//------------------------------// // Chapter Three – Hope and Heart // Story: A Certain Type of Chic // by WellKPony //------------------------------// Chapter Three – Hope and Heart A soft tinkle resonated from a small bell suspended over the door of one of the most high-end dress shops in all of Canterlot. Its cheery little ring was completely at odds with the absolute gravity of the situation. As the door closed behind Rarity, she gave a little jump. Perhaps she would have bolted had it not been for the presence of her friends. Twilight gave her a small reassuring nod, urging her on. The trio stepped forward, with Twilight ahead of the others. Although Rarity had been to this shop on a few of her previous trips to Canterlot, she had not yet been formally introduced to its proprietor as a fashion designer and possible business associate. She had merely been a very occasional patron, not worthy of her recollection. The shop was exactly how both ponies remembered it. There weren’t a great number of rails of clothes like there had been in the shop where Twilight had purchased her cape. It was a lot more like the Carousel boutique. There was a great deal of open floor with ponyquins scattered here and there displaying some of Chic’s bespoke designs. Huge windows allowed light to flood in, illuminating the unspoilt white stone floor. The walls were the same cold white, but were broken up by oversized photographs of famous socialites, Canterlot aristocracy and stunning models wearing a variety of different styles of dress. There were raised podia and glass cases displaying a multitude of bags, shoes, jewellery and assorted fashionable miscellany dotted around the floor. They continued to look around, waiting for somepony to acknowledge their presence. As if summoned by that thought, there came a strong, throaty voice with a thick francophone accent from a doorway towards the back of the main shop: “Bonjour Mademoiselles! How might I be of assistance?” The three turned their heads to see that they had been joined by an unusually pretty unicorn. She had a glossy cream coat and a mane of a soft but bright pink which framed her face with tight, perfectly formed and perfectly even ringlet curls. Her tail matched her mane beautifully, the same expertly coiffed curls falling to just above the floor. “Good morning, Miss Mode. I’m Twilight Sparkle. We had arranged for you to meet my friend? The fashion designer from Ponyville,” Twilight said. “But of course! I have been looking forward to it greatly. This is she?” Chic asked, her light blue eyes glinting from behind her rimless pince-nez. Rarity had frozen. She looked positively dazzled. Her eyes were large and glazed over as she looked towards Chic who was tilting her head trying to get a better look at her muted guest. Twilight stood nervously in the lengthening silence. This wasn’t a very good start. “Yes. Chic Mode, this is Rarity. Rarity, this is Chic Mode,” Twilight interjected, awkwardly trying to force some conversation. Spike elbowed Rarity’s flank and whispered something in her ear. She took a deep breath and approached the other unicorn. “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Mode,” Rarity said, extending her right hoof. Chic took it graciously: “Miss Rarity. Charmante. I have been speaking with Hoity Toity since this meeting was arranged. He tells me you have a wonderful eye.” “Oh, he is too kind, I’m sure,” Rarity blushed. Chic laughed, looking at both ponies intently through her mirth: “Perhaps he is. But we do not yet know if this is the case. So until then, let us assume that he is not. These outfits: you designed them both yourself, oui?” There was no mincing of words. Twilight suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She turned to look at Rarity who looked as though she was about to crack from the pressure of the situation. “No. That is to say, not both. The ensemble you see me wearing is of my own design. Twilight’s is not,” Rarity answered. Chic walked in a small circle around Rarity, silently critiquing her work. She made a variety of understated gestures and sounds. It was impossible to tell what she thought of what she saw. Rarity stood with her chin raised, waiting. Chic stepped back, her opinion still unclear. “I trust you have brought other designs with you? Drawings?” Chic asked. Rarity walked towards one of the emptier looking displays, removing her portfolio bag from over her shoulder. She opened the compartment containing the drawings she had intended to show off and laid them out on upon the tabletop. “These are some of my best work, though there is of course plenty more if you wish to see it,” Rarity said. Chic looked at the sketches while Rarity watched over her shoulder. With each new drawing, Rarity would comment on what she had been attempting to convey with her choices of colour or fabric or shape and Chic would nod her head almost imperceptibly and move on to the next one. Twilight began to shuffle her front legs nervously. When it had been her looking at the sketches, Rarity hadn’t insisted on explaining every last detail. She had mostly just stood and watched. Then again, Twilight was a little more emotive than the pony currently judging her work. Perhaps she was simply trying to draw some kind reaction from Chic. If that had been her plan, it was about to work. After looking at about half of the sketches, Chic swept them all back in to a neat pile and turned to look at Rarity who, despite her nerves, appeared very pleased with herself. Twilight leaned forward in anticipation, beaming proudly at her friend. “These are all very pretty, Miss Rarity. I thank you for showing them to me,” Chic said. The tension seemed to break and Rarity sprung towards Twilight, pulling her in to a quick hug before turning back to Chic: “You like them? Oh I’m so glad you like them, you have no idea how nervous I’ve...” Chic raised her hoof, cutting Rarity off mid-sentence. Silence fell again. “As I said, these are all very pretty. Do I like them? Oh là là. I fear that perhaps Hoity Toity was being a little too kind. Do not mistake my meaning. Technically, these designs are of a very high standard. But I cannot feel them. I cannot understand them. Where is the flare? Where is the emotion? Where is the spark? This is what I want.” Spike’s jaw dropped, Twilight’s smile evaporated and Rarity, who had been pacing and shaking her head, stopped and stood staring at the drawings on the table. Her eyes were very distant, devoid of any visible emotion. Chic continued: “These are nothing like the dresses I saw in Hoity Toity’s boutique. Maybe you have overextended yourself. I do not know. Perhaps you just haven’t any more like those in you. Perhaps you are simply a one trick pony.” Twilight bristled. Before she could say anything however, Rarity seemed to have collected her thoughts well enough to speak. She gathered up her drawings, stowing them hastily in her portfolio bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “I see,” she said, her voice wavering slightly, “Well in that case, it has been a pleasure meeting you and we couldn’t possibly expect to take up any more of your time, valuable as it undoubtedly is. We should leave. Thank you again for meeting with us.” With that she turned, summoning all of her remaining poise, and trotted quickly towards the door. “But of course,” replied Chic, who was either completely oblivious to the effect her words had had on everypony else present or just too callous to care. The bell above the door tinkled as Rarity closed it. Twilight stood for a brief moment, still in shock, before shaking herself back to life. “Come on, Spike, let’s go!” she said with one last scathing look at their erstwhile hostess before they too walked quickly from the shop. By the time they had made it back to the street, Rarity was gone. Twilight was seething. A one trick pony? What did she know? Perhaps fame had gone to her head. She obviously had no taste whatsoever if she didn’t love Rarity’s designs. Her attitude had been nothing like it had with her and her mother. Twilight walked in a blind rage towards the Blanket Stitch, hoping that that was where Rarity had gone. When she entered their rooms, she went straight to Rarity’s bedroom and was dismayed to find it empty. There was no evidence to suggest that Rarity had been there either. Twilight began to worry. She needed to find her friend, but she had no idea where Rarity would go. She collapsed in despair upon the bed. “Oh, Spike! What are we going to do? Rarity must be distraught. She needs us right now and we can’t be with her until we find out where she’s gone!” Twilight cried. “Calm down, Twilight, she has to come back at some point. We don’t leave for Ponyville until tomorrow morning and can you imagine her staying out all night? She’ll be fine. We can talk to her when she gets back.” Bless Spike, his heart was in the right place. He was trying to calm her down and she was grateful for that. Unfortunately, contrary to his assertion, Twilight didn’t know what Rarity would do. Under normal circumstances, Twilight would have agreed that it was unlikely that she would stay out all night, but these weren’t normal circumstances. Twilight looked at Spike through teary eyes. This was all her fault. If only she hadn’t suggested this meeting, none of this would have happened. “I’m sorry Spike, but I think we need to look for her. I know I wouldn’t want to be alone after what that... what she said to her. You stay here in case she comes back, I’ll try to think of where she might have gone,” Twilight said. Spike nodded his agreement and Twilight galloped out of the hotel again. Now if only she knew where she was going. * * * * * At least a couple of hours had passed since the meeting had ended in unmitigated disaster. Twilight had searched every inch of the fashion district, asking everypony she saw whether they had seen a light grey mare with a purple mane and three sapphires as a cutie mark. No pony had. After the last shopkeeper had told her the same thing, she decided to look further afield. Where would a pony like Rarity go to be alone? For she was almost certain Rarity would be alone. If it were her, she would have gone to the castle library and although a part of her knew that wasn’t where her friend would be, it was the only idea she had. She looked up at the castle’s imposing walls. It was worth a try. She set off up the hill, weaving her way through the crowd. Thankfully, it wasn’t a long walk. Barely ten more minutes had passed when Twilight reached the castle walls. She asked a guard whether Rarity had come that way. The guard pointed her towards the gardens. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Of course! She trotted quickly towards a mass of beautiful hanging trees with their myriad of colourful blossoms, perfectly manicured bushes and bright flowers. As she came closer, she caught glimpses of a few rare birds. They hid themselves from sight, perceiving her loud footsteps to indicate danger. Even so, the grace of their flight was intoxicating to watch. Just as she had begun to lose herself in the garden’s many wonders, Twilight came past a copse of vast willows and found Rarity standing on a picturesque stone bridge which arched over a slow, whispering stream. Twilight had never seen Rarity look this sad. She simply stared blankly at the water passing below her, occasionally wiping away an errant tear. Twilight decided against calling on her. Instead she slowly walked towards the bridge. It was only when her hooves made a soft click on the stone that Rarity finally became aware of her presence. “Twilight? Oh, just let me be alone,” Rarity said, turning away to hide her face. Despite this, she made no effort to leave. “I can’t do that, Rarity. Not when you’re upset like this. I had to come find you. You have no idea how worried we’ve been... how worried I’ve been. Talk to me, please?” Twilight countered. “Talk about what?” Rarity asked rhetorically, “About how completely and utterly worthless I am? I’m sorry, Twilight, but I would rather not.” Twilight’s heart broke. Hearing Rarity talk like this, it was as if someone had stolen a part of her soul; as if some huge part of her world had been shattered. Twilight moved forward so that she stood next to her. Rarity looked at her, her face looking thoroughly dishevelled. Tears were rolling unchecked down her cheeks, leaving long black streaks of mascara on her beautiful coat. Twilight pulled Rarity’s face to her shoulder and put her foreleg around her. She could feel her convulsing with silent sobs. Twilight held her tightly while she cried. A long while passed like this with neither pony saying another word. Eventually, once she was all cried out, Rarity looked up in to Twilight’s eyes. “Maybe I’m not supposed to be a fashionista after all.” She looked defeated. “No!” Twilight screamed, horrified that she could even consider this as a possibility. “Rarity, how can you say that? This is what you’ve dreamed of your entire life. You can’t let that part of yourself die just because one stuck up, horrible pony doesn’t like your work! For what it’s worth, I loved every one of those designs and I’m sure there are plenty of ponies out there who would agree. Think how many ponies you’ve thrilled with your dresses; how hard you’ve worked to get to where you are now and how happy it makes you to see people delight in your art. Do you really want to throw that all away? “I know it’s hard just now, of course it is, but this must be your destiny. I’m certain of it. The path to achieving your dreams will never be perfectly smooth. You’re bound to hit bumps along the way and it’s how you react to those setbacks that’s important. You can either pick yourself up and dust yourself down or you can decide it’s too hard and quit. The Rarity I know is not a quitter. “You truly are somepony special, Rarity. You’re worth a million Chic Modes in my opinion. Don’t listen to her. One day you’ll be more famous and more respected than she ever could be because of your passion, your generosity and your strength. But you can’t give up.” Rarity’s eyes began to shimmer with tears once again. “You’re right,” she said softly looking at her hooves, “Of course you are. It just hurts so much to have something you’ve worked as hard on for such a long time slighted in such a cavalier manner. But, as you said, I suppose the only thing I can do is redouble my efforts and make sure that it does not happen again.” With her epiphany, Rarity began looking more like her normal self again. Her chin and tail were raised and her eyes had their sparkle back. She put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight shuddered at her touch. “You’re such a wonderful mare, Twilight Sparkle. I’m so glad you came after me. You always seem to have a way of picking me up, no matter how down in the dumps I am. I can’t possibly thank you enough!” Rarity said firmly. The two unicorns stared in to one another’s eyes for a long moment. Twilight’s heart was beating through her chest, her mind felt once more like it had at dinner the previous evening. This time however, it was nowhere near as clouded. She suddenly knew exactly why she felt like this. She looked down at Rarity’s softly curved muzzle and at her pouted lips, then back in to her eyes. How sudden was it though? She couldn’t remember when she had begun to feel this way about Rarity. It took her quite by surprise. Twilight had always thought of her as a generous, caring and beautiful mare. Her heart fluttered even more as she considered the prospect of kissing her friend. Their faces were no more than a foot apart. She could do it. But how would Rarity react? She mentally shook herself and pushed away the urge. No, she thought, this isn’t what she needs right now. Instead, she simply smiled at Rarity and put her hoof over the other mare’s. “It’s OK, Rarity,” Twilight said warmly, “That’s just what friends do.” * * * * * Back at the hotel, the ponies sat with Spike and they talked at length about their trip. Despite the main reason for their journey not having gone to plan, they all agreed that it had been a worthwhile trip. Both Spike and Twilight commiserated with Rarity over her misfortune, but she waved their remarks away, insisting that she would be fine. She still seemed a little hurt by the experience but that was only natural, Twilight reasoned. Rarity quickly changed the subject to something more cheerful. She told them how she hadn’t enjoyed shopping with any pony more than she had with Twilight the day before. Twilight smiled bashfully. She herself had never really had fun shopping with any pony until yesterday. It was usually just a chore to her: something to be gotten over with as quickly as possible. Perhaps it hadn’t been so much the task she had enjoyed as the pony she was doing it with. In her mind’s eye, Twilight could picture Rarity stepping out of changing room after changing room always wearing something which showed off some aspect of her appearance that Twilight had never noticed before. Sleeves that accentuated her slender forelegs; collars which seemed to lengthen her neck; voluminous skirts which showed off the curls of her flawless tail and everything set off by her innate, nonchalant beauty. In fact, Twilight thought, that one afternoon had been a showcase of everything she loved about Rarity. The way she had reacted to being in Canterlot – and in particular the fashion district – had shown off her passion and love of beauty. The way she had surprised Twilight with their opulent lodgings was typical of her charity and generosity. How she had reacted to Twilight’s lack of self-confidence had demonstrated how kind and caring she was. The rest of the shopping trip had shown her playful side. Now that she had acknowledged these feelings for Rarity, everything about her just seemed so invigorating; so novel and exciting. As these thought’s rolled around in her head, she began to wonder how her being with Rarity would affect her friendships. She was sure everypony would be happy for them. After all, love was just another kind of friendship. The only problem would be if somepony else also had feelings for her. “Oh, it sounds like I missed out,” Twilight said as Spike and Rarity finished their story about what they had seen in the castle gardens, “I’m so sorry for leaving early. I just had the strangest headache.” Then it hit her: Spike. How could she not have thought about Spike’s crush on Rarity? Oh, how could she possibly tell him about this? He would surely hate her if she stole Rarity away from him. “It’s OK, Twilight,” Spike said, “we knew it must have been bad for you to want to hang back.” Twilight looked at the little dragon. Maybe he would understand. After all, he was a dragon and she was a pony, not to mention the age difference. Twilight knew Rarity had affections for Spike, but not of a romantic sort. She would just have to cross that bridge when – or indeed if – she came to it. “Thanks for understanding,” Twilight replied. “Speaking of understanding,” Rarity said, her face glowing as she looked at Twilight, “I’m sure I could think of a few things I’ve learned about friendship today. Maybe we should write to the Princess.” “OK!” Twilight beamed, “Spike, could you get my quills and paper from my bag?” Spike sprang through to their bedroom, gathering the required materials before sitting down with the quill poised over the paper. “OK, Rarity, go ahead,” Twilight said. “Dear Princess Celestia,” Rarity began, “Today, whilst in Canterlot with my good friend, Twilight Sparkle, I have learned an important lesson about friendship. “Friends are ponies with whom you share a special bond. At the best of times, they can be the pony who spends their day with you doing the things you love and sharing in your happiness. They can also be the ponies who help you do something you could never do on your own, like meeting a famous fashion designer to move you on in your career. “But friends are also the ones who are there for you when things don’t quite go as you would have hoped. They remind you of how important you are when you’re feeling low and they put things in to perspective when you start blowing your problems out of proportion. “Friends are the ponies who understand you best. They know when you need a little help and they know when you need to let off a little steam. True friends will be there for you through the good times, as well as the not so good and that’s what makes them so special. “Your adoring subject, Rarity.” Spike finished writing Rarity’s name and rolled the paper in to a scroll, tying a ribbon around it and sending it on its way with a puff of green smoke.