Rarity hummed contently to herself, levitating her sewing equipment and materials around as she constructed a stunning new dress. She wasn't being paid directly for this one, rather it was one for her Canterlot Boutique to sell as part of her next line. While she and Sassy Saddles had butted heads and it wasn't what she'd imagined initially, it was now bustling in her way and she had to keep a constant supply of new dresses available. Her creativity had just been on fire today and she'd been making new design after new design. She was in the zone.
“Hey honey!”
The telekinetically held materials suddenly fell to the floor with a clatter as Rarity's concentration was completely shattered. “Oh...hello, father...”
Her father, Hondo Flanks, trotted into the boutique without even knocking. Rarity turned expecting him to be dressed in his usual tacky tourist clothing, only to realize, to her horror, it was far worse. He was decked out in a hoofball jersey, specifically the one for the Fillydelphia Eagles and a full ensemble of matching memorabilia. No surprise to anypony it'd be that specific team, given a trip around Everfree Forest and you were in their hometown. His choice of team, however, was decidedly not where her horror stemmed from.
“Ready for the hoofball game, sweetie?” Hondo shouted with a wide smile as if that were the most enjoyable thing in the world.
However, his words echoed in her mind for a few moments like a bad war flashback trigger as they summoned up unbeckoned memories from her foalhood she quickly had to stifle.
“Oh...that's today, father?” Rarity questioned nervously.
“Yeah! The Eagles have a big game and if we want to do some tailgating, we're gonna need to get there early!” her father laughed.
“I see. Well, I was going to do some dresses,” the fashionista carefully replied, before noticing the disappointed look on her father's face in response. She tried to resist, but for all their problems, he was still her father. She only hoped her massive burst of creativity would last until they returned. “But I suppose it can wait.”
“Thanks, honey!” the older stallion jovially replied, looking around. “Huh, this place is a bit of a mess today.”
Rarity sighed, picking up the things her father's sudden entrance had made her drop. “My apologies you walked in during a storm of creativity.” She put the items away carefully and grabbed her favored sunhat. “Alright, father, I am ready to go.”
“You're forgetting something.” Her father tugged on his own jersey and pointed to his soda drink hat.
The fashionista shuddered internally. “Oh, right. I was so busy I forgot. One moment.” Walking up to her room, she unlocked her closet, then unlocked another interior closet hidden behind a row of clothes. She then unlocked the wardrobe stored inside the closet, and the chains on a big locked chest inside the wardrobe. After unlocking the chest itself, she finally produced a suitcase from inside it. She took a deep breath. “Be strong, Rarity.”
She slowly opened the suitcase, mentally imagining ominous chanting playing in her head.
====
“Alright, father, I'm ready,” Rarity said, slowly descending the stairs. The normally fashionable pony walked down the stairs, now dressed in an Eagles jersey and full set of memorabilia, including the soda drinking hat that messed up her mane every time she wore it. Every. Single. Time.
“Looking good!” her father waved.
Rarity respected the sheer passion ponies could put into anything, and she was certain to hoofball fans this was a symbol of their excitement and love of the game. To her, however, she was looking forwards to the fact she had the path to covertly head over to the train station without a living soul seeing her down to a science. “If you say so.”
In the past she'd attempted to make a hoofball themed dress, but her creativity was drowned in a flood of foalhood trauma and suffering. She'd tried just wearing a dress in the Eagle's colors, but her father felt that didn't count. She was still proud of it.
====
“It's so nice to take the scenic route to the train station, we don't do it enough,” Hondo stated as Rarity lead him around in the back alleys.
“Yes, it is lovely, isn't it?” Rarity flashed a forced smile. “Alright, here we are: the train station.”
It was quite easy to just blend into the crowd and avoid being seen by literally anyone who mattered (and most ponies simply, and justifiably, believed that she couldn't possibly be Rarity given her outfit) while Rarity did her best to give the appearance she wasn't hiding from anypony who might recognize her and was instead enthused to spend the day with her father.
It all went according to plan as they filed into the train and went to sent down, Rarity hoping this would go quickly.
“Rarity?!”
The fashionista's eye twitched as she slowly turned to find Rainbow Dash, likewise decked out in full Eagles gear, already seated on the train. The two merely stared at each other in blind shock for several moments.
====
“Wow, so you used to be a pro?!” Rainbow Dash asked as they departed the train.
Hondo gave a proud nod. “You know it. Made it the big leagues, was a Eagle myself back in the day don't ya know.”
“So awesome!” The cyan pegasus was practically hanging on the stallion's every word and made Rarity sincerely wonder if she had somehow been switched at birth with her friend. “Why'd you quit?”
“Oh...” Hondo's hoof found its way to his side subconsciously as if from some phantom pain. “It's a long story.”
Rainbow excitedly turned to Rarity with a wide smile. “Why'd you never tell me your old man was a hoofball player?!”
The fashionable mare cringed slightly but forced a smile. “Oh, it just never came up, darling.”
“Oh come on, sweetie, I know your friend's here, but cut loose and leave the fashion stuff at home for the day,” her father said, looking at her expectantly. As if his words were her thoughts.
Rarity gulped, looking at Rainbow Dash with well hidden nervousness. It was bad enough Rainbow Dash had already seen far more than Rarity would have ever wanted her to. She was never going to let the fashionista live this down as it was...but her father would realize her secret otherwise. So she cleared her throat and got on with it.
“Okay dad, was gonna wait till we got to the park.”
Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped as she stared in disbelief. She quickly checked her ears. “What did you just say?”
Rarity hid a vivid red blush. “What? Don't ya know the fashionable way I talk takes a lotta work?” she asked, her normal high class way of speaking gone in favor of one identical to her parents. In fact had Rainbow Dash not heard it coming out of her mouth directly, she'd have barely known it was the same pony.
“Rarity works so hard to keep up appearances, she likes to just cut loose and lose that fancy accent of hers when she's out with me and the guys, don't ya sweetie?” Hondo asked with a smile.
“Yeah, it's...real relaxing dad,” Rarity replied, trying not to cringe at the voice coming out of her mouth.
Her cyan friend raised an eyebrow. “So...this is what you really sound like?”
“It's what I grew up talking like.”
“Hey, Hondo! You and the kid made it!” called a huge, rowdy looking stallion in full hoofball gear and facepaint. His fur was bright blue with a yellow mane, his Cutie Mark a megaphone. He wasn't alone, with half a dozen hoofball fancolts, fanfillies, and even a few fandrakes and drakainas from the city's civilized dragon population. All standing in the stadium's parking lot.
“Oh! Hey Good Cheer! Yeah, and this is Rainbow Dash, one of her friends,” Rarity's father replied with a wave.
Good Cheer held out a hoof to the new arrival. “Oh! I've heard of you, you're a Wonderbolt, aren't ya?”
Rainbow accepted the hoofshake with a proud smirk. “Yeah, and proud of it! Had the day off and wanted to see a hoofball game!”
“Good way to spend it.” The big stallion then turned to look at Rarity. “Hey, little lady, come over here and let your Uncle Good Cheer put your face paint on!”
Rarity resisted shuddering internally at the thought, but knew her father expected this ritual. “Sure, uncle. Go right ahead.”
====
“Face paint looks good on you, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash praised as they gathered around for the tailgate party before the game.
The fashionista resisted the urge to run to the bathroom and spend the next hour washing the face paint off instantly. Her poor, perfectly washed white fur. The stains always took a few days to get out completely, during which she normally had to slather her face in more make up to cover it. But Good Cheer was her father's best friend and had indeed been her honorary uncle growing up. He was a good stallion, just a bit...overzealous in a lot of ways.
“Thanks, Rainbow, Good Cheer always does a great job,” Rarity replied, having to will her hooves away from her face to avoid instinctively wiping it off.
“Hey, Rainbow, you like cider?” Good Cheer called as he continued setting up the party.
“You know it!” the cyan pegasus shouted as she flew over to the big barrel of cider the stallion just pulled a tarp over.
“We have a contest: first to empty their flask wins, you in?”
Rainbow gave her expected competitive smirk. “Game on!”
“Come on, Rarity! Join in! You always love this!” Hondo called as he took his flask of cider.
Rarity stayed calm externally, but internally was screaming. “I hear that, dad!”
The group gathered around the barrel with flasks of cider in hoof, Rarity trying to avoid gulping looking hers.
“And go!” Good Cheer called.
Rainbow had hers down so fast most of the others hadn't even got the first swig past their lips. Even the dragons who could just dump it all into their mouths in one go stared in shock. “Not as good as the Apples', but what is?” she asked...then blinked, noticing Rarity had finished hers, her face covered in foam. “...Wow, you're good at this.”
Rarity swallowed the big gulp of cider and tried her best not to look sick. “Thanks...oh, look at that, face paint's running. Gonna hit the bathroom to fix that...”
“Sorry about that, little lady,” her honorary uncle replied, patting her on the back and nearly knocking her down. “We can put it back on when you get back.”
“Of course, uncle,” the fashionista said with a salute before rushing to the bathroom and scrubbing her face as hard as she could. She took a deep breath and struggled to not let out a cathartic scream at the top of her lungs. “Do it for father...just get through this for father.”
====
Rarity spent most of the tailgate party cheering on the other creatures to avoid being dragged into the 'fun.' Rainbow Dash, of course, was getting along like a fish to water. A bunch of competitive creatures who all enjoyed the game? What didn't appeal to her about it? But Rarity had to keep a big smile on her face and cheer far, far louder than she preferred to.
At least cornhole wasn't too bad. It was a simple game: throw the bag of dried corn kernels into the cut outs in the board. A popular tailgating pass time. And one that Rarity would, under normal circumstances, not be at all opposed to. Except for the fact that her father and his friends insisted on cheering at the top of their lungs, breaking her concentration in half and giving her the stark impression of being rushed, rather than being able to properly aim. She knew that wasn't the intention, but it was how her mind felt. And not without reason given certain events of her childhood.
And then there was the food. Rarity wasn't entirely opposed to eating a hayburger, haydog, or whatever grilled confection possible. She enjoyed a good grill at a proper restaurant as much as the next pony. Except eating gingerly and carefully wasn't much of a possibility.
“Hurry up, sweetie! We've gotta head on in!” Hondo called as the group got ready to head in.
Rarity sighed, having to finish up her hayburger in a way that wouldn't be out of place for Twilight. She had to resist the urge to once more run to the bathroom and scrub her face (since they didn't have time to reapply her face paint again), instead simply wiping her mouth as best she could with a napkin as Rainbow stared wide-eyed.
====
The group finally made their way into the stadium, found their proper seats (Rainbow managing to trade her ticket to get one next to the group), and proceeded to spend the game cheering their lungs out at every cheer worthy thing.
As the QB of the Eagles ran forwards and scored a touchdown, the entire group jumped up and cheered at the top of their lungs, so loud it made Rarity's ears ring (probably because given present company, that included having a dragon cheer right next to her). And Rarity fully expected to spend the next week drinking plenty of tea to try and heal her sore throat from doing so. Especially since the entire time she was having to force mass enthusiasm for something she genuinely didn't care about.
'You're doing it for father, remember that Rarity,' the fashionista told herself in her head.
It all came down to a field goal. And as luck would have it, they were seated directly behind the field goal to watch it. The kicker prepared for the goal and dashed forwards, kicked the football high into the air and through the goal.
“YES!” screamed her father, Rarity echoing him as loudly as she could force herself...then noticed the hoofball just happened to go through a hole that had torn in the net intended to keep the ball in the field. The brown ball sailed through the air and smashed the fashionista right in the face.
“You alright, honey?” asked her father, the group looking down at her as she laid on the floor.
“Daddy, I don't want to try out for the filly's hoofball team, they declared be a persona no grata after I replaced their uniforms with pink lace...” the semiconscious mare muttered dizzily with eagles circling her head.
“She's fine.”
====
“That was awesome! It's so much more fun to go to these games with a bunch of friends!” Rainbow cheered as they departed the stadium back into the parking lot for the after party.
“I know, right?” Hondo asked with a chuckle.
Rarity grumbled, not saying anything.
“We should do this more often!” the cyan pegasus said. “Mind if I tag along every time I don't have Wonderbolt practice?”
The fashionista's eyes widened and she looked down to avoid them seeing her face. It was bad enough Rainbow knew about this now, now she was going to see her put herself through this every time? As she looked down, Rarity saw her reflection in a puddle, seeing her beautiful face and finding her right eye had been blacked by the hoofball. Flashbacks to coming home battered with blackeyes from hoofball practice flashed through her mind.
“Oh, fine by me! And I'm sure Rarity would love that too, right Sweetie?” Hondo asked with a cheerful smile.
“No.”
Whether it was the humiliation of having Rainbow see her like this, seeing her black eye that nobody seemed to care about but her, or her father deciding one more thing she 'loved' for her, Rarity's face turned bright red. And not from a blush.
Hondo blinked. “Huh? What's wrong, sweetie?”
Rarity spun around. “No. It's not fine. No. I would not love it. In fact I've never loved it at all!” she screamed, her voice back to her normal high class tone.
The older stallion took a step back, Good Cheer mirroring him. “W-What?”
“I hate hoofball! I've always hated hoofball! I've hated it since you spent my entire foalhood forcing me to to take part in every single sports team and athletic event you could think of, FATHER!” The mare no longer cared everycreature was staring at her now.
“B-But I thought you loved it...” her father stuttered.
“Well I don't! You just wanted me to so badly you pretended I did! I told you million times I didn't like sports, but no, I just 'got the jitters!' I told you I'd gotten hurt, but no, I just 'need to toughen up'! You never listened so I just let you think that to please you! And I don't talk like this, dad,” the fashionista glared daggers at her father, tears streaming down her cheeks along with mascara as she briefly reverted back to her family's way of speaking. “This is! The! Way! I! Talk! Father! I am a lady! I love being a lady! I love fashion, frilly things, and dressing up! And I don't need to 'toughen up': I've saved the world several times! Why do you think the moment I was old enough I moved out and never picked up a hoofball ever again?! So will you please politely stop trying to decide what I like for me?!”
Everycreature stood in stunned silence for a few moments before Rarity tore her drink hat off her head and threw it to the ground and stormed off to the bathroom without another word.
Rainbow Dash looked between Hondo, who quite understandably dumbstruck, and the direction Rarity went in for a moment. “...Uh...I'm gonna go see if Rarity's okay.”
Good Cheer watched for a moment as Hondo just stared after his daughter with tears welling up in his eyes, then put a hoof on his shoulder.
====
Rainbow Dash slowly opened the door and walked in. “Rarity?”
The mare stood at the sink, all the hoofball gear thrown in the trash nearby as she merciless scrubbed every ounce of face paint off her visage. Rainbow could tell her face was wet with more than the water from the sink. “What? Are you here to say I was too harsh on my father? That I should try to understand what he likes better? That I'm being selfish and should keep rolling over and pretending I like this?! That I shoul-”
To her shock, her friend put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
“...Rarity, I'm sorry. I knew something was weird, but I just rolled with it. I didn't know any of that. I thought me and my folks had issues, but this is worse. You're right to be mad.” The cyan pegasus gave a guilty look.
Rarity sniffled, wiping some tears away. “Thank you, darling...All my life it's been like this. Father just wanting me to be his little athlete and trying to decide my life for me. I know for you it all comes natural, but after the nine-hundredth time getting buried under a mound of hoofball players, all the dreams I ever had about sports were nightmares. I mean that literally.”
“I gotcha. If my parents tried to make me do that with frilly stuff, I'd probably be the same way,” the cyan pegasus replied with a supportive smile.
The two shared a friendly hug...before there was a knock on the bathroom door.
“Sweetie...please come out,” Hondo's voice said.
Rarity snarled, fully prepared to ignore her father.
“...Discord was right.”
Rarity's eyes widened. She slowly approached and opened the door, finding her father and Good Cheer standing outside. Both looking rather somber and subdued in a way she was most unused to from either. “What?”
Her father gave a shudder. “...When he got out the first time and came to me, he said I was trying to live my dream through you and Sweetie when it wasn't either of your dreams. Showed me this world where you both saw me as the bad guy and were running away from me until I grew up old and alone with neither of you wanting a thing to do with me. At the time, I just brushed it off, it was Discord ya know. But...he was right.” The stallion looked at his side. “I tore a muscle in my side real bad. So bad I can't play ever again. So I guess...I guess I really was just trying to live my dream through you and Sweetie.” Tears started down his face. “I love you two girls...no wonder you never visit and Sweetie spends more time at your place or with the Crusaders than with me anymore...I am the bad guy.”
Rainbow Dash silently promised herself to go see what Discord might have done to her parents after this.
Good Cheer put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. “And I thought you loved this too. I'd never want to hurt my honorary niece. If you don't like hoofball, you don't like it. Simple as that.”
“...I'm sorry, sweetie...” Hondo finally said, slowly turning to walk away.
“Father?”
The older stallion found a hoof on his shoulder.
“...I hate hoofball, but I still love you. I just want you to understand what I'm interested in and care about,” the fashionista said with a comforting smile.
“...I can try,” replied the stallion, the two giving each other a hug.
“And I'll try to spend more time with you, just not like this,” Rarity said, finally ending the hug. “I'm willing to do some things you like, just like I'm willing to do some things Sweetie likes for her sake, but I'm not you. I like things you don't and flat out hate some things you do. I'm certain the opposite is true as well. Deal?”
“Deal,” Hondo replied with a smile.
“I'm sorry for bottling this in for so long. I just didn't want to disappoint you,” Rarity said, being mare enough to accept her fault in it.
“With how I acted, I don't blame ya...How about we skip the after party, head home, and chat about how your whole fashion thing is going?...I want to know how your dream's going for once, sweetie,” her father said with a smile.
“...I'd like that very much, father.”
====
Dearest Diary
I've always tried to please my father, but sometimes you try so hard to please somepony, you forget to take care of yourself and what matters to you. You aren't being selfish for standing up for what you want and who you are. My father loves me, and for all the problems between us, he listened when I finally admitted I didn't like the things he wanted me to.
Family isn't easy, but we make it through. I did with Sweetie, now I've done it with father. I don't think I'll ever get the family life Applejack has, but I've gotten a little closer.
Rarity
“Wow...I never realized you were doing this well,” Hondo stated, looking at the pictures Rarity showed him.
“I'm quite proud of myself, breaking into other markets was a dream of mine and at long last I succeeded,” the fashionista said proudly, then blinked as her father hugged her.
“I'm proud of ya too...sorry it took so long to say it,” her father told her.
Both teared up and shared a hug, something Rarity expected to be a far more common occurrence in the future.
The End.
