Crowns and Apples, Butterflies and Lilies

by zyr1987

Chapters

Horns are sensitive
Held up by Fame
Meetings and plannings
More horn troubles
Crowns and Apples at the spa

Horns are sensitive

“So, now are you going to explain why you decided to vacation in Ponyville?” an alabaster unicorn mare with a purple mane asked as she headed down stirrup street towards the market.

Her companion, a tall white unicorn stallion with a monocle, sighed and said, “Okay, I guess. The thing is, Rarity, I needed a few days away from Canterlot and Fleur after our breakup, and since I know an up-and-coming designer here in town, I figured it would be a good place to stay for a while.”

“Wait. You broke up with Fleur?”

“Yes,” Fancypants said sadly.

“Why?”

“Well, when the passion in our relationship died we drifted apart, eventually deciding to go our separate ways. It's too bad really. I thought we were perfect for each other.”

“Well, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

“True, but how many of them are going to be as honest and willing to call me out on my mistakes, or as stubborn and unyielding about her choices as Fleur? After all the yes-ponies I deal with day-in and day-out, talking to her was always a wonderful, if sometimes rough, breath of fresh air.”

"I don't know but I'm sure that, if you look hard enough, you'll find somepony else with her honesty, beauty, and stubbornness," Rarity said as they turned the corner into the market square.

The market square was filled with bustling ponies looking to buy and sell things ranging from produce and sweets to clothes and jewelry. However, the biggest draw at the moment was a good sized area set aside for a competition. From what Rarity could gather from asking a nearby spectator, it seemed Rainbow Dash had claimed that she could kick apples harder and more accurately that Applejack, and AJ had taken her up on the challenge. They had set up a roped off area, thirty yards long with targets at one end and the two competitors were lining up to take their first shots.

Why they had chosen to do this in the market nopony knew, though some suspected that it was to ensure fair play after the incidents during the Iron Pony competition they had two years earlier.

Rarity and Fancypants standing at the far end of the course from the two competitors, started to walk past when Rainbow took her first shot, which went wide of the target and hit Fancypants right in the middle of his horn.

Now, for pegasi and earth ponies who don't know, a unicorn's horn is just as sensitive as a stallion's, well, stallionhood, which makes it fun to play with in bed certainly, but also makes it very sensitive to painful shocks like those that come from apples hitting them at 50 MPH. This meant that when that particular apple hit Fancy's horn, he found himself collapsing on the ground while clutching his pounding head and drawing the attention of all the nearby shoppers and spectators, all of whom simply stared at him without making any attempt to help.

Fortunately for Fancypants, there were three ponies in the area that didn't succumb to the bystander effect that gripped everyone else. Rarity was already attending to him by the time the other two, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, arrived on the scene, and when they got there the first thing she said was, “Rainbow Dash, go get Twilight. Tell her to bring an icepack.”

“But-”

“Just do it. You're the fastest and I can't teleport.”

“Fine,” Rainbow said, taking off towards the library at top speed.

Applejack then asked, “What happened?”

“I think the apple somepony kicked hit him in the head.”

Fancy then said weakly, “no...horn.”

Upon hearing this, Rarity gave a sympathetic wince before moving one of Fancypants' forelegs to get a better look at his horn. After looking it over, she said, “Well, it doesn't seem to be cracked or anything, but a doctor should look at it. How are you feeling, by the way?”

“Pain...” was all Fancy said. Twilight then appeared near the middle of the market square in a small flash of purple light and quickly spotted the trio and galloped over.

“What happened?” She asked, passing the ice pack to Rarity, who pressed to to Fancy's horn.

“Me and Rainbow were having an apple kicking contest and I think one of the apples she kicked hit this stallion in the horn. I really wish we had set up that net now,” Applejack said.

“Why didn't you?”

“We were caught up in the moment and made a stupid decision. Can ya stand?” Applejack asked the stricken stallion.

Fancypants answered by slowly clambering to his hooves, with one still clutching the front of his horn. “Wait, I remember you now,” Twilight said, “You're the pony who Rarity introduced us to at last year's garden party.”

“...Yes...Fancypants at...your service. If you...don't mind...I want to...to sit down,” Fancy said between the pulses of pain in his head.

“Here, let me help ya,” Applejack said, leading the taller pony to a nearby bench.

“Thank you,” Fancy said, taking a good look at the mare. Looking at her he thought she was rather attractive in a charmingly rustic, well weathered sort of way, though the pounding in his horn kept him from following that train of thought.

Right around the time Fancypants and Rarity were entering the market square, two other ponies were leaving it together, one, a tall white unicorn mare with a light pink mane, was speaking in a rapid fire manner to her companion, a short, yellow Pegasus mare who also had a light pink mane. They didn't get far, though, before the commotion from the market rang out, easily reaching them. The shorter mare turned back to see what was going on and her taller companion followed, herself curious about the commotion.

When they looked around the corner they saw three ponies huddling around one spot, obviously trying to take care of somepony. They then saw one of them, a blue Pegasus turn and fly off and Fluttershy asked, “Do you think we should help?”

“Hmm...no, I think they have a handle on things and there are plenty of ponies around to help, most of them probably having more medical experience than me. If you want to, though, I won't stop you.”

Fluttershy thought for a second then said, “I'll stay here and help out of they need me.”

“Okay, I'm going to get us some lunch. What would you like?”

“Umm...a dandelion and daisy sandwich and some green tea, please.”

“Dandelion and daisy sandwich sandwich, green tea, okay. I'll be right back.”

Fluttershy watched as Fleur turned around and walked towards a restaurant just outside the market square, her eyes unconsciously drawn to her swaying hips. A few seconds later, she turned her attention back to the proceedings on the other side of the square.

She saw Twilight teleport into the square, carrying something she didn't get a good look at, and immediately help attend to the stricken pony. Soon after, they led the pony to a nearby bench that was perpendicular to her and she got a look at him. At this distance she couldn't see much outside of his white coat and blue mane but he seemed familiar somehow, though she couldn't say from where. His choice to sit on the ground instead of stepping onto the bench meant that the pony sitting on the bench next to him blocked her view. She didn't want to make it hard for Fleur to find her, though, so rather than seeking out a better vantage point, she stayed put and let the identity of the mystery stallion remain unknown for the time being.

A few minutes after Twilight's arrival, and while she was busy inspecting his horn more closely than Rarity had, the ambulance arrived. Twilight asked one of the paramedics, “who sent for an ambulance?”

“Rainbow Dash. She said that a pony had been hit in the horn by a speeding apple,” one of the paramedics said.

“Oh. Do you want to go to the hospital, Fancypants?”

“Please,” Fancy said before climbing aboard the ambulance with the paramedics' help.

Before it flew off to the hospital, Rarity said, “If they don't release you first, I'll come by later, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Rarity watched the ambulance fly away, then turned to her two friends and said, “Thank you for the help, you two. It's so nice that I didn't have to attend to him alone despite being surrounded by ponies!” She emphasized this last part as a way to shame the gawkers.

“Of course, I couldn't just leave a pony hurt like that.” A growl then emanated from Applejack's stomach, and after a nervous chuckle, she asked, “Uh, ya wanna get some lunch?”

“Sure,” her two friends said in unison.

When Fleur got back with their food a few minutes later, the ambulance was loading the injured pony for transport to Ponyville Hospital. She saw this and said, “I guess we weren't needed. Anyway, should we find a table?”

“Uh, okay.”

When they sat down, a remark about working alone while being surrounded by ponies reached them and Fleur had to fight the urge to make a snarky remark in return. She set out their food and asked, "So, any idea what happened?"

"No. I just saw that it was a white stallion that they loaded in the ambulance."

"A white stallion? Did you see anything else?"

"Uh, he had a blue mane," Fluttershy said.

Fleur put two and two together, but decided that it probably was some other stallion with those features, since she thought Fancy would never come to a country town like Ponyville, because he loved being in Canterlot, and anyway, he had friends in other towns that were more posh than Ponyville if he felt like traveling.

Author's Note

The Bystander effect used here is based on the actual phenomenon where bystanders don't help out someone in an emergency.

Also, for purposes of this story (i.e. I don't like May-September romance and don't want to write an example of it) Fancy's age is around 23 years old, about 20 years younger than he is in my headcanon. (Ponies age like humans in my headcanon, just so we're clear). Also for the record, the other characters who have been tagged are in their early 20s

And we'll see more about Fleur and Fluttershy in the next chapter, including where Fleur is staying, don't worry.

Held up by Fame

The next day arrived in earnest, with Rarity getting up at seven. She went downstairs and prepared a small breakfast for herself and her guest, with the smell of baking muffins awakening the sleepy noble in the guest room. When he walked into the kitchen he said, “something smells lovely.”

“Oh, hi Fancy. How does your horn feel?”

“Still sore, but it's feeling better,” Fancy said. The doctor had told him that his horn was physically fine, but he should avoid using it until the soreness passed, if only because using magic made it hurt more. The only issue was that, as a proper unicorn gentlecolt, there were certain things he was expected to use his magic for, so he had a rather delicate balancing act to manage.

“That's good to hear. Anyway, the muffins should be ready in a minute. What would you like to drink?”

“What do you have?”

“Milk, apple juice, water-” Rarity said.

“Apple juice will be fine.”

She took out the jug and poured two glasses full of apple juice, setting them down on the table, before the oven dinged. Taking the muffins out of their tin, and carefully placing them on a plate, she moved to the table and sat down, Fancy asked, “So what are your plans for the day?”

“Well, I'll be taking Opal down to Fluttershy's for her grooming, and picking up some groceries after breakfast. From there I don't have anything scheduled. What about you?”

“I thought I'd see the sights, if you know of any worth seeing.”

“Well, there's Ponyville Tower, and if you like nature you could take a walk through Whitetail Wood. If you want sweets, you can't beat Sugarcube Corner,” Rarity said, before listing off a few other locales of interest.

Fancy listened intently, making plans for his stay. When she finished, he said, “I didn't expect so many locales.”

“I guess it comes with the location.”

“I guess,” Fancy said, trying to ea a muffin with his magic. The pain caused him to drop it back on his plate, and he resigned himself to eating it with his hoof.

Meanwhile, just outside town, Fleur and Fluttershy were starting their days as well.

Fluttershy was eating a bowl of cereal, while Fleur, at her request, was working on a piece of grapefruit, and asking “So, do you have a coltfriend, Fluttershy? You never mentioned one in your letters.”

“No.”

“Marefriend?”

“No,” Fluttershy said.

“Have you had your eye on anypony?”

“Maybe a few here and there. But I haven't asked anypony on a date or anything.”

“Why not?” Fleur asked, a bit surprised.

“I've been scared to.”

“You shouldn't be. If you find somepony you like, you should take a step out of your comfort zone and ask them out. The worst that could happen is they say no.”

“I guess I could try sometime.”

No sooner had Fluttershy said this than a knock came at the front door. The pony on the other side yelled, “Fluttershy, I need your help!”

“Oh, that's Twilight. I should probably get that,” Fluttershy said, getting up. Fleur, curious, followed her, taking her grapefruit with her.

When Fluttershy opened the front door, Twlight was waiting on the other side with her saddlebags on and, much to both other ponies' confusion (though for different reasons), a very floppy, spotted horn. Fluttershy asked, “Oh, Twilight. What happened?”

“I think I may have walked into some poison joke yesterday when coming back from Zecora's. Do you still have my copy of 'Supernaturals' by any chance?”

“I think I do. Let me go get it for you.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said.

When Fluttershy left, Fleur asked, “So poison joke makes your horn floppy?”

“Well, it depends on the pony. Fluttershy got affected by it once, actually, and she ended up with a very deep, manly voice.”

Fleur imagined this and said, “Okay, that sounds really funny...and maybe a bit sexy,” then noticed Fluttershy was now next to her with the book in her mouth.

Giving an embarrassed blush, she took the book the, using her horn to open one of Twilight's saddlebags and dramatically posing for reasons only known to her, deposited it within.

“Thanks. And before I forget, Princess Luna sent you a letter. Fluttershy,” Twilight said, opening her other saddle bag and pulling out a scroll.

“Oh, thank you.”

Twilight turned to leave and Fluttershy shut the door while Fleur asked, “Out of curiosity, why is a princess writing a letter to you, and why did she deliver it?”

“Twilight has a direct magical line to the princesses, and Princess Luna seems to like me for some reason, so we keep in touch.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said.

“Can I see it when you're done with it?”

“Okay, if there's nothing too personal in it.”

They sat back at the table and resumed breakfast, neither speaking for a few moments as Fluttershy read the letter. Eventually, Fleur asked, “so, how did you meet Princess Luna?”

“Twilight brought her by my home when she came to visit for Nightmare Night, to help her learn to speak more quietly. Apparently, I was a big help even though I was scared stiff. Twilight said she even gave me a hug before she left.”

“You don't remember?”

“I remember trying to get back into my cottage and being pulled away, then waking up on my doorstep, alone. I thought I mentioned that in one of my letters,” Fluttershy said.

“Maybe you did. I don't remember. Either way, being hugged by a princess sounds like quite the honor.”

“I guess I didn't think it was,” Fluttershy said with a shudder as she remembered Luna's arrival.

A few hours later, Rarity was running some errands and Fancypants was in her shop taking care of some of his paperwork when the bell on the door rang and he looked up to see the orange earth pony who had attended to him yesterday.

Se looked around the shop and noticed the unicorn seated at Rarity's dask, before asking, “Where's Rarity?”

“She's running some errands. She said she would be out for about an hour.”

“And how long has it been?”

“She left about a half hour ago,” Fancypants said.

“Well, I guess I can wait until she gets back.” After she said this, she seemed to realize something. “Wait, you're the pony who got hit in the horn yesterday.”

“Yes. I remember you helping attend to me. Barely.”

“So how are ya feeling?” The mare asked.

“My horn still hurts but it's better. No real damage beyond the pain.”

“That's good to hear.”

“So how have things been going with you?” Fancy asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.

“Pretty well. It's been quiet at the farm for the most part, aside from two scam artists trying to take it from us last year.”

“How did they do that?”

Applejack, whose name suddenly slipped into Fancypants' mind, described the antics of the Flim Flam brothers during their short stay in Ponyville.

When she finished, Fancy asked, “What happened to them after they left town?”

“I dunno. I never checked, and they seem to be avoiding any towns where the Apple clan resides, because none of my relatives have said anything about them.”

“Probably for the best. I'll let others know about those two so that they don't fall for their schemes.”

“Thanks. I'm sure they'll appreciate it.”

Rarity knocked on Fluttershy's front door, and was quickly greeted by the sight of her dear friend. “Hi, Rarity.”

“Hi, Fluttershy. Do you think you could groom Opal for me? I have your usual payment.”

“Sure. Just bring her inside.”

Rarity walked in and set Opal's basket down in the middle of the floor. She then noticed another pony was present. Between the large, light purple eyes, the tall frame, and the long pink mane, it wasn't difficult for the fashionista to figure out who she was looking at. “Fleur de Lis? What are you doing here in Ponyville?”

“Please, call me Fleur. As for what I'm doing here, is it so wrong of me to visit a friend I haven't seen in months?”

Rarity gave Fleur an incredulous look before her brain caught up. “But, wait! Fluttershy never mentioned that you were her friend!”

“I didn't? I though I mentioned it a few days ago,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity thought back and remembered Fluttershy mentioning that someone may have been coming to visit, but, since she wasn't paying full attention at the time, she didn't catch a name. “Oh, I guess you did.”

Fleur said, “Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Rarity. Fluttershy speaks pretty highly of your work in her letters.”

“Nice to meet you too, but didn't we meet in Canterlot right before the garden party last year?”

We did didn't we? But, as I recall, we barely exchanged two sentences. I wouldn't call that a proper meeting.”

“I guess I can see your reasoning. Speaking of meetings, where did you meet a famous fashion model, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked.

“I can answer that. I'm sure you know that Fluttershy was a model at one time?”

“Of course, how could I forget? I assume you met her on the modeling circuit?”

“Oui, right after one of her bigger shows She seemed miserable and I thought she could use a friend,” Fleur said.

“And you kept in contact even after she quit?”

“Oui, though we nearly didn't. I had to rush after her on the way to the station for her address, actually, since I really wanted to keep up with her.”

“Oh, I see. Anyway Do you mind if I stay and chat for a while, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked.

“Sure. If you want,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity got back to the boutique about an hour after she said she would, and the two ponies who had been waiting for her there were all too happy to let them know what they thought of her tardiness.

“I thought you were supposed to be back around 10? It's just past 11, now,” Fancy said, obviously a bit miffed.

“Sorry. I just got caught up at Fluttershy's place. Did you know that Fleur de Lis is staying with her?”

Fancy's expression of annoyance disappeared, being replaced by one of surprise, though Applejack's was unaffected. “Wait. Fleur is here? In Ponyville?”

“Who is this Fleur and why did she keep you?” Applejack asked, obviously still a bit annoyed.

Fancy spoke up again, saying, “I can answer the first part. She's a famous fashion model here in Equestria and in Prance, and also my ex-marefriend. Still, I don't think her presence should hold you up for an hour.”

“Sorry. It's not every day that you meet a famous fashion model, and I couldn't help myself. I promise it won't happen again”

“Anyway,” Applejack said, “I just came by because Applebloom needs a costume for a school play about food groups. She's playing the part of fruit, so I'm thinking she should be dressed as an apple.”

“When's the play?” Rarity asked, avoiding remarking on the obvious costume choice.

“Friday.”

“Oh. I'm sure I can have something ready for her by then, free of charge. I'll let you know when it's ready.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

As Applejack left, Rarity asked, “how long was she waiting?”

“About an hour and a half. And, if I may ask, why are you making the costume for free?”

“Because she's my friend, and I owe her a favor or two,” Rarity said, fudging the truth a bit.

Author's Note

There is more to this chapter, but I thought this would be a good place to stop, since I was granted an extension in the contest until today (because myself and the other entrant who was writing a story both struggled to finish by Monday. The tihrd ended up with an impossible pairing, so he dropped out), and essentially got this far last night. The next chapter will be part 2 of this one, in essence.

Anyway, the hardest part of an Applepants ship is that it's very difficult to get the two talking without it feeling really contrived (so if it does feel contrived, that's why). Flutter de Lis is much easier about this simply because Fleur is a model (according to the iOS game) and Fluttershy was a model so they have something to bond over, at least.

Meetings and plannings

An hour or so after Rarity arrived back in her shop, Fleur, out for a walk, trotted up to a stall selling apples and reached for one of the red fruits when the stall's owner asked, “Are you Fleur de Lis?”

She didn't think much of being immediately recognized, as she was a famous model, and even if the pony in question didn't know who she was, her cutie mark was a dead giveaway. “I am. Why?”

“So you're the pony who Rarity was so fascinated with that she left me and Fancypants waiting for an hour for her to get back to her shop?”

“Wait, wait, wait. Fancypants is in town?” Fleur asked, surprised.

“Eeyup. You didn't answer my question, though.”

“Oh, sorry. To answer your question, yes, I am that pony who Rarity spent an hour talking to at Fluttershy's cottage. She's apparently a big fan. Anyway, what was Fancy doing at Rarity's shop?”

“He said he was staying with her while on vacation. He also said you two used to be together,” Applejack said.

“We were, for about a year. And I think we're still on good terms...I think. Out of curiosity, how did he act when he mentioned me?”

“Surprised, then annoyed at Rarity.”

“That's helpful,” Fleur snarked.

“Just callin' it as I'm seein' it. By the way, if Rarity decides to chat with you again, let her know that there might be ponies waiting at her shop.”

“I'll be sure to do that. Also, and I mean no offense, may I ask why you were at a dressmaker's shop? You don't seem like the kind that would be ordering a fancy gown,” Fleur said, taking an apple and putting down two bits.

“None taken, though I do very occasionally need a reasonably nice dress. Today, though, I was just there because my sister needed a costume for a school play and she's a good dressmaker, so she was the obvious choice,” Applejack said, taking the bits.

“I see. Anyway, thanks for the apple.”

“You're welcome.”

Fancypants, meanwhile, was seeking out some light reading material for his stay in Ponyville. Browsing the shelves of the Golden Oaks library, he asked, “Would you happen to have the latest book in the Hairy Booker series?”

“I do, actually. Let me get it for you,” the librarian said as she moved to a shelf on the far wall, and, to Fancypants' relief, making no comment on his taste in literature.

“Thank you, ah...”

“Twilight.”

“Twilight,” Fancy repeated, committing the name to memory, while realizing that, like Applejack, he had seen her somewhere before.

“Anyway, here's the book. Hairy Booker and the Order of The Minotaur. You can check it out for a week. Just let me get my checkout log.”

“Thank you,” Fancy said. He then noticed something highly unusual. “Is that...a baby dragon?”

“Yep! I'm Twilight's assistant,” the creature in question said.

“What would the authorities think if they found out about you?”

“Oh, don't worry. Princess Celestia gave him to me after I hatched him during my entrance exam for her school for gifted unicorns,” Twilight said.

“You...hatched a baby dragon? For your entrance exam?” Fancy asked, shocked.

“Yep. Apparently she changed my test because she thought I was extremely gifted and wanted to make sure.”

It took all of Fancypants' willpower not to say “what is with this bizarre town?” aloud. Instead, he said, “Recieving a pet-”

“Assistant!” the dragon corrected, clearly annoyed.

“-An assistant from Princess Celestia herself sounds like quite the honor, if I do say so myself,” Fancy said, correcting himself.

The dragon shrugged and went back to what he was doing while Twilight asked, “Spike, can you get my checkout log?”

“On it.”

As Spike walked off, Fancy asked, “Spike?”

“My brother's idea. I think it was a reference to his fangs or his spines.”

“Hmm.”

Spike returned with the log a minute later and Twilight filled a few things out before sending it over to him and saying, “Sign here, please.” As he did so, Twilight asked, “So, how's your horn?”

Fancy gave her a confused look before he realized she was also present when he was taken to the hospital. “Oh. It's-it still hurts, but it's better. I'm trying to avoid using my magic because it hurts too much, but no major damage.”

“That's good to hear.”

“Anyway, a week you said?”

“Yep. One week,” Twilight said.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

Fancypants left the library and got maybe 20 feet back to Rarity's shop when he was distracted by a yellow pegasus he immediately recognized as a good friend of Fleur's. On a whim, he walked up to her and said, “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy, who was walking a very happy looking border collie, took her leash out of her mouth and asked, “Yes?”

“Your friend Rarity mentioned that Fleur de Lis was staying with you.”

“She is, yes.”

Fancy then realized he hadn't thought about where he was going with this. In attempt to not look silly and keep the conversation going, he asked, “Do you know how long she's staying in town?”

“About two weeks, starting yesterday. Why?” Fluttershy asked.

Now Fancy realized that he had absolutely no clue what he should say. Deciding to go with something neutral he said, “Um...could you tell her that Fancypants is staying with Rarity?”

“Okay, I can do that,” Fluttershy said, obviously confused.

“Thank you, my dear,” Fancy said as he turned to leave.

Fluttershy watched him walk away, wondering why he wanted to make Fleur aware of his presence. Considering this and wondering what Fleur was up to, she picked up Winona's leash and went back to walking her back to Applejack's farm.

Later in the day, back at Fluttershy's cottage, she and Fleur were eating lunch, and she was finding herself rather entranced by Fleur's gorgeous purple eyes, a feature of Fleur's she hadn't noticed the brilliance of before before. Fluttershy said, “Fancypants found me while I was walking my friend's dog earlier and told me to let you know he was in town.”

“I knew he was in town already, but it's nice that he decided to let me know.”

“You did?”

“Oui. An orange earth pony who was running an apple stand in the market told me, while noting that I held up Rarity for an hour. I understand he's staying with her?” Fleur asked.

“If you mean Rarity, yes”

“Did he say anything else?”

“No,” Fluttershy said.

“I see. Anyway, since he knows I'm here anyway, I may just pay him a visit after lunch, just to see what happens. I will need your help finding her place, though.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, sounding less than thrilled.

After lunch, Fluttershy and Fleur traveled to the Carousel Boutique. When they entered they found the place looking empty, until Rarity came out of the back saying, “Coming! Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and magnifique,” before looking at her two new guests. “Oh, hello, Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis. To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, seemingly missing the fact that Fluttershy had deposited Opal's basket on the floor.

“Please, just call me Fleur. Anyway, I understand Fancypants is staying here with you. Is there any chance I could speak with him?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“The apple seller in the market told me about how you annoyed her and Fancy by chatting with me for an hour. Also, Fluttershy says Fancy told her to tell me he was staying here,” Fleur said.

“Uh, sure. He was helping me clean up our lunch, I'll go see if he wants to talk.”

“Merci.”

“Oh, and thanks for bringing Opal back from her grooming, Fluttershy.”

“Not a problem.”

Rarity went back to the kitchen, taking Opal's basket with her and said to a stallion doing a poor job of washing a dish with his hooves, “You'll never guess who's come to the boutique.”

“Who?” Fancypants asked.

“Fleur. She mentioned you telling Fluttershy to tell her you were here, by the way.”

Fancy didn't look all that surprised, to Rarity's confusion, and all he said was, “Could you finish the dishes for me? I don't want to keep her waiting.”

“Of course.”

Fancy trotted out to the lobby to find his former marefriend looking over the dresses in various states of completion. She turned toward him and said, “Hello, Fancy. Never thought I'd see you here in Ponyville.”

“Well, I haven't seen Rarity in a good while, so I thought I'd come by for a visit. What about you? I didn't expect you here either.”

“I haven't had the chance to see Fluttershy in a while, so I thought I'd come down to visit her myself.”

“I see. So, to what do I owe this visit?” Fancypants asked.

“I thought you wanted to see me? At least going by Fluttershy's tone in telling me what you told her.”

“Did I imply that?” Fancy asked, getting what he thought was a small nod from Fluttershy, “Well, if I did, it wasn't intentional, though I admit, I always love seeing you.”

“Yes, yes. We're no longer a couple, if you recall.”

“That doesn't mean I can't appreciate seeing you, does it? We're still friends, right?”

“True. Sorry,” Fleur said.

“No need to apologize. Anyway, how long are you going to be in town?”

“About two weeks. You?”

“About two weeks,” Fancy said, while readjusting his monocle with his hoof.

Fleur caught sight of this, and asked, “is there something wrong with your horn?”

“Yes. I hurt it in an accident yesterday. It hurts too much to use it at the moment, so I'm forced to rely on my hooves for a while, but I'll be fine.”

“What happened?”

"When Rarity and I were walking through the market square yesterday, a game two mares were playing went awry and an apple flew into my horn,” Fancy said.

“Ouch. Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes, the doctor at the local hospital said I'll be fine. No cracks or chips.”

“Always good to hear. Anyway, we can talk a bit more later if you want. I just came by to see why you wanted to talk to me,” Fleur said.

“That's fine. Maybe I could come by Fluttershy's place later?”

“Maybe you could. Rarity knows the way, I assume.”

“She does. If you want to come by for lunch tomorrow, that would work for me,” Fluttershy said.

"That sounds lovely."

On the way out, Fleur said, “that wasn't quite what I was expecting from him.”

“Oh? What were you expecting?”

“A bit more sadness about our breakup, and a bit of asking for us to get back together. I heard he was inconsolable the first day or two after our breakup, and if I'm honest, I do kind of miss him myself,” Fleur said. “By the way, I've heard you have a spa in town.”

“We do, why? Do you want to go?”

“Certainly. I'm sure Fancy would enjoy a bit of R & R after getting his horn hit by flying fruit, though I'm also sure he would never pay for it himself.”

Fluttershy was caught a bit off guard by the fact that Fleur wanted to buy Fancy a spa day but simply said, “it's right this way,” before leading Fleur to the spa, not one hundred feet from Rarity's boutique.

Inside, Fleur asked the receptionist, “Excuse me, do you offer gift certificates?”

“Indeed, we do.”

“Okay, can I purchase a gift certificate for your most expensive treatment? It's for a unicorn friend who hurt himself yesterday, and who I want to embarrass a bit.”

“Certainly. It will be 35 bits and I will just need you to fill this out and sign the bottom.”

Fleur passed the bits to the receptionist and filled out the form in question, signing her name in an overelaborate fashion to make sure Fancy knew it was her doing.

“For an extra bit we can mail it to your recipient for you,” The receptionist said.

“Sure. Fancy is staying at Rarity's boutique,” Fleur said, sliding over another bit.

“Okay. We will send it out immediately. It should arrive tomorrow. Now may I do anything else for you?”

“No, that's okay. That's all I needed.”

“Okay, well, please come again,” the receptionist said.

“I will, thank you.”

Outside, Fleur said to Fluttershy, “If only I could see Fancy's face when he sees I bought him a gift certificate for a spa day.”

“Will he go?”

“He will. He might try to lay low but he'll go, since there is nothing for an aching horn like a good massage and he knows it.”

“By the way, do you intend to come by again?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oui, though not until the day after tomorrow, since that's my normal spa day anyway.”

“Oh, um, actually mine and Rarity's is the day after that, and I could ask her to let you come along if want to wait a day.”

“Hmm...that sounds like fun. I'll think about it, okay?”

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, at the apple stand, Applejack, who was dealing with a slow period, let her mind wander, finding it drifting back to Fancypants and the supposed former lover of his that she had spoken to earlier. She quietly wondered why they broke up.

She thought Fancy was a nice enough stallion, who didn't strike her as the sort who would do anything that would cause a mare to leave him, and the mare, Fleur de Lis, despite being a heck of a looker, didn't seem like the happiest camper, so there was that.

She also did seem very curious about what Fancy thought of her now, so AJ wondered if it was something she did that caused the breakup. She put it out of her mind, since she had no idea what the truth was and didn't feel comfortable jumping to conclusions like that.

Soon a rush of apple buyers came by, putting any further thoughts about the town's two visitors out of mind.

Author's Note

It lives!

Now with that out of the way, I apologize for this taking so damn long. It's been a rough couple of months, and I got sidetracked by my other stories, like "The Return of Mr. Bun" (standard Flutter de Lis story by me, though quite well received) and "Photo Shy" (The first ever Fluttershy x Photo Finish story written). "Luna Looks for Love" has the issue of major writer's block, so it's stalled.

Anyway, I'm trying to show at least some attraction on Fluttershy's side, but I'm not setting myself up to show it. I'll do better in the next chapter, I'm sure, when it'll be far more deliberate. Also, I'm looking at seven chapters for this story now.

More horn troubles

t was around ten in the morning when Fleur, relaxing and enjoying a novel outside Fluttershy's house, saw Fancy coming down the path. She shut her book and stood up, saying, “Bonjour, Fancy. What brings you here so early?”

“I was hoping you could explain why I got this,” Fancy said, passing a piece of paper to Fleur.

Fleur looked it over and realized her assumption that it was the gift certificate for the spa was correct, saying, “Oh yes, I was thinking you could use some relief for your horn after what happened. And embarrassing my dear friend couldn't hurt, I thought.”

“And you decided to mail it to me?”

“What? I didn't want to go right back to Rarity's shop right after I'd left. I do have things I want to do while here in town, after all.”

Fancy sighed and put a hoof on his face before asking, “Anyway, where's Fluttershy?”

“Doing some errands in town. She should be back soon. Also, if you want lunch, it's in about two hours.”

“Okay. I'll come back, then.”

“Before you go, tell me, do you intend to use the gift certificate I sent you?” Fleur asked, a hopeful look on her face.

“Yes. Tomorrow, if I don't see you there. I know that's your usual spa day, but I don't feel like seeing you smugly watch my horn get massaged.”

“But it would so much fun!”

“For you, maybe,” Fancy said, turning to leave again.

“Fine, I'll see if Fluttershy will let me come along with her and Rarity on their spa date, if you're so intent on me not going with you.”

“I like that idea.”

Fleur didn't say anything more, instead turning to head back to her chair. However, as fate would have it, she found a bear standing right behind her, and panicked. She ran off to one side before tripping on a rock and sliding several feet. Instead of getting up, she curled up in a tight ball clutching her head and waiting to die.

At the hospital the news wasn't good.

Well, at least according to Fancypants, who had realized that the likelihood that Fleur and Nurse Redheart were related was somewhere near zero, despite their near identical color schemes, crushing his very brief dream of dating a relative of Fleur's working at a hospital.

For Fleur, the mood was somewhat better, despite what was, in her opinion, a rather overzealous nurse. “I swear, I'm fine. I just scratched my horn,” she said, sounding very annoyed as Nurse Redheart took a close look at said appendage.

“Your friend didn't think you were, and we can't be too careful.”

“Fancypants is just annoyed because I set him up for a spa day tomorrow. And because he's irritable when his horn aches.”

“Yes. I remember him coming in an ambulance. Still, I think he had the right idea bringing you here,” Nurse Redheart said, writing something down. “Regardless, here's a prescription for a mild painkiller for if your horn hurts too much while using magic. Try to minimize magic use for at least a few days, and don't push yourself too hard until your horn feels better, okay?”

“Okay, I can do that. Thank you,” Fleur said, flashing a glare at Fancy.

“You're welcome. And if you have any further issues, don't hesitate to come back.”

As they left, Fleur said, “I should get back to Fluttershy's cottage. She's probably worried about me.”

“Mind if I go with you? As I recall, I was supposed to have lunch with you two,” Fancy asked.

“Sure. Just please don't bring up what happened at Fluttershy's house. I'm not sure I want to talk about that with her at the moment.”

“Well, if you insist.”

Ten minutes later, they arrived back at Fluttershy's cottage. Seeing Fluttershy outside, Fleur said, “I'm back, Fluttershy. Sorry about my disappearance. Somepony insisted I go to the hospital after I merely scratched my horn.”

“That's okay, I understand. So do you two want lunch?”

Fancypants's stomach answered for him, growling loudly. Fleur then said, “Certainly. Do you want any help?”

“Sure. If you don't mind.”

The two Canterlot residents followed Fluttershy inside and Fleur quickly followed the pegasus to the kitchen while Fancy took to relaxing on the couch. Fleur looked over the ingredients set out and, in a confused tone, asked, “Cucumber sandwiches?”

“Yes. Is that okay?”

“It's fine. I'm just more used to wearing cucumbers on my eyes than eating them is all.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said.

“Anyway, should we get started?”

“Oh, of course.”

Fleur chopped up a large cucumber and slid over the slices to Fluttershy, who placed them between slices of bread. During this process, Fleur noticed that Fluttershy's hoof kept touching her own as the slices were slid over.

When she turned to look, as she slid over the last of the slices, she noticed what she thought was a small blush. She ignored it, assuming her achy horn was causing her mind to play tricks on her. She set aside the remainder of the cucumber and watched as Fluttershy finished making the last sandwich.

After the plates were set out and Fancypants called to the meal, they sat down and began eating. Shortly into the meal, Fancy said, “So, Fleur, how did you manage to help with lunch without your horn?”

“I did use my horn, despite the dull ache, but only for the knife. I don't trust my hooves when using sharp implements anyway, and my horn doesn't hurt that much.”

“If you say so.”

“Speaking of horns, how is yours feeling?” Fleur asked, before taking a large bite of her sandwich.

“Still hurts too much to use it, but it doesn't feel like my brain is being pulled through it anymore.”

“That's good to hear.”

Fancy then turned to Fluttershy and said, “By the way, I don't think Fleur ever told me how you two met.”

“Um, at one of the fashion shows I was part of while I was a model, she decided to introduce herself and we started talking. She decided she wanted to stay in contact and got my address and that's how we became friends.”

“That's the short version,” Fleur said, “though it only left out how I began talking to her because of how miserable she was and I only asked for her address because I wanted to claim to be friends with Equestria's top model and because I didn't want to drop out of contact with her regardless.”

“That explains a lot. Especially your yelling to the high heavens about having befriended Fluttershy,” Fancy said.

“Her doing what?” Fluttershy asked, obviously a bit disturbed.

“Don't ask,” Fleur said through a mouthful of cucumber. After swallowing she changed tact, saying, “Actually, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was actually a good way to make a foal myself. Especially since news got out that you quit a few days later.”

“She still hasn't fully lived it down,” Fancy said.

“Just as Fancy hasn't lived down accidentally calling the Prench ambassador a giant walking trashbag in Prench instead of a most honorable pony. How he did that, I have no idea,” Fleur said.

As Fancy tried to hide his embarrassment behind his sandwich, Fluttershy nodded in acknowledgment, but said nothing, allowing silence to descend over the table, only broken by the sounds of chewing.

Eventually, after finishing the last bite of her sandwich, Fleur spoke up again, asking, “So do you have your eye on anypony, Fancy?”

“How do you mean?”

“I thought that after our breakup you would go looking for a new marefriend.”

“Well, after spending so much time with you as my marefriend, I'm going to have a hard time finding somepony else that I can be truly happy with. That's why I haven't been looking for somepony else quite yet,” Fancypants said, before biting into his second sandwich.

“I see.”

“What about you? Do you have anypony in particular in mind?”

“Non. I haven't been looking either, I admit, though mostly because I'm focused on spending time with my dear friend Fluttershy,” Fleur said

Fancy nodded, then took another large bite of his sandwich, noticing that Fluttershy and Fleur had finished their own meals. After he swallowed, he asked, “What about you, Fluttershy? Are you in a relationship?”

“N-no. Not right now.”

“I see.”

Silence fell again and Fancy used the lack of conversation to quickly finish his second sandwich. When he finished, he stood up and said, “I should get back To Rarity's shop. She's probably worried about me.”

“Okay, see you later,” Fleur said.

“Bye,” Fluttershy said.

A short time later, Fancy arrived back at Rarity's shop, and found its owner coming towards him. When she reached him she said, “Where have you been? I thought you were just going to be gone for a few minutes, not two and a half hours!”

“Sorry. I took Fleur to the hospital after she tripped and scratched her horn, and the doctor's visit took much longer than I expected it to. By the time we left, it was about noon, when I had planned to go to Fluttershy's home for lunch anyway.”

“I see. Still, you could have come by to let me know what was going on when you left the hospital at least.”

“I know, and I'm sorry I didn't,” Fancy said, closing the front door behind him.

“By the way, how is Fleur?”

“Laying off her horn a bit and annoyed with me for dragging her off to the hospital, but otherwise not much worse for wear. Also, before I forget, since I don't want to be at the spa at the same time as Fleur, and she knows it, she wanted to know if you would be okay with her joining you and Fluttershy at the spa, the day after tomorrow.”

“Of course. I'd love to spend some more quality time with her. I'll let her know the next time I see her,” Rarity said, before seeming to remember something. “By the way, does this mean you're going to use the gift certificate she sent you?”

“Yes. Apparently it will be a good way to ease the pain in my horn, if Fleur is to be believed, and I don’t like lying to her, regardless.”

The next day, Fancy woke up, and shuffled to the bathroom. Wiping his face and horn down with a wet cloth he wondered what Rarity was making for breakfast and hoped the pain would finally recede enough for him to use his horn again soon. He also cursed the fact that horns were slow to heal. Still, he judged by the current pain levels he could get some magic use back in a day or two, if he took some aspirin beforehand.

He made his way downstairs to the dining room, where he smelled the fragrant aroma of cinnamon. Rarity saw him and said, “good morning, Fancy. I stopped off down at Sugarcube Corner and they were having a special on cinnamon rolls, so I picked us a few.”

“They smell delicious.”

“They are. Pinkie Pie and the Cakes are amazing bakers. Try one.”

Fancy took one, bit a large chunk out of it, and savored it as it melted in his mouth. Rarity asked, “What do you think?”

“Absolutely delicious.”

“So when do you plan on going to the spa?”

“I was thinking after lunch, since I doubt it'll be very crowded then,” Fancy said, before taking another bite of his roll.

“There's not going to be anyone there at all on a weekday, trust me. It's why I prefer to go with Fluttershy in the middle of the week. She doesn't like spending long periods in crowds after all.”

“If you say so. So what sort of service can I expect for the price Fleur paid?”

“What was it, 35 bits?” Rarity asked.

“Yes.”

“For that much, you're getting some of everything, actually. Facial, mud bath, full body massage, steam room, hot tub, the works. It's their most expensive package, in fact.”

“All that for less than 40 bits?” Fancy asked, surprised. Rarity immediately realized that he was more used to Canterlot prices.

“Yep. Ponyville is nice, but it isn't exactly a rich, high class town like Canterlot is, and prices tend to reflect that.”

Fancy simply shook his head in amazement before finishing his cinnamon roll. After a moment, Rarity asked, “So, why do you think Fleur set up an appointment at the spa for you?”

“If I know Fleur, and I do, it's probably because she both cares about me and likes to see me squirm. There is nothing in the world that makes her happier than making me feel better and embarrassing me at the same time, except getting a fabulous new dress in the process of doing that.”

“And yet you dated her for a year.”

“The caring usually took precedence to the embarrassing. Usually. I admit it didn't help that she focused on embarrassing me exclusively. Said it helped keep my ego in check or something, but those times when she just wanted to make me happy with no embarrassment or strings attached, and those times where she gave me the cold, hard truth regardless of how it would make me feel, those were the moments I lived for,” Fancy said, taking another cinnamon roll.

“You still miss her.”

“Yes but I'm getting over her. Especially since she seems intent on annoying the heck out of me, at the moment.”

“I wonder what Fancy's doing right now,” Fleur said, reveling in the wonder of jellied toast, something that, according to her agent, she wasn’t supposed to have due to all the carbs in it. “Probably negotiating some deal with Rarity for her fashion business.”

“Probably,” Fluttershy said, nursing her own toast and staring at her plate.

“Hey, what's wrong? What happened to the happy, perky Fluttershy I know and love?”

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“C'mon, tell me Fluttershy, I'm your friend. Maybe I can help,” Fleur offered, looking a bit concerned.

“That's okay. I'll handle it.”

“Fine. But if you want to talk about, I'm here for you.”

Fluttershy nodded, and went back to her toast. Fleur, confident that she wasn't going to get anything about what was bothering her, did the same before deciding to compliment said meal. The ensuing conversation is esoteric and boring enough that it will not be reproduced here. Suffice it to say, Fleur really likes wheat toast with grape jelly.

Later, back in Fancy's world, he was looking for something that would make Fleur both happy and embarrassed for a reasonable price. This last part wasn't a problem seeing as he was in Ponyville, but the enjoyable and embarrassing part was proving a challenge. His first thought was a sex toy, but he realized Fleur would react badly to getting one as a gift, especially if given in front of Rarity and Fluttershy as he had planned. No, he needed something that she would adore at first sight, with an embarrassing show of affection at receiving it.

As he was looking over a selection of flowers, he had the perfect idea. He bought a few flowers to snack on, then quickly headed back to Rarity's boutique, smiling all the way,

When he made it back, he said, “I think I have an idea for the perfect gift for my friend Fleur.”

“And that would be?”

“The most beautiful, elegant dress you can make, and I can pay for. She always gets giddy over clothes, and I want to embarrass her a bit with that fact. Just keep it quiet, I want it to be a surprise.”

“Of course. I love the idea. Does 250 bits sound reasonable?” Rarity asked.

“250 bits? Sounds a bit low.”

“I'm counting on Fleur wearing by dress and giving me some free advertising, but I can charge you more if you want.”

“That's okay,” Fancy said.

“So, do you know Fleur's measurements?”

Fancy gave them to her, as well as telling her what Fleur liked in her dresses. When he finished Rarity said, “I can have a couple of designs ready by dinner. Speaking of meals, do you want lunch?”

“Of course.”

“And don't forget, after lunch, you have the thing at the spa.”

“I know,” Fancy said, “I just wish I forgot. So, uh, what are we having?”

Fluttershy was feeding her animals before lunch, trying to keep her mind occupied, trying not to think about the images that kept floating into her head. As she flew up to the tree to feed the birds in its branches, she glanced down at Fleur, who was helping out, mainly by spreading out seeds for the ground dwelling birds and pouring food for the dogs, cats, and mice. Basically anything she could do without having to handle dirty or smelly foods, which annoyed Fluttershy a bit. Even so, she couldn't help but blush a bit after stealing a glance at her supermodel friend.

She waited a second for the flushing in her cheeks to pass than landed near Fleur, making sure she was spreading the seeds out enough and not putting out too much, both typical newbie mistakes.

“So, how'd I do?” Fleur asked.

She looked over Fleur's handiwork and said, “Very good. Much better than yesterday.”

“Merci. I aim to please. So, what's left to do?”

“Well, I need to check on my animals who need medical care. If you want, you can help.”

“Just tell me what to do,” Fleur said.

“Okay just...” Fluttershy said before going into a short explanation that Fleur listened to intently, then leading Fleur inside.

Once inside, they quickly worked through the animals needing medical care, changing bandages, giving medicine, checking healing, etc. It only took a few minutes before they were done.

After that, Fleur asked, “Want help with lunch?”

“Sure, if you don't mind.”

After lunch, Fancy headed down to Ponyville's spa to fulfill the appointment Fleur had made for him. When he arrived, he was rather surprised and annoyed to find another pony waiting in the lobby. Specifically, it was a freckled orange mare with a blonde mane and tail and a stetson hat. The same freckled orange mare, in fact, as the one he had met at her apple stand a few days before. Not having a good excuse to leave, and get an earful from Rarity, he bit the bullet and sat down next to her.

The mare, whose name he now remembered as Applejack, said, “I didn't figure you for the spa type.”

“I'm not. Blame Fleur for setting me up on a spa day. I admit, I didn't expect you to be the type, either.”

“I wasn't, until Rarity dragged me down here after I complained about being sore from a long day of apple buckin', a year or so back. Ever since then I've been comin' down here twice a month durin' applebuckin' season since I feel so relaxed and ready for more applebuckin' after.”

“So why are you sitting here in the lobby, rather than getting your massage treatment?” Fancy asked, looking around the lobby.

“They're havin' lunch. They'll be back in a few minutes and I have nothin' better to do today. By the way, why did Fleur set you up on a spa day?”

“I'll tell you what I told Rarity, she wants to help me with the pain in my horn, and if she can embarrass me a bit in the process, all the better so far as she's concerned.”

“Is that why you broke up with her? The embarrassment, I mean,” Applejack asked.

“No. We broke up because we drifted apart. We're still friends, and regardless, I'm planning my revenge.”

“Which would be?”

“It's a secret,” Fancy said, as a blue pony with a pink mane and a white headband appeared at the receptionist’s desk. Applejack walked up to the desk and said something he couldn't hear. The blue mare disappeared and the door opened as a pink mare with a blue mane and white headband appeared behind the counter. Fancy approached her, gift certificate in hoof, and said, “my friend gave me this as a gift.”

“Would you like to redeem it today?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay, please come with me,” the mare said, moving to open the door. Fancy wen through the doorway and suppressed a cringe, hoping no more customers came in while he was there.

Author's Note

If the two days don't seem to integrate 100% perfectly, it's because I essentially wrote them as two chapters and published them as one (mostly because the first day I didn't have enough material for it to stand on its own, IMO). Anyway, I stopped at the spa scene because it's going to be a long, important scene and I felt this chapter was getting long enough as is.

Anyway, the next two chapters will be written as four chapters, but still count as two for the purpose of my seven chapter plan. Two will focus on Fancy AJ and two on Fleur and Fluttershy, for reasons of size and economy. I'll make a blog post about this tomorrow, as well, as I'm getting my new tires installed in a half hour.

Crowns and Apples at the spa

Fancy entered the spa behind Applejack, and they were both led to the steam room. Before entering he was given a large, light blue robe, obviously cut for a mare and thus not fitting him all that well, which only served to increase his self-consciousness.

Still, he put on the ill-fitted robe then entered the steam room. He noticed his companion wearing a very red robe, with green apples on the flank. He sat down next to her on the long wooden bench and tried to stay silent. However, Applejack apparently wanted to talk, asking, “Have you spoken to Fleur since your breakup?”

“I spoke to her twice since my arrival in Ponyville. The first time was two days ago after two different ponies mentioned to her that I was staying with Rarity.”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Applejack said.

“That's okay. I wanted her to find me. Anyway, we were on friendlier terms than I thought, and I assume that's when she sent me that gift certificate. The second time was yesterday, when I asked about the gift certificate, and ended up taking her to the hospital after she scratched her horn.”

“Oh, wow. Is she okay?”

“Her horn is sore, but she's fine, if slightly bitter with me over dragging her to the hospital,” Fancy said with a chuckle.

“Well, that's good I guess.”

“It is. She'll get over it.”

“By the way, what do you actually do for a living, Fancypants?” Applejack asked.

“I'm the president and CEO of Fancy Industries.”

“Would that be the same Fancy Industries that owns King Plow?”

“It would be, yes,” Fancypants said.

Before Applejack could speak further, the two spa ponies informed them that it was time to move to the next station. The two of them stood up and followed the twins to what Fancy guessed to be a facial station, judging by the greenish creams, cucumbers and brushes sitting nearby.

He cringed and considered asking to pass on this part but, after imagining what Fleur's reaction to him rejecting her generosity would look like, decided to grin and bear it.

Mercifully, perhaps because they sensed his discomfort, the twins simply put some mud on his cheeks. He also noticed, that they did the same with Applejack, rather than giver her a full facial.

As the twins started (and quickly stopped once it became clear that wasn't appreciated) filing Fancy's horn, Applejack said, “You said your company owns King Plow, right?”

“Yes. Why”

“Well, I always wanted to let the owners of the company know just what I thought of their product.”

“And I'd love to hear your thoughts,” Fancy said.

“Okay, well, my family bought one of your plows a year or so ago, after a minor windfall of bits. My brother, Big McIntosh tried to use it immediately after it arrived, but it was so poorly made that it literally buckled under itself within 100 yards of where he started plowing.”

“Are you sure it wasn't defective?”

“Actually, that was our first thought, so we exchanged it for a new one, which did the exact same thing. One of our relatives was visiting at the time and told us that everyone she knew that had one ended up returning it a few days later because they tended to buckle under like that and they are not worth the bits that your company charges for them. I know I'm being harsh, but that's the truth of it,” Applejack said.

“Well, if that's true, then I'm going to have to have a long talk with the heads of King Plow. This is the first time I've heard about it, though.”

“And how often do you speak with us country folk?”

“Not enough, I'm sure. It probably doesn't help that I'm always surrounded by yes-ponies in Canterlot, making the few ponies who tell it like it is all the more appreciated,” Fancy admitted, sadly. “I'll speak with them when I return to Canterlot, see if I can't get the issue fixed.”

They were then moved to the next station at this point, that station being the hooficure area which they both asked to skip, Fancy especially because of how his horn felt the idea of it being filed made him wince. The two spa ponies, looking a bit disappointed, obliged, moving their two clients to the massage tables instead. This had been the point Fancypants had been waiting for, and he climbed on to the massage table the spa pony gestured him towards with glee, asking, “Could you give my horn some extra care? It's been rather sore these past few days.”

“Certainly, Mister Fancypants.”

As the spa pony gently massaged his horn, Fancy took a closer look at the currently very relaxed and unfocused Applejack, and a thought floated, completely unbidden, into his mind. I wonder if she would go out on a date with me.

The thought shocked him, and he fought to keep from showing that surprise as the spa pony worked on a particularly sore part of his horn. He tried to put it out of mind, but it stayed put, niggling at him. He wondered why it had come to him, while taking another glance at the orange mare beside him.

After turning back towards the far wall, with his masseuse working to keep his head facing that way, he thought, well, she is attractive, in a charmingly rustic sort of way, and she seems to be more honest than most ponies I know. Still, why would I ever think of going on a date with somepony I barely know? Is my breakup with Fleur affecting me that much? Though, on the other hoof, what reason would I have not to go on a date with her?

After a moment, he decided to just relax and let his thoughts sort themselves out. Over the next few minutes, his horn started to feel much less sore, as the spa pony worked it over, and he decided to give her a big tip when she was done.

Soon it was time to end the massage, and move on to the hoof bath section, which, again, both ponies declined, causing Fancy to wonder if Applejack was trying to keep pace with him, despite, he assumed, having paid less than he did. He also wondered if she thought he was doing the same with her.

“Well, that was the last part of the spa treatment. If you wish you can have a complimentary stay in our hot tub. Otherwise billing is at the front.” the blue pony with the pink mane said.

Fancy moved for the hot tub first, taking off his ill-fitted robe, and sliding in. He noticed Applejack did the same behind him. After settling in, he asked the mare, “I assume you took the most expensive package too?”

“Yep. I'm on Rarity's tab, and asking for a full service then taking only the services I'm in the mood for then paying Rarity back for them later always seemed like a good plan to me. So, I'm guessing your horn feels better after that massage.”

“Oh, yes. Much better. Thank you for asking.”

Applejack nodded and leaned back and Fancy developed a particular urge. He resisted it for a moment, then decided he probably wouldn't have a better chance than now to sate it.

He asked, “Applejack, what would you say if I offered to cover your spa trip today with Rarity?”

“Suspicious, if I'm honest. What do you want in return?”

“Nothing. At least nothing in return for that. Consider it an act of charity, in return for being so honest with me about my company's products.”

“Well, if you want to cover my bill with Rarity, I'm happy with that. But I reckon you have something else you want to ask me,” Applejack said, still sounding suspicious.

“Well, yes, but it's a separate matter. I was simply wondering if you would like to go on a date with me.”

“A date? Really? The CEO of Fancy industries wants to go on a date with a simple farm pony like me?”

“It's out there, I know, but there are so few honest ponies in my life, and even fewer I find myself so attracted to. If you don't want to, though, you can just tell me,” Fancy said.

“Um, tell you what. I'll think about it, then get back to you tomorrow, alright?”

“Okay. I'll wait at Rarity's boutique for you,” Fancy said, making a mental note to ask Rarity about Applejack.

Shortly after, Fancypants climbed out of the hot tub and retrieved his tuxedo before going to the counter, where he met the spa pony who had treated him. She said, “Hello Mister Fancypants. With the services we provided, minus the services you decided to skip, you have another fifteen bits on your gift certificate. Would you like to keep them for another time, or should I give them back to Miss Fleur?”

“Actually, I was hoping you could put them towards Applejack's bill, and charge me the rest of it.”

“Certainly. I will just need five bits.”

Fancy reached into his tuxedo pocket and dropped a twenty bit piece on the counter, saying, “keep the change. You've earned it.”

“Thank you, Mister Fancypants,” the blue pony said with a big smile.

“You're quite welcome.”

Author's Note

By pure coincidence, Fancy's last line here is the last line of Gimme Shelter. I just can't help but note that.

Anyway, this is technically part of the last chapter, to keep the seven chapter idea together, since I realize now one of my plans for near the end works best as its own chapter.

Also, as I said before, it's hard to get these two to interact, and even harder to justify putting them in a relationship (though Fancy's vague personality and Fleur's almost not-personality in canon help a lot by letting me build them in a way that works for the story). It's technically a crack pairing, if I'm honest, so if it doesn't quite feel right, just know, I'm trying my best to write a bizarre and damn tricky ship.

And I've already started on Fluttershy and Fleur's side of this chapter, though it's proving to be tricky for the simple reason that there isn't a lot I need to do with it