30 Days of Temptation

by LuminoZero

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fancypants, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity, Original Character
Length: 41465

Rarity has agreed to take on a job in Canterlot for a month. Can she hold onto her true self while surrounded by all the lies of high society?

When a familiar unicorn shows up in Ponyville, he has an odd request for the young fashionista. Rarity accepts, but is full of doubts as to if she can do it, and if she can avoid turning into something she despises.

A huge thank you to fferror for proofreading this story.

This story has been approved by Twilight's Library!

Published 2013-09-23 02:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-30 18:12:33 UTC

Prologue

Ponyville was an active town, even on the most mundane of days. But today was anything but mundane, nothing close to ordinary. No, today was an extraordinary day. It was bright and pleasant when the train from Canterlot pulled into the Ponyville station. Nothing out of the ordinary about that, but one of the passengers was probably the real cause of all the attention. The unicorn walked through the streets of the simple town, their long blue mane and pleasant smile catching the eye of everypony they passed on the street.

He dressed sharply, and greeted even the smallest filly with warm words and a genuinely kind smile, not like most of the ponies of his obvious stature that visited the small town. Well, most of his stature rarely, if ever, visited Ponyville. This unicorn was one of a kind, and as he walked towards the most fashionable building in the small town he nearly ran into another pony running down the street in a hurry. The young filly saw the collision coming, and slid back, sliding on her haunches right through the legs of one very startled unicorn.

"My word!" the unicorn declared, turning to face the white unicorn filly who had just slid by him. "Are you all right my dear?" he questioned while noting a very eerie similarity. Instead of solid purple, her mane was an odd combination of that and a shade of pink. Her green eyes seemed to focus on some thought or another, obviously a little filly in quite a hurry!

"Yep!" she replied energetically as she wasted no time heading on her way. "Sorry mister!" she called as she galloped off down the road. He merely watched the filly go and chuckled lightly. Every now and again he loved to visit places like this without his associates from Canterlot; everything here was so... honest. The usual warm smile returned to his face as he moved up to the 'Carousel Boutique', his horn glowing slightly as he pushed the door open. In spite of his interest with the mare within, he'd never actually been here. 'A true shame,' he thought, as he looked about the show room. It had nothing on Canterlot's massive showrooms, but he found the charm of the smaller building oddly appealing. No inch of space was misused; everything on the walls, the tables and on the ponykins was placed there on purpose, as if the entire shop was one large picture that had been designed in just this way.

A familiar voice greeted his ears from the back of the room, where a very familiar white unicorn stood, looking over what have been her latest design. Too difficult to see from here what she was working on, however. "Back so soon, Sweetie Belle? Did you forget something?" she asked, turning around with a smile and stopping in her tracks.

"Sweetie Belle? I assume that was the delightful little filly that I just met?" he responded, a charming smile on his face, just as she'd always remembered.

"Fancy Pants!" Rarity gasped out. She was more than a little surprised that the most important pony in Canterlot had just walked into her shop, and she hadn't even properly greeted him. "Oh! Oh my you surprised me," she stated. She began channeling Pinkie Pie for a moment as she dashed about the Boutique, covering many of her designs and projects she was working on in a frenzied state. She could not possibly let him see such crude designs. He'd think she was just lowborn gutter trash if he saw some of her scribbles.

Fancy Pants allowed her to run about, but began speaking almost instantly, hoping it would calm her down from her panic. "Hello again, Ms. Rarity. I'm actually not here to shop. Well, not for your designs exactly," he stated, leaving his explanation vague. Almost instantly, Rarity stopped, looking up from the half-finished dress that she had just covered, her horn still aglow after having tossed the cloth over it. "I wanted to know if you would be willing to help my nephew, you see."

Rarity paused, still looking a bit overwhelmed at his presence in her shop, but thankfully he continued. "You see, my nephew Penned Portrait is an artist, or he wishes to be. Unfortunately, he lacks the creative spark that all good artists have, and he has become quite depressed," he said, walking about the shop and glancing at what he saw there. Daring, clever and unique designs adorned the wall. All of Rarity's work just screamed one word.

Inspired.

He turned back to her with an honest smile. "You see, he has been surrounded by Canterlot fashions for all of his life. I think he needs something different, contrast as it were. And when I thought of creative ponies I knew that could turn Canterlot fashion on its head..." he paused for a moment as he glanced around the Boutique.

"Well, here I am."

Rarity was stunned that someone as important as Fancy Pants thought of her as so skilled that he would ask her to assist his family. It was positively stunning, outstanding, amazing! "Ah, well I am honored, of course. But, well, I am afraid I don't know the first thing about artists. I would not even know where to begin," she spoke honestly. She was chomping at the bit of an opportunity like this, but to lie about her own ability and do a poor job would only serve to damage her reputation. Too dangerous of a gamble for the fashionista to take.

Fancy Pant's smile did not fade, as he nodded to her. "Oh, but it is your dressmaking I wish to borrow, Ms. Rarity. You see, you come up with such creative and interesting designs. So much of what is in Canterlot is copying what other ponies succeed with. But everything here is such a breath of fresh air, a design of your own imagining. I feel if he could just see the dedication and heart you obviously put into your work, he would find his own inspiration."

Rarity blushed a bit, her ego drinking in the praise like a delicate flower after a spring rain. "Well, when you put it like that, how could I refuse? I would be honored to help!" she remarked, nearly bowing to the stallion. Thankfully, she caught herself before she did so. She associated with royalty so much lately that she nearly did it by habit!

"Excellent! When should I tell him to expect you?" Fancy Pants asked with a smile. He turned his head as the question hung in the air, happily looking among her works on the wall. He tilted his head and thought for a moment on one teal design, before nodding with a smile and moving on.

Rarity was practically skipping around her shop when his words passed her ears. She paused, a bit of apprehension building up inside of her. "Beg pardon?" she asked, having naturally assumed that the artist would be traveling to Ponyville to get away from Canterlot fashions.

"Oh don't worry about lodging. I have taken the liberty of reserving a penthouse near his studio for you," he explained. He seemed totally oblivious to the cause of her concern.

Well, now this was a totally different problem. Rarity had learned that Canterlot brought out the worst in her. All of the qualities she hated about herself were only compounded when she was there, and it hadn't gotten any better since the issue with Twilight's birthday. She raised a hoof to her forehead in annoyance as she recalled the bouquet toss at Cadance's wedding. She thought for a moment, and Fancy Pants did catch on to her silence.

"Is there a problem Ms. Rarity?" he asked, turning around to look at her. An odd combination of concern and confusion was mingling on his face as he observed her.

Rarity shook out her mane, having finally come to a decision about the matter. "Thirty days," she spoke as her first words, realizing instantly that she had to amend them lest they sounded incredibly rude to the unicorn. "I have difficulty maintaining my own inspiration in Canterlot, but I should be able to do so for thirty days. After that I would have to return here to restore my creative flow, as it were." All right, that was a half truth. What more frightened her was how much damage she could do to herself in thirty days without her friends and only the high and mighty elite of Canterlot to talk with. She wasn't envious of finding out.

Rarity knew she was weak. She had the best of intentions, but sometimes her vanity got the better of her... like at the Best Young Flier competition. Urgh, she couldn't believe that Rainbow Dash would even speak to her after how much of a mule she had been. She would say it was not her finest moment, but her mind always seemed to latch on to the failures so much harder. She was jostled back to reality by Fancy Pants speaking again.

"Wonderful! I must return to Canterlot to tell him the good news. I am sure he will be thrilled to have such a talented and understanding designer helping him!" he spoke, sounding genuinely pleased with the turn of events. "Well then Ms. Rarity. Please stop by my manor when you arrive in Canterlot. You remember where it is, yes?" he asked her, noting her nod as the mare still seemed deep in thought. "Excellent! Well, I should get going then. Oh, but one last thing," he said, stopping at the door.

Rarity turned back to him, her charming and dazzling smile once again taking the forefront of her demeanor. "Yes?" she asked sweetly.

"Well, Fleur De Lis has been craving something sweet lately, and nothing in Canterlot seems to satisfy her. Would you be able to recommend something local? Perhaps a new treat is just what she needs," he spoke, and Rarity could not help but think she was not getting the whole story out of the unicorn. Still, she knew the answer easily.

"Well, there is Sugar Cube Corner, just down the road a bit. I'd be careful of Pinkie though, she can be a little... enthusiastic," Rarity finished with a small laugh and a smile. For some reason, it felt much easier to be herself around Fancy Pants. He didn't seem to put on airs, at least not as much as some other ponies did.

He smiled happily, recalling the rambunctious pink pony. "Ah yes, I remember. Her excitement was childlike, very refreshing after spending so much time in these higher circles. Well, take care Ms. Rarity. I will see you in Canterlot!" he called, closing the door behind him as he left the boutique.

The sign in the window was flipped to 'Closed' well before he was out of sight.

"Going to Canterlot, for a whole month?” the young voice asked that evening. Rarity had asked Spike for some assistance in her packing, and Sweetie Belle had just gone home. Understandably, the young dragon was slightly distraught by this news. That was part of the reason she'd requested his help to get her things in order. Better for him to hear it from her then anypony else.

"I'd prefer to think of it as just a month. Canterlot is a lovely place. The fashion center of Equestria, where all the most important and powerful ponies mingle, or it is so exciting!" she said with what sounded suspiciously like a squeal of delight.

"And, you are going to model for somepony?", Spike asked with the smallest tinge of jealousy in his voice. Rarity just laughed, however.

"Model? Moi? Honestly darling, when have you ever known me to be anything but the designer? We are just hoping some of my genius will bleed off on him. Or perhaps my fabulous designs will inspire him. Who knows?" she said, brushing a stray hair back into perfect formation in her mane. "It's just a change of scenery, I will still be doing what I always do, designing fabulous outfits with an assistant."

Almost as soon as she said that, she realized she should not have. Rarity turned towards the now crestfallen dragon, walking over to him. He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to. Rarity knew exactly what he was thinking. "Now, now Spike, pouting like that is no way for a gentle drake to hold himself. You know that no assistant I could ever have would replace you," she said as she nuzzled against his cheek. He slowly came back from his funk, just as an idea struck her. "Oh! I know!" she declared, her horn lighting up as a box across the room snapped open. In a moment, the necklace came into the air for them both to see.

The Fire Ruby Necklace. "Now, you see? My best assistant will be coming with me too. Perhaps if my designs will not encourage him, the pristine glow of the most generous gift ever will serve to do so," she added with a smile.

Spike seemed to recover from his depression, but he still grumbled "I wish I could go with you..." They both knew why he couldn't. With Twilight spending more and more time in Canterlot with her royal duties, Spike was the one running the library. And as much as Rarity knew the dragon cared for her, he would never break his promise to Twilight to take care of the library while she was gone. That loyalty of his was honestly one of the cutest parts of him, even when it wasn't directed at the attention-grabbing fashionista.

Rarity stopped to consider for a moment, and once again she spoke without thinking, "I'm actually glad you can't." Her eyes snapped open when she realized what she'd said. She didn't really want to tell him the story, but now she had to. Otherwise what she had just said would break the poor drake's heart. "Canterlot is home for you and Twilight, but every time I go there, I wind up doing something I regret. Forgetting about my friends, putting more stock in the famous and powerful, or even allowing a total swine like that royal pain of a prince to walk all over me for the sake of 'appearance.' I'd rather you not see me for that," she answered honestly. The dragon always looked at her as if she were perfection incarnate, and she did not want to taint that image of his with the truth. Perhaps it was greedy of her, but Spike's attitude always served to cheer her up, and she dreaded what would happen if he actually saw how broken and flawed she really was.

Spike, however, walked over to her and placed his hand on the necklace she'd set aside to be packed. "Then pretend I am with you. I'm here, in this ruby. Be yourself, not what they want you to be, and come home to us happy," Spike said with a smile. Those words would stick in her mind for the rest of the week. Be who she really was... But who was she really? Was she the small town designer? Was she the big city fashionista? Was she just an imposter? She mused, silently, that perhaps her masks had gotten so full she didn't know what her real face was anymore.

And now, today was the day. Her bags were packed, her supplies ready, and all of her friends told. The advice has gone from the simple 'Please have fun, if that is ok I mean' to the playfully threatening 'You better keep your hoofs on the ground 'fore I come on up there an kick ya back to your senses!' With a 'Take care sugar cube.' added on to make sure her friend understood. Now she stood at the train station, allowing two delightful stallions she had 'persuaded' to 'assist' her in getting her luggage onto the train. She wondered, from time to time, if doing so was against her Element. She quickly justified that she was just encouraging them to be generous, and there was nothing wrong with that. As the train prepared to pull out, she glanced once more over the town she so loved. One month. One month of fierce combat against her own flaws, to try and help another artist. Nopony had been around to help her when she was starting out, at least not in the artistic sense. She would share her skill and knowledge with this budding artist. After all, what was the point of experience if we couldn't share it?

She only questioned if she'd be able to hold onto her true self long enough to teach him something of value. She would dread if she taught him how to be selfish, vain and how to break promises to friends. She reached into her luggage and pulled out the Fire Ruby, just looking into the facets of the gem.

Please... Please help me to remember.

Author's Note

Welp, this is my first attempt at a chaptered pony fic. Any comments and critiques you can provide would be very much appreciated. That said, I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to making a great story for you in the weeks to come.

-Lumino

Day 1

Rarity found that the train ride was much more obnoxious than usual. She was having trouble sitting still, just like a little filly. She constantly needed to remind herself to act like an appropriate lady, as if she were a mother speaking to a foal. Going to Canterlot to work on her designs was one thing, but being called by Fancy Pants on a personal family favor. The idea made her a bit more giddy then she was willing to admit to. The most powerful and famous unicorn in Canterlot, maybe in all of Equestria! Well, barring the royalty, but they didn't count!

She looked out the window as they came out of the mountain cave, winding up the path that would take them right into Canterlot station. She took a longing glance out the window, her eyes absorbing the majesty of the cultural capital of Equestria. Celestia had to have designed her capital city because of its location. The way her sun beamed off of the pristine white buildings was dazzling. Only the Crystal Empire could possibly compare in the category of pure, breathtaking beauty. Rarity had to struggle to contain a delighted squeal.

And then the train slowed, causing the white unicorn to mentally remind herself to stay in her seat. 'Don't be too excited. Carry yourself with confidence and poise.' She sat quietly, nearly biting her lip in her excitement. Until finally the car gave its last jerk, the whistle blowing loud to allow everypony to know they had arrived. She calmly stood from her seat, moving outside to get her first look at the spectacular city. As her hoof touched the platform, she took in the skyline with a bright smile. As tall as the buildings were, they did not seem invasive. They looked as if they belonged there, like they were some masterful design against the perfect backdrop.

Her thoughts went to her job here for a moment. If there was an artist in here who could not be inspired by all the natural beauty in this place, what hope did she have? She was left to her thoughts as a few stallions got her bags out of the train car, setting them on a dolly as they looked towards her. Another of the benefits of Canterlot over Ponyville, ponies hired with the purpose of waiting on your every whim.

This, however, was not quite what she thought it was. "We'll drop your things off at your penthouse, Ms. Rarity," one of the stallions spoke with a small bow, surprising her. These stallions were meticulously dressed, even more so then the others here. The one speaking to her had a well groomed mane of white, looking the very definition of prim and proper. A familiar embroidery on his breast answered her question though. Fancy Pants' cutie mark, so he'd sent his servants to take her things? But she hadn't even told him she was coming! Well, the passenger lists for the trains were open to the public if you knew enough ponies. She couldn't imagine he'd have trouble finding out when she was arriving if he really tried.

"Oh, thank you very much, darlings! Please be careful with the blue one," she said as she pointed out a smaller blue traveling case. That one was important. Well, everything she brought was important, but that one more so. The stallions finished stacking the cart and looked back to her.

"Will you be heading straight to the estate, Ms. Rarity?" the white maned stallion asked her. To her own surprise, it was not Rarity's voice that answered that question.

"No, she will not," came a very familiar, feminine voice. Rarity turned in surprise, as did most of the ponies there. The voice was strong and with conviction, someone who was exerting power just by her very words. She had gathered a large amount of attention just by nature of her voice, but the sight of the purple alicorn was more than enough to stun the crowd to silence as they all began lowering themselves to the newest Princess. Rarity felt her mouth dry for a moment, stuck in shock at the sight of Twilight here, fully set in her royal regalia. She snapped out of it quickly, going into a bow herself. She thought it silly, but it would be seen as terribly rude to not bow to a princess, even if she did know her personally. Twilight just rolled her eyes, but nodded politely. "You may all rise," she spoke, loud enough to be heard.

And then she walked up to Rarity and placed her hooves around her friend in a totally unbecoming and indecent display of affection and favoritism. "Oh Rarity! How have you been? It feels like forever since I last saw you!" she spoke, letting all of the weight and poise that her voice had a moment ago slip away. Now she was back to old Twilight, no sign of the princess in there beyond the very familiar dress she now wore. Rarity took note of it, recalling her own handiwork with a satisfied smile.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here Pri-"

"Twilight," her friend spoke, cutting her off. "Always Twilight to my friends. Anywhere," she said with another smile. "And I learned a very nice little spell from Princess Celestia, one that is very handy for getting information from Ponyville," she said, her horn glowing as she waved a familiar looking scroll in between them. "Spike told me you were coming. Come, let's walk. It's too stuffy here," she announced, looking about at the crowd of slack jawed ponies. They seemed totally floored to see their princess speaking so... personally! And to a commoner no less!

Rarity started to walk and then paused. Fancy Pants knew she was here. It would be incredibly rude to keep him waiting, especially after he had gone through all this trouble for her. "Please let your master know I will be delayed a bit. I have an old friend that I must confer with," she said to the stallions, looking back to the smiling purple mare. "Well, after you darling," she spoke with a grin, trotting down the streets with Twilight in what looked more like a strut with every block.

"And then she just looks at me and blinks, you should have seen the look on her face!" Twilight spoke with a giggle, recounting her introducing Princess Luna to her new attempts at formal speech. "I can still hear her now 'Have you become ill, Twilight Sparkle?' " she finished, descending into another fit of giggles with Rarity as they traversed the last bit of the royal castle. This path was leading to what Rarity would assume was Twilight's new room. Once they were safely in the castle walls, all pretenses had been dropped faster than a yellow on brown outfit. Brrrr, remembering that incident had sent a shiver down her spine. The uppity blue unicorn may have been forgiven by Twilight, but after something like that she'd need much more to make it up to the indignant fashionista.

"Honestly now, Twilight darling, you make it sounds like learning to be a princess is boring and dull. You cannot tell me there is not some excitement in it," she questioned, still giggling slightly from Twilight's tales. The alicorn just groaned, rolling her eyes in memory. She put up a good act of adjusting to royal life, but Rarity was pretty good at seeing through feigned happiness. It was, after all, what the elite of Canterlot showed on a daily basis. "Hmmm, maybe not," she added.

"Arrrrgh! It's so important but dull!" she complained. "All these diplomatic meetings where I have nothing to add, important ponies who want to meet me and put on all these pretentious airs. I'm used to my friends being friends and my enemies being enemies. It feels like the entire city is changelings!" she grumbled, using her magic to push the massive door open as they crossed the threshold into the massive room. Rarity, for her part, contained her enthusiasm for a moment to consult with her friend.

"Now now Twilight, a lady does not whine," she reminded with a gentle hoof on her friend's back. "You'll grow into it in time I am sure. After all, I've known nopony more dedicated then you! Why, with the mere idea of failing you nearly gave yourself a panic attack," she added with a sly smile, hoping to knock the funk off of her friend. Twilight turned with an critical gaze as her magic pulled the tiara and brilliant gown off. The crown set aside on a pedestal, and the gown placed expertly upon a lone ponyquin.

"Now what do you mean by that Rarity?" she questioned, a bit of suspicion and budding annoyance in her voice as the unicorn treaded on dangerous ground.

Rarity raised her hoof to her forehead as she swooned, her horn glowing with magic. "Oh! I have no friendship report this week! Whatever shall I do? The princess will send me back to magic kindergarten!" she declared, before fainting on the small sofa she'd spied in the room, and called to her with her horn.

Twilight got the last laugh. The sofa Rarity had spied and decided to pull was a similar shape to her own, but it had one difference. It had a railing on it, one that she bumped against during her swoon, causing the regal unicorn to rebound off and land unceremoniously on the floor. She groaned as she worked herself back onto her hooves. "Ow..." she whimpered meekly. Twilight was trying very hard to not laugh at her friend's incident.

"Now now Rarity, a lady does not whine," she settled with saying, earning a reproachful glare from the fashionista. "Then again, I am pretty sure a lady does not fall flat on her face either," she added with a snicker, and in moments both mares were laughing loudly again. It was almost a full minute before the laughter died down again, and Rarity took the moment to ask a question that had occurred to her.

"By the way Twilight, darling. Why were you wearing my gown today? Such outfits are best reserved for rare occasions," Rarity questioned. Luna and Celestia did not dress up for their every day affairs, so it made no sense why Twilight would choose to. Twilight's answer was simple, but still surprising.

"For you! You always wanted to be famous in Canterlot, well what could be better than being the princess' tailor?" she suggested, and Rarity brought her hoof to her mouth in surprise as her eyes teared up slightly. Everyone knew of Rarity's dreams in Canterlot, and in spite of everything she had to do, and how much she knew Twilight hated dressing up, she had gone out of her way to help her friend.

"Why Twilight, I-I don't know what to say," she stalled for a moment, earning another hug from the purple mare.

"You could say you won't be a stranger while you're here this month. I'd love to see more of you. Oooh, Idea!" she said, the last part imitating Rarity's tone perfectly. "You are a natural here! You can blend in with all the high class mares and stallions without a problem! If you have time between your work, do you think you could stop by and teach me a little?" she asked excitedly.

And Rarity was torn. Twilight was certainly right, Rarity knew all the nuances to fitting in with the upper echelon of Canterlot elite. But doing that required a lot of lying, posturing, and doing things against ones better judgment. To turn Twilight into something like that, left a bad taste in her mouth.

On the other hand, if she didn't learn from her, she would learn from someone else. Better her to learn the truth from a friend then from some strange pony who didn't care. "Of course, darling," she answered. "After all, what are friends for?"

"Convincing you to do things you don't want to, among other things."

Rarity was stunned for a moment. It took a few seconds for her mind to process that the voice she'd just heard did not belong to Twilight. The alicorn, however, just rolled her eyes. "Discord!" she called in annoyance, making the draconequus appear in the room with a flash of light.

"Present, my little princess!" he called, pulling off his antler with a pop and bowing low, spinning his arm as if he were holding a hat. Rarity puffed herself indignantly.

"How rude! Did nopony teach you that it is inappropriate to listen in on a lady's conversation?!" she chastised the chaos god. Discord looked deep in thought for a moment before sighing.

"Oh I suppose you are right, very well," he conceded, Rarity giving a satisfied smirk at how declawed the once formidable foe had become since Fluttershy had tamed him. Her self-satisfied smile faded when he pulled his own ears off and tossed them out the window. "BETTER?" he shouted at the two of them with a delightful grin, Twilight just brought her hoof to her face.

There was no point in even trying to carry on a conversation anymore, not with Discord standing in the background and doing what he did. Currently it was pulling the paint of the wall off as a long rope and trying to lasso a grass sculpture outside in the garden. Twilight shot an apologetic glance to Rarity, whom took that to mean it was time to go. It was just as well, Discord was trying to see if he could make the grass sculptures come to life and start bucking like bulls.

He seemed to puff up in delight as the shouts of confusion rose up from outside of the window, turning to shout once again. "BYE RARITY, DARLING," before turning back to the window. "HEY! THOSE EARS ARE MINE, I DON'T GO AROUND TOUCHING YOUR THINGS!" he shouted, before pausing for a second. "OH WAIT, I DO. CARRY ON," and then an explosion of confetti as an unsuspecting pony was launched across the gardens.

Twilight just groaned, this was going to be a long day.

Chatting with Twilight had done her good. It was always refreshing to know that she wasn't alone, even up here. She knew the Princess would be returning to Ponyville whenever she could, but as long as she could be in Canterlot, Rarity was happy for it. She'd done a lot of walking today, but she hadn't really noticed. For some reason, walking around an exquisite city like Canterlot always felt much more relaxing then doing something as mundane as camping.

Her hooves had taken her to where she was destined to be that day, Fancy Pants' manor house. She looked up at the radiant building, taking caution to not let her jaw drop. This was his estate? She'd assumed it was a government building, you could see it from the approach to the city! But still, the three crowns emblazoned above the door made it obvious that this was indeed the right place. She knew he was powerful, but my word this was more than even she had expected!

She walked right up to the door, raising her hoof as if to knock when she spied something on the massive doors that made her pause. A knocker. Huge, clearly more than any pony would be able to lift without magic, even Applejack, but its purpose was clear. Unicorns would be the only ones able to life such a weight that high off the ground, and it would certainly make a much different sound. They were judging you before they even saw you. Rarity's disposition soured slightly, but she recovered and allowed her horn to glow, raising the large hunk of metal with a little difficulty. Once raised sufficiently, she let it drop. Its clanging against the base plate reverberated through the house.

It seemed barely a breath had passed before the door flew open. An earth pony stood there, dressed in a fine black suit that clearly identified him as a servant. He looked at the unicorn before him. White coat, violet mane, impeccable style. He seemed to nod in acceptance. "Ah, Miss Rarity. He has been expecting you, please come in," he spoke, almost in a monotone. It was like he'd rehearsed the line over and over again, and it was free of all emotion or sincerity.

"Thank you," she spoke to the servant. "I hope he received my message?" she questioned to him, hoping to gleam some insight into the state of their meeting. She had kept him waiting a while after all.

"I cannot say Ma'am. The master is waiting is in the lounge, he instructed us to bring you to him as soon as you arrived," he explained, in the same soulless and apathetic voice. Rarity followed, not asking any further questions as they moved through the massive house.

Rarity was no stranger to vanity, she practically lived it, and she had just come from the royal palace. But this seemed excessive. Everything in the royal palace was there as if by design. Thousands of years must have done that to the aesthetic. It didn't seem over the top, it seemed as if everything was where it belonged. Surely it was pampered, but even Rainbow had nothing poor to say about the palace, as she would certainly about the lavish surroundings that Rarity now occupied. Her thoughts were interrupted as the turned off of the main hall, into a massive room easily the size of the first floor of her house. Couches, bookcases, tables, what looked like a wine counter and a roaring fire in a fireplace easily the size of her front patio. She could see no wood, it must have been magically enchanted.

"Sir, Miss Rarity has arrived," the droll pony next to her spoke, and she saw movement from the only occupied chair in the room. He'd had his back to the door, so she just now noticed Fancy Pants as he set a book on the table in front of him and stood to greet her.

"Ah! She arrives at last! Welcome to my humble abode, Miss Rarity," he said with a pleasant greeting as the servant seemed to vanish into the massive house. Rarity smiled bashfully, taking a few steps into the lounge. He was still impeccably dressed, as always. She had to wonder if he always dressed like he was going to the Grand Galloping Gala.

"I am terribly sorry for being late, I just got-" she started, before he held a hoof up to silence her. She was worried for a moment that she had offended him, and waited for him to speak on pins and needles.

"You were speaking with your dear friend, who just so happens to be our newest princess! How could I possibly be upset that you thought such was more important?" he said with a smile, offering her a seat. "Come, I'll tell you everything you need to know for your stay here," he said, gesturing to a seat next to him. "It has been so quiet in the house with Fleur under the weather, I would very much enjoy having the company of a lovely mare such as yourself for a bit."

His words worried Rarity a little bit, but for the moment it just seemed like harmless flirting. Right, that was all it was. Harmless. "Ah... yes of course. So then, your nephew," she began, and Fancy Pants sighed a bit.

"The poor lad, he's almost beside himself. He has talent, everypony can see it, but he just cannot seem to find that spark of inspiration, and we've tried everything to support him. Fleur's family even sent him on a trip all around Equestria, but it did nothing for the boy. That side of the family is out of ideas, so now I suppose it is my turn to offer the boy help, and that was why I called for you," he spoke, watching the fire, but turning his eyes to her for a moment. Rarity knew most of this, but there had been some new information.

"He is from Fleur's side of the family?" she confirmed, speaking of Fancy's wife. He nodded with no other response to the question. "I see. Well I will do all I can for the boy, but I am not sure what I can give him that he would not have seen if he had been all around Equestria," she spoke, looking self conscious for a moment. "There was nopony on your side of the family that had insight into foreign customs and art?" she asked, more curious than anything else.

Fancy Pants seemed like he was tripped up by this question, and Rarity was about to pull it back when he answered anyway. "Mmmm, no. My family was... never really invested in such things. They were practical ponies," he said, as if thinking on some bitter memory. Rarity shuffled her hooves, looking towards the fire.

"I am sorry, I was out of place to ask something so personal." But Fancy Pants merely waved it off with a hoof.

"My dear, you are involved with my family now. Such questions are part of the job. Now then, Penned Portrait will be returning from a fruitless trip to Manehattan later this evening. You can meet him in the studio first thing in the morning?" he asked, and Rarity nodded perhaps a bit too eagerly.

"Of course! I came here to help, and I will do my best to try and inspire him," she promised. Fancy Pants smiled, looking over the fire place and then back to Rarity.

"There is something...beautiful about the natural world, don't you agree?" he spoke, almost wistfully. Rarity's normal shell of quiet agreeing cracked for a moment, just a moment.

"Hmph, hardly. Why my sister seems to love this concept of camping, camping," she said, emphasizing it. "In the woods, on the dirt. Yuck, it is nothing for a lady," she spoke calmly, forgetting for an instant where she was. Fancy Pants just chuckled.

"Really now? It sounds delightful to me. Just to see what the world has to offer when it is not covered in satin sheets."

"Oh no," Rarity responded. "If I want to see the natural world, I'd rather do it on a safari, maybe a shaded tour. Oh that would be simply divine." The idea of being carried aloft by a group of stallions on some litter made for a princess or goddess entered her day dreams. Leaning back under the parasol held above her, as she was fanned by a tiny purple dragon...

And her daydream came to a screeching halt as her eyes shot open. Had she just... imagined Spike as a servant? What was wrong with her? Even in her most vain moments, she'd never do that.

The image of a dragon pincushion rose into her mind, causing her to wince.

"Well, I'd best head over to get my things unpacked, and the studio all set up," she said, rising from the chair. Fancy Pants looked over to her, disappointed.

"Must you? I was so looking forward to having some company for dinner tonight," he extended the offer to her, and Rarity had to bite her lips to resist temptation. He was being a total gentlecolt, but she needed to get out of here. Her mind was getting the better of her, and she needed time to collect her thoughts.

"You are kind to offer, but I feel it would not be appropriate without your wife to join us. Perhaps again when she has recovered?" she suggested to the stallion, who nodded in agreement to her objection.

"Ah, you are right. Forgive this old pony, I forget my manners," he spoke, clapping his hooves once. Almost instantly, a new servant had appeared in the room. Rarity began to wonder if they took special training to appear and vanish like that. "Please escort Miss Rarity to her accommodations," he instructed, before turning to her one last time. "The studio is called the 'Triple Crown Finish', you will be able to see it from your penthouse. I hope you enjoy your time in Canterlot, Miss Rarity," he said with one last smile for her.

"So do I," she responded as means of a farewell. 'So do I.’

Rarity barely even had a look around the penthouse when she arrived. The first thing she did was start to move her things over to the studio. Sure enough, it was plenty large to accommodate her own creation, and the artistry of her student. Student, that seemed like an odd word for it. She wasn't sure how she could possibly teach him inspiration, not that she wouldn't try!

As this thought entered her head, she felt something, as a flash behind her illuminated the dark room. The sun had just finished setting, so the flash of magic had been even more obvious then it would have been normally. Rarity turned around in surprise to see a rather large, velvet, fainting sofa in the middle of her studio, with a small card atop it. She hoisted the message up with her magic, reading the simple words on it.

Please don't hurt yourself this time.- Twilight

And as much as she wanted to smack the alicorn princess, she felt a tear working its way down her cheek. She allowed herself a moment of sentiment, before standing up tall and looking about all the work to be done. Well, this would not do at all! She needed to have this place at least looking presentable when the artist showed up!

Tomorrow would be a big day, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Day 2: First Impressions

Rarity knew the importance of punctuality. That was why she rose with the sun the next morning. She slipped her face mask off with a very unladylike yawn, looking out the window into the Canterlot streets. For a moment she was confused, wondering why she was not in Ponyville. Her mind caught up to her soon enough, reminding her of the importance of her trip. That was right, she was going to meet Fancy Pants' nephew, the artist, today.

She slipped out of the incredibly comfortable bed in this new penthouse, her hooves landing on the carpeted floor. She moved over to the vanity mirror, and began her morning preparations, starting with her mane. After all, a lady must always look presentable. It was roughly an hour later when she was finally ready. Her morning routine was essential, but sometimes the sheer volume of it could even wear on her nerves. Thankfully, she decided to avoid dressing to impress for this meeting. Fancy Pants had asked her because of how she worked, and she didn't get primped for work... relatively speaking. Well she wasn't like Applejack, who would just roll out of bed and go to work, sweet Celestia, no! She had a reputation and, more importantly, her own self image to think about.

The penthouse Fancy Pants had set her up at was splendid. Not a match for the room she'd had at the Royal Palace, but certainly a lovely bit of pampering. She had been a bit surprised when she moved in last night to find that the kitchen inside had even been fully stocked! At first she imagined that it would be empty, since the idea of a guest here being able to cook was enough to make her laugh. However, Fancy Pants had displayed his unique style and wisdom once again. The entire penthouse had the furnishings of a middle-upper-class abode. Nothing so high and mighty that it was all for looks, but a finer catalogue of items then she was used to. Practical, but pampered at the same time.

As she prepared to leave for the studio, she stumbled over something. She caught herself quickly, the very picture of grace and poise, as she looked back at the offending item: a small blue traveling suitcase. She snapped up quickly, having almost forgotten. Her horn glowed, shifting the case over to the table. The locks snapped free, allowing the lid to pop open and reveal a few items. The first were precious dressmaking supplies: some of her more delicate fabrics, and a small group of expertly cut gems. Nestled carefully among them was a small item wrapped in the most basic and bland cloth the unicorn owned. That was what her magic lifted up, the fabric not shifting an inch. It had been so carefully wrapped that it would not slip free unless someone unwrapped it, as she was doing right now. It only took another moment until the red gleam of the familiar gem met her eyes.

This necklace had inspired a good number of her outfits before. Just looking into its pristine facets made her head swim with so many memories. Sometimes it was nice to just lose oneself in memories, to get your mind away from your work. After all, if you stared too close at something, you could never see the true beauty of the design. A little distance was imperative to truly appreciating what was before you. Rarity clasped the accessory into place, allowing it to fit snugly around her neck. She checked herself once more in the mirror, and smiled at what she saw there. Perfect.

"Well my darling Spike. Let's hope this artist is half as good an assistant as you are."

It was with those words that she left the penthouse, heading down the street towards her new studio. The place where she would create for the next month. Only time would tell if she had the skill that was needed for this.

Rarity was worried at first when she took a good look at the studio today. No inspiration room, pristine and unused tools, everything brand new and just waiting for her touch.

It felt unnatural.

For some time she just walked around the studio, looking from the ponyquins to the sewing table to the rolls of freshly purchased fabric. It seemed almost surreal, like she'd walked into some kind of dream. Eventually, she forced herself to sit down at the sewing table. She knew, better then anypony back home, that you could not force inspiration; it either came to you, or it didn't. All you could do was try to spark it by doing different things, by trying something new, or by just relaxing.

She pondered for a moment, wondering how everypony back home was. Fluttershy was watching Opal for her, Rainbow Dash was off training with the Wonderbolts, Applejack was hard at work on her farm by now, Pinkie... hah. The thought of what the party-loving pony could possibly be doing came up blank for the fashionista. Anything you could think of could be a reasonable answer. What about Sweetie Belle and her Cutie Mark Crusader friends though? Oh! Wait a moment, Sweetie Belle's birthday was in two months! A good distance of time, certainly, but it was better to have a gift earlier rather than later! Her magic called to the rolls of fabric, grabbing a roll of scarlet. Hmm, red for Sweetie Belle? Yes! Yes, she could see it now! Rarity didn't seem to think as her horn picked up a piece of paper from the side of the room, the quill flying over it and outlining the design her mind had just created. Now, it wasn't a formal gown like her wedding dress, so it would have to be more durable than normal. Maybe for a semi-formal occasion. Knowing how rowdy her sister could be, maybe it should be a lot more durable than normal.

A ringing sound met her ears, telling her that someone had just entered her shop. She paid little attention to it as her quill continued sketching out the designs of the dress. "Just a minute!" she called in a sing-song voice. If there was any response, she did not hear it. In about another minute, she'd finished the drawing, and looked down at her design. It seemed to be missing something, but the spark was gone for the time being. She realized that someone had entered her shop a moment ago, and this thought started her brain working again. She wasn't in her shop in Ponyville, this was a private studio. She had gotten here so early this morning in order to meet someone. Someone had walked into this studio and she had pretty much ignored them, so caught up in her work. She whipped around quickly, an apology already forming on her lips.

What she saw was surprising, to say the least. A unicorn, coat as white as hers. It might have been more so, if that were at all possible. The rising sun seemed to glisten off of the long mane of blond hair. He flashed a charming smile, which only made the bile rise in her gut to look at him. This was not a fledgling artist, this wasn't even a gentlecolt, this was the biggest and most loathsome royal pain she'd ever has the displeasure of meeting.

Prince Blueblood.

"Well it is about time. It is rude to keep royalty waiting," he spoke, looking about the studio. He was clearly looking down his nose at what was present, even if none of Rarities designs adorned the walls yet. She wasn't sure what he could possibly be so snide about, but she didn't care.

"I'm sorry, this studio is currently excluded to those without taste, manners and class. You'll have to come back later, or never," she spoke, not even giving him the pretense of polite company. She'd happily place him on her sewing table and see if she couldn't seal that fake smile of his.

"As charming as a bull, just like those country ponies. How have you been, pretending you are part of the real elite of Equestria?" he shot back at her, that self-satisfied smirk never leaving his lips. Rarity felt her anger peaking, but the prince continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm not actually here to see you, shocking as that might be. I heard that my good friend was to be working on his art here. What should I find to greet me but some country mare pretending to be a high-class pony."

Rarity didn't let her anger get the best of her, though she really wanted to. Really, really wanted to. "If you are referring to Fancy Pants' nephew, Penned Portrait, he is not here yet. Now leave," she spoke, turning back towards her sewing table. She knew that this would be a bad time to work on the design. She was angry, and more likely to make a mistake because of it. Sweetie Belle deserved better than that.

"What makes you think that you can just order a royal to leave? If I wished I could take this pitiful hovel from you right now, and toss you out onto the street until you learn proper respect for your betters!" he announced haughtily, waiting for her to concede and apologize. Nopony in Canterlot dared to stand up against his royal stature, even nobles were no match for royalty.

Rarity turned around again, her horn glowing blue as she approached the prince with a sweet smile that screamed of anger. The prince's horn began to shimmer in response, though he could not remove the shock from his expression. Would she seriously attack a royal? No, of course not, it was merely a bluff. Still, she spoke, "This is the last time I will ask. The door is right behind you. Use it and have some manners if you ever return."

Blueblood met her gaze, not allowing himself to be bullied by this smaller mare. "No," he responded, refusing to budge an inch.

Rarity's smile only widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."

It had been a long time since he'd been here. Canterlot was his home, but it never really felt like home. He'd arrived at his uncle's last night, but today was the important day. The blue-furred unicorn always liked his uncle most of all; he was the only pony that seemed to see his art for what it was. His direct family? They just wanted to see him famous, bringing honor and reputation to the family name. His uncle, however, had never mentioned him being famous, or even him being successful. He always spoke of inspiration, of finding his 'spark'. After many teachers and private talks with other artists, his family had decided the boy needed to expand his horizons. And so he went on a trip all around Equestria, seeing different art styles, speaking to many different artists, and seeing much of what the world had to offer.

And still, his canvas seemed so empty. He could copy what he saw in a flash, recreate it in an instant. His cutie mark, an ornate mirror, had always helped him with that. He could reproduce things with exact quality after a single look. Even weeks later, he could still remember what the skyline of Manehatten looked like. He could copy it to canvas right now, without even a thought. Many would say it was amazing, a perfect representation even. Those were hollow compliments, because to him it was nothing. He wasn't creating, he was imitating. He'd lost hope a while ago that he'd ever be able to really find a drive to create something of his own. He'd accepted that his cutie mark meant for him to be a recorder, someone who remembered forever how things actually were. A perfect memory, and no creativity.

He'd wanted to refuse this offer, to just give up already. His uncle, however, had been so excited when he spoke of this mare, this fashion designer. He didn't wish to disappoint his uncle, so he'd agreed to try this. Thirty days, that wasn't so long. He could try this for another thirty days, and then put an end to this farce. Perhaps there was something beyond being an artist for somepony like him, maybe there was something more to life then one's name and cutie mark .

A loud crash of broken glass interrupted the silver-maned stallion's thoughts as he looked up in shock. The streets were mostly empty, it was still rather early, but it looked like something serious had just happened. Sweet Celestia! Some unicorn had just come flying through a storefront window! What in Equestria was going on here? This area was supposed to be free of those kinds of ruffians!

Rarity, meanwhile, turned around so she could look out the now-smashed storefront window. The stallion lying in the street, with a nice pair of hoofprints indented into his once pristine suit, seemed positively stunned by this outcome as his mind struggled to catch up. He'd been expecting her magic, and he'd been ready to counter anything she would throw at him with the practiced skill of a noble unicorn. And then she'd spun on her forelegs so quickly he could barely follow it, and sent both of her hind legs right into his chest. The pain had been great, but the damage to his ego was greater still. "W-What...?" he began, coughing from his trip to the ground, and groaning in pain from the collection of cuts the trip through the window had given him.

"Oh, did I neglect to mention? My dear friend Applejack, one of those country ponies you mentioned, taught me the secret of a good bucking kick. How did I do?" she asked with a smile. She was clearly enjoying this far more than a lady should. Even as she finished speaking, her horn was glowing, picking up the pieces of glass from the ground and the few shards from the prince. Glass was not technically a gemstone, but its traits were similar, so her expertise in handling it paid off. She spun the shards slowly, flicking the remaining drops of blood from the few shards that had embedded themselves in him, before moving them towards the window frame like a giant jigsaw puzzle. With a flash of light, the pane was whole again, and she moved to the door, looking outside at the royal stallion lying in the street. "Please, pick yourself up dear Prince Blueblood. It is unbecoming for such a noble stallion such as yourself to be in such a position." The desire to laugh was so great she felt she might explode, but she held it in.

Blueblood said nothing more. He rose, thoroughly humbled, and galloped off down the street as fast as his injuries would allow him. He ran the opposite way from the stunned artist, who knew for a fact that was the studio he was heading to.

And the mare he was to meet had just kicked a prince through her front window. He began to wonder if his uncle was totally sane when he spoke so highly of this unicorn. She had not yet returned to the inside, but instead seemed to take notice of him as she turned her head.

"Oh, no need to worry, darling! Just a bit of a lesson in manners," She offered by way of explanation, turning to enter his shop. The artist gulped once, and then called out to her.

"M-Miss Rarity?" he questioned. 'Please not her, please not her, please not her...'

She turned to look at him again. "Yes, darling, I am Rarity. Are you Penned Portrait, by chance?" she asked, looking him over.

'Crap.'

His expression told her everything she needed to know. He'd seen her little outburst, and was instantly put off by it. Of all the bad luck! "Well, you have no need to worry, darling. I'm not usually like that, the dear prince just seems to bring out the worst in me," she spoke, trying to laugh it off. Oddly enough, it worked.

Portrait knew of Blueblood's... reputation. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been slapped by a mare for his behavior. Though he wondered what the haughty stallion had done to get himself kicked through a window. "I-I can believe that," he answered simply, moving towards her slowly, as if afraid she was going to bite him, or perhaps kick him. Rarity sensed this and moved back towards the studio.

"Well, make yourself at home, darling. I am going to put on a pot of tea, and we can get to know each other a bit. After all, I need to know something about who I am trying to inspire." She said with a pleasant smile, holding the door for him as he approached. Predictably, the act of her holding the door for him made him speed up to not keep her waiting. That gentlecolt behavior that was ingrained in them at a young age was certainly charming. Well, good, he already had a leg up on his 'friend'. She moved into the studio, still looking as pristine as she'd left it, with the exception of a small stack of fabric that had been knocked over by the altercation. Her horn glowed dimly, and she quickly righted them as she walked past. "So, Fancy Pants tells me you just got back from a trip around Equestria," she started as she worked on preparing some tea. "That must have been quite an interesting trip."

Portrait slipped into the studio, letting the door slide shut behind him. He was still on his guard around her, but she seemed alright. Well, aside from the kicks—that was still a little weird. Wasn't she afraid of repercussions for assaulting a royal? He felt the need to bring that up. No sense getting to know her if she was about to be arrested. "It was, but I am afraid I need to ask a question first. Umm... you knew that Blueblood was a prince, so aren't you worried about what he might do?" He asked, shuffling his hooves nervously.

Rarity paused and looked back to him with a bright smile, but saw his apprehension. She toned down her own emotions, and decided to give him the answer he requested. "Oh not at all. Who would he speak to? His aunts? Or perhaps the new princess, Twilight?" she asked. Clearly the stallion did not know why she was so brazenly speaking of the three most powerful ponies in Canterlot.

"Yes! I mean, him being slapped by a mare is one thing, but what you did was assault! The royal guards could be on their way right now!" he said, clearly exasperated. Rarity, however, heard the whistling of the tea kettle and held out a hoof.

"Hold that thought, darling." She said, grabbing the kettle with her magic and pouring some of the tea into two cups, which she sat on opposite sides of a small table. "Tell me, do you get this excited when you work?"

If he hadn't thought she was mad for what she'd done earlier, he certainly thought so now. She didn't even seem to care about how much trouble she would be in! Would he get dragged into it because he was here with her? Or would they just ignore him because he had nothing to do with it? "I don't... I think I should be going," he started, heading for the door. Rarity just sighed.

"Sit, darling. Everything is perfectly fine. I was just trying to get a gauge for your artistic temperament as it were. Prince Blueblood is of no concern to me, because he knows better than to try and convince Princesses Celestia, Luna, or Twilight that what I did to him was not deserved. I have, after all, spoken with all three of the princesses in length, on numerous occasions. Why, I personally made Princess Twilight's coronation gown," she said, starting to feel herself puff up a bit from all of her ego stroking.

Portrait seemed to be trying to digest this new information, but he didn't seem to believe her quite yet. Rarity sat at the table, gesturing to the cup on the other side. "Sit," she commanded. "It is very rude to keep a lady waiting you know."

And he sat, still stunned, but imitating Rarity as he lifted his cup with his magic. He took a small sip of the tea, and instantly felt his nerves calming. "My friend Fluttershy introduced me to this tea. It is simply delightful for calming down after a difficult day. Now then, I can see it is going to bother you, so would you like to hear the story of how I met Princess Twilight?" she asked, full well knowing what the answer would be. She sighed with a smile and sipped her tea as the stallion nodded slowly. "Well, it all began during one Summer Sun Celebration..."

Rarity hadn't realized how long she had been gabbing on. He'd just been so interested in her stories, and she always did love being the center of attention. The epic tales of Nightmare Moon and Discord, talking about her friends and their accomplishments, which ranged from talking down a dragon to the legendary Sonic Rainboom. (Some parts of the latter story were left out for her own sake.) It was not until she felt the pang of hunger inside of her that she realized they'd spent almost the entire morning with her recounting her stories of life in Ponyville. She'd realized, in the midst of telling them, just how blessed she was for the friends she had. "My, I have been talking your ear off. It is already afternoon!" she stated, rising from the table as she looked outside. Sure enough, the sun was high in the sky by now, and she couldn't help but grin when she recalled what had started the conversation. "And that concludes my explanation as to why I do not fear Prince Blueblood. And trust me, darling, those are only half of the stories I could tell."

The poor artist seemed a bit floored by all the tales she had regaled him with. They seemed so unbelievable, but the way she recounted them seemed so real. He wanted to believe that she was telling the truth, but to believe that somepony he'd never heard of could have had that much of an effect on the world was incredible. He'd known about the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, but very few ponies were able to go to the ceremonies honoring them. Even fewer were privileged enough to see the Record of Heroes in the Throne Room, with the windows that depicted their greatest events. Sitting across the table from one of them seemed like it was some kind of a dream. "But why?" he asked, causing her to turn. "With how important you are, why would you waste time with ponies like us?"

And Rarity paused to look back at him. Not at all the kind of question she'd expected to hear from a noble. "You are right, I suppose. I could walk up to every noble that ever looked down on me and my friends. I could wave my Element right under their nose. I could remind them that I have spoken personally with all of the alicorns of our great kingdom, and that I have my likeness on those grand windows of the Throne Room," she began, returning to the table. "I could do all that and more, but what value comes from vanity? I didn't fight Nightmare Moon and Discord so that everypony would respect me, I did it because it was the right thing to do. And you should not wish to be rewarded to do what any pony should be expected to do. If I wish to succeed in the world of fashion, it will not be because I am the Element of Generosity, but because I am Rarity, the finest fashionista in Ponyville. Someday my designs will take all of Equestria, from Canterlot to Manhatten!" she declared with pride. She'd always known she could take the shortcut to fame, but as she'd tried to teach Sweetie Belle, shortcuts were dangerous: you got to where you were going with none of the knowledge you needed to survive there.

Plus, the idea of taking advantage of her Element to fulfill her own goals just filled her with a sickness. Yes she wanted fame, but she didn't want it that way. The Elements were not something to throw around to curry favor. "So now, what about you, darling? What is it you desire? What is your dream?" she asked the artist, who was surprised to find himself being interrogated again. He stalled, running a hoof through his blue coat.

"Well... I do want to be an artist.. but it is complicated. I want to inspire people, I want to fill them with ideas and passion. Hah, ironic that I can't find any of that myself," he grumbled. Rarity was up and next to him in a moment.

"It's like I tell my sister all the time, things happen when they are ready to. Nopony can rush it, and inspiration is not different. When you do find it, I am sure you will be an excellent artist. But until you do, I would be happy to help you find a way to such a selfless dream," she paused, thinking for a moment. "May I see some of your artwork?" she asked, gesturing to one canvas set up on one side of the studio.

He swallowed hard, looking to the canvas as if it were some vile enemy. "I'm... not sure Miss Rarity," he began, before she cut across him.

"It is Rarity, just Rarity."

"Ah, all right Mi... Rarity," He started again. "I can draw something, I suppose. But, well..." he paused. "I guess it is better to show you," he finally relented, moving over to the canvas as his horn began to glow. In an instant, a collection of paints, brushes and other supplies began floating around him, seemingly held in a stationary orbit as he began attacking the canvas. The speed with which a landscape appeared on the canvas was astonishing. He had no references, he didn't even pause to think. His brushes seemed to move with a mind of their own, as the practiced artist ordered them about dutifully.

Rarity saw the majestic skyline of Manehatten forming upon the canvas, but said nothing. This continued for nearly half an hour, with her silently observing his work and style. He certainly had all the determination and fire that she did, so what was the problem? He had that same focused stare, those same deft motions, and he certainly had the raw talent. He finished, setting his tools down, and she moved up to inspect the piece. "That was some amazing usage of magic, darling. I don't think I have ever seen somepony multitask with their magic like that before, even Twilight. It looks just like the real thing," she commented, declining to mention that she'd never personally been to Manehatten.

"It basically is the same thing," He responded bitterly. He could tell by the look of confusion on her face that she did not understand why that was a problem. "I remember everything, Rarity. Perfect clarity, perfect memory. This is exactly what the skyline of Manehatten looked like when I gazed upon it, down to the smallest shadow or scrap of litter. Everything, from the color of the hat the stallion on the corner wears, to the number of birds in the flock above the leftmost building, is exactly as I remember it. It is not that I cannot create art, Rarity," he explained, "it is that I cannot create."

Rarity finally understood the problem, the real problem. "Your family does not know you can do this, do they?" she asked, cutting right to the point. Portrait looked downright shocked by her suggesting that. "Because if they did, they would already think you a great artist. With a skill like this, you would certainly not be a starving artist. You would be famous in an instant with the ability to paint like you can."

He nodded, looking at the painting like it were some horrible plague. "I'm not a artist, I am a photographer with brushes," he lamented, looking over the 'masterpiece'.

Rarity had one question that still bothered her though. "If you have been hiding this for so long, why show me? Why risk revealing to your family what you are capable of?"

"It doesn't matter. I only agreed to this because I respect my uncle more than any other pony alive. Once this is over, I'm done with art. Perhaps my skill can be used for something else," he mused, clearly depressed.

Rarity just shook her mane out, a confident smile upon her face. "Well then, it's fortunate that I am very familiar with deadlines! Get a new canvas, we're starting over," She ordered, much to his confusion. "If you cannot draw something you have seen, then we'll try drawing something you have never seen. I gave my word to your uncle I would do my best to nurture your gift, and I do so hate breaking my word. So now, I want you to draw the old castle in the Everfree forest that I described to you."

He just looked at her as if she were mad. "How can I draw something I have never seen? That is impossible." Rarity just laughed in response.

"Impossible? Darling, I do it every day," she said, gesturing to the outfit she'd designed for Sweetie Belle earlier that very day. "Now relax, and listen as I describe it again."

Author's Note

Once again, a huge thanks to fferror for his amazing work proofreading this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing the story really get started, because now it's time to put it in gear!

-Lumino

Day 5: Fire and Shadow

Rarity hoped that Portrait was relaxing on his day off, because she was not afforded that luxury. She had to scour the capital of Equestria for a single model, with only her name and physical description to go by. Scarlet Passion was her name, and the first meeting had been when she had come to them. Rarity cursed her foolishness in not obtaining any way to locate the mare. Still, she was not without contacts in the city, though getting to them might be more complicated.

She considered subterfuge a rather... uncouth skill. Still, she could not deny that deception had its uses. There was one pony in Canterlot who would be able to find a wayward model—somepony who kept his eyes on every up-and-coming model in the city. The pony in question was supposed to be covering a fashion show uptown, but Rarity knew that such events were usually by invitation only. So, here she was, dressed to impress with her latest design, watching ponies come and go from the event. She did not wish to watch for too long, lest someone think she did not belong.

She had put the finishing touches on this new outfit just this morning. Starting with a regal violet base gilded with gold trim, she'd added a highlight unusual among her designs: the dress featured a collar in a warm russet color, emphasizing the familiar necklace adorning it. She smoothed out her dress one more time, checking her reflection quickly in a window, before moving towards the door.

The models entering via the side entrance walked like they had a broomstick lodged inside of them, like little clockwork toys wound up and going through their motions. As Rarity walked towards this door, and the stallion standing by it checking names off his list, she put on her most confident persona. She strolled up without a second glance, as if her being there was totally natural. Predictably, the stallion moved to block her way.

"Name?" he asked simply, clearly bored of playing door guard for a bunch of uptight mares. Rarity glanced his way with a devious smile, turning on her charm for a moment. He held a clipboard of names and a pen through his magic, his horn glowing a light green. Rarity's horn glowed for a moment as she gently plucked the pen from the air, sliding it behind his ear in one fluid motion as she shook her mane out. It was a simple action, but it demonstrated her confidence. Confidence opened doors, after all.

"Darling, if you want an interview, you need to talk to my agent like everypony else," Rarity said, slipping her way past him without another word. Without turning back, she allowed herself to brush against him in a way that was two bits from inappropriate. Her gamble paid off, and the stallion was too shocked by her response to stop her. She walked the walk, and apparently she could talk the talk as well. She was backstage now, where all of the real models were getting prepared to make their entrances. Rarity, however, had no such preparations to make. Instead, she turned and headed for the door that led out to the lobby around the runway. The same style that made her stand out in most any crowd helped her blend into this one, nopony throwing her a second glance at first.

Rarity eyed the crowd, looking for the one stallion she had snuck into this fashion show to see. There was still some time before it began, and she was hoping she could find out what she needed before then. There was no way he would have two words to spare once the show started, and he'd likely be in a rush to leave to write up his review after it ended: had to beat the rival critics, after all.

Rarity finally saw the familiar white mane belonging to the most famous fashion critic in Canterlot. He was standing right next to the runway, of course, and seemed to be engaged in idle conversation with a mare or two. His glasses made it difficult to gauge his reaction, but his posture suggested he was bored out of his mind. Rarity smiled to herself; that was perfect.

She slipped through the crowd easily enough, and decided to break into the conversation without waiting for the other two mares to stop for breath. "I never did get the chance to thank you for that delightful review you wrote for my Gala dresses, Hoity Toity." Rarity started off with 'shop talk', quite certain it would at least get his attention for a moment. Her gamble was wise, for the second time that day, as the earth pony turned towards her. Confusion adorned his face for a moment as he raised his hoof to lower his glasses.

"Miss Rarity! Will one of your designs be on display today?" he asked, eying her new outfit critically. He must have liked what he saw, because he nodded approvingly. Rarity found some humor in the fact that he eagerly jumped into the 'shop talk' without a second thought to the two mares who had been talking his ears off. Since the conversation had switched to 'professional', they now found themselves without much to say.

"Oh no, not today. I have a few designs I am working on, but I am lacking the right model. I don't suppose you would be interested in helping with that? I'd be happy to offer an exclusive show when my next line is finished," she tempted him.

Clearly the thought of a private showing from someone with contacts like Rarity had was enticing him, but Hoity was a business stallion as well. "Hmmm, an interesting proposition. My schedule is very tight lately, a fashion show with one model seems like a bit of a wash. Maybe you could... sweeten the deal?"

Rarity knew instantly what he was getting at, and leaned in a bit closer. "Perhaps if I convinced the Princess to come show off a new gown as well? Would that be worth your time?"

Hoity's eyes bulged for a moment, recalling that Rarity did know Princess Twilight. She'd been in her last fashion show, after all. "I think we can arrange something. Now, this model you are looking for: what qualities are you interested in?"

"Actually," Rarity started, "I know precisely who I want to model my new line. A pegasus by the name Scarlet Passion. Do you know of her?"

There was a moment of shock in Hoity's expression. He recovered quickly, but she'd noticed it. "I do, yes. She is quite temperamental, I was quite sure she would never be a good model. Why, I heard rumors that she ransacked an artist's studio during a modeling session! If you are looking for somepony with that appearance, I am sure we could find another..."

"No," Rarity interrupted, "that fire of hers is what I want. That indomitable spirit, unyielding personality, and pure emotion is exactly what I need."

Hoity eyed her closely, but relented quickly enough. "Well then, this show of yours sounds like it will be interesting, if nothing else. Then again, your shows often have that effect, don't they?" The last statement made her blush a bit, recalling the first time Hoity had seen her 'work'. While she was lost in that thought, the stallion clapped his hooves twice. A small unicorn colt, maybe a few years older than Sweetie Belle, came up to the two of them. "Bolt, Miss Rarity needs the contact information of Scarlet Passion. Also the show will start soon, be ready to take down what I say," he instructed. Rarity barely had time to turn and acknowledge the unicorn when he tore a sheet of paper from a small pad, levitating it over to her. He wrote fast, which made sense now. Hoity must have dictated his views on the outfits to him during the show, and then used the notes to write his reviews.

"Thank you," Rarity spoke to the colt with a smile, before turning back to Hoity with a new thought. "Something always bothered me though, if I may ask. How did you meet Spike?" She recalled that Spike was the one that had gotten Hoity Toity to come down to Ponyville, twice.

Hoity seemed surprised by her question, but recalling the memory put an odd smile on his face. "I was just starting out. I was set to cover my first big show when I stopped to get a drink at a small doughnut shop. I took my jacket off to avoid spilling coffee on it, and before I knew it there was someone tugging on it. The little drake, barely old enough to be walking, ate the diamond cufflinks right off of the fabric! One bite each, like they were cookies! Well, I was quite upset, as you can guess. The cuffs were frayed and ruined, not to mention wet. A young unicorn filly, whom we both know, was with him at the time, and offered to repair the damage if I would come with her."

Rarity felt the need to interrupt, because she knew this story now. Everypony involved in fashion knew the story of what had made Hoity Toity into a huge name in Canterlot. "You mean, that was the interview?"

"Indeed. Princess Celestia was adamant on doing something to repay for the inconvenience. I suppose she thought of something like a new jacket, but I couldn't let a chance like that go by. So I asked for the chance to interview her on the fashions she'd seen over her years."

Rarity remembered hearing about that when she was younger. It had been in all the magazines: this critic nopony knew somehow got the immortal Princess of the Sun to sit down and talk fashion. "Wow, I had no idea he'd been so integral to your success."

Hoity nodded. "Every cloud has a silver lining, as the saying goes. Even in those days, the drake had an eye for fashion. Not that he understood it, but he appreciated it. So when he told me about a 'once in a lifetime' show in Ponyville, well I couldn't rightly refuse him. I'll admit, the second trip took much more coaxing on his part."

Rarity was about to respond to that when the lights dimmed, thankfully hiding the return of red to her cheeks. All attention went towards the runway, and Rarity prepared herself to leave. She stopped as the first model stepped out, pondering her timetable. She'd gotten what she needed here; she could stay and watch a little of the show. Maybe it would give her some ideas for her own designs.

About an hour later, Rarity was leaving the fashion show with the rest of the onlookers. She hadn't intended to stay for the whole thing, but she had just gotten so absorbed in the new designs. Some were creative, striking out with new ideas and daring styles. Some were too timid, sticking to the tried and true methods of the past. Rarity had no doubt that Hoity would have plenty to write about. The show also gave her a few good ideas for improving her latest works. Being too scared to try something new was bad, but changing things just for the sake of changing them was just as bad. She considered the delicate balance she would need to employ to make her designs really stand out here, as she prepared to cross the street.

There was a small wooden cart being pulled through the street. The back of it was filled with squares of fabric. All manner of color and quality lay within the stacks; it must have been a shipment for a tailor. The cart was being pulled by an earth stallion with a black coat and a midnight blue mane. He wasn't a noble, but he at least knew how to present himself. A respectable worker, it would seem. A sudden noise snapped Rarity out of her thoughts, as she watched the scene before her.

Everything seemed to happen at once, and her mind was assailed by a number of sensations. First, oddly enough, she felt a sudden jolt of magic. There were many unicorns around, employing their magic in mundane activities, so there had always been a light humming of power, but this was more direct. Rarity wasn't a master of unicorn magic, but you didn't spend so much time with Twilight without learning something about it. Instantly, the back door of the cart flipped open, allowing reams of fabric to fall onto the ground right at her hooves. Thankfully not into a mud puddle or something similar, but the damage would still be noticed by the kind of business owners Canterlot housed. The stallion who had been pulling the cart turned and looked back, his face aghast. "Oh... oh no. I'm so sorry miss." He moved himself free from the cart, stepping over to begin collecting the fabrics as well as he could.

Rarity understood almost instantly what had happened. Some unicorn in the crowd had used their magic to open his cart. Just to show their superiority over him, she supposed. Disgusted with the snickers and whispers from behind her, Rarity allowed her own horn to glow. The fabric folded itself up, and rose into a nice pile, before being set down into the cart again. The earth pony looked a bit... worried? Yes, that made sense: he was likely worried about the damage to the shipment. "Don't worry, darling. It was an accident, and I am not so cruel to take delight in somepony's misfortune." As she said this, she turned a reproachful glare towards the crowd behind her. Some of them looked surprised to be addressed as such, others looked amused. Still, at least a few of them looked embarrassed for acting as they had, so her words had done some good. "There we are," she added, closing the back of the cart before she allowed her horn to dim. "On your way now, it won't do to keep somepony waiting."

The stallion had been surprised at her reaction, and it looked for a moment like he was conflicted about something. He nodded in thanks, but quickly left the scene with his cart in tow. Rarity's face scrunched up, trying to make sense of that scene. The stallion had seemed embarrassed from her reaction. Well, she did have that effect on ponies. Maybe he was just a male version of Fluttershy, and didn't like talking?

As the crowd began to disperse, Rarity pulled the scrap of paper from her bag. Well, she'd indulged herself enough for today; now she had work to do. She verified the address once more, and made her way towards one of the many residential districts in Canterlot.

It was a short walk to her destination, but Rarity had enough to keep her mind occupied. She wasn't certain how she could possibly convince this mare to come back to work for her, not after the last time. Still, she knew that this was an angle others had not tried yet, so what could it hurt?

She recalled the state of the studio the other day, and winced. Apparently, it could hurt a lot if she wasn't there to keep things from getting out of control. She found the apartment building her target lived in rather easily. Many of the artists looking for their 'big break' lived around here; it was just how things had worked out. It was by no means a poor neighborhood, but it was certainly more down-to-earth then the rest of Canterlot.

Rarity's appearance drew a few sideways looks as she entered the lobby and strode down the halls. She clearly knew exactly where she was going, but she could still sense the vultures stirring. Someone who clearly had money coming into this place meant someone just got their big break. Many of the residents who had seen her seemed poised to strike out at her, desperate to get a bit of her attention for their own ideas. Still, she walked without stopping, clearly demonstrating that she had not the time or desire to indulge them.

In truth, she felt a bit guilty about that. She would have loved to help all of them, but it was simply beyond her abilities. She could not give a chance to every aspiring artist, model and composer. She had her obligations, and those came first. She finally arrived at the indicated room, and raised her hoof to knock on the door twice.

The sounds of somepony inside reached her ears soon enough. Whomever they were, they were moving towards the door, at the very least. In another moment, the door opened, and Rarity came face to face with her wayward model. Scarlet's face had been a mixture of annoyance and boredom, but on seeing Rarity, that changed: now it looked like a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

"I've got to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you again after that little disaster. Especially not without a wing of guard ponies," the model said.

Rarity nodded, choosing her words carefully. Once bitten, twice shy, after all. "He was adamant of the fact that what happened was not your fault. But I still did wish to come see you in the... aftermath of the job." Rarity smiled pleasantly as she eyed the younger model. "May I come in?"

Scarlet shrugged, shaking her mane out. She had a sort of... rugged beauty look today. She clearly had intended to stay at home, since she had not really made much of an effort to get 'dolled up'. "Sure, if you really want to. The little brat didn't cause any trouble; I'm used to dealing with prissy little kids." Scarlet walked back into the apartment, allowing Rarity to move in as she wished. Rarity stepped in slowly, but found her anxiety was unfounded. Despite her personal appearance, Scarlet kept a clean and well organized apartment, likely to prevent any dust or grime from getting on her modeling attire when she needed it.

"I will confess, I do not know what happened inside the studio. I should have been there to ensure things went smoothly, but I thought he would want his space. Rest assured, that will not happen next time."

Her comment did not escape the pegasi's notice. She'd been heading towards a small sofa to lay back down when she paused, turning around to look at the unicorn. "Next time? What, you want me to have a second round with that kid? I'm a model, not a babysitter."

Rarity's clever smirk rose to the front again. She had her attention, now she just needed a little bait. "Actually, yes. Like you said, he is a pampered, rich child. Surely you have had to work with somepony you didn't like before, yes? He hasn't, and that frustration is what I want to expose him to. That... passion, as it were, is something he has never experienced. From what I heard, he reacted strongly, and you didn't back down. That is what I need, someone who won't bend to what he wants. Oh this probably sounds so silly to you..." Rarity finished, acting a bit unsure of herself now.

Scarlet turned a bit, giving Rarity a better view of her flank, specifically her Cutie Mark: a long-stemmed, red rose. But unlike how roses were usually depicted in art, this one had a stem with the thorns present. "I think you're the first pony in Canterlot to think passion meant something other than lust and affairs. I come on strong, you think the kid can handle that?"

Rarity had no doubts in her mind that he would, because she'd be there from now on to keep him in check. "He'll learn. Now then, the other day was a volunteer shift, but I think I liked what I saw. Show up tomorrow morning, and we can discuss the specifics of your rate. Oh yes, don't worry about your attire for the session, I will be providing it."

Now the mare looked a bit surprised. She hadn't expected all of this from that catastrophic fight the other day. There sure were some weird ponies in Canterlot. "Wait," she said, a thought coming to her mind. "How did you even find me? I never told you where I lived."

Now Rarity gave a little laugh, turning to leave the apartment. She looked over her shoulder at the model, dropping one more surprise in her lap. "Hoity Toity told me. Oh, while I think of it, I promised him a private showing with you in some of my new designs. I'm glad you agreed to come back and work for me, it would have made the arrangement very awkward if you hadn't! See you tomorrow, darling!" Rarity called.

She closed the door behind her, the stunned silence of the model inside music to her ears. That moment when some pony saw all of their dreams on the cusp of coming true, those were the kinds of moments she lived for. It always felt amazing to give the gift of a dream fulfilled to another pony.

The sun was setting when Rarity finally returned to her penthouse. Today had been a productive day. She'd gotten some wonderful new dress ideas, met up with Hoity Toity again, and secured her preferred model for the training. Life was good, she decided, as she walked next to a ponyquin and began pulling off her attire. She stepped out of her horseshoes, pulled off her hat, and set aside her purse. She had her magic grab around the back of her collar, humming to herself as she considered what would happen tomorrow.

She felt the fabric on the back of her collar bunch up as it was pinched. This action confused the mare, as she hadn't expected it. It dragged her out of her thoughts, as her mind struggled to understand why something was off. Right, she'd been moving... her necklace. In an instant, Rarity no longer paid any mind to the regal dress she was wearing. She grabbed the collar between her teeth and pulled, slipping the fabric off in a quick motion and dropping it along the ground as she ran her hooves over it. She felt no obstructions.

It was gone.

"What do you mean you lost it?!" If Rarity didn't feel terrible enough about the situation she'd found herself in, Twilight's reaction was certainly pushing her that way. The look on her friend's face was both shocked and accusatory, something Rarity hated to see. Though she was quite sure she deserved it this time. "How could you? You know how much it meant to him, how could you just 'misplace' it?"

"Please, Twilight, I don't..." Rarity began, feeling herself close to tears once again. Such a priceless treasure, such a steadfast reminder of what they had been though. Twilight did not wait, however, and continued lambasting the unicorn.

"I know he didn't mean much to you, but he means the world to me! And you meant everything to him! How could you just misplace something that important? I can't believe you!" Twilight wasn't even confused. She wasn't pacing back and forth, she wasn't thinking on some solution, she was looking right at Rarity. Her angry gaze burned deeply, and Rarity felt herself shying back from it.

"But I don't... I didn't... I never noticed that..." Rarity began, trying to explain the events of the day to her rightfully furious friend. Maybe friend wasn't the right word to use right now, that bridge seemed like it had been long since burned.

"You never noticed?!" Twilight shouted incredulously. "After everything we've been through? Sweet Celestia, I can't even look at you." Twilight's horn began to glow, and Rarity took another step back in fear. In an instant, she felt the familiar magic surrounding her. This was a teleportation spell, like she had used when they were being chased by those dragons before. This felt stronger, however. Twilight's ascension must have been responsible for that.

When Rarity's vision cleared, she found herself not in Twilight's room, as she had been, but still in the castle. No, that was not accurate. She was in a castle, but not the Canterlot castle. There were no curtains or tapestries, just cold stone. Rarity looked around the familiar castle, her eyes settling on two objects. A large stone throne, one that made her heart slam against her chest in terror. Next to the throne, a large mirror, the frame made of some black stone. A voice wormed itself into her ears, familiar yet foreign.

"They would never really appreciate your gifts. The first failing and they turn against you. All we ever desired was your generosity. Your help, to give our lives meaning." The voice came from the mirror, echoing in the empty hall around her.

No. No this wasn't right. Those forces were gone, she'd purged them from herself. Her friends had seen to that... her... friends.

"This has always been your home. You've always hated your reflection, so flawed and broken. But now, look at the beauty present..."

Rarity knew it was foolish, but her legs seemed to move on their own. Up the steps to the throne, to the mirror on the side of it. She swallowed hard, standing before the mirror and looking at her feet. Finally, she brought her eyes level, staring at her own reflection in the surface.

The mare stared back through, her coat as black as night. Her horn glowing a dazzling and sickening white on its tip. Her mane flowing behind her as if it were alive, and her smile piercing into her very soul.

"Hello again, Rarity. I always knew you would return to me."

Author's Note

Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long! This chapter needed a lot of work to come out right, but I am really happy with what I have here. I hope you are too, and I'll see you next time!

-Lumino

Waking Nightmare

Rarity stepped back from the mirror, terror working its way into her heart. "No. No, this isn't possible, you're gone!" she shrieked at the form in the mirror, who was unfazed at her outburst. The tall, dark mare merely shook her head with a sigh. Her violet mane had streaks of white running through it, her eyes a soulless and empty cerulean hue, even her horn was pitch black as it seemed to pulse with a familiar power.

"Poor, poor child. I will never leave you alone, not when you need me so. Why else would you be back on the moon, if it were not for your so-called friends forsaking you? You know as well as I do what it takes for an alicorn to banish a pony to the moon."

The Elements of Harmony, or at least some of them. Did Twilight have that kind of power on her own?

"And even if she had not forsaken you, like I told you they would, your ward against me is removed. All that false love of your friends, contained in a petty rock. Without that barrier, you and I can speak again. You can have everything you wanted. After all, what more do you have to lose? You will not live forever, Rarity. You will die here, alone and forgotten. But with my help, you could do so much more..."

The Nightmare was being bold, because it knew that she was in a corner. She had no options besides the two placed before her. Accept the power and return, or die here alone. She wanted to see the world again. Her friends, her sister... Spike. But there was such a huge cost attached to this. She'd given away so much, couldn't she just be selfish for once? Couldn't she just make herself happy? As she thought of this, she could see the mare in the mirror stepping towards her.

"Rarity..." the dark mare called, her voice seeming more solid than it had a moment ago. She heard the clack of hooves on stone, as the mare passed through the mirror like it was a pool of water. Rarity backed up again, averting her gaze from the mare.

"No! No, I refuse! Not again, I won't do it again!" she cried out in despair. She just couldn't, not after everything she had done last time. She would sooner die, forgotten and alone.

"Look at us Rarity," came the voice from before her, as a hoof came down on her shoulder. In that instant, Rarity responded. She'd trained in some self-defense when she was a young filly. Even though she rarely used it, you never really forgot such things. Almost by instinct, she reared back and brought her right hoof up to strike the aberration right across the muzzle.

A muffled yelp of shock and pain greeted her ears, causing Rarity's eyes to peel open in surprise. The dark mare still stood before her, but Rarity finally took the time to get a better look. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest.

"P-P-Princess Luna?!"

The alicorn slowly shook her head to rid the stars from her eyes. "We apologize. We did not mean to startle you so much," she spoke, regaining her composure. Rarity's present situation quickly flew out of her mind as she began reacting to the sudden revelation. She had just slugged the Princess of the Night!

"I'm so sorry! I just... and she was... but I thought... did Twilight...?" Rarity was spitting out half sentences in her panic, her heart slamming against her chest. Luna placed her hoof back on her shoulder, looking deeply into the unicorn's eyes.

"Breathe, Rarity. You are in no danger," she instructed. Her voice was commanding, though it didn't seem frightening. The unicorn still trembled, but she slowly began to regain control of her breathing. After almost a full minute, she had recovered enough to speak clearly. She didn't get the chance at first.

"We have been watching you for some time. We apologize that we allowed things to progress as far as they did before intervening."

"I... I thought she was gone. When I lost the necklace, I didn't know how important..." she began, but Luna cut her off.

"Rarity. I said you were in no danger. You are in your residence in Canterlot. What you saw, what you experienced, was exactly what you thought it was."

Rarity was able to connect the words, even through her own fear over what she had just seen. "Nightmares... this is... a dream?" she spoke the words, as if seeking verification for what she assumed. Luna nodded.

"We have been watching you since the last battle with the Nightmare," Rarity winced upon hearing that. "We are familiar with the despair and terror that can come from such an infection. We wished to spare you the pain we had to endure upon our return. When we saw what your mind had created, we thought it best to speak with you."

"But it seemed so real," Rarity spoke, unconsciously shivering still.

"The Nightmare force is not gone, Rarity. It will never truly be destroyed. It is too weak to consume a host, but in your moments of weakness it can strike out at your mind. Your fear and despair opened the door, and it seeped in to lash out at you." Luna lay down on the ground by the throne as her eyes shone. In an instant, they were no longer in the drab stone palace, but in Luna's private room, a far more comforting place to be. Finally, Luna asked a dangerous question.

"Tell me, Rarity. Do you remember what happened while you were under its control?"

Rarity was at first surprised by Luna's use of a first-pony pronoun, but the question unnerved her even more. "Some of it. I see bits and pieces of it, sometimes randomly. I know what I did, but it feels... hazy." She could remember certain events clearly. Defeating Twilight and her other friends, 'gleefully' ordering them into the dungeon, even staring down the residents of Ponyville. But she knew that there were large gaps in her memory.

"You do not see the pieces that you do not wish to see," Luna answered her unspoken question. "You remember nothing of the time when you confronted the little dragon, because you do not wish to accept it. This is weakness Rarity, and it is what causes the Nightmare to find a hold with you."

Rarity shuffled her hooves slightly, as she finally regained enough sense to lay down a few feet away from the princess. "I just... I'm not sure I can handle seeing that. I always suspected that monster treated him horribly, but he never mentioned it to me. I'm not sure I want to remember."

Luna shook her head, allowing her glowing mane to flow about her. "Everypony has fears Rarity. Everypony must face them in their own way." Her voice took a harsh turn, now quite stern. "But they must be faced, or the nightmares will continue." She paused, looking down at the terrified mare with compassion. "Perhaps I can give you the strength to see them. You are not weak, Rarity, and I intend to show you that."

With these words, her horn began to glow, projecting a midnight-blue aura around the princess, as the room slowly dissolved away. "Watch, then, the truth I had to face when you saved me from the Nightmare," her voice rang out. Rarity looked around as the scene formed around her. She was in a similar room, but different. The layout was different, the shape of the room, and even the cut of the stone upon the walls. This was not the same room they had just been in, this was not Canterlot Castle. It was night outside, and a figure stood on the balcony. Tall, flowing mane, horn, wings. When did Luna get over there?

"Princess Luna? What am I supposed to be seeing?" Rarity questioned, moving over towards the balcony. The figure did not respond, merely looking over the stars as smile graced her lips. The clouds drifting lazily across the sky finally parted long enough for the rays of moon light to fall upon her form.

Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Nightmare Moon standing there. Nightmare Moon did not respond to Rarity, nor did she do anything else except stare at the moon with an odd smile. Rarity heard the sound of galloping outside, and the door flew open a moment later. Nightmare Moon did not turn, but Rarity did. The figure in the door was younger than she remembered, and looked beside herself with worry. Still, it was obvious that this new arrival was Princess Celestia, which would mean that this was a memory of a thousand years ago!

"Luna! Please, this must stop!" Princess Celestia cried out, moving towards the alicorn on the balcony. "Our little ponies cannot live without the sun; we must return it to the heavens before all life withers and dies." It would only take a few days without the sun to ruin the crops for an entire harvest. The damage that could do would be catastrophic.

"It is beautiful, isn't it Celestia? The darkness covering the land, the moon high in the sky, the stars shimmering so far away. Ponies ignored this beauty for so long. Now these specks of light will be all that pierces the darkness. They will learn to appreciate the night, to worship it as easily as they bend their knees to your sun."

Celestia moved up to her, shuddering as she saw the change that had been wrought in her beloved sister. "Luna, no. This is not the right way to do this. We can make them understand, make them appreciate all you give for them..."

"No!" came the shout as Nightmare Moon turned around now. "They have taken us for granted for too long! We gave everything to those ungrateful wretches! If they cannot love the beautiful night, then they will fear it!" Without warning, her horn glowed as it blasted out a shockwave of magical power. The room was shattered around them as the magical forces poured out. The stone broke from the very walls, as Celestia was thrown back and through one of the crumbling walls. "The night shall last forever! And not even you can stop me, Celestia!" she declared, moving to the window and taking flight into the night sky. Her laugh was haunting, echoing around them.

Rarity was shocked. Of course, since this was merely a vision, nothing affected her here. But still, seeing all of this felt far too personal for a princess to be showing a subject. Even with Nightmare Moon's departure, the scene did not fade. Celestia staggered to her hooves, and walked back into the room. She looked to be on the verge of tears as she began sifting through the wreckage.

Finally, as she pushed aside wooden scraps from a shattered dresser, she found what she was looking for: an orb of solid stone, with a diamond carved into its surface. Rarity gasped as she recognized it. An Element of Harmony!

"Luna... you gave away everything without any thanks. Nopony acknowledged what you sacrificed, especially not I. What can I...what can I do?"

The darkness began to overtake Rarity once again, as the scene melted away before her eyes. She quickly found herself back in Luna's room, her host looking quite forlorn as she glanced back towards her.

"The pain we cause those close to us is something few of us wish to dwell on. But until you can accept what happened, you cannot move past it. Until I understood how terribly I had injured my sister, I could not bear to use my powers for anything other than raising and lowering the moon. If you wish to move beyond this, you must confront it."

Rarity sighed meekly. She knew Luna was right, as loathe as she was to admit it. At the very least, she had a guide who understood her fear, and had been down that road before. "All right," the unicorn spoke, "but I do not know how I can force these memories to come." That much was true; she didn't even know where to begin.

In response, Luna stood up and walked over to Rarity. Her own horn glowed its familiar midnight-blue, and she leaned down to touch it to Rarity's. The glow shifted over, enveloping Rarity's horn and filling her with an odd magical power. "Try to remember; the magic will guide your thoughts. Do not fear what you will see, I am with you," came the comforting words.

Rarity focused on her magic. Her horn sputtered and sparked with magic, as the world around them faded away once again. Rarity did not notice, her eyes clenched shut in concentration. She could hear voices around her as the landscape of the moon came into being around the two of them. She felt more magic near her, and she knew what it was. Luna had been there too; she was guiding her through the memories. Finally, Rarity heard a very familiar voice.

"I'm sorry! I totally just told!" Her eyes shot open to see the familiar scene before them. Pinkie was trying to reason with the Nightmare, in the way only Pinkie was capable of. She could see, with a certain satisfaction, that the Nightmare was irritated by her friend's mannerisms. The moment of humor died quickly, however, as a new voice took center stage.

"Rarity?" The familiar voice made her head whip around, as she looked down at the little dragon. He wore the ruby about his neck, like a badge of honor, but he looked at her with timid eyes. "It's Spike. You know, your little Spikey-Wikey? We... I... You're the best, please come back." Looking at his expression was almost painful, the pleading in his voice made her heart sink. She felt, rather than saw, that this actually struck through the Nightmare. Unfortunately the moment was all too fleeting, as the Nightmare reared up and released a blast of magic from her horn.

This part she remembered. She could recall vividly taunting Luna, watching the nightmare creatures attack her friends, everything. However, when she saw Spike grab onto the tail of one of the creatures, she knew her memory had never recalled this. He clung with conviction, refusing to let go as the creature spun him around. With a mighty push, it forced him off, sending the drake sailing across the horizon as she brought a hoof to her mouth. How had a fall like that not killed him?!

The scene faded quickly, and when she was next aware of herself, she was in Ponyville. Confronted by her friends and Luna. The magic was striking against her, causing the horrible creature to writhe in agony as the love of her friends peeled away the power corrupting her. As the power built, the evil force being purified from her, something struck deep into her mind.

"You mean everything to me. Please come home."

Almost instantly after it, however, she heard Luna's voice speaking to her. "You are still hiding Rarity. We have seen the beginning, and now we have seen the end. There is more to be seen: the most horrible memory is still hiding deep in your mind. You must face it, you must want to see it. Why was the ruby broken? Focus on that question and let the magic guide you."

The climactic scene before them faded away again, as Rarity found herself floating in darkness. Her mind rang out against the darkness, pushing the two of them forward. How did the gem come to be broken? Had it been in the fall? Had it blocked some attack for him?

She saw the landscape of the moon come back into focus, as her eyes beheld the horrifying damage. A large rut in the side of a cliff, ending in an unconscious baby dragon. How he had survived such a fall was a question she would save for later as he rose and regained his senses.

In little more than a moment, he was off to help his friends. Rarity found some small humor in how he sang to himself to keep his spirits up. She was curious now, because she had no idea what adventure Spike had been on. It was rather exciting, really. She saw him listen in on their plans, find out that they intended to attack Ponyville, and even slip right by them thanks to his small size. She watched him sneak through the castle, and finally come to a stop in what she was sure was a room of importance.

She was not wrong.

The room was a palace! Gold, gems, the finest silks and even more! A beautiful throne of gold, and a crown sitting next to it. She noticed two things as Spike walked towards the throne with his mouth watering. First, was the 'King Spike' sash laying atop the throne. The second was the presence of the large romanticized letters on the back of the throne. S and R... no. She wouldn't... she didn't. Spike reached for the sash, clearly checked out of his mind for a moment, when a foreign voice came to her ears.

"Why of course, my little Spikey-Wikey..."

Rarity looked in terror as the figure came out from behind the curtain to the side of the throne. The Nightmare... no. This was not the Nightmare, this was her. There was no external difference, it was as if she were looking into a mirror.

"Rarity! You're... You're ok!" Spike managed out in delight upon seeing her. Rarity wanted to scream as she saw him run and hug the shade.

"And why wouldn't I be? I'm a Queen now! Isn't it glorious?" She saw the adoration in his eyes, the same thing she always saw when he looked at her. But to see it given to that fake, that mere shadow of her, filled her with hatred. Not towards Spike, this was not his fault, but towards the monster that had done this.

"It's amazing! But what about the other po-" he began, before being silenced by a hoof softly against his lips. Rarity wanted to rip this imposter's tail right off of her fake flesh, so livid was she to see her taking advantage of him like that.

"Oh hush, you are far too cute to be thinking so much. Besides, I have a question for you..."

And with that, Rarity's heart nearly stopped. She wouldn't sink that low, she couldn't. Had this monster really used this against him? Had she taken advantage of the most wonderful little gentledrake she had ever met?

She levitated the sash and crown up, keeping them mere inches away from him as the little dragon fell to his knees, his eyes filled with love and adoration. She always loved the expression, it made her feel so special. Tonight, it only made her sick.

He questioned her at first, but his resistance faded quickly. "Will you, Spike, forget the past and be my king forever?" Rarity's face was contorted in rage, anger at this hideous power that had dared to use such precious feelings as a weapon. Spike nodded wordlessly, lost in the enchanting melodies of that fake voice.

"Then you will serve me, and only me..." Spike's head lifted, as if it were about to come down in one final act that would take him from her forever. Then a miracle happened, as his eyes popped open. There was no adoration there now, it had been replaced by suspicion.

"Wait a minute..." he said, as he stood, pushing the crown aside. "Rarity, what do you think of my necklace?" he asked, holding the Fire Ruby up to her.

"It's cute," she answered dismissively. Spike looked as if he had just been struck in the gut.

"Cute? It doesn't look familiar?"

"Not my color really." As she said those simple lines, Rarity saw all joy vanish from Spike's eyes. Depression took hold for a moment as he stared down at the Fire Ruby forlornly.

"That is the first time I ever hated you saying the word 'cute', Rarity," he began, before staring up at the fake with his eyes burning. "But you're not Rarity! Not my Rarity!" he declared. Rarity felt a moment of elation, of triumph, as Spike stood up against this horrible monster.

In that instant, the throne room exploded around them. The fake dissolved into shadow, and the shadow collar that had been inches from his neck exploded into wisps of smoke. Spike had seen his dream, what he wanted more than anything else in the world, and defeated it. A creature ruled by greed was given everything that he had ever wanted, and he rejected it. And for what, for her? For the hope that one day the real mare would make these dreams come true?

She watched as the Nightmare mocked him, made light of his emotions, and tormented him further. Rarity wasn't aware of her own tears until they were pouring from her cheeks. "Luna. Luna please, I can't bear to watch this anymore. Please." she begged. She just wished this could all stop, she had never wanted to do this. She never wanted to cause this much pain, to play with his emotions so.

"Wait, this is the part that matters most," came the response into her ears. She saw the shadow holding the ruby before Spike, lecturing him on why he was still alive. Something about him was causing a problem with the Nightmare. The true Rarity was still alive inside, because there was an anchor for her to hold on to. They needed... to make Spike hate her. That was why they attacked Ponyville, to remove all the love ponies had for her.

And the dream within a dream faded away as Rarity collapsed onto the ground in a fit of sobs. She could no longer feel the passing of time, and she was expecting to wake up any moment now. Still, the dream world around her remained. She felt a wing pull over her, as she cried like a little foal. She didn't even care how pathetic she looked; she couldn't even muster up the energy to be dramatic. She knew she had done horrible things, but the truth had been so much worse then she had thought.

Eventually, her sobs passed, and she became aware of the mare laying next to her quietly. She became aware of the dark wing draped over her. She became aware that she'd just had a mental breakdown in front of the only other pony in existence who would understand exactly what she was feeling. Rarity looked up, her vision still obscured by her own tears. "I... I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm so pathetic..."

Luna didn't look directly at Rarity, instead her gaze went straight ahead. It was as if she found something in the castle's architecture infinitely interesting. "Let me tell you a story, Rarity. You may gain some peace from it." Luna took a breath, and then began her tale.

"Once, there was a great mare. She was kind, loved, and beautiful. One could say that she shone as bright as the sun. This mare could easily have attained anything she desired, anything in all of Equestria. However, this mare had one close to her; a younger sister. Her little sister became jealous of what the elder one had, and desperately sought to emulate her. It was in vain, the two sisters were far too different. One day, the light of the eldest fought with the anger and jealousy of the younger. When the conflict ended, the youngest was cast out of her home in anger. However, the eldest soon realized that the perfect world she had created for herself had no purpose without her beloved sister. When she realized this, and that all of the pain came from her sister's desire to be as loved as she was, the eldest moved to recover her sister by any means. The two were reconciled with the help of friends, and their bond was all the stronger for it."

Luna finished, and Rarity looked up at her. The alicorn did not meet her gaze initially. "That was a story about you and Celestia, wasn't it?" she asked, not sure how it would help her at all. She was familiar with the history of Celestia and Luna's fight. However, the story seemed off. Some facts of the story did not seem to agree with what she had thought.

Luna looked at her now, her face calm, but still showing a small smile for the unicorn. "No. That was your story, Rarity. Do you not remember it?"

Sweetie Belle... that fight had been horrible. It had been the moment when Rarity had realized just how important her sister was in her life. Everything between them had changed since then, and they had both grown a bit from it. "I... I do remember it. It was not one of my prouder moments."

Luna kept her gaze on Rarity. "Why not? Everypony fails, Rarity. Our failures are what let us grow and mature. You learned much from that event, or from your last stay in Canterlot, or from the Best Young Fliers Competition. You and I are... similar. I only wish to help you see the good in you that everypony else sees. Would you not do the same for me?"

Rarity was shocked by the statement, and finally stood up from the stone floor. Luna pulled her wing back to allow her to rise unimpeded. "Princess, I really do not think that comparing me with you is fair. I could never even compare to the incredible things you have done," she protested. Luna shook her head, however, as she rose to her hooves.

"We see similarities, but also differences: it is like a reflection. Two pairs of sisters, the eldest is refined, formal and knowledgeable. The younger sister, however, is more wild, passionate and outgoing. Both gave everything they had to those around them, and suffered greatly for it. We fell victim to jealousy, you to depression." Luna paused for a moment, as if considering something. Rarity sensed this distraction, and acted quickly.

"Princess? What is it?"

Luna's response was quick and to the point. "We were wondering what caused this. It would be unlikely that the nightmare could infect your dreams so soon, unless your mind was already troubled. We would be a very poor friend if we did not ensure you were well." Luna paused again before continuing. "That was not presumptuous, was it? We are friends?"

Rarity was shocked by the question, the latter half of it anyway. "Of course! I would be honored to be your friend, Princess!" she responded with delight.

Luna smiled a bit before responding. "Please, Rarity, we are in your dream. Such titles are not needed here. However, you still did not answer our question," she finished with a pointed glance.

"...I lost something very precious to me. I was careless, and I lost the Fire Ruby..." she explained, looking downcast once again. Luna, however, just shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Is that all? I was concerned something horrible had happened," the words struck Rarity across the face, and her expression betrayed her shock at the alicorn's words. "What? It is just a rock, nothing irreplaceable."

"Just a rock? Just a rock?!" she practically shouted, her voice rising to a fevered pitch rapidly. "How could you even say that? You don't know what that jewel means to me!"

Despite the livid mare in front of her, Luna remained stoic. "The stone is proof that you both know each other fully. You have seen each other at your worst, and you still remain close. But the stone itself has no value to that, it is the memories attached to the stone that make it valuable to you. As long as you hold those memories in your heart, then the stone is naught but a physical reminder."

Rarity deflated. All of her righteous indignation, anger, and passion had just been let out of her like the air in one of Pinkie's balloons after a party. Luna had spoken so... practiced. It was as if she'd already known what had happened, and was merely reciting her part from memory. "It... it was a precious gift. I don't think I could look him in the eyes after losing it."

"Then I will help you. I will see if I can locate the necklace, but in return you must put it out of your mind. You came to Canterlot to do a job, did you not?" Luna's voice was odd. She was speaking in a comforting tone, but at the same time it seemed almost like her mother. As if she were pushing Rarity to do what she already knew was right.

"Yes... yes, of course. I do have a job to do here. But thank you for helping me. I have no idea where I should even start looking," she answered. How would one search for something so small and valuable in Canterlot? The city was huge; the necklace could be anywhere by now.

Luna's eyes twinkled mischievously as she stood up and began walking towards the window of the 'room'. "No pony can hide from me, especially in the dark. We give you our word that we will find it by this time next week. We will visit you then, like this." She spread her wings and seemed about to depart.

"Wait!" Rarity called, not understanding why her mouth had acted. She hadn't intended to, but as Luna looked over her shoulder at her, she knew an explanation was needed. "If it is all right with you, could we... talk a little more? I mean, I think you were right about how similar we are, and I just realized I don't know much about you at all. At least nowhere near as much as you seem to know about me." Rarity laughed a little bit after the last statement.

Luna smiled, turning around and closing her wings. "It would be my pleasure." Rarity knew, instantly, where she wanted to start.

"So... you were in Ponyville recently for the Summer-Wrap-Up festival. Rumor says that you spent quite a bit of time with a certain farmer. Any truth to that?"

Luna blinked once, eying the unicorn with suspicion. "That is an interesting first question to ask," she stated flatly.

Rarity just giggled. "Oh I am sorry Luna, I was just teasing you a little bit. It isn't every night that you get to hear rumors like that."

Luna cocked her head for a moment. "Teasing? We are unfamiliar with this word."

Rarity paused. Right, Luna had been gone for a thousand years. In the year since her return she had learned much, but some terms still eluded her vocabulary. "Oh, it is just... hmmm. Well, it is saying something to embarrass a friend, I suppose. It is playful, showing trust between two friends," she explained.

Comprehension dawned on Luna's face. "I see. To answer you, yes it is true. I did, and have continued to since then, have a wonderful time with the one called Big McIntosh. He is what the ponies would call a 'gentlecolt'. I do believe he even spoke words of encouragement to young Spike in his own amorous quest."

Rarity's face went such a shade of red she may have been about to burst into flames. She stumbled over her words, releasing a few sounds that did not form any coherent speech. Luna looked extraordinarily pleased with herself. "Ah, excellent! We were not sure we understood your explanation, but it seems that we were not mistaken."

Rarity blinked, realizing what Luna had just done. When she finally regained her voice, she had to admit that Luna had pulled one over on her. "Hah... well played. I suppose I asked for that." In an instant, Luna had levitated over a few cushions. This room may have been a dream copy of her royal chambers, but she still did not wish to stress the dreamscape too much by simply creating things. Forcing Rarity's mind to process too much while she was asleep would preclude rest, and Luna had already done far too much for a normal dream meeting.

"We wonder," Luna began, "if you might tell us one of the stories from your time in Ponyville? The reports from Twilight Sparkle go to Tia, er... our sister," she said, catching herself. Rarity arched an eyebrow at the nickname, as she lay down on one of the cushions brought over.

"Tia, hmm? Of course, I have so many stories I could tell you. Oooh, did you ever hear the tale of my gem hunting expedition? It wasn't that long after you returned, and it was quite exciting." At the time, Rarity would not have called the encounter with the Diamond Dogs 'exciting', but time healed all wounds. Now she had to admit that it had been a fun little adventure, even if the rust stains from those filthy harnesses had taken hours to get out of her fur.

Rarity continued when Luna did not speak up, beginning her tale. "Well, you see, it all started with a surprise visit..."

In a dream, it's difficult to note the passage of time. The two had been sharing stories for a while now, that was for certain. Rarity had told a few tales that she would not have told anypony else, but she had been rewarded for her efforts. Some of the stories Luna could tell, like catching Celestia giving a very unlady-like glance towards one of the guards, were beyond hilarious to imagine. "..she would always say 'Are we not allowed to look?' After all this time, she still does so. Did you ever expect that was the reason she hires all of her guards personally?"

Rarity stifled a giggle at that. "She hires her guards just because they look nice? Oh my, how scandalous!"

Luna laughed as well, but it was not her loud and powerful laugh. It was more light and relaxed, not at all what Rarity would have expected. "Oh, she does check them by true standards. I do believe her words were 'Being nice to look at doesn't hurt.' All this time, and she really never changed at all."

The giggles died down after another moment or two. Rarity was about to ask another question, when Luna looked up oddly. Rarity held her tongue, watching the Princess of the Night. After a moment, she stood.

"I beg your pardon Rarity, but somepony has just come to speak with me; with my physical body I mean. I believe it is almost time to raise the sun, so I am afraid I must go. As must you, since I believe you have much work to do." Rarity looked around, the room had not changed at all. The moon was still high in the sky outside the window, but of course this was all a dream world.

"Have we really been engaged that long? It didn't feel that way," she mused.

"You were asleep for some time before I found you. Nevertheless, it is in the nature of dreams to end. I will see you again in one week's time. Remember your promise, leave the gem to me. I will not fail in the promise I made," she spoke with a smile as she spread her wings and moved to the window.

"Princess Luna," Rarity spoke, oddly formal again. The alicorn looked over her shoulder for a moment, poised to leap out the window. "Thank you, for everything."

Luna smiled warmly, "Think nothing of it, můj odraz," she said, before leaping out the window and vanishing in a flash of light.

Rarity was left little time to ponder the meaning of her words, as the world began melting away around her.

Rarity's eyes snapped open, thoughts assaulting her mind instantly. Had that been real? Did she really just spend all night talking to Princess Luna inside her own dream? It was just before sunrise, and she looked out over the city of Canterlot as the horizon began to brighten. The moon slowly slid from its perch, as the sun broached and shed the first of its rays across the land. "Sleep well, Princess," she said, more to herself then anypony else. She took her first look around the room and realized that she had much work to do before the others arrived. She had cried herself to sleep the other day, so she likely looked a mess right now. The dress was still thrown on the floor, and her personal effects were scattered.

"Well, now there are two promises to keep!" she stated, climbing out of bed and moving towards her vanity mirror again. "I don't have the time to keep feeling sorry for myself, there are too many ponies relying on me to give my absolute best this week!" That was right, two young artists who just needed a little bit of help to find their future.

She would do it, she would make this work. It was her gift, after all. Showing everypony the beauty they really had inside.

She was quite lucky that she had so many friends willing to do the same for her.

Author's Note

Once again a huge thanks to fferror. Also a big thanks to The Messenger, my most faithful reader.

You both rock, and it is always nice to see that someone is enjoying this.

-Lumino

Week in Review

"So, what happened to not being a stranger, hmm?" Twilight asked as she and Rarity walked down the streets of Canterlot. The sun would be setting soon, and a lovely orange hue adorned the horizon.

Rarity chuckled softly at her friend's question. "It has been a very busy week. You'll hear all about it tonight, but trust me when I say that." The pair of them continued along the well-maintained roads of the Noble's District of Canterlot. "So, rumor says that you made quite a stir at a royal party this week. Care to share the juicy details, darling?"

Twilight just shook her head with a smile. "If I tell you all the stories now, we'll have nothing to talk about over dinner! Also, are you sure it's okay for me to come along? I wouldn't want to impose..."

Rarity shook her head. "Nonsense, darling! I told them I would be bringing a friend, and they were more than delighted. Now I never told them which friend, but I am sure they will be fine with it."

Twilight looked over towards her friend, noting the bulge in her saddlebags. "Oh, you brought a gift. Should I have?" she asked.

Rarity shook her head again, giggling at how nervous Twilight was. "Oh no, not at all. There is a story behind this, too. Well, here we are," she finished, as Twilight turned to look at the massive building in front of them.

Twilight may have lived in the castle for much of her life, but she could still be shocked by the grandeur of places like this. "This is where Fancy Pants lives? Wow, it looks like it could rival the palace!" She'd been following Rarity on the way here, but now she stepped up to the door without needing any prompting. Before Rarity had a chance to stop her, Twilight lifted her hoof and rapped on the wooden door, totally ignoring the massive knocker. Rarity inwardly winced, but sighed with a small smile as Twilight sat there totally oblivious. Sometimes, the simplicity that Twilight operated under was enviable. She saw everything at face value, she wasn't good at looking through the hundreds of layers of deception like Rarity was.

The door opened after a few moments, a serving stallion looking out with a bored expression. Rarity was quick to note a few things. For one, he was a lower servant. The difference between the attire and posture from this one, and the one whom had answered the door the last time she was here, was subtle, but she could pick it out. For another, she noticed his eyes grow huge when he saw who had knocked on the door. The betrayal of his emotions showed him as less experienced, as he hadn't perfected his mask yet. He caught himself after a moment, recovering his mannerisms.

"Princess Twilight, this is unexpected." He seemed unsure of what to say as he opened the door fully. Rarity, however, jumped in to salvage the conversation.

"Oh, good evening. She is with me, I believe you were expecting us?" she spoke, a charming smile working its way across her features. The servant turned to her, and comprehension dawned on him.

"Ah, Miss Rarity. Of course, we have been expecting you and your guest. Please, come with me," he spoke, with all the emotion of a royal sentry. How boring, she thought that she would get a decent reaction out of this one. They had barely made it halfway across the main hall when a familiar voice greeted them.

"Punctual as always, Rarity. I am glad you agreed to co—my word!" the stallion spoke, lowering into a bow as he noticed Twilight. "I beg your pardon, Princess. I was not expecting that Rarity's friend would be somepony of such importance."

Twilight returned the bow herself, allowing the trim of her gown to grace the floor briefly. Rarity inwardly winced, but knew the chances of any dust getting on it were low. "Please, there is no need to bow. I am your guest, and I thank you for extending your hospitality to me."

Fancy Pants' lips curved up in an odd smile, as both of the ponies bowed to each other. When he went to rise, she did as well. He did not waste any more time as he gestured them onward. "Well then, if introductions are out of the way, shall we move to the lounge while dinner is prepared?" he suggested. "I am afraid I do not have much that would be appropriate for royalty, Your Highness. You caught me quite by surprise."

Twilight just waved her hoof dismissively, like she had seen Rarity do a number of times. "Please, just Twilight will be fine here. I do not much care for the pampering of royalty either, so there is no need to be concerned on my account. I believe the term they use for it here is 'charmingly rustic'?" Twilight had a bit of a twinkle in her eyes as she spoke the last line.

Fancy Pants chuckled at hearing himself quoted. "Hah, well I suppose that is an apt description. I am glad to see that the weight of a crown did not change the wild-dancing pony I remembered." They moved into the lounge, him offering seats for the two friends before finding one himself. "Fleur will be joining us in a little bit. It-"

"-takes a bit of time for her to get ready, considering her condition," Rarity interrupted. Fancy Pants and Twilight both looked at her. Twilight looked confused, but Fancy looked curious.

"Why, yes. How did you know that?" he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Rarity just smiled, recalling the tale. "Your nephew told me, quite by accident I would think."

"I still don't see what the problem is," the moody pegasus commented, looking over the mountain of 'failed' paintings. "They all look good to me, like really good."

Portrait just shook his head. "No, they are horrible: nothing original, just fakes. I've got to make something my own, something only I can make," he replied, looking over his stand. Rarity had taken to locking his paint cups into place, so he didn't wind up throwing them all over the place if he lost his focus again. Scarlet sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You know what I think? I think you and the rest of those nobles can't appreciate what you've got. Always gotta be more, bigger, and better. You get a gift most ponies would trade their rear legs for, and you just spend all day complaining about it."

"Hah, what would you even know about it? All you have to do is stand and look pretty, somepony else does all the creating that goes into your 'work'."

"Why you egotistical, spoiled, rich, little-"

"Scarlet!" came the sing-song voice from the next room. "I just finished a new dress, could you come here for a moment? I'm not sure if it would look right." Rarity had heard bits and pieces of their conversation. She liked to let them fight, but she always jumped in before it got out of hoof. As silly as it was to say, she had seen a change in Portrait since hiring Scarlet. His paintings seemed different, though she couldn't objectively say why. They just seemed to pop out more, as if the raging torrent of emotions around the room were somehow being pressed onto the canvas.

Scarlet grumbled as she left the main room, snatching up the new dress and moving to get changed. Rarity, however, took the moment of distraction to go look at Portrait's latest works. "You know, I do think they are improving. They don't look like dead landscapes anymore; there is some life in them. I think you are actually capturing the emotion of it." She wanted to encourage him, but the poor dear was still a long way from being satisfied with his own work.

"I'm still not able to add anything to the pictures that wasn't there to start with," he lamented.

Rarity had gotten used to his self-deprecation. "It is just a matter of time. What matters is that we make the best use of this month given to us."

Portrait was thinking about something, and whatever it was made him chuckle. "Heh, there are going to be a lot of endings and new beginnings in a month, that is for certain." Rarity was confused with his words, and her expression showed it. "Aunt Fleur has been saying that she really wants to get back into Canterlot life, but she hasn't been able to."

Rarity recalled the last thing she had heard about Fleur. "Oh yes, I heard she was sick. I hope it isn't too serious."

Portrait laughed at her remark, before responding to the confused mare. "Oh I am sure she will be just fine. Though maybe assuming she will have more free time after she gets better is a bit foolish."

Okay, this wasn't adding up. She was sick, this much she knew from Fancy Pants, but Portrait spoke as if he knew precisely when she would be better. Also, how would she have less free time after being sick? It was as if... wait a minute.

When Fancy Pants had come to Ponyville, what had he said? She'd been having weird cravings? Rarity's jaw fell open.

"She's pregnant?!" she blurted out without thinking. Portrait held his hoof up to his lips in response.

"Uncle has been trying to keep it quiet, at her request. I can count on you to not say anything, I hope?"

Rarity nodded, still rather stunned from the news. "Of course. Fleur pregnant, I never would have guessed. Fancy must be beside himself with pride, oh I must make a gift!" she decided, running back to her work station.

Portrait would have explained further, but it was at that moment that Scarlet returned in her new attire. Rarity dropped what she was doing, and began attacking the hem of the new design Scarlet was modeling. How Rarity could go from conversations, to creations, to alterations so quickly never ceased to amaze him.

Fancy Pants chuckled a bit at her story, shaking his head slightly. "I knew the secret wouldn't last forever. As it was, tonight would have broken it anyway."

Rarity leaned up in her seat, Twilight still seemed unsure of how she should react to this. "Your first foal is nothing to be embarrassed about, darling! I would imagine you would want to shout it to the entire city."

Fancy Pants' smile dimmed for a moment, but he caught himself quickly. "Oh I am happier then you can imagine, Rarity. To be a father, at my age? Hah, I had expected we would live out our days just the two of us. I suppose it will be getting a bit more lively around here."

His expression bothered Rarity. Something wasn't right here, did he suspect Fleur of infidelity? It was odd that a stallion of his age could still have children; but not unheard of. Before she could muse on this anymore, a gong rang from another room. The sound of it made Twilight jump in surprise. "Eh-heh," she laughed awkwardly as her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink.

"That would be dinner. Shall we, then?" he said as he stood up. The mares followed behind him as he led the way through the elaborately designed house. They came upon a long table, easily able to seat two dozen ponies. However, only four places were set. The head seat was for their host, with a seat to his right that was much larger in size, obviously for the mother-to-be. On the other side of the table there were two settings side by side, clearly for Rarity and her 'guest'. Rarity held back, and allowed Twilight to sit first. The younger princess decided to take the place farther from the head of the table, leaving Rarity to sit on Fancy's immediate left.

As Rarity lay down, pulling her legs up onto the cushion, she noticed the empty chair still. She looked to Fancy Pants for a moment, working the question in her mind.

"Fleur will be joining us, correct?"

"But of course I will. It was my idea to invite you," came the refined voice from the entrance to the room. Fleur's entrance into the room was slow, not surprising given her size. Sweet Celestia, Rarity had known that Fleur was eight months in, but this was still surprising. To see the kind of havoc something so natural could wreck on her once pristine and well controlled frame was shocking. Fleur looked about the table, and took notice of Twilight sitting there; her posture changed slightly, as if she were preparing to move in a different fashion then she had been.

A slam on the table served the dual purpose of stopping her motion, and drawing all eyes in the room to her. "Absolutely not!" Twilight spoke up, much louder then she had intended. "I mean... um. Please, there is no need to bow to me. Let me help you," she offered, rising from her seat and moving around to help Fleur into her own. Twilight's magic grabbed onto the chair, helping Fleur into it. The noble lady looked quite surprised by Twilight's actions, but did not reject them.

"You flatter me, Princess Twilight. You are supposed to be our guest." Twilight just shook her head as she sat back down.

"Princess Celestia says that a true royal should always act in service to her subjects. I would not want you to stress yourself just to show respect to me." Twilight smiled as she looked around at those gathered. "You have already done a great honor by inviting us into your home. Please do not feel the need to go so out of the way on my account. Oh, and you can just call me Twilight in here. No need to be so formal."

Rarity smiled a bit. She'd spent some time teaching Twilight the proper way to act in these circles, and then in a minute she'd tossed all the rules on their head and done it her own way. Well, that was just the way she was going to be. That was just how Twilight was, and Rarity wouldn't want her any other way.

Fleur smiled, starting a dialogue with Twilight. "It may be bold of me to say so, but I believe you will make a wonderful Princess. Many ponies forget that the most important thing about having power is knowing when to not use it. Speaking of which, darling?" she turned her eyes towards Fancy Pants, who nodded as the servants entered with four bowls of steaming soup. Each bowl was placed before its owner, and they all grabbed their proper spoon in unison. Rarity noticed, as she looked up for a moment, that Fancy Pants had not grabbed his spoon. His horn was glowing, but it was Fleur's spoon which he held aloft. Rarity watched for a moment as he brought the soup to her lips, setting the spoon down and then taking a sip of his own soup.

Twilight noticed Rarity's confused gaze before the hosts did, and giggled slightly. "You look confused, Rarity. I thought you would know about this," she remarked.

Rarity turned to look at Twilight, still confused. "Whatever do you mean, darling? This is the first time I've been to dinner here."

"No, I meant about the eating. When a unicorn is pregnant, the changes to the body make magic very difficult to control. In the first and second trimester they are recommended to use it sparingly, but in the third it is usually impossible. Didn't you see this with Sweetie Belle?"

Rarity paused, thinking back. That was a long time ago, but she did remember her father feeding mother very often in the later days. Either that, or she would eat like an earth pony, which her parents didn't seem to mind. "I did, but I thought my mother was just trying to get father to dote on her. I had no idea it was actually legitimate."

The four shared a quick laugh at that, as Fleur further explained. "Twilight is correct. This is actually why I did not wish to go out in public like this. It would be disastrous to my public image to be seen eating like a foal."

Rarity waved a hoof. "Pah, are you joking? Any pony in your circles would have to know that it is normal. After all, there are so many unicorns here I doubt it is any secret. This is nothing to be ashamed of, they should be envious of you! The most famous stallion in all of Canterlot waiting on your every whim, most mares would kill for that."

Now the laughter only came from three voices, with Fancy Pants allowing himself a somewhat nervous chuckle. "Well, there is a silver lining there, I suppose," he said. Small banter passed around the table as the four friends enjoyed their soup. Soon enough, the bowls were empty, and the next course was on its way.

Fancy Pants chose this moment to change the topic. "So, Rarity, how has your gamble been progressing? Last I saw Portrait he looked even more frustrated than before, so I assume it is going well?" he asked with a cunning smile and an arched eyebrow. Twilight passed Rarity a confused glance, since she was not aware of Rarity's little experiment.

Rarity sat up a bit as the main course was placed down. "Quite well, in fact. Why just earlier today..."

The session progressed in silence, mostly. Portrait had learned to hold his tongue when Scarlet was his model, as everything either of them said seemed to set the other off. More than once, Rarity had come in to push them apart as if they were two foals on the playground. Every time he failed at a task, Rarity simplified it again. They'd gotten so far down that now he was trying to replace one of the people in his portraits with Scarlet. This was humiliating, watching himself fail at such simple tasks.

"This is pointless," he grumbled, looking over his current picture of a Fillydelphian concert hall. He was trying to imagine Scarlet on the center stage, and replace the midnight blue unicorn that he knew should actually be there with the grey pegasus before him.

"Well it will be if you spend all your time complaining! If it was easy the city wouldn't be filled with artists waiting tables and watching shops." Scarlet puffed herself up indignantly, glancing down at him from the slight stage she was standing on.

She'd pushed the wrong button this time, however. Portrait's response came swift and hard. "You'd be lucky if you could get a job that didn't meet on street corners in the dark!"

Rarity had been working on her own design, expertly tuning the two of them out, when she heard that. Her eyes bulged and she gasped audibly. "Portrait!", she shouted out in shock. How could he have said something so vile?

Scarlet's face went the same color as her mane, but not in embarrassment. Rarity could tell easily that she'd just lost all sense in a rage at that remark. The pegasus grabbed the leg of one of the easels in her teeth, slamming her hoof down and snapping the wood off. She rounded on the artist quickly, and he didn't move an inch. His eyes were wide and his body locked up totally.

"Stop!", came the shout, accompanied by the field of magic surrounding the splintered wood. It was Rarity's magic, but it was Portrait's voice. "Don't move!", he commanded.

Both mares stared in awe as he turned back to the canvas and paid both of them no mind. Scarlet couldn't have moved as long as she held onto the improvised club, since Rarity's magic still held strong. Still, Portrait gave no thought to the assault she had been about to commit. Rarity eyed Scarlet oddly, who returned the confused expression, as the white mare moved over to examine what he was drawing. She arrived just in time to see it finished; his speed was still the stuff of legends.

It was still a painting of the Fillydelphia Concert Hall. Still the same ponies in the audience, still the same lighting, but one thing was different, vastly different. The mare in the center stage was not a midnight blue unicorn singing. Now she was a grey and crimson pegasus, holding a sword high, as if about to bring it down upon some foe. Extraordinarily out of place in the setting, but nopony could question its originality.

Rarity was actually a little scared of the drawing. Scarlet, of whom there could be no mistake the pegasus was, seemed to be like a demon. Her figure and anatomy were right, but there was a mountain of subtle hints in it. Her hair flowed like serpents, the shadows bouncing off of it at just the right angles. Her eyes burned like flaming pits, seeming to jump out of the painting at her.

Rarity could sense the tension was still high after the outburst, and as Scarlet came over to see what had just happened on the canvas, Rarity sprang into action.

"Oh my," she exclaimed breathlessly, taking two steps back and falling over with a swoon. She landed right onto her fainting sofa, a perfect shot. She lay along the smooth fabric, her hoof raised to cover her eyes in a dramatic fashion. She heard a whistle first, and her ears perked slightly.

"Huh, not bad kid. I look like some hell-born nightmare. Kind of like it, it's definitely got style. Oh yeah, and you owe me twenty bits for the drama queen's performance."

Rarity felt the need to speak up at that. "I'll have you know I am overcome by emotion, not deaf. Now what are you talking about?" She stood up again, joining the two back at the painting. The splintered club lay on the ground, forgotten.

Portrait was the one to answer, his eyes never leaving the painting. "We made a bet on the second day. It was on if you would faint more than seven times before the week was up. Seven in only two days, that was a bad bet," he answered, levitating a small pile of bits to Scarlet without even looking at her.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Children," she mumbled, still looking upon the creation Portrait had just made. "Well then, that is quite the achievement! I think this calls for a celebration. Would you two like to join me for a small glass of wine? If you can clean up your mess and avoid strangling each other, I might even be so kind as to prepare a nice meal for the three of us. To celebrate this accomplishment."

Portrait looked odd, almost as if he were saddened by what he'd created. "There is still so much work to do. It was a spark of creativity in a void."

"Foal steps, darling. Foal steps."

"Besides, doesn't the saying go that one light shines bright in total darkness? Or something like that," Scarlet continued.

Rarity nodded, looking again at the fearsome beauty on the canvas. She had been right, art was emotion. All he needed was to be exposed to it, to stop thinking and just to feel.

Rarity was aware, as she told the story, of the looks of concern and doubt from both Fleur and Fancy Pants. It made sense, their nephew had almost been assaulted. "That was just today, actually. He was smiling more then I'd ever seen when he left the studio today. I think he found his spark, or at the very least he has seen it." The story had carried on for quite a while, and they were nearly finished with the main course when she finished.

Fancy Pants spoke first, likely saving the fashionista from some very awkward questions from his wife. "That was quite a risk you took, it could have easily gone the other way."

Rarity sighed a bit. "I will admit, things did get a bit out of hoof. I honestly wasn't expecting Portrait to say something so... vulgar. In some ways, I think what happened was exactly what needed to happen. He's always been safe, been protected. I think putting the fear of Tartarus into him, as brief a moment as it was, stirred something inside."

Fleur spoke next. "So, it was a happy accident? What if it hadn't turned out as well as it did?"

Rarity chose her words carefully. "Fleur, art comes from emotion. Portrait has never been put in a position where he had to succeed. If he went to an art show and his work was not well received, it would have no major effect on where he would live or what he would eat the next day. The only thing that pushes him is his own drive. What he did, personifying his feelings, is very common in all forms of creation. I do the same whenever I design for my friends. These are things you can't teach, you can only learn them."

Rarity paused for a moment, thinking on if she wanted to say these next words. They could make or break everything. "You say he was in danger, and you are not wrong. I knew there was a possibility that they might come to blows at one point or another. I needed him to know it too. I needed him to feel, not think. It is hard to explain, but rest assured I will not let any harm come to him while I am here. I suppose I am the mother bird tossing out the chick. I have taught him what I can, and he managed to beat his wings enough to avoid crashing. He isn't flying yet, but he is on his way."

Twilight spoke up, jumping to her friend's aid. "That is exactly what Princess Celestia did to me. She sent me and my friends to the Crystal Empire when it reappeared. She could have gone herself, or sent Luna to resolve the problem. She sent us, however, because she wanted to make sure I was ready. Ready for this new challenge before me," Twilight gestured to her wings. "I can understand what Rarity is saying. We don't grow if we are always safe."

Fleur's critical gaze took on a half-smile. "Well, if a national hero and a princess say that this is best, I suppose I shall have to put my faith in them. That does remind me, however, there is still the matter of your payment."

Rarity waved her hoof with a shy smile. "Oh, there is no need for that. I am delighted to help."

Fancy Pants leaned over to her, however. "Trust me Rarity, it is just easier to agree. This is a battle even you and your friends would not win."

Rarity laughed, noticing that Fancy Pants had pulled a small box onto the table. It was a plain white box, with a simple red bow across it. Simple in design, but still elegant. As he placed it on the table, Rarity noticed that he shared an odd smile with Twilight. It was brief, barely a second, but Rarity was good with noticing details.

She said nothing, however, and slowly pulled the ribbon off. Practiced and controlled, ever the image of poise and grace.

When she pulled the top of the box off, she really did faint.

Rarity's mind came back to her soon enough. She found herself laying down on something soft. Smooth fabric, but it had some structure to it. Not a bed, that much was certain. She opened her eyes with a groan, looking around. The first thing she saw was the familiar setup of Fancy Pants' den, the next thing she saw was Twilight right in front of her.

"Oh I am so sorry, Rarity! I should have known that would have been too much of a shock. Are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself did you? I mean I-"

Rarity pressed her hoof against the sputtering mare's mouth. "Twilight, please. Slower and quieter please." In that moment, she recalled what she had seen in the box, and her body jerked on the couch she was laying on. She had no idea when they'd moved her here, but she needed to make sure. The box was on the table before her, and its contents were plainly visible.

She reached out with a hoof, pressing against the familiar red stone. She opened her mouth and only a squeak came out at first. "H...How?"

Twilight smiled, but the words were not hers. "It sounds so cruel to say this, but I was actually relieved by your reaction." Fancy Pants had just returned to the room. "I'd suspected that the necklace left your person against your will, your reaction suggests that was the case."

"I... it was... what?" All her refined speech and perfect class had melted away, as she ran her hoof over the crimson surface. It was like a dream, just so unreal.

Twilight smiled happily for her friend. She'd known, as soon as she saw the necklace, that Rarity had not parted with it knowingly. She trusted her totally, and she would never do something like that. "Earlier this week, there was a small party in the castle..."

"How nice to see you, Princess Twilight," said yet another high society pony. Twilight had lost count long ago, and nodded with a smile, returning the greetings. She'd spent hours studying the faces of the ponies who would be attending the event, but she had hoped she wouldn't need to speak with them all.

That was a foolish hope. "I am glad you could make it," she started, as her eyes focused on the newest pony to speak to her. "Glitz Glamour, I've heard many interesting things about your new lines. I cannot wait to see what more you can produce for the spring lineup," she said politely.

Glitz seemed beside herself to be recognized by the newest princess, but Twilight had to move on before much conversation could be started. It was for the best, many of these high society ponies got on her nerves. She'd lived here most of her life, but she made it her job to stay away from other ponies in those days.

She nodded and smiled as she weaved through the crowds, willing to give anything to just curl up on her bed with one of the research journals she'd been looking through. The general chatter of the ponies was of no consequence to her, until something poked at her mind. It was funny, it was as if two words were spoken straight into her ear, drowning out everything around her.

"...Fire Ruby..."

Twilight's ears perked up as she turned her head. She didn't think Rarity would come. She was here on business, not for parties. Twilight looked around the room before a familiar red glint caught her eye.

The problem was that it was not Rarity's neck the stone adorned. She was a unicorn with a golden coat, talking to a familiar stallion of impeccable taste. Fancy Pants wore a practiced expression of professional politeness as he eyed the necklace.

"My," he spoke, "they seem to be 'in' this season. It reminds me of a similar design one of my friends has." He wasn't outright saying it was the same one, but Twilight caught the implication.

Twilight also noticed that she had no idea who this unicorn was. She was not on the list of approved guests that Twilight had studied, and Twilight had been quite thorough with her list. She walked up to the two of them, her confusion betrayed by her eyes.

Fancy Pants saw her first, turning to face her. "Hello, Princess Twilight, a wonderful party, is it not?" he asked of her, continuing before he received an answer. "I was just admiring this lovely piece of jewelry and the stunning pony whom it adorns," he said, a playful smile on his lips.

The unicorn turned to Twilight, giving a small curtsy. "An honor to meet you, Princess Twilight," she said.

Twilight nodded to her. "Of course, may I have your name?" she asked. She didn't have the tact of Princess Celestia when she was caught off guard like this.

"Oh! Forgive me, princess. I am Golden Truth, and may I say it is an honor to be invited to such an auspicious event." She seemed quite happy to be here, but Twilight was certain she'd read no such name on her list.

Twilight let her eyes drift down to the necklace, and the heart shaped gem in the center of it. "That is a lovely necklace, may I ask where you acquired it? Such gems are very rare."

Golden Truth seemed to puff up with pride. "It was a gift from a suitor of mine, Silver Finish. A charming stallion, and certainly one with an eye for beauty."

Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, I think that he may... " she began. Fancy Pants cut across her before she could finish, however.

"It is quite loud in here, perhaps we should adjourn to someplace a bit quieter?" he suggested.

Golden Truth hadn't sensed anything wrong yet, but Twilight understood. Fancy Pants didn't wish to cause a scene in the middle of the party. Twilight nodded in agreement, and the three moved out to one of the castle's many balconies.

Now that they were alone, Twilight moved on to the next step in her analysis. "Golden Truth, would you mind terribly if I took a look at your necklace?"

Golden Truth looked quite shocked. Pleasantly shocked, but shocked nonetheless. "Of course, princess! It really is a one of a kind prize, isn't it?" she asked, as she opened the clasp and levitated the necklace over to Twilight with her magic.

Twilight took the necklace in her own magic. "I really hope it isn't," she muttered softly, as she turned it around to look at the back of it. Sure enough, the back of the gem mount had a diamond carved into it. Light, but it was clearly visible. There was no mistake. Twilight looked up at Golden Truth with a curious expression, and now the unicorn's expression changed to worry

"Is there something wrong, princess?" Golden Truth asked.

Fancy Pants spoke first, having made the same conclusion. "Truth, my dear, Princess Twilight and I both know the pony who made this," he explained.

Golden Truth gave a nervous laugh, trying to push away what she thought they were saying. "A jeweler friend? My, you certainly do know everypony worth knowing."

"No," Twilight said. "The pony who owned this would never have parted with it willingly. I think the pony who gifted it to you may have... "

Twilight was interrupted by Fancy Pants again. "Silver Finish is pragmatic, but he is not a thief. However he does not have the resources to purchase something this incredible, unless he were procuring it from someplace where they ask little questions on the background of such items."

Golden Truth gasped. "Y-You mean he purchased it from some thief supporter?"

"I believe the common term for them would be a 'fence', but that would seem to be the case."

Truth practically threw herself at Twilight's hooves. "Your majesty, I am so sorry! I had no idea, you must believe me! I just-"

Twilight held her hoof up to the panicking mares lips. "You are innocent in this, Golden Truth. I am sorry that you had to be involved at all. You don't mind if I..." she began, gesturing to the necklace.

"No! Not at all, please take it. I never want to touch it again. Somepony must have treasured such a jewel, it should be returned."

Twilight nodded with a smile. "You have my thanks, and I am sure my friend will be very thankful as well. I'll go return it to her after the party."

"Actually, Princess Twilight," Fancy Pants spoke, "if you don't mind, I might have a different plan for returning Miss Rarity's necklace." His eyes shone with a cunning Twilight didn't often see from high-class ponies. It made him look like a trickster.

Still, he had proven himself as a pony to be trusted.

Thankfully, the night had been calm after that little episode. They'd returned to the table, dinner had been served, and they'd all had a delightful evening. Now Twilight and Rarity stood poised to leave, with Fancy Pants seeing them out.

"Are you sure it's ok?" Twilight asked. "It's not that important."

Rarity shook her head. "Absolutely, darling! You have your royal obligations, and Fancy Pants has offered to walk me home. You be careful on your flight, dear."

Rarity gave Twilight a hug, whispering her thanks. She could thank her until next winter, and it still wouldn't be enough. With a quick farewell, Twilight took off into the night sky.

"Well then," Fancy Pants began, "shall we get going?" It was a rhetorical question, as he'd already begun walking down the stone roads.

Rarity followed at his side, looking up at the glorious night sky. "I never really stopped to appreciate the night sky before, but it really is lovely. The small lights amidst a curtain of darkness just makes them that much more special, wouldn't you agree?"

Fancy Pants looked up, sighing wistfully. "Princess Luna would be happy to hear that. I remember looking out my window as a colt, and seeing the night sky as one brilliant tapestry. With no lights on the ground, the sky would glow brilliantly. Sometimes I feel a little sad that my child will never be able to see that the way I did."

Rarity caught on to the tells of his voice. "This isn't just about the sky, is it?"

Fancy Pants allowed himself a half smile, nodding. "Would you say that Portrait is spoiled, Rarity?"

Rarity would normally deny this, but since she'd gotten to know more about Fancy Pants she doubted he would hold honesty against her. "A bit, certainly. He's better than most nobles I have met here. Still, he does have a sense of entitlement."

"And that is what I worry about. At best, any child raised here is only slightly entitled. Could I really raise a foal that understands the value of a hard day's work? Could I raise one that wouldn't look down his nose at the less fortunate?"

Rarity shook her head, as her penthouse came into view. "It's pointless to ask if you can, simply know that you must. With you as a father, I know any filly or colt will learn the importance of treating everypony with respect. It's very inspiring that you didn't let this city change who you were."

They paused outside of the penthouse for a moment, neither one of them speaking. After a minute or so, Fancy Pants broke the silence. "It's late, I suppose I should head home."

Rarity nodded. "Thank you for walking me home, and don't worry too much. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Rarity should have learned from Twilight about the dangers of tempting fate.

For the second time, Rarity found herself in an unfamiliar castle. It took a moment for her to recognize it as the Everfree castle, or at least how it used to be long ago. That would mean...

"Good evening, Rarity,"

Rarity jumped in surprise as the elegant voice surrounded her. She turned towards Princess Luna, bowing out of reflex.

"Now, now. I thought we agreed there would be none of that when we met like this? It makes everything feel so stuffy," Luna chastised her playfully. "I see that you have recovered what you have lost."

Rarity smiled brightly. "Yes. It all worked out in the end, thanks to my friends. I'm sorry that your search didn't bear fruit," she said. She didn't hold it against Luna. She was a princess, she had much more to worry about than a stolen bauble or two.

To her surprise, Luna's smile only widened. "Didn't it? It was certainly fortunate that Golden Truth was in attendance, she's never been personally invited to such gatherings before. Very fortunate that Silver Finish would gift the necklace to her, almost as if he were scared by a few well placed guards and did not wish to be holding it. How lucky that Twilight Sparkle and Fancy Pants noticed that one piece of jewelry in a sea of gaudy metals and gems."

Rarity paused, watching as a clever grin crept onto Luna's face. What she was suggesting wasn't possible, there was no way any pony could guess that all that was connected. "How...?"

Luna's horn shimmered, and an odd sort of spider web came into form before Rarity. There was a single strand at the top that broke and fractured into other strands as it moved down. By the bottom, there were hundreds and hundreds of different paths. "There are some beliefs that move beyond countries. Beliefs that all the world shares, even if they cannot explain them. One such belief links the moon and stars with prophecy. But at the core of every belief, there is a shard of truth."

"You can... see the future?"

Luna shook her head. "No. Nopony knows for certain what will happen. There are too many variables, too many independent choices that cannot be controlled. My sister and I have the gift of sight. She can see what has been, what her sun has seen..."

"Celestia sees everything?"

Luna laughed softly. "Not as you are thinking. It takes you all day to see everything you do in a day. She could not possibly see all things at all times; it merely allows her to search for things of importance under her sun's light. My sight, however, is different. I cannot see the future, but I can see possibilities," she pointed to the strands to illustrate her point. Each node of the web seemed to have a picture in it, a scene.

In one scene the necklace was sold to a griffon, and left the country as that line moved to its end. In another, it remained in the possession of Silver Finish for some time, eventually winding up in a Manehattenite's private art gallery. In yet another, it was lost in a fire at the store and not seen for dozens of years. Countless potentials interwoven here, separated by the choices each pony made every day. Of the hundreds and hundreds of outcomes, Rarity could only spot a hoof full that resulted in the necklace returning to her.

"This... is how you see things?" Rarity asked in disbelief.

Luna shook her head. "Like Celestia, I do not use this power often. It is far too powerful and dangerous to let it be wasted. If Celestia found out I was using my Lunar Divination for such a simple end, she would be quite cross."

Rarity was confused now. This was not some simple favor Luna had done for her, this was a big deal. "But why? Why put so much at risk just for me?"

Luna's answer was not what Rarity was expecting. "An apology."

"For what?"

Before the final answer could be given, a pounding assailed Rarity's skull as the world vibrated around them. Luna looked up, but then started to fly away as the castle bricks broke apart around her. "Rarity! Remember, you sleep in Canterlot, but Ponyville is your home!" Luna shouted to her.

Rarity sat bolt upright with a shout. "Luna, wait what do you..." She quickly realized that she was in her bed back at the penthouse. In another moment, the pounding continued. Somepony was at her door.

A quick glance out the window told her it was several hours since she'd gone to sleep. It was well past midnight, who could be here this late? She got up and made her way down to the door, where somepony was pounding on the wood as if their life depended on it.

She pushed the door open an inch, and then threw it open fully in surprise. "Fleur! What are you doing here so late, and in your condition?!" The trip could not have been easy for her, and she looked frazzled beyond belief. Her eyes were puffy and red, signs that she'd been crying.

"Rarity!" she cried out in despair. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what happened I just..." she managed out through her rapid breathing. Rarity was pretty sure that Fleur was seconds away from a panic attack, and she knew enough to know that was not healthy when you were as far along as she was.

"Fleur, please. Tell me what happened. Take a deep breath, let me help you."

"Fancy Pants never came home and I can't find Portrait!"

The Way Back Home

Rarity's mind raced as she helped Fleur into the living room. Swarms of questions buzzed in her mind, and answers would not be forthcoming from the distraught mare. She tried to recall if anything odd had happened on the walk back here, but her mind was still waking up.

"Fleur," Rarity said. "Please tell me what happened since I left with Fancy Pants." It was as good a place to start as any.

Fleur nodded as Rarity levitated a small cup of water with a straw over to her, shakily taking a sip. "I went to bed s-shortly after you left. I woke up a little bit ago from...well, I don't sleep well anymore..."

Rarity nodded. This late in her pregnancy, that was not too surprising.

"I noticed that he wasn't back yet, so I went looking for him. When I saw he wasn't in the house, I checked in the guest house. I thought he might have been checking in on Portrait, but there was nopony there, either. I... started to think that maybe he stayed here but..."

Rarity arched an eyebrow as Fleur trailed off. With anypony else, Rarity would ask what she was being accused of, but she bit her tongue for now. "He walked me to the doorstep and then said he was going home. I cannot imagine what could have possibly delayed him so much..." Rarity thought out loud.

She realized very quickly that it was a poor thing to say, as Fleur's expression gave away her distress at that news. Rarity was thinking on how to placate Fleur when a sharp rapping at her door made the both of them jump.

Fleur nearly jumped to her hooves, but Rarity was faster. She guided the distressed mother down into her seat, and moved over to see what other visitor she had tonight. She hoped that it was Fancy Pants, but doubted her luck would be that good tonight.

The door swung open, and the stoic face of one of Luna's Night Guards greeted her. Their appearance always frightened Rarity. She was never certain if their bat wings were natural for them, magically given to them, or some form of illusion. It felt like an inappropriate question in the best of times, let alone in the current situation.

"Ma'am," he said with a salute. "Night Captain Midnight Bastion, reporting. Her Majesty has ordered us to escort Fleur De Lis home safely."

Both mares blinked in confusion, but Rarity was the first to speak. "Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I think it may be best to avoid traveling more than needed. She is in no condition, after all. I would be happy to take care of her here."

The captain's face was stoic as he spoke again. "Her Majesty said that you would not be remaining here for much longer, and a noble lady would require proper protection and care. She seemed to imply you had someone to find."

Rarity was about to argue, when she recalled what Luna had told her just an hour ago. She'd made a big deal out of telling her that one, final thing. Luna had also told her, through these guards, that she would be the one to go find Fancy Pants. There was somewhere she had to go, someplace she had to be.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I have no idea where I would even start if he wasn't at... home..."

One could almost hear the 'click' of everything coming together in Rarity's mind. She stomped her front hooves in frustration. "That son of a mule!" she spat, forgetting all pretenses of lady like behavior. "I'll find him, Fleur. I'll drag him back here by the hair of his tail if I have to!"

Rarity stormed out the door, into the night, without a word more.

In retrospect, running out like that hadn't been the wisest decision. She had nothing packed for her trip, little money on her, and the trains wouldn't start for hours. She'd quietly returned to her penthouse a bit later to gather what she would need, now that she'd processed the entire situation. Acting on emotion was something Rarity thrived on, but it wasn't always the most productive way to accomplish things.

She'd caught the first train out of Canterlot, even before the sun had risen into the sky. The trip was long, and it would likely be well into the afternoon before she arrived at her destination. She'd calmed down a bit since her outburst, but she was still seething. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what had happened.

Going "home", he said. He must have thought he was so clever. Luna's clues had been enough, Canterlot had never been 'home' for Fancy Pants. He'd gone back to his roots. He'd run away from his troubles rather than facing them. Ordinarily, that would be bad enough, but with a wife on the cusp of becoming a mother, it was inexcusable.

Rarity was too worked up to sleep on the train, stewing with anger and rage for the entire trip. It was always the worst feeling to want to do something, yet to be forced to wait. When the train finally pulled into Dodge Junction, Rarity was the first pony off the train. It was at that point that she realized she had no idea where he would be.

She stuck out like a drop of bleach on a midnight gown, but Fancy Pants grew up here. He could blend in easily, and unless she could think of some way to locate him, this would take days. There were dozens of ponies walking up and down the dirt roads. Mostly earth ponies, but there were a few of the other tribes.

Just like that, Rarity had her idea. There were only so many of his identifying factors he could change. Sure, he could change how he spoke, or dressed, or even walked. What could not be changed, however, is that he was a unicorn with a white coat and three crowns for a cutie mark. In an earth pony town, that would stand out just as badly as she did.

A unicorn, with a white coat, and three diamonds for a cutie mark. She'd never considered the parallel before, and it brought a small grin to her face as she realized it. "Excuse me!" she said, walking towards the pony at the ticket booth. He glanced up at her, and prepared himself for the obvious tourist questions.

"I'm looking for a stallion that looks similar to me. He should have arrived early this morning. Have you seen anypony like that today?"

Her question clearly caught the tan earth pony by surprise. "Maybe. This morning was a long time ago, don't really remember too well." The stallions eyes twinkled with avarice as he scanned her form.

Rarity would not have begrudged the pony payment for his help, but to pay him now would be reinforcing poor behavior. Instead, she allowed her eyes to tear up as she wore a truly pathetic pout. "Oh, but I missed the last train out of Canterlot last night! I simply must find father, I don't know what I'll do here all alone!" she began, her voice wavering at first. "He said he'd be waiting at the train station, but he's not heeeeereeee!" she said, turning it into full volume wailing.

Rarity had succeeded in drawing a good deal of attention, making the ticket pony more than a little uncomfortable. "Wait! I think I remember. Yeah, I saw a pony like that get off the train this morning. Looked like he was heading to the mines, though, so I don't think that was him," he said, gesturing towards one of the nearest mountains.

Rarity's dramatics cleared up instantly, as she shot a wry smile to the stallion. "Why thank you, sir! Have a lovely day!" she said, before trotting off in the direction he had gestured. The stallion just stood there, his mind slowly catching up to the fact that he'd been played like a fiddle.

Rarity was pleased with having found a decent lead, but slightly dismayed at where it led her. Somepony like Fancy Pants was a miner? She imagined that a job like that would have made him much bulkier than he was. Something wasn't adding up, and she still wanted to hear the reason for all of this from his own mouth. She had her theories, but she had a feeling the truth was going to be even stranger.

Spotting the entrance to the mine was easy enough. There was a worn path through the dirt leading to a small building by a cave mouth. The walk was long, enough that she was left time to consider how much dirt she was getting in her coat. Was this really some place he had willingly returned to?

A pegasi, one of the few she'd seen since arriving here, intercepted her before she could reach what must have been the administration building. He looked her up and down, judging her by her dress alone. It seemed that the attire that opened doors in Canterlot only worked to shut them here.

"Sorry ma'am," he said, "this ain't no place for you. It's pretty dangerous here on in. Can't let ponies get too close." He spoke politely, but firmly.

Rarity smiled, stopping before him. "Oh of course, I wouldn't want to cause trouble for you. It's just, I'm looking for a friend of mine who I think is working in the mines. I don't suppose you can help me?"

The pegasi looked behind him, at a large clock that hung on the side of the building. "Well, shift ends in about ten, then it'll be crazy with paying the day workers. I can let ya try the forepony if he's willin' ta listen, but you'd have ta be quick."

Rarity nodded with a warm smile. "Oh thank you very much! I promise I'll be in and out as quick as I can," she said, trotting off towards the building. The pegasi flew on ahead of her, slipping inside. By the time she arrived, he'd come back out again, with a stone grey earth pony next to him.

The forepony, which Rarity had no doubt this pony was, had a weathered and stoic expression. He looked somewhere around Granny Smith's age, but he seemed to have been sculpted out of the mountain itself. He showed age, but not an inch of him showed weakness. If she'd walked into him, it would probably feel like walking into a wall.

"Picked a bad time to come round here. What are you looking for?" he asked gruffly. Rarity was a bit annoyed by his lack of manners, but she ignored it and pressed on.

"Ah, hello sir. My name is Rarity and I am looking for a friend of mine." Rarity knew she'd never be able to use the 'father' bluff on this pony. He was old and wise, and he'd likely seen a lot more than she could even imagine. "A unicorn with a white coat and a triple crown cutie mark. I've heard that he was heading this way, have you seen him?

The forepony's face didn't change, though the pegasi's did. It was clear that somepony matching that description was here. "And why should I tell you that? Some of my workers come here cause they don't want to be found."

Rarity sighed inwardly. All of these ponies were alike, always trying to make a quick bit from the 'clueless nobles'. Still, this time she had no choice but to play his game. "How much is it going to cost me to find out?"

Instantly, she realized she'd said the wrong thing. The stallion's nostrils flared, showing emotion for the first time. "Lady, you'd best be on your way now. Nopony—worker, noble or princess—comes into my mine and tries to pay me off." He jerked his head to the pegasi, clearly indicating that Rarity should be 'escorted' away from the mine.

Rarity reacted quickly, trying to save this chance. "Wait! You're right, I shouldn't assume that money can solve all issues. I'll tell you the truth about why I want to find him. Whatever you decide after that, I'll live with it."

The forepony paused for a second. He glared at her, still annoyed, but his words were not as unyielding. "Never known a noble to apologize to someone for offering to pay them. Lady, you got thirty seconds of my time. Make them count."

It was roughly an hour later when a knock came on the main door to the building. The monosyllabic response given was taken as permission to enter, as a white unicorn walked into the building. The forepony looked up at him, sizing up the stallion. There was nothing exceptionally odd about him. No clothing, like most of the workers, save for a small bandana around his neck. His fur was ruffled and his mane was filled with dirt. He looked the part of a day worker.

"Well?" he asked the worker. As usual, the old stallion's voice was as hard and unyielding as the stone that they worked with.

"I did a tour of the mines, and I found twenty-seven workers that I would move. They've got talents better suited to mining softer ores and gems, not hard metals."

The old stallion nodded, looking closely at the 'younger' worker before him. "I'm not one for asking question on intention, I've seen a lot of weird things in my time, but coming back one day without a word after... how long has it been? Twenty years, maybe thirty? You just decided that you wanted to pick up where ya left off all those years ago, and I gotta wonder why. Been a long time since you left, Royal Derby."

The unicorn looked very confused. "It's also rare for you to use my full name, gramps. Did you become a nosy gossip in my absence? Time was you wouldn't care what somepony's story was, long as they did a good days work."

"You got all the fixings of a kid running from something. Thirty years is long enough to make one hell of a life to run from. Wanna make sure you ain't bringing trouble back home."

The unicorn named Derby shook his head. "I promise, nothing is going to be following me."

"Is that a fact?" the forepony spoke, as a door into the back office opened. Rarity stepped out, and Fancy Pants eyes shot open in shock.

That moment of comprehension was what the forepony was looking for. "Her story was true then. You've got a wife back in that prissy unicorn city?"

"It's... not quite as simple as..." Fancy began, but he was not afforded time to finish. In a flash, the elderly stallion had closed the distance between them and brought a right hook right across his muzzle. The blow was strong enough to send Fancy to the ground, a small trickle of blood coming from his mouth.

Rarity, for her part, hadn't been expecting things to break down to violence so soon. She moved quickly to Fancy Pants side, trying to help him back to his hooves.

"Now I know I taught you better than that! Is just up and running from your job what those city ponies do? You signed on for a job, and you'd best go back and finish it or that love tap'll be the least of your problems!"

The room went silent, as Fancy Pants slowly lifted himself to his hooves, with Rarity's help. He nodded once, looking very much humbled, before turning for the door. Rarity looked between them, clearly confused.

"Wait...that is it? I must say I'm a little disappointed," she admitted. This just felt so anticlimactic.

"Lady, I run this place. I don't have time for the poetics and theatrics your lot fawns over." He looked to Fancy Pants one more time. "Colt, if I ever see you here again without the mare who is holding your child, you'll be leaving on a stretcher. Now go do the damn job you signed up for! Next train back to your prissy city leaves in twenty. You'd best be out of this town by the time I'm done here. I don't care if it's by train, hoofcar or walking."

Rarity recalled when she called this place 'rough and tumble'. Those words seemed even more accurate now. "I've taken a hoofcar back from here before. It isn't something I wish to repeat. Come on now, move!" she said, pushing him towards the door. Rarity was still quite confused, and had a lot of questions left to ask.

Luckily, it was a long ride back to Canterlot.

The two of them had been quiet on their trip back to the station. Rarity had only just met the forepony, but she had no doubt he would make good on his threat if they missed that train. Thankfully, they'd arrived just in time, and were now settling down in their seats. Rarity had brought enough coin with her to secure a more secluded car on the train, since she assumed they had much to talk about.

"Is your lip alright?" was the first thing she said, as the train lurched to life.

Fancy Pants raised his hoof to his lips, finding a small amount of blood still came away. "I've had a lot worse, and I had this one coming," he responded.

Silence for a moment more, before Rarity asked her next question. "Can I ask why?"

Fancy Pants sighed, glancing out the window at the familiar countryside. "You've put quite a bit of effort into tracking me down, I suppose I owe you that much." He turned back to face her, adjusting himself in his seat. "It is a long story. Are you sure you don't want to get a drink before I begin?"

"You're stalling," she said, her eyes boring right through him.

Fancy Pants smiled ruefully. "Guilty as charged. Ah well, where to even start? I suppose the story can actually start with Stone Quarry, the mine forepony."

"Is he your father?" Their interaction in the office had made it seem that way.

Fancy Pants shook his head. "Not directly, no. My parents were cobblers by trade. They made the shoes for the miners, since working in such an area does require such protection. They died when I was very young, so I was raised by the old miner. He's a bit gruff, but I'd like to think he taught me the value of an honest day's work."

"I have a lot of trouble imagining you as a miner. You don't seem... built like the other miners were," Rarity said.

Fancy Pants chuckled softly. "You'd be right. Tell me, do you know what the term 'triple crown' refers to?"

Rarity shook her head silently.

"It is an old term for a pony whose skill is unsurpassed in their generation. The best of the best at what they do. I'm not sure where it came from, exactly, but that is the truth of it. And before you ask, no, my cutie mark is not saying I am one of those ponies."

"But it has something to do with that definition, doesn't it?"

"Indeed. I usually helped with the paperwork around the mine. Scheduling, work posts, payroll, all of the behind-the-scenes things that kept the mine operating. It was doing this work that I discovered my talent. I had an... instinct, let us say, on which ponies were skilled in different areas. Who was better for mining certain ores and jewels, or at certain times. I was able to turn the mine into a model of efficiency. I was a very good judge of who was capable of being a 'triple crown pony', and I moved them to the areas they would excel."

"How did you come to be in Canterlot?"

Fancy Pants shrugged. "I grew bored of the simple life. Every day doing the same thing in a tiny town. I was young, I wanted adventure and excitement. So I went to the biggest city for my tribe, Canterlot. The first few years were difficult. I was just a country pony; nopony would even give me the time of day. But as I spent those years in the city I realized something. It was filled with ponies trying to break out and be famous. Some of them were talented; many of them were not. I began to watch the games of the rich, backing certain ponies they liked. They would buy the early works of a fledgling artist, and if the artist became famous they would reap the rewards of their choice. It was like a giant guessing game for them."

"And one that you had a natural advantage at," Rarity said. Fancy Pants was good at seeing the potential in ponies. In such a situation, of course he would thrive.

Fancy Pants nodded again. "Of course, but there is more to thriving in Canterlot than just money. I knew that if anypony ever found out where I'd come from, it would ruin any chance of succeeding there. Canterlot is a city of privilege and illusions. So I changed my name, my manner of speaking, everything I could about myself. I haven't used my birth name in a very long time. But even with my new found money, having taken to their 'guessing game' so easily, I was not welcome in their circles. It takes more than money, you need the right connections. You need someone to pull you into the circles, much like I did with you."

Rarity knew enough about Canterlot to see that problem coming, but the solution still eluded her. How would Fancy Pants have broken into the high circles if he'd become a totally new pony? "Did somepony help you like you did me?" she asked.

Fancy Pants laughed, shaking his head. "Oh no, I made a far more foolish decision for the sake of wealth and power. I got married."

The way Fancy Pants spoke of this event confused Rarity. He made it sound like marrying Fleur had been a mistake. They seemed perfectly happy when she saw them together, so why? "I don't understand. I thought you loved Fleur?"

Fancy Pants smiled now, recalling some old memory. "Oh I do. But that didn't start until maybe a year or so ago."

"What," Rarity asked, deadpan.

"I can't fault your reaction. Back in those days, Fleur and I were as different as possible. She was a wild high class party pony, and I was a down-to-earth connoisseur. Her lifestyle served to displease her parents, who cut her off. Fleur has never worked a day in her life, and they wanted to force her to make some sort of a decision with her life instead of living off of them. It was an admirable attempt, which I am sorry I thwarted with my own youthful stupidity. It was a perfectly pragmatic union. She was social, and could get me into the circles I needed, while I was wealthy, and could easily support her lifestyle choice."

"You...didn't love her," Rarity spoke, shocked by the revelation.

"Love her? My dear, I didn't even like her. It was a marriage of convenience for us both, and we treated it as such. She still entertained her 'guests' and threw her wild parties, while I went about my work amassing an even greater fortune and making my name known to all within the city's walls. Of course, in public we kept up appearances, as was required of us. Still, it was just twenty years of a game, of living a beautiful little lie for the eyes of everypony else."

Rarity didn't even know how to respond to that. How could she respond to having her view of this stallion so thoroughly destroyed? He wasn't a fine and respectable stallion of Canterlot. He may have been the most despicable stallion she had ever met. He'd lived off of deception, off of the illusion of love, for twenty years. He'd profited from selling away his emotions.

Still, there was one thing he'd said earlier that kept her curious. He loved Fleur now. "What changed all that?"

He looked up at her. "Hm? Oh, you mean when did we actually grow up and act like real ponies? Well, the truth is, it was because of you. When I first met you on the street that day, I remember seeing some pony with a very unique talent and ability. I could tell instantly that you were a diamond, if you will forgive the pun."

Rarity blushed slightly, but realized what he was saying. "You just saw me as another fledgling artist that you would profit from backing," she concluded.

Fancy Pants continued as if he hadn't heard her question. "However, you showed me something far different from what I'd expected to see. When it came to a choice between wealth and power, or your family and friends, you didn't even give it a second thought. I guess you just reminded me of home, of that hard-working and inflexible honesty to one's family and friends that I had all but forgotten. That was why I supported you then, because if I had the integrity to stand for what was really important so long ago, I wouldn't have sold away all I was for a mountain of gold. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I spent many a night awake, pondering over the choices I had made."

Fancy Pants sighed wistfully. "Through it all, Fleur was there. She asked questions, she cared, she listened. I hadn't really noticed, but through the years she had changed. She'd become more calm and refined, less obsessed about her next big party and more concerned with repairing her ties to her family. I never associated with her family any more than I had to. To me, it was all part of the illusion. But in those months I realized, Fleur knew more about me than I thought. The mere fact of living together for so long had taught us so much about the other, that when we actually sat down and talked about it, we were surprised how close we had become. It seems rather silly, a real connection forming because we lived the fake for so long, but there is no better way to describe it. We pretended to be in love for so long that we finally realized we actually were, once the both of us grew up enough to see it."

Rarity's next question was quick and without mercy. "Then why did you run away?"

Fancy Pants sighed. "I didn't intend to stay. I just wanted to remind myself of what I'd spent so long running from. I couldn't risk having a relapse to a Canterlot way of thinking, not with another life on the way."

"You scared Fleur half to death. When she couldn't find you she went hysterical."

Fancy Pants turned his gaze out the window again. "As soon as old Quarry spoke to me, I knew I'd messed it up again. I'm just lucky you were able to find me so quickly. Which reminds me; how did you find me so quickly? Coming here was a rather big leap of logic."

Rarity paused, recalling Luna's advice to her. She'd been pushed here, aided by an outside force. This was what Luna did, manipulating others to change destiny. In her case, the interference was obvious. But what about ponies like Twilight, Golden Truth and Fancy Pants himself, who had all been manipulated by Luna without realizing it? Had Luna been manipulating her since her arrival in Canterlot? How much of what she had done here was her choice, and how much was somepony else pulling the strings to make her act in a predictable way?

"Sometimes, I feel like the pawn of something far greater than myself. Things always seem to just 'work out'," she answered. "When you invited me to Canterlot, I thought I would just be teaching somepony else. Instead, it seems I am the one left with all the questions here."

Fancy Pants sat up straight, smiling at her. "Well, I'm always available to listen to your woes. I feel I owe you at least that much. That and I would very much like to help that pony who has already helped me so much."

Rarity laughed a little bit, but the conversation drifted into silence after that. She couldn't share the secret about Luna's powers with him, she'd promised to not tell another soul. There was one topic he might be able to... but no, it wasn't appropriate. It was far too odd to ask somepony like him.

However, Rarity realized that the situation she found herself in was only slightly weirder than the situation Fancy Pants had lived through. Complicated emotions were something he would be very familiar with.

"Well, there is something. It is sort of a long story, though," she started meekly.

"There is still plenty of train ride left," he retorted.

Rarity managed a weak smile. "It's about the one who gave me my necklace. I've been... conflicted on this issue for a long time. I think getting a little insight from somepony who has been through an odd relationship might help me but...er... it is an odd tale."

He smiled warmly at her. "I am quite sure that it won't be the oddest story I've heard."

"You do realize I have done battle with the Lord of Chaos before, right? My life tends to be very peculiar."

Fancy Pants laughed. "I suppose you are correct. I forgot who I was talking to for a moment there. My offer still stands, however. If you wish to talk, I would be delighted to listen."

Rarity nodded, taking a deep breath. "Well, it all started when he first found the gem..."

Rarity recounted the tale, no longer hiding the 'unique nature' of her admirer. Fancy Pants remained quiet through the first tale, but the second tale was the true test of his composure. She told him of the return of the Nightmare, of everything that had transpired that fateful night. She recalled the entire experience, painful though it was. If he was going to help, he needed to understand in a way few other ponies possibly could.

When she finished, Fancy Pants was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his first words were a bit underwhelming. "A dragon, you say."

Rarity blinked once, a half smile forming on her lips. "Please don't tell me that is the only part of the story you grasped."

Fancy Pants returned the smile, waving his hoof. "Oh no, I grasped every word of it. The story is a bit unbelievable, but, as you say, you live an odd life."

"So...?" she said, eager to hear his thoughts on the matter.

"Well, as you told the tale I had to wonder if I knew any ponies who would act like that. We know so little about dragons and how they grow that I have to wonder: Does his mind mature at the same rate as his body? I do not know a single colt that would act with half the dedication Spike did in those tales. I don't know many stallions who would either."

"But he isn't a stallion, or a colt, he's a dragon. A baby dragon, at that," Rarity said.

"That is true, but I don't think that is as important as you are convincing yourself it is. If a stallion did all that he has done for you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. There would be no doubt in your mind. Your doubt comes from wondering if he is really thinks like an adult and understands what he is doing. My answer is you should find out."

Rarity blinked twice. "Find out, how? Are you saying I should...?"

Fancy Pants held up his hoof to stop her. "What I am saying is that you should give him a chance. Try to get to know him a bit better, how he thinks, what he does. Don't you think he deserves at least that much? Trust me when I say, getting to know someone is the quickest way to sorting out your feelings. I know from personal experience that it works."

Rarity mulled over this. It seemed so simple now that she thought about it. What would her friends say? Twilight, especially, might have some very choice words if she thought that Rarity was just leading Spike along. She banished the thought from her head. She would just have to have faith in her friends to not judge her for this. Fancy Pants was right: After all the sacrifices Spike had made, he at least deserved a chance.

Thankfully, the rest of the train ride passed in the company of a much lighter conversation.

The two of them parted ways once the train pulled into Canterlot Station. Night had already fallen around them, and if Rarity had to guess, it was somewhere around midnight. She would have loved to go back to her penthouse, take a nice bath, and sleep until tomorrow afternoon, but she'd resolved to finalize something else.

Fancy Pants had his wife to go and confront, but Rarity had to confront somepony far more powerful.

Princess Luna.

She truly appreciated the princess's help, but Rarity had not been able to banish her own doubts. How much had Luna been influencing her actions since she'd arrived in Canterlot? How much did she manipulate anyone's actions on a day-to-day basis? Was Rarity nothing more than a pawn to be moved around the board by the orders of an unseen master?

Whatever the answer was, she had to know. She walked up to the castle gates, seeing the Night Guards standing as sentries. They did not move to obstruct her, but they did address her.

"Good evening, Miss Rarity. What can we do for you?"

Rarity smiled wearily, her long day taking its toll on her. "Good evening. I wanted to know if I would be allowed to meet with Princess Luna?"

The sentry nodded. "Of course. We have been instructed to show you to her private quarters if you arrived. We will inform her of your arrival," he said, ringing a small bell by the doorway.

Another guard came down the stairs a moment later, and proceeded to lead her into the castle. As they walked, Rarity had to wonder if Luna had been expecting her to visit. Did she guess, or did she know that Rarity would be coming here?

They arrived at the large oak double doors before Rarity was afforded too much time for her thoughts. The guard pushed one of them open. "Her Majesty will be with you shortly. Please make yourself comfortable," he said plainly.

Rarity thought for a moment on the poor manners of all of the castle guards before she allowed her eyes to sweep over the room. The opulence of the room was to be expected, but it still stunned Rarity for a moment. She'd stayed in the castle before, but this was quite different. The designs and fashions here were things she'd never seen before. The style of this room was almost ancient in its design, like it had been plucked out of the past.

Rarity realized that was likely exactly what happened here. These were likely possessions from Luna's old life, a thousand years ago. As she slowly walked around the room, her critical eye taking in every detail, she noticed a full length, standing mirror next to the far wall. What really caught her eye about it was that its frame was made of stone. Carefully worked, masterfully crafted, and breathtakingly beautiful.

It stole Rarity's breath away, but not in awe. Terror gripped her heart as she remembered this mirror. It was the same mirror from her dream, the one where the Nightmare had tried to reach her again. She timidly walked over to the mirror, looking into its surface.

She saw her own panicked face looking back at her.

Rarity took a breath of relief as she stepped back. Of course, that was just a dream. The mirror wasn't anything evil, it was just a mirror...

Another thought passed through Rarity's mind as the door to the room swung open. She spun around to see Princess Luna walking into the room, a small smile adorning her face.

"A good evening to you, Rarity. To what do we own the pleasure of this visit?" Luna paused, studying Rarity's face for a moment. "Are you well? You look as if you have seen some hideous specter."

"Oh, no it's nothing. Your mirror just gave me a bit of a scare. It looks exactly like the one I saw in my nightmare last week. It must have been a memory the Nightmare Forces had from when they were with you that got carried over into my dream, or something like that."

Rarity's gaze moved between Luna and the mirror. As such, she almost missed the change in Luna's expression. It was an instant, but something Rarity had said had just surprised her. Rarity couldn't let that go unquestioned. Something about this was bothering her.

"I mean, that is right, isn't it? I've never seen this mirror before, so how could I dream about it?"

Luna remained silent, refusing to meet Rarity's gaze.

Rarity felt her stomach drop. Something was going on here that she didn't like or trust. Something wasn't right, and Luna was very near the center of it. "Princess Luna, please. Don't tell me you..."

Rarity trailed off, and Luna still refused to respond.

"If you tell me right here and now that you had nothing to do with it, I'll believe you," Rarity said, stepping closer to the Princess of the Night. "Please, Luna, tell me that."

Luna finally spoke, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "I cannot. For I am the one who entered your dreams and made them into your worst nightmare."

Day 4: Lords and Ladies

"Oh? And how did that plan work?" Twilight was trying hard to control her tone and mannerisms, as her teacher had instructed. She lifted the cup of tea smoothly with her magic, taking a small sip of the liquid and barely allowing herself to even think on the taste. She was focusing all of her attention into making sure that she was properly remembering Rarity's instructions.

"Unfortunately, it did not. The dear is talented, but his lack of confidence stifles him. What he drew seemed original, but he revealed that it was just an old historical site in Fillydelphia." Rarity daintily set her own cup down on the saucer, letting the magic fade away at the slightest contact. "He has a gift, certainly, but he does not know how to take advantage of it."

Twilight looked as if she wanted to laugh, but quickly stifled it with a false smile. "He sounds... I mean," she paused for a moment, considering the words she wished to use. "Your sister has a similar problem, doesn't she?" As she spoke, Twilight lifted up a small spoon of sugar to add to her tea.

"Yes, Sweetie Belle also has difficulty accepting her gift. By the way, you should not use the serving spoon to stir your tea after drinking from it." Rarity looked up to Twilight with a grin and the alicorn looked startled for a moment, before becoming aware of what she meant.

"Oh ponyfeathers," she muttered, earning a scandalized gasp from Rarity.

"Oh my! Such strong language, Princess Twilight." Rarity's expression quickly faded to one of humor. "I think that is enough for today. You are still learning, after all."

Twilight nodded, slouching in her seat as if some invisible weight had been upon her the entire time. "Whew, I don't know how you do it Rarity. All those rules, conditions, and ways to speak are exhausting to remember."

Rarity waved a hoof through the air. "Nonsense, darling. I've just been doing this for much longer then you have. The nobility are raised their entire lives to act a certain way. If you could copy it in one day, it would be one impressive miracle."

"Speaking of nobility," Twilight began, looking up at Rarity with an odd curve to her lips, "how is the show window in your studio?"

Now it was Rarity's turn to be embarrassed, though her smile remained. "Oh, it is fine now. There was just something very distasteful in front of it that I needed to remove, very quickly." Her pleasant smile never faded, almost defiant in its style.

"I thought you might like to know," Twilight began, "Princess Celestia nearly lost her composure when she heard about that. I thought she was about to burst out laughing. I'm sure if Princess Luna was there instead, she would have without a second thought."

Rarity let out a small giggle, allowing herself to relax from the strains of her high-society mask. "I figured it wouldn't cause too much trouble. Though I am sorry it had to come to you at all. He claimed he was a 'friend' of my student, though I cannot see how. They are like night and day."

Twilight thought to herself for a moment. "I imagine it's like how you and Rainbow Dash are friends. Totally different in almost every way, but nopony would dare say you wouldn't watch out for each other."

Rarity considered what Twilight was suggesting. "The Prince is a total brute. I cannot imagine someone like Portrait befriending him. Why, the young stallion practically worships his uncle! To associate willingly with someone who acts so against that just does not make sense."

Twilight shrugged. "Maybe he sees something that we don't. Anyway, what happened next in your plan to teach creativity?"

Rarity's smile never faltered. Even though her first plan had failed, she had plenty more to try. "Well, we spent most of yesterday trying different variations of it. I asked him to draw many things he could not have seen. I think my personal favorite was asking him to draw what he thought his son would look like. Today he is trying something new, something he doesn't need my help for."

"Which is what I owe this visit to, I suppose. So what is he working on now?"

"A model," Rarity answered. "With his family, finding a model to volunteer for him was a small matter. I told him that I wanted a picture of the model on some landscape he has seen." Rarity looked immensely satisfied with herself over this idea.

Twilight just looked confused. "How will that help? Won't he just copy the model in the studio and then add the background? That doesn't sound original to me."

Rarity nodded. "That is because it isn't, directly anyway. So much of the drawing changes when you add something else to a picture. Shading, the makeup of the ground, and the very way the background looks can be changed drastically. He needs to be aware of these small changes before we can move on to the big ones. I honestly feel like I am teaching him how to draw from scratch, because he likely never learned. He knows how to hold and move the brushes, but not how to compose a scene."

Twilight grinned, standing up and stretching out her legs. "And you said you wouldn't be a good teacher. Seems to me like you're doing good so far." The alicorn walked over to the window, her magic opening it slightly. A nice breeze moved into the chamber, fluttering through their hair as it twirled about the room. "While I think about it, what made you start wearing that again?"

Rarity knew instantly what Twilight was referring to. Not her hat, or her new dress design. Twilight could only be referring to the familiar necklace nestled against her coat. "Just a reminder for me. I don't want another incident like with your birthday; I must keep myself under control." Twilight looked concerned, but Rarity waved it off. "Now don't you worry about me, darling. I'll keep my hooves on the ground while I'm here."

Twilight seemed bothered by something else, however. "You still don't trust yourself, after all this time? Rarity, you don't need to prove anything to anypony. We all know how amazing of a friend you are." Twilight moved back over to Rarity, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Why can't you forgive yourself? We've already forgiven you; we all make mistakes sometimes."

Rarity smiled at her friend; polite and supportive as always. "I know, and I am so thankful to have friends like you. Friends who have gone out of their way for me, and accepted all the pains I put you through. But this is more personal, really. We forgave Spike for what his greed made him do, but that was not the end of the story. He constantly has to fight his greed, every day of his life. You all forgave me for my mistakes, but the temptation is there. This helps me to remember that self improvement is not a single action. It is a long, constant struggle to change yourself."

Twilight's eyes sparkled with something that looked a lot like cunning. "Oh, I never realized how much you respected Spike. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear it."

Rarity was no fool; she could see where this topic was heading. 'Sorry Twilight, darling, but I am not ready to head down that path yet.' "His greed is not a part of his personality, it is a part of his biology. That he fights it, on a daily basis, is quite commendable. I've known few ponies with that much strength of character. At any rate, I think I should return to the studio before it gets too late. Portrait should be finishing up, and I have a feeling we have a long way to go."

Twilight noted how quickly Rarity ended the conversation once Spike came up, but decided to let it go. "Fair enough, I've been slacking off on my work too, and I still need to read those books of etiquette you recommended. Oh, and I should send a message to Spike asking if he has an extra copy of Manners for Mares, Volume 3; someone has the copy from the library here." Twilight was off in her own little world again, which Rarity used as an excuse to get up and head on her way.

Twilight didn't even notice the doors close as her friend slipped out.

Rarity trotted down the road, her mask once again in place. She moved at a quicker pace then most of the other ponies, betraying the fact that she had a destination in mind, but not so fast as to seem graceless and unrefined. The sun was beginning to set as she moved into the Virtuoso's Garden, the name that had been given to this area of Canterlot. It was filled with many artistic studios, music halls, and anything else to do with things of a fine craft. She was quite sure she'd seen the large chimneys of a glass blower or a metal sculptor among the streets.

There were a few ponies on the streets as she continued her trotting. She was not trying to eavesdrop, but she could pick out bits and pieces of what they were saying. From the sound of it, they were talking about some kind of a commotion. Rarity kept her head down. They had talked about her removal of someone the other day, but perhaps they finally had a name to put to the story. That would cause the resurgence for certain. Something seemed wrong with that conclusion, however. The bits and pieces she heard sounded like there had been some prolonged noise. Her incident with the prince had been one action, barely a few seconds. Had something else happened?

Now curious enough to be a gossip, Rarity approached a pair of mares who were speaking with each other. The two white-coated mares looked up to her as she approached. "Excuse me, I am terribly sorry to interrupt. Has something happened in the Garden?"

If the mares were offended by her interruption, they got over it with the prospect of someone else to gossip with. The older one, with a cream-colored mane, spoke first. "It all started a few hours ago. There was a lot of shouting from one of the studios on the main road. That isn't anything to get concerned about; those artists can be temperamental. Before long, however, there were all manner of violent noises! It sounded like someone was being thrown around inside! A few minutes later, a young pegasus mare came out of the studio looking quite cross. She seemed fine, but nopony wished to see what had happened."

Rarity felt a lump forming in her throat. "A pegasus, you say? Did you see what she looked like?" Rarity hoped that her guess was wrong.

"I remember she had a red mane, almost like a line of wild roses, and a grey coat."

Rarity did not excuse herself from the conversation. She did not thank the mare for her help, nor did she continue her trotting down the road. Now she broke into a full gallop, giving no consideration to how uncouth she looked. She was mentally berating herself for being so foolish. Of course someone would volunteer to work close to Fancy Pants' family; that was a great way to rob them. She'd let a thief into the studio, and she had injured the poor artist. She could only hope the situation was not as grave as her imagination was making it.

As she galloped down the road, she felt a wind pick up and steal her hat from her. She glanced back and paused for a moment. That hat was a one-of-a-kind design! She'd made it out of the finest silk, something that would be unlikely to see outside of the big cities. She debated grabbing it, but she knew that wasn't right. That was just fabric; she could make a hundred more like it. This was something irreplaceable.

She found the door of the studio ajar as she came up to the building. The thundering of her hooves died down as she slowed to a stop at the frame of the door. Her magic pushed it the rest of the way open, and the state of the studio was something from her worst nightmares: paints and fabric strewn about, chairs overturned and canvas split clean in two, though that was not even all of it. Several of her new designs lay about the studio, torn and ruined. It looked as if there had been one impressive struggle in here; no pegasus could do this alone, except maybe Rainbow Dash. Portrait must have resisted.

"Portrait! Are you here? Speak up now!" Rarity struggled to remain in control, but her voice betrayed her concern. She heard something from the other end of the room that made her ears shoot up. Somepony was over there, but it sounded like they were mumbling. With agility one might not have expected from her, she nimbly leapt across the piles of debris towards her goal. There, with a sense of relief, she came upon who she was looking for. Portrait was huddled in a corner, looking more like a scared child then a noble stallion.

"You're all right! Oh what a relief; can you stand?" She instantly started into questions, using her magic to aid him in getting to his hooves. It surprised her quite a bit when he resisted her magic, deciding to stay slumped in the corner. Now that she was close, Rarity could see that he seemed uninjured. Hadn't the mares said the model fleeing the studio looked uninjured as well? Had he scared her off with a blast of magic? That would certainly explain the mess. "Talk to me; what happened?"

He managed out a few broken words, but nothing Rarity could really consider a sentence. She waited, certain that if she was patient he would reveal the truth to her. Finally, the words did come.

"I did this."

Rarity nodded to herself. Had he thought that was a secret? She allowed a small smile to break her lips, only because he was not looking at her. "Well clearly, darling. I only know one pegasus who could make this much of a mess. What happened, though? Did she attack you? Rob you?" she began questioning, trying to get to the bottom of this.

His response almost chilled her blood. "She... she did nothing. I did all of this." Before Rarity could recover from her surprise, the stallion was on his feet, looking about the destroyed studio again. "I...I need to go." He bounded across the shop, not quite as gracefully as Rarity had, but he only stumbled once.

"Ah! Wait a moment!" she called, to no avail. He galloped out of the studio and began heading down the road. Rarity sighed in annoyance. She could chase after him, but if he was galloping he was likely fine. Besides, he knew his way around Canterlot. She looked about the ruined studio and grumbled. Maybe he had been taking lessons from Sweetie Belle on how to avoid cleaning up his own messes.

The sun was well below the horizon when the door of the 'Triple Crown Finish' swung open. Rarity had gotten pretty good at cleaning up apocalyptic messes after a few weeks with her sister. She didn't turn directly, as she was in the middle of moving a stack of refolded fabrics. "I am sorry, we're closed right now."

"Yes, I imagined as much after my nephew told me the tale. He sends his apologies by the way."

Rarity spun around again, nearly dropping the fabrics she was levitating. She managed to set them down as she moved over to greet her guest. "Fancy Pants! I was not expecting to see you so soon." She really didn't know what to say now. Less than a week here and this had happened. She had been a fool to assume she could do this job. She settled for speaking about her student. "I am glad he is alright. He seemed very upset, but I am not quite sure what happened in here. I wish I could tell you more."

Fancy Pants walked into the studio, looking left and right. "My word! From the way he described the damage, I was expecting to find it in shambles, but it barely looks lived in now." It was true; the studio was mostly recovered from the incredible disaster earlier. She knew a few good tricks to getting paint stains and the like out, and she was never afraid of a little hard work. "Also, I do feel I owe you an apology."

"An apology?" Rarity was clearly confused. Why would he owe her anything? She was the one that had made the mistake.

"Yes, I should have warned you about this. But I do not wish to discuss it here. Would you mind accompanying me to grab a quick something to eat?" His offer seemed polite enough, but he still put Rarity on guard by asking. "Consider it a business meeting. Nothing inappropriate, I assure you."

Rarity considered for a moment. Fancy Pants had never lied or been rude to her. If he insisted that it would be professional, then she would believe him. "Well, it is a bit late to start cooking now. So I suppose it would be fine."

True to his word, Fancy Pants had been a complete gentlecolt. Normally, Rarity would have felt insulted that he did not pull her chair out for her, or any of the usual superfluous acts. Tonight, however, she found that she enjoyed the casual atmosphere of their meeting. He'd suggested a small outdoor cafe, and moved to a table slightly removed from the rest of the restaurant. At this time of the evening the cafe was sparsely populated. They had placed their orders, and now were sunk into the waiting that came with any place of real class. It always seemed the wait was a measure of the class: the longer the wait, the higher the class of the restaurant.

Fancy Pants started conversation with an unusual topic, and one the mare had not been expecting. "I must say, that is a lovely Fire Ruby you wear. Did you find that in town?" His eyes settled on the gem and its necklace, seeming to appraise it.

Rarity had not expected the question, and the answer she gave was not practiced. "Oh, no, it was given to me as a gift."

Fancy Pants' eyebrow arched in surprise. "A gift? My word, you are gathering some wealthy admirers since we first met." The unicorn laughed a bit, but did not continue with his statement.

Rarity, however, felt the need to correct him. She did not want to hide the truth of this gift. It was too important to be made light of like it was just a bauble purchased by a noble. "Not at all. This was a gift from a friend back in Ponyville." Rarity smiled with a small amount of satisfaction when Fancy Pants nearly lost his magical grip on his glass of water.

"From Ponyville you say? How marvelous! Your friends never cease to amaze me, Miss Rarity. To give away something worth a thousand bits or more, how generous they were! I wonder how much they had to pay for it? It has clearly been wrought by an expert."

Rarity's smile only grew brighter. "He did not purchase it. He wrought it himself, and for himself may I add. He desired it, but gave it to me anyway. Besides being beautiful and priceless, it is an excellent reminder of the joy that giving to others can bring us." She looked down at her necklace fondly, recalling the moment the gem had come into her hooves.

Fancy Pants looked impressed. "A colt, hmm? Keep an eye on him, Miss Rarity. Any stallion like that is cut from a finer cloth then most of Canterlot." He leaned a bit closer to her, as if he were about to whisper some great secret to her. "I'd like to meet him one day; we small town stallions must stick together after all."

Now that was a comment Rarity simply could not ignore. There seemed to be so much more hidden behind it. "Small town stallions?" She had always assumed that Fancy Pants had been raised in Canterlot. Now that she thought of it, she'd never known of any of his family. He just came into Canterlot society one day, and in a decade became the pony to know in the center of all of Equestria.

He grinned in response to her, his eyes taking on a very cunning look. She got the briefest of looks beyond his own mask. "Dodge Junction," he said with a wink.

The revelation floored Rarity. She was so shocked that she didn't even censor her thoughts before speaking them. "Dodge Junction? Somepony as respected, cultured, and kind as you came from someplace as... rough as Dodge Junction?"

Fancy Pants looked around, making sure that nopony was eavesdropping. It seemed that his birthplace was a secret, and he intended to keep it that way. "Oh come now, ponies are ponies. And if you put hard effort into fitting in, you could even come from someplace as simple as Ponyville." He grinned a bit, almost like a child.

Rarity returned it, the both of them showing the briefest of cracks in their disguises. "I suppose you are correct, but it still surprised me." Rarity lifted her own glass, taking a sip of the water before returning to the conversation. "I do believe we have gotten off topic, however," Rarity said as the waiter came by, setting two plates down on the table. Rarity let her plate of alfalfa sit for a moment as she carefully worded her next question. "So, you mentioned earlier that you suspected something like this coming?" He hadn't used those words, but he had suggested that he knew more then he'd told her.

"Portrait is an odd one, that is certainly so. He is a polite and kind stallion normally, but when he starts drawing something just seems to take hold of him. Have you ever distracted him while he is working?"

Rarity knew where this was going. It was so obvious now, she could not believe she had not seen it before. "No. When I am creating, I tend to be very aggressive upon being interrupted. I imagine most artists are the same way." His zone sounded volatile to her. That would be something she would have to deal with.

"Well, when he is distracted while working, he becomes incredibly violent. I am not sure if it is on purpose or by accident, but his paints and brushes will normally go flying. He will also shout and yell; it is not uncommon to be able to hear him from the other side of the house. The few times we had him work with a model, it usually ended with them running out in tears after one of his fits. I did not think to warn you of it, so I must apologize." He seemed genuinely upset by this, and Rarity grabbed a bit of her food with the proper fork as he spoke again. "I would understand if you couldn't work with this. I had hoped he would grow out of such outbursts in time."

Rarity placed her hoof down on the table with a bit of force, drawing his gaze. "None of that now. I gave my word that I would help him, and I am not a pony who goes back on her word. Now, at least, I know another problem that needs to be fixed. His 'zone' is not stable." She acted as if what she said was the single most obvious statement in the world.

"His... zone?" Fancy Pants was clearly confused by her terminology.

"Every creator has this state of focus when they apply their art. They become so engrossed in it that they filter out all distractions. They usually respond with hostility if it is interrupted. I've done so myself a few times. One thing is different from what you suggested, however. The model in this case didn't fear him, if what I heard was right. Those who saw her leave said she looked angered, annoyed even. Not upset, and certainly not in tears. Perhaps what he needs is one who can stem his anger." She placed her hoof on her chin, as if she were deep in thought.

"You intend to keep trying, even after all of this?" He was clearly impressed by her dedication.

"Of course, darling! Failure is not the end, it is merely the start of the second attempt. Besides, he has too impressive a talent to simply let it fall away into nothing. I simply must find some way to nurture his gift. Could you tell him to return the day after tomorrow? I will need some time to set everything up." Her mind was going full speed now. For some reason, this quaint dinner conversation had given her a few grand ideas to help this artist.

Fancy Pants looked worried for a moment. "I don't understand. How would making him work with someone he fought with help him? It seems like the conflict would distract him."

Rarity smiled, a cunning and devious expression, as she answered. "Well, two reasons. For one, it removes him from his comfort zone. He has been pampered and comfortable his entire life; exposing him to something that he dislikes, but cannot escape, may create something in him. Second, I am hoping she will distract him with anger. Art is emotion, Fancy Pants. Perhaps what stifles his growth is that he has never been exposed to real emotion. A hard day's work, wanting something that is beyond your reach, any of the feelings that make up life. After what you told me, I am sure you understand that." She waved her hoof about, a sweeping motion covering the entire cafe. "Canterlot is fake, as we both know. A collection of rules and regulations, of false friends and guarded emotions. Why do you think I said I could not stay here for long?" She stopped there, before she told a total lie. She could create fine in Canterlot, she just feared what it would do to her.

The elder stallion laughed a bit. "So, you think he needs a good days work to inspire him?" He flexed his forearm in a way Rarity would have expected from some manual laborer.

"Perhaps not, but he needs to be exposed to the part of life that is real. The pampered fake that resides here does him no good. Also, if I may indulge myself for a moment, I don't think there is a better pony qualified to do it." Rarity allowed herself a bit of ego stroking.

Fancy Pants laughed. "I always did have an eye for quality."

Author's Note

Thanks to fferror for proofreading this chapter, as usual.

I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Personally, I am having a lot of fun with it. I hope that shows, and I'll see you next chapter!

-Lumino