Rarity was humming gently as she was pacing in her Boutique. The mare was busy with creating new outfits, and her job was made easier by the radio that accompanied her hums. She continued cutting and sewing the material as the soft opera music was playing from the little electronic device.
She had to admit, Rarity didn't actually believe that she'd enjoy this radio so much, since she didn't really care about technology. She was a more "magazines, newspaper and symphonies" type of mare, but she couldn't deny the fact that Equestria seemed to progress in the tech department, and her opinion about electronics changed a bit when she found out that mostly celebrities owned one of these "fancy news and concerts in a box".
And of course, Rarity simply couldn't refuse a gift. She was a generous mare after all, she gifted ponies a lot of times, so of course she knew how to appreciate a gift, especially from a close pony. Her joyful attitude faltered a little at the thought of the pony that gifted her the radio.
"Poor dear...I still can't believe that happened", whispered Rarity, mostly to herself. Truth be told, at first she only used the radio as a piece of decoration rather that for its intended purposes, but after "the incident", as Rarity decided to call it, she started using the device and was pleasantly surprised by it. The unicorn mare used it mostly for music, especially jazz and opera, but also gossip stations. She learned how to use the device pretty easily, so Rarity skimmed through stations with ease when she wanted to change the music or when some gossip or news station talked about "the incident".
As Rarity tried her best to focus on her work with the music gently playing in the background, she couldn't help but notice that something felt...off. The white unicorn was a pony of details, so even though it was something brief and probably unnoticeable by other ponies, Rarity couldn't help perking an ear: the opera music that was playing on the radio sounded a bit distorted for a few seconds.
Rarity tried not to pay attention too much. After all, this was a new discovery, a prototype, so the mare assumed it was prone to malfunction. With this reasoning in mind, the seamstress tried to resume her work, but deep down, the haunting distortion of the melody disturbed her a bit.
Rarity sighed contently as she dried her freshly washed mane and fur. It was a long day full of activities for the mare, so she decided to relax with a hot bath. She was now in her room, doing her nightly routine. The radio was sitting on her nightstand, calming music playing from the device.
After she finished, the white mare put on her sleeping mask, lowered the volume of the radio a bit and climbed up in her bed, waiting for sleep to take her. Rarity listened to the gentle music, that was slowly but surely lulling her to sleep.
*Buzz* *hiss* *Buzz*
Rarity took off her sleeping mask and looked around the dark room, startled by the noise. The mare was not usually a light sleeper, but she woke up when she heard the sound of buzzing and hissing coming from somewhere. It took her a while to register that it came from the radio.
"What's happening?", the mare tilted her head in confusion. The radio seemed fine a few hours ago, why was it blurting static now?
It became even more confusing when Rarity turned the knob to try other stations, but all of them produced only static and hissing noises.
"Odd...", thought Rarity, but then decided to simply close the radio.
Rarity was working on her new designs, with the music from the radio in the background. The seamstress was delighted when the radio jockey announced a full hour of continuous opera music, produced by none other than her Neighbour, Octavia Melody. Her band was accompanied by none other than the famous opera singer, Calla Lily.
After some time, Rarity decided to take a break and go to the kitchen to prepare some tea. As the mare came back with her steaming cup of tea, she, again, couldn't help but notice that something felt off. The music from the radio sounded more frantic and with alternating, chaotic pitches: lower pitch followed by high pitch. Rarity put her cup down on the table and approached the radio. Again, the music seemed to change its pitch again, and Rarity's fur stood on its end. The "music" if it could be called that, sounded more like screaming. Pained, loud screaming. It reminded Rarity of a mourning pony. A pony that just found out that a loved one died. Raw, primal, guttural screaming. The mare was so shocked and disturbed that she didn't even think to close the radio. She was confused and scared. The screaming suddenly stopped, and the proper, professional libretto came back like nothing happened. It almost felt like it was an entirely different channel, but since Rarity didn't even budge from her place, she knew it was the same station.
The seamstress had to admit, the radio incident disturbed her a little, so she decided to not use the radio for sleep this night. Maybe some stations had some problems with the sound or maybe the device was malfunctioning, so she didn't want to risk it. Rarity felt a bit silly that she was scared by distorted music, but at the same time, she admitted that there was a disturbing component present here.
"...li....ar"
Rarity awoke with a jolt and frantically looked around her room again. Did she just hear a whisper?
"guil...tyyy"
Rarity turned towards the radio. Her eyes widened when she saw an orange light coming from it, along with low, accusatory whispers.
"I didn't turn it on, right?"
"diiissss...grraaaaccee"
The mare gasped and her blood ran cold. Her magic grasped the device and at the same time, opened the window. Without hesitation, Rarity tossed the radio out of the window. She heard it crash against the concrete.
The white unicorn tensely waited for another sound, or whisper, or scream. Anything. When nothing happened for at least ten minutes, the mare put her head on the pillow and tried to sleep.
"eeeee...viiilll"
Rarity screamed, bolted out of her bed and then out of her room. She headed towards the kitchen and started preparing herself some tea. She doubted she'll sleep tonight.
It was morning when Rarity decided to send a letter to Twilight. She strapped it to her cat, Opal, and told her to deliver the letter to her friend. In the letter, the mare specified that she'd want all her friends present at her Boutique. So she made more tea and waited.
It was obvious at first why her friends eyed her like that. It was surprising to see Rarity, of all ponies, unkept. So that worried her friends even more and they became conscious that something was very wrong.
Rarity was aware of her appearance. At the first rays of the sun, the mare climbed up the stairs to her room with the intention to make herself more presentable for her friends. That task was abandoned when she saw the radio intact, as if nothing happened, sitting on her nightstand.
The five other mares looked at their white friend with their eyes wide, full of confusion at first. Applejack decided to break the silence:
"Uhh, sugarcube, are you ok? You look kinda...", she started, but didn't know how to finish that sentence without offending her friend.
"Like you fought with a manticore and you lost", added "helpfully" Rainbow Dash. The other girls glared at her, and the rainbow maned pony shrugged in return.
"Strange analogy aside, Rainbow is right. Did something happen, Rarity?", asked concerned Twilight Sparkle.
"We'll do our best to help you", said the timid yellow pegasus, Fluttershy.
Rarity sighed and looked at her friends. "Actually, I do indeed need your help. For an experiment", she could see how Twilight's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "In my room there is a radio. If one of you would be so kind as to bring it here, I'd truly appreciate it." she continued. Rainbow nodded once and then bolted into the seamstress's room and brought the tiny device. All the other ponies looked at it curiously. They knew what a "radio" was, but never saw one up close.
"As you can see, I own a radio. I want you all to have it for one day and then come here and tell me if you heard any strange music while the device was on."
Almost all the girls quirked an eyebrow. This was strange, so Twilight decided to inquire further:
"What happened Rarity? Why are you so distressed? Is something wrong with this radio?"
The white unicorn pondered a bit. Could she tell them what the problem was? Sure, they were her friends, but what if they thought that she sounded ridiculous? But then she decided to tell them, just so they could have an idea of what the experiment was about.
"The thing is...I heard strange noises coming from it. Static, screams, whispers. And sure, you may say that it's either my imagination or that the device is broken, but how come I heard them when the device was off? I tossed it out of the window, and I still heard disturbing things!", Rarity started calmly, but she was so affected by this incident that by the end of her explanation, she was almost screaming.
The other five mares looked at her in shock, and Rarity could even see that Fluttershy was trembling gently. She regretted how easily she lost her composure.
"Do you want me to help you get rid of it?", asked Twilight.
"No, I want each of you to take the radio home and use it, and then tell me if something strange happened to you too. That way, I'll know for sure if I'm crumbling under stress or if the device is defective", replied Rarity. She subtly eyed her yellow pegasus friend and she could see that she did not like this idea at all, but deep down, Rarity knew that Fluttershy was willing to help her.
Twilight nodded and then looked at her other friends, who all nodded in return.
Almost a full week passed, and Rarity was analyzing the results of her small experiment. She asked her friends to note on a piece of paper how they used the radio, especially at night. The seamstress's brows were furrowed in concern, since her friends didn't seem to encounter any strange activity. She could see that, in their own typical fashion, her friends searched for stations that interested them the most: science for Twilight, nature for Fluttershy and sports for Rainbow. They also noted the music stations they preferred: country, symphonies but mostly pop.
"So you didn't encounter anything strange, not even at night?", asked dejected Rarity.
"No, but I have an idea and an experiment that we can try now", replied Twilight while looking intensely at Rarity. "It could be stress related, but just to rule out that option, how about we all gather at the Castle and we'll sleep together, and that way we'll know if something strange happens or not?".
Rarity's eyes widened a bit and shone with unspilled tears. Not only did her friends believe her, but they also even wanted to help her with this strange problem. She looked at her dear friends and then nodded solemnly.
"li...aaarrr"
"guil...tyyy"
Twilight Sparkle woke up, followed up by Applejack. They looked at each other and then at the radio. They DID hear something.
"diiiss...grraaaccee"
Fluttershy and Rainbow woke up too. Fluttershy was whimpering while holding her blanket.
"eeee..viilll"
Pinkie was the last that woke up. The other five mares looked at each other with wide eyes, then at Rarity, who was also starting to stir.
Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie were sitting in the throne room inside the Castle. They all talked while waiting for the last pony from their group to woke up. They left Rarity sleep more, since they assumed that she deserved it. But as the pony entered the room, all eyes fell on her and everypony, besides Twilight, got up. They formally saluted the mare and headed towards the exit.
"Twilight wants to talk with you, in private", whispered Pinkie Pie right before she exited.
Rarity furrowed her brow in concern and confusion and headed towards where Twilight was sitting. The purple mare nodded in her direction, then signaled for her to follow. After walking for a bit, Twilight opened a door and gestured for Rarity to enter. The fashionista looked approvingly at the small but cozy room: it had two comfortable, plush armchairs and between them, there was a sturdy, polished wood table with drawers. Rarity trotted towards an armchair and climbed up while waiting for Twilight to do the same. After the Princess took her place at the other armchair, the white unicorn asked:
"So Twilight, what did you wanted to talk about?"
Twilight looked at her intensely, as if she was pondering something, and after a while, she said: "Rarity, tell me, is there something bothering you? And I mean, on a personal level?"
That was odd. Why this sudden question? But since Twilight asked that, then something must've happened last night.
"What...exactly do you mean, darling? Did something happen?", inquired Rarity.
The other mare sighed and cast her eyes towards the floor. After a while, she responded: "Yes, something happened. But before that, I want to ask: Rarity, did it affect you more than you let us know? I am talking about Sassy Sad-"
Rarity immediately gasped, and Twilight looked intently at her, as if waiting.
"Can I confide in you, darling?". After Twilight gently nodded, Rarity continued: "Truth be told, I am upset not only that Sassy's gone, but also because I believe that it was also my fault, somehow. You see, I didn't know that she had certain mental problems. I just thought she was being lazy, wanted to quit or simply that her celebrity status got the better of her. So... we had our disagreements. And just before she did what she did...we had a big fight. I am not proud of myself, but in my defense, I didn't know what was going on. I was busy and tired". By the time the white unicorn finished, she had tears in her eyes. She looked at her friend, expecting sadness, or even a bit of sympathy. Instead, Twilight looked at her stoically.
"I see", replied the Princess. Then she used her magic to open the drawer from her side of the table and produced a newspaper. She turned it towards Rarity and waited.
The white mare cast her eyes over the newspaper and froze when she read the title: "Fashion Celebrity's death shrouded in mystery. Police suspect that foul play was involved". Rarity gasped and continued to read:
Fashion designer and celebrity Sassy Saddles was found dead in her home, and while her death at first was ruled as suicide, the autopsy revealed that foul play might be involved. Small traces of a substance were found in the deceased mare's body, and police suspects now that her hanging might not be suicide.
Rarity slowly lifted her gaze towards Twilight. The Princess was looking at her with an unflinching, unreadable gaze.
"Twilight...w-what is-"
"Spike brought this to me this morning. I put two and two together after I heard you talking in your sleep last night".
Rarity's eyes widened in shock. "Wha...what do you mean? Talking in my sleep? And what di-"
"Yes, Rarity", Twilight cut her off. "You were right about that part. We heard things, but they weren't coming from the radio. They were coming from you. And you said some pretty strange things".
Rarity shuddered as she heard Twilight, but then she frowned in anger. "So what, are you accusing me? Are you accusing me of killing Sassy?"
"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I can't and won't accuse you without proof. I am just wondering if there's something more to this story, that's all. Also, one more thing", and with that, Twilight's magic opened the drawer again and she picked up another newspaper. She briefly skimmed over the title, then showed it again to Rarity.
Rarity suspiciously eyed Twilight and then the newspaper. It read: "The dose makes the poison: the substance found in the dead fashion celebrity is named Witch's button, which is a liquid used to treat insomnia and aid ponies with PTSD, but in higher doses, it can cause brain fog, amnesia and even death".
The white mare looked at Twilight again, and just before she opened her mouth to respond, Twilight once again opened the drawer and plucked a small bottle full of a purplish black liquid and put it near the first newspaper. Without letting Rarity explain herself, Twilight stated: "After we woke up because of your sleep talking, the girls and I talked for a bit and Fluttershy told us that she saw this small bottle on your kitchen counter and inquired about it. She said that you told her the name and what it's for. This morning, while I was doing my research, Rainbow went back to your Boutique and started searching for it. And as you can see, she found it"
The fashionista's mouth went dry and her face looked even paler than she was. She shot the Alicorn a pleading look. "Please, please let me explain Twilight. After Sassy and I started having our differences, she became verbally aggressive a lot of times, and one time she even threatened me. She said that she will spill one of my biggest secrets. I couldn't allow that, of course. I am a business mare, I care about my job and my reputation. I was extremely disappointed and mad at Sassy Saddles. But not to the point that I wanted to harm her. I just found out about these new miracle drops that ponies used for different ailments. The pony that sold me these drops told me that these were a new recipe and were more concentrated, therefore they were better and more efficient. All I wanted was to make Sassy forget about our arguments and about my secret. Make her a bit more malleable, you know? It...it was never my intention to kill her". The mare's head hung in shame as she sniffled.
Twilight's eyes widened in shock, while one hoof covered her mouth. "So YOU did it? What exactly did you do, Rarity? H-how...?"
The white mare steeled herself as she tried to remember the details. "I told Sassy that I'm sorry and asked her if she'd like to invite me over to her place to reconcile. I told her that I'll bring the finest cakes and tea I could buy. At first, she seemed suspicious, but then she smiled gently and accepted. At her place, I poured some drops of Witch's button in her cup of tea and gave it to her. But to my surprise, after some time she didn't appear sleepy, she looked like she was choking on something and started to violently thrash on the floor. I tried to help her, but after a few minutes, she was dead. I was shocked. Please believe me, I was truly shocked! Either I used too many drops, or that liquid was just pure poison. I didn't know what to do, but after my senses came back, I realized that I'd be ruined if ponies found out what happened. So I made it look like Sassy killed herself. I...I am truly sorry. I was so scared, I didn't I couldn't it was just that -".
"I see. So you killed Sassy because you were afraid that she'll ruin your reputation", stated Twilight coldly. "But I see that you kept this bottle. Why?".
Rarity's eyes looked at the tiny bottle and her eyes shone with tears, guilt and remorse. "I actually kept it so it could help me sleep. I was so traumatized by what happened at first that I had insomnia". Rarity then lowered her voice and cast her eyes towards the floor. "Or maybe I just hoped that I will share her fate and be done with."
Twilight heard her. And while the purple mare perked her ears and quirked her eyebrow, she didn't comment on her friend's statement. The two mares continued to sit in silence, with Rarity not even looking at Twilight. The silence was occasionally broken by the guilty mare's gentle sobbing, and even though she could not see her, the Princess of Friendship was looking intently at her friend. Could she still call Rarity her friend? Sure, in a way Twilight understood Rarity's reasoning, but that still wasn't an excuse for what she did. It was a mistake, and it was wrong for Sassy to threaten her, but Rarity was the paradigm of Generosity. An Element of Harmony. A renowned fashion designer. So what was she supposed to do? She was a Princess, the Princess of Friendship no less, and at first she thought that the best decision would be to turn Rarity in. Bu then, what would happen to Rarity, to her friends...to her? There would be a huge scandal involving everypony, from her friends, to the Princesses, to her. Ponies closest to Sassy or those blinded by justice would say that Rarity's punishment was too unjust or lenient, simply because she was an Element of Harmony or because the Princess of Friendship is her friend.
Twilight's eyebrows furrowed in concern. While she cared deeply about her friends, she couldn't risk a butterfly effect. Why risk a lot of innocent lives and reputations for the sake of one? With that in mind, Twilight sighed and steeled her resolve. "Listen, Rarity. What you did is unforgivable, even if you claim that it was a mistake. A pony that made a mistake and feels as remorseful and guilty as you pretend to be, does not keep this kind of deed hidden or try to frame it as a suicide. So you can make either one of these choices."
The seamstress's eyes and head lifted slowly. She didn't know why, but a chill ran down her spine. She wanted to say something, but decided to wait for Twilight to continue. After a few seconds, the Princess did indeed continue:
"I can turn you in to the authorities, and considering your status, that involves Princess Celestia. But keep in mind that not only you, but also your friends, including me, will suffer by affiliation".
Rarity shivered when she heard Twilight's proposition. Deep down, she knew this was coming. As she opened her mouth to ask about the other choice, Twilight interrupted her. "Or...you can take your own medicine."
The fashionista froze. Did Twilight truly say that? It was so strange and morbid that Rarity didn't even want to believe that Twilight was serious. But as she calmed herself down and analyzed the situation, she understood Twilight's point.
"So, best case scenario, I became amnesic. Worst case scenario, I die. Is that right?"
Twilight silently nodded.
"And...how do I know which will happen to me?"
"There's only one way to find out", whispered Twilight, looking at Rarity, then at the tiny bottle sitting on the table.
With a gulp, Rarity reached for the bottle.
