Second Time Around

"Why in the three hells would you do such a thing!" Coloratura yelled at Mayes as he leaned against the seat in the train cabin where he had been dragged after his bout of self harm.

"Really? You really don't know why I'd do such a thing? Could it possibly be that you decided not to tell me that she was going to join us?" He shot back with a groan as another jolt of pain shot through his head.

Coloratura handed him a bottle of water which he began to eagerly suck down as if his life depended on it. The cool water quelled the pain in the front of his skull but did little to quell the pain in his own heart. With a distant stare and a sigh he positioned his elbow on the window and watched the country side move across his vision like a movie. How had it all come to this?

"Mayes... We've been on the road for months. We've seen a lot of bad in both of our lives so I gotta ask one more time." She spoke quietly as a hoof touched his knee. "What happened between you and Rarity?"

"Well I guess I got a confession to make first." Mayes began as he felt his mouth already going dry, "I'm a fool. I got tired of starting again somewhere new. Women, mares, that kind of thing."

He fidgeted with his hair as he recalled the first time he ever came to be in Equestria.

"I wasn't initially attracted to mares. The whole concept was incredibly alien to me so for a while I lost all hope of finding romance, love, or... well... you know." His cheeks flared up momentarily as did his companions.

"That all changed when I met Rarity for the third or fourth time. Granted she was incredibly afraid or disgusted with me either or I could never figure out. I was without a home and I was sick of Twilight prodding me with questions and tests so one night while it was pouring I left. Wandered around Ponyville for a few hours feeling sorry for myself but," He paused as a smile graced his face "Then a light came on like it was from heaven itself and there standing in the doorway with a blanket was Rarity."

Coloratura felt her eyes moisten a bit as she watched her friend open up in a way he had previously never had before.

"She took me in, we had tea, biscuits, played games for hours and when she finally went to bed I felt a little less lonely in this world. I wanted to court her in a sense so I worked any job I could find to get her cakes, jewelry, anything at all to pay back that priceless act of kindness. I guess I kind of became infatuated with her."

His demeanor changed from content to somber within a moment.

"She wasn't interested. It took me a long time to finally accept that partially and that's when I met you. " He looked to Coloratura with a faint smile, "You took me in and gave me a chance to better myself. So that's two mares that I owe my life to."

Coloratura smiled widely with moist eyes and hoofed him in the knee.

"Don't get all sappy on me Mayes. At least she seems to be happy to be around you now."

Mayes cringed and shook his head without looking back at her.

"She's only here now because I'm the newest trend. I'm her model, her key to greater success, a stepping stone."

Coloratura bit her lip and placed her hoof back on his knee.

"Mayes..."

He snapped her hoof away and looked back out the window.

"Don't Mayes me Rara. She didn't want me before so why would she now unless it benefited her in some way."

The train car became deathly silent as the two continued to reflect on their own words.

Rarity on the other hand was having an equally hard time. Refusing to be seated away from Mayes after he assaulted himself Rarity agreed to share a cabin with One Shot in the car behind Mayes and Coloratura. She looked out to the horizon much like Mayes was and sighed quietly as One Shot looked over Mare Vogue.

"Can't believe my little May-may got front cover." He chuckled gently as he read through the columns. "And Mare Vogues number one bachelor to boot! Never thought I'd see the day."

Rarity had read the article several times before even meeting up with Mayes to head to Canterlot. Though hurt for a bit that her designs hadn't been featured she had felt a swelling sense of pride that she was asked to accompany the group as Mayes costume designer. More than once though she had stopped to question herself on why she had agreed in the first place with the fall fashion line up approaching quickly.

"Excuse me, Mr. One Shot dear," Rarity finally spoke without letting her eyes leave the scenery, "How exactly do you know Mayes?"

One Shot grinned widely and let out a giggle that took Rarity off guard.

"Oh? Are you interested in little May-may?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow and a glint in his eyes.

Rarity felt her face grow hot as she shook her head quickly.

"Of course not. We established a very professional relationship a long time ago. Why; I was worried when he was gone."

One Shot frowned slightly and looked at her closely.

"You're lying though."

Rarity felt her ears splay back as she realized this stallion wasn't as aloof as others she had met.

"Well I.... didn't actually know he had gone to be frank. I thought after that... incident that he had just grown distant and with the madness of everything going on I hardly had the time to seek him out to apolo-" She cut herself off as One Shot let out a soft hum in response.

"Me doth think the lady protest too much." He stated with a dramatic sweep of his head.

With a slightly bigger smile he looked at her as if he was not only giving her a once over but looking into her very soul.

"you know. When I first met Mayes he was this awkward creature that couldn't formulate a coherent sentence without stuttering let alone instruct thirty ponies a dance routine. Hell the first time I met him I almost tried courting him myself."

Rarity felt her ears perk up and with a flabbergasted stare she merely tried to ask the question. THE question.

"What? You really thought I was just into mares?" One Shot whispered heatedly as he broke character to laugh loudly.

"The look on your face! Totally worth playing along." He added with a teary giggle "Seriously though Miss Rarity. I'm not at all into Mayes any more than a friend. In fact I'd say he's my best friend."

Rarity felt a pang of guilt that she had never even given him a chance at real friendship. One Shot continued as he looked out the window deep in thought.

"Rara brought him to me with Sapphire three months ago. She claimed he would be the newest hit in Equestria while he spent the whole time assuring us that would never happen. At first I was skeptical probably same as you were. Over time though..." He paused as a hoof tapped his chin. "I found that he is far gentler, far more interesting, and far greater than any stallion or mare I have ever met."

He paused to give his full attention to Rarity who had opted to remain silent.

"So my very serious question is, why are you interested in him now?"

Rarity had a million answers for the seemingly simple question roll through her mind and none of them left a particularly good taste in her mouth except one.

"I... I'm not sure to be honest darling." Rarity began as she spoke slowly. "I'll admit Mayes and I didn't have the best friendship especially after... well that was a long time ago."

One Shot leaned in so close she didn't notice he was an inch from her nose.

"You are NOT gonna leave me hanging like that, what the hell happened between you two? I mean he still likes you a lot."

Rarity blinked and then widened her eyes.

"He does? What has he said?"

One Shot shook a hoof at her dismissively.

"You tell me what happened and I'll tell you the secret of Mayes success."

Rarity stopped for a moment in thought before nodding her head.

"Well, it all happened about five months ago or so..."

Rarity sat at her sewing station pumping in bolts of fabrics in a shades of blue, white, and soft grays in the hopes that her scarves would be ready to set up for the winter festival stalls. The snow was going to be coming any day now as the reports from the pegasi ccloud forecast forecast and her scarves would see very fast.

A knock at the door carried the focus of work away from the her as she heard the door open and a very jubilant cry from her little sister.

"Mayes!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she jumped into the arms of the human that stood in the doorway.

Rarity smiled gently as she watched her sister place her hooves all over the scraggly humans face as he tried his best to get a word in over her insistent questions.

"Sweetie, please get your dirty hooves off of our guest." She colded as she noted the muddy hoof marks all over Mayes shirt and pants.

With a huff and a scrunched snout Sweetie let Mayes put her down as she whispered a few choice PG words at Rarity before sulking off into the kitchen. Rarity sighed as she approached Mayes who reached into his pocket while she approached. Rarity already knew what he was doing and felt a terrible weight in her stomach as she began to shake her head.

"Mayes darling you didn't bring another gift did you?" She chided as the human pulled a small brown package from his pocket and handed it to her.

It wasn't that she wasn't flattered. The first few times she gladly accepted the kindness and generosity of the human and even gifted him clothes in return because she felt it was right. He had tried so hard to pay her back for the space where she let him sleep and stay while he looked for a more permanent residence.

She hadn't taken him in for reward. She was worried when she saw him walking in the pouring rain that time ago.

"Well... Yeah. I saw this set of gems at the market and thought you would like them. Maybe throw them into another awesome dress or something."

Rarity tsked gently and shook her head as she took the package into her magical grasp. As she prepared to chide the human once more she lost the words in her throat; there in the little box were seven uncut natural sunset gem stones. One alone would set her back a weeks pay but Mayes had brought her seven.

"Mayes. I can't possibly accept these." Rarity whispered as her eyes stayed glued to the shimmering gems.

She looked up to see Mayes no longer smiling, a look of hurt across his face as his eyes refused to meet hers.

"I was afraid you'd say that." He began as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's because I'm not a pony isn't it?"

Rarity suddenly understood what all the gifts were for, all the flowers, the cakes, the fabric and gems.

It was to court her.

"Mayes dear I...." She panicked as she tried to find the words to say to him.

"It's fine. Sorry I dropped by unannounced. It Won't happen again." He said with a defeated expression as he exited the boutique closing the door gently behind him.

Rarity didn't say a word. She couldn't.

"So... You shot him down with silence?" One Shot asked coolly after hearing Rarity recount her tale.

"No not at all! I just didn't know-"

"What to say. Well you were thinking something." One Shot interrupted while he shook his head.

"That explains a lot..." He continued while he maintained his gaze at the unicorn mare. "You know he barely talked when Rara found him at the pub? He looked like he was wasting away and the only reason, thank Faust, she took him in was because he was singing the most heart breaking song she had ever heard."

Rarity felt her ears splay back as One Shot continued to scold her on something that she believed wasn't entirely her fault.

"Though I guess that was what got him into Coloratura and Sapphires hooves in the first place. The guy didn't know what to do because you didn't say anything."

"I didn't think I was interested at the time!" She shouted without seeing the door to her cabin slide open.

"Weren't interested in what Miss Rarity?" Mayes asked with genuine curiosity as he looked at the flustered mare and One Shot sporting the widest grin he had ever seen.

Rarity however took the opportunity to put her face into a pillow and scream as loudly as she could.