The Jeweler and The Gemstone

The rich tones of a ringing bell rang out from the clock tower overlooking the courtyard of Canterlot's city center. From business deals to sweet nothings, conversations of all kinds were put on hold as the deafening sound swept over the city's inhabitants. Many of the creatures walking through the city stopped in place to watch the tower as twelve knocks rolled from the tower's top. But one of the few who did not stop began to draw the attention of those who had. A beautiful white unicorn with curling violet locks and lashes as dark and full as raven wings, trotting across the square in a short, elegant purple dress being followed by a fleet of glowing bags and boxes. She had the look of a mare who knew what she wanted, and a gait that said she knew how to get it.

The unicorn walked towards a tall circular building at the edge of the yard. Its' brightly colored stonework stood out against the pale grey of the surrounding city. An understated wooden sign hung over the doorway, reading 'Canterlot Carousel' in a winding script. In the heart-shaped window in the center of the door stood a tall blue mare with a fiery auburn mane and a long pointed horn. The door swung open, and the mare stepped out wearing a warm smile. A few passersby stopped to look at her as she did so. She was also quite beautiful, in a flashy sort of way.

"Rarity!", she called out as the bell rang its last note. "Welcome back!" Her voice projected class and dignity, yet also an almost childish glee. She was happy to see her friend.

"Sassy, darling! How've you been?" The white unicorn walked up the stairs to the building entrance and embraced her. "It feels like it's been ages, though I know it's only been half-a-year."

"Wonderful, Miss Rarity. We've had an excellent Winter season, though I imagine you already know that from the quarterly reports."

Rarity smirked and rolled her eyes. "Gods, Sassy. I wasn't asking about work, I was asking about you. I'm going to be locked away in the studio from now until the gala, so the least you could do is indulge me with a bit of small talk."

"Oh! Well, I've had an excellent Winter season too! Let me tell you about it after we've gotten you settled in."

Her blue horn glowed brightly and several of the bags began to float towards the boutique's front door. One of the bags suddenly let out a high-pitched screech, causing Sassy to nearly drop everything she was holding up.

"Damn! Oh!" She looked around, making sure nopony had noticed her little outburst before turning back to Rarity. "Gods, I forgot about that darned cat."

"Just a moment, dear.", Rarity chided, pulling the bags back into the air. "I won't be staying at the boutique this year, I'm afraid. I've rented an apartment in the Heights District."

Sassy's eyes widened. "Are you serious, Miss Rarity? That's quite the investment for such a short stay."

The white unicorn shook her head wearing a wry smile, causing the thick purple curls draped across her head to bounce lightly. "I learned my lesson after last year. Eating, sleeping, and working in the boutique does wonders for making beautiful dresses, but does nothing for your own beauty, darling. By the time the gala rolled around, I was almost too ashamed to go. I looked like a mad-mare!"

She looked behind her, casting her gaze over the busy square. Her smile fell from her face and her voice turned slightly more serious. "And besides... I've been thinking about spending more time in Canterlot for a while now. I plan to be here for months after the gala as well. The more time I spend here, the more Ponyville starts to feel too small."

Sassy watched her boss from behind without saying a word. There was something sad about the way her shoulders tightened as she spoke.

"Come inside at least, Rarity. Let me make you some tea." She took care to keep her uneasiness out of her voice.

Rarity turned back to her with a gentle smile. "That sounds lovely, Sassy."

The small tin kettle clinked against the stovetop, heavy with water. Sassy turned the power dial slowly until it was aligned with the notch reading 'High'. She glanced back at Rarity, seated at the table and watching passersby through the window. With a flash of her horn, Sassy could have this water boiling in an instant. But she wasn't really interested in the tea.

Sassy walked back across the kitchen. "So," she remarked as she slid into the chair across from Rarity. "How are things?"

Rarity's shoulders rose in a barely perceptible shrug. "Just fine, dear. As fine as they can be. You know how it is."

Her red hair swayed as she shook her head. "No, I don't think I do. Why don't you tell me?"

The slender white mare sighed as she leaned into the table. She looked back out the window, her eyes flickering back and forth as she watched the ponies walk by.

"I suppose. Things are just changing, you know. I suppose it was naive to think things would always stay the same." Rarity seemed to deflate with each word. A pale haze had formed in her eyes, now motionless.

"You're talking about your other friends, right? The other Elements?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, I suppose I am. It's not like we don't talk, you know? We still have our monthly meetings and everything, but... sometimes one of us can't make it, or we don't have anything to talk about. Everyone's lives are really starting to take off. Twilight's started teaching here in Canterlot, Rainbow is giving her all to the Wonderbolts, and Fluttershy is... well... I don't know that she'll ever get over him. And Pinkie started a nightclub! Can you imagine? A nightclub in Ponyville! It's the kind of idea only Pinkie Pie would have."

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "Listen to me, prattling on. I know it sounds like I'm just making gossip, but it really is... "

"Scary," Sassy interjected. Rarity looked up at her, her eyes slightly widened. "It's scary. I do know what you mean. I haven't spoken to Fleur in years, since she moved to Manehatten with that sugar-daddy of hers."

A heavy knocking came from the door leading into the foyer. Sassy leaned her head back and sighed. "I know I set the sign to 'Closed'. Could you do me a favor and make all of your dresses slightly less fabulous? Maybe then we might get some peace around here."

Rarity giggled as Sassy dropped down from her chair and walked through the doorway. She turned to face the entrance and stopped, blood draining from her face.

"Rarity? I think it's for you."

The white unicorn stepped out of the kitchen and looked towards the front door. A tall purple dragon stood in the heart-shaped window, waving his claw. Rarity's horn glowed and the door's lock slid open. The bipedal dragon pushed open the door and stepped inside, followed by a slightly smaller blue dragoness.

"Hey, Rarity. How've you been?"

A surprisingly deep voice came from the drake, who was much taller than she remembered.

She ran forward and wrapped her forehooves around his chest, crushing him in a powerful hug. "Spike! Oh Gods, it's been ages! Why don't you write anymore? Letter magic doesn't work in the Dragonlands?" Rarity let go and looked up at him, expecting an answer. Sassy scooted behind her, hiding from the towering apex predators standing in front of her.

"Well, I, uh... " Spike cast a glance at the woman standing behind him. "Rarity! You remember Ember, right?"

The slightly-less-tall blue dragon stepped forward and extended her long black claw. Rarity reached out and shook it, almost on instinct.

"Of course! Dragon Lady Ember, how could I forget?"

Ember smiled. "Always a pleasure, Rarity."

"Well, uh... " Spike's cheeks turned pink. "You know how Ember and I are going out now? "

"Oh, I remember. Your letter telling me about it was so sweet! I couldn't be happier for you!"

Spike looked towards the ground and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, uh... I guess I stopped writing because of that."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Ooh, I get it! You were feeling guilty exchanging secret letters with your colthood crush!"

The dragon's cheeks burned hot as fire. "Y-yeah, I guess. It just didn't feel right."

Ember cleared her throat. "Just so you know: I was totally fine with you guys being pen-pals. I'd feel like a shitty girlfriend if I made him cut contact with his friends." She wrapped her arm around Spike's and wrapped her claw around his. "Especially after I basically forced him to move out to the Dragonlands."

The white mare laughed, covering her mouth with a manicured hoof. "Oh, it's alright. Spike's always been a bit awkward when it comes to women. It was naive to think that getting a fillyfriend would change that."

"We're here to meet with the Princesses!," Spike blurted out. "We're trying to get them to help us build a trade route through the Dragonlands. We think a partnership like that would be better for both countries in the long-term. So... uh... "

The blue dragon sighed. "What he's trying to say is that we need to look our best for the Princesses. I know this is the best fancy clothing store in Canterlot, so here we are."

Rarity stared at her, eyes wide with her mouth slightly open. Sassy tapped her side and waved her hoof in front of her face. "Rarity? Hello? Is there anybody in there?"

Suddenly, the white mare shook her head and wiped a drop of drool from the corner of her mouth. "I-I'm sorry, I could have sworn you just told me you wanted me to make a dress for Dragon royalty."

Ember cocked her head. "Well, I guess it doesn't have to be a dress. You're the expert, so you can do what you want."

Rarity stared at Ember. Sassy waved her hoof in front of her face, sighed, and shook her head. She turned back towards her guests and managed a strained smile.

"D-do you two want to come inside?" The high-pitched squeal of a boiling kettle rang out from the kitchen behind her. "I can make you some tea."

"But that's just it, Spike: I don't want to just churn out another Rarity classic! I'm making a dress for the leader of another country! It has to be more than perfect!"

Spike leaned back in his chair, making it creak under his weight. He glanced at Ember to his side who was giving him a look just like the one he was giving her. Sassy's voice carried into the kitchen as she talked to customers in the foyer. She must have seen this coming.

"It needs to be different from every dress I've ever made. It has to stand out from every dress in existence!"

He sighed and looked out the window. The sun shone directly into his eyes. It had been about noon when they'd arrived. Rarity had been gushing for hours.

"It needs to be beautiful, bold, brazen! It has to be beyond perf—"

"Okay, Rarity! I get it." Spike could barely keep the exasperation out of his voice. He smiled to himself. This was actually pretty nostalgic. "You want to make a dress that looks different from any other dress you've ever made. How about a new kind of cloth or gem?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "A new type of cloth? Who do you think you're talking to? If there's ever a new type of cloth it's because I invented it. It won't stand out enough, you can be sure of that."

Spike pointed into the air. "A gemstone, then. Are there any gems you've never used in a dress before?"

She slumped back in her chair, rolling her head back and forth. "No, darling. I'm afraid I've no such luck. I used every type of gem I could get my hooves on when I was making the rainbow on Dash's dress from last year."

"Hmm... " Spike clacked his claws against his thick scales. "What about a new way to cut gems?"

He turned towards Ember. "Do you still have that bag from Vick?"

Her eyes went wide as she clutched her shoulder bag to her chest. "No. They're all gone. I ate them all."

Spike gave her a knowing look. "Come on, Em. I just want you to show her one and then you can have it back."

Ember narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But I swear: if you eat my gems, I'm gonna kick your ass."

He grinned. "That's fine." Spike extended his claw, palm up. Ember pulled a small leather pouch from her shoulder bag and turned it over. A single, twinkling gem fell into his palm. Rarity sat up in her chair. There was something strange about it.

Spike held out the gem, pinning it between two claws. The sun's light shone through it, casting a bright red shadow across the table. Rarity's horn glowed and the gem floated into the air. As it grew closer to her, Rarity let out a small gasp.

A realistic carving of Ember had been drawn into the side of it. Her snout, her eyes, her permanent scowl; it was all there, rendered in perfect detail. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

"Wh-where did you get this?" Rarity asked with amazement in her voice, unable to take her eyes off the immaculately carved ruby.

"An old friend of the family," Ember replied flatly, her eyes fixed on the gem. "He moved out here to Canterlot when I was just a little girl. Can I get that back now?"

Rarity glanced over at her. "S-sure." The ruby floating back over the table. Ember snatched it from the air and tucked it back in its pouch.

"Why are you so protective of it?" Ember looked up at her, looking slightly embarrassed.

Spike laughed. "She'll never admit it, but Ember loves her sweets."

"Sh-shut up!", she cried before elbowing Spike in his side. He seemed to not even feel it.

He continued explaining. "'Intaglio' is like a candy shop for dragons. I've been going there since I was little. I think the owner said he moved out here because he wanted a 'change of scenery' or something? I know business can't be nearly as good in Canterlot as it was in the Dragonlands, but he must be doing fine. The store's been there forever."

Rarity cleared her throat. "Can you tell me where it is? I should like to meet this 'Vick'."

"Oh, uh... " He seemed to choke up. Ember dug her elbow back into his side, though this time she seemed to be teasing him.

The blue dragoness spoke up. "Vicker's shop is on the edge of Redlight. You know, the part of town with all the sex shops and hookers." She grinned, pressing against Spike as she spoke. "I wonder how you even found his shop in the first place, Spike. Will you tell us what you were doing out there?"

"Sh-shut up!" Spike rubbed his face with his palms before turning back to Rarity. "It's a bit hard to find, so we can just show you where it is."

"Oh no, darling." Rarity shook her head. "I still have to move the rest of my things into my apartment and that will take a few hours on its own. I don't want to impose on you two like that, so just give me an address and I'll find it." After having finally cooled down, it was starting to dawn on her just how much of their time she'd taken up.

Spike nodded. "Okay, Rarity. I get it." A feather pen and parchment drifted onto the table. He held the quill between his claws, scribbling as he spoke. "It's in an alley off of Sovereign, between 62nd and 63rd. Spelled I-N-T-A-G-L-I-O."

He picked the note up and rolled it up with a practiced hand. A burst of green flame burnt the parchment to ash, only for it to reappear on the table in front of Rarity an instant later. She picked it up and stared at the words barely visible through the page. A master jeweler living in Canterlot, and she was just now hearing about him? How was it possible?

Ember looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Why did you do that?"

Spike shrugged. "Old habits die hard."

A small bell rang lightly through the shop as Rarity opened the tall wooden door. The outside had been small and unassuming, with blacked-out windows and a small sign hanging from the wall. 'The Intaglio' was written there, in imposing gothic letters.

The inside, however, was a different story entirely. Rarity felt her heart skip a few beats as she processed what she was seeing. The room was small but beautiful. The floor was white marble and the walls were lined with rows and rows of thick oak shelving. Each shelf held its own collection of intricate crystal sculptures and were all arranged by the color of the crystal used, creating a rainbow of art that changed as you looked from one side of the room to the other. A large glass display case in the center of the room caught Rarity's attention. The bright spotlight positioned directly above it made it difficult to see what was inside.

Drawing closer, the crystal started to take shape. Her violet eyes glittered with amazement as she stared through the glass. An immaculately rendered sculpture of Princess Celestia stood two feet tall, so lifelike it could have looked back at her. Her body was formed from white quartz. Each color of her flowing mane was a separate gemstone, precisely carved to sit perfectly against one another. Rarity blinked as she realized the true implication of what she was seeing. Every single piece of the statue had been designed to lock together, like the pieces of an intricate jigsaw puzzle. The creator had gone to unbelievable lengths to avoid using any kind of adhesive or supports. The level of detail was beyond anything she could have imagined.

She looked around for its maker, but the small wooden counter in the back of the room stood empty. A tall doorway was tucked behind it, blocked by a thick black curtain. The sound of machinery leaked into the room from what Rarity could only assume was a workshop.

Rarity approached the counter and cleared her throat as loudly as she could. She looked around the room as she waited, almost getting lost in the endless detail put into every piece. After several minutes, she noticed a small silver desk bell mounted into the surface of the counter. The small ring of the bell was quieter than when she'd cleared her throat, but maybe the sound was clearer over the droning whirr.

More time passed. She took a closer look at the walls, noticing a small piece of parchment placed on each shelf.

"Prices, maybe...?", she murmured to herself as she approached one of the shelves. Rarity choked on her breath as she read the tag next to one of the carvings.

"E-eighty bits?" She pressed a hoof against her purse, feeling the weight of the coins that filled its pockets. Nearly one thousand bits were hanging from her shoulder that she'd intended to use to pay for a few color samples. But with these prices, she could buy out the whole store if she wanted!

Rarity's attention was brought back to the curtain-covered door as the harsh humming died down. She approached the counter and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, sir? Could yo—"

Suddenly, the machinery roared back to life twice as load. Rarity clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in annoyance. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched, though she was alone in the store. And despite knowing how annoying it was to have strangers in your inner sanctum, Rarity couldn't afford to wait any longer. The sun was going to set soon and she had far too much money on her to be caught out after dark. She took a deep breath, and pushed through the curtain.

Rows of heavy machinery filled the brightly lit workshop. Instead of fine wooden shelves and marble floors, the floor and walls were made from heavy grey concrete. Rows of dim white lights hung from the ceiling, giving the room a sterile feel.
Somewhere across the room, the sound of metal digging into crystal rang out. It was much louder on this side of the curtain.

Rarity stepped quietly between the tightly-packed machines, careful to avoid dirtying her dress and handbag. The sound grew louder as she walked to the back of the room, but suddenly stopped again.

"Almost done." A deep, gravelly voice came from the other side of the machine in front of her. Was the owner a dragon? She hadn't been expecting it, but it made sense. He was supposed to be a friend of Ember's family after all.

The machine started up again, filling the room with a loud grinding noise. Rarity moved around the last row to finally face the shop's owner, but stopped in her tracks.

He was not a dragon but a human, seated in front of a strange table with wires leading to the tools in his hands. This one was almost completely furless with a medium length black mane pulled back into a ponytail, and his skin was a dim golden brown. Rarity had only seen a hoof-full of these creatures throughout her lifetime. They were an incredibly rare species said to come from another world, but that wasn't what had stopped her.

The long, sharp instruments in his hands dug into the blue gemstone in front of him like a knife through soft wood. His hands moved with the measured precision of a machine, carving intricate patterns into the face of the gemstone with a speed that she could only describe as supernatural. They seemed to move together in a strange dance across the surface of the crystal, leaving a myriad of whirling spirals and turns as they went.

She needed a better look. Rarity slowly walked forward, careful to avoid making any sounds. She could see his eyes now, completely focused. Driven. Single-minded. Like every part of his being was being poured into making the carving before him. Rarity could relate to that feeling, that kind of manic dedication bordering on insanity. She couldn't look away, and wouldn't even if she could.

Time passed, and Rarity was lost in the magic of his movements. Every flex of his fingers, every stroke of his scalpel, every single motion was perfectly efficient. After what could have been days, the human set his tools into their mount and switched off the machine. He pulled the sapphire from its vice and admired his work.

"Beautiful...", Rarity whispered. The human whirled to the side to face her, clutching the sapphire in his hands. The lower half of his face was covered by a white cloth mask, but his bright yellow eyes looked at her in surprise from behind a pair of leather and brass safety glasses.

He shook his head at her. "You shouldn't be in here." The human spoke like softly, but with authority. It reminded her of the headmaster at her art school.

Rarity took a step back, her face flush with embarrassment. "Oh! Right, sorry, I know that. Let me just get out of your hair and—oh!"

Her back hoof hit something hard and she felt her back half begin to fall. The human lurched forward and hooked his hand under her foreleg, pulling her back to her hooves before she hit the ground. Rarity looked down at the hand wrapped around her arm. It was warm and strong, if a bit rough.

"I'm not worried about you coming into my workshop." He pulled his hand back. "I'm worried about you getting hurt in here."

She looked up at him. His yellow eyes were full of sincere concern.

"S-sorry, it was my mistake. But was standing out front for quite a long time." Rarity gathered herself, not to be made the fool. "I've been waiting for nearly half an hour."

"Did you try ringing the bell?"

"Of course I did, sir. I rang it several times, in fact."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. Well, I apologize for that. I don't get many customers, and sometimes I get lost in my work."

Rarity was starting to feel a little bad. She felt like she was bullying the poor man. "Well, apology accepted. I suppose it's understandable, as I've been known to do the same from time to time."

The human nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. Are you here to buy my carvings?"

Rarity nodded her head. His mask was covering his mouth, but his eyes told her he was smiling. "Excellent. Do you mind if we take this to the front of the shop then? I wasn't kidding around when I said this workshop was dangerous."

He walked ahead of her, showing her the way out. She watched his hands swing by his sides, by his long, thick legs. His bare forearms were lean and muscular, and were covered in thin black hairs. As they approached the exit, he tapped a small box by the door.

"If you want to come in here again, make sure you put these on first." He took his oddly shaped glasses off and placed them in the box next to a few other identical pairs. The human glanced back at her, looking her up and down. "Actually, I'll probably have to order you your own set. And I'd recommend against wearing dresses in here either. The oil on these machines stains clothes pretty easily."

Rarity smiled and gave him a nod. This human was being very understanding of her. If a stranger had walked into her workshop, she'd probably try to tear off their head.

"I'll try to remember that." She replied, turning her eyes to the floor.

He smiled and held the curtain to the side, gesturing forward with his off-hand. "Good. After you."

Rarity stepped through the doorway back into the front of the shop, walking around to the other side of the counter. The bright yellow lights were blinding compared to the ones in the workshop, but her eyes adjusted after a few seconds. She looked around the room for the second time and was still amazed at the level of craftsmanship.

The human dropped the curtain and stood across the counter. He leaned onto its surface, standing over her by about two feet. His hand pulled the cloth mask down from his face to reveal the rest of his sharp features. Deep wrinkles lined his cheeks, along with the shadow of a beard. He extended his hand down towards her, palm facing up, and gave her a warm smile.

"My name is Vicker. I own this humble shop and everything in it." He sounded honest, but she was still having a hard time believing him. Rarity glanced around the small room at the countless priceless sculptures and the extravagant furnishings before lightly shaking her head. Humble, indeed.

Rarity took his hand in her hoof and he shook it lightly. She gave him a nod as she spoke. "It's good to finally meet you, Mister Vicker. My name is Rarity. I am the owner of Carousel Couture."

Vicker pulled his hand back and propped himself up on his elbows. He leaned forward, setting his weight fully against the counter. "I know who you are, Miss Rarity. There probably isn't a creature alive who doesn't. It's a pleasure to meet you. What can I help you with this evening?"

Her horn glowed a bright blue before a small notepad, a quill, and a thin pair of red-framed eyeglasses floated out from her purse. The parchment of the notepad was covered in calculations done in broad, cursive script. "I was hoping I could get a quote from you regarding some custom gemwork. I've made an estimate of the amount and variety of gems that I will need, so—"

He raised his hand, cutting her off. "I charge two-hundred bits per."

She looked up from her notepad over the rim of her glasses. "I'm sorry?"

"I charge two-hundred bits per gem, regardless of type or complexity." He gestured towards the notepad with one hand while he scratched behind his ear with the other. "Sorry to make you waste all that ink."

The quill in the air snapped. "Mister Vicker, that's too low."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What? No, it's not."

She flung her hoof out to point at the carvings lining the shop. "Every one of these carvings is worth five-hundred bits at least. A regular gem shop would charge me a thousand bits for a single custom piece! I will pay six-hundred bits per piece and not a bit less. You are wasted making candy for dragons."

Both eyebrows were raised now. The warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced with a cold sheen. "Oh, I'm wasted am I? You think I should be squeezing my customers for all they're worth?"

"I'm saying you don't realize just how wonderful your work is!" She stood up on her hind legs and planted her forehooves on the counter. "I could pick up any of these figurines at random and it would be more beautiful than any other gemstone I had ever seen before today, save perhaps for the Crystal Heart itself!" She was almost shouting now.

"Rarity." Vicker's spoke quietly, but Rarity felt her hot blood turn to ice in her veins. She recoiled from the counter, falling back to four hooves. "You need to relax. I'm happy that you enjoy my work, but that's no reason to get so upset."

Rarity took a step back from the counter and looked down at the floor, unable to look him in the eye. "I... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so angry about it, I just... " She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

Vicker drummed his fingers across the countertop. He looked towards the ground with his eyes closed. "It's fine. You don't need to worry about it."

"No!" She cried out, almost pleading. "No, it's not alright. Please, just... let me explain." Rarity closed her eyes and sighed with her entire body. She ran a hoof over her mane, pushing a few stray strands back into place.

"I was not very confident as a little filly. I had so many ponies telling me that they loved my clothes, but for some reason, it was very hard for me to believe them. It took years for my parents to convince me to open up my first store in Ponyville. And even then, I didn't think very much of myself. I charged next to nothing for all of my dresses because that's what I thought they were worth. Nothing."

Rarity took another deep breath before opening her eyes. She stared up at Vicker, who was looking back with an equally serious expression.

"Finally, a very good friend of mine became angry with me. She hated seeing me unable to recognize how beautiful my dresses were. It was hurting her to see me undervalue myself so much. I realized my own lack of confidence in myself was causing my friend a lot of pain. And so, after that day, I began to charge normal prices for my dresses. Then a little more. And then a little more. And now Carousel Couture is the most premier fashion brand in Equestria. Mares sign up years in advance to have me design their perfect dress, I use that money to bring beauty and confidence to girls just like me from all across the country. To girls who just need to feel like a Princess, even if it's just for one day."

Vicker let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Sounds like you've got a great friend back in Ponyville."

Rarity nodded, wearing a gentle smile. "Yes. I do. She's got a very kind soul."

She locked eyes with him for a second time. "But now you understand why I want to pay you triple, right? I want you to understand just how much I value your work, just like my friend did for me."

Vicker dropped his head to his chest and let out a brief sigh before looking back up at her. "Honestly? Now I want to give them to you for free."

Rarity's eyes went wide. "W-what!? Why? Didn't you hear anything I just told you?"

He shook his head and took on a wry smile. "Oh, I heard it. But you're misunderstanding something, Rarity: I already know my carvings are the fucking best. I've been perfecting my craft for twenty years. You tell me my gems are the best you've ever seen, and I've got no doubt in my mind that you're telling me the Gods' honest truth."

Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked in confusion. "Then... why would you... ?"

"Because I don't care about money anymore. I've been in Equestria for long time, Miss Rarity. I've done all kinds of things, and met all kinds of people. And some time along the way, I realized that peoples' smiles meant more to me than their bits.
Money comes and goes, but friends are forever."

Rarity unconsciously traced the line of her collarbone with the tip of her forehoof, remembering the weight of a golden necklace she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Vicker leaned down across the counter to stare into her glittering violet eyes. "So I guess you can pay me whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy."

Rarity blinked. "I... I can understand that point of view. I think we have similar ideals, but different ideas about how to get there. It isn't really about the money, you understand? It's about—"

"The principle of the thing," he interrupted, nodding his head. "Yeah, I get it. You don't want me to think you don't appreciate my carvings. But trust me, Rarity: you have communicated very clearly just how much you like my work, and I thank you for that."

She took a step back, bumping into the glass display in the center of the room. "W-well, good." Rarity rubbed the back of her foreleg with the other and cast her eyes towards the floor. "I should apologize for assuming so much."

He held up his hand. "Again, it's fine. If anything, I'm flattered that you care." Vicker suddenly stood straight up and cleared his throat.

"Now, you wanted to talk business?"

"Sorry to make you stay so late."

Vicker turned the large iron key in the last lock in the door, sliding it into place with the solid sound of metal striking metal.

"It's no problem. Hell, it was actually refreshing to hear somebody talk about my sculptures as works of art instead of just fancy-looking candy."

Rarity laughed, covering her mouth with her forehoof. The muffled sound echoed down the darkened alley, catching a few glances from ponies walking down the street.

"You don't need me to walk you home?"

He looked down at her with real concern in his eyes, but there was something else there too. Something she didn't think she was quite ready for.

"N-no, that's quite alright. I can make it home from here."

Vicker smirked at her, yellow eyes gleaming. "Oh, I get it. You're just not comfortable with the big, scary human. I'd have thought one of the Elements would be a little more understanding, but oh well."

Rarity laughed again, not bothering to hold back this time. "Alright fine, you brute. You can walk me home if you're going to sulk over it."

He smiled and shook his head. "Nah... I think you'll be fine."

The two of them began walking in silence towards the street. Rarity would occasionally steal a glance at him, trying to get a better look at his clothes. His black denim pants, cut to sit on his hips. His dark brown shoes, shaped to fit his strange feet. His thick cotton shirt, wrapped tightly against his muscular chest.

"What are you looking at?"

Rarity looked off to the side, trying to hide her blush. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Vicker smirked again, letting out a brief puff of air from his nose. "I wonder."

Slowly walking side by side, they finally reached the street. Vicker glanced up and down the road before looking down at her.

"I guess I'll be seeing you soon."

Rarity nodded. "I'll be making a few different prototypes for Ember's dress over the next few months, so I'll drop by whenever I'm putting on the finishing touches for one."

He cocked his head. "And how long will that take you?"

She thought to herself. "Three weeks at the earliest, I think."

Vicker rubbed at his face. "Well, that's not soon at all." He sounded disappointed.

Rarity shook her head, frowning. "No, I suppose it isn't." She stepped out onto the sidewalk before turning back to look at him. "I'll see you in a few weeks then?"

He put his hands in his pockets and nodded. "A few weeks. I'll mark it on my calendar."

She smiled and rolled her eyes before turning to walk down the street. "Good night, Mister Vicker," she called behind her.

Vicker watched her leave, tracking the gentle sway of her curled tail and taking note of the bright blue diamonds adorning her flanks. "Good night, Miss Rarity."