Carousel Boutique, Ponyville
When Twilight first told me of her little idea, I must confess I didn’t think much of it. After all, everypony knows I’m practically an open book! But I finally decided to humor her, which is why I’m writing this now. And the first thing I have to say is that potions shouldn’t taste like old mare’s perfume. Positively revolting!
Twilight’s question to me is as follows: Where do you see yourself ending up?
Well, with such an open-ended question as that, I’m tempted to be snarky and say that I expect to be dead eventually. Since I’m humoring her, I'll put a little more thought into this.
The easy, obvious answer is that I hope to be famous across not just Equestria, but all the neighboring lands as well. Things have been going fairly well for me on the fashion front for some time now – thanks in no small part to the help of my friends and some other well-connected acquaintances – and now, having opened up a third boutique in Manehattan, it truly does feel as though the sky is the limit.
It goes a long way to making me feel happy and accomplished. That’s what I’m supposed to want in life, right? To feel successful?
As the Element of Generosity, I’m obligated to be generous in all forms…including lies to myself.
Don’t get me wrong. My success does bring me happiness, and always shall. I feel like the luckiest pony in Equestria when my designs strike gold, and when mares and stallions come rushing in, bits in hand, to buy the latest thing I’ve cooked up. And I feel even better when they walk out wearing something that makes them feel like a million bits.
I only wish I had someone to share that success with. But, much like a work of art is often made by a particular flaw, it seems the counterbalance to my success in material things is my complete lack of success in the area of love.
Certainly, you might say that I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places. And you wouldn’t be wrong, exactly. Prince Blueblood may have turned out to be a prat, and Trenderhoof wasn’t what I’d expected, but those two are hardly the only ones I’ve worked at.
Spike once told me that what made the heroes in his comic books interesting was not their strengths, but their weaknesses. If generosity is my strength, then my weakness is my complete ineptitude in matters of the heart.
Now I'm repeating myself.
You might be saying, ‘Rarity, you would be perfect in a relationship! You’re so giving, and so kind, and both of those things are essential in love!’. And perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I am being too hard on myself.
Personally, I think I am fated to die alone, surrounded by cats.
Perhaps that doesn’t matter. I can certainly think of worse company than cats.
After all, so what if I can’t find a special somepony? I’m still Rarity with or without one.
I have seen things that would make gods envious. The Princesses of Equestria know me by name, and I count one of them among my very closest friends.
Friends. As a young filly, I thought I knew what friends were. I was naïve. These past years with Twilight and the others have taught me so much about friendship that even in my lowest moments, I still consider myself quite fortunate.
As ashamed as I am to admit it, Twilight…mostly I worry for you. Yes, I will send this letter to you regardless of how I feel afterwards – let it not be said I was a coward – but I must admit the concerns of my heart.
I worry for what will happen to you after we’re all gone.
Oh, certainly, I expect Applejack will try to beat Granny Smith for longevity, and as a dragon Spike should have a good long life. And you’ll have the other princesses for company.
But I worry that without us, you’ll return to that quiet, extra-studious mare that I met all those years ago, the one who didn’t have time for friends. Only this time, it will be due to grief.
Perhaps I’m being selfish for thinking this way, or putting undue importance on our friendship. If that is the case, I humbly apologize.
Twilight…darling…please, please promise me that when we’re gone, you won’t lose that spark that makes you the most valuable gem I have ever laid eyes on.
Please.
Rarity.
This letter was, as promised, sent to Princess Twilight upon completion, along with an attached sketch of a wedding dress, since lost to time. Princess Twilight assures me it was the most beautiful gown Rarity ever designed, even if it was never worn by the unicorn.