Second Time Around

"Rarity?"

Rarity grumbled as she opened her eyes to the piercing rays of the sun.

"Faust, close the blinds for the love of Faust." She moaned as she tried to cover her eyes with a hoof.

She adjusted slightly and noticed she was still uncomfortably positioned on the couch where she had her melt down the night before. Standing next to her with a concerned look was Mayes, dressed in a pressed collared shirt, black slacks, a silver and blue rose emblazoned vest and a black tie that matched very well. Rarity smiled gently and pressed a hoof to his chest.

"You look absolutely handsome Mayes. What's the occasion?"

Mayes raised an eyebrow at her as he held a glass of steaming coffee to her hoof.

"Rarity I have my date with Fleur tonight. You slept half the day away."

Rarity shot up in her seat and looked out the window to the city below. Sure enough the sun was past the center point in the sky and she could hear the busy sounds of the street below. Groaning to herself she graciously took the coffee in her grasp as Mayes sat next to her. The two shared a silence as she sipped slowly while Mayes rested his head in his hands.

"I talked to Rara last night." He began which caused Rarity to stiffen her entire body. "She told me about what you said regarding Fleur asking me out. I gotta say Rarity I'm surprised and I'd be lying if I said not pleasantly so."

Rarity felt her stomach flutter as she looked at Mayes expectantly.

"But I don't think I fully believe what either of you had to say."

Rarity felt her ears pin back as she chewed her lower lip.

"What do you mean dear?"

Mayes stood up and stretched while refusing to look at the saddened mare next to him. She chewed harder as he took a deep breath as if trying to form his words carefully.

"Rarity I am... I was very interested in you. You were the first mare to actually show me that you cared and that I was worth something in this world. Over time I became infatuated with you, I wanted a life being by your side, repaying you in full for your kindness."

Rarity smiled weakly as she tried to speak but Mayes cut her off.

"But now I think you only care for yourself."

She felt her body grow heavy as he continued.

"You didn't even stop to see if I was still in Ponyville. Fluttershy, Applejack, even Pinkie Pie asked around town and sent me letters. The only pony I cared about more than anything though? She didn't even care. She didn't ask around, didn't look for me, didn't care."

Rarity looked up to him with tears already forming in her red and sore eyes.

"That's not true, it's simply not true at all."

Mayes turned to her and she winced as a once kind and nervous face was rigid and cold.

"Then why? Why didn't you even ask somepony? Your sister, sweet little Belle asked all over town. Surely you heard from her?"

Rarity stopped to ponder if she had heard her sister bring Mayes up and sure enough a memory surfaced where she was asked if he was okay to which Rarity responded with something off subject because she was designing new dresses for her friends.

"Mayes... I'm sorry that I didn't think to see how you were doing after that day. I became so engrossed in-"

"Your work? Rarity please. You took a whole week off so I wouldn't be alone don't give me the work before anything spiel. I may not be a pony... I may not even be worthy of your affection... But I'm most definitely not stupid." He snapped back as he rubbed the back of his head fervently.

"I don't even know why I'm bringing this up. Coloratura was sobbing the whole night and One Shot didn't know what to do so she spent the night with me."

Rarity felt her eyes go wide and before she could ask he answered.

"We didn't fuck. I... I like Rara way too much to string her along like I have been in the past." Mayes clenched his fist and sighed loudly. "I always get pulled around. Every woman I end up getting attached to loses interest. They fall out of love but I guess in this instance you never loved me to begin with. You probably never liked me until I got famous anyway."

A resounding smack filled the stale silence of the room and Mayes look on shocked as his left cheek tingled with pain. Rarity sat next to him with tears in her eyes as her horn glowed gently. With a huff she stood up and looked up to Mayes as best she could without choking up.

"How dare you. Mayes I took you in not out of pity. You were kind, helpful, always willing to put other ponies before yourself but I couldn't have been with you like you wanted. I don't know you Mayes. I didn't know you can sing, I didn't know you can dance, I didn't know you had dreams, goals, or a life before Ponyville." She sobbed for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I have gotten a glimpse of you. I see your love for music, for your fans, for the young ones that adore you, your love for One Shot and Coloratura, I see that and it's beautiful."

Mayes cringed at her impassioned words.

"And... And..." Rarity closed her eyes and turned down to the ground. "I do like you. I liked you in Ponyville and I like you now. I just copuldn't understand these feelings."

Mayes remained silent as Rarity continued.

"But you don't know this world. You don't know the things I've done, the trials I've had to overcome. You don't know the ponies here that would use you and toss you aside-"

"This is about Fleur isn't it? God damn Rarity when Rara said you were jealous I didn't want to believe her."

Rarity opened her eyes and blinked. She tried to tell Mayes that wasn't what she meant but he continued

"I've been here for two years Rarity. Two years without my friends, without my family, without anyone that could look at me like I'm not some... some... SOME GOD DAMN MONSTER!"

Rarity lost her breath as she watched Mayes twitch and shake. His face was contorted, his eyes closed tight as he grabbed his hair and pulled.

"I know, okay? I know I'm not a pony, or a gryphon, hell I'm not even like a diamond dog or minotaur. I'm a freak, just some weird animal in a world that's not my own. Do you have any idea how hard that is? How hard it is to want to be held, touched, kissed?" He opened his eyes as a sigh escaped his throat. "I just want what everyone else has. So I'm going on this date, and I'm going to try to have a good time because..."

He paused and shook his head without looking at Rarity.

"I can't wait for you anymore."

Mayes walked away as Rarity fought to make her body run to him, run after him, stop him. Alas her body stayed in place as the door to the elevator closed leaving Rarity once again alone in the bleakness she began to suspect she created. Sobbing to herself Rarity stood and let her tears fall to the ground, let all the hurt flow through her, all of the feelings that were developing, the ones already there, falling down and splattering into nonexistence upon the ground.

"Mon cher? You seem awful quiet."

Mayes snapped out of his thoughts as his attention was drawn to the absolutely stunning mare next to him. Fleur had picked him up as promised at the hotel in a private carriage and despite Mayes feeling like garbage for talking to Rarity in such a way as he had his mouth had dropped when he saw the unicorn open the door.

Fleur was wearing a teal long sleeved coat with a puffy white collar that accented her eyes. on her hooves were long stockings of a similar color and texture that most ponies would view as a tad bit scandalous. Mayes of course had been immediately drawn from her legs up to her face which had only a tiny touch of icy blue makeup aound her hauntingly gorgeous eyes.

"My apologies Fleur. I'm nervous is all." He lied as he laughed under his breath.

"Oh my bel amant you have no need to be nervous. I am the one that should be nervous." Fleur reassured as she smiled gently at him.

"You? Why you? Are you afraid what the press will say?"

Fleur laughed gleefully and covered her muzzle with a hoof as she looked dreamily at Mayes.

"There is no such thing as bad press mon cher. I am merely nervous to be in your presence. I was sure you would not be interested in romancing somepony like myself."

Mayes raised an eyebrow with a smile as he chuckled.

"Somepony like you?"

Fleur coughed gently and traced her hooves together as she looked up at Mayes through a lock of her mane.

"I am merely a model. Many do not take interest in me except for my looks. You however seem to look beyond that if I can be émousser."

Mayes rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged gently.

"Well Fleur I'm honestly surprised you'd want to, er, court me to begin with. I'm not even a stallion."

Fleur hummed to herself and closed her eyes as she nuzzled and smelled the humans neck.

"Rub my ears mon cher."

Mayes flinched at her touch and became flustered at the request that followed.

"I'm sorry but, what?"

Fleur giggled and wiggled against him before repeating her request. Mayes took his hand and slowly brought his fingers behind her ears, scratching gently and admiring the softness of her fur. A soft groan escaped Fleur as she giggled to herself.

"you are very good at that I must say."

"What rubbing your ears?"

"No silly. At making me feel like a real mare."

Mayes continued to rub Fleur's ears and run his hands through her scalp unaware at the soft clicking that came from the seat across from them.

A sudden ding coming from the elevator door brought Rarity from her unexpected slumber. She did not know how she had fallen asleep or how much time had passed. Grumbling to herself she walked towards the door while mumbling about Fleur taking advantage of a lonely and no doubt pent up male. Quickly trying to get herself somewhat presentable she approached the door and hit the button to open it only to see-

"MIZ RARITY ZIS IS MOST AWFUL I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE FOUND YOU." Screamed a mare wearing a black skin tight jumpsuit and several clanking bangles.

"Photo I'm simply not in the mood." Rarity sighed as she cringed from the screaming.

"You do not understand! Mayes is with that flagrant whorse Fleur!" Photo insisted as she entered the living room and gave Rarity a look over.

"Mayes is no longer in my company I'm afraid." Rarity began as she tried to remain professional. "He has requested that I cease my interest in him."

Photo took off her goggles and stared at Rarity with a worried look in her eye before taking a manila envelope seemingly out of nowhere and placing it in Rarity's grasp. Rarity sighed and proceeded to open it and read over the contents as her eyes grew wider and wider.

"Is this..." She began before Photo interrupted her.

"An immediate cancellation to Fleur's contract as a model for Mare Vogue. She was caught using stallions and mares to boozt her popularity with the viewers. I fear that she might-"

Both mares were interrupted as a voice chimed in from behind them.

"Use Mayes to boost her popularity to get her modeling contract back." Coloratura murmured as she stepped between the mares with her mane disheveled and eyes still red.

"Yez. Itz would be the endz of Mayes if she got him in her spidery hooves." Photo said as she looked at Coloratura with an equally worried glance.

Rarity bit her lip and looked down as she approached Coloratura. An apology was needed and with a dry throat she looked into the mare eyes and saw the same hurt she was going through.

"I'm sorry about last night dear. I'm sorry I've been selfish to not only Mayes but you as well. I had no idea that you-"

"Loved him?" Coloratura finished with a sigh.

Photo and Rarity stared as the slightly blushing mare traced a hoof on the ground.

"I was too afraid to tell him. So I used his feelings for you to draw attention away from myself." Coloratura explained with ears pined back. "Last night while I was drunk I got mad because I only wanted him to look at me the way he always looked at you."

Rarity smiled weakly as she nuzzled under Coloraturas chin with a sigh.

"We're both very foolish and selfish mares aren't we?"

Coloratura smiled and nuzzled back as Photo murmured to herself.

"I zee now what we must do. We must infiltrate and stop this date!"

Both mares looked at Photo was crazy before the jump-suited mare continued.

"I know Fleur. She will bring him in with her sweet looks and sultry gaze. She will document her interactions with him and use his human naivety to her advantage."

Rarity felt her cheeks grow hot as she imagined the things the whorse might do to drag Mayes to his demise. She couldn't let such a thing happen to Mayes. Not after all he went through on account of her.

"But how? He's already long gone on his way?" Coloratura chimed in as she stepped forward with a new sense of purpose.

For a moment her and Rarity looked to each other and a single thought, no, a desire surged through them. Even if it mean losing Mayes forever they would do what needed to be done to protect him. They both smiled gently and nuzzled one another quietly while Photo smiled wider and wider.

"It's... the magicz." She whispered as inside of her a steel resolve began to form.

"I know where Fleur took your Mayes." Came a male voice from the elevator.

The three mares looked over to see Mr. Goodwin dangling a spare key from his hoof with a solemn look on his face.

"I knew when she came that it would be trouble. I've seen her bring many into this place to toy with them to boost her ratings. Fancy Pants, Spitfire, Whenever she becomes less popular she always goes after celebrities to regain her power like a succubus after its next meal."

He nodded to Rarity and Coloratura before smiling wickedly.

"We can use my carriage. If you're going to knock that whorse down a few pegs let me be apart of it."

Rarity blinked and approached the stallion with a look of curiosity.

"Why would you want to help us dear? You don't know us."

Mr. Goodwin merely smiled.

"Because Mayes genuinely cares about you two. He cares about ponies and unlike most of the celebrities that walk through my door he treated me like a stallion instead of a background helper. Plus he said he'd meet my daughter and she would be destroyed if the tabloids said he was with that fake."

"We have not much time! We must be quick!" Photo interjected.

Coloratura and Rarity looked to one another and nodded as they made their way out of the hotel. An unspoken bond had formed between the designer and the singer. A bond of friendship, a bond of unity, a bond of longing.

A bond that had the seedling of love.