"Come on, just like the old times. Instead of the Mayor's jewelry box; it'll be on--" before he can describe a place, she put her hoof to his mouth.
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no... No!" pushed him and made a dramatic pose, her chin up, putting her hoof on her forehead and the other on her chest. "Never will I be involved in your thievery ever again..." and stretched the hoof from her chest to his nuzzle "Never!" but he just gave her a smile and a gaze that can make a weak-hearted mare faint giggling.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" her eyes are widening, as his face is getting closer. There's nowhere to go, the couch is blocking her escape. Her shoulders are locked by his hooves. Sweat starts to fall from her forehead, heartbeat doubled its pace, and he seem to take away her breath with each seconds of staring. He pulled her up from the couch, and walked few steps away from her, and looked back with narrowed eyes and a small smile.
"Let's clean this place up. I know how you hate dust and anything dirty." the intense moment made her gasp for air, but she calm herself down and just flicked her curly mane.
Sun is about to set, everything is clean, except for the dresses that got ruined in the previous fight. Few furniture are still ruined but will be fixed tomorrow. The floor is as flat as it was before, but it lost few flooring tiles. "Thanks for all the help, but can you please go now? You had my day... and my house ruined." looking at Rarity, he scratched her back and looked away from her eyes.
He sighed and looked down "OK, Rarity. If you change your mind, I'd be at the inn... or the bar. Keep the gems, too. Those are my gifts for you." and he trotted back to check at the inn.
The sun is no more in the horizon and the endless sheet of starry sky makes it way for the stargazers' eyes and scopes. At Rarity's bedroom upstairs, she examined the six gems Runeplate gave him. Took few gazes, wondering on its genuine crystal patterns, beauty, light refractions and reflections. She levitates them in a slow-paced circle like a hanged toy for a baby. She lied down on her luxurious bed.
"So much beauty. What are your intentions...? No pony, even I, would give these as 'gifts'." She puts the jewels on a silver chest with a lock imbued with magical password that even Sweetiebelle nor Twilight can open without brute force. She walks to the balcony, wondering about the colt. "You almost had me there with your gaze... on the couch. You always get me with that look in your eyes." hooves on her chin, looking up to the star filled sky. She sighed, and felt the exhaustion from the fight and clean-up. She decides to go to sleep and ask everything she needs to know tomorrow.
The bar's schedule for the night says Techestral Night feat. DJ P0n-3 and Octavia.
Mixed orchestral instruments and a DJ's table are on stage. The night is still young and the performers started to play their combined and battling music. Adding to the ambience of the venue, the DJ's two illusionary speakers on her side create magical waves; dancing, swirling and spinning with the music. Inside, Runeplate is having some ciders at the counter and in a conversation with a newfound friend, Octavia. Sitting upstraight, showing calmness and dignity, she's a gray mare of black mane, with a faint white streak following the outline of her mane. Her cutie mark is a light purple G-clef, representing her passion for music and love for her favorite instrument, the cello. She has also a strange accent, fancier than a Canterlotian royalty.
"That was... intense. I hope nopony got hurt." took a sip then shaked her wineglass. "No, nopony at all." took a big glug of cider and ordered for one more.
"So... You're Runeplate, right? The Runeplate, the gemstone hunter of auction in Manehattan and Canterlot?"
"The one and only." he nodded.
She put her elbow on the table, lifting the wineglass she's holding, gazing on the bloodred liquor "I say, you got a big hunger for gems, but the last item you won is rather unimpressing." he looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Thirty five thousand bits for a Dark Matter Diamond? It's expensive, yes, but the rarity of that gem is kind of common." She saw him looking at her and felt embarassed from what she said "Sorry. I don't know much about gems, really, nor do I want to correct you about your hobby. I'm just telling you it was not worth it. I have two of that one for each earring. hundreds of shops all over Equestria sell it. If I have to sell it, I'd rather give it you in ten percent of the price. I don't have such greed anyway."
Greed. A rather too familiar word for Runeplate. "About that last word... Yeah, I have a big problem with that." shaking his cider mug.
"I'm listening..." takes a sip and slowly shakes the wineglass and gazes on it again.
He let out a sigh to start a story "I have an very bad addiction of collecting rare gemstones, probably worse than a hoarding dragon. When a particular gem caught my eyes, I will want it no matter what. I'm not really putting my money or other resources on any ordinary gem. It has to be one of a kind, or at least very rare." taking the last drop of the cider. Ordered another mug.
"Sure... like that Dark Matter auction."
He paused for a moment and took another drink, "It ended up a friendship I had here in Ponyville when I was in elementary."
"How disappointing." finishing her wineglass and ask the bartender to fill it once more.
"I'm sort of planning to get rid of this addiction through magic, anyway. Probably when I'm done with my final quest with that old friend of mine." Three tisks came out of her mouth. "Why? I'm getting rid of it for good. Why does it sound bad to you?"
The backstage manager calls her, she's up next in few minutes. "Well, I should be going." but before she leaves the side of Runeplate, she looked at him in the eyes. "Runeplate, problems like that only need to be fought with strong will. You don't need magic, potions or restraints. Magic can be broken by you, potions are always temporary when the urge makes you find an antidote, restraints can be tricked with loopholes. Only your will can supress that greed."
After giving her two cents, she sits back, and remembers a past that changed a part of her life. "Take me for an example: I am passionate with classical and orchestral music. I took too much pride that this is the only music people should listen to, but Vinyl thinks otherwise that anyone can listen to any kind of music. One day, I almost destroyed her gadgets after having an extreme argument between our passion, thinking it's all just trash. Then an accident happened, she pushed me to the table. My elbow hit her music player, it played a piece I made. As it plays, I heard few electronica... She mixed it with her beats. I felt calm and mesmerized, I just looked at the player. Then I closed my eyes and listened, flied in the trance of it. I opened my eyes after the music stopped. Then I looked at her. I hugged her and begged for apology, she accepted it already. I, then, decided to supress my pride and..."
The manager calls her again once more, Hurry up, you're next in a minute. One step away, she looks back to him without turning her body, making her final words "...and we found our way of harmony, by combining than fighting over it. It was beautiful.... Wait, no... it still is."
"Why are you telling me this story? I don't understand." she chuckes silently and shrugs. "I don't know. I forgot why I told you that. Maybe it's just the alcohol kicking in." she finally walks away to the backstage with grace, leaving Runeplate alone at the counter.
Octavia starts performing, and few seconds later Vinyl starts to play along. While listening, he reflects on the story. "Is she saying that I should stop this? I might get Rarity meet danger she won't endure... or worse, death?" still stubborn by his eye on the prize, he just shakes his head, shrugs, drinks the last mug and pays the total expenses to the counter. Ridiculous. I will still continue this quest. I want those gems mine and only she can help me. walking out gallantly straight, like he did not drink more than half a barrel of cider.
***