A chance meeting
It was late afternoon in Canterlot, as as the wealthy ponies who lived there prepared for that evening's parties, dinners, and social events. The well-to-do unicorns who sat in the upper echelons of Equestrian society, made ready too attend the events that would make or brake their reputations. It was among these events, that grand art gallery opening at the canterlot museum was being held. And among those ponies invited to attend, was one whose reputation had proceeded him into the elite of Canterlot. A war hero, a crime fighter, and a rough cowpony, who had trotted the rugged plains of the frontier.
"I say, Sky Runner... would you be a good chap, and straighten my tie for me?"
"Sure, Fancy Pants! Give me a sec here..."
Fancy pants was preparing for the party, with the help of his friend, Sky Runner- a white unicorn with a black mane, and Evening star cutie mark. The child of two Pegasus from Cloudsdale, Sky Runner had been named before he was born, out of the certainty that he would turn out like his Parents. When he turned out to be a Unicorn, his disappointed mother and father quietly shipped him off to Celestia's school of Magic. He had excelled in his studies, until angering the wrong Pony. Now he was a lowly clerk- a waste of this unicorn's potent magical ability. Fancy had befriended him, and was determined to get him out of the straits the young mage had found himself in.
"This could be your opportunity to impress the Canterlot elite, Fancy." His friend exclaimed. "You'll have those rich and pompous fools eating out of your hoof."
"If I play my cards right." Fancy replied, levitating his spectacles onto his face. "First impressions are always important, and I must make the very best one if I am to enter into high society."
After the War, Fancy had used the fortune he had slowly grown over the years to purchase a small estate on the outskirts of the capital. His reputation, and connections that he had formed over the years, were enough to guarantee his entry into the upper class. But it would be up to his own charm and charisma to keep him there.
After they had finished getting ready, the two trotted towards the museum. As they approached, Fancy could not help but admire the large white marble structure, with it's ornately decorated columns. At the entrance, the two unicorns had their ID's checked by the Pegasus guards, then trotted inside.
The interior was packed with ponies, a veritable who's who of Canterlot high society. Fancy recognized everypony from The up-and-coming fashion designer Hoity Toity, who was making a splash in the world of fashion, to Prince Blueblood, the teenage nephew of the Princess herself. The walls were decorated with the photographic artistry of Foto Finish, the famed pony photographer, who decided what was in style in Canterlot, and what was out.
It was at that point, that Sky Runner saw several mares off to the side, giggling to themselves. "Uh, Fancy? Will you excuse me, please?"
"What? Oh, of course... go ahead." Fancy Pants motioned him off, and started wandering through the gallery by himself, as his friend made a beeline for the pretty little fillies. The middle-aged unicorn wandered amongst the crowd, looking around at all of the young pony couples.
They all looked so happy together, laughing and chatting. His whole life, the adventurous unicorn had rejected all of the attempts of mares to lifebond with him, brushing off their advances. Looking at all of the happy stallions and their spouses, Fancy Pants began to wonder if he had made the right choice in doing so. Again and again , he had avoided forming an emotional bond with a mare and taking a mate... and he was depressed by the thought it may just be too late in life for him. Sighing, the lonely old stallion went over to look at one of the exhibits.
It was then he saw the photo... of one of the most exquisite and beautiful mares he had ever laid eyes on. She was reclining on a red velvet couch, staring out at him with seductive and alluring eyes. Her hypnotic gaze held him in place, and he was helpless before her beauty.
It was at the same time, that a very beautiful unicorn model was having an argument with her date on the other side of the room.
"No! Absolutely not!" The mare snorted angrily. "I do not want to go back to your place with you, nor do I ever wish to speak to you again!"
"But... sweet muffin!" The wormy little unicorn stallion pleaded, trying to get back on the white mare with the pink mane's good graces.
But she was having none of it. A mare can instinctively spot a bad stallion after talking to him for an hour or so, (one of the odd quirks of female pony genetics) and she knew this poser was a fake.
"Hmph!" The model snorted in contempt. Levitating a punch bowl over his head, she dumped an entire bowl of Cherry Delight on the spoiled unicorn.
"Aiee! My new jacket!" He wailed, running out of the gallery.
Snorting angrily, Fleur De Lis trotted over towards the other side of the room. "Another date with a stallion who turned out to be a creep!" She shook her head. "Are there no good males to lifebond with out there? Every one I've ever come across has been a total loser!"
It was then she saw Fancy Pants looking up at one of her centerfold portraits among the photos on the wall. Amused, she trotted up to him.
"You know, if you wanted to stare so much, you could just look at the real thing." Fleur said, startling him. "The model for that photo is right here."
"What? Oh!" He was stunned into silence, by this vision of loveliness before him. "I am sorry, my dear... I-I didn't mean to..."
"It's quite all right, good sir." She replied, smiling. "I sense no emotional lifebond with a mare." She thought to herself. "He's single... at his age?"
"My name is Fleur Di Lis, I'm a fashion model for Canterlot weekly. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"My lady, my name is Fancy Pants... and I am truly honored to have had the pleasure to have met you." He replied, bowing to her.
"Fancy Pants? The Hero of San Kettle hill?" She asked, surprised. "Your reputation precedes you, good sir."
“There’s something... sincere about him." She thought to herself. “He’s not like the others, I can feel it."
"The same." He replied. "So you're a fashion model? "What an... interesting profession."
"To be honest, my good Fancy, it is actually dreadfully boring." She waved her hoof dismissively. "In any event, it seems... rather dull over here. Can we go over and have a seat on that bench?"
The two trotted over to the bench, and sat down together. Fluer struck a reclining pose next to him, and they began to talk. Much to his surprise, Fancy found this young model had quite a head on her shoulders, knowing about the places he had been to, and things that he had seen. While she was surprised to find a stallion with common interests- one who wasn't a shallow jerk who wanted to force the lifebond with a mare he had nothing in common with, and get into her bedroom.
Before either of them knew what had happened, they both had agreed to meet the next day for lunch. Over the course of the following week, they appeared at all of the social functions together, and caused quite a stir with the Canterlot press. While dating a mare like Fleur helped raise him in the eyes of the Canterlot elite, all Fancy cared about was spending time with Fleur.
"I say, Sky Runner!" The old stallion told his friend. "I do think this Fleur is an extraordinary young lady!"
"At least you're having better luck than I am!" Sky Runner sighed. "I struck out with those mares at the opening!"
"Cheer up, my good fellow!" Fancy said reassuringly. "You'll find the right mare someday!"
That night, Fleur and Fancy met aboard Prince Blueblood's new air-yacht. They sat together, staring up at the stars.
"It is simply dreadful that all of those stallions called you a loose tramp!" Fancy snorted angrily. Everypony knew a stallion and a mare couldn’t do... that,,, without a lifebond being formed! It wasn't choice... it was simple pony biology! “If I saw those scoundrels, I would give them a sound thrashing!"
"But I came up from the streets, you know." Fleur sighed. "I came up from nothing... only because of my looks."
"Ah, but it wasn't just your beauty, my dear." He told her. "For you had the brains and talent to put those looks to good use, and get your family out of that terrible ghetto."
She smiled... and then did something totally unexpected. She climbed up onto his back, and stuck a model pose on top of him.
As she nuzzled his mane, Fancy Pants felt her emotions reaching into his mind, trying to form the lifebond with him.
Was this right, he wondered... to take a mare half his age as his mate? This was a bond that a pony could form only once in their lives, how did he know he wasn't making a mistake?
But unlike his dallying with Trophy, this felt ...right. And Fleur was unlike any mare he had met before.
As the model climbed off his back, Fancy Pants stepped forward and kissed her, letting the emotional bond between the two of them form.