Corruption is Magic: Art of the Mannequin

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Art of the Mannequin
By Volcash

Chapter 1

The doors of the Ponyville Day Spa swung open as two ponies strolled inside, tails intertwined affectionately. They were immediately overwhelmed by a wide array of delectable scents as fumes from the various herbal treatments wafted through the air. On the right was Lyra Heartstrings, who walked with a peppy spring in her step and a happy glint in her golden eyes. On the left was Bonbon, her fillyfriend of two years today, and she was slightly less peppy. She had bags in her eyes and her hooves dragged with exhaustion.

“Thanks for setting up this spa appointment, Lyra,” Bonbon praised.

“It was nothing, honey,” Lyra replied. “I just wanted to make our anniversary special.”

“Well, you certainly did a good job of it.” Bonbon paused for a deep, long yawn, and then continued speaking. “I can’t believe it’s been two years already.”

The green unicorn took notice of her fillyfriend’s tired state. “Are you sure you’re alright? Should I reschedule our appointment?”

“No. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”
“I’ve just been really busy at work lately. What with Hearts and Hooves Day around the corner and all…”

“Yeah, I know. Everypony wants sweets for their sweethearts.”

“And I’ve been up really late these past few days making candy.”

“Well then, it sounds like a relaxing spa day is just what you need.”

The happy couple walked over to the front desk, where a bright pink mare waited to greet them. “Hello, and welcome to Ponyville Day Spa, my name is Aloe. How can I help you?”

“I made a reservation earlier, and I’m here for my appointment. My name is Lyra Heartstrings.”

Aloe looked down at the desk and skimmed the clipboard in front of her. “Hmm, let me see… Ah! Here you are; Heartstrings, party of two. Just take a seat over there, and we’ll send somepony over in just a minute to recommend some treatments.” The pink earth pony gestured across the room to a couple of beds, to which the two mares trotted, and climbed onto. The ponies then rolled over onto their backs and let their hooves dangle over the edges.

Moments later, they were approached by a white unicorn in a pink smock. Her mane was a deep purple, with several streaks of lighter purple that matched her eyes. Her smock covered her flanks, and thus her cutie marks were hidden. Her horn was glowing white, and a tray of steaming white towels followed closely behind her.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” the mare began. “My name is Lavender Petals. Might I start you off with a couple of hot towels?”

Lyra and Bonbon nodded in approval, and a pair of towels floated off of the tray, landing gently over the mare’s faces, covering their skin with a layer of soothing heat. Lavender Petals left the ponies to themselves, and went off to tend to other matters.

The two lovers simultaneously took in a deep breath. Lyra’s nostrils filled with a pleasant aroma: a fresh steamy towel, with a generous dose of herbal fabric softener. Bonbon’s nostrils filled with a much less pleasant aroma: Diethyl Ether. The beige pony’s legs went limp as the noxious fumes invaded her lungs, eventually slipping off either side of the table to join her hooves.

Lyra took a few seconds to enjoy the calming warmth of the towel. “See, Bonbon? Isn’t this relaxing?” She waited for an answer, but none came. “Bonbon? Bonbon, are you alright?”

Her horn flashed green as the towel lifted off of her face. Then she picked up a hoof and nudged a corner of Bonbon’s towel out of her face, to find her eyes shut. Lyra looked at Bonbon’s chest, noticed it rising and falling in a slow, uniform rhythm, and chuckled at the sight.

“Wow, Bonbon, when you said you were tired, you were not kidding!” She returned the towel to its original position on her unconscious fillyfriend’s face, and then returned herself to her original position, placing her own towel back over her face.

A few minutes later, Lavender Petals came back to check up on Lyra and Bonbon. “And how are we doing over here ladies? Are you two ready to move on to something else? Perhaps a mud mask facial?”

Lyra lifted the towel off of her face and sat up on the bed. “That sounds great.”

“Alright, just follow me and we’ll get you set up.” The white unicorn turned to Bonbon, still out cold. “And what about you, miss?”

“She fell asleep a couple of minutes ago,” The lyrist explained. “Just let her sleep. She’s been working really late recently.”

Lavender turned and trotted away. “Okay then, let’s get your facial ready.” A sneaky smile found its way onto her face as Lyra followed the white unicorn to the facial station, leaving the comatose Bonbon by herself.

Lavender sat Lyra down on the other side of the spa and slathered the green pony’s face with mineral mud, which was a similar shade of green. The spa pony then placed slices of cucumber over her patient’s eyes, and returned her attention to Lyra’s unconscious fillyfriend.

Lavender trotted to Bonbon’s side and her horn flashed white. A white fabric laundry cart wheeled itself over to them, and positioned itself on the opposite side of Bonbon’s bed. The white unicorn nudged Bonbon in the side of the chest, sending her body sliding off of the bed and into the cart. Lavender’s horn flashed white as several towels flew off of various racks and shelves nearby, collecting in a heap on top of the immobilized mare, hiding her from view.

Lavender wheeled the cart, Bonbon and all, out behind the spa where a different cart was waiting. The second cart was brown and wooden, had an empty hitch at the front, and was full of rolls of fabric. Her horn sparked again, and she went to work. First, the fabric flew out of the second cart, and the towels out of the first. Then Bonbon was lifted out of the laundry cart, and into the wooden one.

Her magic aura’s next destination was herself. Her mane shimmered, and the highlights disappeared, leaving her mane one deep shade of purple. Her tail did the same, and then they both broke into one gigantic curl. A plastic contacts case leapt out of the brown cart and hovered in front of the unicorn’s face, and then her colored contacts ejected themselves from her eyes, returning to their home in the case, and turning her eyes from purple to blue. The contacts case settled back into the cart, and her smock went with it, exposing the white mare’s cutie marks: three blue diamonds.

Rarity stacked the rolls of fabric on top of Bonbon’s unconscious body, hitched herself up to the cart, and rolled it out onto the street, trotting off with Lyra’s fillyfriend.

Author's Note

I would like to thank all of my readers, especially my proofreaders AxelShifter and DalekBen. I would also like to thank CheshiresDesires on DeviantArt for inspiring the nightmares that became this story with his picture, and then letting me use said picture as my cover art. More chapters coming soon.

Chapter 2

Lyra remained at the facial station for a while, and then began to wonder where Lavender had gone. She picked the cucumber slices off of her eyes and scanned the room, not finding the white mare anywhere. Her eyes fell on the bed across the room where Bonbon was the last time she had seen her, but found her to be missing as well. The mint green mare surveyed the spa again, confirming her suspicions that her fillyfriend was nowhere in sight.

Lyra trotted up to the front desk, hoping that Aloe would have an answer for her. “Excuse me, Aloe… Bonbon, the mare I came here with, I can’t seem to find her anywhere. Do you know where she went?”

The pink mare behind the desk shook her head sadly. “No miss, I’m afraid I haven’t seen her since you to showed up for your appointment.”

“Maybe Lavender Petals knows where she is. Have you seen her?”

Aloe’s face turned to an expression of confusion. “Excuse me, who?”

“Lavender Petals. She was the pony who was working our treatments.”

“I don’t recall us having anypony by that name working here.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow at the rosy mare in front of her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure. One moment.” Aloe turned her head and called out for somepony. “Lotus?”

A blue mare on the other side of the spa looked up from giving another pony a hooficure. “Yes, Aloe?”

“Do we have an employee here named Lavender Petals?”

Lotus Blossom put a hoof to her cheek. “Hmm… That name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“I’m sorry, but nopony by that name works here.”

“That can’t be right, she definitely said her name was Lavender Petals.”

“I wish there was more I could do, miss, but I have no idea where your friend is, and I have no idea who this Lavender Petals pony of which you speak is.”

Lyra looked noticeably deflated at this news. “Well, thanks anyway.” The green unicorn walked out of the spa in search of her fillyfriend.

Lyra listed her options in her head. One, Bonbon could have woken up, not seen Lyra, thought she had gone home, and then done the same. Two, she could be out planning some special anniversary secret for her. The other options that ran through Lyra’s head were much more depressing, and much less realistic, so she settled on number one.

She crossed town and located Bonbon’s humble home. It was a small, one-story house done up in typical Ponyville style; very colorful, and topped with a thatched roof. Lyra knocked on the front door with her hoof, and waited for an answer. After approximately ten seconds she rang the doorbell. She peered in the front window and discovered that the lights in her house were off. So much for option one.

Option two: Bonbon was off planning a special anniversary surprise. If Bonbon were planning something for me, the lyrist thought to herself, who would know about it? Pinkie Pie! Not only did Pinkie make a point of finding out about anything that could be an excuse for a party, but also she and Bonbon were in similar lines of work, and were very close friends.

Lyra entered Sugarcube Corner to find the pink pony she was looking for at the counter operating the cash register.

“Hey, Pinkie,” Lyra greeted. “Have you seen Bonbon in the last hour or so?”

“I can’t say that I have, Lyra, but she should be here in a few minutes if you don’t mind waiting around a bit.”

The unicorn’s ears perked up at this new revelation. “Really? That’s great!”

“Yeah, she ordered a cake for your anniversary, and she said she’d swing by to pick it up on her way home from her spa appointment at three.”

Lyra suddenly looked very concerned. “After her spa appointment?”

“Yeah. Is something wrong?”

“We went to the spa together. I lost sight of her, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. She probably just had a few other errands to run, and is on her way to get her cake now.”

Lyra considered the plausibility of this new option. “Maybe… Well, I’m gonna go look around some more. Could you do me a favor and call me if Bonbon stops bye?”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie chimed as Lyra turned and trotted off.

Meanwhile, in Carousel Boutique, Bonbon was beginning to come to. Her head was swimming, and she tried to rub her head with a hoof, but her leg refused to cooperate. She strained and struggled, but her legs wouldn’t budge. Her eyes flicked open and she looked around. She was in a small, cramped closet, pitch black save for a beam of light peeking through the cracks around the door, allowing her to just make out her surroundings.

Hanging from the door was a large mirror, with a bound and gagged beige earth pony staring back at her from within it. All four of her hooves were tied together with a bright red ribbon, perfectly matching the ribbon that was lashed across her lips and around her head, wrapped tightly around her snout several times, once more around her head for good measure, and tied into a neat little bow.

Bonbon inched her body to the door, and knocked on it with her head, which was much less than pleasant for her dizzy brain. She screamed as loudly as her mummified mouth could manage, hoping desperately that somepony would hear her.

Fortunately, somepony did hear her. Unfortunately, that somepony was Rarity. She opened the door, holding a wet rag in her magic aura. “Could you keep it down? I’m trying to run a business.” Rarity put a hoof on Bonbon’s chest to hold her down, and the rag flew over Bonbon’s snout, filling her nostrils with the familiar scent from the spa. Bonbon passed out again, and Rarity shut the closet door, returning to the boutique’s front door in time to greet an incoming customer.

Lyra galloped down the streets of Ponyville, racking her brain for anypony who would know the location of her fillyfriend. Her thought process was interrupted by a repeating poof sound coming from above her. She looked up and noticed Rainbow Dash soaring through the sky, pausing briefly to kick fluffy white clouds out of existence. Poof! Poof! Poof!

“Hey Rainbow Dash,” the green unicorn called out. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

The blue mare came to a halt, and hovered beside her. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Bonbon and I were at the spa about an hour ago. I lost sight of her, and I haven’t seen her since. Have you seen her by any chance?”

“I think so. Thankfully for you, her mane really stands out.”

“You’re one to talk.” Lyra snickered.

“Anyway, I think I saw her with somepony behind the spa. The other pony was loading her into a cart.”

“What other pony?”

“I didn’t catch their face, but they were white, and had a purple mane.”

Lyra put a hoof up to her chin. “Hmm… It was probably that Lavender Petals pony, if that’s even her real name. But maybe I should see if Rarity or Moondancer knows anything just in case. Thanks Rainbow Dash!”

“Sure thing.” The cyan speedster whizzed off, straight into another cloud. Poof!

Later that day, Lyra found herself in Carousel Boutique, where Rarity was hunched laboriously over a sewing machine, wearing her signature red work glasses.

“Hello, Lyra.” The white unicorn greeted.

“Hi Rarity. Just out of curiosity, have you seen Bonbon recently?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t.”

“Well, thanks anyway. But, while I’m here, I was wondering if you could make me a dress. I’m going to a fancy party next week, and I can’t think of anypony better to help me look my best.”

“Of course, darling. Let me just get my sketch pad, and we can discuss designs.” Rarity trotted off into the adjoining room.

Lyra waited for Rarity to return, and heard a faint knocking from the other end of the room. The green unicorn trotted over to investigate, and arrived at a door that the source of the knocking was somewhere behind.

Her horn lit up green, and the door swung open, revealing Bonbon, bound and gagged on the floor of a closet. The beige mare started crying at the sight of her fillyfriend.

“Oh my Celestia, Bonbon!” Lyra used her magic to untie the bow behind Bonbon’s head, unraveling the gag.

“RUN!” screamed the frantic captive. “Now! Go get the police!”

“Alright, just give me a second to untie you…”

“No! Now! She could be back any second!”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“No! Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine.”

“Hmm, where have I heard those words before? Oh yeah, they got you into this mess in the first place!” Suddenly, Lyra’s hind leg twitched as she felt a sharp prick on her flank. She turned around to find Rarity staring at her with cold eyes, and an empty syringe floating in her white magic aura.

“You really shouldn’t be snooping, darling.”

“Why would you do this to her?” Lyra interrogated.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” The white unicorn mused. “In the meantime, you look tired. Why don’t you take a nap?”

Lyra was suddenly overtaken by a wave of dizziness as Rarity’s tranquilizer took effect. Her body wobbled, and eventually her legs gave way from under her, sending her falling backwards onto her subdued fillyfriend.

Rarity turned around, picked up a phone, and dialed a number. “Hello, darling, it's Rarity. I need you to get over here as soon as possible, Lyra knows too much… I have her tranquilized in the closet with Bonbon…yes, I’m aware she wasn’t scheduled until next week, but she found Bonbon, I had to do something…Fine, right after closing, but not a moment later.” She hung up the phone, and returned her attention to the frightened earth pony in her closet. “And as for you, this little escape attempt will not go unnoticed.” She opened the doors to a nearby cabinet, produced another syringe, and stuck it into Bonbon’s flank.

Bonbon tried to get Lyra’s body off of her, and fight the effects of Rarity’s tranquilizer. Neither endeavor produced much success. “You’ll never…get away with this…Somepony…will notice that we’re gone.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? But you don’t hear anypony still talking about Cinnamon Buns, do you?”

“Who…who the hay is Cinnamon Buns?”

“Exactly.”

The candy maker passed out, and Rarity dragged the two lovers’ unconscious bodies to the back of the store.

Chapter 3

Lyra awoke to the sound of voices.

"Bring her right hind leg back a bit," Rarity ordered. Lyra's leg felt strangely compelled to oblige, sliding backwards without her consent.

"How's that?" A second voice asked.

"Marvelous. Now point her front left hoof a little more." Lyra's ankle involuntarily flicked out, pointing straight out with her left front leg. The green unicorn tried to lower the mutinous limb, to no avail.

"Like that?" The other voice asked.

"Yes, that's fine. Now, bring out her flank." Lyra's rump lifted into the air against her will.

"Is that good?"

"That's perfect. I think we're ready."

Lyra's eyes fluttered open and surveyed her surroundings. Or at least, as much as she could without moving her head, because she seemed to be entirely paralyzed. The room was dark, the only light came from the moon shining through the translucent white curtains. Around the room were several dress mannequins, and to her left was a mirror. Lyra peered into the mirror and examined her reflection. For some reason, she was holding a flamboyant pose, and a strange black object was clipped onto her horn. Her mouth was gagged with a tight coil of ribbon, her body was glowing bright purple, and she was unable to move. The one thing that could move was her tail, which she was thrashing wildly. In the background of the mirror she saw Bonbon, gagged similarly and tied down to a chair. The lovers locked eyes, waiting in terror of their unknown fate.

"Oh, It looks like she's awake." The mysterious voice noticed.

Lyra's eyes turned toward the source of the voice, finding Twilight standing next to Rarity, horn glowing purple like Lyra.

"Just in time to watch us get to work," Rarity mused. "How nice." She walked up to Lyra and put a hoof on the immobile mare's face. “Are you comfortable darling?”

Lyra screamed into the gag, releasing a muted whine for Rarity to ignore.

“Cheer up, Lyra,” The white fashonista cooed. “I have your fillyfriend here too, so you can spend your final moments together.”

Twilight spun Lyra around so she could look at Bonbon directly. The lovers’ eyes widened at the words ‘final moments.’ Lyra began to cry as Bonbon shut her eyes and tried to pretend this wasn’t happening, that this was all just a terrible nightmare.

Rarity’s horn twinkled to life. “Oh no you don’t, Bonbon.” A white magic aura formed around Bonbon’s eyelids, forcing them open, and a tape dispenser lifted off of a nearby desk. Several strips of tape separated from the dispenser, fastening themselves to the earth pony’s eyes. “I told you your escape attempt would not go unnoticed. You’re going to watch every second of this, whether you like it or not.”

Rarity returned her attention to the green unicorn. “I assume you’ve been wondering what’s going to happen to you.” Rarity’s face morphed into a depraved expression. “I’m going to add the two of you to my collection of mannequins.”

Lyra and Bonbon shrieked in horror. Lyra’s eyes darted around the room as she racked her brain for a spell to use. Her eyes fell upon a loaded pincushion, containing dozens of needles, and she got an idea. Normally, she wouldn’t do something like this, but in her particular situation she had no choice. Her horn began to glow, and the mysterious black object clamped to it beeped. The magic light from Lyra’s horn seemed to be sucked into the device, and a series of sparks flew from the device to Lyra’s head, causing her to shout with pain.

Rarity snickered. “I love it when they figure out what the magic inhibitor does! Well, enough dilly-dallying; let’s get down to business. First things first,” the white unicorn’s horn lit up, and an electric razor floated into view.

Lyra swallowed nervously as the razor buzzed to life. It floated upwards, out of her field of vision, and the next thing she saw was a lock of her own mane. More and more green hair fell to the floor as the razor whizzed around the incapacitated mare’s head and neck. Eventually her mane became nothing more than a pile of green hairs on the floor, leaving one large streak of exposed skin down her neck. Lyra looked down longingly at what was once her luxurious mane.

Rarity grinned sadistically. “Next, the tail.”

The hairs on Lyra’s rear stood on end as she pondered their unknown fate. Then she laid eyes on one of the mannequins, and it dawned on her. None of the mannequins had tails.

Rarity’s horn and Lyra’s tail shimmered white, and Lyra’s tail rose higher into the air. Lyra winced as several long tufts of green hair separated themselves from her hindquarters, some of them bringing pieces of skin with them. Eventually, Lyra’s long, luscious tail was reduced to a short, bloody stump, just a layer of pale, patchy skin covering her tailbones.

Rarity dropped the clump of hair, and reached for a hacksaw. What was left of Lyra’s tail squirmed pathetically as the glinting silver saw drew in close. Rarity’s magic aura immobilized Lyra’s tail stub and moved the saw blade back and forth across it, cutting through skin, nerve, muscle, and bone. The unrecognizable former part of Lyra’s body fell to the ground, and secreted its last few drops of blood into a puddle around it.

Lyra screamed in agony as she lost more and more blood running down her flanks. She received a small amount of relief when Rarity applied a gauze pad to the gaping wound, and fastened it with medical tape. “We don’t want you bleeding out, now do we?” Bonbon writhed around in her chair, breaking down at the gruesome sight in front of her.

Twilight sighed, and then turned to Rarity. “Can we just put them under please?”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” The white unicorn inquired. “Besides, this will only take a minute. Look, I’m going to start the spell right now.” Rarity’s horn lit up white, and three beams of white light swirled around the three of Lyra’s hooves that were on the ground. Her hooves turned from green to white as her skin turned into plaster.

The white light crept up Lyra’s legs like a trio of venomous serpents, bringing with it the horrible transformation. The light trails circling her hind legs merged into one as the plaster crept up to her flanks, erasing the golden lyres; her cutie marks, her identity. Rarity tore off the once sterile gauze pad, and the mannequin skin closed over the clotting wound.

Lyra stared deeply into Rarity’s eyes, as if looking for any sign of sympathy. She found none. The half green unicorn hyperventilated, partly because of her crippling fear, and partly because the spell had spread to her torso, making it difficult for her lungs to move.

The white light orbiting Lyra’s front right leg reached the top, and slithered up her left leg, the one raised into the air. Meanwhile, the light around her torso reached the base of her neck, and rounded it like an angry Boa Constrictor. All the while, Lyra yelled her desperate muffled protests into deaf ears.

The door creaked open, and the spell’s progress halted, drawing a sigh of relief from the mostly plastered pony.

“Rarity? Are you in here?” Sweetie Belle called out, poking her head into the room. She saw Lyra and Bonbon, and the three of them were scared out of their minds. “What are you doing?”

Rarity was thoroughly shocked by her little sister’s arrival. “Sweetie Belle! What are you doing up this late?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I th-th-thought I heard… screaming.”

Bonbon looked at Sweetie Belle and grunted insistently. Bonbon flicked her hoof several times, as if trying to shoo Rarity's sister away. Sweetie Belle ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

“Dammit!” Rarity exclaimed. “Give me a minute.” Rarity trotted towards the door, but stopped short and turned to Twilight. “You may as well save your magic.” Twilight stopped the holding spell on Lyra, and Rarity ran out the door.

Sweetie Belle ran out into the main room of Carousel Boutique, moonlight flooding in through the windows. Rarity approached Sweetie Belle urgently, turning on the lights with her magic. “Sweetie Belle, that wasn’t what it looked like!”

“Then by all means, explain yourself,” the unicorn filly pleaded. “If there’s a reasonable explanation for all this, I’d love to hear it.”

Rarity paused for a moment. “Umm…” Her eyes darted anxiously around the room

“Oh my Celestia…” Sweetie Belle cried. “You don’t have a reasonable explanation. You foalnapped them!”

“Of course not! Lyra was…” Rarity began, trying to come up with something. “Just… modeling a white jumpsuit for me. I was going to experiment with colors and patterns, but I just wanted to make sure that it was comfortable first.” While she was delivering her blatant lie, her horn began to glow dimly. The doors of the cabinet on the other side of the room swung open quietly, and a syringe lifted off of a shelf inside it, slowly floating in Sweetie Belle’s direction.

“Then why was she gagged?” Sweetie probed. “And why was Bonbon tied to a chair?”

“I assure you, I can explain.”

“Well then quit stalling and start talking!”

Just then, the syringe snuck up behind Sweetie Belle, sticking itself into her flank, and injecting a generous amount of tranquilizer into her system.

Sweetie Belle quickly turned around and inspected the area behind her. “What was that?” She turned back to her sister. “What did you do to me?”

“You woke up in the middle of the night,” Rarity explained. “I’m just helping you get back to sleep.”

“Oh, Celestia! You’re a monster!” Sweetie turned and ran for the front door. She had to go get the police. She had to find somepony who would help.

Her heart was racing, speeding her blood through her body, and taking the tranquilizer with it. Her gallop turned to a shaky trot, and then she collapsed on the floor mid-stride. Rarity’s horn sparked, and Sweetie Belle lifted into the air, following behind Rarity as she returned to the back room.

While all of this was going on in the front, Lyra and Bonbon were freaking out in the back. Lyra was finally able to move, but since the majority of her skin had been turned into plaster, and could only move her neck and her front left leg. She shook her head violently, causing her entire body to wobble.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Twilight advised.

Lyra’s body tipped over, and she fell to the floor. She swung her head up, and banged her horn against the floor in an attempt to break the inhibitor. The object stayed attached fast to her horn, so she tried again. And again. And again.

“Seriously, Lyra,” Twilight warned. “For you own good, I highly recommend that you stop moving so much.

Lyra reeled her head back, stretching the skin on her neck too far this time. Her skin separated itself from the plaster creating a gaping tear in her body. Blood trickled down to the floor as she tried several more times to break the inhibitor. Bonbon saw Lyra’s skin inching further and further from her chest, and retched in disgust. Her cheeks inflated as vomit leaked out from behind her gag, spilling into her lap.

“Oh no. Now you’ve done it,” Twilight sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Rarity reentered the room, her comatose sister closely behind. Rarity dropped Sweetie Belle’s limp body on the floor. “It looks like we’ve got another one.”

“Are you serious?!?” Twilight shouted. “That’s your sister! Have you no heart?”

“She saw us turning Lyra into a mannequin! What am I supposed to do?”

“Take her up to her bed, and tuck her in,” The purple unicorn suggested. “She’ll come to in her bed, and she’ll think that she had a terrible nightmare. Then she’ll forget this ever happened.”

“I suppose that could work.” Rarity carried Sweetie Belle upstairs.

Rarity entered Sweetie Belle’s room, and placed her unconscious sister onto her bed. Sweetie’s sheets shimmered as Rarity pulled them over Sweetie Belle, tucking them perfectly around her, as is her nature.

“Sweet dreams, sister,” Rarity cooed, returning downstairs.

The white mare strolled into the back room once more, much to the chagrin of her two captives. “Well, that’s taken care of. Now, where were we?”

“Bad news, Rarity, Lyra wouldn’t stop struggling, and she tore her skin.”

“How bad is it?”

“See for yourself.” Twilight’s horn sparked to life, lifting Lyra off of the ground and back to her hooves. Rarity inspected Lyra’s neck to survey the damage. The tear in her skin almost stretched across the entire circumference of her neck, exposing a bloody wall of muscle tissue.

“That’s a shame, I can’t finish the spell with this bad of a break in her skin.”

Lyra let out an extremely relieved sigh.

“I guess there’s only one thing to do…” Rarity kicked Lyra in the side of the ribcage, knocking her to the ground, and her horn glowed white.

Across the room, another white glow lit up the darkness. A shimmering white sledgehammer lifted off of the table, and floated over towards the petrified pony on the floor.

Lyra clawed at the floor with her one good hoof, vainly inching her body away from the incoming hammer. Rarity placed a hoof on Lyra’s flank, bringing the lyrist’s already miniscule progress to a standstill. Lyra pitifully looked up at her captor, and a single teardrop slipped from her eye as she let out a lingering, pathetic whimper. She stole one last glance at her fillyfriend, and then shut her eyes, finally accepting her fate.

The hammer came down full force on Lyra’s chest, and there was a cracking sound as the plaster shattered, followed immediately by the crunch of her breaking ribs, and the squishing sound of her splattering vital organs.

Bonbon shrieked as the love of her life was reduced to a bloody heap of white, plaster-coated flesh, a green disembodied head, and a red stain on the floor. Normally, red, green, and white were such a cheerful trio of colors, but in this situation, that couldn’t have been farther from the case for the bound and gagged mare. The immense amount of tears that burst from her eyes loosened the tape, allowing her to shut her eyelids as she softly cried to herself.

“Now, Bonbon,” Rarity advised. “Unless you want to end up like that, I suggest that you cooperate."

Twilight’s horn shimmered; creating a magic aura around the depressed earth pony, and Rarity’s did the same, untying Bonbon’s bonds. Bonbon flew out of the chair and onto the ground, and the two unicorns discussed what pose to put her in. Bonbon remained completely silent as various parts of her body moved themselves into various positions, for she knew that nothing she could do would mean anything anymore.

Chapter 4

Morning broke, and sunlight shone into Sweetie Belle’s bedroom. The unconscious filly lay in her bed beneath the neatly made sheets, as the effects of the tranquilizer finally wore off.

“Rarity!” The young white unicorn’s eyes shot open as her head rose up, pivoting her eyes around the room. “Oh, thank Celestia. It must have been a bad dream.”

Sweetie eyed her perfectly arranged sheets, and raised an eyebrow, finding their uniform tidiness intriguing. She flicked them off of her body with a hoof, and trotted downstairs for breakfast.

“Good morning, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity chimed, working away at the stove with her magic. “Would you like some French toast?”

“Yes, please!” Rarity’s sister licked her lips as a thick slice of bread drowned itself in a bowl of beaten eggs, and then leapt into the piping hot frying pan, simmering into a delicious morsel that made Sweetie Belle’s mouth water just thinking about it. Delightful fumes wafted over to the little filly’s greedy nostrils as the sweet treat finished cooking. Rarity’s magic aura pulled the piece of French toast out of the frying pan and onto a plate, which then floated over to the kitchen table. Rarity sat down with her sister and her own plate, and the two sisters eyed their breakfast hungrily.

Sweetie Belle grabbed the small silver syrup pitcher in her teeth, then brought it over her plate, and cocked her head to one side, spilling the sweet brown nectar all over the plump slice of bread. Rarity used her magic to wipe off the handle of the pitcher with a napkin when Sweetie was done with it, and then the aura lifted the silver grail over Rarity’s plate, pouring a much more modest amount of syrup.

Rarity reached for her silverware with her magic, slicing a small square of toast away from the rest. “So, did you sleep well, sister?” She placed the juicy delicacy into her mouth, letting the syrup squeeze out onto her tongue.

“Well,” Sweetie began, mulling over how much to reveal of her nightmare. “I had a pretty bad nightmare last night.” The unicorn filly nudged the thick piece of toast towards her face with a hoof, and bit out a large chunk of it, getting almost as much syrup on her face as in it.

“Oh, really?” Rarity was secretly very relieved. “That’s too bad.”

Sweetie Belle licked the sweet brown syrup off of her face. “But the weird thing was, when I woke up this morning… it looked like the sheets had just been made, even though I had been sleeping in them all night. And, I had a nightmare, so you’d think I would’ve been tossing and turning a lot.”

Rarity swore under her breath and her horn lit up. A bottle of Diethyl Ether floated out of a nearby cabinet, pouring a portion of its contents onto a piece of cloth.

“What did you say?” Sweetie asked.

“Oh, nothing.” It was then that the rag flew over the filly’s face. At first, Sweetie Belle thought it was just Rarity being Rarity, and cleaning the rest of the syrup off of her face. But by the time she realized that wasn’t the case, it was too late. She fell out of the chair down to the kitchen floor, unconscious once again.

When Sweetie Belle woke up, she was in her bed again. She couldn’t believe that Rarity expected her to fall for the same trick twice. And judging by the neat sheets on the bed, she didn’t do any better of a job this time.

The white filly tried to pull out a hoof to remove the sheets, but found her legs unable to move. She was tightly cocooned in the first layer of sheets, and the second was securely fastened to the bed, helplessly pinning her down. Sweetie Belle groaned and groaned as she struggled fruitlessly to free herself.

Rarity heard her sister’s cries and entered the room.

“Get away from me!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “You’re a monster!” The way her voice cracked when she was emotional made it very difficult for her to sound forceful.

Rarity’s horn lit up. A piece of ribbon floated over to Sweetie Belle, and tied itself tightly around her snout. “No, Sweetie Belle. I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen.” She had no trouble sounding forceful. Rarity looked intensely into her sister’s eyes, and Sweetie Belle stopped squirming.

“So, the cat’s out of the bag. You’ve discovered what Twilight and I have been doing after hours. You are now presented with two options: you can tell nopony, and you can help us make the mannequins, or you can be the next pony on the list.”

Sweetie Belle was equally frightened by both options. Sweat ran down her forehead as she held her petrified gaze locked onto her sister, afraid that she might make her sister mad if she so much as looked away.

“Keep in mind,” Rarity continued, “that if you opt for the latter, the best case scenario is that you end up like Bonbon.” Her horn twinkled, and a dress mannequin floated through the door and into the room. Sweetie Belle could practically see the terrified pony that the mannequin used to be, now reduced to a cold, lifeless statue. The very thought made her cringe.

“And the worst case… You end up like Lyra.” Rarity’s magic left the mannequin, and a yellow wicker basket drifted into the room. It hovered just above the hoof of Sweetie Belle’s bed, and emptied its contents.

A pile of blood stained plaster pony parts tumbled onto Sweetie Belle’s bed. All of them were stark white, save for one bloody green leg, and the glassy-eyed head of a pony that she had seen alive and well just a few days ago.

The little filly squeaked with terror, and recoiled away from the mutilated mare. A dark circle formed between Sweetie Belle’s legs, spreading outward as she voided her bladder.

“Now,” Rarity smirked, “Are you going to be a good little filly and help your big sister…” Her horn glowed, and a loaded syringe floated into view. “…Or am I going to have to put you under again?”

"Mmm hmm!" was Sweetie Belle's immidiate reply. She nodded vigorously, almost as if her head was shivering.

Rarity used her magic to place Lyra’s dismembered body back into the wicker basket. She then shed the ribbon coil from Sweetie Belle’s snout, and removed the wet sheets from her bed, freeing her sister from her cloth cocoon. The white mare produced a laundry basket from the closet, and placed the sheets into it.

“That’s a good girl,” Rarity praised. “Now take these down to the laundry room. We don’t want your little accident causing a stain, now do we?”

“Yes, Rarity, right away,” Sweetie Belle replied nervously. She grabbed the rim of the basket with her teeth, and quickly dragged it backwards out of the room, cheeks glowing bright red.

Later that day, Rarity called Sweetie Belle into her room. The skittish white filly entered her sister’s bedroom, and noticed an extra decoration amongst the usual fancy decor. Hanging from one of the walls was a quilt, each square a unique color. Some of them had red Velcro X’s on them, and all of them were marked with unique symbols. She noticed a beige square with three pieces of candy, and a green one with a golden lyre, and it dawned on her. This quilt was Rarity’s hit list.

“Well,” Rarity began, “Lyra and Bonbon are finished…” her horn lit up, and two Velcro X’s lifted into the air, landing on the beige and the green squares. “Now let’s see who our next victim is.” She raised a dart into the air with her magic, closed her eyes, and tossed it at the quilt. The white magic aura around the dart dissipated in midair, and it flew through the air on its own momentum, sticking itself into a square of the quilt. The square was yellow, and had three bright orange carrots on it. “Carrot Top it is.”

Carrot Top was strolling through the Ponyville Market, doing her weekly shopping, when Sweetie Belle came up to her.

“Hey Carrot Top.”

“Hi Sweetie Belle.”

The young filly paused for a moment, and delivered her repeatedly rehearsed line. “My sister’s looking for you.”

“Really? Why?”

Sweetie Belle didn’t anticipate that question. She had to think on her hooves. “Uhh… She didn’t say.”

“Well, where is she?”

“She’s back at Carousel Boutique.” Sweetie Belle was extremely nervous. She couldn’t bear the thought of what she was getting Carrot Top into.

“Tell you what, I’ve got a few more errands to run around town, but I’ll swing by to see her on my way home, say… Sevenish?”

“Umm… th-th-that should be fine.” Sweetie Belle quickly scampered off, already feeling sorry for the horribly unlucky mare.

As promised, Carrot Top made her way into Carousel Boutique later that evening, saddlebags full of groceries. “Hey Rarity. Your sister said you were looking for me?”

Rarity was once again at her sewing machine, wearing her signature red work glasses. “Ah, yes. Could you come over here for a moment?”

“Uhh… Sure. What do you need?”

Rarity stuck a syringe into Carrot Top’s flank, injecting her with tranquilizer. “I need you to lie down.”

The yellow earth pony turned around and noticed the empty needle. “What was that?”

“Never mind that. Why don’t you rest a while?”

“What? But I’m not… even…” Carrot Top yawned as the tranquilizer took effect. She collapsed onto the floor, spilling her groceries all over.

Rarity picked up a ripe red apple from the floor with her magic, wiped it off with a rag, and took a large and rather unladylike bite. “Free food. How nice.” She found room for Carrot Top’s groceries in her kitchen, and dragged the unconscious mare into the back room. She then made a call to Twilight, and promptly resumed her everyday business.

Chapter 5

Twilight arrived in the back room of Carousel Boutique as the sun began to set, Rarity and the comatose Carrot Top waiting for her. “Finally, you’re here,” the impatient white unicorn huffed. “Let’s get started.”

Twilight’s horn lit up, and Carrot Top rose to her hooves. The pair of unicorns contorted her into a playful pose, crouched down on all four hooves, like a cat ready to pounce.

Rarity grabbed the razor and went to work on Carrot Top’s mane. The metal box buzzed viciously as the yellow mare’s bright orange locks fell to the floor. Carrot Top snorted lightly in her sleep as the razor tickled the back of her neck.

Please, Twilight thought to herself, for Celestia’s sake, don’t wake up. Make this easier on both of us, and just stay asleep.

Carrot Top’s repeated snorts turned into a low chuckle. She opened her eyes, and immediately ceased her laughter, thoroughly puzzled by her surroundings. The yellow mare groaned as she struggled to move, several veins bulging out of her neck. She looked down at the floor and noticed the piles of orange hair, then up at herself in the mirror. She stared at the large bald spot where her mane used to be, and released a high-pitched screech, the majority of which captured by the gag over her mouth.

“Well, would you look at that?” Rarity chimed. “She’s finally awake.” Carrot Top’s breath shortened as several tears burst from her eyes. “Oh, please. At least wait until I give you something to cry about.” Rarity’s horn lit up as the white magic aura surrounded the yellow mare’s orange tail, leaving it nowhere to go but up.

Rarity yanked Carrot Top’s entire tail off at once, taking a large strip of skin with it. The white unicorn brought out the hacksaw and sliced off the disappointing remainder of Carrot Top’s tail. The amputated earth pony let out a shriek chilling enough to curdle the copious amounts of blood running down her flanks. “There. Now you can cry,” Rarity mused. And she did. A lot.

Twilight stared into Carrot Top’s horrified eyes, and was swept with guilt as Rarity applied a gauze pad to the expansive hole where Carrot Top’s tail used to be. “Rarity, I-I-I can’t keep doing this.”

“It sounds like somepony doesn’t want to see her precious Spikey-Wikey ever again.” Twilight flinched at the mention of Spike’s name. The very thought of the little baby dragon, helplessly locked up who knows where, was enough to bring a tear to her eye.

“You agreed to help me turn two dozen ponies into mannequins,” Rarity reminded, snapping Twilight out of her depressing daydream, “and I agreed to return Spike to you afterwards. Carrot Top will be number twenty-one, you still have to help me three more times to meet your end of the deal.”

Carrot Top’s eyes widened as she became aware of Rarity’s exact plans for her. She gazed around the room at the mannequins, wondering who the other ponies were that were as unfortunate as she was.

“I can’t do this three more times,” Twilight sobbed. “We are murdering, Rarity. We are plucking our friends off of the street and murdering them. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. Every time I close my eyes, I see pain and suffering. If I do this any more, I’ll go madder than Pinkie Pie the day after Gummy’s birthday.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little madness,” Rarity replied. “Just look at me, a rising star on her way to the top of Equestria’s fashion industry.” Rarity’s horn lit up, and four beams of white light swirled around Carrot Top’s legs, slowly turning her skin to plaster. “Now let’s finish up here, and you can go home.” Carrot Top moaned dismally, and watched in the mirror at the plaster inched its way up her body.

Twilight looked at the desperate yellow mare empathically, and she sniffled several times. “I’m so sorry.”

The mannequin skin had almost enclosed Carrot Top’s entire body, and worked its way up her neck. The white beam of light circled her head like a comet, and slipped under the gag around her mouth. Rarity removed the tight ribbon coil from around Carrot Top’s snout. “Any last words, darling?”

The plastered earth pony’s snout was now locked in place, but she parted her lips and uttered a single sentence through her teeth. “Go to hell.”

“See you there, darling.” The white beam of light passed over Carrot Top’s lips, completely sealing her airways. The spell had reached every part of her body, leaving only her eyes uncovered, filled to the brim with sadness and terror. The white light swept over her eyes, and the transformation was complete. Twilight dropped the holding spell, and the mannequin shook lightly. Carrot Top was still under there, still fighting. A muffled scream permeated the thin layer of plaster where her skin used to be. Her mouth screamed for freedom, but her lungs screamed for oxygen. The mannequin stopped shaking, and it fell silent. Carrot Top was dead.

Rarity pushed the statue over to the wall with her magic. “There, only three more to go.” Twilight galloped out of Carousel Boutique, sobbing her eyes out.

A dim light illuminated Rarity’s basement as the door creaked open. The growing pillar of light from the doorway brought a small metal cage into view. Behind the bleak silver bars was a purple baby dragon, jarred out of a light, restless sleep by the sudden noise and light in his face. Spike lifted his head and looked pathetically in Rarity’s direction as she tossed a small gem into the cage, roughly the size of Spike’s palm.

“Here,” Rarity said flatly. “Bon appetit.”

Spike snatched up the gem immediately and chomped down on it hungrily, licking up every last crystal crumb from his claws. The purple dragon then leapt towards the edge of the cage and grabbed the bars, sending a strong jolt of electricity into his young body. Spike had temporarily forgotten that the bars were electrified to prevent him from biting through them.

“Why are you doing this?” Spike whimpered from the floor of the cage, sucking on his seared claws.

“What can I say?” Rarity sneered. “I love watching ponies suffer. And if I get a few free mannequins out of the process, well that’s just killing two birds with one stone.” She trotted out of the room, shutting the door behind her, and leaving Spike alone in the dark. His only companion was the moon, shining in through a small metal grate near the ceiling.

Spike got to his feet and looked at the door. “What did I ever see in her?” He then thought about her elegant flowing mane... the way her coat glistens in just the right light… “Oh… yeah,” The diluted dragon sighed, before promptly slapping himself across the face. “Snap out of it, Spike! You’ve got to find a way out of here.” He looked around and ran through his options as he did most nights, none.

He stamped around in frustration on the floor of the cage, anger welling inside of him… or was it gas? Whatever it was, it kept building and building in his stomach, until his cheeks inflated, and he let out a loud, fiery belch.

A wisp of smoke curled up into the air, eventually materializing into a scroll, tied with a ribbon and marked with the royal seal of Princess Celestia. Spike could barely control his happiness as he tore off the ribbon and unrolled the scroll. He didn’t even bother to read the letter itself, instead turning it over and staring at the blank side on the back, his blank canvas with which to compose his escape. He tore several scales off of his left hand, exposing his soft, pink flesh. He then scratched a tear into his left hand with his right, causing a small drop of blood to squeeze out through his skin. He dipped a claw in the crimson ink, and furiously scribbled on the back of Celestia’s letter.

Princess,

Rarity foalnapping & murdering ponies. Twilight blackmailed into helping. I’m locked in Rarity’s basement. HELP!

-Spike

He skimmed over his letter one last time, making sure everything was in order, and prepared to send it. The maddening silence of his prison made excellent conditions for him to concentrate, channeling what little magic ability he possessed. Suddenly, his snout twitched, his focus faltered, and sneezed fire all over the letter. Average, everyday, destructive fire. When the smoke cleared, he stared down at the smoldering pile of ashes that used to be his escape plan.

“No…” Spike sniffled. “No, no no no…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” He buried his head in his hands and wept, a mixture of blood and tears dripping onto the floor of the cage.

Chapter 6

The following day, Sweetie Belle met with Applebloom and Scootaloo in their clubhouse for their monthly Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting. Applebloom and Scootaloo chatted furiously about various activities they could pursue that could possibly lead to their cutie marks, but Sweetie Belle just sat there silently, still trying to recover from her newly found emotional scars.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo called out. “Are you alright?”

“You’ve been awful quiet today,” Applebloom added.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sweetie Belle said. “Things have just been pretty rough lately.”

Scootaloo walked over to the ‘good idea spot’ and sat back down. “I’ve got it! We should totally try magic tricks! We’ll need a wand, a top hat, and a saw.”

Sweetie Belle sighed rather heavily. “I don’t know… I’m just not in the mood today.”

Applebloom was taken aback by her friend’s statement. “Not in the mood for finding your cutie mark?”

“What could possibly be wrong that could keep you from wanting to get your cutie mark?” Scootaloo added.

“Let’s just say I’ve seen a whole new side of my sister that I never knew existed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle caught herself before she could reveal any more information. “I… I’ve said too much already.” She rose to her hooves and headed for the door. “I’m sorry, girls. I-I gotta go.”

Applebloom turned to Scootaloo as soon as Sweetie Belle left. “We’re gonna go after her right?”

“Duh.”

Sweetie Belle came back to Carousel Boutique, and her friends filed in shortly after.

“Come on, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom said. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you?”

Sweetie Belle was startled by her friend’s sudden arrival. "You followed me home?!? You guys really shouldn't be here."

Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “We’ve been here plenty of times before, what makes today any different?”

“You’re just gonna have to trust me. It is a really bad idea for you to be here.”

“I know what’ll raise your spirits!” Scootaloo said. “Some good old fashioned crusading!” She looked up at Rarity’s sewing machine up on a high shelf. “Now that I think about it, I don’t think we’ve tried sewing yet.” The orange filly climbed on top of one of Rarity’s mannequins and reached for the large machine.

Scootaloo grasped the bulky sewing machine in her hooves, and tried to slide it off of the shelf. Her back hooves slid off of the slick plaster pony, and she plummeted to the floor, bringing the mannequin and the sewing machine with her.

The sewing machine crashed down on the mannequin, crushing its midsection, and revealing all of the former pony’s slimy and perfectly preserved organs. Scootaloo fell down shortly after landing in a pile of old dead intestines, lungs, and other vital organs. Her wings shot out as she drew in a deep breath, and was about to let out a shriek, but Sweetie Belle galloped over and put a hoof over Scootaloo’s mouth.

“Please, No! Don’t scream!” Sweetie Belle whispered desperately. “This is what I didn’t want to tell you. Rarity is foalnapping ponies and turning them into mannequins. That’s why I didn’t want you two around here. I didn’t want you to find out. Please, you can’t tell anypony! If Rarity so much as finds out that you know, she’ll kill you too! So please, for your own safety, just get as far away from here as possible, and keep quiet!”

Sweetie Belle removed her hoof from Scootaloo’s mouth, and the three fillies stood there in silence. Scootaloo stepped out of the bloody mass of mysterious pony organs without a word, still trying to process everything that her best friend just said. Sweetie Belle covered the smashed mannequin with a sheet of red fabric, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders made for the exit.

Rarity entered the room, halting their escape. “Hello girls. I heard a crash, are you three alright? Is anything… broken?”

“No,” her sister replied immediately. “N-n-no, Nothing’s broken. Scootaloo was just reaching for your sewing machine, and she d-d-dropped it.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at the orange filly. “What are all of those red spots?”

Scootaloo looked down at the blood all over her coat. “Oh, this? Umm…” She tried frantically to come up with an explanation. “Well, let’s just say I don’t think I’ll be getting a cutie mark for painting any time soon.” The scared pegasus laughed nervously as she watched Rarity evaluate the validity of her excuse.

Applebloom continued towards the door, Scootaloo in tow. “Well, we’re just gonna get going.”

“Y-y-yeah…” Scootaloo added. “See you later Sweetie Belle.”

Rarity crossed in front of the two fillies, blocking their only exit. “But you just got here. You should at least stay for dinner.”

“I don’t know…” Applebloom looked over at Sweetie Belle, who looked absolutely petrified. Sweetie Belle nodded slowly.

“Please, I insist,” Rarity said.

Applebloom and Scootaloo looked at each other, and then back at murderous mare in front of them. “Alright.”

“Great. I’ll get started right away.” Rarity retired to the kitchen, and the three friends continued conversing nervously.

“Why in Equestria would you think we should stay?” Applebloom fumed. “Weren’t you just saying we should be as far away from here as possible?”

“You can’t act suspicious around Rarity,” Sweetie Belle replied. “If you seem too eager to leave, she’ll know something’s up. Just stay around for dinner, and we’ll come up with an excuse to get you two out of here.”

A few minutes later, the three traumatized fillies gathered around the dinner table, and Rarity emerged with a large bowl of salad, full of crisp green lettuce, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a few slices of hard-boiled eggs. She set the salad down on the table, and went back into the kitchen, coming back out with dressing, plates, and four glasses of sparkling apple cider. The white mare used her magic to give her sister and her friends a plateful of salad, and then gave herself some. Rarity paused for a moment before putting each of the glasses of cider in front of a particular spot on the table. She then grabbed herself a fork, and the four ponies started their awkward meal. Applebloom and Scootaloo sipped their cider, and Rarity tried to chat with the three fillies.

After a few minutes of Rarity’s unsuccessful attempts at starting conversation and Sweetie Belle’s friends slowly picking at their salads, Applebloom and Scootaloo got up to leave.

“Well, we’d better get going.” Scootaloo said as politely as possible. She wobbled for a moment, and put a hoof to her forehead. “Does anypony else feel really…dizzy all of a sudden?”

Applebloom mimicked the orange pegasus’s movements. “Yeah, and it sure don’t help that the room is...spinnin’ like this.”

Sweetie Belle glanced at her sister in disbelief. “No… You didn’t…”

Rarity looked away from Sweetie Belle and smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Applebloom and Scootaloo stumbled towards the door, and then collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

“Oh my Celestia, you did!” Sweetie Belle screamed, voice cracking several times. “You put Hoofies in their drinks!”

“Of course I did,” Rarity said. “You didn’t honestly think I didn’t hear what the three of you said in the other room, did you? They know, and I can’t let them live. You’re lucky that Twilight convinced me to let you live.”
Sweetie Belle sniffled as waterfalls of hot tears poured down her cheeks. “Fine! If you want to kill my best friends, go right ahead! Just do me a favor… don’t send me a postcard from JAIL!!!” Sweetie Belle leapt from her chair and galloped full speed towards the door.

“Oh no you don’t,” Rarity’s horn lit up, and her magic aura formed around her sister’s tail.

Sweetie Belle struggled to inch her way towards the door, towards freedom, and as far away from Rarity as possible. But alas, Rarity’s white magic aura tugged on her tail, making her lose her balance, falling rump first to the floor. Her tail dragged her backwards towards Rarity’s back room, and the door opened wide. Sweetie Belle glanced back at the gaping maw of Rarity’s shadowy murder chamber, and turned back around to scratch at the floor with her hooves. “Somepony, anypony! HEEEEEEELP!!!!”

Rarity lifted up Applebloom and Scootaloo, sending them into the back room with her magic, and dragged the kicking and screaming Sweetie Belle in with them. She bound and gagged the three of them with ribbons, and shut the door. Then she picked up the phone and dialed Twilight’s number, effortlessly tuning out her sister’s muffled screams.

Chapter 7

Twilight guiltily entered Rarity’s back room and sighed. “Alright, lets get this over with. Who is it this time?” Sweetie Belle stared up at Twilight from the floor with her beady, sad puppy dog eyes, tied up with bright red ribbons. On either side of the sobbing white filly were Applebloom and Scootaloo, bound and gagged like their friend. The three little fillies squirmed desperately, even though their chances of escape were slim to none.

“Oh my Celestia!” Twilight shouted. “How could you?!?”

“Her friends found out," Rarity stated matter-of-factly, "And I lost control of Sweetie Belle. I had no choice.”

“They’re just fillies! And one of them is your sister for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all weeping uncontrollably.

“Think of it this way, darling. After Sweetie Belle and her friends are turned into mannequins, that will make an even two dozen, and I will no longer require your services.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I’ve been nothing if not cooperative these past few weeks, but murdering fillies is where I draw the line.”

“Twilight, you agreed…”

Twilight stared sternly into Rarity’s eyes, trying her best to keep her voice level under the extreme emotional pressure. “I am aware of the agreement, Rarity, but I refuse to murder your sister.”

Rarity looked disappointed in Twilight. “Well… I guess I can let you out of your contract early.”

Twilight’s ears perked up as she gave a slightly disbelieving smile. “Really? You’ll give me back Spike?”

“I never said that.”

Rarity’s horn lit up white, a magic inhibitor clamped over Twilight’s horn, and a spool of ribbon snaked around the purple mare’s legs, sending her falling to the floor. “I’ll just have to dispose of the four of you the old fashioned way.”

“Rarity, please! Don’t do this!” Twilight wailed. “I’m your best friend!”

Rarity gave a condescending glance down at Twilight. “Oh please, Twilight. This was going to happen eventually. You didn’t honestly expect me to trust that you would keep quiet about this operation when I was done with you, did you?”

Twilight’s cheeks turned a shade of pink similar to Fluttershy’s mane. “Well…kind of?” Her answer came out as a barely audible whimper.

“Wow, for somepony so intelligent, you can be really foalish sometimes.”

Twilight’s horn sparked, but the inhibitor immediately shocked her, faltering her focus. She gritted her teeth, and tried again. She collected her immense magic reserves into a single spell, and her horn glowed blindingly bright, lighting up the room as if it were the middle of the day. The inhibitor beeped harshly as a rain of sparks connected with the top of Twilight’s head, but she held fast to her spell.

Several sparks flew out of the top of the inhibitor and shot randomly around the room. It stopped beeping, and a wisp of smoke curled up into the air as its circuits overloaded. The black metal box glowed purple and exploded, freeing Twilight’s horn, which immediately began another spell.

The ribbons unraveled from Twilight’s legs, and Rarity’s backup inhibitor flew off of a nearby shelf, clamping onto Rarity’s horn. Rarity was smothered in Twilight’s purple magic aura, and she was lifted off of the ground. She flipped over, slammed down onto the floor of the room, and was pinned down by Twilight’s magic. The angry white unicorn’s back was flat against the floor, and her front hooves were lifted above her head.

Rarity attempted to repeat Twilight’s success with overloading the inhibitor, but she couldn’t even hope to match Twilight’s level of magical strength. The inhibitor absorbed Rarity’s magic effortlessly, converting every last bit of magic into a powerful jolt of electricity, surging directly into Rarity’s head.

Twilight directed a portion of her magic to Rarity’s sledgehammer, drifting it in Rarity’s direction.

The detained white unicorn squinted. “You don’t have the guts.”

“Don’t be so sure about that, Rarity. For almost a month I’ve done nothing but watch you kill ponies, and I think it’s time I tried my hoof at it.”

“Go ahead… I bucking dare you!”

Twilight brought the heavy iron hammer over Rarity’s body, and it hovered there motionless for several moments.

Come on, Twilight, the purple unicorn thought to herself. This has to stop. Killing her is the only way to bring all of this hurt to an end. Twilight closed her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Rarity. But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to drop the hammer. It loomed several feet above Rarity’s body, and refused to move any closer.

“I knew it,” Rarity said. “You would never kill me. You’re too nice. You wouldn’t harm a parasprite!”

Twilight’s eyes drifted around the room, and all of the memories of the past month of pain and suffering flashed before her eyes. She saw twenty-one terrified pony faces in every single mannequin around the room.

She looked up, and noticed a new edition to the room. Rarity had taken Lyra’s disembodied head and mounted it on a wooden plaque, which now hung from the wall. Twilight looked deep into the green mare’s empty eyes, and flashed back to that horrible night. Bonbon’s shrill, mortified screams as Lyra was bludgeoned to death echoed through Twilight’s head, just as they had done every waking moment for the past forty-eight hours.

Twilight’s eyes fell down upon the three trembling fillies, still bound and helpless on the floor. Twilight locked eyes with Sweetie Belle, and then returned her attention to the other white unicorn struggling on the floor.

“You’re right,” Twilight said, “I wouldn’t harm a parasprite. But you’re lower than a parasprite.” Twilight raised the hammer higher, and finally brought it crashing down on Rarity’s chest.

Rarity screamed as every one of her ribs simultaneously shattered. Her cries of pain were cut short by a vicious coughing fit. She hacked up ounce after ounce of crimson blood until she was finally met by the sweet mercy of death. She shut her eyes one final time, and blacked out.

Twilight removed the magic aura from around Rarity, and untied the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Applebloom and Scootaloo immediately galloped over to Twilight and clung to her legs like newborn foals to their mother. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” The two fillies praised. They would have broken down crying out of sheer joy, but their eyes had run dry thinking about what Rarity had planned to do to them.

While Applebloom and Scootaloo groveled at Twilight’s hooves, Sweetie Belle remained completely silent, still staring at Rarity’s pulverized ribcage. She looked down at the floor around Rarity, and saw her sister’s blood splattered all over it. She turned away and closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear to look at her sister; especially after all she’d been through these past few days.

Twilight draped a foreleg over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder, shaking the trembling orange filly off of her leg in the process.

“It’ll be alright,” Twilight assured, only half believing herself. “It’s all over now.”

Sweetie Belle waited a moment before finding the courage to speak. “But…Rarity was…And…You j-j-just…” Sweetie Belle was too traumatized to finish a single sentence.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I did what I had to do. You and I both know there was no other way to stop her from killing innocent ponies.”

“But where am I going to live? My parents won’t be back from their vacation for another three days.”

“It’s okay. You can stay with me and Spike at the…Spike! I almost forgot about him. Do you know where Rarity took him?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I wasn’t even aware that Rarity had him.”

Twilight trotted out into the main room of the boutique. “SPIKE! Where are you?” She heard a faint, muffled voice, and put an ear to the ground.

“Twilight! I’m down here! In the basement!”

Twilight galloped down to the basement, and found her purple dragon friend jumping for joy.

“Twilight!” Spike yelled in elation. “Thank Celestia you found me! Where’s Rarity?”

“She…She’s dead.” Twilight broke the lock on Spike’s cage with her magic, and Spike ran up to the purple unicorn, clutching her leg with all of his might.

“It’s okay now Spike. I’m here, Rarity is dead, and everything is going to go back to normal.” Twilight and her faithful assistant shed tears of joy from their long awaited reunion.

Twilight, Spike and Sweetie Belle filed into the Ponyville Library, and Twilight tucked the little filly into her ad interim bed. Twilight came back downstairs and called out to Spike. “Spike, take a letter.”

“Wait a minute,” Spike said. “You’re not actually going to tell Celestia all of this, are you?”

“Well… yes and no.”

Spike grabbed a quill and parchment, and transcribed Twilight’s every word:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I apologize for not being able to write you for the past month. Spike has been rather tied up lately. But I assure you; I have learned something very important over these past few weeks. Friendship requires a give and take, and that means doing favors for your friends. But the generosity of a friend has its limits. A true friend should know what request is too much, and should do what is best for them, even if it may break their heart.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle