Rarity was a lead of means, a lady of fashion, a lady of culture. She was not made to be the lady of sodden manes. Her makeup was dripping, her manedo was totally ruined, and this dreadful fog was going to just destroy her casual dress, and saddlebag combo. Of all possible things. This. Was. The. Worst. Possible. Thing.

She would have fainted from that alone if it wasn’t for the fact that their was more than likely no possible couches anywhere around for her to land on. As well as the fact that if there is no one around to see one act melodramatically than what was the point? It was complaints such as these that distracted her from noticing the fog starting to shift around until it had completely changed into a replica of the Carousel Boutique. At least I know where the mirror and combs are at. I really don’t know what fear I have to face here? Unless it’s a particularly harrowing customer, but those aren’t scary as much as challenging.

She made her way up to her room and looked at herself in the mirror with a grimace. Taking out a tissue she wiped off the messed up make up and falling eyelash extensions. Taking a towel she began to dry off her hair when she smelt something burning. Her eyes grew wide as this had Sweetie Belle’s cooking all over it, she went to walk down the stairs when she heard the screaming. Running she was met with a colum of fire that ate hungrily at the walls and fabrics of her work area next to her kitchen. Using her magic to clear the way as she ran to the kitchen were she saw Sweetie Belle next to the stove trying to put it out with water only for the water burn itself.

“Sweetie Belle stop trying to put out the fire! Stay there and I’ll be right there!” She screamed as she ran to the filly. But her distraction got some of the burning water on Sweetie Belle who in turn screamed as she started running in blind panic.

Rarity grabbed Sweetie Belle with her magic and pulling her towards herself tried snuffing the fire. But with the same magical phenomenon that burnt everything she tried to cook, the fire was only growing stronger the more that she tried to put it out with her magic. Eventually Rarity decided to land onto of her sister using her body to put out the flames. By this time the fire had ravaged most of the body and the fire had consumed the house around them. The structure falling down around them.

“This isn’t real! This isn’t real! This isn’t real! ...” Rarity said cuddled around her sister as she felt herself being cooked alive. As she looked at her sisters face as Sweetie Belle started crying into Rarity.

“I’m so sorry sister, I just thought if I made breakfast successfully for once you’d stop hating me.”

“Oh darling I never hated you.”

“Then why did you act like you did?” She asked as the building fell around them. As Rarity cooked in the flames she asked herself what did she ever do to make her sister feel like that. Just as the fog shifted around her.

She stood in the middle of the fog the burns slowly healing as memories of every time she scolded her sister for getting under her hooves. Every time she yelled at or fought with her sister over frivolous things. Even when she tried to help like she did when getting ready for their first sister hooves social. She rarely showed her sister that she cared and loved her. Getting wrapped up in her plans and social obligations. And now her sister thought she was hated.

As her body dulled into grey the fog shifted again. She was in the underground cavern that had held the Diamond Dogs. While she laughed about it with her friends it was a trying experience. She knew that Diamond Dogs were known to eat ponies that were too weak to fend for themselves, and she fought with her greatest of weapons. Her ability to drive a creature to insanity with her voice. It was one of the reasons that she had such poor luck with finding a mate. She would open her mouth to state her opinion and they’d leave her. It’s also probably why she settled on one night business deals.

She looked around and didn’t see anyone although she smelled the stench of the diamond dogs permeating the atmosphere. While she was healed her body was still recovering from the smoke and her throat was parched. So while she tried to whine in order to get someone to show themselves it was to no avail. All that came out was a hoarse coughing. As she nervously trotted to where she knew the exit was she was grabbed by her fetlocks by pairs of grubby claws from under her before she was violently dragged through a hidden tunnel.

In moments she found herself muzzled, gagged and bound to a spit. She tried struggling as the dogs around her pointed and laughed. While some started passing around gems in a secret wager that they were whispering amongst themselves about the leader of the pack leaned in.

“We heard about you pony. And we know about your horrid voice. Usually we work ponies until they break before eating them, but you would be to much of a problem. So we’ll just eat you and then toss your body into the city while the others sleep so that they can see what happens to noisy ponies like you.”

Rarity tried screaming in horror as grime covered hands tore into her ripping off chunks of flesh. But the gag kept the screams muffled as she shook her body trying to free herself as more and more of herself was ripped away. She begged mentally for a quick death, forgetting how fake this place was for the pain was all too real. As blood loss and shock took hold she stopped struggling as one of the Diamond Dogs ripped off the muzzle and gag.

“Any last words pony?”

“Please kill me, but don’t damage the face.” she cried tears pouring down like water falls. The Diamond Dogs laughed at this and quite a few were given large mounds of gems. One of them being the leader of the pack.

“Well since you won me some gems i’ll honor that request.” He laughed as her world turned to black the last thing she felt was claws raking her face. He lied. I’m dying and he lied to me.

She didn’t see the fog take over her. But she was suddenly aware of being in a casket with a ceiling so polished she could see herself. So this is what it’s like when you die. I don’t feel dead, but I must be. Oh. My. Celestia. I look horrid, all scarred and rotting. It’s like they didn’t even try paying someone to make me look decent, and this black monstrosity I’m being buried in is horrendous. Why would someone burry me in a black tunic, and why sew crystals on here. I swear if I find out who made this I will haunt them forever.

As she was lost in her dark thoughts she noticed that others started to gather around her casket. She felt her consciousness rise from the coffin like an out of body experience looking at the others as they approached a podium to speak about her. The first was her sister Sweetie Belle.

“Hello Everypony,” Sweetie Belle said in a wavering voice. Tears streaking down her face, “I loved my sissy, even though she always told me I was in her way. Or to get out from under her hooves because she was busy. And that I was a walking disaster that broke everything I touched. I knew that she loved me. After all when our parents who aren’t here today went on their months to year long vacations she gave me food and a roof over my head. She even said that she loved me every now and then. Although that was usually when she was apologizing to me for all the things she called me.

I hope that where ever she is she likes the dress I made for her to be buried in. I was the only person who cared that she had something to be in when she was put under, and I think that she’d like how sparkily it is. I love you sissy. And I’m sorry that you died.” With a few snuffles Sweetie Belle walked into the crowd disappearing in the sea of people.

She made that for me, and was the only one who cared what I looked like. I guess it is the thought that matters. I won’t haunt her then, but if this is how my death starts I wonder what the others have to say about me?

The next one up was Rainbow Dash who looked into the coffin and laughed. “To be honest everypony with how fat her head is I was worried that there wouldn’t be a coffin wide enough to store her. And ponies say I have a big ego, but I was wrong and I owe Apple Jack thirty bits. Were to start, about Rarity? Well she was a horrible friend. She was always trying to push her own needs upon us, and she didn’t do anything without it benefitting her some how. I don’t really know how we became friends. It seemed that the only time she hung out with ‘uncouth ruffians’ such as myself was when she needed something from me. Well that’s all I can really say about her.” Rainbow stepped down from the podium and disappeared into the crowd.

Well I never! All those times I gave her ... well she never really asked for the things I thrust upon her. But a lady never uses others, they wish to help. And what does she mean I have a big head. Yes it is a bit on the round side, but it’s not too fat, and my ego isn’t big. It’s as well proportioned as the rest of me.

Then next up came Pinkie Pie, “Well I can’t really talk about Rarity. For some reason she avoided me like the plague unless she was invited to a party, or others talked her into going somewhere. But when it came to just us she always had plans that kept her from hanging out with me. So I can’t say I will miss her, but it’s sad that she died. Who here wants to throw a “Rarity’s Dead” party?” She was answered by a loud round of cheering and applause.

So ponies won’t say anything about speaking ill of the dead, but will cheer for a Pinkie Party celebrating that I’m dead? Was my life really so worthless?

Fluttershy shuffled on to the stage. Fluttershy was my greatest friend, if there is anypony that will give me a fitting eulogy it’s her. “Well Rarity was ... nice.”, she squeeked before leaving the stage.

Nice? Nice? Nice is the term she uses when she’s deflecting. If she says that I was nice than I really did fail as a friend. Can I really call myself that? I just wanted to make the world a more beautiful place. Yes I climbed over a few unfortunate soul, but I had to look after myself. It’s not like I was completely shallow. Next up is Apple Jack, we all know she can’t lie. Please say something nice about me? Please say my life had meaning.

“Howdy everypony. Ah just want ta say that Ah never wish death on anypony, and Ah really hate sayin’ ill about the dead. That bein’ said Ah can’t lie either. Ah can never guess why she was the Element of Generosity, Twilight is goin’ ta say more about that, personally Ah don’t know if anypony is really gunna miss her other than her sister. But other than that Ah’ll let Twi’ speak now.”

"Thank Apple Jack,” Twilight Sparkle said as she stepped up onto the podium. “Well yes I never knew why she was a friend. If I can really call her that. As for the Element of Generosity I don’t see how she was that. She never gave to charity unless it had a socialite that she wanted to knock hooves with and polish a few horse shoes. She was a plotter, every action she did was to go up the social ladder. Even her clothes were a joke. They were expensive and luxurious yes, but who really wears clothing? Even then a majority of the populous only have clothing as a social status. Heck us Princesses rarely wear anything at all.

But we tried standing by her decisions, but she was always so shallow. So eager to use a name drop to further herself for her own goals. I don’t think she ever gave anything that she couldn’t use to further her own image or social standing. It really is quite sad. Good bye Rarity, only Sweetie Belle will miss you until she figures out how mistreated she really was.” With that she flew down.

This proves it, my life was really meaningless if they all though that I was so shallow. Did I really do the wrong thing in my life? I always tried to be a lady, a mare of class and sophistication, a pony of pomp and decorum. Did I go to far? Was I really such a manipulative mare? I want a do over, I want to prove that I am more than what they are saying.

She turned and saw an Alicorn mare, she was a dull grey with her feather missing from her wings. Her horn was chipped, cracked, and battered. But it was her eyes that really drew in Rarity, they held infinite sorrow, as if they had seen too much, too soon. And all that they’ve seen had weighed heavily on her soul. With a voice like wind whispering through a grove of weeping willows she spoke.

“Rarity you have lived a most sorrowful life. In trying to control your environment, and improve your lot in life you have stepped on as well as over many ponies. You have manipulated the hearts and bodies of many to get your way. All using the facade of a lady to get ahead. You die alone, unloved, and only remembered by those who you were still manipulating for your own gain. Your soul is going to Tartarus.”

With that the fog once again shifted. She was in a grime covered ground as a thick smog filled the sky. It was here that she was subjected to all the wrong things she did in life. All the ponies she used, all the ‘friends’ she manipulated, all the cruel words said. It was here that she finally fell down and cried. Her coat by now was a grey that was a perfect match to the grime she wallowed in.

“I don’t want to be that pony. I want to change. Please if I ever get free of here I’ll do better. I have to see my friends one more time. I have to make things up to them. I really was a manipulative, conniving whorse. But I will be better. I will change.” It was this conviction to change that opened the way outside the hallway. The fog lifted and she let herself fall into the corner the fog caressing her as she tried to sleep the emotional trauma away.

Author's Notes:

A Special thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Deathpony45. He helped with inspiration for Rarity and the Diamond Dogs, and the other Element bearers giving her a verbal beat down over her grave.