most. Theirs was a family very heavily rooted in old traditions. Granny Smith had taught Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac that intercourse and foals were for after marriage and it was a tradition that the three of them were always proud to have stood by. Of course, Rainbow Dash used to joke that that was because they were too busy working, but they all knew the real reason in the end. It was how they had been raised and that was that.

Well, now she was on her way to tell a trio of ponies, who were raised to believe that intercourse before marriage was wrong, that not only had she done the deed, but she was now pregnant as a result. The thought terrified her more than her upcoming pregnancy.

As she approached the house, she was greeted with a trio of loud THWACKs and she followed the source of the noise to see the three remaining members of the Ponyville Apple Family bucking their way through their south field. The vibrations from their blows caused Sweetie Belle to take a step back. The rational part of her brain told her that she shouldn't be worried, that even if the Apples were disappointed in her they wouldn't do anything. They wouldn't ban her from Sweet Apple Acres and they wouldn't yell at her for her mistake. Apple Bloom was a fellow former Cutie Mark Crusader after all.

So why was she shaking like an earthquake had begun as she walked up to the trio of apple farmers?

Sweetie Belle began taking deep breaths as she shakily walked up to the remaining three members of the Apple family. It wasn't too long before the three of them spotted their visitor and they all stopped working to greet her.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle," greeted Apple Bloom. She pushed up her own red tinted Stetson and wiped some sweat from her brow as Sweetie Belle approached.

"Hey, Apple Bloom," replied Sweetie Belle. Gosh, even her voice was shaking. Her fellow crusader's older sister must have noticed her nervousness and she frowned at Sweetie Belle.

"Somethin' wrong, sugar cube?" she asked. "You look like yer about to keel over."

Sweetie Belle felt like she was about to keel over. The rational part of her mind told her that she was being ridiculous, but the rest of her wasn't so sure. The conflict in her brain caused her to only quietly babble out a few nonsensical words before she took a deep breath and forced something resembling Equish out.

"I... I went to go see Redheart today," she began. "I... talked to her and I got tested for... what we talked about earlier."

Apple Bloom's eyes widened at the news. "And?" she eagerly questioned.

"I...the test, it... it came back and..."

"You're pregnant, aren't you sugar cube?"

Hearing Applejack say it finally destroyed what was left of Sweetie Belle's courage and she burst into tears. "Yes!" she wailed. "I'm pregnant!"

Applejack and Apple Bloom immediately rushed to their friend's side and Applejack wrapped her in a motherly hug and stroked her mane. "Shh, it's alright, Sweetie Belle," she soothed. "Yer goin' to be okay."

"I'm pregnant out of wedlock!" sobbed Sweetie Belle. "I'm a bad mare!"

"Now don't be talkin' foolish like that," scolded Apple Bloom. "You ain't a bad mare just because you made a mistake. We all make 'em"

Sweetie Belle looked up at her friend with watery eyes. "But I'm not ready to be a mommy! I'm not ready to raise a child knowing that one day I'm going to have to tell it who her aunt was and what she did! My child is going to find out someday and what am I supposed to tell it?"

"The truth," said Applejack simply. "You tell your child the truth, even if it hurts and Ah know it will. You recall how mah parents died in a carriage accident? Well, Ah had to have that talk with Apple Bloom one day when Ah thought she was old enough."

"Oh that's not the same and you know it!" insisted Sweetie Belle. "Your parent’s death was an accident; my sister was executed by Princess Celestia for slaughtering dozens of ponies including a mare and her tiny filly!"

"Sweetie Belle, Ah ain't sayin' that you have to give her any details," said Applejack. "And Ah know that someday your foal will find out about what Rarity did, there's no gettin' around that."

"But that's why she has her mommy to help her through all of that," Apple Bloom pointed out. "It’ll be your job when the time does come to make sure she knows that your sister was just a sad pony who did bad things but she regretted them very much before she died. You can ease the blow that learnin' what Rarity did will cause."

"But I don't want my foal to have to learn about that!" wailed Sweetie Belle.

"But it'll have to someday," said Applejack gently. "Sweetie Belle, if ya found a nice stallion and married him and had a foal, your foal would still have to learn someday about what kind of mare your sister was. You couldn't put it off forever under the best circumstances."

Sweetie Belle sniffled and wiped her eyes with her foreleg. "But I'd have my husband to help me through with that!"

"Sweetie Belle, you are gonna have Faust knows how many friends to help ya with it now!" said Apple Bloom. "Ya have me and my family, Scoots and Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and the Cakes, the list goes on! You never had to go through this alone."

"But... but..."

"Sweetie Belle, Ah guess what it comes down to in the end is that yer gonna have this foal whether yer ready for it or not." Applejack stood up and extended a hoof to help Sweetie Belle up. "Now are ya gonna accept the help of the ponies who love ya and want to help ya or not?"

Sweetie Belle sniffled once again but the kind words of Applejack and Apple Bloom had helped calm her nerves significantly. She sighed and gently touched her stomach with her left foreleg, marveling for a brief moment that life was growing within. Finally she looked up at the two smiling Apples and nodded. "Yes, I would love all the help I can get."

For the first time since she had found out that she was pregnant, Sweetie Belle smiled.

* * * *

"Ooh, I want to see the baby pony!" cried Pinkie Pie. The pink party mare was shifting nervously in her chair, eagerly awaiting the news that Sweetie Belle had given birth to her child.

Scootaloo frowned at the twitchy pink mare. "Pinkie Pie, would you mind sitting still for a little bit? You're making me nervous!" Rainbow Dash glanced briefly at her adopted daughter and a small grin crept on her face as if she was the only pony in the room who fully grasped the impossibility of Scootaloo's request.

"Pinkie, it's going to be okay," reassured Twilight. "We have some of the best doctors in Ponyville here. Both her and the foal are going to be fine."

"But how do you know that?!" said Pinkie wildly. "What if something goes wrong? What if Sweetie Belle's foal comes out fine, but they accidentally switch the foal with another one that was also born today but who really isn't Sweetie belle's foal and the two foals find out someday that the ponies that they think are their mothers aren't really their mothers because they accidentally got switched at birth and they have to go through all of the--"

"Pinkie Pie, I don't really see that as very likely," said Rainbow Dash flatly.

"Besides, when have ya every heard of that happenin' to anypony?" Applejack questioned.

"It happened to me!!" wailed Pinkie Pie.

The waiting room was silent as they processed Pinkie Pie's stunning revelation. "R-really?" said Twilight.

"No not really," said Pinkie Pie. "But it's plausible enough that you believed me!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Oh for goodness sakes, Pinkie. I have never heard of foals getting switched at birth. Besides, I think that Sweetie Belle is the only Ponyville mare who was this far along, so she'd be the only mare who's giving birth tonight!"

"But--"

Before Pinkie Pie could spout out another paranoid Pinkie Theory, the two large doors to the hospital interior opened and the doctor walked in levitating a clipboard in front of him. "Excuse me, are you all Sweetie Belle's friends?" he asked.

"Yes, yes we are!" said Scootaloo.

"How's she doin' doc?"

"How's the foal?" asked Pinkie Pie. "You didn't accidentally switch the foal with another mare's child, did you?!"

The doctor looked absolutely flustered at Pinkie's question. "I--"

"DID YOU?!"

"No, to my knowledge we didn't!" insisted the confused doctor.

"Does that mean--" began Pinkie Pie.

"Yes, Sweetie Belle delivered successfully and she is with her daughter in her room now. You can go see her if you want. I must insist that you--"

The doctor never finished his words in front of an audience. The second that the collective group heard that they could see their friend; they all bolted towards Sweetie Belle's room as if Paradise itself awaited them. With the waiting room empty, the doctor grumbled the rest of his request before turning around and following the group back towards Sweetie Belle's room.

Thankfully for the group, the maternity ward wasn't too far away from the waiting room and they found Sweetie Belle's room in a matter of minutes. Pinkie Pie insisted that the group calm down slightly before they entered the room so as to not disturb the new mother and her foal. The group did just that before Scootaloo knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a strained voice that clearly came from Sweetie Belle. Twilight used her magic to open the door and the seven ponies slowly filed into the room.

Most of the room gasped when they saw what was on the bed. Sweetie Belle was sitting up, cradling a tiny bundle in her forelegs and smiling wider than she had in over a decade. She looked up when she saw the group come in. "Shh. She's sleeping," she whispered. The group nodded and tip-hooved over to the bed to see the foal. Sweetie Belle adjusted her forelegs so that those gathered around her could better see her daughter.

"Oh isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen?" cooed Pinkie Pie.

"And she looks a lot like ya too," Apple Bloom observed.

Indeed she did. The foal was the same shade of white that ran in Sweetie Belle's family. She had a purple mane, the shade of which was somewhere between the light purple of Sweetie Belle's and the solid purple of her sister. The look was completed with a tiny horn on the foal's head.

Applejack moved past Pinkie Pie to get a better look at the foal and smiled when she saw the foal in Sweetie Belle's grasp. "She's more beautiful than Ah imagined she would be."

"What's her name?" asked Scootaloo, moving closer to the bed to get a better look.

"Her name..." began Sweetie Belle. "Her name is Joyous Blossom because she brought joy into my life like nothing else has."

"Ah think it's a beautiful name," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo nodded and smiled at the foal. "Hey, Joyous Blossom. It's your awesome Aunt Scootaloo. I just know you're going to be the best niece ever."

Suddenly, Joyous Blossom began shifting in the blankets wrapped around her and her tiny eyes fluttered open. The gathered ponies gasped slightly at her beautiful blue eyes, eyes exactly the same shade as...

"She has her aunt's eyes," whispered Twilight. Sweetie Belle froze for a second and mother and daughter stared into each other's eyes as if each was trying to discover who the pony underneath those eyes really was.

All of a sudden, the corners of Joyous Blossom's mouth turned upwards and to the happiness of all, the foal smiled at her mother. A joyful laugh escaped Sweetie Belle and she nuzzled her daughter. Happy tears formed at the corners of everypony's eyes and for the first time in fourteen years, Sweetie Belle knew that all was right with the world.

Author's Note

Joyous Blossom plushie (and me)!

A New Era

Seven Years Later

Pride. An uncontrollable sense of pride, that was what was welling up inside Sweetie Belle's chest at the moment. Today was a new chapter in her daughter's life. Blossom, as everypony had taken to calling her, was starting school, and the filly could not be happier for all of the money in Canterlot.

Sweetie Belle smiled as Blossom pranced around the room, her new saddlebag bouncing on her sides. Her smile of unadulterated joy was what kept the small twinges of fear out of Sweetie Belle's mind. This was it, this was the time that it would all be made right, and life would stay at the perfect level that it had for the past seven years.

The addition of Joyous Blossom into the world, and to a smaller extent Ponyville, seemed to have been what the remaining townsponies who still had not trusted Sweetie Belle needed to finally see the good in the mare once more. Her foal's birth had somehow been the thing that had washed away the last blemishes that Rarity's actions had left upon the town and for some, it was like it had never happened at all.

The most rewarding instance was a few weeks after Blossom's birth, she had been walking around town when she had run into Barley Brewer (who still had a scar on his cheek from that fateful Nightmare Night) who gave her his usual glare of hatred. However, when he had seen the happy filly on her back, Sweetie Belle could swear that she saw the corners of his lips turn upwards in a barely concealed smile and, in fact, he had yet to give her another glare.

Still, that's not to say that there had not been issues. Joyous Blossom was gifted with an insatiable drive for knowledge, something that Twilight was more than happy to foster with both books and magic lessons, and as such, she asked questions about everything that she did not know about.

Things like the statue in the middle of the town square.

Blossom was five years old when she was riding on her mother's back to town to go to the market for that month's groceries. Ever the curious and social filly, her eyes were in constant movement to find ponies to greet with a happy smile and objects to ask her mother about.

And that's when her eyes landed on a solemn pair with their heads bowed in front of the memorial for Rarity's victims. Blossom had observed the pair with her curious eyes until they had passed at which point she had questioned her mother on it.

Sweetie Belle had frozen in the street and a small gasp had escaped her lips at the question. No, it couldn't come now. Blossom wasn't old enough for it to come now. No, she would have to wait on that until she was older. As such, Sweetie Belle told her that something very sad had happened in the town about twenty years ago but it was impolite to talk about it. Thankfully Blossom had still been at the age where if her mother said something, then it was truth no matter what. Her mother wouldn't lie to her and technically Sweetie Belle hadn't. Still, she knew that she couldn't hide it from her forever.

That wasn't important now. It wasn't even on Sweetie Belle's mind as she watched her happy filly bounce up and down in front of the door. She chuckled at the memory of how Blossom had reacted when she found out that there was a place where all you did was learn all day and there was a nice mare named Miss Cheerilee, who had been Mommy's teacher when Mommy was a filly, who was just as nice as Miss Twilight at the library. Needless to say, the filly had been beside herself with glee.

"Is it time yet, Mommy?" Blossom asked. "Is it time to go to school yet?"

Sweetie Belle chuckled and nodded her head. "Yes it is, Blossom," she said. "If you'll let me get my saddlebag really quick, we’ll be off!"

Sweetie Belle turned around and used her magic to levitate her saddlebags on her back and then, as promised, the duo was off.

Blossom ran eagerly alongside her smiling mother in a mad rush to get to the school as soon as possible, even though it didn't start for another twenty five minutes. Of course, part of Blossom's motivation may have been to meet as many foals as she possibly could before class started.

"Is Apple Seed going to be there, mommy?" asked Blossom.

Sweetie Belle chuckled and shook her head. "Blossom, Apple Seed is only four years old. Aunt Apple Bloom still has to take care of her at home."

Blossom frowned for a moment before she broke out into her wide smile again. "Okay, Mommy, I guess that makes sense," she said. "But can we go see her after I come home so I can tell her all about how wonderful school was?"

"We'll see, Blossom. She might be taking her afternoon nap."

"Oh, okay," said Blossom.

The duo walked in silence for a few minutes before the schoolyard came into view. Sweetie Belle had to slow her daughter down, lest she charge ahead too far. Of course, once they reached the schoolyard she let Blossom loose and she instantly walked up to a group of fellow foals and began chattering animatedly about whatever it was that foals talk about during the first day of school.

Sweetie Belle's smile widened at the sight of her daughter and to her it just reaffirmed the fact that she had discovered with the birth of her daughter: that everything was going to be okay.

And it was.

Sweetie Belle was just about to leave, when she made eye contact with Cheerilee who smiled at her and trotted over. "Good morning, Miss Cheerilee," said Sweetie Belle.

Her former teacher chuckled. "Sweetie Belle, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to call me 'Miss' Cheerilee. You're a grown mare you know."

"I know," said Sweetie Belle. "But I guess old habits kind of die hard."

"They do at that," agreed Cheerilee. She glanced in the direction of Blossom. "How is she doing?"

"Oh you know her; she's like Pinkie Pie almost. Nothing can keep her smile away and she wants to know everything that there is to know. You're going to have your hooves full with her you know," chuckled Sweetie Belle.

Cheerilee smirked at her former pupil. "Oh I don't doubt that," said the teacher. "I've been around the library a few times while Twilight is tutoring her and I cannot believe how many questions that filly asks. It's going to be quite refreshing. Not every foal I teach is quite as immersed as yours."

"Well best of luck to you," said Sweetie Belle. "And do be sure to let me know how her day went. You know Blossom: she's going to be so excited that it'll take me a week for me to understand what she's saying, she'll be talking so fast."

"Oh will do, Sweetie Belle, will do."

Sweetie Belle and Cheerilee exchanged goodbyes and after a brief moment to say goodbye to Blossom, Sweetie Belle made to leave the schoolyard.

It was right then that Sweetie Belle was the two things that might make sure that Blossom's schooling wouldn't be as amazing as she thought: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were walking down the path, their fillies, Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby respectively, so that the duo could begin their first days of school as well.

Diamond Tiara had never really let go of the fact that she had gotten her cutie mark before the Crusaders did. The fact that she now owned Barnyard Bargains didn't help any and even though Scootaloo was one of the more popular Wonderbolts, she still pretended that she was better than the Crusaders. Silver Spoon, for her part, had mellowed out considerably and was on cordial terms with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. She still never stopped Tiara's verbal abuse.

Of course, as was usual, Diamond Tiara saw Sweetie Belle walking in the other direction and she shot her the usual smug smile. Sweetie Belle silently thanked Luna that Golden Necklace had yet to get her cutie mark or else the training of her mother would have assured Blossom torment. The filly was just as nasty as her mother had been as was Fire Ruby. Still, in the latter's case Sweetie Belle knew that it was more the influence of Diamond Tiara and Golden Necklace than Silver Spoon herself.

Sweetie Belle silently passed by the four ponies, having long since learned to ignore the torment of Diamond Tiara and her spawn. Her old schoolyard bully had never made it a secret to her child that Sweetie Belle's sister was the Ponyville Butcher, nor the idea that Sweetie Belle was as insane as her sister and that she was not to be trusted. She had not come after Blossom... yet. But the day she did was a day that she would regret.

Sweetie Belle sighed at the idea that her daughter's first day of school might be marred by the presence of the two fillies. Blossom was so enamored by the idea of school and if she realized that she had to spend it with fillies who would torment her then she might not want to come back, no matter how wonderful the idea of learning was. She sighed. Why did life have to be so cruel to her family? Why did there always have to be somepony that tormented them, even before the death of Rarity?

She shook her head and tried to push the thoughts of the two fillies out of her mind. Cheerilee would take care of Blossom. Even when they had attended, Cheerilee had always done her best with keeping the peace between the Crusaders and the nastier duo. No, Blossom would have a wonderful time at school, there was no way that she wouldn't.

With nowhere to go for the day, she decided to pop over to the library to talk to Twilight and maybe get a bit of light reading material for some free time. Now that Blossom would be going to school, Sweetie Belle found herself in a position to take up a job again. Still, that wouldn't take up all of her time so she figured it was a good time to check out some of the books that she had been meaning to read.

Within a few minutes she was knocking on the door of the library and met with the happy smile of Twilight. "Hello, Sweetie Belle," the librarian greeted opening the door further and letting Sweetie Belle in. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing fine, Twilight," Sweetie Belle said. "I just dropped Blossom off for her first day of school!"

Twilight's eyes widened in joy and her smile grew. "That's so wonderful!" she said. "You know, I think she shows a lot of magical talent."

"More than I did at that age, that's for sure," chuckled Sweetie Belle. "I think she'll do wonderfully. You should have seen how excited she was to go."

"If she was half as excited as she was when she started getting tutoring lessons from me then she must have been ecstatic," said Twilight.

"You'd better believe it. I don't think that Hearths Warming Day makes her so happy."

Sweetie Belle looked up from the conversation and glanced around the ever growing collection of books that the library held. "I'm looking for some good reading material, you know, something just for fun while Blossom's at school."

Twilight's eyes lit up and she got that maniacal grin that only Twilight could get when books were involved. "I think I have just the book for you!" said Twilight, igniting her horn and levitating a blue book over to them.

"It's not the latest Daring Do, is it?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Twilight shuddered and vigorously shook her head. "Don't you remember rule 118 of the library, Sweetie Belle?"

"I know, I know, 'thou shalt not mention any Daring Do book after the fourteenth in the series'."

"That's right," said Twilight. "After the series started ripping off of things that my friends and I did all while the author insisted that they were stores that she made up... yeah, even Rainbow Dash quit the series after that."

"It’s ridiculous! How do you think you can get away with Daring Do defeating the Being of Disarray with the Amulets of Unity and not think that ponies aren't going to notice?"

"Well, enough didn't," said Twilight.

Sweetie Belle shook her head in mild amusement and took the blue book out of Twilight's telekinetic grasp, transferring it to her own. She opened it up to the front page and scanned it.

As she did, she heard Twilight clear her throat and even without looking at her, she knew that Twilight was about to ask an awkward question.

"So... Sweetie Belle, I have to ask: are you at all worried about Blossom's first day of school?"

Sweetie Belle looked up from the book, a hint of a glare in her eyes. "She's not my sister," she growled. "Blossom would never do anything like that, she hasn't even grasped the concept of death yet, not fully anyways."

The librarian nodded with a sigh. "I know, and I'm sorry to pry like that. It's just that... I was worried that it would be hard for you, you know? The whole of Equestria knows what happened back then and--"

"She's not my sister," spat Sweetie Belle. "And she never will be!"

"Okay, okay," said Twilight, backing up defensively. "I'm sorry I asked. I didn't mean to offend you."

Sweetie Belle sighed and closed the book. "I know you didn't," she mumbled. "And I'd be lying if I said that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, especially with Tiara and Spoon's fillies starting today too. Rarity didn't even really know... them and she... well, you know. Blossom has met those two and she does know that they can be nasty, but they haven't been overtly mean to her while I've been watching and she would tell me if they had when I wasn't. Besides, Cheerilee will look out for her."

Twilight's smile returned and she put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "I think you're right." The smile faded slightly. "But... especially with foals like them around, what are you going to do about telling her about Rarity? I mean, she knows that she had an Aunt Rarity who died before she was born, but you never went into more detail than that, right?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "She's not old enough to know yet," said Sweetie Belle. "I know that she's barely younger than I was when I found out and that's back when Rarity was still alive and killing. Heck, I wasn't much older than her when I..." Sweetie Belle's bottom lip quivered and she had to take a moment to regain control. "Well, you know what happened."

Twilight nodded. "I do," she said. "But I'm just worried that she's going to hear things, especially from those two, and you won't be there to let her down gently, if you will. She's going to find out sometime, sometime very soon to be honest."

Sweetie Belle sighed and ran her hoof through her mane. "I know," she muttered. "But how do you tell a filly who barely understands death that her aunt was the deadliest serial killer in Equestrian history and that's why she's dead? How do you think she's going to react to something like that?"

"I don't know," said Twilight. "But I fear we're going to have to find out sooner rather than later and I don't know if it's going to be pleasant."

"Oh I know that it won't be pleasant," said Sweetie Belle. "But I..." Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't know what's going to happen, Twilight. I don't know what I'm going to do if Golden Necklace tells Blossom about Rarity. I wish I did, though."

Twilight pulled Sweetie Belle into a one legged hug. "It'll be okay in the end, whatever happens," said Twilight. "It's like you said, Blossom isn't Rarity and if I know you and how much you love her, she never will be."

* * * *

Sweetie Belle stood up from her couch and stretched. The book she had borrowed from the library was indeed engrossing as Twilight had said and she had almost lost track of time as a result of reading it. She had knocked out a decent chunk of the book and was frankly looking forward to delving a little deeper into the book when Blossom went to bed tonight. She had to cut her reading spree short now as it was time to pick Blossom up from school.

After putting a bookmark on the page and setting the book down on a nearby coffee table,

Sweetie Belle put her saddlebag on and trotted over to the schoolyard where a flock of parents were retrieving their youngsters. After saying hi to a few of them, Sweetie Belle scanned the courtyard for any sign of her child.

There was none.

Sweetie Belle inwardly panicked for a second, fearing that she had... no, that was ridiculous. Cheerilee would have noticed. But Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby were missing as well. They hadn't gone to... No, that was still ridiculous. Again, Cheerilee would have noticed and quickly stopped them from going anywhere until their parents had arrived.

Sweetie Belle walked into the courtyard, the rational side of her brain doing its best to squash the side that was setting off alarms, telling her that her child had gone to the creek and was trying to wash the blood of her tormentors off.

Thankfully, reality erased those thoughts from her mind as she entered the schoolhouse and saw Cheerilee with a comforting hoof on Blossom's shoulders. Cheerilee looked up when she saw Sweetie Belle enter and her grim look told Sweetie Belle all that she needed to know.

"Oh no," whispered Sweetie Belle. She rushed to Blossom's side and sat on her haunches in front of her desk so as to get at eye level with her. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she was confronted with her daughter's expression. She wasn't crying, she wasn't mad, in fact, her face held no expression at all.

Her eyes did. Her eyes conveyed her true feelings in a way that her face never could and they showed one emotion: fear. Blossom was scared out of her mind and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"Blossom, can you hear me?" said Sweetie Belle soothingly. "Mommy's here now, can you tell me what's wrong?"

Blossom blinked at the sound of her mother's voice and took a deep, shaky breath in. "Mommy," she whimpered.

Sweetie Belle stood up and wrapped Blossom into a tight hug. "Mommy's here, Blossom. Mommy's got you now." No, not like this, she couldn't find out like this.

"Mommy, I don't think I like school very much. I don't like learning things here."

Sweetie Belle glanced over at Cheerilee who nodded sadly. Sweetie Belle held her foal closer and had to fight back tears.

"Wh--" her voice cracked. "Why don't you like it here?"

"I learned bad things today," said Blossom. Sweetie Belle felt the fur on her foreleg become wet as Blossom started shedding tears. "Bad things about Aunt Rarity."

Sweetie Belle held back a small whimper and had to exert all of her willpower to prevent herself from breaking down in front of Blossom completely.

"It was just a few minutes ago," said Cheerilee quietly. "When the class went out, somepony put a news article in Blossom's open book when she went to get her saddlebag. By the time I knew what she had it was too late. She read the whole thing."

Sweetie Belle's eyes glanced at Cheerilee's desk which had a faded newspaper article on top of it. She used her magic and levitated the article over to her.

ELEMENT OF HARMONY EXECUTED AS A SERIAL KILLER!! THE ELEMENT OF GENEROSITY IS CONFIRMED AS THE SOURCE OF DISAPPEARANCES OVER THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS!

In what is sure to be the tragedy of our time, Princess Celestia revealed to a crowd today what rumors from Ponyville have stated for the past few days: that the Element of Generosity, Rarity, was discovered to be the source of the disappearances over the past fifteen years. Princess Celestia confirmed that Rarity violently murdered her victims and sources from the Royal Guard indicate that she hung their pelts and manes on the walls of her basement. Princess Celestia refused to give many details, saying only this:

"It is with great sadness today that I stand before you to confirm what many of you have been hearing. Four days ago, we arrested the Elements of Harmony in connection with several disappearances over the past fifteen to twenty years. The Element of Generosity, Rarity, was found guilty of the crime of dozens of cases of first-degree murder and she was executed by lethal injection not long after her arrest. The other Elements were cleared of any wrongdoing and I personally assure you that none of them had anything to do with it, neither did Rarity's family. At this time I would like to ask for your support for the families of the victims. It will take the strength of us all to make it through this time."

Celestia made no official count public, but reliable sources indicate that Rarity had as many as eighty victims and possibly more, making her easily the deadliest serial killer in the history of Equestria. Is this a sign that the Elements aren't as powerful as we thought? What does this mean for the nation? Who will replace Rarity as the Element of Generosity? How did a serial killer become the Element of Generosity? We'll bring you more updates on all of these questions and more as we get them.

Sweetie Belle stared at the clipping, hardly able to register the fact that her daughter had read all of it. The picture that accompanied the article left no doubt that the aunt that Blossom had that had died before she was born was the killer mentioned in the article.

"Blossom, who gave this to you? Who put this on your desk?"

"I don't know," whispered Blossom.

Sweetie Belle looked up at Cheerilee who shook her head.

"The first I knew about it was after she began crying. I ran over and saw that in her book."

"Was it Golden Necklace or Fire Ruby?"

Cheerilee shrugged. "I can't prove anything. But believe me; if do learn who did it I will expel them. End of story. I asked the class about it but nopony said anything. I'll be having one-on-ones with them in the upcoming days. I will find out who did this, I swear to you."

"I already know who did it," growled Sweetie Belle.

"If you can't prove anything then there's nothing I can do. When I do find out, and I will, I will ensure that the guilty parties are expelled. You have my word."

Sweetie Belle nodded and gently levitated Blossom onto her back. "Thanks, Cheerilee," she muttered. "I'll see you later. I can't say for sure whether or not Blossom will be in school over the next few days."

"Of course," said Cheerilee. "I completely understand. Take as much time as you need. She's welcome back whenever she feels up to it." Sweetie Belle nodded and walked out of the classroom. "Bye, Blossom. I hope you feel better!" Cheerilee called out to her. They weren't particularly comforting words, but Blossom needed to know that ponies besides her mother cared.

"Do you want to go see Aunt Apple Bloom?" said Sweetie Belle when they were out of sight of the school. "Mommy needs to run some important errands."

Blossom whimpered and held her mother tight. "Why, why did she do that, Mommy?"

The words triggered a small sob from Sweetie Belle who took a moment to respond. "Your Aunt Rarity was a very sad pony, Blossom. She had bad things happen to her and she had angry feelings inside of her as a result. She tried to fight them, Blossom. I promise you that she didn't want them."

Blossom slowly nodded and the journey continued on in silence until the farm came into view.

"Am... am I gonna have those bad feelings that's going to make me do those things?" whispered Blossom.

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks and levitated Blossom off of her back. She looked her filly directly in the eye. "Joyous Blossom, you will never have the will to do what your Aunt Rarity did. You are not the pony she was. You are going to go through life and be very, very successful and you will never hurt anypony. That's not an order, that's a fact. You are going to be okay, you aren't going to have those sad feelings."

Blossom slowly nodded and Sweetie Belle hugged her close once more.

"You're going to be fine," said Sweetie Belle. "You're going to go through life and be happy and successful and you won't have to live in the shadow of what Rarity did, okay? I promise."

Sweetie Belle put Blossom back on her back and finished the journey to Sweet Apple Acres where Apple Bloom and Applejack were just coming in from the fields. The pair smiled when they saw Sweetie Belle and Blossom coming up the path, but their smiles quickly fell when they saw their moods. They quickly galloped over to the approaching pair.

"What happened?" asked Apple Bloom. "Is she alright?"

Sweetie Belle wordlessly shook her head and motioned over to the house. Applejack nodded and led the group inside.

"Apple Bloom, can ya take Blossom here up to Apple Seed's room? Ah think we need to have a talk here with Sweetie Belle."

Apple Bloom nodded and took Blossom off of Sweetie Belle's back. She galloped up the stairs and quickly placed Blossom onto a nearby bed before rushing back down the stairs.

"So what happened?!" she queried. "What's goin' on?"

Sweetie Belle didn't answer. She shakily took the article out of her saddlebag and placed it on the table before bursting into tears. Apple Bloom rushed over and hugged her friend while Applejack glanced over the article. Slowly her curious demeanor shifted to one of tranquil fury as she read on.

"Who gave this to her?" she said.

Sweetie Belle sniffled and wiped her eyes before answering. "Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby."

Applejack's frown deepened for a moment before a tired look washed over the farmpony's body. "Ah always thought that this was one of the worst ones out there," she said. "It didn't sensationalize nothin'. Ah couldn't look at it and say that mah friend hadn't done any of that."

"And that's how she had to find out?" said Apple Bloom. "Land snakes, why if Ah ever caught who did it... well Ah don't know what Ah'd do but it wouldn't be pretty, that's fer sure."

"Cheerilee said that she can't punish them because she can't prove anything. Blossom just came back from recess and found that inside one of her books."

Applejack let out a deep breath and put her foreleg over her eyes. "Ah can't believe that," she whispered. "Ah just can't believe that anypony would do anythin' like that to that wonderful filly. You'd have to be downright evil to want to hurt her."

"Anypony born of Diamond Tiara would have to be evil," spat Sweetie Belle. "Silver Spoon too, they're just as bad as their moms!" Sweetie Belle stood up. "I have to go talk to Diamond Tiara. I need you two to watch Blossom while I'm gone."

Before Applejack or Apple Bloom could utter a response, Sweetie Belle ran out the front door of the house and towards the main offices of Barnyard Bargains where Sweetie Belle knew that Diamond Tiara would be.

* * * *

The door to Diamond Tiara's office burst open, startling the mare inside for a brief moment but she had regained her calm by the time she made eye contact with Sweetie Belle.

"You. How could you?"

"How could I what?" asked Diamond Tiara calmly.

"YOU KNOW FULL WELL WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER DID!" screeched Sweetie Belle.

"I'm afraid that I don't," said Diamond Tiara. "Either tell me what it is that you're accusing Golden Necklace of or get out of my office."

"You know what she did; she put a newspaper article about Rarity on Blossom's desk!!!"

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow but a small smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I don't think so," she said. "Where would she have gotten something like that?"

"Anywhere," growled Sweetie Belle. "It was the story of the century, it sold millions of papers. It would have taken your daughter two seconds to get one!"

"Well, what do you want me to do about it if she did?"

"Does... does punishing her sound reasonable?" Sweetie Belle snarled.

Diamond Tiara gave an amused scoff and smirked as she crossed her forelegs. "If you don't have anything worth my time, then I need you to get out. This conversation is over."

Sweetie Belle slammed her front hooves on the desk. "No, this is NOT over!!! I want you to get that miserable, worthless, waste of space you call a daughter, and I want her to tell me to my face that she did it and then I want you to punish her for ONCE IN HER SPOILED LIFE!!!"

"Sweetie Belle, get out!" said Diamond Tiara, a little more loudly than before.

"You do know that Cheerilee promised to expel the students she discovered were behind the mental scarring of my daughter, right?!"

To Sweetie Belle's utter satisfaction, a brief glimpse of worry flashed in Diamond Tiara's eyes. However, it was gone as quickly as it came and her smug look intensified. "Well if you had just ponied up and told your daughter what an evil psycho she had for an aunt then maybe she wouldn't have been so shocked by the clipping, right?"

At those words, a fire erupted inside Sweetie Belle and for the second time in her life, she wanted to hurt Diamond Tiara. No, she wanted to kill Diamond Tiara. She wanted to rip her apart piece by piece until she was a bloody mess on the ground.

Sweetie Belle let out a roar of anger and raised her foreleg to sweep the objects off of Diamond Tiara's desk when suddenly, something caught her eye. Diamond Tiara had a newspaper on her desk, and the front page had a large chunk cut out of it.

It was dated a few days after Rarity's death.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and she put her hooves back on the ground. She picked the paper up with her magic and put it in her saddlebag.

"Sweetie Belle, give that back!" Diamond Tiara shot out of her chair. "That's not yours, you stupid blank flank!"

Sweetie Belle whirled around and fixed Diamond Tiara with a glare so fierce that a dragon would have wilted. As it was, Diamond Tiara flinched and took a step back. "Do you really want to push me now?" Sweetie Belle growled, venom dripping from every syllable. Diamond Tiara's mouth flopped up and down, but no words came out. Sweetie Belle scoffed and stomped out of the office.

As she walked out of the building, she saw Silver Spoon coming up the stairs in the opposite direction. Sweetie Belle shot her a death glare as she passed and to her mild surprise, Silver Spoon flinched back.

Sweetie Belle stomped down the stairs, but she was stopped briefly by a voice.

"Sweetie Belle..."

She wheeled around to see Silver Spoon behind her. "Sweetie Belle, I..." Tears began falling from Silver Spoon's eyes. "I didn't know," she whispered. "I promise you that I didn't know what they were going to do."

"Well if you got that brat of a child under control then maybe you wouldn't have to worry about things like this happening!!" yelled Sweetie Belle.

She turned around and stomped out of the building, leaving a crying Silver Spoon behind her.

As she walked back to Sweet Apple Acres, she felt a momentary twinge of guilt at how she had treated Silver Spoon. If she had nothing to do with it, then she shouldn't be on the receiving end of her anger. Still, her foal probably did have something to do with it.

Sweetie Belle quickly rushed over to the schoolhouse where she was relieved to see Cheerilee, who was just about to leave.

"I have proof," she said as she approached the schoolmare.

"Of what, that Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby are behind this?" asked Cheerilee. Sweetie Belle nodded and took the newspaper out of her saddlebag as well as the clipping.

"I went to talk to Diamond Tiara about this and I found this on her desk."

Cheerilee looked at the paper and clipping before nodding. "Very well," she said, taking the two items and placing them in her saddlebag. "I'm going to have a talk with the fillies and their parents and if they can't prove otherwise then Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby are no longer welcome in my school."

The words were like a great weight had been lifted off of Sweetie Belle's shoulders. Somepony cared! Justice would be served and those two nasty foals would pay! She walked back to the farm with a happy feeling in her chest.

When she entered the farmhouse, Applejack and Apple Bloom both looked up from where they were sitting at the table.

"Well, what happened?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I went to talk to Diamond Tiara and I found a newspaper on her desk with the front cut out. The cut matched the article. Not only did Golden Necklace do it, but she had Diamond Tiara's help."

The two apple farmers gasped. "Heavens to Betsy, why in Equestria would she do that?!"

Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I don't know. I guess she still hates me for beating her up and breaking her tiara, but beyond that I don't really know." Sweetie Belle sighed and put a hoof over her eyes. "How's Blossom?" she asked.

"Ah think she's sleepin'" said Apple Bloom. "Ah went to check on her 'bout ten minutes ago and Ah didn't hear nothin' comin' from the room. Ah moved Apple Seed to mah room so in case she wakes up she won't disturb Blossom."

"Thanks," said Sweetie Belle.

"Don't mention it, Sweetie Belle," said Apple Bloom. "Ah'm sure you'd do the same fer me ‘n Apple Seed."

"Of course I would," said Sweetie Belle. She glanced up the stairs. "I think I'm going to go see my child now. I think she needs her mommy."

"'course," said Apple Bloom. "You two stay as long as ya like. If yer still 'round, yer welcome to stay for dinner."

"Thanks, we might do that," said Sweetie Belle.

With a heavy heart, Sweetie Belle walked up the stairs to the room where Blossom was sleeping. She poked her head in and saw the filly curled up into a ball on top of the covers. A quick look when Sweetie Belle walked up to her confirmed that she was out like a light.

Gently Sweetie Belle moved Blossom over and laid down next to her. She wrapped a foreleg over her and gently nuzzled her daughter's cheek before placing the blanket over both of them and closing her eyes.

Author's Note

Yes, I know I've done three time jumps now and I really hope that doesn't bother you. But, I go where the story happens. What happens in the first seven years of Blossom's life isn't really important to the story so I don't go there. I promise this is the last one.

It Was Me

Sweetie Belle's eyes slowly fluttered open and she had to look around for a few moments before she remembered where she was. Sweet Apple Acres, yes that's right, she was in Apple Seed's room in Sweet Apple Acres. The familiarity of the setting brought a warm feeling to Sweetie Belle. Few ponies in all of Equestria were as hospitable as the Apples.

Sweetie Belle looked down lovingly at the foal nestled in her forelegs. Her foal, her Joyous Blossom. She nuzzled the back of her head and was about to back to the contented sleep she had recently been in when the events of the day hit her like a sack of bricks.

Blossom knew. Blossom had found out at school that her Aunt Rarity was a serial killer. Those nasty foals Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby had deliberately shattered her daughter's innocence and forced her to face the harsh realities of her family history. The contented feeling went away as Sweetie Belle realized that what Blossom had learned today was still something that she needed to talk to her child about. Now that Blossom knew, Sweetie Belle had to do as much damage control as she could.

Damage control. She was thinking about it like it was some natural disaster. Well, it was a disaster. No amount of words could make the filly unlearn the truths she had learned today. No matter how much she wanted her not to, Blossom knew about Rarity and nothing could change that ever again.

Sweetie Belle was taken out of her thought process when Blossom shifted slightly in her forelegs. She nuzzled her foal again which triggered another shift. No doubt Blossom was awake and trying to get more comfortable. Sweetie Belle smiled.

"Hush my baby, your mother loves you very much,
don't cry my baby, your mother loves you very much,
though time may pass, my love will last,
you are my baby and I will love you forever,

Sleep my child, your mother loves you very much,
rest my child, your mother loves you very much,
though we endure sorrow and hardships,
I'll be by your side to hold you close,
you are my child and I will love you forever," sang Sweetie Belle.

It was a simply little song, a fairly common one for foals across Equestria to have sung to them at night. Sweetie Belle had always enjoyed it for its simplicity, and the unending truth behind its words.

She heard Blossom whisper something and she leaned in closer. "What's that, baby?"

"Momma, I don't want to have those sad feelings like Aunt Rarity," whispered Blossom.

Sweetie Belle hugged her daughter tighter. "You won't, I promise you you won't. Think about yourself, Blossom. Do you have those bad feelings right now?"

Blossom slowly shook her head. "I don't want to hurt anypony," she whimpered.

"And that's why you won't," said Sweetie Belle.

"But you said Aunt Rarity didn't want to feel sad but she still killed other ponies!"

Sweetie Belle flinched slightly upon hearing her daughter flat out state that her sister had been a killer, but she took a deep breath and stroked Blossom's mane. "Your aunt had something very bad happen to her, Blossom," said Sweetie Belle. "She felt that killing was the only way to stop the bad thing from happening."

"Was she a bad pony, Mommy?"

The first of the tears that had been creeping up in Sweetie Belle's eyes streamed down her face, staining the pillow she rested her head on. She took a deep breath and used a hoof to wipe her eyes. "Yes, Blossom. She was a bad pony. Even if she had sad feelings, what she did made her a bad pony."

"Did you love her, Mommy?"

"Yes, Blossom. Whatever else she was, she was still my sister and I loved her very much. I still do, actually. I was very sad after she died for a long time."

"Did... did you ever have those sad feelings, Mommy?" asked Blossom.

Sweetie Belle found herself having to hold back a whimper and she had to take a few more deep breaths before answering. "Not like your aunt did," she said. "I've never hurt anypony like that."

"And I won't either?"

"And you won't either. I promise," said Sweetie Belle.

At that moment the most delectable smell wafted up from the lower level and Sweetie Belle deduced that the Apples were making dinner.

"Aunt Apple Bloom and Aunt Applejack are making dinner right now. They invited us to stay and eat with them if you want to. Would you like that?" said Sweetie Belle. Blossom thought for a moment and slowly nodded. Sweetie Belle smiled and shifted Blossom so that she could sit up on the bed. "Okay, then. Let's go see about getting some food.

* * * *

The following days after Blossom's shock came with many steady improvements. It did take a little while, but she eventually came to terms with the fact that she was related to such a bad pony, but Sweetie Belle found her smiling once more. What helped that was undoubtedly many townsponies who came along to both cheer Blossom up and show their support for her. Each and every one of them had been affected somehow by Rarity and to see an innocent foal hurt by that, particularly through an act of obscene cruelty, broke their hearts and they wanted to help her as much as they could.

True to Miss Cheerilee's word, Fire Ruby and Golden Necklace had both been expelled when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon couldn't negate the evidence of the newspaper in Diamond Tiara's office. Word was that they were being tutored by somepony brought in from Trottingham as they for whatever reason could not find a tutor in Ponyville.

So, after a week or so of being out of school, Sweetie Belle once again found herself walking her ecstatic foal to the schoolhouse. In truth, Blossom had been excited to go back to school ever since she found out that they had discovered who had put the article in her book and those nasty foals wouldn't be bothering her anymore. When she was asked, Blossom did admit that before the incident with the article, school had been very fun and she had learned a lot of good things, a lot of which she would not stop telling Sweetie Belle about.

Today some of the scars would hopefully heal from her disastrous first experience with school. Sweetie Belle had told Blossom that school was a good place and that the other foals there were not mean like Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby. Today Blossom would have fun, Sweetie Belle knew she would.

After saying goodbye to Blossom, Sweetie Belle decided that it was time to go job hunting again. She couldn't stay at home all the time reading trashy novels--secretly she had read Daring Do 19, just to see what the author had ripped from the real life adventures of Twilight and her friends--and with Blossom at school, now was the perfect time to get another part time job.

There were a few places she could begin her search. She knew that Horte Cuisine was hiring and the Cakes might give her a job at Sugar Cube Corner, her cooking having vastly improved over the past fifteen years. At any rate, it was time to end her maternity leave.

A few hours later, Sweetie Belle found herself with a few turned in job applications and a good feeling about a few of them too. Ever since the birth of Blossom, ponies tended to have a more favorable view of her so she doubted that anywhere she worked would lose business merely because they hired her.

Sweetie Belle walked through town, hopeful that everything would be okay, even though Blossom knew about Rarity. It had been a tough time for her, growing up like that and really experiencing some of the horrors that the world had to offer and it was terrible that she had found out that way. Still, she had found joy in school once more and she knew that her daughter was going to have a good time with it.

Sweetie Belle glanced up in the sky and, if she remembered how to read the sun for time, she saw that it would be just about time for the foals in Cheerilee's class to break for lunch and recess. It would be the perfect opportunity to check in on her daughter to see how she was doing. Certainly it had to have gone better than last week.

As Sweetie Belle walked up to the schoolyard, she smiled as she saw all of the schoolfoals playing their games in the schoolyard. Cheerilee was not amongst them but the foals knew not to leave the schoolyard and Cheerilee was able to see them from inside where she was undoubtedly getting a little work done.

When Sweetie Belle got closer, she frowned as she realized that she couldn't see Blossom. A knot formed in her stomach as the irrational part of her brain automatically formed the worst case scenario, that she had been taken from the schoolyard by Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby, or worse, Diamond Tiara.

No. No that couldn't be the case. Diamond Tiara wouldn't sink so low as to kidnap a filly just to get back at Sweetie Belle because her daughter got punished. That... that would be ridiculous. Blossom was probably just inside talking to Cheerilee. Yes, that was it.

Sweetie Belle walked through the front gate with the intention of walking into the schoolyard, when she was stopped by a voice that called her.

"Hi, Miss Sweetie Belle!" said the voice.

Sweetie Belle turned to the source and saw a trio of foals waving at her. She flashed them a smile and walked over.

"Hello there," she said. "Have any of you seen Blossom?"

One of the foals smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we were playing a bit of hoofball and Punter here hit the ball too hard." The foal pointed towards a colt next to her with a hoofball cutie mark and a proud smile on his face.

"I kicked it so far it went out of the schoolyard and into the forest over there!" he boasted.

"Blossom just went to go get it is all. She said that she'd be right back."

Sweetie Belle gasped and the knot in her stomach tightened. "How long ago was this?!" she asked sharply.

The colt scratched his head as he thought. "About a minute or two, why?"

"Don't worry, Miss Sweetie Belle, that part of the forest isn't dangerous and she said she'd be right back!" reassured a filly.

A scream escaped Sweetie Belle's lips and to the bemusement of the foals, she bolted in the direction of the forest. No, it couldn't happen. It wouldn't happen! There was no way that anything bad would happen to her, she was just going to get a ball! The fact that anypony would be lying in wait for her when it was such a slim chance that she's come that was... it was ridiculous!

Until she heard the voices.

"It was too easy, freak. I just had to tell Punter to kick it out here as far as he could and then suggest that you go get it. He has a crush on me so I have him wrapped around my little hoof. Poor fool. He was so easy to manipulate, just like Mommy taught me."

"No, please leave me alone!"

Not them, anypony but them! "BLOSSOM, I'M COMING!" she called out, desperately hoping that her daughter would hear her and the bullies would be scared off.

"You didn't have to go and get us expelled, you know. What's the matter, you can't take knowing that your aunt was a psychopath and that you're probably going to turn out just like her?

"Please leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you! Don't come any closer!"

"BLOSSOM! BLOSSOM! DON'T WORRY, I'M COMING!!"

"Nopony can hear us out here. Punter did a good job. Now it's--"

THWACK.

Sweetie Belle stopped dead in her tracks and a gasp escaped her throat. "Blossom?" A pair of tears streaked down Sweetie Belle's face, and she took another shaky step forwards. "Blossom, please no."

Her thoughts were cut off by a loud scream that pierced the silence. It wasn't Blossom's scream. No, that scream came from Fire Ruby. Sweetie Belle took another step forward and heard Blossom's voice through the screams.

"Stop it! Stop screaming! Stop screaming! STOP IT!"

THWACK.

The scream was cut short as the sound of the blow echoed throughout the trees. Sweetie Belle let out a gurgle as the thought slowly started to process in her mind. Her daughter just...

Sweetie Belle's brain power returned and she bolted through the trees. Maybe she had just misunderstood. Maybe her daughter was fine and she hadn't actually done anything and she'd be okay and the fillies would be okay and the noise was just something else.

Sweetie Belle burst into a small clearing, not unlike the one that had started it all. And it was there that she saw the scene laid out before her.

It had happened. Her worst nightmare had been realized before her. Her daughter was sitting on the ground, a bloody rock in front of her and her hooves over her ears. But that wasn't all. Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby lay unmoving in front of her child, their heads split open and a pool of blood on the ground around them. There was no mistaking it. They were dead.

Sweetie Belle stared at her nightmare incarnate with wide eyes. Blossom seemed to have heard her come in as she sadly looked up at her horrified mother as she lowered her hooves. "I guess you were wrong, Mommy," she whispered. "I guess I really do have those sad feelings like Aunt Rarity."

Her daughter's words slowly entered her mind and her brain took a moment to register them. Sweetie Belle's knees began shaking and she let out an ear piercing scream just as she fell to the ground. Not this. Not this. Not this. This. It was happening. It was real.

"I'm sorry I'm a bad pony, Mommy," Blossom whimpered. Sweetie Belle burst out into hysterical screaming sobs. She killed them. They were dead. The dead fillies hadn't attacked her; they hadn't even said that they would. Blossom had attacked first with the intent to kill. That was murder. Her daughter was going to be put down like an animal for murder.

Sweetie Belle's eyes went wide at the thought. "No," she whispered. "No you aren't." Slowly Sweetie Belle crawled over to the corpses of Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby. She shakily reached forward and dipped her forelegs in their blood and smeared it over herself. "You're a good pony, Blossom."

"Mommy, what are you doing?"

"Mommy's very proud of you, Blossom. You're a good pony." Sweetie Belle levitated the rock over to her and raised it high. "Close your eyes, baby."

She glanced up and saw that Blossom's eyes were closed before she moved Golden Necklace's body over and saw the large gash on the side of her head. Steeling herself, she brought the rock down on the gash, creating a larger one and causing more blood to spill out.

"Mommy loves you very much." Sweetie Belle moved over to Fire Ruby and slid the corpse closer. "You aren't a bad pony, Blossom." She examined Ruby's head and saw the fatal wound was between Ruby's eyes. She heard a commotion behind her and knew it had to be done. She brought the rock down on the wound once more. It was done.

"Mommy, you're wrong, I am a bad pony! I killed them just like Aunt Rarity!"

"No you didn't, baby, Mommy did! Don't you remember? They were going to attack you and Mommy came and protected you!" said Sweetie Belle, a growing level of hysteria in her voice. "You're still a good pony; you didn't do anything bad. Mommy was the one who did it!"

The noise behind them increased and Sweetie Belle heard what sounded like four or five ponies come into the clearing. She heard a mare behind her scream.

"They're dead! They killed the foals!"

"Somepony call the cops! They murdered them!"

"No, she had nothing to do with it, it was all me!" pleaded Sweetie Belle. She wheeled around and faced the horrified investigators. "She didn't do anything, I'm the one who killed them! IT WASN'T HER! DON'T YOU GET IT?! I KILLED THEM!!! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! IT WAS ME!!!!"

Author's Note

Er... obviously more explanations are coming next chapter. I dearly hope you don't find this as contrived, predictable, stereotypical and all that. I had it planned this way pretty much from the start. In fact, that the lines that ended this chapter were going to be ending lines for the entire series.

Children

Twilight Sparkle burst into the Ponyville police station, her friends and the other two Crusaders behind her. She instantly spotted Featherweight sitting on a bench and staring at the floor.

"Featherweight, what happened?! Where are they?!" asked the frantic unicorn.

Featherweight sadly looked up at the seven ponies and one dragon and shook his head. "She killed them," he muttered. "She killed Fire Ruby and Golden Necklace."

"Who killed them?" asked Applejack.

"That's the thing: we don't know yet," said Featherweight. "Either Sweetie Belle or her foal but we're not sure which."

"Oh my Celestia," whispered Apple Bloom.

"I need to see them," commanded Twilight.

"You can't," said Featherweight. "Investigations are still going on and the Princesses still--"

That was all Twilight needed to hear. Without another word she rushed towards the restricted area of the police station. She was vaguely aware of Featherweight making a half-hearted attempt to stop her, but she passed through largely unopposed.

Remembering the layout of the station, Twilight guessed that the princesses would be inside one of the interrogation rooms and she headed there first. She burst through the first door she found and sure enough, Celestia and Luna were in the room. Also in the room was another pony whom Twilight didn't recognize and worst of all, she saw Blossom sitting on a table, shivering like it was ten below in the room and still covered in blood.

The Princesses looked at Twilight as she entered the room and Luna frowned. "Thou should not be in here, Twilight Sparkle. You have no business here."

"I do have business here," growled Twilight. "I need to know what happened!"

"We all do, Twilight," said Celestia. "That is why Blossom is here. We are trying to discern the truth of the matter."

"Where is Sweetie Belle?" asked Twilight.

"She is being held in one of the cells," said Luna. "We have already questioned her."

"And?"

Celestia and Luna shared an uncomfortable look. "And... she confessed to the crime," said Luna. "We are asking this officer here about forensic matters."

Twilight's jaw quivered and she let out a whimper. Her hind legs gave out and she sat on her haunches. "Why?” she whispered, more to herself than anypony else.

"Twilight Sparkle, we must ask you to leave right now. You cannot be here for this," said Luna.

Twilight looked back up at the night princess, a flash of defiance in her eyes. "I may not have business here, but somepony needs to be here for Blossom, somepony who isn't just interested in whether or not she killed two ponies who were tormenting her!" Twilight quickly got up and materialized a blanket. She rushed over to the filly and draped it over her shoulders. "Whether she did it or not, she's still just a filly who's scared and wants her mommy. Princesses or not, you need to treat her better than some common criminal!"

Luna glanced over at Celestia who closed her eyes and sighed. "You are correct, Twilight," she said. "Forgive us. We have not had to deal in matters like this involving a filly in many centuries. You may stay, but only for the foal."

Twilight nodded and jumped up on the table next to Blossom and wrapped her forelegs around her in a hug. "Can I get something to wash the blood off?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not," said the stallion. "We need that as evidence to see if the splatter is consistent with somepony who was merely close to the event, or perpetrated it."

"She's just a foal!!" screeched Twilight. "She doesn't need to be covered in blood and treated like a piece of evidence!"

"Twilight, you forget yourself," said Luna. "We will remove the blood the second we have gathered all we can from it."

"Please believe us, Twilight," said Celestia. "This hurts us to do just as much as it does you. We do not gain any enjoyment out of this and we wish we didn't have to do it. But we must if the truth is to be determined."

Twilight slowly nodded and began stroking Blossom's mane. The other pony in the room looked uncomfortably at Celestia and cleared his throat. "Er, if I may, I would like to finish up my analysis," he said.

"Of course," said Celestia. She turned to Twilight. "Twilight, I'm afraid that we need to take Blossom's blanket off. I promise you we'll be quick." The princess fired up her horn and the blanket fell from around Blossom's shoulders. Immediately the filly started shaking again.

"Shhh," said Twilight soothingly. "It's okay. You're okay."

Blossom flinched as the flash of a camera went off. She whimpered and tried to cling to Twilight, but Luna's magic ensured that she stayed still. The camera flashed again and Blossom began quietly sobbing.

"Surely you have what you need," said Celestia. "No more pictures are required?"

"I suppose not," said the stallion.

Celestia nodded and fired up her horn. Instantly the blood faded away and the blanket wrapped itself around Blossom once more. The frightened filly clung to Twilight and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Thank you, princesses, that will be all from me," said the stallion who instantly departed from the room, closing the door behind him.

Twilight continued stroking Blossom's mane and looked up at her ex-mentor. "Princess Celestia, if you're done with her I'd like to go get her something to eat, or at least something to calm her down a bit so she can think straight."

"Soon, Twilight, very soon," said Celestia. "I'm afraid that we must ask her some questions."

"Hasn't she been through enough already?!" Twilight snarled. "How can you be so insensitive to this poor filly?"

"Twilight, do you think that we want to do this?" asked Celestia. "I say again, do you think that we get even the slightest moment of enjoyment out of this? I must remind you, Twilight, she is a suspect in a brutal double-homicide of two fillies like herself. We know this hurts, we know that nopony in this room is enjoying this process but we need answers, I'm sorry."

Twilight sighed and Celestia saw tears dripping onto the blanket. "What's going to happen to them?" she whispered.

"That largely depends on who did it," said Celestia. "But questions such as that can wait." Celestia turned her attention to Blossom. "Blossom, can you hear me?" Twilight was relieved to hear a hint of gentleness in the ruler's voice. "I need to ask you some questions and I especially need you to answer them truthfully."

"Okay," Blossom whispered shakily.

"Blossom, I need to know what happened. Why were you in the woods with those two foals?"

Blossom took a few deep breaths and tightened her grip on Twilight. "I...I was at recess with a few other foals. We were playing hoofball and one of the colts in my class, Punter, accidentally kicked it too hard. He asked me if I could go get it, and so I did. G-G-G-Golden N-N-Necklace and F-F-Fire Ruby were waiting for me in the forest. I don't know how they knew I'd be there, but they were there. They began teasing me and saying bad things to me."

"Why did they do that?" asked Celestia.

"They did bad things to me," whimpered the filly. "I didn't know about my Aunt Rarity and how she was a bad pony, but they showed me what she did when they put a newspaper article on my desk on my first day of school. Miss Cheerilee and Mommy found out about it, and Miss Cheerilee said that they couldn't go to school there anymore. I think that's why."

Celestia nodded. "You said they said bad things to you, did they ever threaten to hurt you?"

Blossom's sobs became more pronounced, but she slowly managed to gain enough control to shake her head.

"I see," said Celestia. "What did they say to you?"

"Th-th-they called me names and said I was a freak. They said I'd turn out to be a bad pony like Aunt Rarity, that I'd have those sad feelings too and I'd do the bad things that she did because their mommies told them so. They said that my Mommy did those bad things and that I was a b-b-bastard foal of an evil mommy and an inbred daddy."

"What then?" asked Celestia.

"Princess Celestia, that's enough! Just look at her!"

"Twilight, we have to have answers! I promise you that this isn't any easier for me than you or Blossom," said Celestia, the hint of softness used when talking to Blossom replaced with a sharpness that unnerved Twilight. "Blossom, what happened then?"

Blossom sniffled for a few seconds. "Th-they said that I'd be a bad pony like my Aunt Rarity. Th-they said it so much that I..." Blossom suddenly let out a piercing wail. "I believed them! I wanted to get away, to go back to school or Mommy but they wouldn't let me go! I... I wanted to hurt them because they wouldn't let me go! W-w-w-when I thought that I wanted to hurt them; I believed them that I was going to be a bad pony. I am a bad pony!"

"Celestia, that's enough!" growled Twilight.

"Blossom, did you hurt them?" questioned Celestia.

"I...I...I don't know!" wailed Blossom. "I thought I did, but Mommy told me that she did it. I didn't want to hurt them, if I did then I didn't mean to, but they just wouldn't let me go!"

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but a blue hoof was placed on her shoulder. "Tia, we can get no more from this poor dear right now."

Celestia closed her mouth and eyes and the room was filled with Blossom's heaving sobs for a few moments.

"You're right, sister," said Celestia. "Forgive me if I pressed too much." She looked up at Twilight. "The room next to this one, it should be empty and fairly comfortable. If you could arrange for Blossom to be taken there, I will have food and drink sent there at once."

Twilight nodded with more than a hint of a glare in her eyes. She used her magic to wrap the blanket tighter over Blossom and then levitated the distraught filly onto her back. She quickly left the room, slamming the door behind her with, admittedly, a little more force than was required. She quickly walked over to the next room which seemed to be a break room of sorts. Twilight gently put Blossom onto one of the more comfortable chairs and then glanced over towards the wall dividing the room that the two were in with the one the royal sisters occupied.

Sighing, Twilight turned around and saw a water cooler and she quickly filled up a paper cup and placed it in front of Blossom. The filly taken care of for the moment, Twilight turned back to the wall and fired up her horn. Instantly the wall before her seemed to melt and she was given a view into the room.

She gasped when she saw the scene in front of her and nearly broke the spell. Luna had her forelegs wrapped around Celestia who was sobbing into her sister's shoulder. Twilight had never seen the royal alicorn cry like this. In fact, she hadn't ever seen her cry at all. The sight was more than a little unsettling.

"I thought this was over, Luna," whispered Celestia. "I thought that we wouldn't have to do this anymore."

"Tia, while I might have been gone for a long time, I do know that our ponies are not perfect. Somewhere one would spring up capable and willing to do this most heinous of crimes."

"I know that," said Celestia. "I meant Sweetie Belle and her family. I...I thought that their record would not be blemished with any more death for whatever reason. You know how it tore me apart to see Rarity put to death."

"I do," said Luna. "You wept privately for days. We both did, both for the tragedy of the killer and the horror of her victims."

"And now this. We have to do this again!"

"Mayhaps," said Luna. "I fear this is more complex than we see. As horrible as it was, the case of Rarity was simple. She was guilty and that was the end of that. But this... whomever the killer may be, nothing about this sits right with Us."

"Nothing is right about it, Luna," said Celestia. "Whatever else happens, two foals are dead guilty of nothing more than the crime of schoolyard taunts."

"There was far more venom to their taunts than mere schoolyard rivalries We think," said Luna. Twilight almost gasped once more when she saw that the night princess's face was also streaked with tears. "We doubt that they truly grasped the gravity of what they were saying. If you recall from the child's testimony, she stated that the fillies referenced the influence of their mothers in the taunting. Our guess is that they heard them talking and decided it would make for hurtful speech."

"Whatever else was the cause, they are dead," said Celestia.

Twilight actually saw her wipe her eyes with a wing. She didn't want to admit it, but there was something... equine about that simple action. She was the goddess of the sun, and to see her do that...

"Indeed, sister," said Luna. "They are dead."

"What will become of them, whoever is guilty?" asked Celestia. "Are we going to stoop to executing a foal who felt helpless? Do we kill her mother for going too far in the protection of her child?"

Luna took a deep breath and Twilight was equally unnerved at the look of helplessness that flashed across Luna's face. "We...We are not sure," she said. "Severe punishment must be given, no matter the perpetrator. If the foal is to blame and Equestria learns that we did not punish her, then how will that affect tormented foals across the land who find themselves in the same position. Thou know as well as We that a painful death is not suitable punishment for verbal torment."

"And if even one foal that does not fully grasp death sees that it was an out for Blossom, then that foal may try to repeat her actions without expecting consequences," finished Celestia.

"The same for Sweetie Belle. If a mother discovers that her child is being bullied and sees that Sweetie Belle was not harshly punished, then she may also try to repeat her actions. If even one does and it was preventable here..."

Celestia slowly nodded and took a deep breath. She rose to her hooves and wiped her eyes once more, an action that Luna copied. "So we have decided that the killer in this scenario must receive a strict punishment. Does that mean death? Rarity was a serial killer. Sweetie Belle and Blossom were merely trying to escape a cruel predicament."

"Murder is not the answer to that predicament, and this was murder," said Luna. The Lunar goddess sighed once more and put a hoof over her eyes. "We do not wish ill fortune upon that foal, but if the deceased had attacked then it would be a simple matter of self-defense and the pair would likely find themselves safe at home."

"But it is as you said, sister, however cruel the taunts were, that does not justify killing them," said Celestia. Luna nodded. "But that doesn't answer my question: should the punishment be the needle?"

"In the case of a successful double murder of largely innocent foals, what alternative would thou suggest?" asked Luna. "Imprisonment? How long do you think a foal murderer would last in there in either case, no matter what we did? House arrest? For a double murder? Once more it harkens to our fear that a light punishment would be encouragement for one overly protective mother to carry out a murder of her own."

"I don't know, Luna, I just don't know," whispered Celestia.

"Imprisonment is a death sentence in either case. Thou knows how ponies sentenced to solitary confinement waste away into nothingness and an extremely early death. They go mad after a tragically short time. The Creator made us for Equine interaction."

"I know," said Celestia. "I--" Before Celestia could continue, a sharp trio of knocks brought them out of their conversation. "Come in."

A diminutive stallion quickly entered, levitating a manila folder behind him. He quickly bowed to the princesses. "Your highnesses, I have completed my examinations of... of the unfortunate foals."

"And?" said Celestia.

The unicorn stumbled over to the wall opposite him and levitated a pair of pictures out. Twilight gasped when she saw them. They were of the bodies of Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby. Holy Celestia, Sweetie Belle or Blossom had done that? Twilight had to admit, were it anypony else, she would have demanded the execution of the murderers.

"As you can see from the pictures, the wounds are fairly large. It is my conclusion that the filly would not have done it. While I understand that she was powerful for her age, the size and strength behind the gashes are more akin to what an adult unicorn would be capable of."

"Could the foal have experienced a surge in her distressed state?" asked Luna.

The stallion shook his head. "I think the wounds would have been deeper and less... precise, if you will," said the stallion. "The strength of the blow from a magical surge would have left chunks of the stone in the wounds and we found none. No, whatever else may have happened, these wounds were caused by the mother."

The room was silent as the two sisters stared at the photos in front of them. The stallion was looking at the floor, clearly unable to look at the pictures for any longer than he had to. Finally, Celestia broke the silence. "Thank you. You may go."

The stallion bowed and put the pictures back in the folder before departing.

"So it was Sweetie Belle, then," said Celestia.

"It would seem that way based on the wounds, but what if she caused them to avert suspicion from her child?"

"What if she covered them up?" Celestia shook her head. "Then Blossom is guilty of murder and Sweetie Belle is guilty of tampering with evidence, mutilating two dead bodies, and aiding a murderer."

The weight of those words hit Twilight like a sack of bricks and she almost didn't want to watch anymore. In fact, she still questioned why she had begun in the first place. She glanced over at Blossom who had thankfully curled up on the chair and fallen asleep. Good. She needed her rest if she was going to face what may be the rest of her short life.

"If the foal is guilty, then Sweetie Belle faces a long time of imprisonment for those crimes," said Luna. Celestia nodded. "If Sweetie Belle is to blame, then do we sentence a filly to life without her mother?"

"We sentenced Sweetie Belle to life without her older sister, somepony she was closer to than her own parents."

"The sister was a serial killer; Sweetie Belle was overzealous in her attempts to protect her daughter."

"Either way ponies are dead at the hooves of another," said Celestia. "If Blossom killed the foals, then that means that Sweetie Belle is guilty of the crimes I mentioned before. Whatever we do to Blossom, Sweetie Belle must go to prison for those crimes. If we do not execute Blossom, then she is without a mother either way. If we do, then Sweetie Belle spends the rest of her life with the knowledge that her daughter is dead on top of a ten year minimum prison sentence."

"And conversely, if Sweetie Belle is to blame then execution or imprisonment leaves Blossom without her mother."

Celestia nodded. "And only one committed a crime potentially worthy of execution. We cannot execute them both."

"To unjustly execute one makes us no better than the one who committed the crime in the first place."

Celestia sighed and she seemed to be fighting back tears once more. "Very well. We shall have to think on this some more, sister," she said.

Luna nodded just as Twilight powered down the spell.

The lavender unicorn could only stare at the blank wall in shock of what she had just heard. She couldn't know for sure, but it seemed that one of the two would die. She looked over at Blossom who was still sleeping and walked over to her. Gently, she lifted up the filly and sat down in her place. She tightened the blanket over her and cradled her close.

* * * *

On the other side of the station, Sweetie Belle was lying down in her cell with a thin blanket draped over she shoulders. She had expected something to have happened by now. She had expected to have undergone the surgery to remove her horn before her inevitable execution. She had expected something, but nothing had happened since she had been in here.

Sweetie Belle curled up into a tighter ball and hugged her pillow close. It was a poor substitute for her daughter. She wanted Blossom there with her. She wanted to hold her, to tell her that everything would be alright and that they could go home soon. Instead, she was alone in her cell with only a pillow for comfort and her daughter was Faust knows where.

She became vaguely aware that hoofsteps were coming closer to her cell. She swiveled her ears to the noise and looked up when they stopped in front of the door. Instead of Celestia or Luna coming to sentence her, it was a lone cop.

"You have two visitors," he said. He looked over and beckoned two unseen ponies over before departing.

Curious, Sweetie Belle got off her bed and stood in the middle of the cell. Hopefully it was Twilight or Apple Bloom, come to tell her what was going on and maybe tell her how her daughter was. She prayed that it was so, but her heart sank when she saw who it really was.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Dejected, Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches and tried to stare at the ground. Whatever scraps of dignity she had left prevented that and she forced herself to make eye contact with her tormentors.

Diamond Tiara was staring at Sweetie Belle with a look of utter fury on her face while Silver Spoon's visage looked strangely blank, as if the shock hadn't quite hit her yet. It likely hadn't.

"You. You murdering, psychopathic SCUM OF EQUESTRIA!!" screeched Diamond Tiara. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER!"

Sweetie Belle remained silent. Part of her wanted to retort, to say that Golden Necklace had deserved it for trying to hurt her own daughter, but she stayed mute.

"I knew they should have put you down with your sister!" spat the vindictive mare. "They should have put you on the table next to her and stabbed you right in the heart and put you down like the animal you are! I hope they do that, I hope they take you and your worthless foal and put you down like ANIMALS FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"

"No," whispered Silver Spoon to the surprise of Sweetie Belle. "You did it."

Diamond Tiara frowned and turned to her friend. "Excuse me?" she growled. "I wasn't the one who butchered them! I had nothing to do with it!"

"Yes you did," said Silver Spoon. "I...If you hadn't t-t-told them to p-p-put the news article in her book, then they wouldn't have gotten expelled and felt the need to hurt her in revenge a-and they'd still be alive. In fact, if you didn't teach them to be so cruel then none of this would have h-h-happened at all!"

Diamond Tiara looked like Silver Spoon had just slapped her upside the head. "But they--"

If Diamond Tiara was shocked by Silver Spoon's words, then she was even more shocked when Silver Spoon's hoof collided with the side of her head, knocking her to the ground. Diamond Tiara fell with a yelp of pain and Silver Spoon was quick to get on top of her and begin wailing on her. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO BE SO MEAN?!" she screamed. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SO MEAN TO SWEETIE BELLE AND HER INNOCENT FOAL?! WHY COULDN'T YOU LEAVE HER ALONE?!" Diamond Tiara screamed as blow after blow rained down upon her. Finally, Silver Spoon had enough and she got off of Diamond Tiara and huddled in the corner, sobbing loudly. "Fire Ruby! Fire Ruby!" she wailed. "I'm sorry! Mommy's sorry that she let Diamond Tiara have any influence over you at all! Mommy's so sorry!"

The cop who had escorted the duo in walked up to the pair, looking at the scene in shock. Silver Spoon saw him walk up and quickly wrapped her hooves around his neck and sobbed into his shirt. "Mommy's sorry, Fire Ruby! Mommy's very sorry!"

"M...Miss Spoon I need you to--"

"I want my foal back!" she cried. "I want my foal back so I can tell her how sorry Mommy is! I...I want to have her back so I can raise her right!"

Sweetie Belle cocked her head slightly as she saw the officer try to pick Silver Spoon up. She was surprised to see tears in his eyes as well. "Miss Spoon if you'll please come with me." he said. He slowly helped Silver Spoon get to her hooves and escorted her out of the hallway. As she left, she snapped her hind leg out and kicked Diamond Tiara in her own foreleg, causing the latter to flinch forward.

Silver Spoon's sobs slowly faded away as she was led back to the main area of the station, leaving only a battered Diamond Tiara and an imprisoned Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle saw Diamond Tiara sit up slightly and reach a hoof out towards the retreating Silver Spoon.

"No, Silver Spoon, don't leave me," she whimpered. Sweetie Belle was mildly shocked to see the look on Diamond Tiara's face. She had never seen her tormentor look so... vulnerable.

Diamond Tiara silently looked around and wiped some of the blood off of her face with the back of a hoof. She blinked once when her eyes landed on a small saddlebag which she had been wearing when she had come in but was broken off when Silver Spoon hit her. The bag had come open and a small golden necklace, the kind a foal would wear, was poking out.

Slowly Diamond Tiara reached for it and pulled it out of the bag. It was the one that Golden Necklace wore; much like her mother paraded her namesake jewelry around. Diamond Tiara blankly pulled the necklace close and held it tight to her body. Blood dripped from her muzzle onto the necklace, mixing with the tears that had begun pouring from Diamond Tiara's face.

"Mommy misses you," she whispered. "I'm s-sorry too." She nuzzled the necklace and began singing as if her foal was in her forelegs. "Hush my baby, your mother loves you very much,
don't cry my baby, your mother loves you very much,
though time may pass, my love will last,
you are my baby and I will love you f-f-f-" Diamond Tiara collapsed on the ground, loud sobs shaking her body to the core.

Alone

The police station doors burst open once again that day, startling the ponies in the waiting room. Sweetie Belle's parents hurried into the station, Sweetie Belle's mother sporting a look of fury masking intense emotional pain. "Where is she," growled Sweetie Belle's mother. "Where is my daughter?"

"Pearl, please calm down," mumbled Sweetie Belle's father. "We won't get either of them out of here by acting rashly."

Sweetie Belle's mother wheeled around and fixed her husband with her fiery glare. "I won't let this happen again!" she cried. "I will not let Princess Celestia put another one of my children down like an animal!"

Suddenly Sweetie Belle's mother felt a comforting hoof on her shoulder and she wheeled around to see Applejack behind her, looking grim. "Ah know this is hard," she said quietly.

The distraught mare fixed Applejack with her glare. "You have no idea what this is like! You have no idea what it is like to find out that another one of the foals you carried in you and raised from the first minute of her life is going to be put down just like her older sister for protecting her own child!"

"Now hold yer horses, we don't know if anypony's gonna get executed," said Applejack. "We don't even know who they said did what. If it was just Sweetie Belle protectin' Blossom then maybe they'll get to go home."

"But I want them to come home now!" wailed Sweetie Belle's mother. "I won't let Princess Celestia kill another one of my children!"

"Miss Pearl, I must ask you to calm yourself," said the familiar serene voice of Equestria's sun goddess. Instantly the ponies in the room bowed low to her as she walked in, all except Pearl whose glare returned.

"Where are they," she said. "Where are my daughter and granddaughter?"

"We are still determining a few more aspects of the case," said Celestia. "Do not worry for Twilight is taking care of Blossom."

"I don't want that librarian taking care of her, I want her home safe with her mother!" Pearl commanded.

"Pearl, please," said Sweetie Belle's father. "They're doing all they can, don't make it--"

"If I want to hear a word you have to say I'll ask for it!" screeched Pearl. Pearl wheeled back to Celestia. "I won't let you do it! Do you hear me? I will not let you put another one of my daughters down!"

"Now hold on, sugar cube, we don't even know if Sweetie Belle did anything wrong yet," said Applejack. The apple farmer looked up at Celestia. "Ah take it that's what ya came out here to discuss with us, am Ah right?

Celestia nodded. "If you could all sit down, we have a lot to discuss."

The gathered ponies went to their seats as Princess Celestia walked in front of the group. Magnum wrapped his forelegs around Pearl's shoulders and tried to calm his livid wife down.

"Are they okay?" Scootaloo blurted out. "Did you do anything bad to them?"

"No harm has befallen either Sweetie Belle or her foal," reassured Celestia.

"And you won't hurt them," said Pearl angrily. "Don't you dare hurt them."

Celestia looked sadly at Sweetie Belle's mother. "I'm afraid we've come to a few conclusions," she began. "Firstly, forensic evidence has revealed that the killer of the two foals was indeed Sweetie Belle." Pearl let out an audible whimper and tears began falling from her eyes. "Unfortunately I think you all know our laws regarding non self-defense based killing."

"Execution," whispered Applejack. The farm pony felt something wrap around her waist and she saw that Apple Bloom had gripped her tightly and buried her head in her sister's shoulder.

"Isn't there another way?!" said Scootaloo frantically. "You can't kill her, you just can't! She was just protecting her foal!"

"Murder is not the correct way to protect from verbal abuse. If she had merely taken her child out of the woods and gotten the foals in trouble then this wouldn't be happening. As it is, Sweetie Belle is guilty of murder."

"But she was just trying to protect her child!" wailed Pearl. "You don't have the right to snuff her life out for that!"

"Please be calm," said Celestia. "My sister and I have taken into account the rather special circumstances of this case. We will not execute Sweetie Belle unless we feel that we legally have no other choice. I'm sorry, but we cannot bend our laws for your daughter."

Sweetie Belle's mother let out another wail and buried her head in her husband's shoulder. The rest of the room looked like it was going to burst into tears as well.

"What's going to happen to her if you don't execute her?" asked Fluttershy.

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. "My sister and I have decided that if we do not choose execution for Sweetie Belle, then she will have her horn removed and she will be institutionalized, probably for the rest of her life."

"NO!" screamed Pearl. "She'd die in there! Don't make her go through that!"

"If she exhibited good behavior then she would be allowed visits from all of you and her child. I'm sorry but those are our choices."

"But ya don't need to put her away forever!" said Apple Bloom. "S-She ain't crazy!"

"But she committed murder," Celestia replied. "Should I ignore that fact and let the two of them go home? What then of justice? Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are distraught enough without having to live with the fact that I let the mare who murdered their children go free. As much as we all here despise it, and do know that I hate this as much as you do, justice must be served."

The room fell into silence as the ponies digested Celestia's words, save for the sniffling of Fluttershy, Pearl, and Apple Bloom. Nopony knew what to say. Each and every one of them could only sit there and think about the fact that for the second time in their lives, they would lose a loved one.

Finally Fluttershy spoke up. "What's going to happen to her foal?"

Celestia sighed and glanced over at the door she had come through. "It has been decided that my sister and I will take care of the foal, no matter what is chosen."

Pearl's eyes snapped up and she fixed Celestia with her furious expression once more. "NO!! YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM BOTH FROM ME, FROM US!!!" she screamed.

"I'm sorry, but we have made our choice."

Rainbow Dash frowned and flew up in Celestia's face. "Why?" she growled. "Why do you have to take them both away? What could you have to gain from taking her to live with you as opposed to letting her grandparents or Twilight or Fluttershy or even the Apple family take care of her? Why does it have to be you?!"

"Rainbow Dash, you forget yourself!" said Celestia, a slight bit of the even sorrow giving way to sharpness. "My sister and I would not do it if we did not think that it was absolutely necessary for the safety of the foal and those around her!"

"Twilight could keep her safe, Applejack could keep her safe! Why do you have to be the one to take her?" questioned Rainbow Dash.

"My sister and I have our reasons," said Celestia. "We ask you to please respect them." Celestia scanned the group sadly, hoping that one of them would find it in themselves to believe her when she said that she had the best interests of both of them at heart, but none did. They either looked angry or unsure. Celestia sighed once more. "Do not mistake me; she would not be a prisoner. She will want for nothing."

"'ceptin' her mother," grumbled Applejack.

"What would you have me do, Applejack?" asked Celestia. "Would you suggest shutting her off to the world in Twilight's library or your farm or should she go back to the school where her mother murdered her classmates? What would you have me do?"

"Ah guess in the end it'd come down to the fact that if you take her to Canterlot, she ain't gonna grow up right no matter what ya do," said Applejack. "No matter what, she's out a mommy to take care of her, somepony who actually loves her. Ah don't reckon she'll feel that way 'bout you."

"Applejack if I knew of any other way I would take it, for all of this. The fact remains that our laws state that Sweetie Belle must be punished by death for what she did. My sister and I will try to find a way to avoid that if we think that is best. We cannot change the law just for Sweetie Belle's sake. By killing two foals who weren't even physically attacking her child, she committed murder. I'm sorry but I cannot ignore that and neither would you in my position."

"Ah guess you ain't changin' yer mind 'bout this then, are ya?"

Celestia shook her head. "I'm sorry, Applejack. What would you have me do?"

"It wouldn't matter what Ah have to say now would it?" Applejack stated.

"Sweetie Belle must endure a harsh punishment for what she has done," said Celestia. "Otherwise what of other distraught mothers who see their child is being bullied? Should they look at an easy punishment that Sweetie Belle received and say that it would be worth murder?"

"Ah guess not," mumbled Applejack. "Ah still think yer makin' a mistake, takin' her foal like that."

"We have our reasons," said Celestia. "Please accept them." Celestia looked towards the door once more and shook her head. "I must take my leave now. I'm so sorry for all of this."

The room remained silent as Princess Celestia walked back through the door. She only walked a few feet before she met up with Luna once more. "You did not tell them the real reason," Luna observed.

Celestia shook her head. "They didn't need to know. It would have hurt them too much."

"Are you sure this is the wise move, sister?" asked Luna. "It is prudent to keep an eye on the foal as she may very well exhibit the traits of her aunt and mother, but does that mean taking her to Canterlot?"

Celestia nodded. "I'm afraid so," she said. "It may only be for a short time while we determine what the foal is capable of and if she would do something like that for any reason. Clearly we would not keep her forever."

"And if we did not feel the need to keep her longer?"

"Then we would give custody of her over to the Apple family I think," Celestia mused. "And if I may hazard a guess, that is the most likely outcome of this. The niece of Rarity or not, I do not feel that she has the drive to kill inside of her, despite what she said when we questioned her."

"But we must make sure," stated Luna.

Celestia nodded as the two came to the room containing Twilight and Blossom. "Yes, we must make sure."

Blossom

Twilight Sparkle adjusted Blossom in her hooves and the filly shuffled slightly in her sleep. She had been asleep for a good hour or so but Twilight did not mind simply holding her while she rested. The poor dear deserved it after everything that had happened to her.

Princess Celestia had sent some sandwiches and hay fries along with cups of apple juice to the room, but the food sat on the table in front of them completely untouched. Twilight had lost any sort of appetite she had when she had found out about the murders, further exacerbated by the way she saw the royal sisters treat this poor defenseless foal. It sickened her; it sickened her beyond belief that her mentor was capable of treating her in such a manner.

She sighed and shook her head and used her magic to push the plates even further away. If Blossom wanted some when she woke up then fine. Twilight would not dare partake in any right now.

Blossom shifted in her forelegs once more and Twilight wrapped the blanket tighter around the sleeping filly with her magic. Feeling the blanket wrap securely around her, Blossom stopped wiggling and her breathing became more regulated. It was almost as if she thought her mother was holding her tight, telling her that everything was going to be fine and they could go home soon. It broke Twilight's heart; all of it.

She closed her eyes and was about to fall asleep herself when she heard the doors to the room open up. She looked up to see the last pony she wanted to talk to walk in. She fixed her ex-mentor with a glare.

"What are you doing here? Have you come to torture her some more?" she growled.

Princess Celestia frowned. "Twilight, I must ask that you do not speak to me in such a manner. If you cannot act respectfully then I'm afraid that I will take Blossom into my custody now."

Twilight looked down at the sleeping foal in her forelegs and sighed once more. She gently levitated her into the air, allowing her to slip off of the chair. She put Blossom back on the chair before turning back to her mentor.

"I don't see why you need to be here," she muttered. "Hasn't she been through enough?"

Princess Celestia nodded sadly. "Yes, Twilight, she has been through enough. She's been through more than anypony should ever have to go through in their entire lives over the course of only a few days. I don't know anypony who deserves that."

"She didn't deserve any of it!" said Twilight. "Neither of them did."

Before Twilight could continue, the weight that she felt in the center of her chest began moving upwards towards her head, forcing tears to come to her eyes. She held them back as long as she could, but everything that had happened in the past few hours came crashing down on her and she began quietly sobbing.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why did this have to happen?"

She was surprised when she felt a pair of forelegs and wings wrap her in a warm embrace. She looked up and saw Princess Celestia looking down at her comfortingly. She hadn't hugged Twilight like this since she was a filly.

Twilight whimpered and buried her head in Celestia's chest as the tears fell harder and faster. Her body convulsed with the sheer heaviness of her sobs, all while Princess Celestia stroked her mane, letting her cry out her sorrow and pain.

Eventually Twilight managed some control over her emotions and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof and looked back up at Princess Celestia. "W-What's gonna happen to them?" she whispered. "Are you gonna kill her?"

"Our forensic evidence has confirmed Sweetie Belle as the killer across the board. We have no evidence that Blossom killed them and Sweetie Belle covered it up as we cannot get anything out of the foal. She said that she might have, but that is hardly sufficient evidence when Sweetie Belle confessed to the whole thing. In the eyes of the law, Sweetie Belle is guilty."

"So what does that mean?" asked Twilight. "A-Are you gonna kill Sweetie Belle."

Princess Celestia took a deep breath and stroked Twilight's mane. "My sister and I have been looking over our laws and considering all aspects of this case. We have decided that... no, we will not execute Sweetie Belle for these crimes. She will be institutionalized, probably for good, and Blossom will fall under our custody."

"B-But why couldn't you give her to the Apple family or her grandparents?!" asked Twilight. "Why does it have to be you?!"

Princess Celestia was silent for a moment as she looked over at the still sleeping Blossom. "In truth that will probably be the end result after a short time," she said. "Or at least, I desperately hope so. We want to make sure that... that Blossom will not commit the same crimes as her aunt and mother did. We have to make sure that none of this will happen again."

Twilight's eyes widened and she pulled away from the hug. "What? You think that this innocent filly is going to become a serial killer and that gives you the right to take her away from her family?"

"Twilight, she will want for nothing! She will not be a prisoner under our care, I promise you!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure she'll see it that way," said Twilight sarcastically. "Her interactions with you haven't exactly been the best now have they? Now you're going to take her from her mother?!"

"What is the alternative that you suggest, Twilight? Legally, what can we do?"

Twilight looked back at the sleeping foal and shook her head. "I guess it doesn't really matter," she said. "You've made your choice."

"We have," said Celestia.

"Is she at least going to get to see her mother?"

"Yes," said Celestia. "If Sweetie Belle's behavior is good enough, then she will be allowed visits twice a week from her child and bi-weekly visits from the rest of you. I'm afraid that it's the best that I can do."

Twilight nodded. "And her horn?"

Celestia was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "We...we have already surgically removed it."

Twilight whimpered and tears began pouring from her face once more. "Is it gone for good?"

"No, we will keep it preserved and if somehow she was found innocent then it would be returned with no ill effects. My sister and I are powerful enough to do that," said Celestia. "As it stands, we have no reason to believe that Sweetie Belle will ever be released."

Twilight slowly nodded and turned her back to Celestia. "Then I guess that's that then," she said.

Twilight didn't turn back around, but she heard the door open once again. She didn't need to look to see that Celestia had left the room.

* * * *

A few hours passed before Blossom's eyes slowly fluttered open and she became aware of her surroundings. She was still in the police station, but she had a blanket wrapped around her. Princess Celestia wasn't asking her bad questions about what had happened with those two bad foals who were saying those bad things to her anymore.

She became acutely aware that somepony was holding her. "Mommy?" she whispered as she looked up.

No, it wasn't Mommy. It was Miss Twilight and she was asleep. But then where was Mommy? They had taken her away, but where was she? Was she still in that cage where they had taken her before the princesses came to ask bad questions?

Slowly she wiggled out of the blanket, being very careful so as to not wake up Miss Twilight. If she did then maybe she wouldn't let Blossom go try to find Mommy and she wanted to find her Mommy.

Free from the blanket, she quietly hopped onto the floor and ran towards the door. She nudged it forward, and was happy to see that it wasn't locked. Good. That meant that she could go find Mommy.

She snuck around the police station, being very careful to hide whenever a police officer came around. If Miss Twilight would have stopped her from finding Mommy then a police officer definitely would have. But Blossom was a careful pony and none of them found her.

She was glad that she remembered where they had taken Mommy. She was in one of those cages and she remembered where those were. She remembered a lot of things like that but they weren't important right now. What was important was that she find Mommy. Maybe if she did then the two of them could go home and things could go back to the way they were before all of this bad stuff happened with fire Ruby and Golden Necklace.

She slipped through another door and squealed in delight when she saw that the row of cages was on the other side. Now she could find her Mommy!

She ran as fast as she could down the hall, checking each cage for any sign of her mother but none appeared. Frowning to herself, she reached the end of the hall and turned around. There were other cages on the other side of the hall and her mother must be in one of those if she wasn't in any of the ones she had checked so far.

Checking the other side, she struck gold when she saw her mother lying down on the bed in the cell furthest from the door on the other side. She smiled and walked up to the bars. "Mommy!" she said happily.

Her mother's ears pricked up and she jumped off of the bed at the sound of her child's voice. "Blossom?" she said. "Blossom, is that you?"

Blossom reached through the bars towards her mother. "Mommy, are you okay? Did they hurt you at all?"

Sweetie Belle's eyes filled with tears and she sat down on the floor. "Blossom, how did you get in here?"

"I snuck away from Miss Twilight," she said. "I wanted to find you and I was scared that they had hurt you, Mommy!"

"Blossom," whispered Sweetie Belle. She slowly reached forward and touched her daughter's hoof. "Mommy loves you very much."

Blossom pulled her hoof away and looked up at the cell door. "If I get you out of here, can we go home, Mommy? I think one of the spells that Miss Twilight taught me can do it!"

"Blossom, baby, Mommy needs you to listen to me," said Sweetie Belle.

Blossom paid her mother no heed and instead scrunched her face up in preparation for a spell. Light purple sparks flew out of her horn as the beginnings of a weak spell formed. "I can do it, Mommy," she said. "I can get you out of here and then we can go home!"

"Blossom, please listen to Mommy! I need you to stop that and listen to me!"

Blossom continued to try to unlock the door but it was no use. The magic sputtered out of her horn and she collapsed on the ground.

"Blossom," said Sweetie Belle weakly.

The filly whimpered and slowly stood up. "Mommy," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Blossom walked over to the bars and reached her hoof back through it. She discovered that the space between the bars was just large enough for a filly her size and she slipped through the bars and into the cell.

"Blossom!" wailed Sweetie Belle. "I..."

She couldn't finish. She scooted over to her child and wrapped her in a large hug. "Blossom, Mommy loves you very much," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," said Blossom. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough to open the door. I tried, Mommy, I really tried."

"Oh Blossom," Sweetie Belle whispered once more.

"Are you still proud of me, Mommy?" she said. "Are you still proud of me even though I couldn't get the door open?"

"Yes, Blossom, Mommy is very, very, very proud of you. I will always be very proud of you!"

"Even though I hurt Fire Ruby and Golden Necklace?"

Sweetie Belle's reply died in her mouth and she broke off the hug to look her daughter square in the eye. "N-no, Blossom, Mommy hurt them, remember?"

Blossom shook her head. "No, Mommy, I remember it. I couldn't when Princess Celestia was asking me about it because I was so scared, but I remembered it when I was with Miss Twilight. You didn't come to the woods until after I had hit them." Blossom whimpered and began shivering in her mother's forelegs. "Th-they trapped me, Mommy. Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby trapped me in the woods and they wouldn't let me go! I wanted them to go away, but they wouldn't. I only hit Golden Necklace because I thought it would make her go away." Blossom sniffled and nuzzled up to her mother's chest. "Then Fire Ruby started screaming. It was really loud and hurt my ears. I didn't want her to keep screaming, and... since Golden Necklace wasn't being mean to me anymore, I... I wanted Fire Ruby to stop screaming, so I hit her with the rock too."

Sweetie Belle whimpered and pulled her daughter back into the hug. "Blossom, I need you to listen to me," she said. "I need you to keep that a secret, can you do that? Can you keep it a secret for Mommy?"

"But...but I thought that you said that it was wrong to lie."

"Blossom, Mommy says that it's okay to lie just this once. I-if they find out then bad things will happen to you."

Blossom was silent for a moment as she pondered her mother's words. "Bad things like they did to Aunt Rarity? Would they exupute me just like they did to her?"

Sweetie Belle tightened her hug. "Yes, baby, yes I think that they would. And that would make Mommy very sad. Mommy and Apple Seed and Aunt Apple Bloom and Miss Twilight and everypony that loves you very much would be very sad."

"But wouldn't they do that to you if you tell them it was you?" asked Blossom.

"No, baby. No they'd just think that Mommy is very sick and they'd take me somewhere to get better. They'd still let me see you if that happened."

Blossom looked up at her mother to reply, but her eyes widened when she saw the lack of a horn on Sweetie Belle's forehead. She squeaked in fear and flinched back.

"Mommy, what happened to your horn?!"

Sweetie Belle looked up to her horn and gave her daughter a watery smile. "Mommy's okay," she said. "They just had to take it for a little while so that they can make sure that I'm not going to do bad things while they help me get better. It doesn't hurt at all."

Blossom reached a hoof up to the bandage but pulled it away just before she made contact. Her bottom lip quivered and she threw her forelegs around her mother. "You're still pretty, Mommy," she said.

Sweetie Belle smiled and began stroking her daughter's mane. "Mommy's going to be okay, Blossom. I'm going to be okay and so are you."

The duo sat in silence for a while; neither of them willing to relinquish their hold on the other. Both wished that moment would last forever, that nopony would come and take the other away and they could remain frozen like that and happy forever.

Unfortunately, reality wasn't as kind.

Sweetie Belle soon heard the door leading to the cells open and she tightened her hold on her child. They were coming.

"Mommy loves you, Blossom. Never forget that Mommy loves you."

They were here now; a pair of police officers and a trio of ponies in suits flanked by both princesses. All but the princesses gasped when they saw Blossom in the cell as well.

"What's the foal doing here?" asked one of the officers.

"Get her out of there, we have a job to do!" growled one of the ponies in suits.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake," whispered Princess Luna.

"Luna, you know what has to be done," said Celestia quietly. "This will not be the last time she sees her child."

One of the police officers opened the cell door and one of the suited ponies grabbed Blossom in his magical aura and pulled her away.

"NOOOOO!" screamed Sweetie Belle. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!"

"MOMMY!" cried Blossom, reaching for her mother.

"Get her out of there!" commanded the pony holding Blossom. The other two suited ponies but hoofcuffs on Sweetie Belle and wrapped her in a magical aura and began carrying her away.

"MOMMY LOVES YOU BLOSSOM!" wailed Sweetie Belle. "MOMMY'S GOING TO BE OKAY!"

"MOMMY!" cried Blossom again. "Let go of her!!!"

Blossom tried to struggle out of the spell, but it was too powerful and before she could do anything about it, her mother was through the door and out of sight.

Blossom's wailing tears started as soon as she lost sight of her mother. Her loud sobs were surely heard throughout the station and she made a few more efforts to escape the spell.

Suddenly, she felt the effects of the spell fade away and a pair of powerful forelegs wrap around her. Powerful, yet gentle.

"Shhh," said Princess Celestia. "Don't be afraid, Blossom. I promise you that we will not hurt your mother. We're going to try to make her better, okay?"

"I want my Mommy!" wailed Blossom.

Princess Celestia held Blossom close to her chest and began stroking her mane. "Your mother will be fine," she said. "You'll get to see her every week while we're taking care of you. I promise that we will not hurt your mother."

Blossom's loud cries eventually gave way to quiet sobs and she buried her head in Princess Celestia's chest.

As Princess Celestia stroked her mane, the thought quietly entered her mind to tell her the truth. It wasn't fair that Mommy was being punished and taken away for something bad that she had done. But her mother had told her that it was okay to lie just this once and that if they found out then they would kill her like they had done with Aunt Rarity. That would make Mommy very sad.

Princess Celestia gently levitated Blossom on her back and Princess Luna draped a blanket over the shivering foal. Blossom wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof and used her own magic to wrap the blanket tighter over herself.

Author's Note

I have to make a confession: I was originally going to end this with Sweetie Belle's execution. However, as I thought about it more, I realized that if I ended it this way then I have a stellar story for the sequel, Broken Blossom. I dearly hope you aren't put off by this and I promise that I will do my best to make the sequel highly original. Without going into too much detail, if you like these two you'll like Broken Blossom. Once again I must ask for your trust when it comes to the threequel. I will do my best to make sure that it is as good as the first two.

On another note, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everybody who has read this and followed it and thumbsed it up! I could not do what I do without you guys!!!

The Reckoning of Sweetie Belle

Sweetie Belle's hoof was shaking as she slowly raised it to bang on the library door. Every fiber of her being told her that if Twilight had indeed altered her memory, she had done it for the best and she didn't need to go prying into secrets that were best left buried with her sister.

On the other hoof, it was her mind and they were her memories. What if what Twilight had to hide was something that Twilight had overreacted to? What if it was something that she made a mistake on?

Sweetie Belle knocked again, hoping that Twilight would answer the door this time so that she didn't keep having to replay those weak excuses in her mind. Whatever Twilight hid, she probably had a good reason for it. she should just leave well enough alone. She had altered a memory of her sister committing a murder, what kind of pony needs to have memories like that restored?

Thankfully, though, a sleepy looking Twilight Sparkle opened the door. Her clear fatigue clearly vanished when she saw the pony on the other side.

"Oh. Hey, Sweetie Belle. How are you today?" Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, willing words with anything resembling a casual tone to come out. But with what she was here for, casualness would have to take a backseat.

"We need to talk about Rarity," she said simply. Twilight's jaw dropped slightly and she backed away from the door. A magical aura engulfed it and Twilight seemed like she desperately wanted to slam it, but she couldn't.

"Sweetie Belle, those ghosts have been buried for ten years," whispered the librarian. "Please just let them be."

"I can't," said Sweetie Belle flatly. "I just can't."

"Sweetie Belle, do you really want these old wounds to be re-opened? Don't you want those old ghosts to stay gone?"

"I do," said Sweetie Belle softly. "Luna help me, I do." To her surprise, she felt tears begin welling up. Maybe it was because they were the only two mares in Equestria that knew who Rarity really was before she had been captured.

"Okay," said Twilight. "Then please leave Rarity be. let her rest in peace, especially in your mind."

"My mind," mumbled Sweetie Belle to herself. "My mind. Yeah, my mind."

"Sweetie Belle, what--"

"You changed something, didn't you? Something about that night in the basement with Scarlet Tomato." At the mention of that mare, Twilight flinched back so violently that her magical hold on the door was broken. Sweetie Belle slowly stepped through the threshold, causing Twilight to take a few more steps back.

"Sweetie Belle, I was--"

"I'm seeing a therapist, did you know that?" said Sweetie Belle. Twilight stopped backing up and thankfully seemed to calm down slightly at the comment.

"No, no I didn't know that," she said.

"Well I am," said Sweetie Belle.

"Oh..." stuttered the librarian. "How...how is that going?" Sweetie Belle refrained from answering for a moment and instead sat down on a nearby comfy chair before staring down at the floor.

"He knows," said Sweetie Belle after a few more moments.

"Knows what?" asked Twilight.

"He knows that I was down in the basement when Rarity killed Scarlet Tomato. He knows that I watched her do it. He knows that I knew who she was long before the rest of the world did." Sweetie Belle's eyes trailed up to Twilight who was backed into a corner and staring at Sweetie Belle with a look of utter horror on her face.Sweetie Belle frowned slightly at Twilight's expression. Sure that was shocking, but the way that Twilight was taking it seemed... excessive. Granted, extreme emotions had always been her way.

Still, she seemed far more nervous than the situation called for unless she was hiding something.

"Twilight, are you hiding something from me? Did you alter my memories?"

Twilight only stared at Sweetie Belle, the same look of sheer terror on her face. Her mouth flopped up and down like a fish out of water, desperately trying to form coherent words. It was as good as a confirmation in Sweetie Belle's mind but she still wanted to hold on to a faint hope that Twilight's actions were a result of her normally extreme emotions.

"Twilight," repeated Sweetie Belle. "Did you or did you not alter my memories of the night that I watched Rarity kill Scarlet Tomato?"

Somehow repeating the question snapped Twilight out of her shock and she actually managed to close her mouth and take a few deep breaths. She looked down at the floor for a moment before shaking her head and looking back up at her guest. Sweetie Belle was surprised to see that Twilight looked uncharacteristically frail. She suddenly looked like she hadn't slept in years.

"Twilight, I--" but Twilight held up a hoof to silence Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle, I know that this is hard for you," began the librarian. "I had to endure everything too but I still can't even begin to imagine what you went through." Sweetie Belle felt as if she should interrupt, but she was suddenly drawing a blank about how to respond to these words she had heard dozens of times before. She merely nodded. "I want to help you, Sweetie Belle, you were just a filly when that happened, you shouldn't have seen what you saw. You deserved a much happier life than the one that you got. You deserved to have a big sister who was there for you during the tough times in your life."

"Yeah, I know," whispered Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle, please just trust me when I tell you that you shouldn't re-open old scars. If you want to try to heal them then I will support you in whatever way that I can as I have tried to do for the past ten years, but please, please don't let what happened to you rule your life."

"I am not letting it rule my life!" Insisted Sweetie Belle. "I've tried to move on, I've tried to put it behind me and I think I'm doing a good job of it too!"

"Then why are you seeing a therapist?"

"Because Featherweight feathering told me to, okay?" Twilight scoffed and shook her head.

"Don't give me that! You went in because you were scared. You didn't want Rarity's death and murders to rule your life anymore so you decided to get some help. Featherweight's words alone couldn't make you take that step."

"Why does it matter?" retorted Sweetie Belle. "Why do you care why I went into therapy? What matters is that I did and it brought up the one question you've been avoiding the entire time I've been here: did you or did you not alter my memory?"

Twilight remained silent. Her eyes merely formed into another tired expression, desperately wishing for this conversation to be over.

"Twilight--"

"Sweetie Belle, leave this alone," growled Twilight with a ferocity that surprised Sweetie Belle. "Please just leave this alone."

Sweetie Belle stared at the librarian. She wanted to believe that Twilight's refusal to answer that most important of questions didn't mean a confirmation. Twilight hadn't altered her memory. Shed hadn't altered her memory.

"You did it. You rotten liar, you altered my memory," whispered Sweetie Belle. Twilight's eyes widened in horror at the accusation.

"Sweetie Belle I was only doing what was best for you, please just trust me!" pleaded Twilight. But Sweetie Belle had already walked out the door.

* * * *

Sweetie Belle burst through the doors of the clinic, hoping dearly that Working Mind could see her today. June Star looked up when she heard the door open and was surprised to see a frantic Sweetie Belle moving with a purpose rarely found by normal ponies. In truth it frightened her somehow. There was a madness in her eyes that she had never seen before. She wanted something. Something was very wrong.

"Sweetie Belle? What are you doing here?"

"I need to see Dr. Mind. NOW!" said Sweetie Belle. "I need to know, June Star. I need to know!"

"Know? You need to know what?!"

"Please, I need to see Dr. Mind!"

June Star flinched at the harshness of Sweetie Belle's words but she looked down at the schedule book resting on the desk in front of her.

"Dr. Mind is just about take his lunch break. He--"

But Sweetie Belle didn't respond. She bolted in the direction of Dr. Working Mind's office, hoping that he could give her what she desperately hoped for: clarity. Answers. Peace of mind.

Sweetie Belle burst into his office with a determination that few could match at that moment.

"She did, she altered my memory!" Dr. Mind looked up at the frantic unicorn, shock at her sudden entrance etched across his features.

"Sweetie Belle, what is the meaning of this?"

"Twilight, Dr. Mind, Twilight Sparkle altered my memory of what I saw in Rarity's basement!"

Working Mind contemplated Sweetie Belle for a brief moment before sighing and using his magic to summon Sweetie Belle's file from him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Sweetie Belle. "I talked to her and she didn't deny it."

"But she did not confirm it either?" Sweetie Belle grunted and shook her head.

"She didn't have to," insisted the mare. "She refused to answer me directly and that's as good as a conformation to me!"

Working Mind was silent as he contemplated Sweetie Belle's words. Eventually he shook his head and used his magic to close her folder.

"Very well then. If you truly believe that Twilight Sparkle altered your memory, then I'll restore your memories." With that simple comment, the fire that had driven Sweetie Belle since the conversation with Twilight slowly faded away. It was replaced by a small sliver of hope that welled up inside Sweetie Belle. Maybe she could learn to move on if this memory was restored. If the memory was restored then perhaps she wouldn't wonder anymore. It was a faint hope to be sure and even then she wasn't sure why she was clinging to it, but it was something.

Sweetie Belle allowed herself a faint smile as Working Mind came back from behind his desk. She used her own magic to shut the door behind her.

It was time.

Working Mind wordlessly walked in front of his patient, charging up his horn for the simple spell that would reveal her shattered memory.

"You won't feel any pain. The spell will be over soon and you'll remember what it is Twilight Sparkle wanted to hide."

Sweetie Belle nodded. Working Mind returned the nod and after a few more seconds, Working Mind's horn had charged up completely. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath as the blue beam of light hit her directly in the head.

"You...you're in my sister's class at school aren't you? Yes, your name is Sweetie Belle isn't it?" she said. The mask of calm that Sweetie Belle was trying to keep was slowly starting to slip. Sensing this, Rarity grabbed Scarlet Tomato's head in her hooves and jerked it so that she was facing her.

"Leave her out of this, this is just between us," she said menacingly. Tears began falling from Scarlet Tomato's face.

"How could you?" she whispered. "How could you let her see this?" Rarity's face contorted with rage.

"I said leave her out of this. Celestia help you if you speak to or about her again," growled Rarity. As she wheeled her tray closer to the table, she glanced at Sweetie Belle who was desperately trying to act calm in the face of this situation. Rarity wondered how long she would last once Rarity began cutting in a few moments.

Rarity picked up a straight razor and flattened Scarlet Tomato's ear against the table. Scarlet Tomato began hyperventilating. "Please... don't do this," she said. Rarity glared at her.

"You read the poster, darling, and you know that I don't like it when ponies say that to me. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to think of other fun things to do while you're still alive. Now hold still or I'm liable to mess this up," said Rarity. Scarlet Tomato shut her eyes tight as Rarity began slicing off Scarlet Tomato's ear. As Rarity continued to slice, Scarlet Tomato's whimpers of pain became louder and they gradually turned into cries of pain. Sweetie Belle was silent for now so Rarity ignored her.

With one quick tug using her magic, the ear was ripped off of Scarlet Tomato's head. She screamed in pain as Rarity nonchalantly tossed the ear aside. "Okay then, one more to go and then we can move on to your lips and teeth. You know, I really hated that smug grin you were giving me this morning darling. It was extremely rude." Scarlet Tomato didn't respond except to cry in pain.

As Rarity moved on to the right ear, she noticed that Sweetie Belle had picked up the severed ear and was examining it in her hooves. Rarity saw that she was going a little green. "Sweetie Belle, put that down please," said Rarity as she began slicing off the left ear. Sweetie Belle tossed the ear aside and with what seemed to Rarity be a great deal of effort, she began watching again as her sister sliced off the other ear. With another sharp tug, the other ear came off with little effort. Scarlet Tomato forced her eyes open and turned towards Sweetie Belle.

"How can you just sit there while she does this to me?" she asked the frightened filly.

"What did I say about talking to my sister?"

"You're friends with my sister, you're just a filly you shouldn't see this."

"Shut up now!" commanded Rarity. Sweetie Belle was crying now, on the verge of completely breaking down at any moment.

"I know you, you're not like your big sister and you never will be. You--" before she could finish her sentence, Rarity used her magic to force Scarlet Tomato's mouth open and she shoved the razor into her mouth. She proceeded to slice open everything in Scarlet Tomato's mouth, paying particular attention to her tongue. Scarlet Tomato screamed in pain and thrashed about on the table, but she couldn't do anything to stop the vicious assault.

"I told you to stop talking to my sister!" screeched Rarity. "You didn't listen to me and now look at what's happening to you!"

After a few more seconds of slicing, Rarity removed the razor allowing Scarlet Tomato to spit out a lot of blood. Rarity saw with satisfaction that she had also sliced out a few of her teeth as well. "Are we through being foolish?" she asked. Scarlet Tomato merely spit out more blood. "Very well then, I suppose that I can leave your lips and teeth alone for now. What say you to a little skinning, hmm?" said Rarity. She fired up her horn and levitated her sharpened vegetable peeler towards her. Scarlet Tomato eyed it with fear but she couldn't form any coherent noises with her mouth sliced up like it was. Rarity had made sure to do a little work on in her throat as well.

Rarity placed the vegetable peeler on Scarlet Tomato's stomach and was about to begin when she heard a small voice beside her. She registered it as Sweetie Belle's and she turned her head to face her. "What's that, darling?" she asked.

"Can...can I do something?" she asked. Rarity groaned in frustration.

"First off Sweetie Belle, I have already told you Celestia knows how many times that you are just going to be watching for this one. Secondly, you look like you are about to keel over and die at any second. This is clearly disturbing you and I haven't even gotten to the worst parts yet, not by a long shot. Furthermore, if I was in my right mind now I would send you back upstairs where you belong!" Rarity thought about that last part for a few seconds. "In fact, yeah! You've seen enough, Sweetie Belle. Go upstairs and get yourself to bed! I'll be up when I'm done here, okay?" said Rarity. To her utter relief, Sweetie Belle nodded and slowly began trotting towards the steps.

As Sweetie Belle walked towards the stairs, she accidentally bumped Rarity's tray and the resulting collision sent it crashing towards the ground, scattering all of the assorted sharp objects on the floor. Rarity gave an angry groan.

"Sweeeetiieeee Bellllle! Look at what you've done!" she said. Sweetie Belle looked at the assorted knives on the ground and before Rarity could do anything, she grabbed a scalpel, rushed over to Scarlet Tomato, and stabbed her in the leg. Scarlet Tomato was convulsing in pain and blood was pouring from the stab wound in her leg. She was bleeding far more than was normal unless...

When she saw what she had done, her sister violently backed away from the bleeding mess that was Scarlet Tomato and quickly began crying. "Rarity! I don't understand, why is she bleeding like that!? I...I only meant to give her a little cut!" she said hysterically.

"You severed the femoral artery, Sweetie Belle! She's...she's already dead," said Rarity. So she was. Scarlet Tomato lay motionless on the table, eyes wide with fear, looking directly at Sweetie Belle as if staring directly into her soul, pleading her to not do what she had just done. Sweetie Belle sat in the corner, not even crying anymore. She just looked at the mare that she had just killed, almost in a contemplative way.

Sweetie Belle began shaking violently and before Rarity could say anything, she pulled a bucket close to her and vomited into it. When she finished, she still had the look of contemplative shock on her face.

"What did I just do?"

"What did I do?"

"Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle, are you okay?"

Working Mind was talking. He was... no, no that wasn't right! he had altered the memory to... oh no, no that wasn't why it was...!!! Oh Celestia, no.

She had killed Scarlet Tomato herself.

Sweetie Belle screamed.

The sequel hath arrived!

As TV Tropes would say: what it says on the tin.

Broken Blossom