Why?
Why did this have to happen to her?
All of her efforts…lost.
She had spent so long developing that fabric, only to have a former friend steal it from her. That doesn’t even count the time that went into the clothes themselves.
Then she had nearly forgotten to get the clothes there in the first place, only to have her efforts be in vain in the end.
Then she had worked her friends too hard, even going so far as to guilt-trip them, and now they had gone home to Ponyville instead of seeing her fashion show, which in the end didn’t matter because her friends weren’t there.
And now…now she was stuck in the rain, wishing dearly that her friends would return for her.
And oh, what a sight it must be: Rarity, the greatest fashionista in all of Ponyville, moping in the rain right smack in the middle of the big city of Manehatten.
She didn’t care.
Her friends weren’t with her.
Why look good for society if nobody cared?
She had always tried to be generous for everyone, and at first it all seemed to do her well, but then the cruel reality hit her. In the big city, it really is everypony for themselves. Sure, generosity will pay off once in a while, but in the end, it’s never enough to prepare oneself for the big problem. The “great truth” as some called it. In the end, all of her efforts were for naught. Her friends were gone, her designs stolen, and as for the new designs…well, they might have been interesting, but honestly, who in their right mind would wear a lampshade on their head on any day other than Nightmare Night? There was no way her last-minute attempt would win anything other than most creative.
So here she sat, all by her lonesome, moping in the rain while all the other ponies in the city rushed about or remained inside. This must have been a quiet street, because few passed her at all, and none of them gave her a second glance…
The sound of hoofsteps came to her ears from somewhere on her right. She turned her head to see a white male unicorn with a blond mane and tail and a strange playing card cutie mark walking her direction. An umbrella hovered above him, surrounded by his unique golden aura as he kept it in place with a simple carrying spell. He appeared to be in his own little world, his head turned to the side looking into the shops, then across the street…and then at her. His blue eyes focused directly on her, seeing her through the lenses of the glasses that rested on his muzzle, and not looking away. He stopped right beside her.
“What’s a woman like you doing standing in the rain without so much as a coat?” he said, in a strangely androgynous voice.
Rarity was almost shocked that a stranger was approaching her seemingly at random.
“Oh, uh…nothing really, just…thinking, about things…”
“Do you enjoy getting soaked in the rain?”
“Well, not really, no…”
“Then why are you here?”
Rarity was about to respond when she realized she no longer felt the rain hitting her. She looked up and realized the umbrella was now hovering over the two of them. The stallion was now sitting next to her rather than standing, in order to remain completely covered while still allowing it to cover her.
How…gentlecoltly of him.
“…Thank you,” she said, appearing to be quite surprised.
“Hm?” he asked.
“Thank you. For covering me I mean, that was…very nice of you.”
The stallion smiled slightly. “No problem, Miss.”
That’s right. They didn’t know each other’s names.
“Rarity, call me Rarity.”
“Rarity. I like it. My name’s Skill Set.”
“Skill Set. It…doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue well, does it?”
“No, not really, but I can’t think of any name I’d rather have. At least, none besides…”
“Besides what?”
“Oh nothing. I ramble sometimes.”
“Oh. Okay then.”
There was a slight awkward silence, both of them staring across the street as each one thought about something different. It seemed neither had anywhere in particular they needed or wanted to be, because neither one moved from where they sat.
Rarity began to squeeze the water out of her hair. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this, it’s…well, rather indecent of me,” she said, smiling sheepishly as she tried to make conversation.
“I actually don’t mind.”
“Really?”
“Not at all. Everyone has their off days, after all.”
“True…I just thought, you know, with the kind of ponies that live out here-“
“Live here?” He chuckled. “I don’t live here at all! I’m actually here on a week-long trip. I’ve always wanted to get a taste of what it was like to live in the city, and a single day or two never did much for me.”
“Oh really? Well then, I don’t want to keep you, there must be other things you’d like to do during your time!”
“Perhaps. But I’d rather spend my time experiencing this one, rare moment than doing something I can do later.”
Rarity was confused. “What do you mean?”
“It’s raining. Something about being in a city in the rain always intrigued me, and where I come from, the rain is always on-and-off every five minutes, and even then, rain will only occur every once in a while. This storm seems to be constant, and reasonably soft, unlike 98% of other rainstorms I’ve experienced in the past few years. It calms me, allows me to think.” He chuckled. “It’s rather strange that I love the rain and water so much, since I actually quite despise getting wet outside of swimming or bathing.”
“That does seem a bit silly, heh.”
“Have you noticed it yet though?”
“Noticed what?”
“That’s not all there is to this moment.”
She didn’t catch on. “What do you mean? What else is there?”
“Well, think about it. You seem like the type to be into romances. Ever read a part of a story where a man meets a woman in the rain, they begin to talk, and that grows into something special, even if they never actually see each other again after that?”
Rarity felt she was starting to get it. “Go on,” she said, as she wanted to be sure.
“Well, look at us. You were standing in the rain, I walked up and offered to share my umbrella, and we began talking together as we remained in the rain, right in the heart of a big city. We are, right now, living a storybook moment, and you don’t even realize it.”
He was right, she realized. This did feel like something out of a book.
But I always imagined… she thought to herself, as things grew clearer to her. I always imagined that my storybook moment would involve a big, handsome stallion, one with white fur and hair of golden blond, rescuing me from some kind of danger before sweeping me off my feet! Granted, he has the right colors, and he is quite a gentleman, but there is no danger here…is there?
“You’re staring.”
“Hmm?” Rarity said, before realizing she had been staring at her companion. “Oh! I’m sorry! I was just, uh, thinking, about what you said, and all, heheh.”
“…That’s not all there is, is there?”
Rarity was surprised yet again. How had he figured that out? Of course, she probably could have caught on as well had their positions been switched, but that would require that she knew him better than she currently did. Rarity sighed, knowing that whether or not they knew each other, she had been caught.
“…No, not really,” she responded.
“May I repeat my earlier question then?”
“Which one?”
“If you don’t like getting soaked in the rain, and you have nowhere to be, then why are you here?”
Rarity sighed again. “Caught red-handed with that one, aren’t I?”
Skill Set nodded, his eyes showing genuine curiosity, but also concern.
“Are you sure you want to know? It’s a bit of a long story.”
Skill Set nodded. “I’ve got time.”
Rarity decided she’d better start from the beginning. “I’m a fashion designer from Ponyville. I came out here with my friends for the Fashion Week event, with the hopes that my new fabric combined with my designs would win the competition for me. I’m a very generous person, normally, so I found myself helping a cab driver fix a broken wheel, giving a bellboy payment early on and letting him keep the change…heh, I even put a flower in the hat of a man I bumped into as a way of apologizing for causing him to drop his newspaper into a puddle. Bit of a strange man, he had a cat for a cutie mark and was dressed like an inspector…I’m sorry, now I’m the one rambling.”
“Heh, honestly, I don’t mind! Go on,” Skill Set smiled kindly.
“Thank you. Anyway, I almost ended up late for the event, but the cab driver found me to thank me for helping him and was willing to give me a ride straight there without making me wait in a long line. Then I realized I had forgotten my dresses, but the bellboy from before had found out from my friends and rushed them over to the event himself. I must admit, I was surprised he got there so fast while pushing that whole cart of clothes when I barely made it with a cab.”
“Cab ponies are pretty fast, and have good stamina as well. Of course, they have to, or else there would be no point to hailing a cab for anything.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. I ended up paying the bellboy again for helping me!”
“He must be one happy bellboy!”
“Heh, probably! Anyway, I finally got into the show, just in the nick of time, and I met a friend there, Suri Polomare, who I had first met at the last competition I had gone to. We talked for a bit while I finished preparations, and she liked the fabric I had used and asked to use some of it for accents on her own designs. Being the generous mare that I am, I gave her a swage of my fabric to use, and she was out of there before I could even blink. When the time came for me to enter my designs, I headed over to the front desk to do so, and the lady at the counter began complimenting my fabric, so I began talking about it, when I heard Suri’s voice from the stage giving the same exact explanation. I decided to investigate, and found that she had used my fabric to completely redo her designs and then claimed the fabric to be her own. I was furious, of course, especially with her excuse being that it was "everypony for herself in this town", and I found that she was also fairly rude to her assistant, but there was nothing I could do to prove that the fabric was my own, so I had no choice but to make an entirely new set of designs before the actual fashion show the next day, which was actually today. My friends offered to help, despite the fact that helping me would mean skipping the Bridalway play I had gotten them special tickets for-“
She found herself interrupted as Skill Set halted her. “Sorry to interrupt, but tickets to the Bridalway play? Wasn’t that sold out months ago?”
“Yes, it was actually, but a friend of mine had me help him make the costumes for the show and gave me special tickets in return, enough for all of us.”
“Hm. Sometimes I wish I could get something like that to happen to me. Then again, I don’t really pay much attention to play showings for some reason, despite also being a lover of the fine arts. I only knew they were sold out because of all the talk of it that was going on around me. Anyway, you may continue.”
“Well, they helped me, that was for sure, but…but I was rather rude to them in return. I was in such a rush that when one of them asked about the food I had promised them, I told them it would be there in an hour, and then another pointed out that they were supposed to be seeing the play by then, and I sort of…put them through a guilt trip. They still finished the designs for me, but in my hurry I grabbed them the moment they were done and rushed out the door without thanking them. The crowd did seem to love what I had managed to complete, but then…I realized…” She paused for a moment, a small tear falling down her face. “I realized my friends weren’t there, and suddenly my success didn’t matter to me anymore. I rushed back to the hotel to find them, but the bellboy told me he had already seen them leave…” She paused again. “I had been so rude to them. In the end, my generosity ruined me, and then when my friends showed me some of their own, I treated them just like Suri treated her assistant.”
“When did all of this happen?”
“Actually, I only left the hotel a few minutes ago. Now that I think about it, I paid the bellboy a third time after that, but I don’t really know why, considering all he did was tell me he had seen them leave…”
“Hm. Any idea where your friends went?”
“I could only assume they went back to Ponyville. After how I treated them, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“I’m not so sure. I know I’ve never felt comfortable leaving a friend behind without telling them during a big trip like that, even if I wasn’t happy with them.”
“That’s true, we are pretty close, and I wouldn’t feel very comfortable with that either…”
“…Any idea whether or not your designs won the contest?”
“I doubt it. Who in their right mind would wear hotel fabrics and furniture for anything other than Nightmare Night or a job at a hotel?”
“Believe it or not, I can think of a few...but then again, I doubt they are always in their right mind anyway, so I guess your statement still stands!”
This caused them both to laugh, briefly relieving Rarity of her sadness. Then, they sat there in silence for a moment afterward, Rarity going back to feeling sorry for herself as Skill Set mulled over everything she had just said.
“…It is sad, really, how my generosity turned out to be all for naught in the end.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. After all, the main point of being generous is to make others happy, not just give them a reason to owe you a favor.”
“You got me again there. Sometimes I rather forget that, or at least take it for granted.”
“I’m sure we all do at some point in our lives.”
“…I guess you may be right. If someone as caring as myself is doing it, surely I can’t be the only one.”
“Exactly!”
Thunder began to rumble, growing louder for about two seconds before fading out again a few seconds later. Rarity almost jumped, as did Skill Set, but while the former merely went back to how she had been, the latter smiled and ducked his head a bit to see the sky more clearly past his umbrella.
“Ooooooh, looks like tonight’s gonna be a big one!”
Rarity was slightly surprised. “You act like that’s a good thing.”
“For me, it sorta is. I always liked falling asleep to the sound of rain, but I could never hear it at night because my bedroom was always too low to the ground, too covered outside, etc. to allow any of the rain to hit near my window, at least close enough for me to hear it considering how lightly it tends to rain these days. With where I’m sleeping tonight, hopefully I’ll be able to hear it and experience the feeling of sleeping in the big city during an audible rainstorm.”
“Hm. That’s an interesting way of putting it. I have to admit, sleeping during a storm is a little exhilarating, if not a tad noisy at times.”
“Then there’s the thunder and lightning factors. The lightning serves to remind you that a storm is raging on outside, and the thunder adds that feeling of exhilaration and ferocity a storm is supposed to have. That and it somewhat adds to the audibility that can help a guy like me sleep.”
“Rain is a bit nice to me, but thunder and lightning actually make it harder for me. I was like most fillies, you know, scared of the thunder and all, but I eventually got used to it. Still, that fear of it caused me to dislike it, despite not actually fearing it anymore.”
The thunder rumbled again, this time slightly louder. Skill Set looked at Rarity and realized she seemed to be trembling slightly.
“…You okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re shaking.”
“Oh, I suppose I am, a little. I’m fine though, just a bit cold.”
The stallion smirked. “Sure you aren’t still a little scared of thunder, somewhere in the back of your mind perhaps?”
“Well…maybe just a tad…subconsciously…” the mare responded, smiling shyly.
Rarity found herself wanting to scoot a bit closer to him, if for nothing else than to share body heat in order to keep warm. She knew she could leave and enter a warm building at any time, but something about this moment kept her outside.
As if he had read her mind, Skill Set lifted a hoof, inviting Rarity to move closer. She ducked under his arm and found that she immediately felt better. Whether this was due to emotions caused by simply being close to him, or just by having his warm body pressed against her cold, damp fur, she didn’t know.
They remained like that for some time, Skill Set’s mind wandering to the moment at hand as Rarity’s began having other thoughts. Mainly, these were thoughts about reasons. Why she was still there and had not gone indoors or looking for her friends, why she felt so at home with this young gentlecolt she had only just met mere minutes ago…why she felt not only welcome, but attracted. He had been there in her time of need, and he remained with her for no reason at all other than that he cared. He had gone out of his way for someone he had never even met before…
So far, just as his first impression had led her to believe, he was in every way her ideal storybook prince, right down to his fur and mane colors. The only difference was, instead of being a big, handsome stallion, he had a young face adorned with oval glasses (although it was rather cute, so there was that), a thin build, and a very calm and kind demeanor that, behind it, seemed to hide a sense of curiosity and wonderment at everything that caught his fancy.
The only thing he had not done for her that her ideal prince would do is risk his life to save hers, but with this boy’s kindness and apparent wisdom, she had no doubt he would do everything in his power to keep her safe if he ever found out she was in danger.
“So…what do you plan to do now?” Skill Set spoke up, breaking the metaphorical ice.
Rarity broke out of her little trance. “Oh, I don’t know…maybe go back to Ponyville. Maybe I’ll look for my friends. Maybe I’ll just spend the night in a hotel here and return tomorrow…”
Skill Set closed his eyes for a second in thought. “…If I were you…I’d probably stay here. Maybe even stick around for an extra night. In the meantime, I would do all I could to find my friends and figure out how the show ended and who won. Once all that was done with, I’d see if I could do something to expose Suri’s plagiarism. If nothing could be done, only then would I return to Ponyville.”
Rarity was a little surprised. “…Why would you do all that? Wouldn’t you be worried that things would turn out bad?”
Skill Set’s expression was calm, yet serious. “Rarity…I’m inquisitive. It means I often prefer to know the answers to my questions, even if those answers don’t benefit me in the slightest. Even if an answer disappoints me, I’d rather know the truth than be led to believe falsehoods just to stay happy. It’s how I am and how I’ve always been.” His expression became more solemn. “I have had friends in the past that I lost because they refused to listen to my troubles or answer my questions, and I just bothered them, but they even refused to tell me I was bothering them until it was too late to stop them from breaking our friendship apart. I have realized since then that while they may have lived happy lives, they did not want to be close to others like I do. They do not have the right sense of trust. I used to be similar, but I eventually found myself again and I learned what it meant to be close to someone and to care about someone else. I have now realized that if people cannot overcome your mistakes, no matter how big or small they may be, then they are not your real friends.” He turned his head to lock his gaze with Rarity’s. “I may seem young and inexperienced, but that is because my scars are all hidden within my mind and my emotions. Rarity, if your friends truly care about you, they would not have left you behind, and in fact are much more likely to be searching for you right at this moment. If they are still around, chances are they have forgiven you, and they would not hesitate to help you right the wrongdoings of Suri.”
Rarity stared at him for a moment, focusing on his words before turning away to mull over them. He seemed to know much on the subject, but whether or not that was the case, she knew he was right. Her friends would never do that to her. She turned to look at him, a more determined look in her eyes this time. “…Skill Set…you’re right. My friends would never do that to me, ever. I’m sure of it.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to look for them. I’m going to find my friends, and I’m going to find out how the show ended while I’m at it, and then I will see if there is some way I can prevent Suri from stealing anyone else’s work in the future!”
“Heh, you go girl!”
Rarity was just about to leave while her determination was still there, but then a thought occurred to her. “Skill Set…”
He looked to her with a sidelong glance. “Hm?”
“…Thank you…for everything…” she said, sheepishly.
Skill Set blushed, but smiled kindly. “You’re welcome anytime, Rarity. I never turn down someone in need.” He shifted. “Like right now for example! It’s still raining out here. You’re gonna need something to keep you dry. Go ahead and take my umbrella, I can just find a store and buy another. Staying in the cover of canopies is nothing new to me.”
Rarity found herself once again blushing, baffled by his kindness. Was this what it felt like to be on the other end of her own generosity? Smiling and thanking him again, she took the umbrella and ran off to find her friends.
Some time later…
Rarity was sitting in her room reflecting on what had happened after those events. She eventually did find her friends, and not long after suggesting to Coco Pommel that she help make the costumes for her friend’s next show, the inspector-looking pony from earlier had shown up. As it turned out, he actually was an inspector, one by the name of Inspector Kittan, and according to him, Rarity’s experience was not the first time Suri had committed fraud, but it was the first time any witnesses or evidence could be provided. Skill Set had known this and had gone to the inspector about Rarity’s issue in his attempt to finally have Suri brought to justice. The inspector had agreed to help her, since her earlier act of apology after causing him to drop his newspaper had managed to brighten up his otherwise depressing day. After some conversing, Rarity had managed to find a photograph of her with her clothing line standing at the train station before she had left for Manehatten, and Coco Pommel had agreed to act as witness to the crime, since she had originally helped to cover it up as well. When all was said and done, Rarity had learned an important lesson about friendship and not giving up on one another just because of one mistake. In the process, she had also learned something important about generosity; that one should be generous for the sake of being kind, not for the sake of obtaining a reward. Now her thoughts were brought back to the present, where she stood looking up at her trophy resting atop the awards shelf on her wall. Her eyes drifted to the spool of thread that she had been given before she heard a knock at the door. Walking downstairs to answer it, she found Derpy standing there in full mailmare uniform, a letter in her mouth.
“Letter for Miss Rarity!” Derpy said cheerfully, offering the envelope to the connoisseur.
Rarity took the letter, thanked her, and shut the door after she flew off to deliver more mail. Curious about its contents, she sat at a table and opened the letter, which to her surprise was written a little on the sloppy side, but still quite well-structured in contrast. It was also still easily-readable, so she did what any sensible pony would do: she read.
Dear Miss Rarity,
I would like to apologize for any discomfort I may have caused regarding my actions before. Despite my love for socializing, I do not socialize often, especially with a lady such as yourself. It does not help that I am already a socially awkward person. Should you have found me creepy at all, please know such was not my intention, and I merely wanted to help someone who was feeling down. On that note, I do hope you can accept my apology, and should we cross paths again, feel free to let me know if I bother you at all. I do not enjoy feeling alone, but I would rather do that than cause trouble.
Now that I have said that, you should have been visited by one Inspector Kittan by now. If I understand correctly, he is the same inspector pony who’s hat you placed a flower in after you made him drop his newspaper. I would call it luck that you managed to brighten up his day, as were it not for that, Suri might still be out there stealing the hard work of other ponies in order to win contests and gain fame and fortune. Of course, I do not know exactly what happened, but I have a feeling that things turned out alright after we parted ways. Now I only hope she manages to rethink her life, and who knows? Maybe one day you two will even become friends again, for real this time.
I’d hate to ramble on, so I feel I have said all that needs to be said. Whatever happens, I wish you luck in your endeavors, that you may continue to strive for your goals, and that you may continue to brighten up the days of many ponies for years to come. Thus, I bid you adieu.
With regards,
Skill Set
P.S. I hope this letter didn’t take too long to reach you. I had no clue where you actually lived, so I had to confide in the princesses, whom I am deeply indebted to, for aid in getting this letter to you.
Rarity closed the letter, trying to decide if he was being too modest, or if she was being too naïve earlier. Now that she thought about it, she knew some other ponies who would have thought of him as creepy, but taking his letter into consideration, she felt she understood his issue. I should probably send him a return letter accepting his apology. It would be rude to ignore it… Getting out a quill and some parchment, she began thinking about what she would write. Her thoughts briefly wandered to their short time together, standing in the rain right in the middle of Manehatten. Skill Set had shown up out of nowhere and offered her the same generosity that she had offered so many others. He was sweet, a good listener, and ironically enough, his colors were the same as those of her dream-stallion. On top of that, it seemed he had a connection to the princesses, according to his post-script. However, he had not swept her off her feet, he had not rescued her from imminent peril, and he had not met her in a grand gala or any other such location that she would have expected. Instead, he had simply been there when she felt alone, and talked to her even though she didn’t look her best at all. In a way, he had rescued her; not from physical danger, but from mental heartbreak. Now that she thought about it, that moment they had shared had been quite special, even more than she realized at the time. She picked up her quill and began to write:
Dear Skill Set,
I have chosen to accept your apology, just as my friends accepted mine. In all honesty, I did not find you creepy at all. Granted, I am still baffled that you managed to make me feel so comfortable around you so quickly, and it does scare me a little…but the way I see it, it is a natural talent that you were able to put to good use, instead of using it for darker purposes as most ponies with such a skill tend to do nowadays. I don’t know how things would have turned out if you hadn’t shown up, but I doubt they would have gone as well as they did. You rescued me from a time of heartbreak, and for that, I must thank you. May we one day meet again under happier circumstances.
My sincere thanks,
Rarity
Rarity smiled, content with her writing. Looking at the first letter’s envelope for a return address, she pulled out a second envelope and began to write his address on it, which was apparently somewhere in Salt Lick City. Just as she was folding the letter to place it inside, her mind wandered back to the moment they had shared again. She realized there was something about that moment, something that, had he not pointed it out to her, she likely wouldn’t have noticed. She had been standing in the rain, in the middle of a big city. She was alone, nary a pony or other living creature to be seen. She had been sad, and he had shown up out of nowhere and helped her in her time of need. Then, when her matters were resolved, they had parted ways. It came to her attention that she had never heard of such a thing happening outside of books…but now, she knew, such moments were real. Such things were not merely fairy-tails, as most would have her believe.
It had truly been, as he had claimed, a storybook moment.
Author's Note
This one-shot was written for two purposes: to give an introduction to my character, and to act as a prologue to a much larger story which I hope to finish one day. However, I structured this story specifically so that it can act as its own tale, should I end up not doing the larger one.
Comments are appreciated and encouraged. Also, if there is something about the formatting you do not like, please let me know, this website formats things differently from my usual writing program so it's a bit confusing.
