"Oh, I'll be glad when this is over." Rarity theatrically wiped non-existent sweat from her brow, sighing from exertion. "Not that I mind helping, Pinkie... after all, I am the most generous pony in Ponyville, but..." She paused to take a sip of water from a glass proffered by Spike. "You're truly working me like a mule!"
An awkward silence loomed; this could only mean one thing. Sure enough, the only mule in Ponyville was there to hear her off-color comment. She sighed; why do things like this always seem to happen to her? She gave the mule an awkward smile, same as always, and said the magic words that made everything better. "No offense."
"Getting real sick of your horseapples, Rarity. Go buck yourself." He trotted off, grumbling beneath his breath.
Though she kept working, Rarity's jaw dropped in surprise; nopony ever spoke to Rarity that way. She was the most generous and caring pony she knew, and- okay, perhaps she made the occasional off-color remark, but that didn't mean she was a tribalist or something! She grew up in Ponyville, surrounded by earth ponies, and her best friend was a pegasus! Rarity was many things, but an ivory tower unicorn supremacist was not one of them!
"-sabout all I needed, thanks Rarity!" Pinkie beamed at her friend, then returned her attention to the new stand mixer Mr. Cake asked her to put together; the little fiddly bits were all in place, and all that was left were things Pinkie could easily take care of herself. "Hey... you feeling okay? Because you don't look okay. You kinda look like you've eaten too many cupcakes and your tummy is hurting."
"Mwuh?" Rarity shook her head. "Lost in my own thoughts, darling. It's nothing. If you don't need anything else, I suppose I'll just head back to the boutique."
"Okie-dokie! Have fun with that." Pinkie Pie turned back to the mixer as Rarity trotted away. "Hm... now where'd I put that hammer..."
"Twilight!" Rarity hammered on the door to Golden Oaks Library, then remembered herself. A few ladylike taps followed, shortly joined by Twilight Sparkle herself.
"Hey Rarity! I was just taking a break from my studies. Did you need something?" Twilight smiled earnestly at Rarity.
"Yes, Twilight. If you can spare a moment, I have something I need to discuss."
Twilight opened the lower door and gestured with a hoof for Rarity to come inside. Rarity nodded and murmured a word of thanks, then entered the library. Twilight shut the door behind her and winced.
A moment later, she opened the door again, carefully folded her wing to her side and closed the door more gently. "Never going to get used to these things," she grumbled.
"So, Rarity." Twilight slurped from a piping hot cup of tea, helpfully provided by Spike as soon as he saw Rarity was visiting. "What brings you to the library?"
"Somepony said something in town today that upset me, and you seemed like the sort of pony that would understand my plight." She demurely sipped from her cup, holding it with magic so that both forehooves were free to gesture dramatically. "I was helping Pinkie Pie with a task, something that really requires a unicorn's touch if you get my drift--not that Pinkie couldn't do it herself, given enough time! We both know how useful magic is."
"Magic is a useful gift, yes. It's good that you were using it to help out a friend!"
"Yes, quite." Rarity waved off the compliment. "I'm afraid that afterwards, I happened to make an... off-color statement around the mule--it isn't as though I realized he was there--and he said some hurtful things."
"Francis."
"I'm sorry?"
"He has a name. Francis."
"Mm. I can hardly believe he'd use such language around a lady. Surely you agree?"
"Well..." Twilight cringed; it would be easier to stay silent, but sometimes friends needed to set friends straight. "What did you say?"
"I said Pinkie Pie was working me like a mule."
"Eeergh." Twilight winced. "Do you know what Francis does for a living?"
"...I hadn't particularly thought about it, no."
"He's a hired hoof at the Carrot Patch. He carts goods to market for Carrot Top, helps with the ploughing and planting, and does what needs to be done. And he does all that without an earth pony's strength, a unicorn's magic, or a pegasus's weather abilities. He probably has to work harder than anypony in Ponyville just to do his job. You basically said none of that matters; I'm not surprised he took it personally."
"I can't believe you're taking his side on this, Twilight!" Rarity was utterly dumbfounded; she had expected her closest unicorn friend to understand. "I know for a fact you've made similar statements."
"Once, and he and I talked about it. I had never met a mule before I came to Ponyville; it was just a word my parents used. I was wrong, and I've tried to be better about it." Twilight giggled nervously. "Back then, I thought that just because I knew what 'zebra' and 'mule' meant, I knew what zebras and mules were all about. Zecora showed me how little I really knew. I try to be a better pony than I was born to be. That's kind of what being a princess is all about." Twilight looked around the library. "Ah, there it is."
She stepped onto a box labeled Madame Spadetail's Dragon Soap.
"When I first came to Ponyville, I thought you were an airheaded fashionista, Rainbow Dash was a clueless jock, Fluttershy a simpering animal lover... I thought Pinkie Pie was crazy, and don't even get me started on Applejack. You were all so different to me and I couldn't imagine being your friend. Now, you are all the best friends I've ever had, and if I had judged you on first impressions and resorted to namecalling none of that would have happened."
"You've made your point. I should apologize to the m- to Francis, then."
"You probably should." Twilight hopped down from her soapbox. "As long as you've learned something from this, that's the important thing."
"Alright." Rarity finished her cup of tea and set it on the table. "I suppose I should be on my way, then."
Francis the mule grunted with exertion; some days, the plow just didn't seem to want to move. Some days, he was certain that the Carrot Patch was secretly a rock farm.
Today was both of those days, and Rarity's little crack while he was grabbing some lunch at Sugarcube Corner hadn't helped matters. Not for the first time, his lunch break had left him feeling angry and impotent. At least he had let off a little bit of steam in Rarity's direction, otherwise he'd be stewing on this even harder.
"Excuse me..." Speak of the Queen...
"Yeah? You have something to say?" he said harshly.
"Well, um... Francis, is it? I want to apologize for what I said earlier, and the sentiment behind it. I hadn't considered how offensive it truly was, and that is not behavior becoming of a lady."
"Hrmph." Francis returned to pulling futilely at his plow. "There's a lot to be done still yet, and not as much time as I'd like. Sorries aren't worth very much when the fields need plowing."
"Perhaps I could make it up to you somehow?"
"Maybe. That fancy gem-finding spell of yours work on boring rocks too?"
"... of course! I don't ordinarily use my magic for such base purposes, but I suppose I could lend a hoof." Rarity focused, drawing rocks out of the ground in front of the plow. Francis plodded along behind her, making much faster progress than by himself. It was hard work for both of them, and took most of the rest of the day, leaving them both sweaty--and at least one of them in need of a pony-pedi--but they talked while they worked, and by the end of the plowing they were chatting and laughing like old friends.
"Appreciate your help, Rarity."
"No, I think I owe you thanks. I never realized just how much work went into carrots."
"And you still don't." He grinned at her. "That was one day, and a farm is a year-round job." He put a dirty, chipped hoof around her, pulling her into an embrace. "You did good, though. We're okay."
Rarity found herself wanting to pull away, but she didn't. She weakly returned his smile. "How about we visit the spa together? My treat."
Francis laughed, a brazen, heartfelt braying. "Actually, you know what? I'd be fine with that. If you can put up with farmwork for half a day, I can stand being pampered like a princess for an hour or two."