Mistress Do Well: Reparation
by milesprower06

O Manehattan, What Have I Done?

Rainbow's hooves clacked on the marble flooring of the shopping center in downtown Manehattan. With Twilight at her side, they slowly made their way through the main concourse, eying the various shops.

Rarity was somewhere here. Of this they were certain.

The moment they stepped off the train onto the platform, the Element of Generosity started to slowly pulse with light from within the gem. As they made their way deeper into downtown, the pulse had slowly started to speed up. Quickly concluding that the pulse was most likely reacting to Rarity's proximity, they now found themselves in the Manehattan Shopping Plaza, and headed in whatever direction that made it go faster.

Twilight was unsure how to feel. She promised Rainbow her support in whatever she decided, which was why she had accompanied Rainbow here. Her demeanor hadn't been the same since her cutie mark had been altered. Whatever conflict was happening inside, she was afraid that the darker half, the half that was hellbent on vengeance, was winning.

She knew exactly what Rainbow was planning; the exact same method of memory recovery that had worked after she recited Starswirl's unfinished spell.

Despite how badly she wanted to talk Rainbow out of this, to stop opposing the clandestine efforts of the rulers of Equestria, she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. Through the months of drinking, the months of recovery, and the weeks of healing friendships... Twilight could not yet consider forgiving Rarity. She came the closest she ever had to at her funeral, but her vengeful feelings and hatred were dug up right alongside the golden urn. It had taken her long enough to forgive herself. Rarity was another story entirely, and if she couldn't muster up forgiveness, she certainly wasn't going to implore Rainbow to do so.

Passing the food court, they came to the southeast corner of the mall. Rainbow looked down at the Element of Generosity, which was at a strobe pace by now, as they stood thirty feet from the entrance to a mane styling salon.

"I think this is the place, Twilight."

Suddenly, a small orb of light appeared halfway between them and the salon. Beams erupted out of it, and the orb exploded in a flash of light, and Princess Luna and Princess Celestia materialized.

"Not another step." Luna decreed, standing between Rainbow and the entrance to the store.

Rainbow and Twilight stood around the library table with their other three friends. Spike sat up on the stairs.

"Are you sure? That's where she is?" Applejack asked.

"We won't be absolutely sure until we're there. But I'm going. With this, Luna can't use the amnesia to hide her away. So should we go get five tickets?"

Silence fell over the table for several moments while they contemplated going to Manehattan with Rainbow.

"No."

Rainbow looked over to the source of the first answer.

Fluttershy.

"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked her.

"I'm not going. I'm moving past it. You go, and do whatever you need to. I won't think of you any differently. Your cutie mark changing is proof that you need to figure this out."

Applejack put her leg around her.

"I'm not going either. I'll stay here with Fluttershy. Twilight supports whatever decision you make, so I'm going to support Fluttershy in hers."

Rainbow nodded, then turned to Pinkie.

"What about you Pinkie?"

Pinkie looked at her, and slowly shook her head.

"This crisis you have is changing you, Rainbow. I'm sorry you feel the way you do about Rarity, but I can't imagine it. She didn't do to us what she did to you. I'm... I'm sorry. I can't go with you. Please don't be angry."

Rainbow sighed.

"I'm not angry. In fact, I envy that. I wish I could figure out how to just let this go... But I can't."

"Out of my way. I've come too far to not see this through." Rainbow demanded to the monarch in her path.

"I can't let you do this, Rainbow."

"It's not about what you want. I can't let her get away with what she did."

Luna didn't move.

"Do you even realize what you're becoming? What are you going to do? Go in there and mutilate her again? Once in your sleep wasn't enough?"

"She has to face justice for what she did to me. You brought her here like some witness protection program... Like she's innocent!"

"Her mind is innocent."

"Because of you."

"No, because of you. You mutilated her in her dream."

"You put me there!"

"Because you were the only way to wake her up."

Rainbow took several steps forward.

"So you wait for me to come back after a year of wandering in loneliness, you drop me into a dream to wake her up so she can go to trial, and then you whisk her away when it doesn't go according to plan. Then the two of you lied to us about it."

"Because you can't take vengeance on an innocent mind."

Rainbow held up the rapidly flashing Necklace of Generosity.

"With this, it won't be innocent. The truth will be restored."

"Regardless, doing this will take away an innocent life."

"I'm going in there."

"No, you're not."

Rainbow stepped directly up to the Princess of the Night.

"Then I hope you have another identity ready, your majesty, because the Rainbow Dash standing right here will love to see you try and stop her."

The pegasus and alicorn stared each other down silently, their snouts only centimeters apart, neither giving an inch.

"Let her go in, Luna."

The voice came from Celestia, standing off to Luna's left, and the three ponies present turned to look at her.

"What?" Luna asked incredulously. "But sister-"

"Your plan had flaws from the start. You took Rarity from the hospital in the view of staff. You convinced me to give them an urn full of sand to bury. Lastly, you sent Rainbow down to Mustang Springs to visit one of your Suicide Solutions program members, thinking he wouldn't divulge your stance on preserving all equine life, no matter their crimes. She exploited each one of these flaws. If you believe you did the right thing, believe that this was truly the path to take, then let her go in and see for herself."

Luna continued staring at her older sister in disbelief. Twilight began to step forward.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. If Rainbow goes in, she goes in alone. The choice is hers."

Twilight stopped in her tracks, and looked to Rainbow. The pegasus glanced at her, then back to Luna. The alicorn sighed in defeat, looking her in the eyes.

"Consider everything you've been through, and how this one choice will affect you in the days, weeks, and years to come."

With that, Luna slowly and reluctantly stepped aside.

Rainbow dropped the Necklace of Generosity into her saddlebag and walked into the salon. There were various bottles of shampoos, conditioners, and mane treatment solutions on numerous shelves near the front desk. The majority of the shop were chairs, counters full of combs and scissors, and the back wall were chairs with full mane-drying domes above them.

"Hello, and welcome to Downtown Salon. What can I do for you?"

The front receptionist was a light brown earth pony. She had a stunning mane cut, no doubt to advertise the services the business offered.

"Yeah, just a mane cut and comb, please."

"Alrighty... Let's see. Business has been slow today, we've only got the one stylist, and she's rather new. Right this way."

The receptionist led Rainbow to the closest chair, and sat her down.

"Charity, customer!"

Rainbow slowed her breathing as she set her saddlebags down and turned her head to the back of the store, where a white unicorn came out of the room in back. Her throat tightened.

It was her.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched her quickly wash her hooves and come up to where she was sitting. Her mane was styled differently, it was less curled, and looked far more like Fluttershy's mane style. She could also tell where she had facial reconstruction done. But what disturbed her most was the way she looked.

Gone was the look of the Rarity from a year ago; the cruel sadistic mistress who put her through three days of hell. In her place was a kind smile that was eager to please another paying customer.

"Hello there, dear. Just a trim and styling?" She asked, getting her comb and scissors ready.

"Uh... Yeah, that should do." Rainbow answered, as Rarity lit her horn and rotated the barber's chair around.

"We don't usually get a lot of pegasi in here. Especially those with airborne occupations; not really concerned with their manes if they're flying around on a daily basis. But I must say yours is quite beautiful, even unkempt."

"Thanks," she said as Rarity slowly reclined the chair back until Rainbow's neck was resting in the mane-washing sink. She took a magical grip on the spray hose, and began to dampen Rainbow's mane.

As the lukewarm water ran down her mane, Rainbow fought back flashbacks of being restrained in the ice-cold shower. She took in a sudden breath, causing Rarity some concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I just don't really get my mane done at all." Rainbow said, closing her eyes, trying her best to remain calm.

"I see. What's the occasion?" She asked, as she ran color-safe shampoo through her hair.

"Vacation."

"Ah. Well I'm glad you stopped in. Manehattan is such a lovely city. I hope you see and do everything you've come for. Where are you from?"

"Ponyville."

"Oh I've always wondered what it'd be like to live in a rustic area like that. I'm told Equestria's central valleys are simply beautiful."

"What about you? Been in town long?"

"No, actually. I just moved here."

"Where are you from?"

Rarity gave out a nervous chuckle as she finished washing her mane.

"Actually dear, this is going to sound crazy. I don't know where I'm from."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because I awoke from a coma just over a month ago. Princess Luna told me I had been comatose for a year. I don't know anything about who I was or what I did for a living. It's a bit strange, having that much of a blank spot."

"So you don't feel like you've just been alive for just a month?"

"No, I suppose not. Just feels like one long blackout. Luna has been nothing but kind though. She got me settled in my apartment, got me this job... She cares deeply for all her subjects."

"Did she ever tell you how you came to be in that coma?"

Rarity began to rinse out the shampoo with the spray nozzle. Rainbow was prepared this time.

"No. She said the investigation turned up nothing but inconclusiveness. I'm sure you can tell that I've had surgery; I apparently took quite the thrashing on the head."

The rinsing finished, Rarity did a quick conditioning, another rinse, and brought the back of the chair up, returning Rainbow to a sitting position.

"It's funny... I feel like I've known you for years..." Rarity mused as she grabbed the scissors and comb, and began gently brushing Rainbow's mane.

"You do, huh?" Rainbow said, fighting once more to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't time yet...

"Think nothing of it, dear. I've learned pretty quickly not to trust my sense of deja vu when 20 years of memories just up and leave."

Rarity took a short length of Rainbow's red and orange bangs, and cut. Rainbow avoided jumping and gasping at the very last second, as memories of her wings getting clipped accompanied the sound of Rarity's scissors. She slowly let out the last breath she took.

"So no memories of your past? No theories on why you were attacked?"

"No memories whatsoever, I'm afraid. I have only one theory: I did something very wrong."

Rainbow's heart skipped a beat.

"What makes you say that?"

"My dreams at night. They're almost always the same. An endless black expanse with blank, faceless ponies. Every single one of them either run away in fear, or attack me in a rage. It makes me afraid that whatever I did, I ended up hurting somepony."

"How... How do you deal with that?" Rainbow said, putting more effort into keeping her voice from quivering.

"At first, I didn't know how. I was heartbroken at the possibility that there was somepony out there suffering because of something I might have done to them, and there was no way of me finding out. There was no way of me helping, or apologizing, or atoning for whatever pain I may have caused them. And then... One morning, I woke up, and just decided to... Stop worrying. It wasn't going to do me any good. I just started believing that if there is anypony out there that I hurt, that they're okay. Luna told me that I had to have woken up for a reason."

There was one more slice of the scissors, and she ran the comb through a final time before spinning Rainbow around to give her a look in the mirror.

Her mane was... Fantastic. The wash made her colors even more vibrant, comb made it look neater, and it was the perfect blend of an organized trim, and wind-blown style.

"Wow..."

"I didn't want to do anything too extravagant. From the looks of your cutie mark, I'd say you're a weather pony that deals with rain and thunderstorms. I don't want you paying for one of our more expensive styles if it just goes to waste because of your job." Rarity said, going around to the front counter, prompting Rainbow to grab her saddlebags and go up front to pay.

"Alright dear, that will be 20 bits." Charity said, ringing up Rainbow's total on the register.

Rainbow set her saddlebags down, and opened the left flap. She saw her bag of bits sitting next to the Necklace of Generosity. As she reached in, she hesitated. Her heart pounded against her chest as the tip of her hoof brushed against the purple diamond-shaped gem.

'Just do it. This is what you came here for. Do it!'

"Something the matter, dear?"

Charity's concern grew as the pegasus looked up at her, tears falling from her eyes. She was quick to wipe them away, sniffling.

"No... No. It's just... Your story. I've hurt ponies too. And... And I don't know if they're all okay, either."

Rainbow's hoof came out of the bag, with her bag of bits.

"Well sweetheart, we all make mistakes, and we can't correct every single one of them. Sometimes you just have to believe. Believe and hope that everything will be okay."

Rainbow sniffled again, nodding. Her hoof quivering, she took a 25 bit coin out of her bag and slid it across the counter.

"Keep the change. Tip."

Charity opened the cash drawer, dropped the coin in, and took a 5 bit piece for herself.

"Much appreciated. Go and have a lovely day. Be strong."

Rainbow refastened her saddlebags to her midsection, and turned to leave. Upon exiting through the doors, there stood Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, all wondering what had transpired.

"Well...?" Twilight asked, her voice full of uncertainty.

Tears still pricking her eyelids, Rainbow reached into her saddlebag again, grabbed the Necklace of Generosity, and tossed it on the marble floor at Luna's hooves. Without a word, she walked to Twilight, and kept going, prompting the purple pony to follow her, likewise without saying anything to the Princesses.

Luna finally looked up from the necklace at her hooves, and watched as Rainbow and Twilight walked away from them towards the exit.

"Sister..." She began to say to the white alicorn at her side.

"Did you expect her to say anything? No matter how she changes, I suspect she'll always have a little bit of pride. With everything that you've done, I think that was just her way of saying that you were probably right. Probably. She just can't bring herself to actually say it."

Luna picked up the necklace, then looked down the concourse, seeing that Twilight and Rainbow were already out of sight. She had to wonder to herself, what exactly she was expecting to happen. They had always managed to surprise her when she least expected it.

It wasn't the first time she wanted a new setting.

She stood in Rarity's basement once more. Noctilucent was nowhere to be seen, but Broken Rainbow still sat in the cage, collar around her neck, as she stared condescendingly at the pony who was free to roam the room.

With a tired sigh, Rainbow walked up to the cage, as Broken Rainbow's glare continued to burn into her.

"Coward. You should be in here, not me." She spat.

"You know, for once, I'm glad I know that I'm dreaming."

"And why is that?"

"So I can do this."

Rainbow lunged forward, reaching through the bars and took Broken Rainbow by the collar in a stranglehold. She pulled her with such unnatural force that the bars of the cage bent and broke, freeing her from entrapment. Not letting go just yet, Rainbow charged the adjacent wall, and slammed her against the wall, crumbling the cobblestone.

"Now you listen and listen good, you stupid, stubborn, desperate slut. You need to start being grateful for what you have. Rarity had a hand in creating you, but so did all of our other friends. Don't you dare say that we can forgive them and not her. It's gonna take awhile, a long while to come to terms with her being out there after what she did, but we're making the best of it. We convinced Twilight to help us... Help us nurture this side of us, and you need to be happy because of that."

Broken Rainbow simply stared at her, drawing in heavy breaths due to being ripped from her cage. Rainbow dropped her to the concrete floor.

"Let me put it to you this way... Stop worrying about your past Mistress, and start worrying about your current one." She said, walking away, heading for the stairs.

"Easier said than done." Broken Rainbow called after her.

Halfway up, Rainbow's next step caused the entire staircase to splinter out from under her, and the entire basement vanished into a sea of black.

"Rainbow!"

Rainbow's eyes shot open, and she quickly sat up in bed, Twilight next to her.

"What? What's easier said than done?" Twilight asked, leading Rainbow to the fact that she had been talking in her sleep. Earlier that day, they had taken the very next train south from Manehattan immediately after leaving the shopping center. They got back to Ponyville at midnight, and had immediately gone to bed upon getting home.

Taking several deep breaths, Rainbow removed the covers a bit more, looking at her flank, and confirming that the thunderstorm was still there, obscuring the rainbow bolt. Seeing this made her take in a shuddering breath, and burst into tears.

"Why... Why hasn't it changed?" She sobbed frustratingly, while Twilight rubbed her back, and pulled her into a hug.

"I mean, what the fuck was I supposed to do? The way I hesitated in the salon, I just knew it wasn't the right thing to do. Was I really supposed to tell that sweet pony, 'Sorry, but you used to be a sadistic bitch that nearly ruined five lives'? Is that really what the Element of Loyalty would have done?" She cried.

"No," Twilight consoled her. "I believe you came to your senses and did the right thing. I'm going to do everything I can to help you. We're going to figure this out."

Charity sat in front of her dresser mirror in her small Manehattan apartment, fresh out of her morning shower. She slowly and thoughtfully ran a brush through her drying mane, with butterflies in her stomach. Something had happened last night, and she was confident that Luna would be around to check up on her. She had been by almost nightly in the last three nights, just making sure she was doing alright. She couldn't help but feel that Luna was protecting her from something. From what, she wasn't sure, but she certainly didn't think the the co-ruler of Equestria would be spending this much time with her without a good reason.

"Sleep well?" A gentle voice asked behind her. Charity saw Luna in the mirror, in front of her open window. It was still early enough that the sun had not come up yet; she liked getting ready early before the city started bustling.

"It's funny you should ask, your majesty. I had a dream last night."

"Another nightmare?" Luna asked, her starry mane beginning to reflect the very first rays of the dawn sky.

"At first, I thought so. It started like all the others did; that sea of black, with the doors to nowhere, and the gray, anonymous ponies."

"As you spend more time with others, they'll start to go away, my subject."

"They already have. All the ponies were gray and featureless, except one. A cyan pegasus mare. With a rainbow mane. She charged and ran like all the others, but she wasn't blank. She came into the salon yesterday for a mane treatment."

"So your customers are beginning to fill your memory. This is good."

"No... Not quite. This mare recognized me. I could see it in her eyes."

"Now Charity, I'm sure that she was-"

"I lost my memory, Princess. Not my intelligence. She talked to me as if we had known each other for years. Her voice was so familiar, even as it began to get shaky. She even cried, and now I can't help but think that she's one of the ponies that I hurt."

"Who is to say that you hurt somepony?"

"She shivered when I touched her. Her lips trembled as I combed her mane. She was terrified of me. I saw you outside with her after she left. I saw her toss that necklace down at your feet. I want to know what that is. She came to do something, and she decided not to."

"Charity, we have been over this."

"Yes, we have, and I'm tired of your little routine. You've constantly beaten around the bush when I've asked you about my past. You know more than you're letting on. I want the truth."

Luna carefully studied Charity's features as she glared up at her.

"You do not know what you are asking."

"That poor, beautiful mare was crying because of me. Because of something I did to her. I want to know how that necklace is connected to my past. I want to know what she was planning on doing. No more games."

Luna stood silently for several moments. Her horn glowed, there was a flash of light, and then the golden necklace was floating beside her in her magical grasp.

"This is the Element of Generosity, one of the six fabled Elements of Harmony. It belonged to you. One of their most recent uses was to restore your cutie marks, destinies, and memories when an incorrect spell scrambled them. It was her intent to use it again to restore your memory. Maybe because she cannot bring herself to exact vengeance on you when you don't remember what you did."

"Then use it. That is the key to my past."

"Charity, you committed a very serious, sickening crime. One of Rainbow's friends beat you so severely in retribution that it put you into that coma for a year. I will give you one last chance to walk away from this."

"This has gone far enough already, and we both know it. Whatever I did, I am ready to face it, and the consequences."

"Consequences? They will not be judicial, I can tell you that much. Enough time passed while you were in your coma that the statutory limit was exceeded. We can no longer charge you with any wrongdoing. However, depending on what this necklace does, and on your psychological state when it is finished, make no mistake, I will take the law into my own hooves."

Rarity took a two steps forward, fiery determination burning in her eyes.

"No more meddling. Give me the necklace. Now."