"It's Fancypants. Fancypants, he..." Fleur De Lis paused to gulp somewhat, as if trying to hold something back.
"Fancypants? Is there something wrong with him? What's got you so tense?" Rarity asked, gingerly tapping the model's foreleg. Was there some sort of secret that Fancypants never told her about? Honestly, she felt a little hurt just thinking about it!
"Well, it's just that, when you were talking to Fancypants with your unicorn magic, I noticed that he was getting flustered, so I just had to ask him about what was up, and he-"
"Fleur. Get to your point, if you please!" Rarity begged, growing anxious.
Fleur De Lis stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
"He loves you! He really, really loves you!"
Rarity deadpanned. "I... I beg your pardon!?
Fleur De Lis grimaced. "Yes; he had wanted to tell you for so long, but he could simply never muster up the courage to!"
After a short silence, the pink-maned mare grinned. "You're surprised? Because it's true. Fancypants, THE Fancypants, couldn't muster up the courage to tell you what he's been wanting to all this time!"
Rarity gasped in shock. "B-but, I mean... I thought-"
"-That he wasn't interested in having a wife?" Fleur De Lis asked. She chuckled. "Wasn't it you who told me that everypony wants a special somepony of their own?"
"But he never even-"
"-Showed interest in you? Don't tell me that you never saw the signs, Rarity! You know, for someone who always talks about love, you're completely oblivious when it's being directed at you!"
Rarity grew silent. Had she really not seen it? Had she been blind to Fancypants' emotions because she was too consumed by her own goals?
Suddenly, it hit her. The way he would pause when she talked about finding someone. The way he tensed up when she got close to him.
And those cookies; he had made them. For her. She had just assumed otherwise because she couldn't imagine him truly loving her; so much so that she had completely ignored his nervousness around her.
"O-oh... oh..." Rarity brought her hooves to her head and closed her eyes. She felt guilty. She had pushed all of her troubles onto him, and she was causing him trouble because of it.
"Don't feel bad, Rarity," Fleur De Lis muttered, wrapping her forelegs around the purple-maned mare. "You didn't see it. It's understandable."
Rarity sobbed somewhat. "B-but-"
"That's enough, Fleur De Lis. I think you should go."
The two mares jumped, turning around to see Fancypants standing behind them, looking stoic and serious. He didn't seem angry, but his gaze made Rarity shiver slightly.
Fleur De Lis got off of the fountain wall and walked towards him. "F-Fancypants. I-I just wanted to-"
"You've said enough," Fancypants told her, turning his gaze towards the ground.
"You can't just ignore your feelings!" Fleur De Lis yelled, her nervousness suddenly turning to anger. "It's tearing you up inside! I know it!"
Fancypants glared at her. "I refuse to let my emotions get in the way of Rarity's happiness. No matter what I may or may not feel, she deserves the very best," he explained.
"You're the very best," Fleur De Lis told him. His eye twitched for a moment before he directed a hoof towards the carriage behind him. "Go."
Fleur De Lis huffed at first, then dashed away from the stallion, jumping into the carriage and practically slamming the door behind her.
Fancypants promptly turned his attention to Rarity, who slowly approached him, trying not to look so guilty.
Apparently though, it didn't work.
"Do not give me that look, Rarity," he told her. "I'd prefer not to have your pity."
She frowned, hurt by the stallion's words. Why would he think that what he felt didn't matter to her?
"...What are you doing here?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.
He suddenly stiffened, then looked away and sighed. "Honestly? I... I came to check up on you." He knew that he was found out; there was no point in hiding his true intentions anymore. "And..."
Rarity watched as he reached into his pocket. When he turned back to her, he held something in his mouth. He magically lifted it out and presented it to her.
"I found your missing piece."
Rarity blinked. It was the puzzle piece she had needed earlier. He really was telling the truth when he said that he'd find it for her. Would this have been his excuse for coming if Fleur De Lis hadn't spilled his secret?
She held the piece in her hooves, staring at it as if it would have the answers she wanted. After a moment, she dropped it and leapt at Fancypants, embracing him.
"R-Rari-"
"You're my missing piece."
Fancypants stiffened, absorbing Rarity's words.
"I-I-"
"I'm sorry," Rarity interrupted. "I'm sorry I didn't notice. I'm sorry that I was blind. I..." She tightened her grip on him, earning a surprised gasp from the stallion. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't realize my own feelings. I was so caught up in finding the perfect stallion that I didn't see it. I was even comparing every one of my choices to you, but I failed to realize that my perfect stallion was you all along, because I couldn't even comprehend the idea of you wanting a mare of your own."
Fancypants didn't respond at first, making Rarity nervous, but she quickly relaxed as he suddenly began to run his hooves across her mane. He gently kissed her cheek, and the two smiled at each other.
"Forgiven, forgotten."