The Flaws of Perfection

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

(One Month after the events of That’s Not Quite How He Told It)
(Around the same time as the events of Caught Between a Rock and a Pie)

(For timeline info, please visit my homepage)

“Perfection!” Rarity said out loud as she gritted her teeth and worked the needle and thread with her magic. “Perfection, Rarity! We can’t have anything less!” she drilled herself as she kept her eyes locked on the fabric.

Perfection? It was something she always strove for in her work, but what she was currently working for demanded more than perfection. Yet it was proving quite difficult to obtain.

“Wait…” Rarity stopped, moving the needle away and picking up the silky, white fabric in her hooves. She examined the light blue thread she was working into it, taking a long look at the cross-hatching pattern. She put it down and bent her head backwards, shooting a small beam of magic across the room to her sketch pad. The pad floated over to her and set down beside the fabric.

Rarity glanced back and forth between the fabric and her sketch.

“UGH!” She slammed her sketch book down and tossed the fabric aside into a pile of failed designs… that was starting to reach quite high beside the sewing table. “Why did this look so good on paper?! It’s rubbish!” she tore the page right out of her sketchbook, crumpled it up, and tossed it towards an overflowing waste basket of similar crumpled pages.

She grumbled as she turned away from the table and walked through room while avoiding materials, rolls of fabric, and ponyquins both standing and tipped over. She reached a pair of large glass doors and threw them open, the rush of a cool, midafternoon breeze splashing against her face as she stepped out onto a balcony, removed and set her glasses on a small table beside the door, and flopped towards the balcony railing, hooking her arms over it as she lightly pressed her head to her arms.

“What’s wrong with me lately? Why does everything I make seem worthless?” she asked herself as she looked up. She stared out into the busy streets of Canterlot from the third story balcony. It was a beautiful view of the city, one that she would normally enjoy seeing, but right now it only reminded her of how much stress she was under. Not even the luxury of staying in the Equestria famous mansion of the great Fancy Pants was enough to calm her anxiety.

Since her success in the last show Fancy had gotten her into, he had given her the chance of a lifetime. A chance to enter new dresses in the annual Canterlot ‘Royal Wonder’ fashion show. Only the most legendary designers competed in this show.

Fancy invited her to stay in the comfort of his mansion for a month to prepare without distraction. He even offered to pay for all materials and needs so she could work without worry, but even with everything she needed, she felt like she was being crushed. Rarity had seen the kind of work submitted to this show in fashion magazines… and designs from this show had been known to be worn by Princess Celestia and Luna themselves!

She had to create something of unparalleled beauty, but could she match the skill and expertise of the most famous designers in Equestria? Rarity stepped away from the railing and looked at her glasses sitting on the glass table. As she stepped towards them she saw a faint reflection of herself in the glass.

She even looked stressed. Her shoulders were slumping, her eyes looked heavy, and her mane was a disaster… at least by her standards. This event was taking its toll on her. She always dreamed of competing in such an incredible show, but now that her moment had arrived, she felt incredibly unprepared. She felt tired… and weak. She had been provided with all the services she needed, but she had not been getting enough sleep, nor had she been eating enough. She was sure she had lost some weight, but for once it didn’t feel like a good thing.

She snatched up the glasses and replaced them over her eyes before taking a deep breath and walking back into her room.

“Stay strong Rarity, you mustn’t falter…” she stopped and looked about the room.

It was about three times the size of her room back at home in Ponyville. Large enough for her to separate it into living space and working space. It was well furnished and decorated with plenty of comfortable furniture, paintings, and other decorations. The bed was very large, enough for three ponies to fit on. However, all the ‘luxury’ of the room had slowly vanished over time as her work space seemed to slowly consume the whole room. Fabric, string, sewing tools… everything was everywhere.

“Who am I kidding?” Rarity groaned as she looked down, a wave of frustration suddenly overtaking her. “RGH!” She thrust a hoof out and punched one of the ponyquins that was standing beside her bed. It fell over, knocking over another one beside it. They both crashed to the floor noisily, causing Rarity to jump slightly.

She quickly felt barbaric for letting her anger get the better of her and used her magic to grab the first ponyquin, setting it up right before looking at the second. She was about to grab the second when—

“Dear me! What was that noise?” a female voice entered the room.

Rarity froze in place for a moment before looking up at the door to her room. Fancy Pants’ as of recently married wife, the famous model Fleur De Lis, stood in her doorway. She looked towards Rarity with concern.

“Oh,” Rarity grinned sheepishly as she set the second ponyquin back up. “Sorry to worry you, I knocked it over by accident,” an explanation that was as fake as her smile. Fleur seemed to accept the explanation, looking around at the room in a state of disarray. Rarity bit her lip, afraid that the room was in an appalling state, but again, it seemed to only cause concern to Fleur. Especially when she looked at Rarity herself.

“It looks like you’ve been really working hard,” she commented as she smiled and nodded to Rarity. “Please don’t forget that the mansion is open to you. If you wish for a relaxing bath or massage, we can arrange it,” she offered politely.

Both of those things sounded great to Rarity. Possibly at the same time would be even better. But Rarity couldn’t shake the pressure of the incoming show no matter how much pleasure she gave in to.

“That is awfully generous of you, but I’m afraid I have much to do still,” Rarity declined. Fleur didn’t seem entirely convinced, but Rarity was her guest, so she didn’t demand anything.

“The offer is open should you wish. Good luck with your work,” she said before leaving and shutting the door softly behind her.

Rarity instantly slumped to the floor and groaned.

What was she even doing?

MLP: FiM
The Flaws of Perfection
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 1:

Perfection, perfection, perfection, perfection!

The word played over and over in Rarity’s head. She couldn’t stop it and she didn’t want it to stop. That was the mindset she needed as she worked. Nothing less could be accepted for the approaching show. She had to work the sewing machine with purpose! She had to match colors like a star! She had to blow away all the competition with the best designs ever!

But could she really do it?

“OW!” Rarity yelped as accidentally poked herself in the arm with a needle she was poking through some fabric. “Ah! Ee!” she dropped the fabric, needle and thread on the table while shaking her hoof out and blowing on the spot she pricked. “Ohhh… oh, blast…” she mumbled as she examined the spot. A small stain of red appeared on her fur around it. She groaned as she looked for something to press to the little wound, setting for a tissue that she used her magic to hold and pressed to the little wound.

It was always such a hassle for her if she ever got a small cut or bruise. Her fur was pure white, so even a tiny bit of blood would cause an ugly stain, and bruises would show right through. It was something that kept her from any roughhousing activities, especially anything Applejack or Rainbow Dash would get involved in. Her image was everything to her and a cut or bruise, at least in her eyes, made her look disgusting.

To make the situation worse, a knock came from the door. Rarity squeaked, looking down at the tissue and seeing a tiny splotch of blood that was no bigger than a bread crumb. But even that was much too much. She quickly grabbed three more tissues from the box and used her magic to wrap them firmly around her arm, hoping that they would blend in with her fur.

“Come in!” she called towards the door with false cheer, internally screaming over the fact that her mane was a mess and that she looked incredibly stressed.

The door opened and Rarity stiffened as Fancy Pants himself stood in the doorway. Rarity forced herself to remain calm and tried not to think about the fact that the room in HIS house was a complete mess.

“Good evening, Miss Rarity!” he greeted her before looking around the room. “My, somepony has been busy!”

“Oh, I apologize for the mess…” Rarity faked a few laughs while looking away.

“Nonsense, my dear. I only hope I supplied enough materials for you to work your magic!” he chuckled as he stepped in. A vote of confidence from Fancy was usually a cure all, but Rarity found it hard to feel relaxed in any sense of the word.

Now that Fancy was in the light of the room, Rarity got a better look at him. For starters, she had no idea he was already back from work. She was surprised how fast the day had gone. But it looked like she wasn’t the only one who had had a long day. While he seemed to be handling it much more gracefully than her, he too looked a bit tired, possibly exhausted. Knowing how much responsibility he had and the name and business he carried, it didn’t surprise her. It was just strange to see him a little… ragged?

To be fair, the word ragged could describe Fancy Pants, even if he only had one strand of hair out of place. His suit was hanging a little loosely on him, and looked a little wrinkled. His mane was a little frazzled, perhaps just a strand of hair or two, and the look in his eyes suggested it had been a rough day, but even when he looked physically taxed, he still stood upright, was a gentlestallion, and didn’t waiver from being the pony who he was. Rarity envied him for such a skill. Keeping poise under pressure was definitely not one of her strong suits.

“My word! Are you bleeding?” he looked down as he stepped towards her. Rarity flinched and looked down to see that two things were unforeseen. One… the layered tissues did not hide the fact that she was bleeding for long. Two… just how hard did she stab herself with the needle?!

“Oh…” Rarity tried to act like nothing was wrong. “I had a little accident a few moments before you arrived, just a little prick with a needle, don’t worry,” she tried to play it off, not wanting to trouble Fancy.

“Absolutely not!” He quickly retorted as he turned and looked outside. “Fresh Cut!” Fancy called to a butler passing by. “Could you please fetch me some disinfectant and a bandage?”

“Right away, sir,” the butler trotted off and Fancy stepped back into the room.

“We’ll get that little prick all cleaned and covered,” Fancy nodded to her with a smile.

“Um… thank you,” Rarity blushed in embarrassment. She felt so clumsy. Fancy had way too much confidence in her. He spent so much effort and resources to help her out and all she did was bumble around and feel inadequate. Sometimes she wondered why he tried. She was just a small town designer with dreams that were way too big for her head.

“It seems that we’ve both sailed on some rough waters today,” he suddenly spoke up. Rarity flinched, convinced for a moment that he had read her mind, but in reality he was just speaking from what he saw around them. “Rarity, why don’t you join my wife and me for dinner tonight in the grand dining room?” he offered her… again.

Rarity had been taking her meals in her room since she arrived. Fancy was honoring her desire to work as much as possible and not be disturbed. In fact, this was the first time he had asked her in a few weeks, becoming aware of what she wished. This invitation however, was not just out of the blue. Rarity was certain he could see and tell how stressed she was. He was very perceptive after all.

As much as she wanted to keep working, after turning down two very luxurious sounding pleasures earlier, she simply could not find it in herself to turn down a third. That, and if Fancy finally broke the silence, he probably knew what she needed more than she did. It was hard to disagree with one of his intelligence and sense.

“I would be happy too,” Rarity nodded with a weak smile. “Oh, should I wear something nice?” Rarity asked, not quite sure how things worked for them. Fancy chuckled and shook his head.

“Oh no, Miss Rarity. Au natural, in fact, I insist. Home is one of the few places I can shed this unbearable suit of mine,” he joked while glancing at the black suit he was never seen without. Rarity found herself laughing a little with him.

“But I insist I fix my mane at least,” she added as the two shared a little humor.

Maybe a little relaxation would help. Piling on the stress when one was already stressed wasn’t a good idea. Even if it was just for one dinner, she needed to get away from her work. She had yet to see much of the mansion anyway besides the path from the front door to her room and the short walk to the washroom one door down. There had been a desire in the back of her mind since she arrived to discover more of the lifestyle of the richest pony in Equestria.

Now if only she could force the competition out of her thoughts for an hour or so she could thoroughly enjoy herself tonight.

To say that Rarity was in awe of Fancy’s dining room would be an understatement. She was almost certain not even Celestia dined in such a luxurious room.

It was in the very center of the mansion on the bottom floor, accessible from every other room on the first floor in some way or another. It extended at least thirty yards long and twenty yards wide with a high ceiling that extended up past the second floor. One could even see the second floor from below, a large balcony that extended the length of all four walls so that one could walk around the three large chandeliers that hung down from the ceiling. The room was painted primarily red, but there were many artistic designs in yellow, orange and green that adorned the walls. Multiple paintings and tapestries hung high up on the walls and in the corners of the room were armor stands that donned sets of royal guard armor from different centuries, all polished and finished to the point where one could see their reflection in them.

The table itself was nearly as long as the room, set up with fine silver plates and utensils, each accompanied by a wine glass turned upside down, awaiting any who may sit. There were many flower arrangements fixated in the middle of the table. More flowers than Rarity had ever seen in her life, and some she didn’t even recognize. Between each flower arrangement was a four pronged candelabra with long white candles, all of which were lit despite only one end of the table being used. Presentation was everything after all.

With the chandeliers dimmed and the glow of the candles setting the mood, Rarity dined with Fancy and Fleur on the far end of the table. Fancy sat at the head of the table with Fleur to his right and Rarity to his left. The spaces in front of them had been cleared, the chef apparently taking it upon himself to arrange the food for them and have it brought out fresh and ready to eat as soon as it was placed before them.

Rarity barely had time to make all the observations before their meal was brought out to them on a cloth covered cart by one of the many unicorn butlers walking around the dining room.

“What has Golden Ladle cooked up for us tonight?” Fancy asked as the butler brought the cart to a halt. There were three covered, silver plates. The butler took the covers off of each one, grabbing all three in his magic. The plates hovered down in front of Rarity and Fleur first, before the final one being placed in front of Fancy. An assortment of greens, a small collection of fruit, what looked to be well-cooked fish. The butler gave a bow.

“Tonight, Golden has prepared an assortment of alfalfa and kale sweetened with a dab of honey dressing, a fresh batch of kiwi, grapes, and strawberries, and grilled swordfish, lightly salted and given a dash of lemon juice.”

“Swordfish!” Fancy’s eyes brightened. “My, Golden IS treating us tonight. Thank you, and please give him my compliments ahead of time,” Fancy nodded to the butler. The butler returned the nod before pushing the cart away.

Rarity had been treated to the fine cuisine since she arrived, but had barely paid close attention to it… at times not even finishing it under stress. However, this was far and away the most exquisite dish she had been treated to yet. Fancy coming to invite her to dinner on the same night… it couldn’t be coincidence, could it? He did just express surprise at the dish, but he was crafty like that.

She decided not to think about it, because she too hungry and too stressed out to overthink things. That and the food was tantalizing. She picked up her fork and knife in her magic, eager to try the swordfish immediately, having never had such a treat before. She cut a small piece, and took a bite, the flavor exploding onto her taste buds. She never knew a fish could have so much flavor. It was enhanced by the lemon and the salt, but it had its own kick together with its interesting texture and toughness.

This was exactly what she needed. She wasn’t going to be free of her work weighing her down, but this was a nice distraction. As usual Fancy knew what was best for her before she even considered it.

“Mmmm… this is truly delicious,” Fancy commented as another butler came by, pouring each of them a modest glass of Griffonese red wine. Rarity was glad they were only served a little. After her last encounter with wine while with Fancy she was sure to be a bit more aware of how much she drank.

“So…” Fleur began. Rarity looked up, but saw Fleur was addressing Fancy. “You said you had quite a day. Anything interesting happen?” she asked. Rarity looked back down and started work on her salad as Fancy answered.

“Indeed, my dear. I met with an old friend of my Father’s,” Fancy explained. “Profit Turner, do you know of him?”

“Can’t say I do…” Fleur tipped her head as she helped herself to some kiwi. Fancy smiled.

“He was one of my father’s most trusted business partners. Since my father’s passing, he has been reluctant to put his faith in me, but I finally managed to convince him today. Believe me, he doesn’t trust many when it comes to his bits, but he’s giving me a chance. In three weeks, we are meeting with some of his previous customers at the Grand City Hall Finance Conference. He’s already given me the resources to draw them into a new deal, I just have to deliver.”

“That sounds like quite a task,” Fleur said with worry. Fancy nodded.

“A little, but they are all ponies who knew my father, and I’m convinced I can reel them in. I just have to make a few investments and contracts over the next few weeks and I’ll have all I need. I’m afraid I won’t be getting much sleep for a while, but it will be worth it,” Fancy assured her.

Rarity lost track of what was being said fairly quickly. It was a lot of business talk that she didn’t even begin to understand. Fleur didn’t seem the type to follow it either, but Rarity could understand why she was asking. Fancy was her husband after all, and it was probably a release for him for someone dear to show interest in his work as opposed to a business partner or potential client.

Rarity continued to enjoy the dinner, but the pleasure of the situation was much shorter lived than she hoped. Perhaps it was a mix of her not having any more delicious swordfish and the small bit of wine that she drank, but she found her frustration returning. Nearly everything else said was tuned out because she couldn’t shake the thought that she was going right back to her busy room after to look upon how much she hadn’t accomplished.

Fancy and Fleur simply kept conversing. Rarity didn’t notice, but they were purposely leaving her be, probably to let her enjoy her dinner without interruption. She appreciated that, but again… the dresses… her work… the stress was pushing her to demand for more wine, but she didn’t want to repeat her mistake in Ponyville.

With dinner finished and the plates being cleared. Fleur got up from her seat and leaned over to Fancy.

“I’ll go prepare the bath for us,” she smiled, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, my dear. I’ll be along shortly,” he replied as she smiled and left.

Bath… Rarity now wished she had accepted the offer earlier. Just dinner was not enough pleasure to relieve her stress… not that anything would at this point.

“So, Miss Rarity…” Fancy suddenly spoke to her. It took Rarity two seconds to realize he had spoken.

“Oh! Sorry, enjoying the luxury, haha…” she replied awkwardly, mentally slapping herself with every syllable uttered.

“Quite alright,” Fancy chuckled before nodding. “Did you enjoy the dinner?” he asked.

“Yes, quite much. I scarcely get to dine like this,” she replied instantly, not wanting to appear as out of it as she actually was. Fancy accepted her answer before moving on.

“Tell me, how goes the work on your dresses? By your room I can tell you have been quite the busy bee,” he asked casually.

Unfortunately there was nothing casual about the question to Rarity. Fancy was asking out of courtesy, he was not at fault, but it stabbed her right in the chest, only reminding her of her lack of progress and confidence. Rarity really didn’t want to discuss with the pony who had faith in her about how his faith may have been misplaced.

“Oh! It’s… going wonderfully!” she instantly lied. “The materials you’ve supplied have been most adequate. The designs are coming along… nicely! And I think I’ll have my full line up in…” Rarity felt like a glass shattered in the middle of her brain.

Was she insane? Why was she lying to Fancy? The one pony who was likely to give her the benefit of the doubt? The pony who believed in her? The pony who was smiling at her from his spot at the table, eager to hear her and help her out in any way he could?

“Rarity?”

“Ugh…” Rarity slumped in her seat. Fancy leaned over as Rarity’s head nearly disappeared behind one of the flower arrangements.

“Miss Rarity, are you alright?” he asked.

“No… I’m not. Fancy, I’m far from okay,” she admitted.

“Dear me, what is the matter?” he asked as Rarity slowly sat back up in her seat and stuffed her face into her hooves.

“That was a lie. It’s terrible Fancy. It’s going horribly. Nothing I draw up seems to be coming out the way I want it. The few dresses I’ve completed so far don’t look up to the challenge of this competition. I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I feel like I’ve completely lost my edge!” she whined while letting her head lean back.

Fancy was surprised to say the least. Rarity could tell because he had nothing to say right from the get go. He cleared his throat and looked at her with concern.

“That’s not true Rarity. The competition is harsh, yes, but you have to believe in yourself,” he replied.

Something… was wrong.

Believe in herself? BELIEVE IN HERSELF?!

That’s really all he had to say? Rarity found the statement to be very inappropriate. Then again, Fancy was so perfect in many ways… making big bits and never being challenged by what stood in his way. He didn’t understand. Before Rarity could think twice, she found herself retorting.

“Not everypony is like you!” she snapped at him.

Rarity gasped, her eyes widened, and she threw her hooves over her mouth. Fancy had pulled away from her and was blinking in surprise.

“I…I beg your pardon?” he asked, confused.

Rarity wanted to die. She had never said anything so stupid before in her life to a more significant pony in her career and her life. She didn’t know what came over her, or what to do to fix the inexcusable remark.

“I… I…” she pushed away from the table and quickly stood up. “I need to get back to my work, excuse me!” she turned and galloped out towards the door to the front hall, bumping into one of the butlers before promptly exiting.

Fancy just sat and stared at the door, not quite sure what had just happened.

---To Be Continued---

Chapter 2

MLP: FiM
The Flaws of Perfection
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 2:

The next three weeks were… very long and awkward. Rarity shut herself in her room and barely emerged, working non-stop on her dresses while doing everything necessary to avoid Fancy Pants.

Fleur came in to check on her once or twice, but each time Rarity put on a false smile and said everything was fine. She heard Fancy in the halls from time to time, but he was always with another pony and discussing business.

Rarity didn’t care if he was walking by and dancing a jig, she couldn’t even bear to look at him after how stupid and insensitive she had been that one night.

So… she remained in her room and toiled endlessly on the dresses. The three weeks went by and the day arrived that they had to deliver their dresses to the site of the show two days prior.

Rarity was not entirely pleased with her work, but then again, she had felt that way the whole time she was there. She was two dresses short with less than a week to go, so she ended up digging two ‘failed’ designs from the paper waste basket and used them anyway.

Even if two of the designs were less than what she desired, she had worked as hard as she could, pouring her heart and soul into the dresses for a month and a half. While her confidence wasn’t the highest, she felt that her efforts would reap at least some rewards.

And she would see the competition close up soon, as she approached the Central Canterlot Convention Center, because the other nineteen contestants were doing the same.

Needless to say, she was nervous.

“Name?” the unicorn behind the reception counter asked.

“R-Rarity…” Rarity barely managed to speak. Until just moments ago, she was standing behind Silk Serenity. The winner of last year’s Canterlot Royal Wonder show. Rarity had read all about her in many magazines. The dresses that were just pushed into the back were the most beautiful and radiant pieces of fashion Rarity had ever seen in her life. She hadn’t even gotten past the receptionist and she already felt outclassed by another contestant.

“Miss?” the receptionist spoke again. Rarity squeaked and quickly looked back to her. “The dresses are being stored in the studio, third door on the left. Go ahead and roll your dresses in there.” She said while pointing towards the door behind her.

“Ah… y-yes! Of course! Haha!” Rarity quickly pushed her cart towards the door behind the receptionist with her magic. The door opened right before rarity got there. Rarity froze as a pink mare with a yellow mane walked out, again Silk Serenity, and behind her a VERY effeminate unicorn stallion following behind her that was brown with a strange white mane that was styled to stick up diagonally in front of his head as if it were a second horn. It was the RUNNER up of last year’s competition! Ruby Rod! Rarity froze as the two walked by her. They both glanced at her and glanced at her dresses, but kept moving with a word.

Rarity felt judged. Holy Luna, they said nothing, but SHE FELT JUDGED.

She just had to breathe. BREEEEEEEATHE slowly and deliver her dresses. She didn’t know why she was so surprised, this was the most famous show… in Equestria… after all…

Oh… yeah… there was that. That’s why all these famous names were walking around casually, walking by her, sizing her up, and making her even more nervous.

Rarity almost could breathe as she pushed her dresses down the hall and towards the second studio door on the right… or was it the left...? Wait… was it the second door? Or the fourth? No wait… was I the third? WAS SHE ON THE RIGHT FLOOR?! WHEN DID SHE GET TO CLOUDSDALE?!?!

“YEEEEEP!” Rarity squeaked as the third door on the left opened and two mares walked out. Rarity was hidden by her dresses, so they didn’t see her, but they stopped for a moment to look at the dresses before moving on silently like the others. Rarity poked her head through the dresses hanging on the cart just in time to see into the door before it closed.

Dresses.

Third door on the left… yeah, that’s what the receptionist said.

Rarity took a deep breath as she stepped around her cart and used her magic to open the door.

She gasped, her magic losing its grip on the door, causing it to close.

“Wha-wha-what?” she grabbed the door handle with her magic and opened it again.

As she wheeled her cart in, Rarity looked around at the other carts stored in the room.

Beautiful.

Everything was absolutely beautiful. Rarity’s jaw dropped as she closely examined the dresses of the other contestants. Such Skill! Such precision! Such complicated yet efficient design! So radiant! So colorful! So… much better that hers.

Rarity’s heart sank. Worse, it felt like it opened her chest from the inside, jumped out, and left her behind.

She looked back at her dresses, glancing between them and the dresses hanging all around her. Hers looked absolutely dreadful in comparison.

A month and a half… over forty days of work and toil over six dresses and none of them looked to be even close to the quality of the dresses being entered. Would the models walking out on stage even want to wear her dresses? Much less look at them?

All the time, all the effort, all the lost sleep, all the faith put in her… it was all for nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Rarity’s left eye twitched as she gently pushed her dresses into place beside the others. She turned and slowly walked out of the studio. She made her way down the hall, her mind absolutely blank as she passed by other entrants who were waiting to speak to the receptionist.

She got a few strange looks, but she didn’t care nor notice. She walked all the way out the front door and out into the courtyard of the convention center.

As soon as she stepped outside and saw Canterlot before her, it all rushed back. All of the emotion came crashing down in her. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as her lips quivered. She was stuck. She couldn’t back out of the contest, she’d be a fool to, but if she stayed in she’d surely be the laughing stock of the whole competition. Fancy was going to be so disappointed in her…

Fancy Pants. That was another thing. She still hadn’t apologized or even faced him after yelling at him three weeks ago. This trip began as the chance of a lifetime… the chance had yet to truly arrive and it had already become a complete disaster. She had to apologize to Fancy, she had to apologize and confess she wasn’t cut out for this line of work. Forget it being her dream. She wasn’t good enough and she’d rather start anew than be laughed at.

She started walking back towards the mansion. The walking shortly became a trot. Soon after it became a canter, and less than a minute after starting she was in a full gallop heading back to the mansion with loose droplets of tears flying from her eyes as she ran. They were not tears of sadness. The mix of intense mental stress and feeling completely hopeless caused her to break down. It was too late to get out of sight. Others were going to see her cry, but she wasn’t going to stick around and let them see it for long.

What was she going to do? What would Fancy Pants do?

The sun was setting by the time Rarity made it back to the mansion. She was tired, depressed, and felt like she was in shambles. She had slowed to a walk as she pushed through the front door, panting as she swayed and caught herself on the door frame. She had run all the way back and even though it wasn’t very hard, she was no athlete. Her mascara was stained over her face, following the trail that her tears took as they slowly slid down her face.

“Miss Rarity?” A butler carrying an empty tray approached her and reached out to help her. “Do you require any—?” the butler jumped in surprised as Rarity pushed him away, causing him to drop the tray with a loud metallic clatter.

“NO!” she yelled. “Where is Fancy?!” she demanded as she kept space between her and the butler, not wanting to even be touched. The butler blinked while eying her curiously.

“Fancy Pants is in his study on the second floor, but he—”

Rarity didn’t listen any further. She broke into a sprint towards the large staircase in the front hall.

“Miss Rarity! Wait!” the butler called after her, but she didn’t listen, she only ran.

Nopony else mattered to her at the moment. She was useless and hopeless. She had to apologize and resign herself. The longer she took, the longer Fancy would foolishly believe in her. She was already dragging herself down. She wasn’t going to drag him down with her.

She came to a halt outside Fancy’s study, the door was slightly ajar. This was it. It was time to end this before she stumbled any further through his generosity.

He was perfect. He deserved a better pony to sponsor.

“INEXCUSABLE!” the voice of a stallion thundered from within the room. Rarity squeaked and nearly hit the wall opposite the door as she flew back from the door. “Absolutely inexcusable Fancy Pants!” the voice boomed again. Rarity blinked. What was going on in there?

“Turner, I assure you. Given a little more time I can convince them to reconsider,” Fancy’s voice came from behind the door. It was calm and collected, but it sounded like he was under fire.

“I gave you time and resources Fancy. I even let you convince me to give you all the way until the conference! And what happens?! Three of my longest running customers TURNED AWAY in favor of our competitors!” the other voice berated Fancy.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Rarity shakily stepped towards the door and peered through the small opening in the door.

She looked directly into Fancy’s personal study. It was a room about twice the size of her guest room without the comfortable furniture and look of luxury. It was a room of business with a large desk on the left, multiple filing cabinets lining the walls that looked stuffed to the brim. There were large windows on the opposite wall that overlooked Canterlot, but on the wall across from the desk was a large portrait of a pony that looked similar to fancy, but had grey fur and a white mane.

Rarity looked towards the desk to see Fancy sitting behind it. It was stacked with papers and a desk lamp and glass of water that barely held their place on the edge of it. On the other side of the desk, growling and pointing at Fancy, was an older looking dark green pony with a grey mane, moustache and beard, wearing a suit just like Fancy. His cutie mark was a bag full of bits.

“You talk a big game Fancy Pants. I was a fool to believe you could pull off such a task,” the pony yelled, seeming to simply repeat his disdain with different words. Fancy looked like he was trying really hard not to lose his composure, Rarity had never seen such a thing before.

“I talk my game because I KNOW I am capable!” Fancy retorted with a harsh yet controlled tone. “You call me a fool, but it was them who turned down the alluring deal I offered!” he explained himself. “Given time, they will—”

“Given time?!” the older pony threw his hooves up before stomping them back down. “Time, time, time! You don’t seem to understand the concept Fancy! Business doesn’t wait for you! You can either meet deadlines, or you cannot! Some of your recent meager success convinced me you may yet have had potential… but it seems my confidence in you was HEAVILY misplaced!”

Rarity gasped.

Misplaced confidence…

“All I ask is that you let me meet with them again. I can easily double my initial offer. If they don’t accept it, then they won’t be worth your time anyway!” Fancy assured him, but the pony shook his head.

“You don’t always get second chances Fancy. And if I were to send anypony after my clients now I most certainly would NOT send a pony who has already failed me once,” the pony snarled at him. Fancy frantically leaned forward on his desk.

“Profit Turner, I am perfectly capable of—”

“I’ve heard enough of your desperate whining! I gave you a chance. You failed. We’re done here.” The pony turned towards the door, but looked back and glared at the portrait of the pony on the wall before sending the same glare at Fancy. “You shame your family name, colt. Your nothing but a floundering amateur compared to your father,” the pony hissed.

Rarity watched as Fancy’s eyes widened and the monocle fell from his eye onto the table, then quickly moved aside as the pony stormed towards the door and pushed it open roughly. Rarity yelped as the door swung around and struck her in the side, knocking her over.

She quickly stood up and peered around it, watching the old pony stomped down the hallway, grumbling and fuming as he turned towards the stairs.

Rarity was confused. Very confused… but did she really just witness… a pony tear down Fancy Pants for shortcomings? That didn’t seem right at all! For the moment, her woes took a back seat as she tried to wrap her head around it all.

She slowly stepped towards the door and peeked around the side.

Fancy was still at his desk with his head down and his hooves over his face. He was rubbing his temples while gritting his teeth.

Should she enter? Should she go get somepony? Rarity wasn’t sure what to do.

“RRRRRRAAAAAAGH!” Fancy suddenly roared while throwing his head back. Rarity flinched and her eyes widened. Fancy glared at his desk, swiping his hooves out and knocking all of the papers clean off the table. They spilled everywhere, losing all form and organization. He slammed his hoof down on the desk with a loud BANG before swiping his hoof the other direction, knocking the glass and lamp to the floor, both of them shattering as they struck the ground.

Rarity threw her hooves up to cover her mouth as Fancy stood up and flipped his desk forward so roughly that it flipped completely over on its top, the drawers of the desk flying open as it landed upside down and their contents spilling out on the floor. Fancy grabbed his suit and forced it off, popping off buttons he didn’t bother to undo, balling it up and throwing it across the room before turning and punching the file cabinets behind him. An award plaque fell off the top of one of the cabinets and landed on the floor before Fancy. He grabbed it in his magic and stared at it while breathing heavily. He turned and looked at the large portrait of the pony hanging on the wall.

Fancy roared as he whipped the plaque around with his magic and threw it towards the portrait. Rarity released a muffled yelp as the plaque struck the frame and the whole portrait fell off the wall, crashing to the floor and falling forward, lying face down on the floor.

Fancy instantly stopped. He stared at what he had just done with his eyes wide as if he had just committed an unforgivable crime. He vaulted his desk and rushed towards the portrait, grabbing it delicately in his hooves and gently propping it up against the wall. He stepped back from the portrait and fell into a sit as he stared at the pony captured in the frame.

“Why…?” Fancy shook his head as he stared at the pony. “Why can’t I be like you?” he spoke to it.

Rarity removed her hooves from her mouth and stared into the room silently.

“How were you so perfect? How did you flawlessly earn so much respect? How were you so influential?” Fancy sighed. “Please father… tell me…”

Rarity gasped quietly and stepped back from the door as Fancy stood up, walked towards one of the large windows on the opposite wall, and lightly leaned his head against it while staring out at the sunset over Canterlot.

Rarity instantly turned and began walking towards the stairs to the third floor.

She wasn’t sure how she felt. Before she returned she was crying her own woes and calling herself pathetic… over what? She was taking part in the most famous fashion show in Equestria and she had been given a chance to enter her work against some of the best designers around. She felt her work was subpar, but she was given a chance she would never pass up. She felt crushed by the weight of the competition, but she had those who believed in her and supported her.

She almost couldn’t remember what she was crying for. What she just witnessed… she had no words for it. Fancy Pants, the most important and perfect pony in Equestria, getting chewed out and berated by a peer for lacking the ability to perform and execute his job.

She watched as a pony she admired for his perfection tear his office apart after weeks of hard work went sour. And hearing the older pony say he had misplaced confidence in Fancy made her take a much longer look at what things could be like for her without Fancy and his willingness to stick with what he believed in.

With much to think about, Rarity simply returned to her room, closed the door behind her, and sat down on her bed, unsure of what was going to happen now.

---To Be Continued---

Chapter 3

MLP: FiM
The Flaws of Perfection
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 3:

The mansion was eerily quiet for a few hours. Normally one could hear the butlers moving about and conversing, but at present not a sound could be heard.

Rarity did not leave her room after returning. In fact, she simply sat on her bed, facing towards the window as the sun set and the moon rose into the night sky. He thoughts completely broken away from her woes and focused on fancy.

It was strange…

Did she really have anything to be sad about? Depressed about?

She felt useless. She thought she was inadequate. She didn’t think her work would compare. All her woes seemed self-inflicted.

Then she came back and saw most of her internal troubles mirrored with Fancy, only he was hearing it from somepony else.

She had no reason at all to feel bad… but she still did. There situations were similar, but different. Being told you were not good enough and thinking that you yourself were not good enough were two separate problems.

The thing that she still couldn’t believe was witnessing the perfect Fancy Pants in a moment of weakness. Something she, nor she felt anyone else had ever seen…

Except, perhaps…

*knock* *knock* *knock*

For one other mare.

“Rarity? Are you in there?” Fleur’s voice came from the door. Rarity instantly turned, holding still for a moment as she stared at the door.

“Y-yes…” she replied.

“Can I come in?” Fleur asked, something a little… off about her voice. Rarity quickly looked in the mirror beside her bed. Her face was still stained. By the mascara. For a moment she squeaked, hopped off the bed and began looking for something to help clean up her face. “Please? It’s about my husband…” Fleur continued, trailing off after.

Rarity picked up a sense of urgency in her voice. She decided to leave her face be. Fleur would probably be curious, but if this was something important about Fancy… his well-being was more important than her appearance. She turned away from the mirror, swallowing her pride as she walked towards the door.

She opened the door, to see quite a shocking sight.

Fleur was indeed standing outside her door, but whenever Rarity had seen the famous super model, she looked flawless and majestic, nearly on the level of the goddess sisters themselves. But right now, she looked incredibly disgruntled.

Her perfectly straight mane was all out of place. She too had mascara running from her eyes. Her usual, beautiful smile was replaced by a worried frown and quivering lip. Her posture was slumped and defeated.

“F-fleur? What is the matter!?” Rarity was shocked, not only to see Equestria’s most beautiful model in such a horrid state of appearance, but also wondering why she looked that way… and what it had to do with Fancy Pants.

Fleur walked in, a single sniffle escaping before she put her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders.

“I need your help… Fancy won’t listen to me!” she said desperately while hugging Rarity around the neck tightly. Rarity was almost pushed over. Fleur was tall, her center of gravity nearly taking them both to the floor. Rarity managed to anchor herself and quickly hugged her back instinctively.

“What is it? What is he doing?” Rarity asked. Fleur let go of Rarity and the two locked eyes as Fleur struggled to keep herself from crying.

“He’s shut himself up in the library… and… he’s drinking… a lot,” Fleur explained. Rarity was instantly alarmed, but after examining Fleur over, she had no signs of physical harm, relieving Rarity for at least a moment. “No matter what I say or do to try and comfort him, he keeps pushing me away! He won’t even speak to me! I don’t even know what happened!” Fleur began to wail lightly among her words.

“Oh… dear…” Rarity frowned, her ears flopping down. Fancy was drowning himself in alcohol? She had witnessed the whole exchange… but judging from Fancy’s barbaric reaction afterward and his sudden turn to drink suggested that this all ran much deeper than anypony knew.

“One of the butlers said they saw you near his study earlier before he started acting strange… please, you have to help me! I don’t care what happened, I just want to snap him out of it!” She pleaded. “He’s everything to me… and I’d be nothing without him, please… help me…” she quieted down as she began to slowly collapse to the floor. Rarity quickly reached out and supported her.

“But… what can I do?” Rarity asked as Fleur found her hooves and stood back up straight.

“I… love my husband more than anything in the world… but I don’t know a thing about the business world,” Fleur sniffled as she and Rarity sat down side by side. “Sometimes I fear that makes it hard for me to connect with him… even though he denies it… but you… you’re like him, you’re a business type. You run your own shop back in Ponyville right?”

“Oh… I,” Rarity paused. “I wouldn’t call myself a business pony, at least in comparison to him…”

“But you you’re closer than I am,” Fleur quickly pointed out. “And this… I know this is business related, it happened after Profit Turner left. Could you please try talking to him for me?” she asked again.

Rarity sat and thought it over.

Fleur wanted her to talk some sense into FANCY PANTS?! It was ironic, seeing as how under normal circumstances, such a scenario would have reversed roles. But if Fleur, his wife couldn’t get through to him, how was she supposed to?

Nevertheless, Fleur was desperate. The stallion she loved was in a broken state of mind and she wanted Rarity to help her pull him back together. Rarity owed Fancy a lot, just as Fleur did apparently. Perhaps it was time to return the favor.

“Alright… I’ll try. Please, lead the way.”

To say it had been an interesting day would be describing it lightly. Rarity had gone through enough emotional shifts to make a party deprived Pinkie Pie blush.

She started off nervous.

After seeing the other dresses in the competition she became depressed and felt inadequate.

Then she was confused as she listened to Fancy being yelled at.

Alarmed right after as Fancy destroyed his study.

And now worried because Fancy’s wife was counting on her to talk some sense into a pony who she never thought would need such a thing.

Rarity walked slowly with Fleur down the hall, wondering what exactly she could do that Fleur either already hadn’t tried. Or, you know, something she could do to comfort Fancy that his wife couldn’t do. This seemed like a lost cause from the moment she was asked, but Fleur seemed to think Rarity’s working experience with Fancy might offer her some means of relating to Fancy in a manner she herself could not.

Thinking about it seemed hopeless. Rarity wasn’t sure what to do, but perhaps once she got there and saw him, she’d come up with something.

As they walked, Rarity couldn’t help but wonder about something Fleur has said… something about Fancy that she felt she could relate to Fleur about.

She said, ‘she’d be nothing without him.’ That was something the two of them shared. Rarity was beyond curious. Fancy helped Rarity find her way out of the boutique and onto bigger stages. What had Fancy done for Fleur to make her the most famous and recognizable model in fashion?

Rarity glanced at Fleur, who even in a state of disarray could not hide the incredible natural beauty. Rarity was admittedly jealous. Fleur had unspeakably beautiful features. She was tall. She had an incredibly alluring figure, but was also in very good shape, not appearing unhealthily thin. Her mane was long and pretty. Rarity would kill to look like her. But how did she become the icon she was? She didn’t seem the typical model type. Her personality seemed like an extension of Fancy, very warm and welcoming.

Rarity couldn’t contain the question.

“Say, Fleur…” Rarity spoke up, catching Fleur’s attention. “You mentioned you owed a lot to Fancy. In all honesty, without him I wouldn’t be where I am either. How did you two meet?” Rarity bit her lip as Fleur’s eyes widened. Rarity suddenly felt like it may have been a horrible time to ask, but Fleur didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she smiled for the first time since she arrived at Rarity’s room.

“Fancy… is the sole reason I am who I am today. I wish I could say I became a fashion model extraordinaire all on my own, but it was all because of him,” she began and they reached the staircase leading to the ground floor. “Would you believe me if I told you I used to be… quite overweight?” she said with a slight embarrassed blush.

“YOU?!” Rarity stopped in place, staring in disbelief before clearing her throat and continuing in pace. “Ah, my apologies… it’s quite hard for me to picture,” Rarity cringed, hoping Fleur wouldn’t be offended. Thankfully she giggled.

“No one ever believes me, but it’s true. I was never in very good shape, I never exercised, and to be quite honest, I never found myself to be beautiful nor did anypony ever tell me I was, so I never bothered trying. I had always been on the heavy side, I was teased a lot when I was younger. They called me the uniboat in high school because I was so tall and… wide, for lack of a better word.” Fleur shrugged. “To be honest though, I never cared. I accepted my body and simply lived contently. Nopony should ever feel like they have to be thin and shapely to be beautiful… and that’s how I felt. Like I said, I never considered myself to be beautiful, I just wanted to be myself.”

Rarity listened carefully. This had to be a story very few knew. She wondered how Fancy fit into the picture and how a lady such as the great Fleur-de-lis went from living a life where she was content with herself and how she was to being quite possibly the most beautiful mare in Equestria, second only to the divine alicorns themselves.

“I was never very wealthy either. My family and I lived in the middle class district of Canterlot and I worked as a clerk at a convenience store once I finished school. However, to get to work I had cross directly through the upper class district of Canterlot and it slowly caused me to resent the wealthy,” Fleur sighed as they reached the bottom of the long staircase. “Every single pony I passed was well dressed, walking with their nose high, and more often than not shot me a disgusted scowl as I walked by. I never understood why, but it slowly tore at me, like I was being judged simply by my appearance and status. Everypony looked and acted like they were perfect… and here I was, tall, pudgy mare, invading their mile radius of personal space as she walked to work with her dirty saddle bags and lack of high class flair. I even got spat at once for brushing up against somepony. Canterlot high society has always been rather snobbish,” Fleur huffed in frustration.

Rarity knew that well. The Grand Galloping Gala and one Prince Blueblood thoroughly confirmed that for her a few years back.

“Well… for the first time in my life I began feeling self-conscious. I had been content with myself my whole life and never let things get to me, but the way I was treated every single day made me so bitter and depressed that I wanted to scream. Until one night on my way home in the rain…” Fleur suddenly blushed as she continued. “It was a downpour, I had read the weather schedule for the day, but all I had was a thin coat with a hood that was ill suited for rain. I had had a terrible day at work, lashed out at someone for them telling me to get out of their way, accusing them of insulting my weight and getting a good earful from my boss for the outburst. To top it off, while I was walking home through the upper class district, I slipped and fell face first into a puddle. Nothing good had happened all day and I was literally on the verge of tears,” Fleur looked towards Rarity. “Then as I stood up, I crashed directly into another pony… knocking us both over. I was mortified as I looked up and saw the well-dressed pony pick himself up off the ground. Knowing what had happened when I as much as brushed against one of them, what was this snob going to do to me? Imagine my surprise when he offered me a hoof,” Fleur smiled again.

Rarity couldn’t believe the irony. Just like the first time she met Fancy, Fleur did so by literally bumping into him roughly. Twice a pony worth bumping into and surely the same way for many others who have met Fancy.

“I simply stared at him for a second as he asked me if I was alright, never pulling his hoof away until I accepted it and he helped me stand. We stood at roughly the same height, but most of my face was hidden by the hood and my mane, which had become soaked from the rain seeping through the fabric as it had become drenched. He was a little wet as well from the collision, but he had a large umbrella that was quickly put back up once he had recovered. I’ll never forget the first thing he said to me, because it was so unexpected after what I had been through. ‘Dear me! You are positively soaking! We can’t have that at all, let me walk you home.’ And then offered to share the umbrella. He didn’t even hesitate, Rarity. I was wearing a cheap coat, I clearly wasn’t a high class pony like him, but he offered immediately anyway. I was even more surprised when he stayed with me right past the boundaries of the upper class district and all the way to my house a good five blocks in. Most high class ponies in Canterlot would rather roll in broken glass than set hoof in the middle class district, he was so… peculiar.”

Rarity knew it well. Fancy was a high class pony known for his kindness and willingness to give anypony a chance. He’d never think twice about mingling with those of lower classes, it was just how he was.

“When we finally arrived at home, I didn’t know what to say. But what I did know was that he had made me incredibly happy after such an awful day. We stood beneath the awning over my front door. I removed my hood and brushed my hair out of my face before smiling at him as brightly as I could while thanking him for helping me get home. But then he simply stared at me, blinking. At first I thought I had done something wrong, but he didn’t look angry. It almost looked like he was examining me carefully. He proceeded to ask me what I currently did for a living. For a moment I was taken aback, but the curiosity in his eyes told me he had something on his mind so I told him. He was surprised. Then he asked me… literally asked me if I had ever considered becoming a model. I thought I was going to burst out laughing and I gave him a rather sarcastic response. Only he shook his head and stated that he was serious. Me? Model? How could he possibly think that? I wasn’t model material. I was plain, I was ordinary, I was chubby… those weren’t the kinds of things the fashion industry looked for, not in the slightest. Again, I told him to stop fooling around but he adamantly stated he meant every word. He handed me a business card, introduced himself as Fancy Pants, and told me he’d like to meet me again sometime.”

Fleur paused and looked towards Rarity as they approached the library on the ground floor.

“Fancy looked past what everyone else saw… he looked into my eyes, not at my appearance. I did not pass up his offer to meet again, and when we did he discussed with me what he believed I could be. Nopony had ever shown so much interest or so much faith. He told me it would take some work and a bit of things I was not used to, like healthy dieting and exercise. But he promised that if I was willing to go through with it, he would stand by me and support me the whole way.”

“And here you are,” Rarity stated while smiling. Feeling moved by the tale. Fleur nodded.

“Indeed. I went from being plain and ordinary… to one of the most successful models in Equestrian history. I wish you could’ve seen the look on Fancy’s face once I had slimmed down and tried on the first dress I was to wear at a pageant, I thought he was going to faint,” she giggled while blushing. I will never forget how important his actions have been to my success… and the day he proposed to me…” she trailed off as they stopped in front of the library door.

She and Rarity stared at the door in silence for a whole minute. Fleur’s expression turned back downward.

“I love him Rarity, I love him with all my heart for everything he’s done to me and his unending kindness. It’s incredibly painful to watch him constantly be berated by his peers for being too generous, or for having too much confidence in those beneath him. I hoped my success would help lift that from his shoulders, but the high class ponies of Canterlot have never let up on him,” she reached up and placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “This was the first time I couldn’t ease his pain… please, as somepony else he’s helped, one who’s closer to his lifestyle, please try talking some sense into him… I beg you,” she asked with a sniffle before looking towards the door.

Taking criticism for his kindness and generosity for those less fortunate. Rarity had never considered that. Especially with where Fancy lived, Rarity wondered how she hadn’t thought of that in the first place. Unlike other wealthy communities around Equestria, Canterlot’s wealthy population was notorious for being unbelievably snobby, at times causing others to stereotype anypony who was well off. Rarity had met a fair share of very friendly wealthy ponies aside from Fancy Pants, Filthy Rich to name one, but here in Canterlot it was no surprise he came under fire often for his views. He had clearly touched more lives than hers and Fleur’s, Rarity was most certain of that… He definitely did not deserve such treatment, but just as how the poor treatment of Fleur eventually got to her, Rarity was sure the criticism eventually got to Fancy as well. Such as right now and being compared to his late father on top of it.

“I’ll do what I can Fleur,” Rarity assured while swallowing. “Anything I can…” she added as she stepped towards the door and placed her hoof on the door knob.

Hopefully she could do something.

---To Be Continued--

Chapter 4

MLP: FiM
The Flaws of Perfection
By: Calm Wind
Chapter 4:

Rarity stepped into the room slowly and quietly, taking in her surroundings as she began closing the door behind her. The library was small, maybe only a little larger than the room she was staying in. The ceiling was low and there were no windows, rather the entire wall, all four sides were lined with bookshelves, even the walls that flanked and ran above the door she had just stepped through. The lights were off, the only light in the room coming from a large, red brick fireplace on the wall opposite of the door that reached up to the ceiling and beyond, marking the only place on the wall that wasn’t a bookshelf.

The fire crackled and popped as its dim, warm glow shone upon a large comfy chair that sat around five yards from it. The chair had a tall back rest, but the flickering glow of the fire caused a large waving shadow to be cast along the ground, extending all the way to Rarity’s hooves on the other side of the room. There were two more chairs, on each side of the one in the center, but both were significantly smaller, appearing even more so than they truly were as the glow from the fire shone mostly on the large center chair, leaving the other two in the shadows.

Beside the chair was a table over which a glass filled with brandy and ice floated within a light blue magic aura, turning and tipping very slightly to cause the contents of the glass to swirl around. The glass hovered in front of the chair and a small sip was heard before it returned to its position above the table. Below the glass, on the table itself, was a half full bottle of fine brandy. Although, judging by the nature of the situation and the state of the stallion drinking it, the bottle was more likely half empty.

The glass began moving towards the chair again, but it froze in place as the light shift and click of the door closing behind Rarity broke the singular ambience of the crackling fire.

“Whoever it is, leave,” Fancy’s voice came from around the chair before the glass quickly hovered over and a few gulps were heard. Shortly after, the bottle of brandy was surrounded in his magic before lifting up, and started pouring himself a new glass.

“Fancy, it’s Rarity,” Rarity spoke, surprised she was able to so quickly. The bottle tipped back up, leaving the glass partially full for a moment before continuing the pour and setting down on the table.

“And how does that make a difference?” he said in a rather cold tone. Rarity felt her chest tighten slightly, but she was aware of the circumstances. Fancy’s manner was distorted by a mix of his drink and his recent slip ups. She made a mental note that anything he said was likely being emotionally prompted. She wasn’t one to keep her composure under pressure, so it’s not like she expected him to.

She decided to cut right to the chase. She had to approach this like Fancy would: Firmly, and directly. No beating around the bush.

“Fancy… I saw the argument in the office,” she began, while mentally preparing herself for a backlash. “And I saw what happened right after as well.”

The glass stopped swirling lightly. The quiet clinking of the ice clattering around within the glass ceased, leaving the crackling of the fireplace as the only sound to be heard. The glass quickly shifted in front of the chair and remained out of sight for a few moments.

“Ah…” she heard Fancy sigh before the glass hovered out, completely empty, and was placed on the table. Rarity cringed as she saw the glass. Brandy was not a weak drink and Fancy just downed a whole glass. She could only imagine how much that burned his throat.

However, her attention was quickly drawn as Fancy’s magic surrounded the smaller comfy chair to the right of Fancy and it slid out of the shadows, stopping near the center chair. Fancy’s hoof appeared from around his chair and pointed at it.

“Sit down,” he ordered.

Rarity hesitated, taking a moment to wonder if it was a good or bad thing. Did he want to sit down and talk? Or was he about to chew her out. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she couldn’t suddenly back out, so she shakily stepped towards the chair. She held her breath as she passed beside Fancy’s chair, finally getting a look at him.

Fancy was in a dreadful state. Hardly the handsome image of confidence and cheer he always appeared as around others. He sat back in the chair, facing straight forward at the fire. He wasn’t wearing his suit, his mane was an absolute mess, and his expression was that of a broken stallion as the dim glow from the fire splashed and flickered upon his face.

His eyes remained forward, but Rarity’s were locked on him as she slowly found her way to the seat and sat down. The two said nothing, sitting in the low illumination of the fire in silence for minutes. Upon closer inspection, Fancy seemed to be swaying slightly, which didn’t surprise Rarity because he had consumed a good amount of hard liquor. She was worried he may already be too drunk for anything she may say to be remembered.

“Well?” Fancy spoke up, making Rarity flinch and her ears stand up. “Tell me,” he said in a surprisingly controlled voice. Fancy seemed to have quite an alcohol tolerance to speak smoothly after so much brandy. “What did you see in my study?” he asked.

Rarity was caught off guard by the question. She saw it. Didn’t that imply she knew what happened? Unless he was asking for a different reason. She decided to humor him. After all, she had already managed to get more out of him than his own wife. Perhaps Fleur was just as perceptive as her husband, knowing what was best for him as he did her.

“I…” Rarity found her voice. “I saw you and a another pony arguing over something that didn’t quite go as—”

“Wrong,” Fancy cut her off, causing Rarity to slam her mouth shut. “What you saw was a failure.”

The room grew silent again, the crackling fire seemingly dominating their conversation as they continued to take such long pauses. Fancy sighed as his magic came to life and grabbed the bottle of brandy. Rarity felt the need to reach out with her own magic and stop him, but every fiber of her being told her that would end incredibly poorly.

“You saw me fail to convince somepony of my skills, reliability, and devotion to my work,” he poured himself a glass and brought it to his lips, taking a small sip, and licking his lips as he swallowed the strong liquor. “This is a fight I’ve been fighting my whole life behind closed doors, Rarity. Behind every smile, every generous act, ever public appearance… behind everything that I do is a pony who is scared and nervous,” he confessed.

Rarity found any and all doubt in her mind about where she sat to disappear. He was spilling everything to her.

“I live in the shadow of a pony who was fifty times the stallion I will ever be. My father, the most successful business pony of his generation… and I struggle every day to be a fraction of who he was,” he glanced at Rarity as he took another sip, making eye contact for the first time. “Rarity, I will never live up to my Father’s legacy. I have been constantly overlooked by his former business partners, written off as wasted potential. I’m constantly criticized for my methods, being told I’m an amateur or foolish. I’ve had my share of success, I have mastered many arts and practices, but I feel like I’m surrounded by those who are superior to me in what matters most. I will forever be inadequate it in my field.”

Rarity’s eyes had never widened more in her life.

Inadequate…

Overlooked…

Wasted potential…

Forever in the shadows of those superior…

These were ALL things… that Rarity had been feeling in the past month with the fashion show. To hear the same woes come from a pony she admired more than anypony else was… very humbling. Fleur was right… Rarity could definitely relate to him in this instance.

Fancy took another sip of his drink before slumping into his chair. Rarity wanted to say something. She wanted to help, but what could she say or do?

Then she had an idea. It may have been a long shot, but it seemed like the only way. She took one look at the brandy and instantly ruled it out. She was certain that would end poorly, but upon examining the room some more, she found what she was looking for.

A small wine cabinet, beside a table near the door. She could only see it because the light of the fire barely shone upon it from beyond Fancy’s chair. She concentrated her magic, opening the cabinet, pulling out a random bottle, and hovering it towards her while splitting her magic into two separate actions to grab a glass, hovering both towards her.

Fancy glanced at the bottle of red wine as it landed on the table beside his brandy.

“Oh,” Rarity blinked. “If you don’t mind…” she said, realizing it may have been a bit brash of her to try and drink his wine without asking.

Fancy simply waved a hoof once at her.

“It’s better than drinking alone,” he said before going back to his own drink. Rarity took that as a yes and poured herself a glass of wine. It was a red wine, but it was too dark to read the label on the bottle. Upon smelling the contents of the glass, Rarity picked up the scent of Pinot Noir. That was perfect. She poured more into the glass, creating quite a generous serving. She felt this was a rather irresponsible method, but she needed to loosen up, and once she did, she was more than certain she’d say to him what he needed to hear. As it stood, she was way too nervous to even speak after Fancy revealed such personal matters to her.

Knowing she was a lightweight. Rarity took a rather large sip of the wine,taking down what she would usually down in four to five sips. She swallowed and winced heavily as the bitterness of the wine stung her taste buds. She looked up at Fancy and saw him simply sitting, facing the fire, and swirling his drink as he had been. The liquid confidence had to work faster. The longer she waited, the more likely he’d get to a point where he’d forget the whole night. He seemed to have an incredibly strong tolerance.

Steeling her taste buds, Rarity took another large sip, and another, and another. Her glass now less than half full with a generous pour. She took a couple deep breaths as she sat back. She felt nothing yet, but she would definitely feel it soon.

“I don’t know why I try Rarity…” Fancy suddenly spoke up again, a very faint, but very noticeable slur in his words. Why was it noticeable? Fancy always talked with very refined speech. If anything was off, one could easily hear the difference.

“I inherited my bits, I drive to be as great as my father, and I try taking things further, explore opportunities and potential my father would have never considered…”

As Rarity listened she started feeling a little warmer. That was fast, but then again, she did chug half a large helping of wine. She started taking smaller sips, now that she knew it was working.

“Yet I’m criticized…” he started up again. “Torn down, and berated for taking risks. My father was constantly praised for doing the same thing… I simply do not know Rarity. How did my father do it?”

His tone was one of slow rambling. He didn’t even look at her. But that was fine because she didn’t feel the need to reply, at least immediately.

The minutes rolled on…

And it wasn’t long before Rarity felt a lot less nervous and a lot more relaxed. It came on pretty quickly, having taken down the wine so fast, but her head was filled with a warm, slightly euphoric sensation. With it came a few moments of alcohol induced clarity. She no longer looked upon Fancy as a superior, she began looking at him as somepony that needed her help. In her normal state of mind she would have called herself crazy, but being a little tipsy and having the feeling steadily increased the built up needed confidence to reply. Rarity soon found herself smiling, and her face blushing lightly from the warm tingling feeling all over. She had to be careful. She wanted to relax and loosen up, but she didn’t want to go overboard and suddenly be unable to form a reasonable sentence. That would be a disaster.

Fancy finished the contents of his glass grabbed the bottle of brandy again.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing… it’s in my nature to be kind and generous. Is that so wrong?”

“DAAAAARLING!” Rarity suddenly said in a very loud tone that was one decibel short of shouting. Fancy nearly dropped the bottle from his magic as he flinched and looked towards Rarity. She put a hoof up to her mouth to stifle a very light, feminine burp, before looking at him, one eye open wider than the other.

Okay maybe taking down the alcohol so fast wasn’t the best idea, especially because she wasn’t sure what the alcohol content was in the wine, but she had gotten to a point where she could speak much more freely and that was what she was going for.

“Hm! Pardon me…” she giggled while gently tipping her glass back and forth. “Please Fancy, doing things wrong? You talk like you’re the one at fault!” she leapt right out of the gate. “Would I be sitting here right now? Drinking your EXPEEEEENSIVE wine if you hadn’t come to Ponyville and given me the chance to BE somepony?”

Danger. Danger. Getting drunk faster than expected. Rarity was losing control, but far from blacking out. This was either going to work or fail miserably. Luckily she was falsely confident enough to keep going with it.

“So what if a few plothurt snobs can’t take how great you are!” Rarity paused and took a large drink from her glass, her taste buds thoroughly tamed and barely feeling it. “You don’t need them! They’re all sorry idiots for not seeing it!”

She looked back towards him and froze in place. Fancy was looking at her and GLARING. Even in her super-buzzed, borderline drunk state the glare affected her.

That was it, she goofed… hard. But then—

“Heh…” Fancy suddenly smirked. “Hehahaha…” he chuckled. “Haha! HAHAHA!!!” he put down his glass and took a moment to laugh. Rarity smiled weakly, hoping that was a good thing.

Fancy wobbled and leaned… rather, fell onto the side of the chair, clearly a bit inebriated himself.

“Dammit, Rarity… do you have any idea how refreshing it was to hear somepony say that about some of my associates?” he said with a smile.

“Umm… very?” Rarity faked the smile further.

“Extraordinarily!” Fancy yelled as he fell back into his seat and grabbed his drink. “I do what I do because I feel it is right… and it’s been successful!” He reached over and pounded the table beside him. “AND THEY CRITISIZE ME! They just can’t admit I might be onto something!”

He still sounded angry, but his manner had changed.

“Of course!” Rarity leaned forward, quickly putting a hoof down to stop herself from tipping off the chair and falling face first. “You’re known Equestria wide for the way you are! Don’t let a few snot nosed, bit grabbers tell you otherwise! You’re loved!” she said while putting her glass up in the air roughly enough to cause a very light splash within it. A drop of wine landed on her leg, but unlike usually, she completely ignored the foreign stain to her white fur. “You’re doing fine! I’m the one that’s messing up! I mean…” Rarity stopped cold.

She hadn’t taken this into account. For a short time now, her own problems had taken a back seat. All it took was bringing it up once, and the alcohol suddenly felt like it was serving a different purpose.

“Oh… blast,” Rarity fell back in her chair. Fancy looked at her as if he was hoping she’d insult the idiots he worked with some more, but took note of her sudden change in demeanor.

“Rarity?” he asked while leaning forward on his second attempt. His first only moved him a couple of inches before he fell back against the seat. They were both starting the feel it, it seemed.

“I forgot how screwed I am!” Rarity wailed, using words she’d normally find uncouth while lightly while slumping.

“Um… may I ask why?” Fancy’s curiosity spoke for him.

“My dresses are all shit!” Rarity yelled while sitting up, only to lose her balance and fall back down.

A little voice in the back of her head was yelling, screaming, and pleading to her to shut up and stop shifting the issue from him to herself. But… alcohol… she didn’t really have much control.

“I dropped them off this morning and everypony else’s was so much better, and I’m just a novice designer who got lucky and I’ll never live up to your expectations and I’m gonna be laughed out of the shooooowwwwwwwwwwww!” Rarity whined while flailing her hooves about. Thankfully the wine was stable in her magic.

“I…. what?” Fancy blinked while trying to make sense of all the rambling he just heard. Rarity took a deep breath and held it, puffing her cheeks out until her face turned redder. When she didn’t breath for a good five seconds, Fancy instinctively used his magic to press her cheeks together and force her to exhale. She coughed a couple times before sighing and looking up.

“Er… sorry…” she suddenly apologized, her mane now a bit of a mess and loose strands falling down in front of her face. She managed to calm herself and struggled to sit up straight without wobbling.

“Looks like we’ve both been having our own issues recently…” Fancy chuckled. “But… Rarity, did you say your dresses were bad?” he asked.

“Worse than bad! They’re bad and worse! And worse… and bad!” Rarity slurred as she slammed the back of her head against the cushy backrest of the chair. “I’m trying to put my drab pieces of cloth up against designers like Silk Serenity and Ruby Rod! I might as well rub my face vigorously with sand paper before entering a beauty pageant! WHAT AM I DOING?!” Rarity finished while pounding the rest of her wine and coughing as a few drops went down the wrong pipe. Her ears shot up as she heard Fancy… snort? She looked up and saw Fancy stifling laughter?

“Rarity… really? You think you’re dresses are bad?” he chuckled. “Do you even look at your work?”

“Bwuuh?” was the only response Rarity could muster as she found her head to feel much lighter from the buzz.

“You’re dresses are BEAUTIFUL!” Fancy explained. “Why do you think I bought so many of them for my wife? I wouldn’t have entered you into the show if I didn’t think you had a chance. Besides,” he threw back a large portion of his drink. “Silk and Ruby have been making the same design for the past four years… frankly I’m tired of looking at it. I swear, everything you make is different. I’ve yet to see any bland consistencies in your style, you always wow me with something new.”

“But…” Rarity was confused… and drunk. “Muh dresses…” she didn’t know what to say, so only gibberish came out. She was still aware enough to talk and understand, but what was she hearing?

“Rarity…” Fancy sighed as he sat back in his chair. “I envy you,” he confessed.

“Me?” Rarity heard that loud and clear. How could Fancy possibly be envious of her?

“You have the perfect mindset… something I wish I could have,” Fancy continued. “What separates a good artist from great artist is how they view their work. A good artist is always proud of their work. A great artist is always ashamed of their work. You… are a great artist. You look at your work and you despise it. Therefore you are always pushing and striving to fix it, to make it better. You refuse to be satisfied. I think that’s my problem…” Fancy paused and shook his head. “I think I’m too content. I feel like the way I do things is, by default, perfect… and therefore I’m stuck where I am. I could learn quite a bit from you Rarity… I really could…”

No amount of alcohol could prevent Rarity from remembering those words he had just spoken. Each word was permanently etched into her brain.

A good artist is content.

A great artist is never content.

Even in his despair, Fancy found a way to influence her. But this time, it seemed like she found a way to influence him.

“Heh…” Fancy chuckled, looking towards Rarity with a smile. “Look at us… two ponies drowning in their troubles while trying to save the other at the same time,” he winked. “Rarity, you are a wonderful designer.”

“And you…” she pointed at him. “Are a wonderful businesspony,” she replied instantly.

The two smiled at each other, enjoying the feeling of relief that came from their talk as the glow of the fire continued to splash against them, slowly dying, but still strong enough to give off warmth and flicker a dim light to the corners of the room.

Fancy grabbed the bottle of brandy in his magic and held it up.

“I think we need another drink,” he suggested with a silly grin. Rarity giggled and grabbed the bottle of wine.

“Indeed!” she agreed, but pointed at Fancy. “But after we do… you need to apologize to Fleur young stallion!” she scolded him in a joking tone, referring to him as one would a colt even though he had eight years on her.

“You have my word,” he said while patting his chest. “That is the first order of business once this meeting is over,” he failed to keep a straight face as the two poured themselves another glass, hoping to enjoy each other’s company for a little longer. “To our imperfections…” he said as he held up his glass. Rarity held up her newly poured glass of wine and smiled. “May they never stop pushing us to greater things!”

Fleur paced back and forth outside the door. She had resisted the urge to put her ear to the door, wishing to respect their privacy and confident that Rarity could talk some sense into Fancy.

She flinched as the door suddenly opened and Rarity stumbled out, catching herself, before wiping out at Fleur’s hooves. Fleur looked at Rarity, confused at her state. Initially she was horrified that Rarity had gone in, only to join in the drinking… but then Rarity smiled at her between her loose mane strands that hung down over her face.

“Wasn’t… graceful…” Rarity slurred while giggling with her eyes twitching. “But heeeesh fine now…” she reached up and put her hooves on Fleur’s back. “Don’t worry… heeesh not as drunk as me… but he wantsh to sheee you!”

“Um… okay,” Fleur was a little confused.

“Come on in, my dear…” Fancy’s voice came from inside the library. As soon as Fleur heard that, her eyes opened wide and her ears stood up. She quickly stepped towards the door, causing Rarity to lose her balance and fall flat.

“Oh my!” Fleur turned around and helped Rarity to her hooves. Fleur smiled at the drunk Rarity and gave her a light hug. “I don’t know how you did it… but thank you, so much.”

“Oye! Where’s me beautiful wife?!” Fancy called again, earning a smirk and a giggle from Fleur. She smiled at Rarity before walking into the room and closing the door behind her.

Rarity barely registered that Fleur had just given her a hug before she stumbled over to the door and bounced off the wall beside it before putting her ear to the door.

All she heard was—

“I’m so sorry, my dear,” Fancy’s voice sounded slightly choked up.

“Shhh… don’t worry,” Fleur replied.

“Shuckshesh!” Rarity said to herself as she pushed away from the door and began stumbling down the hallway in the wrong direction.

One of the butlers spotted her as she started walking in circles and quickly made his way over.

“Um… miss Rarity, do you require some assistance?” he asked.

“Which way’s backwards?” she asked while bumping into him and started sliding down his chest. The butler blinked as he caught her, instantly smelling the wine on her breath.

“I think I should take you to your room…” he said as he helped her up. He yelped as she grabbed him around the neck and stared dreamily into his eyes.

“I think you should take me to your room! Waaaahaha!” she said as slumped down, putting all of her weight on him. The butler sighed and hoisted her back up again.

“I’m taking you back to your room…” he decided.

“Either room works!” Rarity persisted as he dragged her along. “We having fun there?!” she asked. The Butler shook his head.

“No, you’re drunk.”

“But whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?”

Rarity sighed as she walked through the third floor hall.

The stress was over. The show had ended, and she was looking forward to a few weeks of relaxing upon returning home. The whole ordeal had been physically and mentally taxing, but she got a chance to compete on the biggest fashion stage in Equestria.

She place ninth overall. Better than she expected she would do, but something about that number not being a one, a two, or even a three bothered her. In fact it was far below. She felt humbled by the extreme competition, but disappointed, feeling like she could have done better. Just as she and Fancy had drunkenly discussed.

She was, however, surprised that she finished above Silk Serenity and Ruby Rod. They didn’t even make the top ten. Perhaps Fancy was right about their styles being old news… and perhaps he was also right about her having more confidence in herself. Confidence… not content. Because she was thoroughly convinced now that not being content with her work was indeed a good thing.

However… the part of the experience that stuck out to her more than anything, was learning of Fancy’s imperfections. She didn’t think any less of him, nor did he lose any of his influence, but knowing he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed made him feel much more relatable. She felt less nervous about speaking to him or failing him now because she knew more about him… as if he were a good friend as well as her sponsor and supporter. She no longer felt like she was leaning on him, more like they were leaning on each other. That alone was enough to make her confidence soar.

She was back in her room… and had barely pulled out her luggage bag before a knock came from the door.

“Come in!” she called while placing her bag on the bed. The door opened, and there stood Fancy Pants himself. Normally she’d put on a smile and be cheerful even if she wasn’t, but the exhaustion prevented anything extravagant. “Oh, Fancy…”

In fact she was actually a little nervous. She saw him in the crowd when she peeked out towards the stage the models were walking on, but with all the hassle that happened afterward, she had yet to see him since the show ended. Coming in ninth wasn’t her idea of impressing him after all… and that was something she had been hard-pressed to do even with the newfound confidence.

“Getting ready to leave so soon?” he asked with a smile as he entered.

“Oh… just getting my things together now so I don’t have to later,” she explained. Fancy took a look at her bag as she turned and started picking up some of her supplies and tools.

“Might I convince you to stay for dinner at least?” he asked politely. Rarity blinked and turned to him.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask for more than you’ve already generously offered…” she tried turning him down. As much as she would love one more dinner fit for the goddesses, she felt she had imposed enough. That and she was still a little embarrassed about the night she got drunk, even if she did learn so much about Fancy in the process.

“But I must insist!” Fancy said with a chuckle as his magic flickered in his horn. A small aura surrounded his suit pocket and a folded up sheet of paper floated out. “I mean… I would think you’d like to celebrate your success and…” the paper unfolded and a feather quill “Your new advertising contract!” he smiled.

“Ad-ad-ad-ad-ad-ad-ad…” Rarity dropped her sewing machine, luckily on the bed as opposed to the floor as she stared wide eyed towards the piece of paper. “ADVERTISING?! ME?!” she pointed at herself while blinking in disbelief.

“Who else?” Fancy said, keeping his smile constant and unwavering.

“But…” Rarity was confused. Why would Fancy want an advertising contract with her? She finished NINTH in the show! How was that grounds for expanding her publicity? “But I placed ninth… why would you sign such a contract with me?”

“Rarity… dear…” Fancy stepped towards her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “You have no idea what you’ve done… have you?” he asked.

“Um…” Rarity bit her lip. “What… did… I do?”

“Placing anywhere in the top ten of the Canterlot Royal Wonder fashion show is considered to be an amazing feat! Only the top designers participate you know,” he said while winking at the speechless Rarity. “Face it, Rarity. You’ve made a mark among the best of the best! I’d be outside my mind if I were not to take advantage of this opportunity. You not only placed ninth, but I know you… and I know you have lots of potential yet to be unlocked. I want to be your personal advertising agent! We simply must get your name around the industry!”

“Uhhhhhh…” Rarity’s mouth hung open.

“So…” Fancy hovered the quill and the paper towards her. “Care to keep working with me?” he asked in a much more personal tone. “I believe there is much more we have yet to teach each other.”

Rarity looked like she was going to explode into happiness. An advertising contract?

Advertising?

Her?

ADVERTISING?!

HER?!

“WAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” she released her usual excitement guffaw, quickly throwing her hooves over her mouth and blushing like mad after Fancy flinched and his monocle fell off. “Ahah… I mean… yes! Yes! YES!” she cheered happily as Fancy smiled at his new, much more understanding business partner.

--- The End---

Author's Note

And there we have it... Fancy is not quite so perfect... but not being perfect pushes him... and Rarity to be the best they can be.

I'm sure you noticed, expecially with this chapter, i tried really hard to go into intense detail with the scene description in the library, im honestly quite proud with how it turned out! :eeyup:

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! :raritystarry: