Rarity sneezed. “Thats one downside to cloud cities,” she said, levitating a tissue to her face, “there’s always a great deal of moisture in the air. Twilight, darling, you wouldn't happen to know a spell for that?”

Before Twilight could reply someone tapped her shoulder. Turning around she saw Applejack wearing a very odd dress. Threads of green fabric wrapped around the pale silk of the dress’ body like vines. A single thread of green also tied her hair up in an intricate bun.

Rainbow Dash was the first to find her voice, and naturally the first thing she did with it was laugh. “Haha! Ohmigosh, AJ, what are you wearing? What are you even doing here? Aren’t you visiting your cousin?”

Applejack stoically bore the laughter and replied, “Eeeyup. And y’all are about to get to meet her too. She’s gonna show up soon to challenge Rarity to one of them nonsense fashion battles.”

The four of them tensed up immediately, and all eyes were suddenly on Rarity. She looked around and saw a good vantage point in a nearby tower. Pointing at it, she nodded to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who rushed away to take their positions.

Applejack looked on dispassionately as these preparations were made. “So these here challenges are a pretty big deal to you, Rares?”

“Yes, quite!” Rarity levitated a mirror around to inspect herself from many angles. “Thank you ever so much for giving us a heads-up, Applejack. Some ponies don’t appreciate how much preparation goes into— ”

“Well it’s a big deal for her, too,” Applejack interrupted, “so just… keep that in mind, ok, Rarity?” She marched grumpily away.

Rarity considered following after her clearly troubled friend. “I’ll go talk to her later,” she promised herself, “but for now I need to focus on—oh, hello dear.” A small pegasus had walked up to interrupt her introspection.

“You might want to go have a seat over there,” Rarity said with a warm smile. “We’re about to have a fashionista battle and lucky you, you’ll get the best seat in the house!”

“Er, actually, that’s… kinda why I’m here,” the newcomer replied. Then in a louder voice she announced, “My name is Ginger Gold Apple and I’m… I’m here to challenge you for your love!”

Rarity’s smile widened even as all the warmth drained out of it. Already heads were turning, the word was spreading, and a crowd would soon be forming. “Very well, darling. Where’s your model?”

“That’d be me!” Applejack arrived from around a corner pushing a cloud that looked suspiciously like part of somepony’s house. At the sight of her strange, simple dress the audience was visibly disappointed. It seemed the competition was over before it began. But then Ginger lifted the cloud directly above her cousin and gave it two solid kicks.

Applejack waited for the resulting rain to soak her dress completely before sauntering forth. The crowd’s confusion turned to elation as the seeds embedded in the dress’s green threads began to sprout with preternatural speed, erupting into full bloom to cover the dress in fresh, bright red roses. Petals and morning dew showered the crowd, and they loved it. They had never seen fashion like this before!

“In ancient times pegasi would give each other roses,” Ginger said, as Applejack plucked a bouquet from her mane and tossed the flowers one by one into the crowd. “As a gift, they say ‘I love you and I will never stop pursuing you’. Rarity, we have only just met, but just as suddenly as these roses have bloomed, so too have my feelings! And now that I have proven my artistic skills we can be together… right?”

Rarity looked from Ginger’s sincere, pleading face to the crowd of ponies waiting to see how ‘Rarity the Heartbreaker’ would respond. “It is… well-crafted, certainly. But roses? The problem with very common, old traditions, darling, is that they become cliche.” She tossed her mane and gave her opponent a condescending look. “You seem to know a thing or two about the language of flowers, so tell me if you recognize what this means!”

With a flick of her horn Rarity conjured a flock of floating silk sashes that performed an elegant synchronized dance above the crowd, drawing forth appreciative whispers before converging beside her. They formed such a hurricane of colorful motion that nopony noticed the flash of magic in the eye of the storm.

When the storm died down, Fluttershy was revealed posing at its center, wearing a dress with layers of spiraling silk and a large striped carnation in her mane. As she walked about and posed, several strands of silk continued to spiral around her like the most elegant of birds. Fluttershy paused to reach out for one and nuzzle it affectionately, which drew a charmed “awww” from the crowd.

But even as the audience voiced its appreciation, Ginger’s attention was on that flower. “A striped carnation,” she recited, “signifies rejection or refusal.”

“Very good, dear. Don’t take it so hard. You aren’t the first suitor who failed to meet my standards, and believe me, you won’t be the last!”

But Ginger was hardly listening, already planning on how she would try again. As the crowd laughed and chanted her love’s name, she slunk away.

***

The next day found Rarity leaning on a railing at the edge of the cloud layer. As she looked down at the ground far below, Applejack paced back and forth behind her muttering such condemnations and countryisms that if Rarity closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was back at Ponyville. Finally the pacing stopped and the arguing began anew. “This is all just so stupid, Rarity. You know that, right? You’re going around breaking ponies’ hearts for what? For fame? Reputation? You’re better than this. You know those things don’t matter none.”

“My reputation matters to my business and my social standing, but most importantly it matters to me, Applejack.” Rarity’s reply sounded rehearsed, like she’d had to explain herself many times before. “This is something I care about, even if you don't.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Alright, keep your dang reputation! But I’m tellin’ you that for Ginger, this here is the real deal. She’s throwing everything she’s got at this, and she never had a whole lot to begin with. If you keep on stringin’ her on like this, then someone’s liable to get hurt.”

“I’m not trying to ‘string along’ anyone,” Rarity replied, her voice dull.

“You said that if somepony shows up and tans your hide at fashion you’d get hitched?”

“Well, those aren’t the words I would have used, bu-”

“And if Ginger shows up tonight with a dress that'd blow the minds of every fru fru fashionista on this whole cloud forever, would you suddenly get all weak in the knees for her?”

“No, Applejack,” Rarity said with a sigh, “as I said, I’m not going to fall in love with somepony I just met simply because they beat me in a fashion contest.”

“Well then, from where I stand, this here is dishonest an’ crooked an’— ”

Rarity stood up and rounded on the other mare with such suddenness that Applejack had to take a step back.

“Oh but, Applejack, how could I ever love Ginger when in truth the one I really wanted this entire time has been you!” Rarity advanced on Applejack as she spoke, and her eyes were bright and intense as they locked onto the other mare’s face.

“Taint funny, Rarity.” Applejack’s voice remained strong and self-assured as ever, but her stance told a different story as she continued to back away, her broad shoulders tensing. Rarity’s body language was also different. Gone was the grace of the dainty lady, and in its place was something almost predatory.

“That's good, darling, because it ‘taint’ a joke. Your adorable little accent, your fetching freckles, and oh, those firm muscles of yours… yes, you’re exactly what I love, what I want, what I must have. No? How cruel and unfair of you to reject me, Applejack, after I’ve poured my heart out for you! How shallow of you not to even give me a chance! You must at least give me a chance to try to win you! At least let me try!”

Applejack realized with a start that she had backed into a wall and her calm demeanor crumbled entirely as she pushed Rarity back, shut her eyes, and yelled “I don’t want you to try!”

There was silence then, except for the sound of Applejack’s panting, and when she finally opened her eyes Rarity was back at the railing, staring down through the clouds below.

“That's what I would tell them, Applejack. As you can see by the extraordinary measures I’ve had to take, simply saying ‘no’ is just not enough for some.”

Applejack walked over to lean on the railing beside her, sighed, and said, “I’m sorry, Rarity. I didn’t realize things were this hard on you. Guess life kinda sucks all around. But even so, if you don't tell her the truth she won't give up. And yeah, that ain’t your fault nor your responsibility… but she’s gonna be hurt, Rares. And you have the power to make it hurt less. She doesn’t wanna hear it from me or anypony else; believe me, I’ve tried. It has to be you. You need to tell her the truth.”

***

Now, picture a diamond. A fifty carat diamond with a good cut and clarity, it would make a fine addition to any collection. But while this particular diamond was naturally colorless, it had taken on a deep blue hue from the stones that surrounded it on all sides. “Blue Topaz”, Rarity thought, “the gem of perseverance. Ginger really did her research this time.”

Together, diamond and topaz were the centerpiece of a dress, and that dress was being shown off in the center of a cheering crowd, and those cheers in turn were the center of Rarity’s dreams and aspirations. Rarity looked away from that sea of pony faces to the dress’ designer. She took in Ginger’s exhausted features and wondered to herself how long the pegasus had labored on this dress, how expensive a diamond like that must have been, and how much more she would surely hurt herself in her pursuit.

Rarity made her decision. “Ok stop, stop. Everypony stop!” The pianist hit a flat note and turned around, looking affronted. Ginger stopped in the middle of her monologue about the history of blue topaz. Everyone looked at Rarity.

“Look, you have a lot of talent. That’s clear for all to see. But you’re wasting it trying to win me.” Rarity stepped forward and grasped Ginger by the shoulders. “I’m… not who I say I am. I’ve made myself out to be some princess of fashion, untouchable by any but the greatest artist, but the truth is that I’m just a regular mare, Ginger! I can’t decide who I fall in love with, no matter what gifts you make to impress me!”

Ginger stared at Rarity in utter confusion, but the audience understood perfectly what was happening. Cries of anger and disappointment filled the air, for ‘Rarity the Heartbreaker’ was gone, and in her place was an actress who had broken character at the very worst moment.

Unicorns flashed beams of ugly red light in Rarity’s face to voice their displeasure, but she did not flinch. Instead she continued to hold Ginger and talk in a voice that carried above the tumult. “And you don't love me, either! You don't know anything about me! But one day you will find love, genuine love without pretense. And she won't make you prove yourself to her, and you'll actually see her as she truly is. Art should be pretentious, but our relationships should be sincere.”

Then Rarity walked away, leaving behind the angry crowd whose love of her had so quickly turned to hate.

***

Rarity was back in her boutique in Ponyville, but when she closed her eyes she could still hear the bustling sounds of the city that had almost been hers.

She did not hear Applejack knocking, nor notice her enter until she coughed to get her attention. “Rarity. I wanted to say thank you for what you did back there. Ginger is upset right now but one day she’ll thank you too. T'was a mighty generous thing you did.”

“Oh don’t be silly, darling.” Rarity said, though she did not meet Applejack's eyes. “I didn’t sacrifice anything but a little reputation, nothing real. From a certain perspective I was only cleaning up my own mess anyway.”

“Now that just ain’t so. Somepony made themselves your problem and you treated them much better than you had to. And while I still don’t get it myself I know how much making it big over there meant to you.”

"Yes, well. There are other places. Other centers of culture where I can start my climb to the top anew!” Rarity gestured all around them at the ponyquins bearing her new fashions, each of them designed to take the unsuspecting art world by storm.

“Heh, well I’ll leave you to it then, Rares. You let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!”

Applejack had not taken two steps before she was enveloped in a blue aura as Rarity pulled her back. “So kind of you to offer, Applejack. You see, I’ve got something I’d like you to try on…”

Author's Note

Background art done by my friend snaics! Find her art here (link)
The rest of the art by me.