Life Woven in Charmeuse

Chapters

Preparing the Warp: A Chance Encounter
Winding the Bobbin: As Soon as Possible
Threading the Heddles: Next Time

Preparing the Warp: A Chance Encounter

The fashion show had been something of a disappointment so far. The models plodded down the runway and back with the enthusiasm of a commuter train; the collected photographers and reporters snapped photos and took notes with robotic regularity. Several ponies in the back rows of the audience, out of the glare of the stage lights, had trickled in and out of the auditorium to chat or even to leave the show early. Those whose careers depended on their attendance sat dutifully in the front row, occasionally stifling yawns with carefully disguised movements.

Even the designers whose clothes were on display seemed moderately ashamed to have contributed to the show; Suri Polomare sat in a darkened corner of the room, lips pursed with frustration as her newest line failed to elicit any meaningful reaction from the élite de la haute couture who ringed the end of the runway. A grey stallion with a white pompadour and dark sunglasses unabashedly checked his gleaming gold watch and muttered something to the mint green mare sitting next to him. She giggled into her hoof. A stab of frustration lanced through Suri's chest. It was fine to not appreciate the clothes, even though her latest line was by far her greatest work, but to laugh at it? That was simply rude.

Finally, the emcee's voice boomed over the silent audience. "And that's the last of the exquisite new line from the Polomare Collezione!" He paused for applause that didn't come as the last model slunk off stage. Suddenly, the house lights dimmed, and several spotlights ignited in various colors. The lights swung over the audience, who looked around in muted interest. "And now, for the final line of the evening, ladies and gentlecolts, we have a late addition to the show!" Suri's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the audience turn to one another to share their surprise. "That's right, we have, for your enjoyment, the newest creations from the Lady of Lace, the Goddess of the Galloon, the Empress of Embroidery. Folks, put your hooves together and thank Celestia for the arrival of the incomparable, the indomitable, the one! The only!" Suri glowered at the stage. She knew whose icon was about to be unveiled by the parting curtains. The excited chatter and scattered applause of the audience suggested they did, too. "Rarity!"

The auditorium erupted. The curtains fell open to reveal the swooping purple logo of Rarity's recently expanded label, Trediamanti. It was very similar to the original logo that Rarity had used in the past, before she'd become a household name, before she'd hired dozens of assistants and other designers to bolster her brand. Where once there had been an iconic representation of her own eyes, the Trediamanti symbol had three simple baby blue diamonds, like her cutie mark, but with less detail. The industry had swooned over it upon its introduction. Suri could barely manage not to gag at the sight.

The spotlights ceased their swirling and focused in on the logo, which glittered as the light reflected through the hundreds of tiny gemstones set into it. The music swelled into a swift, pounding techno beat superbly interwoven with cuts of classical music. Then, the first two models strode confidently onstage. The response was immediate. Every pony in the crowd gasped, and dozens began to chat excitedly with one another. Both models--one male, one female--were decked out in sublime examples of fashion so cutting edge that in another pony's name they would have been absurd. Long, swooping curves accentuated both ponies' natural anatomy, the fabric sliding loosely and following their every move. The edges of the outfits were trimmed in impossibly narrow braids of gold, silver, and then gold again.

The mare's dress flowed in constantly shifting waves of cloth that gleamed and glittered as though woven from actual gemstones, and her tail, held in a tight, confident arch over her back, was laced with the same braids that rimmed the dress, coming to a delicately tied knot at the very end. The hem hung just above the ground on either side of her back hooves, allowing the crowd to see just the flickering of her hooves as she walked, and the sleeves swept down from her shoulders in a tight spiral, resembling nothing so much as a twisted wrought iron bar, but still glistening and flowing as easily as the rest of the dress. Then, the headdress...Rarity was famous for many things, but nothing really said Trediamanti quite like a headdress. This outfit was no exception. The collar was sharply cut, accentuating the mare's taut, delicate jawline even as it flared out and curled over into an almost floral shape. Ringing the petals of the collar was a second layer, made up of overlapping sets of feathers, first eagle, then turkey, then, incredibly, phoenix, and finally, no less than eight different palettes of peacock feather. The phoenix feathers glowed as though ablaze, the light flickering off of the iridescent peacock feathers and lending the model's face an ethereal air.

The stallion was similarly bedecked, with form-fitting pants that came to a tight hem above his back hooves and billowed slightly as he walked, the better to show off what Suri assumed must be a brand new weave of fabric, for how it shone. The braiding followed every seam and curled up around his stifle to meet at his dock and curl through his tail, just like the mare's. The shirt didn't billow like the pants, but rather clung tightly to his skin, rippling along with his musculature and flashing with every pompous step he took. His headdress was much less voluminous than the mare's, with only a single feather of each type directly behind his head, but the pattern was the same, and the flaming phoenix feather cast a bright gleam across his carefully coiffed mane.

Together, the models strode down the runway, serenely ignoring the suddenly rapt photographers, who pushed and shoved their way to the edge of the stage, snapping dozens and then hundreds of pictures of each outfit. Reporters chattered excitedly into voice recorders or wrote with feverish speed, their words utterly indecipherable in their haste to completely describe what they were seeing. The elite in the front row had dropped all pretense, many of them shamelessly grinning and applauding the fashion on display. Suri looked back at the grey stallion. His watch was forgotten. He had pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head and was staring in wide-eyed wonder at the models. The mare to his side clung to his foreleg, a huge smile on her face as she gestured to one facet of the clothing after another, yammering enthusiastically about each. The stallion seemed not to notice.

Suri gritted her teeth furiously. Again, she thought. I can't believe she did it again. She furiously kicked her chair away, sending her own assistant scrambling out of the way. Every show...every damn show she comes to... With a final indignant toss of her mane, she turned a searing glare on the cowering mare. "You! Come on. We're leaving."

The mare blinked and stammered, "B-but the show...the interviews--"

"I said," Suri sneered, "we're leaving." And with that, she stomped out of the auditorium, but not before casting one final, jealous eye on the next outfit to be revealed. It was incredible. They always were.

~~~

Rarity smiled serenely out at the long line of admirers standing in front of her. She was sitting on a plush velvet cushion, wearing a vibrant cerulean dress of her own design, flanked by a pair of stoic, black-clad pegasus bodyguards. They were sharply dressed--security at a fashion show typically was--and standing just far away enough from the celebrity designer to make the ponies approaching her feel at ease, without leaving her vulnerable.

The show had been over for almost two hours now. The first hour had been composed primarily of glad-hoofing and general greeting among the industry heavyweights, strengthening contacts and confirming future appointments while the general public watched, thrilled simply to be near these iconic moguls of fashion. Slowly, the celebrity core had filtered out of the auditorium and into the attached reception hall for the designer meet-and-greet.

The hall had been exquisitely decorated, and every designer who had shown a line that evening had a spot for admirers to come and see them, if they so chose. Some designers forwent the opportunity, whether for lack of time, lack of interest, or a general disdain for the hoi polloi. Rarity did not. Rarity never missed an opportunity to meet her fans.

Her quill scratched smoothly across the page as she completed a signature with her iconic swirling logo. "There you are, darling," she said, smiling up at the twin mares who had proffered the book. "Or rather, darlings, I suppose," she corrected herself with a grin. The young mares giggled. Rarity momentarily wondered which of the two females to return the book to. "I'm surprised you didn't bring more than one book to get signed," she mused. "If you were both coming, that is."

"Oh," one of the mares said, "well, we didn't know if you would want to sign more than one thing, so we just brought the one to share."

Rarity clucked her tongue. "Well that will hardly do. However will you both manage to fawn over my signature if you only possess one copy? Shinel," she said, catching the attention of a silver unicorn standing a few hooves away. He trotted over immediately. "Please get one of my..." she glanced at the cover of the book, "...Spring Collection VIII photo books, if you would."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, darting off into the darkness to do as he was asked.

The two mares gaped at her. "Miss Rarity," the second one started, "you don't have to--"

Rarity cut her off with a wave of her hoof. "Tish tosh, darling. I have so very many of those books, and you are clearly one short. It's nothing at all. Do you mind waiting for Shinel to return, though? It might be a few moments." The twins shook their heads in unison, and Rarity gave them a sparkling smile. "Wonderful!" She gently motioned them aside, and smiled at the next pony in line. "Good evening, my dear. Did you enjoy the show?"

A young mare, barely more than a filly, slowly made her way forward, her legs shaking violently. Her eyes were wide with fear as she nodded and whispered, "Y-yes, M-miss Rarity."

"I'm so glad to hear that, although," she said with a sly grin, "I trust my line was the highlight?" She winked.

The young mare blushed and swallowed hard, unable to speak. The older mare behind her rescued her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Miss Rarity, she's just...very excited to meet you."

Rarity beamed. "It's nothing, darling. Is she your daughter?"

The mare nodded. "I'm Calico, and this is Chintz."

"Chintz," Rarity repeated, looking back at the white filly hiding behind a curtain of vivid blue hair cut long in the front and cropped short in the back. "What a marvelous name. I do rather like chintz patterns myself, though they do seem to have fallen out of fashion. I suppose something so...outrageous does lose its appeal somewhat when solid colors become vogue."

"You...you do?" Chintz asked, finding her voice again. Rarity nodded. "But I thought 'chintzy' meant...you know, 'ugly'."

"To whom?" Rarity scoffed. "To the general public, who believe only what they are told to about fashion? At the risk of offense, what do most ponies know about fashion? My dear, did you know that chintz was once so popular that some areas of Equestria actually had to ban ponies from wearing it?"

The filly shook her head. "No, I didn't."

Rarity smiled. "Never let anypony tell you what is fashionable. If you have the heart and the desire, you will be an excellent designer, and then you get to decide what fashion is." She raised an eyebrow at the girl. "You do wish to be a designer, don't you?"

Chintz nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes, ma'am! More than anything! Someday I want to design for you, Miss Rarity!" A look of horror suddenly spread across her face as she heard the words coming out of her own mouth. "I mean..." she started, but trailed off as her cheeks glowed red.

Rarity laughed. "Well, then, I shall have to keep you in mind, my dear. What school were you--"

"Oh, come on!" The shouted interruption snapped every eye, including Rarity's, to the stallion standing behind Calico. He was holding a thin black portfolio and his saffron-colored face was a picture of haughty impatience beneath his close-shaven cinnamon mane.

"Excuse me?" Calico raised an eyebrow at him. "Is something wrong?"

"We've been waiting here for almost two hours already! Some of us have important things to get to," he groused. "Can't you have some other designer humor your daughter's wild dreams?"

"I...what?" she said, incredulous.

"You heard me." The stallion sneered. "Now come on, get your autograph, and go back to whatever backwater town you came from."

"I beg your par--"

"Oh, please." He rolled his eyes. "Anypony can tell you're not from around here. Look, it's great you scraped together enough bits to come to a big city fashion show, but some of us are actually here for a reason." He waved the portfolio at her. "Some of us are the whole point of shows like this. I'm here to present Miss Rarity here with a business proposal and I don't have time to listen to her being polite to some knock-kneed filly with a wide-ruled notebook full of sketches and stars in her eyes!"

The area immediately surrounding the small group had fallen silent as the stallion had ranted. Rarity's face had lost its smile, but she had not otherwise reacted. In the silence, she sighed audibly. "I'm afraid he has a point, Chintz." The young mare's face fell suddenly, and she looked down at the floor, her face coloring in shame. "I'm sure it would be difficult to pass up an opportunity like the one Mr...?"

"Dowlas," he offered, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "The name is Dowlas. I'm the owner of Dowlas Clothing Incorporated, and I came here today to offer you the chance to expand your sales horizons further than you can imagine."

"Is that so?" Rarity said.

"Quite so," he said, opening his book. "I have stores in Las Pegasus, Seaddle, Trottingham, Vanhoov--"

"Shinel," Rarity suddenly interrupted him, turning to address the returning unicorn. "Dowlas Clothing, you said?" Rarity asked the pompous stallion, who nodded. "Shinel, would you be so kind as to take note of this stallion's name, and the name of his company?" Shinel nodded, putting a stack of photo books down behind Rarity's cushion and pulling out a notepad.

"I knew you'd be--"

"Make certain none of our designs ever appear in one of his stores, please." Rarity narrowed her eyes at the stallion, who blinked, stunned. "And do contact Clotheshorse Magazine for me. I believe I'd like to give them a brief interview about tonight's show."

Shinel continued writing even as he said, "I thought you weren't going to bother."

Rarity smiled wryly. "It turns out I may have something interesting to tell them about after all." Her eyes narrowed further as she stared the bewildered stallion down. "Oh, and see if you can find Hoity Toity and Prim Hemline. I'd like to have a word with them about some...concerns I have about the executives of Dowlas Clothing."

"Yes, ma'am," Shinel said.

"You...you can't do that!" the stallion sputtered.

"Do what?" Rarity asked innocently. "Decide where my designs are sold? Converse with my contemporaries about my industry? Darling, I daresay you may have badly misread me if you believe for an instant that I would respond to such...oafish tactics."

Dowlas bared his teeth in a furious scowl. "No, you have misread me! I'll ruin you! I own a hundred clothing stores! I already sell your non-exclusives! If I take you off my shelves--"

"Then I become more exclusive, more valuable, and, dare I say, more of a rarity?" she finished with a smirk and a glint in her eye. "I assure you, Mr. Dowlas, I have taken my labels off other stores' shelves before, and I seem to be doing fine. Perhaps you recall Alnage? Barathea? I recalled my designs from their stores as well. Who of us remains?"

The stallion's face faltered slightly as the names matched memories of previously massive clothing outlets who were now defunct or barely solvent. "You...how dare you!" He suddenly snapped and leapt forward, as if to attack the stoic unicorn. Neither Rarity nor Shinel flinched as the pegasi flanking her darted forward, faster than the eye could track, and shoved the irate earth pony back. "I'll ruin you! I swear I will!" Dowlas spat furiously as the black-suited bodyguards effortlessly pushed him away from the line of ponies still waiting to meet the unfazed unicorn, to hoof him off to the venue's security forces.

Rarity shook her head. "So uncouth."

Shinel nodded his agreement as he finished writing. "Most uncouth. Is there anything else, Miss Rarity?"

"As it happens, yes, there is one other thing. Chintz," she said, looking back at the young mare who had gone from ashamed to astonished and now simply looked startled to be addressed again. "Before I was so rudely interrupted by that mule, I was going to ask if you had any plans for what design school you wished to attend after you finished your primary schooling."

Chintz blushed. "W-well...obviously I wanted to go to the Trediamanti Academy, but..."

"Obviously. But?" Rarity prompted.

Chintz's blush deepened as she glanced back at her mother. "It's kind of expensive..."

"Nonsense," Rarity said, waving a hoof. "We provide many ways of obtaining scholarships for those in need. If you want to attend, there's no reason money should stop you. Shinel," she said, turning back to her right-hoof stallion, "please add Miss Chintz's name to our watch list. Have one of our admissions counselors contact her and make sure that she has an opportunity to apply when she's ready, will you?"

Shinel nodded, still writing. "Of course."

"You see?" Rarity soothed, smiling. "If you have the talent and the drive, there is a spot waiting for you at the Academy. You need only apply."

"M-miss Rarity," Chintz said, gaping. She looked back at her mother, who was sitting back on her haunches with tears in her eyes and her hooves over her muzzle. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Promise me you'll work very hard, and that you'll be ready to stun the world of fashion someday. Now," she said, hovering her quill in front of her again, "what can I sign for you?"

"Oh," Chintz said, "I didn't...I don't have anything, I just...we didn't know you'd be here, so I left my books at home." Her ears folded back against her skull and she looked at the floor, disappointed.

"Oh, is that all?" Rarity turned to her assistant. "Shinel, can you--oh!" Shinel interrupted her by holding up two separate copies of the same book. "Shinel, you read me like a tabloid!" she said, grinning. "You do always seem to know what I want before I do."

The unicorn smirked. "I wouldn't be fit to be your PA if I didn't, ma'am."

"And how fit you are," she remarked. "Now," she said, opening both books to the title page. "Chintz, this one is yours..." she trailed off as she signed the book, finishing with a flourish. "And this one is yours, my dear," she added, signing the second book and levitating it over to the waiting twins. "Thank you so much for coming, and I'm so glad you could stay to see me. Ta!" She smiled and waved as Chintz and her mother walked away with the twins following them, all four chattering excitedly.

The smile slowly faded as Rarity's bodyguards returned to their posts, having dispatched the unruly stallion. "How much longer can we stay, Shinel?" she asked, scanning the endless line of ponies waiting to meet her.

The unicorn glanced at a nearby clock. "Two hours, Miss Rarity."

"Not long enough," she sighed. "I do so hate to turn ponies away."

"I'm sure they understand, ma'am."

"Still...shows like this used to be how I found new students and assistants. I met you at Fête Chic in Prance, I found Coco at Fashion Week in Manehattan..." She frowned. "Those days may well be behind me now."

The downcast expression lasted only a moment more before the shadow of an approaching pony pulled a smile back to her face. "Good evening, darling. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

A custard-yellow unicorn mare with a cinnabar mane streaked in two shades of purple and a frankly hideous pair of black horn-rimmed glasses smiled shyly back at her. "Hi, I'm Moondancer. It's...it's really an honor to finally meet you, Rarity."

Moondancer... For some reason, the name rang a bell somewhere deep in her memory. Where had she heard that name before? "The pleasure's all mine," she said automatically in response before she really processed what the unicorn had said. "'Rarity', hm?" she repeated, catching the word at last. "Not 'Miss Rarity'?"

Moondancer shook her head. "I know that's what most ponies call you, but you said in your article for Satin and Saddles that you thought 'Miss' was too formal for fans, and that you wanted them to just call you 'Rarity', like your friends do."

Rarity beamed in pleasant surprise. "Oh, my! However did you find that article in the first place? That was...goodness, that must have been five years ago!"

Moondancer smiled and nodded. "Well, like I said, it's an honor to meet you. I've been a fan of yours since Clotheshorse called you the 'best new designer in an alicorn's age.'"

Rarity blushed lightly, the grin on her face still a touch unladylike. "Ahah, yes, well...they may have been exaggerating a bit, but still..."

"I don't think so," Moondancer said. "Your outfits are just as beautiful and incredible now as they've ever been. You never seem to lose your edge, and it's frankly amazing to see how you've evolved and grown as a designer."

"Dear me!" Rarity giggled, putting a hoof to her chest and blushing still further. "You'll make me so red I won't match my dress anymore!" she quipped with a smirk. "Well, Moondancer, as a long-time fan of my work, what did you think of tonight's show?"

"Oh, I didn't get to see the show," Moondancer said.

"You...didn't?" Rarity raised an eyebrow at her. "Then what brings you here tonight?"

"A friend of mine works for Suri Polomare, and she sent me a message telling me you were a surprise appearance. I don't get to go to too many shows, because they usually conflict with my work schedule, but I was off tonight, so I came as quickly as I could." She gestured over her shoulder at the entrance. "Had to pay full price just to get into the reception hall, but it was worth it." She smiled, her cheeks coloring slightly. "I've always wanted to meet you face to face."

"You...paid the full price for the show...just for a chance to see me at the meet-and-greet?" Rarity said slowly.

Moondancer's smile faltered. "I...yeah, I did. That's...that's not weird, is it?"

"It's certainly extreme, darling," Rarity said. "Surely we could have made other arrangements if it meant so much to you."

"We...we could?" Moondancer asked, puzzled.

"Of course. I do occasionally make a special effort to meet some of my fans away from the normal hubbub of the fashion show scene." She smirked. "In fact, I said as much in my most recent interview with 'Quin Magazine, or didn't you read that?" she teased.

"I did," Moondancer said, "but I thought you meant, like...rich fans. Famous fans. Like Fancy Pants and Fleetfoot."

"Not at all, darling," Rarity said. "I can see them any time they choose. Sometimes I get tired of seeing them so often." She grinned conspiratorially. "No, I make a special effort to meet my most dedicated fans, the ones who must pay to see my clothes, and do so without complaint or expectation of reward."

"Oh..." Moondancer's ears flattened against her skull. "Well, like I said, I don't really get to see too many shows..."

"Darling," Rarity said gently, "you just paid for a show you didn't get to see, just to meet me. I believe that is a fairly strong indicator of dedication." Moondancer smiled faintly. "Anyway, I would love to continue chatting, but unfortunately my time is terribly limited, and--"

"I understand," Moondancer said, hastily reaching into her saddlebag for a thick book of fashion photos. "If you would just--"

"No, no, I mean, we'll have to pick it up again later, dear. Shinel," she said, summoning the PA again, "please get Miss Moondancer's information so we can set up a lunch meeting some time." She smiled back at the blushing Moondancer. "And do try to fit her in as soon as possible. I will be looking forward to it in earnest."

Winding the Bobbin: As Soon as Possible

Moondancer anxiously scanned the crowds of ponies passing by on the sidewalk outside the restaurant and struggled in vain to stop her leg from nervously twitching under the table. Calm down, Dancer, it's just lunch. Even celebrities have to eat, right? She scoffed at her own platitudes. Yes, they ate, but normally they ate with other ponies of their own caste, not doe-eyed swooning fans who couldn't find a damn thing in her closet to wear for Celestia's sake. The unicorn frowned down at her emerald green A-line dress and the muted eggplant blazer she'd finally settled on. She'd regretted the decision immediately upon leaving the house, but she'd already wasted an hour pulling every stitch of clothing she owned out of her closet and her drawers and throwing them all aside in turn. This would have to do, even though she knew it wouldn't.

She glanced out at the street again. She was early, so she wasn't expecting to see Rarity coming just yet, but it wouldn't do to miss her arrival and be thought rude for not greeting her at the door. Or would Rarity prefer to be seated by the hostess? Moondancer felt a thrill of panic as she cast her mind back over the four dozen articles she'd reread the night before, desperately hoping to glean some additional information about her date. Wait, date? Moondancer shook her head. Her...companion. No, her...guest? What even was this? A lunch date. Fine. Her face fell into a frustrated pout. Whatever it was, she was quite positive she was going to blow it.

In truth, she was stunned that it was happening at all. While Moondancer knew Rarity was not the type of pony to make promises--even vague ones--and then break them, she still had left the reception hall the night of the Moda Festicciola with no illusions that the implied lunch meeting would ever happen. She was perfectly willing to content herself with the short, albeit surprisingly personable conversation they'd had at the show. So complete was this expectation that when Shinel had contacted her the next morning to see if she was available that afternoon, she'd had to read the message three times before she believed it was genuine. She'd responded almost immediately in the affirmative, and received a similarly swift confirmation, as well as an address and a time. She'd taken the hour before her lunch break off to go home and re-evaluate her wardrobe.

Now she was alternately glancing at the clock on the wall, scanning the passing faces outside the restaurant, and taking sips of water to slake the nervous dryness in her mouth. She'd already gotten two refills in the twenty minutes she'd been waiting, and somehow every time she thought she might have glanced Rarity striding down the sidewalk, her mouth was instantly a sticky, foul-tasting Sahara again. Like now, her mouth was already going cottony at the sight of some random white-coated pony walking down the opposite side of the street, even though it was impossible that Rarity could go anywhere alone, or in such a simple--albeit admittedly fetching--blue mushroom hat with a narrow silver band and a single white peacock feather stuck in the--

It's her!

Moondancer's breath caught in her throat as she realized the unicorn under the hat was the one she was waiting for. Rarity demurely glanced one direction up the street, then back, and then trotted lightly across the road with a shallow smile on her face. Everypony she passed hesitated and watched her go with expressions of wonder, as though unsure what to make of the stylishly appointed, immaculately made up pony sauntering casually through the city. Moondancer immediately set to panicking. She frantically rearranged the table setting to no meaningful effect, preened her blazer lapels to remove nonexistent wrinkles, and poked at her mane to try and coax some style into it. The hair protested this interference by loosing a few strands to dangle in front of her glasses. Moondancer started to try and wrangle the rogue hairs before she was frozen solid by Rarity's radiant smile as the unicorn entered the restaurant and immediately identified her.

"Moondancer, darling!" Rarity trotted across the room, weaving effortlessly among the crowded tables.

"Rarity!" Moondancer stumbled to her hooves to greet the unicorn, forcing a smile to her face. "I didn't expect you for another ten minutes." She blinked as Rarity casually leaned into a one-hoofed hug before taking her seat.

"Oh, I know, darling, but I simply could not wait another moment. I can't tell you how excited I have been, just waiting to come and do lunch with you!" She beamed.

Moondancer's thoughts slowly ground back into motion from the unexpected embrace. "I...uh...really? Wow," she breathed, settling back into her seat. "I...honestly I kind of expected you to be, well...fashionably late, so to speak."

Rarity laughed, a light, musical sound. "Oh, how gauche! As though I would dare to keep one of my oldest fans waiting. You haven't been here long, I hope?"

Moondancer shrugged. "No, not too long," she lied. "I mean, I did want to be a little early, just so I didn't, you know...disappoint." She grimaced inwardly at how sycophantic she sounded, forcing another smile to her face.

Rarity looked her over with a puzzled expression. "Is everything alright, dear? You seem very nervous."

"Nervous?" Moondancer laughed nervously. "Of course not. Why in Equestria should I be nervous?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow at her. "Why indeed," she mused. An awkward silence stretched between them for several seconds before Moondancer finally exhaled forcefully in defeat.

"Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I'm nervous!" She flailed her hooves in Rarity's direction. "I mean, you're Rarity the Unicorn, and you're sitting across the table from me like it's no big deal, but it is a big deal! It's a huge deal! I've been your biggest fan for years, even before you did the costumes for Zigfilly Follies and premiered in Hoity Toity's boutique for the first time, and now you're here, and you're talking to me personally and asking if everything's alright!" She huffed and slumped back into her chair, discouraged. "And I was really trying not to be nervous, because I wanted this to be just, like...I don't know, like friends chatting over lunch." She frowned. "And I blew it."

To Moondancer's surprise, Rarity suddenly burst into a grin. "Thank goodness!" she said. Moondancer raised an eyebrow at her. "I was hoping you'd be able to actually say something, instead of just pretending it was nothing and spending the whole time tap dancing around trying to 'act normal'."

"You...you were?" Moondancer asked.

Rarity nodded. "Of course. Darling, I'm a celebrity. I know how ponies get around me. I mean, did you not see how the crowd parted as I walked up here today?" She pursed her lips and shook her head. "One might expect me to get used to such treatment, but it does get lonely sometimes. " She smiled at Moondancer. "And I was rather hoping, after our conversation last night, that you might be able to overcome the inclination to treat me with kid gloves, as 'twere."

"Oh," Moondancer said, caught off-guard. "You did?"

"Yes, you see, I'm quite used to fans coming up and gushing, fawning, even fainting or, from time to time, proposing," she grinned and winked at Moondancer, who managed a genuine smile at the gesture. "But I'm somewhat less experienced in having ponies so...dedicated and yet so comfortable around me, like you were." The grin faded a bit. "And I had hoped you would maintain that comfort tête-à-tête." Now it disappeared entirely. "A foolish hope, I suppose, for the famed."

"No, it...it's not foolish," Moondancer said, shaking her head and reaching across the table to touch Rarity's hoof. "It just...well, I guess I just got myself worked up, is all. I mean..." She smiled as Rarity gave her a curious look. "It would be silly to pretend this isn't a big deal for me, right? I couldn't really call myself your biggest fan if I didn't get just a little flustered by the idea of having lunch with you, could I?" The smile widened into a sheepish grin.

Rarity chuckled softly. "I suppose not. Still, you did say you were imagining something along the lines of friends chatting over lunch, weren't you?" Moondancer nodded. "Well, as it happens I was imagining rather the same thing."

"Really?"

Rarity nodded and smiled. "Absolutely. It isn't often I get to simply go out alone and meet with a friend to share a meal and talk, especially not when I'm on a business trip, as I am this week."

"Right," Moondancer said, "because you still live in Ponyville, don't you?" Rarity nodded. "So your Ponyville friends don't come to your shows in Canterlot?"

Rarity laughed. "Oh, dear, could you imagine? No, no, I have so many shows and conventions and conferences and openings and showings these days that it would exceptionally rude of me to expect them to come to even one in twenty, especially considering how busy they all are with their own lives."

"That's too bad," Moondancer said. "Do they at least get to see your designs?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "Well, they certainly could, but..." She shrugged. "Not everypony appreciates fashion. They support me as best they can, but I understand they don't necessarily...care."

"I'm sure they care!" Moondancer scoffed. "Just because it's not their favorite hobby, they have to know how much it means to you."

"Oh, they do," Rarity agreed. "But unlike, say, Rainbow Dash's accomplishments with the Wonderbolts or Twilight's litany of advances in friendship magic, my...well, let's call them moderate successes in the world of fashion pale in comparison. To them, anyway," she amended, her face falling slightly.

Moondancer frowned. "That's not fair. If they were truly your friends, they'd at least make an effort to understand why what you do is so...amazing."

Rarity chuckled softly. "Oh, I couldn't expect that. And they are truly my friends, darling, they simply don't share my interests. It's alright," she said, waving a hoof. "We still have plenty in common, and we still have great fun together doing thing we all appreciate. Fashion is simply not one of those things."

"Well, do you have any close friends who do like fashion that much?"

Rarity tilted her head. "Well, my foster daughter does. But of course, she has her own friends, and her own interests, so we cross paths very rarely, and when we do, we typically talk about things she likes, and the things she's up to." The unicorn smiled broadly. "And I wouldn't want it any other way." She shook her head. "No, darling, I'm afraid I simply must content myself with my legions of fans and massive critical acclaim." She grinned slyly.

Moondancer smirked in response, but shook her head. "Fans and critics are one thing, but somepony like you deserves to have a close friend you can talk to about the stuff you like to do." There was a short pause while Moondancer momentarily considered the wisdom of what she was about to say before she threw caution to the wind and blurted, "I could be that friend."

Rarity blinked. "Oh! Well, that's certainly kind of you to offer," she said, blushing lightly, "but surely you have your own friends and interests that you already spend time on."

Moondancer shrugged, her confidence feeding itself. "Sure, but they don't really get fashion, so we don't really talk about it much." She smiled. "It would be nice to have somepony to talk to who actually understands me when I say your Fall Collection IV was an amazing success of multi-centennial retro-chic that recalled and glorified four different decades from four different centuries without losing the identity of the era you introduced it in."

Rarity's face lit up as though Moondancer had flipped a switch. "Oh, my! You must really be a fan if you remember Fall IV!"

"Remember it?" Moondancer scoffed. "Who could forget it? It was legendary. An upset of fashion norms that shook the whole industry. Mock Dandy even tried to get you banned from the Canterlot Couture show that year for it."

Rarity grinned. "Yes, well, Dandy always was something of a sensitive sort. Well, what do you say we place our orders before we get lost in conversation and forget to eat, shall we?" She cast a gentle gaze over Moondancer's shoulder and gave a ghost of a wink to an unseen waiter.

Moondancer blinked and looked down at the empty table in front of her. In truth, she'd managed somehow to forget that this was a lunch meeting at all. Her stomach growled, begrudgingly glad to be remembered. "Oh yeah, I guess we should."

A pleasant young stallion with a burnt orange coat and a genuine smile appeared at her side. "And what can I get you lovely mares?"

Rarity didn't break eye contact with the colt. "I would love a salad of the chef's delight, please, and a bottle of '23 Chateau Cristal, please."

The waiter blinked. "Uh...I'm not sure we have any Chateau Cristal in stock, ma'am."

Rarity nodded. "You do, darling. I called ahead to be certain."

"Oh, well alright then." The smile was back. "Chef's delight and '23 Cristal. Um..." He hesitated for a moment. "I'm afraid you will have to pay for the bottle once I open it, regardless of--"

Rarity nodded again, waving a hoof to cut him off. "I know, darling. It's fine." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "And do make sure the check for both of us makes its way into my hoof, won't you?"

Moondancer's ears pricked and she looked up from scanning the menu. "What? No, no way! Rarity, you don't have to do that; I can pay for myself."

Rarity smiled. "I'm sure you can, my dear, but I did rather lasso you into this, and I did ask you to meet me at a...well, not inexpensive restaurant. It would be quite rude of me to expect you to pay your own way."

Moondancer frowned at the menu. The prices were listed in whole numbers, typical of a high-cost establishment. They were also well out of the range she would normally have paid for any but the most exceptional of occasions. She scanned the price list, hunting for the smallest number. "I guess I'll have..."

Before she could finish, Rarity spoke up. "And please don't order cheaply on my account, darling. Order what you want, and hang the cost. This is my treat."

Moondancer smiled sheepishly at her date. "That's very kind of you, Rarity, but--"

"No buts, darling. I insist."

The unicorn sighed. "Oh, alright. I'll have the çoban salatası, then. Light on the onions, please."

The waiter nodded. "Very good, ma'am." The menus floated up off the table and into his possession, and he disappeared from their tableside.

Rarity put her hooves together and rested her chin on them. "Now, I know we were just discussing my frankly ancient accomplishments, but I must confess I'm rather more interested in learning more about you." She suddenly assumed an expression of utter disappointment. "Specifically your shocking failure to come to any of my shows."

Moondancer swallowed dryly. "Oh, well...I would, but..."

"Your work," Rarity interrupted her. "I recall. What is it, if you don't mind my asking, that you do that would keep you so busy?"

"I'm a professor at Canterlot University," Moondancer said. "I teach Sociological Magic, with a focus in Subconscious Psychosociological Theory and Friendship Magic, notably the impact of group dynamics on the--" She suddenly stopped, her cheeks coloring. "I'm sorry, you don't care about all those details."

"Au contraire," Rarity said, "I very much do care. It never ceases to amaze me the myriad walks of life my fans hail from. What in Equestria drew you to fashion?"

Moondancer shrugged. "It's just always been something I found fascinating. Not really something I could do, exactly, but...I like nice clothes, and I like the history and the patterns and...I don't really know," she concluded. "Looking at beautiful clothing has always just...made me happy, you know?"

Rarity smiled and nodded. "I do."

Moondancer blushed. "Well, that is, of course you do. Why else would you be such a great designer if you didn't...not that you couldn't be otherwise, but--"

"Darling, relax," Rarity soothed. "Remember, we're just having lunch. This isn't an interview, it isn't a meeting, it's just two ponies sharing an hour of their time with one another." She smiled. "Nothing to be nervous about."

"Right, sorry," Moondancer said. Then after moment's silence, she blurted, "It's just, it's easy enough for you to relax and just sit and eat with me. Who am I? Just one of your thousands and thousands of fans. If I somehow got upset or offended, you could just let me go on my way and have Spinel--"

"Shinel," Rarity corrected gently.

"Yeah, him. You could just have him contact the next pony in line and forget all about me." Moondancer frowned. "But if I offended you...if I made you angry at me, or upset you somehow..." She shook her head. "I've been such a huge fan of yours for so long. I don't want to blow a chance like this."

Rarity studied her for a long moment. "Moondancer," she finally said, "why do you think I had Shinel invite you out to lunch today?"

Moondancer shrugged. "I guess...because I spent all those bits just to see you after the show without seeing the show?"

Rarity shook her head. "No, if I intended to reward--forgive my turn of phrase--'fanatical dedication', as it were, then the list of ponies who have spent more, waited longer, done things more extreme to catch my attention is long, and your name is very, very low on it."

"Oh," Moondancer said softly. "I'm sorry."

"No, darling, don't be sorry," Rarity said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I only meant...please understand, being famous, being wealthy, such things come with certain side effects unrelated to what exactly it is that made you rich or famous. I have sycophants and solicitors because of where I am, but I got there because of ponies like you. Ponies who have always been there, before I was famous, before my name appeared first or second on any VIP list in Canterlot or Manehattan." She smiled broadly. "I owe all of my fans for my success, but none moreso than those who believed in me from the very beginning."

Moondancer's face burned as Rarity's flattery rolled over her. "But...but why me, then? Surely there are other fans...other ponies who've followed you the whole way, been to every show. I've never been to one," she repeated softly.

Rarity smirked. "Indeed. So why would you be such a dedicated fan, if you have never even had opportunity to see the designs in pony?"

The unicorn blinked. "Why?"

"Yes, why. What is it about 'Rarity the Unicorn' that so enthralls you?"

Moondancer just stared at her for a long moment. "What doesn't?" she finally blurted. "I mean, okay, first of all, you grew up in a rustic backwater--sorry, I mean Ponyville," she said, wincing.

Rarity giggled. "Yes, I know, Ponyville is hardly Manehattan. Continue."

"Right..." Moondancer said. "Anyway, you grew up basically in the middle of nowhere, your parents were middle class, uh...well, not-famous ponies," she stumbled as she avoided using the word 'noponies', "you had no formal training or design education, and yet you managed to start your own business, and after just a few tourists from Canterlot came home from Ponyville wearing your designs, Clotheshorse sent somepony to check you out." Moondancer started to wave a hoof in the air, getting lost in the rant. "They wrote one tiny little article about you, part of a long set, but it was the only one anypony could talk about for weeks afterwards. Then Sapphire Shores wore one of your designs in Zigfilly Follies, and then Hoity Toity made your Gala Collection his premiere lineup, and...and..." She ran out of words and breath at the same time. She collected herself just long enough to say, "Nopony has ever taken the fashion world by storm like you. You might be the greatest designer Equestria has ever seen."

Rarity's smile spread from ear to ear, somehow managing to stay distinguished and ladylike despite its comical size. "Well, I daresay you have summed up my genesis quite well," she said, a hint of a quaver in her voice. "I'm genuinely surprised. Most of my fans know how I got my first break, that is, when Hoity Toity picked up the Gala Collection, but I have never before met somepony who could recite my early career so completely." She suddenly sat back in her chair and blinked in confusion before tittering quietly. "And somehow we have gotten back onto me and my accomplishments, rather than you and yours."

Moondancer smiled wanly. "Yes, well...you and yours are substantially more interesting, I'm sure."

Rarity shrugged. "To you, perhaps, but it would be so very rude to limit ourselves to a topic which only interests one of us, don't you think?" She gave Moondancer a small smile and a wink to show she was only teasing.

The cream-colored unicorn giggled softly. "I guess so. Well, what do you want to know, then?"

"Oh, everything," Rarity gushed enthusiastically. "You said you teach and study friendship magic, right?" Moondancer nodded. "Then let us start there. My friend Twilight is herself something of a student of the discipline, although I think her focus is on the larger scope of magic in general, rather than that specific school."

"Really?" Moondancer tilted her head. "Last time I talked to her, she had just finished the first draft of a paper on the effects of physical distance on the manifestation of subconscious sociomagical energy."

"Oh, you know Twilight?"

Moondancer nodded. "We were...well, not friends, exactly, but acquaintances several years ago, before she left Canterlot for Ponyville. We reconnected a few years back and have been staying in touch ever since." She smiled. "Imagine my surprise when I found out you and she were both element bearers."

Rarity tittered. "I'm surprised you never thought to ask Twilight to arrange a meeting with me."

"Well, the thought did cross my mind a few times," Moondancer admitted. "But it just seemed rude to impose like that. In the end, I never even mentioned that I knew of you outside of your exploits with the other elements."

Rarity nodded sagely. "A very proper course of action, one I applaud." Her eye twinkled. "Especially as there was never any doubt you and I would cross paths eventually anyway."

The smile on Rarity's face sent a tiny flutter through Moondancer's heart. It was genuine and warm while carrying the barest hint of coquetry, as though Rarity had always known this date would occur and had been eagerly anticipating it. It made her feel special in a way she'd never really experienced before. She relaxed into her chair and returned the smile. "I don't know about that," she deflected. "But now that it has, I prefer this way."

"As do I. Now," Rarity leaned forward and placed her chin back on her adjoined hooves. "You said you specialize in..." she paused and let her gaze drift above Moondancer's head for a moment. "Subconscious Psychosociological Theory, correct?" She met Moondancer's eyes again.

The custard-colored unicorn blinked, stunned. "I...yeah, I do. How could you possibly remember that mouthful, though?"

Rarity smirked. "It's all in the details, darling. Remembering details is crucial in my field, as you might imagine. The better to memorize color palettes and measurement ratios after only a fleeting glance, to be replicated later. I can recall most of the outfits on the ponies I passed on my way over, despite most of them being utterly forgettable," she added, deadpan. "But we're straying back into talking about me. What, pray tell, is 'Subconscious Psychosociological Theory'?"

Moondancer spent the rest of the hour telling her. She had only enough time to cover the most rudimentary framework of the discipline, starting with the subconscious effect of having friends of varying intimacy in varying numbers, and the similarity of those effects to other subconscious magical effects, and finishing with her own fledgling research into the existence of dormant friendship magic and the capacity to tap into it upon rekindling the relationship that had initially sourced the magic.

"Like your own friendship with Twilight," Rarity said, demurely receiving the check from the waiter without interrupting the flow of Moondancer's enthusiastic lecturing. She gave the paper the briefest of glances before nodding at the waiter and levitating a chit out of her primly minute saddlebag. Chits, Moondancer knew, were typically used in lieu of sums of bits too large to be easily carried, and were nothing more than a promise to have the agreed-upon amount of bits delivered to the holder in a timely fashion. Normally, this represented amounts numbering in the thousands, but in this case, Rarity's bag was too small to hold more than a few coins, rendering the marker necessary for a much smaller amount.

Moondancer nodded. "Right. That exact friendship is what sparked my interest in the topic to begin with. I noticed that after we rekindled our relationship, it was much easier to send one another messages, as the connection between us seemed to be re-energized with no meaningful effort on our part to make it so. I found the same effect was true for all my other friends that I'd neglected for years, but also that those connections could be maintained by only one of the participants, so long as they didn't let it atrophy, but that it couldn't be rekindled unless both partners made a specific effort to do so."

"Fascinating," Rarity said without pretense. "So when you and Twilight parted ways initially, the magic your friendship generated went dormant, but was still easily available once you made amends?"

Moondancer nodded again. "Right, and even though she didn't keep in touch with her other Canterlot friends, the fact that they all still considered her to be their friend meant that they could still tap into that magic, even though she no longer could. Also, Twilight couldn't awaken the magic between us on her own; she needed my reciprocation to energize it again."

"Remarkable!" Rarity's eyes were wide and shining with enthusiasm. Moondancer's heart skipped a beat and she blushed. If only a tenth of her students were half as excited about the subject as Rarity seemed to be, her job would be infinitely more satisfying. She resisted the urge to giggle at the absurdity of a lowly MgD holding a fabulously wealthy superstar enthralled with an undergraduate-level lecture on friendship magic.

"Well," Moondancer said, at once hoping Rarity wouldn't notice her flushing cheeks and knowing perfectly well that the unicorn's razorlike awareness would have identified the shift in color palette immediately. "I certainly think so. I mean, it was interesting enough for me to do my thesis on it."

"A thesis I shall have to read sometime," Rarity purred, her eyes sparkling with genuine interest.

The blush intensified, and Moondancer giggled in spite of herself. "Oh, well...I mean, it's...it's not that special. It's actually really dry and boring if you're not interested in friendship magic."

"But I am, darling," Rarity said. "I am, after all, one of the element bearers, am I not?"

"Right. Right, of course." Moondancer flailed. "I just mean..." She ran out of words and simply sat in her chair and panicked silently.

Rarity tittered. "Once again, my dear, you needn't be so nervous. I promise I'm just like anypony else. Well," she gave Moondancer a mischievous smirk, "perhaps not just like anypony else."

I'll say. Moondancer's brain regained its composure just long enough to stop her mouth from saying the words out loud. What was wrong with her? Even taking Rarity's fame and wealth into account, there was no reason she should be acting like this, fawning and giggling like a school filly in a swoon over a favorite actor. She paused to give herself a mental shakedown and take a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry. I said I was going to treat you like just another pony, and I keep letting myself get flustered."

Rarity smiled. "Well, it's something you'll have to work on for next time, then." She winked.

Moondancer balked. "Next time?"

Rarity nodded as she stood up from the table, floating her small bag back across her withers. "Of course, next time. I daresay this afternoon has been deeply satisfying, and I am simply devastated that it must end so soon."

Moondancer blinked and glanced out at the clock standing in the middle of the square outside the window. Her lunch break had ended ten minutes ago. She felt a brief jolt of panic at realizing her tardiness, but it was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of sadness as she realized the date--there was that word again--was over. The wave passed as she parsed what Rarity had said again. "There's a next time?"

Rarity smiled. "There's no possible way I could have gotten to know you as well as I'd like in one brief rendezvous. We simply must do it again sometime." She paused, then added, "That is, if you would like--"

"Yes!" Moondancer almost squeaked, but she managed to speak in a normal voice, even though she couldn't help but interrupt the fashionista's invitation. Then she coughed, embarrassed, and said, "That is, I'd love to."

Rarity blinked in surprise and laughed. "Well, then! I shall have Shinel contact you with potential dates and times." The smile turned apologetic. "I'm afraid it may be some time. My schedule is, as you might imagine, quite busy these days."

Moondancer nodded and waved a dismissive hoof. "Of course. Just let me know when you'll be available, and I'll make time for you."

"Oh, my!" Rarity feigned modesty and grinned. "How very...enthusiastic of you." The phrase could have been accusatory or even concerned, but Rarity's eyelids fell almost imperceptibly and her lips pulled down into a smirk that fairly screamed coquetry. An odd heat flashed through Moondancer's chest, but before she could pause to consider it, Rarity stepped forward and gave her a light kiss on each cheek. "I can't wait," she said as she stepped back and started towards the door. "Au revoir, darling!"

Moondancer couldn't respond. She simply stood next to the table, eyes watching the ivory haunches of the savagely beautiful mare trotting away and marveled at the odd turn her life was about to take. Can't wait...neither can I...

Threading the Heddles: Next Time

"As you can see by this example, we can use the Glimmer-Sparkle equation to calculate the arcs required for, in this case, a basic mending spell when used to repair an item both in the area of arc-influence and in absolute ownership of an entity determined to be sociologically significant to the caster." Moondancer's magical aura swirled around the dowel she was using to indicate individual elements of the diagram projected at the front of the lecture hall. "So we plug in the arc-moment here, the arc-sustain here, measure and input the estimated total area of cast here, then..." She trailed off as she heard a distinctly attention-grabbing cough from the gallery and turned to cast a curious glance at her class. A white-maned mare with a royal blue coat had one hoof in the air and a miffed expression on her face. Moondancer raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, Miss Trill?"

Songbird Trill lowered her hoof. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but...class was supposed to be over ten minutes ago."

Moondancer blinked and looked up at the clock above the screen. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She quickly dropped the dowel and snatched her notepad from the lectern. "Um...right, please read chapter fifty-eight and answer the first ten questions plus the writing prompt for next time." She raised her voice over the sudden din of students collecting their things and getting to their hooves. "Remember we have an exam in two weeks, you have the study guide, but I'm always available to answer questions or provide additional study group sessions, and my office hours are the same as...on...the...syllabus." Her voice slowly faded along with her smile as the class filed out, largely ignoring her and striking up their own conversations. A few moments later, she was alone.

The unicorn sighed and started to collect her things. It really wasn't like her to lose track of time so completely. Normally she prided herself on planning and executing her lectures down to the minute, even taking into account several pauses for questions or comments. Of course, normally she didn't have anything else to worry about. Today was exceptional.

The note had appeared with a very quiet pop halfway through the lecture. That alone was odd, as most ponies who would be capable of sending her a direct message knew better than to do so during her classes. Typically she would give her correspondents the department's contact information, and simply retrieve her messages as she found time. To be interrupted like this suggested an extreme emergency, and she had naturally excused herself to read it immediately. Her relief at the relatively banal content and the resulting irritation were immediately supplanted by a wave of panic at realizing who the author was.

The whole episode had thrown her completely off her stride, and the rest of the class meeting had vacillated between being asked to repeat herself as she spoke too quickly and staring blankly at her students while she waited entirely too long for questions. She'd even finished the day's original lesson fifteen minutes early, and in her scramble to fill the time, she'd started a new lesson, only to find herself losing track of time in the opposite direction. In short, it had been a disaster, and she knew it would be the talk of the campus.

She paused in her shamefaced tidying as her eyes came back to the note. Hesitating, she unfurled the tightly rolled scroll and reread the body:

Chère Moondancer,

Our recent lunch meeting was the absolute highlight of my week, and I simply cannot wait to relive the experience! Please respond to this note at your earliest convenience and let Shinel know if any of the following dates will be agreeable to your schedule...

The neat, perfectly spaced and beautifully penned script was then broken into a series of carefully transcribed dates and times, some in the afternoon, some in the evening, before returning to the prose.

I do apologize for the infrequency and awkwardness of the available options, but my schedule is simply atrocious this time of year. If you cannot accept any of these invitations, please respond with a list of your own, and I will find space in my calendar for you instead!

I await your response with the utmost of anticipation.

Bien à vous,
Rarity

The valediction included the Trediamanti logo in lieu of the 'R' in 'Rarity', and the leg of the logo underlined the rest of the name. It seemed the unicorn signed her letters with the same flair as her autographs. Even with a moment to think and process what she was holding, however, Moondancer couldn't help the flash of anxiety that reading it engendered. The last note she'd received had obviously been in Shinel's hoof, and not Rarity's. It made sense that somepony as busy as Rarity would not have time to write her own letters, but for some reason she'd made a special effort in this case. A cursory enchantment-sensing spell told Moondancer that it wasn't a form letter, either. She really had sat down and put quill to page.

Somehow, this made everything worse. Rarity was putting an awful lot of time and energy into an extremely fledgling friendship with somepony who didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to making and keeping friends. Of course she was desperately excited for any opportunity to spend time with her idol, but she couldn't ignore the nagging sense that it was a massive waste of Rarity's time. What could somepony already so accomplished and beloved possibly gain from associating with a social misfit like her?

Even as the self-imposed gloom weighed heavily on her ego, Moondancer skimmed the available appointments and mentally compared them to her own calendar. All the afternoon openings were out, as she taught a wide variety of classes during the midday hours. Most of the evenings were available, however, and she almost picked the soonest one out of pure enthusiasm before realizing the sycophantic message that might send. It wouldn't do for Rarity to think she was so infatuated and otherwise boring that she would immediately jump at whatever social engagement she could get. The fact that both were true was still no reason to let Rarity in on the secret.

Instead, she picked the second time slot--a touch earlier in the evening, but still late enough to fit her schedule--and, using the seal imprinted at the bottom of the note as a focus, sent her reply. She had barely managed to finish packing her supplies when another scroll appeared and settled onto the lectern. Convinced it had to be a form letter confirming receipt of her note, she almost ignored it, but when she realized it was precisely the same style as the first, she curiously opened it and scanned the contents.

Chère Moondancer,

How marvelous! I confess I rather hoped you'd find a sooner engagement more agreeable than a later one. However, that particular date does present a small...issue.

You see, that appointment represents a small window in my day, small enough, indeed, to render it quite impossible for me to escape any earlier to meet you at a restaurant. As a result, we will simply have to make do with the Carousel Bistro here at the boutique. I know it's hardly three-hoof fare, but I assure you it's quite delectable all the same!

If you are still willing, I shall have Shinel meet you in the foyer and we will make the best of the time we have available to us!

À bientôt,
Rarity

Moondancer almost laughed at the implication that she would refuse the date simply because it would be at one location over another, but she responded in the affirmative regardless. Then she finished collecting her things and trotted out of the lecture hall on hooves a touch lighter than they had been just ten minutes ago. She wanted to see me as soon as possible! Rarity is excited to see me!

Moondancer had never met Princess Celestia in pony, at least not in anything but the most formal of settings, but if Twilight Sparkle's candid letters were to be believed, the magnificent and benevolent ruler of Equestria had something of a playful streak. Previously, Moondancer hadn't been sure what to make of Twilight's assertions, but over the next few days, she started to suspect that the princess knew what was going on, and had slowed the passage of time specifically to tease her. Moondancer caught herself counting down the hours, losing herself in wonder at what she and Rarity would talk about, marveling at her impossibly good fortune, and generally just struggling to find ways to fill the impossibly long days.

Finally, the clock struck five on the day of the date, and Moondancer immediately turned to her class with a barely contained grin. "Well, I think we've covered enough for the day. I know it's early, but I'm going to go ahead and call it a day." The sentiment was so out of the ordinary for Professor Moondancer that no one moved for several seconds, instead casting confused glances at one another to see if there was some hint or message being missed. Moondancer chuckled. "I mean it. Life's too short to spend all of it sitting in class. Go on, have some fun. We're ahead of schedule anyway."

A bemused murmur drifted through the hall as the class collected their things and filed out. For once, Moondancer was hot on their hooves. Rarity's suggested meeting time was six, but Moondancer knew that if her schedule was as packed as she implied, the earlier she arrived, the more of her limited time they could share. Plus, she smirked coyly to herself, if Rarity could show up early to lunch out of excitement, then she could return the favor for dinner.

The unicorn made a brief detour to her office to drop off her teaching materials and retrieve a small satin-wrapped box from a desk drawer. She'd dithered over the purchase for several minutes when she'd spotted the little sapphire brooch in the jeweler's window display the day before, but eventually chose to throw caution to the wind and get it. Rarity was famous for her weakness for gemstones of almost any variety, but Moondancer knew her heart was softest for sapphires. "What other stone could possibly bring out my eyes so purely as they?" she'd once gushed in an article discussing the cyclical rise and fall of gemstone popularity in fashion.

Moondancer unwrapped the box and examined the brooch inside again. One flash of the sunlight across the face of the stone proved Rarity's assertion true, and Moondancer's heart unexpectedly quivered at the memory of Rarity's sparkling irises, dancing playfully as she teased her nervous date. The reaction sparked a little flame of panic in Moondancer's stomach. On second thought, was this even something Rarity would wear? It was certainly nice enough for somepony like Moondancer, but Rarity was regularly spotted out on the town wearing necklaces, earrings, tailrings, and coronetlets studded with an almost absurd variety and number of gems and jewels. She hardly seemed the type to add one little brooch to her ensemble, especially considering the care with which she typically constructed her outfits.

Stupid, stupid, Moondancer chided herself as she rewrapped the box and stuck it back in the drawer, slamming it closed. Then, after a beat, she sighed and opened the drawer again, retrieving the box and sticking it angrily into her saddlebag. She'd gotten it for Rarity, she was going to give it to Rarity. At the very least, she could stick it in a trunk of similar useless baubles as part of her doubtless substantial collection.

Loath to waste any more time pandering to her insecurities, Moondancer stomped out of the university building and started making her way downtown to Saddle Row. She did not often make her way this far into the city center. As a professor at the university, she was far from destitute, but wealth in Canterlot had a different shade than elsewhere in Equestria. Even the smallest, most modest homes and apartments were phenomenally expensive, and some of the most ostentatious abodes couldn't be purchased at all, but were only available to specific ponies, either by virtue of their standing in the peerage or their general economic or diplomatic worth.

Moondancer--an esteemed but plebeian educator--lived within the scope of the university's holdings, which provided her a home free of charge and discounted living essentials for purchase on campus. This made it relatively trivial to live comfortably in the most affluent city in Equestria, but it didn't give her much overhead to spend on luxuries, and certainly not at Canterlot prices. As a result, she had little reason to travel to Saddle Row, the pristine little lane that snaked around the city's side of the castle gardens, where even glancing in the shop windows would cause bits to evaporate from her coin purse. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the occasional stroll down the thoroughfare, often joining her friends for a bit of frivolous window shopping. She simply had never stepped hoof inside any of the shops, let alone even contemplated opening her purse there.

Today, however, she clopped across the flagstones with purpose, the route to Canterlot Carousel well worn into her memory. The Carousel was one of the shops Moondancer and her friends made a special effort to visit when they spent the afternoon on Saddle Row. While they may not have appreciated the more granular aspects of what made Rarity's designs so enchanting, her friends could at least appreciate the beauty of the garments, and they would join Moondancer in wide-eyed wonder at the vast array of clothes on display. Designs never stayed in the window for more than a week, so they were always greeted with a parade of new items to wistfully pine for. This afternoon was no exception. Moondancer slowed as the boutique came into view, her eyes sliding appreciatively from one glittering masterpiece to the next, and practically salivated at the beauty sewn into every inch. Gems, flawlessly cut and delicately applied, glinted and flashed at her as she walked by, coyly tempting her to simply check the price tag, just in case she could maybe afford the garment. Waves of silk and satin cascaded down the ponnequins' bodies, looking like nothing so much as dunes of richly hued sand laid out by a gentle tide over centuries.

For once, Moondancer didn't stop and stare at the clothes on offer. She had cause to actually go inside the boutique for once, and she walked purposefully into the vast, magnificently appointed lobby of the building. Shinel was already there, talking to another sharply dressed young stallion, who had a quill and scroll in his magic and was feverishly scribbling.

"...to push the interview back to tomorrow morning, no later than seven. Clotheshorse also needs the newest photo sets of the Summer collection--last year, not this one--and the Fall collection--two years ago--by midnight tonight. Let Hoity Toity know that we're still interested in his offer for next season, but that we're still going over the financials to make sure it's feasible. Tell Prim Hemline that Miss Rarity needs her revised designs by next week, or we're cutting her out of the collection, and remind Silken Sash that we're still waiting on her last entry." The stallion's face was almost bored as he rattled off orders, his voice clear even as he spoke with such speed that Moondancer wasn't sure how the hapless scribe was keeping pace. "Also go down to shipping and make sure the Mount Aris delivery got off okay, and remind Porter that the paperwork is still not optional." A tiny hint of emotion seeped into the stallion's voice at this last order, but his expression remained passive and confident. "Then come back and find me again, because we need to verify travel plans for next week's tour; I still haven't gotten confirmation from Buckboard that he'll have a carriage available for us when we get there." His demure gaze shifted just enough to see Moondancer enter the lobby, and his face suddenly split into a warm smile. "Moondancer!" he said, his voice losing its hardened edge as he wordlessly dismissed the other unicorn and trotted over to meet her. "So glad you could make it."

Moondancer smiled at him, pleasantly surprised by the sincerity of his tone. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I know I'm a little early, though," she said, pursing her lips. "I hope that's not a problem."

Shinel shook his head. "Not in the least. Miss Rarity won't be ready for a little while yet, but she won't mind if you wait in the apartment." He turned and started to walk away without further preamble.

Moondancer blinked and started after him. "The apartment?" she asked. "There's an apartment here?"

Shinel chuckled. "Miss Rarity makes it a point to have a small living area furnished for her to occupy in all of her large boutiques, so she has somewhere to stay when she's in town for shows or meetings." He smiled over his shoulder. "It keeps local hoteliers from having to fight over her business or try to meet her admittedly exacting standards."

Moondancer nodded, comprehending. "Right, and I imagine it probably has a bit of a nostalgic feel, since her first shop in Ponyville has a living area upstairs."

Shinel nodded. "Exactly." He led her through the entryway at the back of the lobby and into the boutique proper. Inside, several visibly affluent ponies were milling about the ponnequins, casting an appreciative eye over the garments and chatting quietly. Strains of classical music drifted from the strings of a live quartet, and a couple of tailor ponies were in the process of measuring and sizing some of the patrons. Here and there, waiters weaved around the floor carrying trays of apéritifs and hors d'oeuvres, silent and insubstantial as ghosts until the precise moment somepony found themselves parched or peckish.

The while experience seemed alien to Moondancer, who was used to shopping for her clothes from racks filled with hangers while she tried to ignore blaring muzak. Shopping here must have felt more like choosing a future mate than buying an outfit for a party. The unicorn resisted the reflex to gawk at the scene.

Shinel must have noticed her efforts, because he smirked at her. "Not quite like the typical prêt-à-porter experience, is it?"

Moondancer shook her head. "Not even a little bit. It's like we're not even in the same world."

Shinel chuckled. "That's the point. We're not just selling clothes or fashion, we're selling a lifestyle. An experience. In some cases, an identity." He cast a fond glance over the displays. "And Miss Rarity has the keenest eye for how to emphasize the best parts of somepony's identity."

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. "How could she do that if they buy these clothes without ever meeting with her?"

"Oh, no," Shinel laughed. "Nopony buys these clothes. At least not here. No, these are just designs. Blueprints. It's all part of her resume, her reputation. Ponies come here to get an idea of what she can do, and then, if they're still interested, they'll set up an appointment with her, and if she likes them, she'll design for them."

"If she likes them?"

Shinel nodded. "She won't design for somepony she doesn't like. It would tarnish her reputation to have somepony she doesn't respect or trust be seen wearing her designer label."

"The Rarest of the Rare," Moondancer murmured. Rarity's most exclusive designs were hoof-designed and stitched by the unicorn herself, and unique as a result. They were appropriately labeled the Rarest of the Rare line, and owning just one such garment was considered one of the most distinct shows of affluence and influence possible. Princess Celestia herself only had three. Somehow it had never occurred to Moondancer that each design was specifically tailored to the owner, although in retrospect, the perfection with which the clothes matched and accentuated the wearer's frame and coloration should have been a clue. She had assumed that Rarity just designed and sewed however and whenever she wanted, and then sold the end result. If owning such a piece implied that Rarity considered them to be worth her time and effort, Moondancer would have to reconsider her opinions on some of the more famous wearers of the brand. "I know nopony ever resells those designs, but could they if they wanted to?"

Shinel shook his head. "Part of the agreement. You aren't just buying the outfit, you're buying the right to wear it. Obviously that doesn't apply to the clothes sold in larger quantities, but the Rarest of the Rare is more than just a dress. It's a statement. It's Rarity's tacit endorsement of who you are and what you do. If she wants, she can revoke that endorsement by requesting you return the dress. For a refund, of course, but it's not the money that would hurt her the most, it's the betrayal."

There was a slightly awkward beat in the conversation, as though Shinel was waiting for Moondancer to ask the question he knew she wanted to. "So..." she ventured.

Shinel smiled. "No, not yet. Fortunately, Miss Rarity is a pretty good judge of character."

Moondancer nodded. "I'm not surprised. I don't ever really see or hear about her associating with unsavory types." She paused. "Well, except for Discord, but..."

Shinel laughed. "Yes, well, Discord is a special case, I suppose. Being Miss Fluttershy's best friend does seem to afford him some esteem by proxy." The pair come upon a small, almost invisible door set in the back wall of the boutique, which glowed momentarily as Shinel pulled it open and stepped back. "After you."

Behind the door, a narrow but well-lit staircase curved up and around the corner, and the two ponies made their way to the second landing, where they were met with another, larger door with a small magical focus etched into the wall above it. Shinel's magic shone around the focus for a moment. A series of clunks resonated through the door, and he pushed it open as well.

The apartment behind the door was nothing like Moondancer had expected. She had assumed there would be marble floors, expensive sculptures and paintings, designer furniture and crystal chandeliers. Instead, she found her hooves crossing from chocolate colored carpet to warm mahogany flooring. The walls were adorned not with rare artwork, but framed photos of Rarity and her friends, dozens of them, often clad in clothing clearly crafted in her own hoof. The open floor plan had wide doors leading off the main hallway into an economically appointed kitchen paired with a cozy dining nook, a spartan office with a desk strewn with stacks of paper and designs, and a small library stocked almost entirely with books of fashion collections. At the end of the hallway was another door leading to what appeared to be a den, and echoing down the hall from the den was the odd sound of ringing metal on metal and incomprehensible shouts. Puzzled, Moondancer glanced at Shinel, but the assistant was unperturbed, and simply led her towards the sound.

Moondancer entered the den at his side, and came across a sight she wouldn't have believed if somepony else had described it to her. Two ponies--one immediately identifiable as Rarity from the tight bundle of indigo hair whipping around her neck and withers--were facing one another in the center of the room, standing in a long rectangle of white tape stuck to the floor. They were both clad in heavy white jumpsuits that covered every inch of their body from their jawline to just above the floor. Rarity's tail and mane were carefully woven into heavy braids, while the other pony's hair was all cropped short. Most notably, however, both ponies wore heavy wire mesh masks that covered their faces, ears, and necks to protect them from the other bizarre element of the scene: the swords. Hovering between the ponies were a pair of long, thin swords gripped in their respective magical auras. The weapons look like duelers blades, with short hilts and bell-shaped guards, and at the moment were each pointed at the opposing dueler.

A moment after Moondancer entered the room, she heard Rarity's mellifluous trill, oddly sharp, say, "En garde!"

The other pony nodded and replied, "Prêts?"

Rarity nodded back and said, "Allez!"

The next five seconds were a blur of motion Moondancer couldn't hope to follow. The swords flashed and sliced through the air, clashing once, then again. The two ponies dodged nimbly forward and backwards in a frantic ballet of combat, their hooves only momentarily touching the ground with each step. Suddenly, Rarity lunged forward, slashing her sword in a short, sharp arc and diving towards her opponent. There was an exchange of contact, a staccato of metallic cracks, and as soon as it had begun, the duel ended. The white fringe of Rarity's mask had turned red and emitted a short buzzing sound. The unicorn removed her mask and stared at it with disgust. "What?" She glared at her opponent. "I'm certain I struck you first!"

The other pony removed his mask as well, revealing a sharply lined silver face with a thin-lipped muzzle and a sour expression. "Non, you hesitated." His accent was distinctly Prench, but he spoke eloquently. "You are still too reckless. Your flèche was fine, but you are too quick to react. You cannot let the appel distract you."

Rarity grumbled her frustration. "Well, did I touch, at least?"

The other pony gave her a wan smile. "Almost."

Rarity gave a short cry of exasperation before turning around. Her face immediately lit up when she noticed Moondancer standing in the doorway. "Moondancer, darling!" She made as if to come and embrace her guest, but stopped short with a sheepish smile. "I apologize, but I shouldn't come any closer. I've been...exerting myself rather a lot, and I fear I must smell quite the fright."

Moondancer couldn't say anything. Rarity looked, if possible, even more beautiful and alluring than she usually did. Her mane, pulled back and tightly braided, shone as brightly as the steel of her sword. Her face, glistening with a sheen of perspiration and framed by a few wayward strands of mane that had come free of the braid, was flushed and alive, her eyes sharp and focused and her nostrils flaring as she panted. Moondancer couldn't stop her eyes sliding down to the unicorn's body, where the tight white uniform clung to her chest, heaving with exertion, and her tail, braided like her mane, was held in a high arc to protect it from dragging on the ground.

At Rarity's apology, Moondancer's imagination thrust another element into the image, and even though she couldn't actually smell the unicorn from where she stood, she couldn't help but wonder at her scent. She couldn't imagine somepony as enchanting and gorgeous as Rarity could possibly stink, no matter how much she sweated. She probably smelled like she looked: intense, powerful...fierce. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart suddenly started to pound, and she forced herself to break the silence and regain her composure. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine." Relieved to hear only the barest hint of a tremor in her voice, she continued, "How come I didn't know you fenced?"

Rarity smiled coyly. "A girl must have some secrets, no?" She turned to her dueling partner. "I apologize, Salle, but I must cut our assault short tonight. As you can see, I have a guest."

The silver stallion minutely raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, that is of course your prerogative. I will still require--"

Rarity nodded and waved a hoof at him, floating her sword up and onto a display rack on the wall. "Of course, Salle. I would never request your time without fair compensation." She began to pull the tape up from the floor.

Salle nodded and swiftly stripped off his uniform, revealing a svelte frame and long, thin legs. "Very well. Shinel, you will be in touch?"

Shinel nodded and stepped aside as the stallion trotted out of the den. "I will. Good evening, monsieur." He turned back to Rarity. "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Rarity, but I figured you'd probably want Miss Moondancer to wait here in the apartment."

"And you were quite right, Shinel," Rarity said, stepping out of her fencing gear and balling it up in her magic. "Thank you for bringing her up."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

She glanced at the crumpled wad in her aura. "Well, I don't suppose you're passing by the laundry any time soon, are you?"

Shinel shrugged and took the clothes from her. "It's on my way."

"You're an absolute gem, Shinel." Rarity beamed at him, and he smiled as he gave her a curt bow and left. She turned back to Moondancer. "Well, you are early, aren't you?"

Moondancer shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "In the words of the world's greatest fashion designer, 'I simply could not wait another moment.'" She grinned. "Although if I'd known I could watch you crossing swords with somepony, I would've been here a lot sooner."

Rarity laughed, sending a thrill through Moondancer's stomach. "Oh, darling, it's hardly as exciting as all that. Simply a hobby of mine. A guilty pleasure I picked up a few years ago during a conference in Prance."

"Why guilty?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "Well, it would hardly do for ponies to see me as the athletic type, would it?"

Moondancer cocked her head curiously. "I don't see why not. I think you looked positively captivating."

The unicorn's eyes widened, and her cheeks colored. Moondancer immediately regretted her choice of words and stammered, "I mean, you really can pull off any look. Like...even in a plain white one-piece, you were gorgeous. Just...your face and your hair and...and..."

Rarity cleared her throat and soothed, "Moondancer, it's fine. I know what you meant, I'm simply surprised to hear it." She smiled. "I admit, I can't imagine how you could think that with my hair bound up and my face all sweaty that I could possibly look anything but ghastly, but..."

Moondancer nodded, her cheeks coloring. "I do. You really do look radiant in just about anything."

Rarity smirked. "You aren't just saying that because you're afraid I'll get mad at you, are you?" she teased.

Moondancer grinned. "No, I learned my lesson. Well," she amended, "I'm learning it, anyway."

"Baby steps, I suppose," Rarity said, pulling the ties out of her mane and tail and shaking out the braids. "I hope you don't mind if I take a quick shower before we go to dinner. I really do smell just appalling."

I doubt it, Moondancer thought, but she simply shook her head. "Not at all. Do you want me to wait in here, or...?"

Rarity shrugged. "I don't see any need for that. I shan't be long, and we can discuss our plans for the evening while I freshen up."

"Oh, okay," Moondancer murmured, oddly unnerved by the idea. It was one thing to catch somepony engaging in a hobby they preferred to keep a secret, but it was something else altogether to watch them bathe, especially in their own bathroom. That sort of intimacy was normally reserved for close friends and family members. She wondered if Rarity considered her the former already, but immediately dismissed the idea. She probably just wanted to save time, and had learned to forgo normal social mores like privacy and physical shyness.

She followed the unicorn through the bedroom into her washroom, where Rarity turned on and then entered a rain-style shower. She was talking before the water hit her. "So, as I mentioned in my note, we'll have to keep this visit unfortunately short. I can only spare an hour or so, as I must meet with Coco Pommel later tonight to discuss the quarterly sales figures for the Manehattan boutique."

Moondancer tilted her head curiously. "Don't you have accountants to do that for you?"

Rarity nodded and stuck her head under the running water, letting it hit her in the face and sluice down her neck and back. "I do, but they can only report on the numbers. I always like to have a sense of the flow and the feel of the store, whether the patrons are enjoying themselves, whether the designs are still impressing, and basically whether she thinks something needs to change." She turned her back to the shower head and lifted her tail so the water filtered through it as well.

Moondancer watched the water flowing down through Rarity's hair, relaxing the curls imposed by the braids and leaving it in long, sleek sheaves of purple even darker than her normal color. Her mane framed her face in dark curtains, and her tail hung in a thick, limp bunch that glistened in stark contrast to her ivory coat and drew Moondancer's gaze inexorably to her haunches. The hair there clung to her skin, outlining and highlighting the soft, supple shape of her rear end, the gentle curve firm but not muscular, an effect Rarity must have cultivated with great effort. Moondancer could see the muscles shifting beneath the flesh, but only barely, and it only served to accentuate the white unicorn's svelte femininity. A stab of desire, unmistakable in its source, lanced through her.

It was almost immediately replaced by a surge of guilt and panic. Moondancer was no stranger to crushes, but the target was supposed to be somepony aloof and practically intangible. Movie stars, princesses, Wonderbolts and the like. Not somepony she could literally have reached out and touched if she threw caution to the wind and let her gut take the lead. It was all well and good to crush on somepony so far away, because it meant the crush could be nurtured and ridden out, gossiped and laughed about with friends, comfortably impossible to act on. But this...this sudden surge of fascination and desire, this knot in her stomach that only tightened as Rarity slowly turned in the cascading water, letting rivulets run down the curve of her haunches and flow down to drip off her taut, perfect torso...what could she do with this? This was the dictionary definition of unrequitable affection. Rarity was so far out of her league that Moondancer was still thrown off every time Rarity actually remembered her name. And yet Moondancer found herself repeatedly biting back compliments and flirty little quips that got all the way to her mouth before she caught them, horrified at what she'd almost said. Not only was Rarity sure to be uninterested, she might even find the innuendo laughable, or offensive. In either case, Moondancer was sure to fall out of her good graces the instant the words left her mouth. Terrified of saying any of the insane things coming to mind, Moondancer picked her next words as carefully as she could. "That makes sense. You trust her to run the boutique well, then?"

Rarity nodded, her sodden mane swinging lazily against her forelegs. "As well as I might. She really does have a knack for helping ponies enjoy their shopping experience and finding the right clothes for whatever they need. Of course, she's an exquisite designer to boot." The shampoo bottle jumped off the shelf of its own accord and swiftly deposited a line of product down the length of Rarity's back. The unicorn retrieved several loofahs and began scrubbing herself in earnest, quickly disappearing beneath a layer of suds. "I've been quite fortunate in all my managerial hires so far. Sassy Saddles was a little bit of a project, I guess, but she really is quite the talent, once she got out of her own way." The unicorn tittered softly and looked at Moondancer. "I must look quite the sight."

Moondancer giggled. She really did look ridiculous. Where there had once been a painfully beautiful and alluring ivory unicorn now stood an awkwardly lumpy four-legged mess of pink bubbles. The suds were easily a hoof thick all across her fur. She looked like a foal's sculpture. The ponies shared a laugh before Rarity stepped back under the water and slowly reappeared, her grinning face emerging from the cocoon. Moondancer's breath caught again, but this time she was ready for it, and she simply rode the surge of warmth that Rarity's coquettish smile and perfect form elicited. Rarity finished rinsing herself and shut off the water, grabbing a thick, fluffy towel and giving herself a thorough rub down. "I am sorry that you have to see me au naturel, as it were."

Moondancer blinked. "What do you mean?"

Rarity hung the towel back on the rack, her mane still hanging limp in front of her face, revealing only the tip of her muzzle. "Why, without my maquillage, of course." When Moondancer didn't react, she clarified, "My makeup, darling."

"Oh. Oh!" Moondancer scoffed. "Why should you apologize for that?"

Rarity's muzzle smirked through her mane. "One should always look their best for their fans."

"I thought were were friends, not just celebrity and fan," Moondancer teased.

Rarity laughed. "True. Still, I do feel bad when somepony has to see me at less than my best."

"What do you mean? You don't have to look your best for anypony. I mean, if you want to, that's great, but you don't owe it to anyone."

The smirk faded to a sad smile. "I wish that were true, darling. The fact is, ponies expect me to be beautiful. My fans expect me to be beautiful, as is their right. My beauty got me where I am today, and I can't abandon that. It's not fair to them." Rarity's magic pulled her mane away from her face, revealing lighter-than-normal cheeks and unshadowed eyelids. Her eyes were less striking without the liner, her lips less lustrous and paler. Her mane hung in heavy, lifeless bunches.

Moondancer shook her head. "If they expect you to be beautiful, then they'd get it." She smiled. "You're absolutely radiant, just as you are."

Rarity's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked away, her cheeks coloring and her eyes shimmering with tears as the small smile morphed from sad to flustered. "I thought we talked about this. You don't have to flatter me to be my friend."

"I know," Moondancer said, suddenly courageous. She stepped forward and put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder, drawing the unicorn's gaze back to her face. "I have to flatter you because you deserve to hear the truth. And the truth is that nopony compares to you, no matter what you do to your looks."

There was a long silence as the two mares stared into one another's eyes, each attempting to read the other's mind and find the truth behind their words. Eventually, Rarity's eyelids fell and she looked away, the smile sad once again. "You're too kind, Moondancer. Now, if you give me just a moment to put myself together, we have a reservation to make."

Moondancer watched as the unicorn picked up all her accoutrements at once and began expertly applying foundation, eye shadow, lip gloss, and a carefully sequenced series of hair products. Her heart ached for the celebrity as she suddenly realized she was seeing the first ragged edges of what that word truly meant, and the toll such a life could take.