Rarity finished her cup of tea. It was time for the last great question. A part of her wanted this curious afternoon to stretch on forever. After that little shock, this had been a splendid time. That could not be, for Sir Fancypants was not her stallion. He belonged to another, and the designer again felt a pang of envy. She wondered briefly how Fleur could trust him to come all this way on his own. For that matter, how could she let him out of her sight? Oh, his virtue was trustworthy, he was the kind of boy who could say forever with all his heart. It was the rest of the world who could not be trusted!
Thinking that she was merely digesting everything he had said, the elder unicorn gave her a reassuring smile. Rarity glanced away, blushing once more. What was it about him that made her feel this way? Was she really a filthy-minded mare, to be thinking such things about a happily married gentlecolt?
After a deep breath, she smiled back. "This has been... you're a very interesting stallion, Sir Fancypants."
"Well," he chuckled. "I've been called the 'Most Interesting Stallion in the World'. I think it's a rather egotistical title, but Fleur knew this advertising executive and one thing led to another..." The old soldier let his shoulders slump. "Their marketing department thought it up and Fleur persuaded me to go through with it." He rested his head against a hoof. "They wanted to hear about a few of my 'adventures', needed good taglines for their posters you see. I didn't know how popular it would all become, so I told them the honest truth."
Rarity furrowed her brow. She did not often pay attention to advertisements for strong drink, but his mention of posters had triggered a memory. "Wait... you mean the posters for that brand of-"
"Yes. It's a good brew, but I barely even drink anymore." He shrugged. Once one has tasted ale-ambrosia from the brass tap of a diamond keg, a drink that writhes with currents ethereal and imparts mad sanity meant for far more worthy minds than a ragged old stallion's, nothing brewed by mortal ponies can really compare.
"And you mean to say that... all those wild claims on the signs, those are real?" She tilted her head to the side. "You actually kickboxed a manticore?"
The stallion groaned softly and set his head on the table. "My dear, take this lesson to heart. If your beloved kisses you, kiss back. Whatever you do for your beloved, do it with all your heart and your mind. However," he sighed, "if your beloved ever tells you that a photo shoot and interview is 'just for fun', flee ye into the mountains and dwell deeply within the hidden places!" He began to laugh, and she quickly joined him.
"Oh, I don't know, you seem to carry your fame and fortune quite well." She said with a wink as he straightened up.
"I learned how to make a little go a long way, and I never forgot that." The stallion smiled. "Much like you, I think. There are ponies in Canterlot who have never worked for anything. Not for their clothes, or their food, or even love. It all flows to them because of social status, inherited wealth, or petty politicking." His lip curled in a way that reminded Rarity of an angered Timberwolf, and she again remembered this fine gentlecolt's rough roots. "That's the worst kind of life one could live, I think. Barely even realizing they're alive, trotting from fancy dinner to elegant party, and worst of all are their tempers."
"Sir Fancypants, I know exactly what you mean." The young designer dryly assured him.
"Mmm. Yes, you do, don't you." His gaze met hers. "And you know that Her Majesty would never permit Spike to be raised for such a life. He learned to assist her star student as soon as he was physically able. That's the kindest thing to do for a youngster, to teach him that hard work brings great rewards." A lesson that the stallion had learned well in school, and while sweeping the floors of that candy factory.
The mare leaned forward. "You seem to know a lot about Spike's younger days, Sir Fancypants." She drew in a breath and willed her heart to beat slower. "When was he ready for Twilight?"
He smiled, and took a sip of tea. "Ah, you're really asking when he might be ready for you, hmm? Oh, don't blush, my dear. It's quite becoming on you, but you needn't feel embarrassed. I do think you're looking at this the wrong way, though. You're treating the question of maturity as though it is simply a chronological matter. There's another wrinkle in your fabric, and it's throwing off your measurements." The old stallion leaned his head to the side. "Spike began to aid Twilight when he would be of the greatest use to her. If he had begun to carry her books when his arms were too weak, he would have been a poor aid. If she had taken charge of him when she was still learning to discipline herself, she would have been a poor mentor. Fortunately, Her Majesty watched over both of them, for they were under her tutelage."
Rarity smiled. "Yes, I think becoming Celestia's student was the happiest day in Twilight's life." She sipped at her tea, ears perked and eyes focused. To her surprise, an expression of vague pain crossed the stallion's face.
"Yes... well, sometimes we choose our destinies, and sometimes we are luckily born. The riddle of life is what we make of the cards we are dealt." Fancypants wondered, not for the first time, how his life might have unfolded if he had somehow impressed Her Majesty at that Summer Sun Celebration long ago. There was some solace in the fact that he had not, for he had been valuable to the Princess of the Sun just because he was one of her little ponies. Still, he wanted to be more valuable, to more fully prove his worth. The best way to do that now was to help this mare in front of him, and he could do that gladly. "Twilight and Spike were dealt a very enviable set of circumstances, but they had to work hard to prove themselves worthy. History is filled with examples of those who did not."
The stallion coughed, then took a sip of tea to soothe his throat. "Now, I don't mean that Her Majesty slapped a chain about his neck and forced him into a life of slavery. She would not push such a fate on anyone, least of all that little boy." His eyes shifted to the side for a moment. "We all have our place in the world. There's a joy in finding your place, that can't be denied, and I dare say that the entire point of life and liberty is the pursuit of that slot where you fit. Spike's place is at Twilight's side, and he took to that at a young age by his own choice, not because he was brainwashed into it." The old soldier paused, and a dark expression settled on his face. "I've seen brainwashing, my dear."
"I've felt it." The designer said quietly.
"You've felt a sort, a touch of chaos that addled your perceptions. What I'm talking about is not an imbalancing of the brain, but the training of a mind so that it sees black as white if so instructed." He breathed out slowly, then met her gaze with a reassuring smile. "What I mean is that it was always Spike's choice to serve as Twilight's page, and that is why he still does. It's his place, and he's happy there."
"His first duty." She said slowly, beginning to see where he was leading the conversation. A twisting sensation began to worm through her gut.
"Yes." The stallion smiled. "He's content, Celestia's star student is happy and productive, a good match for all concerned. However, you-"
"I am muddying it all up." Rarity shut her eyes. "I'm trying to tempt him away from where he belongs, the destiny that makes him happy." Her voice trembled, and her ears drooped. "I can't believe I was so blind."
Sir Fancypants sipped at his tea and regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "My dear, I did not mean to imply that we are cogs in some grand machine. Just because we find a place that brings us joy and work that rewards us, we are not bound with invisible chains to toil away for all time. We are always changing and adapting. Sometimes that means we desire to pursue a different place in the world. The beauty of Equestria is that we are free to do so." The old soldier chuckled softly. "Besides, I've seen temptresses. They're far less beautiful than you, because they're all rotted on the inside." His book fluttered, and before he could reach out with a hoof to still the pages, it was open to a page filled with strange writings and symbols that seemed to wiggle beneath a steady gaze. The stallion turned the page, and on the other side was a photograph of himself and Fleur, sitting together in front of a roaring bonfire. Rarity leaned closer and realized that the remains of what once was a building lay within the inferno.
"Those... those weren't dragon-runes, were they?" The symbols had looked far too... alien, to be designed by dragons.
He shook his head. "As I said, I've seen temptresses. I think we both know that a certain little dragon would be happy to hold a place at your side, and you would do your very best to be a worthy partner for him."
She traced a hoof around the edge of her tea saucer. "I would try." The mare forced a smile. "You're saying I should wait? Did... did you wait for your wife?"
Sir Fancypants rolled his eyes to the right. "Hmm. I think that you might call Fleur and I's courtship quite abnormal. But, yes, I did wait for her. I waited till her responsibilities were complete, and she waited until I had fulfilled my obligations to those under my command." He swallowed hard, forced down the painful memory, and continued. "But more importantly, I made sure while I waited that I would be ready. A soldier who stands guard cannot know when the enemy will strike, so he must be ever vigilant for when the moment comes. Likewise, I prepared myself for the time when she would be free of her duty, and we could begin our true romance." Best not to tell what that duty had entailed. Fleur was one of the kindest mares he knew, but her zeal was unmatched. Her talent was purification, and when he had forced her to realize that the mortals who signed her orders were just as corrupt as the ones they sent her to fight...
Rarity leaned forward. "And, one day, Spike will be able to handle more than just his first duty, won't he?" A smile crossed her muzzle. "That's what you meant. It's not a matter of him growing up, he has to be able to sustain a real relationship."
"Quite so. If he tries too early, it'll be just like trying to carry too many books. He'll hurt himself." The stallion sipped at his tea.
"So, I've been doing the right thing." She curled a lock of her mane. "Treating him well, trying to spend time with him. I just... I don't know. Is that what you meant by "when the moment comes"? Is that when I'll know for sure that this is right?"
"It's when you'll know that you must act, my dear. Just as a sentry might hear a hoofstep and know that he must react quickly. You might not be certain, but you will know that you need to act. To effectively respond, you must make sure that you are ready." He glanced down at the picture of himself and Fleur. "When my beloved had finished her duty, she... well, found herself in something of a predicament. She was what you might call homeless, hunted, and hated by a great many creatures of power and influence. When the moment came, I was ready. I had set my affairs in order so that I could offer her the life she deserved, and the aid she needed. If I had not been ready, then the moment would have come and gone, and she with it." A hint of a smile twitched at the edges of his mouth. "After all, I'm but a poor boy from the sump, and she... well, she certainly had other options."
"But she chose you." The seamstress took a sip of tea, the warm liquid mixing well with the warm feeling that Sir Fancypants' words stirred up. "Because you were ready to love her."
"I hope so. I'd hate to think she married me for my money, but sometimes I wonder..." The stallion quickly chuckled when he noticed the expression of worry on his hostess' face. "That's what I would advise you to do, my dear. Prepare yourself, store up your treasure and establish your name. When the moment comes, meet it as a worthy sentry who has been vigilant in her work." He swirled the tea in his teacup. "We think of dragons as ageless creatures, but time passes at the same rate for all of us. A moment to a pony is the same as a moment to a dragon. While we might think of a decade as a long time and a dragon might think of it as a short while, that decade is full of the same number of moments for both races." The stallion took a sip. "I have never sought to live long, but to live well. It is the better choice, I think. My Seargent used to say that he was not born to live forever, that it was not his family's creed. He was born to be forever, to shape history with his acts. Even if his name is forgotten, his acts remain, for without him history would be very different. That is his immortality. He made his moments count, and when the crucial ones came, he seized them."
"The dragons have a saying for that, don't they?" Rarity asked, searching her mind for those curious words she had found in her research. "It's... carpath... oh, dear me, I've-"
"Carpe diem. Sieze the day." The stallion smiled. "To merely exist forever is boring. If you wish to live, you must act. Do not trust that tomorrow will come, but be ready if it does. Better to live for one day, than exist for a thousand."
"And if I'm ready when he is ready, our time together will be better spent..." The mare began, looking to her guest for assurance that she was on the right train of thought.
"Than if you wasted your preparation fretting over the future, or worrying about what you might have let slip into the past unnoticed." The old soldier sipped his tea. "Stock your shells, maintain your treads, and sleep without fear. This has seen many a soldier through the terror of unexpected battle."
"But what if I lose him!" Rarity bit her lip and leaned back, ashamed at her outburst. "I... I mean, what if he... finds..." Her voice trailed off to a whimper. "Then I'll hate myself for not doing all I could."
Sir Fancypants nodded. "Trust. Trust, but verify." He sipped his tea. "Walk your patrol route with pride, knowing that you are ready."
The mare leaned her head to the side. One of her blue eyes twitched as she tried to decipher the military metaphor.
With a chuckle, he clarified. "Make sure he knows you're interested. Does he know that you know of his affection?"
She bit her lip, thinking back to that day when her little Spikey-wikey defeated a monster. If she shut her eyes, she could still see the way his adorable grin had curled up around her hoof. Her eyes almost started to water again, but she pulled herself together and stared down into her tea. "Yes."
"Then build on that, and trust him." He smiled kindly. "When I courted Fleur, for I assure you that we did not simply jump from the heat of battle into wedlock, I trusted her. I was there for her when she was weak, and at her side when she was strong. When we considered a future together, I offered her a life of ease. She had other plans." He hid a smile behind his teacup. "But I was able to offer it to her, rather than promising that we would 'figure something out'. That is a stallion's duty, to offer strength to his love if he is able."
"Ah... but, Sir Fancypants... perhaps ease and luxury would not be the best thing to dangle before a dragon's snout?"
Her guest laughed. "You have it by the hilt, my dear."
She nodded, leaning forward and wrapping her hooves around her cup. "I should be strong and independent, able to provide for myself... and him as well, if need be. Not because I'll have to provide for him, but because I... I have dreams too." A glint flashed in her eyes. "And I want him to be proud of me, because I'm my own mare."
"Just as Fleur is proud of me, and I of her. We are two souls on one canvas, not one artist dragging another down."
Rarity took a deep breath. "But what if... he finds somepony else?"
The stallion took a sip of tea. "I think you mean, what if you find somepony else. After all, you are an attractive young mare, and this is a small town. Who knows what grand, worthy colts might seek your hoof as you rise to the top of your craft and become known throughout the world?"
She let out a small meep and hid her face.
"As I said, Fleur and I's romance is a poor example." He reached out with his magic and gently tugged her hooves down. "We both had sampled love before." He blushed slightly. "I... somewhat more than her. Goodness, I don't know how she managed it, but just about everypony she fell for turned out to be evil, indoctrinated, insane, or taken. I just had a problem keeping mine alive... still do, sometimes, but that's less of a problem for her."
Rarity let her hooves slip away, but still could not look him in the eye. She had written that letter, she had started all this. Was she not already sort of committed?
"As I said, we sampled love. You have not. That's why trust is so important." The stallion rubbed his front hooves together. "My dear, you may think this heresy, but I'd advise you to try a little romance. You've already met our embarrassing young Prince, who I was technically obliged to give my life in defense of while I wore Her Majesty's uniform." The stallion's tone was as sarcastic as he could allow himself to be. There was a quiet school of thought among the Expeditioneers. Mortal royalty was mortal for a good reason. Furthermore, heroes were hard to find but nobles seemed to reproduce like bacteria. Finally, Expeditioneers were sworn to the laws of Equestria and the Astral Creed, not to a political structure. "It's a heavy burden to love an ageless soul. You might find that you are more fulfilled with one who shares our weaknesses, or just one of our kind. As I said, we are not bound with invisible chains. It is your decision. Nopony, not me, and certainly not Her Majesty, should take that away from you. This is not a land where brides are bought and sold like sacks of vegetables, but where hearts are free to pursue their desires."
The mare finally forced herself to meet his gaze. "I... just... I made you come all this way, and... how could I ask you about that without making you think you had wasted your time?"
He shrugged. "You did not make me do anything, my dear. Mmm, no, Her Majesty asked me to visit you, because you had questions about love and its rewards." He took a sip of tea. "And I am happy to discuss that with you, my dear. If this leads you to one day finding a husband and mothering children after our kind, so be it. However, if you take the road less traveled by, then know it will not be easy. There are many who fear and loathe dragons, with good reason. Others simply wish to feel strong by oppressing others." The old soldier smiled. "Curious how they seek to oppress the weak, instead of searching out true evil and stamping it into the dust. By all means, let your head and heart sample romance while you are young, but if you wish to one day court a dragon, make sure you are preparing. Then, when the moment comes and he is able, let him have the opportunity to choose you because you are the best choice."
"Because I'll love him like he deserves to be loved... because I know him better than all those other girls ever will dare to."
Sir Fancypants raised his cup in salute. "You have it by the hilt, my dear. Walk your route with dignity, earn your place with honest labor, and when the moment comes..."
"Carpe diem." Her mouth twisted into a wry smile, and her eyes flashed. "Seize the day."
"Precisely, and I know you'll have the panache to make that moment count when it comes."
The mare blushed. "I-"
They were interrupted by the mewing of a cat, and Opalescence sashayed into the boutique. Rarity quickly stepped away from the table.
"Opal, dear, I'm quite busy at the moment-"
"Mrrow?" The white cat ducked around her leg and looked up at their visitor with a curious expression.
"Opal, really, we're in the middle of-"
The cat turned her head and glared, then waved a paw as though dismissing her owner. Then she looked back to the stallion and purred out what sounded surprisingly like a question mark.
The old soldier's jaw slackened, and he carefully set down his teacup. Two pairs of eyes met, searching one another for a long moment. Finally, he reached out to shake the cat's offered paw.
"Ah... I..." Rarity frantically tried to think of something to say.
"It's quite alright, she just recognizes me, that's all." He murmured, his voice distant. The cat began to rub against his right front leg, purring softly and getting tiny hairs all over his suit. "This is quite the surprise, I suppose she was just too disoriented when the two of us bumped into one another in Canterlot." He sighed, "or perhaps she was keeping her peace, biding her time." As if to confirm his suspicion, the white cat growled, then snuggled up against him and let the old stallion scratch her behind the ears.
The cat's owner took a smile out of cold storage and quickly slapped it on. "I... didn't know you two had met."
"But of course." The stallion looked up with suddenly old eyes. He nodded toward the table, where the book had somehow managed to flip back to that picture of a bandaged stallion and a chewing cat. "Without her, I'd never have found my way below the end of the world. As I said, cats are some of the strongest creatures in the Dreamtime. One might even say that they rule that immaterial web."
Opal put on a self-satisfied smirk.
"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"
The cat's purple bow wobbled as she shook her head, still smirking. One had to keep the servants reminded of their place in the world.
Rarity held up a hoof. "I'm afraid that's quite impossible. I've had Opal since she was a kitten." She stepped a bit closer, feeling embarrassed yet again. The cat in the picture looked nothing like her little kitty. "I think she's playing you, she does that quite a bit."
"Miss Rarity," the old stallion said sternly. "Surely you know that all cats have nine lives?"
She covered her mouth with a hoof. "Y-you... that's just an old ponies' tale... isn't it?"
"So was Nightmare Moon." He reminded her with a smile. "And, though I take no offence and am quite sure you meant none, I am old enough to believe such odd legends."
Opal mrrowed softly, as though apologizing for her owner's lack of education in matters catological and felinomystic.
"I am... surprised she would choose you, and she did, make no mistake." The stallion fixed the designer with his gaze. "We ponies think we own cats, just as we think we can dictate terms to dragons, but in truth we are at the mercy of both races. Cats are the greatest tyrants the world has ever known." He scratched the cute little kitty under her chin, and she purred happily. "But their demands are simple. To be fed, cared for, loved, and in exchange they offer companionship... when they feel that we have earned it. A dog has a far simpler, more loyal mind, and I dare say that I favor them over-"
Opalescence hissed.
"Well, can you blame a soldier for admiring loyalty? You left me hanging on the Straits of Vorticon because you saw a fish swim by."
The cat nestled her face into her tail and smirked.
Sir Fancypants sighed, then smiled at Rarity. "You love your cat, don't you?"
The mare nodded, and sat hesitantly back down at the table. She was almost getting used to the unexpectable. After a moment to collect herself, and an apologetic smile from Opalescence, she took a deep breath. "Yes. She really does have a kind heart, and dear little Opal helps me when my mind's simply too scattered to continue. She'll be right atop my drawing board, patting a design I forgot all about... when she's not sleeping in my fabric."
"Yes, yes, that is her way." The stallion smiled. "Though, when I knew her, she had a rather different name. A zebra gave her to me as a little kitten, and she took care of me until I found my way to that city of dragons. By then she had grown up, and as soon as I had no further need of her she was off to pursue her own goals again." With a look of pain in his eyes, he stroked the small furry creature. "Though... well, just because one no longer needs something, doesn't mean the heart is ready to let go just yet."
Opal rolled her eyes and growled.
"She's yours now, make no mistake of that." Sir Fancypants said quickly. "I couldn't take her away even if I wanted to. She was my guide, but she's chosen you now."
Rarity swallowed hard. "I never... why me?"
The cat stood up and stretched. She flexed her legs and jumped atop Sir Fancypant's back, then hopped over to the wooden surface. With a distinct strut, she stepped up to her owner, then began rubbing against the mare's throat.
"I think she saw something in you, Miss Rarity." The stallion chuckled. Perhaps his little kitty had known that this girl would one day wear one of the Elements of Harmony. "But she'll never tell. Cats never do. They never speak of their agendas, only their desires."
On cue, the white persian purred softly into her owner's ear. Rarity was trained well enough to know that meant her little darling wanted a saucer of milk. She glanced up at Sir Fancypants.
"Oh, don't mind me. She's certainly earned it." A wry grin crossed his face. "Although, I could call in that favor you owe me..."
The cat's tail stiffened, and she turned to glare at the stallion.
"Ah, you were hoping I had forgotten, weren't you?" He chuckled. "Oh, no, and now I know where you live, little one."
Rarity stepped away with a smile while Opal turned to hiss at their guest. Being in the debit of lesser creatures was so bothersome, even if this one had been a useful pawn.
When the mare returned with the saucer of milk, she found the two staring at his book, oblivious to her presence.
"Those were the days, weren't they?" He chuckled. "High above the clouds, tracer fire ripping the deck apart under my hooves, you hanging tight to my back while we tried to fix a-" He noticed the ivory mare and winked. "Ah. Well, Miss Rarity, I've a note to your credit. Your cat speaks highly of you." He grinned.
"I'm glad to know that pampering her like a foreign dignitary has paid off." The designer remarked dryly. She set the saucer on the table, then raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me, she actually is one?"
The stallion tilted his head to the side. "Well... sort of. As much as any cat is, I suppose. Now dogs..." He winked at the kitty, who had raised her face from her saucer to glare at him. "Well, I suppose dogs are sort of like dragons, but I would never compare the two in anything other than loyalty. A dragon is a far more elegant and brutal creature than any dog could ever hope to be." Sir Fancypants crinkled his nose. "Dogs also smell far worse wet."
The mare smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." She sat back down at the table. After a long sip of tea, she closed her eyes. "This is all... so much to take in."
Her cat stepped across the table and rubbed against her chin. Rarity smiled weakly. "Wait... what was that about being above the clouds? Opal, darling, you despise heights."
"Ah, but why do you think she hates them so?" The stallion chuckled. "Perhaps because she was with a certain fool unicorn who wound up abducted by the most fearsome band of sky pirates the world has ever known?"
"Mrrraaaow." The cat shivered, then rolled her eyes. He had left out the part about how often those sky pirates had snatched him up.
Sir Fancypants petted her as she continued to lap up milk. He wondered briefly if she had come down just to meet him, or if she was merely thirsty and did not think him enough of a reason to put off a saucer of milk. The stallion felt a little choked up. He had not wanted to let go of his cat, but... she had chosen the best time to leave. His fetlock moved gently up and down her spine, just the way she always liked it. Her body felt strange, different, and yet... it was the same warmth against his fur, the same soft buzz of her purr. Yes, this was his cat. She glanced up at him, then nodded toward the white mare, reminding him why he was here. Just like old times.
"I... I really don't know what to make of all this." The younger unicorn said, while teasing her mane around a hoof. "I... Opal, what are you?"
"She is your pet, my dear, just as always. You just know her a little more keenly now."
The cat finished her milk and stepped over to her owner. She purred softly, looking up with those adorable eyes, and nuzzled Rarity's cheek. Then she shot a glare at Sir Fancypants, unhappy that he had not yet taken her hint.
"But... I think she wants me to tell you something." He sighed as the mare hugged her cat. "About letting go."
"Not just about letting go of a pet, I take it?" The designer asked gently. Her guest nodded. She took a deep breath, and let Opal return to her spot near the book. It wavered slightly, as though pulling away from the white cat. "About... letting go of him. If I... if somepony else..."
"If he chooses someone else, perhaps from his own kind." He finished for her. She nodded.
"What do I do? If I let him know, and I work hard, but he... he finds another that makes his heart race?"
Sir Fancypants shifted uncomfortably. "Then you might have to let go, Miss Rarity. It's not an easy thing to do, but if he truly is happy with another, and she has the best intentions for him, then... then there is nothing to be gained by sabotage." He avoided her gaze. "It's hard, letting go, but we don't always get what we want."
Rarity clenched her fetlocks together. "But I could make him happier, I could-"
"It's his choice, not yours." The stallion said gently. "Your choice is for your own heart, his is for his. We can't force creatures to fall in love, even if it's for the best. The means sometimes justify the ends, my dear, but you must never forget that the means make the end." He gently scratched behind Opal's ears. "The choices we make define the world of our future. If we choose to forsake the ideal of free will when it comes to love, we must realize what result our choice will create."
"If I steal him... then I'll be a heart-thief." The mare bit her lower lip.
"Indeed. I have done many questionable things in my life, Miss Rarity. Some of them I believe justified. Others, I count as mistakes, made in the heat of the moment." He smiled at her. "But they were my choices, and I made them. This is my future, and I embrace what made me. I did not choose to be born poor, nor did I choose to be scarred. Those were forced upon me, but they are all part of my history. Neither did I command Fleur to be my wife. I asked. I offered."
The white persian smirked. "Rawr." She knew the stallion too well.
"Yes, yes, I was most eager in my offerings, but I never... I never tried to trap her, do you understand? I never tried to force her to come to me." He frowned, wrangling with his words to convey his thoughts. "I never stole her. She came to me of her own free will, even though she had other options. I offered her the best I had, and she accepted me. I did not try to use what resources I had to break her, to hound her, to force her into my embrace."
Rarity leaned her head to the side. "C-could you have?"
He glanced away. "I... goodness me, most of this is classified." With a forced chuckle, he continued, "I could have removed some of her other options. Done away with what few friends she had. None of it would have been traceable. I could have cut a few of the strings she pulled, but I did not. Because I loved her, and even if she chose another path... that love was enough for me." The stallion finished the last of his tea.
The white mare poured him a fresh cup, then topped her own off. "It's... strange. I'm supposed to be the Element of Generosity, but I worry about losing him to a better girl."
"None of us are perfect, Miss Rarity." He winked. "That's what makes the world so interesting. Still, if he was happy, if it was a true and honest love and not a delusion or foul sorcery, what would you want for him?"
She was quiet for a long moment.
"I know," he said softly, "how hard it is to let go."
"Mrraw." The white kitty paged back through the book, her tail flicking from side to side. "Mrrrrrr... mrrrr... Mrrah!" She yowled softly when the elder unicorn glared at her.
"What are you doing?" The stallion asked, a touch of color draining from his face. "Why are you-"
"Raawr." The cat hissed, then flipped a few more pages. He leaned to the side and gauged roughly what part of his life she had turned to, and all the youth that had twinkled in his eyes seemed to drain away.
"Oh. That wasn't the story you wanted me to tell, was it?" He asked quietly.
Opal shook her head, and glared up at him. Rarity's eyes swung from her cat to her guest, and she took a long sip of tea.
"I can't tell her about that, little one. I made a promise." He swallowed hard.
The cat turned away from the book, which was open to a drawing of a round steel ball, surrounded by bands of metal and arcs of electricity. She stepped over to the stallion, and gently patted his front.
"I can't" He said simply.
"Grrrr."
"Little one, you know what would happen." He wiped his brow with a small kerchief, feeling as though he were back among the hissing steam valves already. "I can't tell anypony about that." The stallion threw an apologetic glance at his hostess.
"Mrraw." The cat shrugged, then flicked her tail up the side of his neck. "Raawr... mmm?"
Sir Fancypants looked down at the small creature for a long moment, and listened to the subtle vibrations in her purr. Rarity teased her mane and tried to remain calm. Opalescence finally ended her soft sounds, and smirked.
"You're certain?"
"Raawr!" She had forgotten how sturdy his will was. Still, he had always fed her on time.
"All right." He wiped his brow again and put away the kerchief. "All right. But you'll owe me for this too."
"Hisssss!" The cat glanced back at her current owner. Rarity smiled as broadly as she could, uncertain of how to respond. After a moment, Opal twitched her tail and held out a paw. The two adventurers shook, and she returned to the book, casually flipping through the pages. It would be worth it to have her current owner hear the tale. She was wise enough to learn from it. Besides... Sir Fancypants had a way with words, and... she missed those old times too. This life was supposed to be an easy one, but sometimes her claws itched for the feeling of uncharted ground.
"Miss Rarity," he began, "What I am about to tell you... well, it cannot leave this room. I have assurances," he glared at the small white creature, "that if I speak wisely, I will not break my word of honor." He took a sip of tea, and thought for a moment. "Do you remember when I said that some love is best not pursued, and how when you truly love someone, you want the best for them?"
"Yes." She nodded. "You're saying that... if Spike finds another, I should be happy for him."
"Wouldn't you want him to be happy for you?" He asked gently.
"I would." The mare looked down. "But... I... I don't want to let go of him just like that!"
"Good girl." He said to her surprise. "Because sometimes, you have to fight for your love. However, there may come a time when you realize that there is another who is better for him."
Abruptly, Opal hissed at the book, and it rustled slightly in response.
Sir Fancypants cleared his throat and continued. "To take a mundane example, have you ever referred a client to another dressmaker? Say if an order was too big, or if you were already swamped, or perhaps just because you knew that it was a job that fell out of your speciality?"
The seamstress nodded, her hooves tightly gripping her teacup. She reminded herself that this was all in the realm of perhaps, and that Sir Fancypants was trying to help her. "Yes, I have."
"I don't mean to compare love to a simple order, but it's the best I could think of. Now, likewise," he winked. "If you saw a stallion who was being over-charged and poorly treated as a customer at another shop, you would offer him your services, would you not?"
"Is that a business proposition, Sir Fancypants?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood.
He winked. "Perhaps, but that for later. As I said, sometimes you must fight for love, and sometimes you must try to be happy, even when you lose your love. The question is if you love for yourself and the simple reward of having those feelings returned, or if you truly love, and expect only that joy as your reward."
Rarity looked deep into his eyes. "That's the kind of love Spike has for me now, isn't it? He wants me to be happy... and that's enough for him."
"A young crush." The stallion smiled. "But, such things can be the root of something greater."
Opal yowled softly.
Sir Fancypants looked down into his tea. "And sometimes... sometimes, no matter how bad you want it... love doesn't work out. That's one of the risks, I'm afraid." His eyes rose. "But how you deal with that risk, how you choose to respect that other's decision, the means you use to forge your end. That, is what defines you, my dear. It's a bittersweet reward, but it's better than the tart taste of hate." A smile crept across his face. "And sometimes, it all works out in the end."
The mare rubbed her hooves together. "Sir Fancypants, I thank you for all this... but before you tell me these things, I must ask. Do you really think that I will have to make such a choice?" She bit her lip and looked into his eyes, searching for strength. It was there, but so was pain. She realized that he was willing to suffer this pain again, in the hope that if the worst came for her, she might suffer less. Was that a kind of love? He was right, there were far too few words to define such a complicated thing.
"No, my dear. I think you will have a joyous future, filled with exciting adventures. I think you will love and be loved in this wondrous land, and I hope that you will not have to know the pains of the heart that I have felt." One side of his mouth crooked up. "Also... I rather think you and he would make a cute couple in a few years. He would be an excellent knight, and you a fine lady."
A wide smile spread across the mare's muzzle. She dipped her head in gratitude, then out of the corner of her eye saw Opal nod and wink. The cat was still paging through that book. It seemed to be fighting her at every turn. Still, nothing could distract Rarity from that warm feeling inside.
Carpe diem. She thought. "Thank you, Sir Fancypants."