Chapter 6
Fancy Pants looked up at the sign over the shop. Unlike the usual wooden signs, this one was made of metal. It was intricate and detailed, promising good things to those looking for similar quality inside.
The front door was open, a slight clanging sound echoed from inside. Blaze Hearth must be working on something. Taking a moment to compose himself, Fancy stepped inside.
In the gloom, the banging was growing louder, and the temperature of the air rose by a few degrees. It was a modest shop. There were no shelves offering wares to sell, instead display cases held examples of the items Blaze could produce.
There were basic things, like door handles, cabinet pulls, fence toppers. Some were simply what they were, while others had more detail, time, and thought put into them. Twists and little carvings were embedded in various places, delicate patterns traced along the length of a door handle.
Besides the household items, there were things like signs, such as the one hanging outside, decorative pieces, and what he recognized as small jewelry designs, though missing their gems. Despite his misgivings about the stallion, Fancy had to admit that his work was top-notch.
The clanging and heat was emanating from a back room, behind a small counter. Light spilled from that open door, illuminating a pony’s shadow. A small bell sat on the counter, though Fancy wasn’t sure Blaze would be able to hear it over the pounding of his hammer. He ignored the bell, and stepped around the counter. Heading through the door, he saw what lay beyond.
The back room was larger than the front room, which made sense. A huge forge took up most of the available space, with the rest of it being filled with workstations, an anvil, and various tools scattered about. The forge was currently lit, the source of the heat inside.
Blaze Hearth was standing before the anvil. A large blacksmith hammer was gripped in his magic while his hooves held a red hot chunk of metal in a vice on top of the anvil. A loud clang echoed through the room as the large unicorn brought his hammer down. Fancy couldn't tell what the stallion might be making from the shapeless hunk, the stallion brought the hammer down again bringing with it sparks and shaping for the piece.
The stallion himself was wearing a pair of goggles, eyes narrowed in concentration. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t notice Fancy standing in the doorway. It was only when the piece needed to be reheated and was placed back into the forge that Blaze took off his goggles to wipe his brow with a forehoof.
“Oh, Fancy!” Blaze called. “Sorry, I must not’ve heard the bell.” He trotted over to the stallion.
“Actually, I didn’t ring it,” Fancy replied. “I didn’t want to disturb you.” Now that Blaze was closer, Fancy could see that he was covered in sweat. Not surprising, given he was just standing next to an active forge.
Blaze held out his hoof, which Fancy reluctantly shook in greeting. It wasn’t because the stallion was sweaty or dirty. Fancy had the utmost respect for those ponies who worked hard for a living. He always tried to get to know everypony who worked for him, from the office drones to the janitors and gardeners. No, he was reluctant to touch Blaze simply because he did not like the stallion.
“So what brings you here?” Blaze asked. He headed past Fancy and into the shop. Grabbing a towel from under the counter, he wiped his face, removing some of the soot and sweat there.
“Last night at dinner you mentioned you did metalworking. I am interested in seeing your designs.” Not a lie, but not the full truth, either. If there was some way Fancy could profit from Blaze’s work, such as offering to import his items into Canterlot and sell them for a fraction of the profits, he would certainly take the opportunity.
No, he was here to get a feel for Blaze. Some one-on-one time with him would certainly give him a sense of what the stallion was about. If he could suss out a weakness, something he could exploit, it would come in handy later.
Already he knew about how he and Rarity had met, how they’d started dating, and a few stories from some of their dates. It was a start, but there was really nothing he could use. Stories showed some of Blaze’s character, but Fancy wanted to get to know the “real” Blaze, not the lovestruck stallion he was around Rarity.
Often, a pony acted differently around one set of ponies over another. Fancy was a business pony at work, a loving pony at home, and a socialite pony in public and at parties. He wore all different kinds of hats. Yet of all those roles, none of them were the real Fancy. Who he was at home was the closest to being himself, yet living in the public eye meant that he still needed to put on airs.
So here he was, at Blaze’s shop, to talk to him. He didn’t think this trip would yield much information, they barely knew each other after all. But it was a start.
At the mention of looking over his products, Blaze brightened up. He gestured to the display cases with the hoof holding the towel, flinging little droplets of sweat around. “I have examples of my work here.”
He set the towel down, trotting over to one particular display case. This one held a collection of door knobs and cabinet pulls, ranging from basic to intricate in design. “I make custom household items for most of the homes here in Ponyville,” Blaze said with an air of pride.
Sliding open the case, he pulled out several examples of each. “As you can see, I’m willing to go basic if that’s what you want. However, I’ll also work with you to design something custom.”
He held up a door knob. This one was long, and had the word “Prosperity” etched into it. “I can etch words, or pictures onto my work, whatever you want so long as it fits on the piece.” Setting the door knob down, he picked up a cabinet pull, this one having an intricate series of overlapping lines on it. “Though, what is possible depends on the size of the piece you’re looking for.”
Fancy eyed the pieces. The work really was quite good. Each one had a defined, solid shape, and the etching, when present, was precise and steady. Blaze certainly knew what he was doing. “Tell me, what materials do you work with?”
“I can work with most materials. Brass is the most popular for household items like these, though some ponies do request other materials. I’ve worked with bronze and iron for decorations.” He gestured towards another cabinet. “And now that I’ve expanded my business to include jewelry settings, thanks to Rarity, I’ve worked with softer metals like gold and silver.”
Blaze put the pieces back into the display case, sliding it closed. “So what are you interested in?”
Fancy took a moment to reply. “I was mostly interested in looking for the moment. I hope you don’t mind?”
He shook his head. “Oh not at all. Many ponies come in here for the first time not sure of what they want. Feel free to look at anything, and if you want a closer look, just ask me and I’ll pull it out for you to inspect.” He smiled. “Though know that I do keep an open mind. I’ll try my hoof at creating whatever you want. I make no guarantee on sculptures, though.”
“Why sculptures?”
Blaze put a forehoof behind his head, rubbing it sheepishly. “Ah, because pieces like that are my bane. They never end up looking right.”
Fancy laughed. “So what? No intricate sculpture to be displayed at your wedding?”
Sharing the laugh, Blaze shook his head. “Afraid not. Maybe a decorative cake topper, but that’s all.”
With a conspiratorial grin, Fancy leaned in close to the stallion, trying to ignore the stench of sweat. “So who’s going to design the dresses? Surely Rarity won’t make her own dress.”
“I’m not sure I could stop her if I wanted to,” Blaze said. “But no, she’s not. Her friends have promised to restrain her if she tries.”
Fancy moved over to another display case. “Tell me more about you and Rarity. I already heard about how you met last night.” He looked up, meeting the other stallion’s eyes. “I don’t mean to pry, I just find myself curious. Especially after my own recent dealings with a relationship.”
“I heard about that. I’m sorry.”
Fancy waved him off with a hoof. “I’ll admit that it broke my heart, but it also came as no surprise. Fleur and I had been slowly drifting apart for awhile before the breakup.”
There was an odd silence before Blaze opened his mouth. “Well, you did already mention the wedding. Right now, that’s all we’re planning. As far as date nights, we’re just taking them when we can.”
Fancy rested a forehoof against the glass of a display case. “I know that I’ll be invited to the wedding already. So tell me about it. What do you have planned already?”
Blaze looked at Fancy oddly for a moment. “Well, our venue is going to be the marketplace of Ponyville. Rarity seems certain that we can get the various merchants to leave for a day. This will allow us the most open space possible, since the Princesses will be there.”
“So you’re planning on a large wedding?” Fancy asked.
Blaze shuddered. “I hope not. The Princesses alone provide way more publicity than I ever wanted. I really want a nice, quiet, private wedding. I accepted that by marrying an Element of Harmony, that would be impossible. However, that doesn’t mean I want the entire town showing up.”
Fancy circled a hoof in the air. “So what? Just half the town?”
“No,” Blaze said, once again shuddering. “I’m fine with the Princesses, and with Rarity’s friends. But I’ve been trying to get her to keep the guest list at under a hundred. She wants to invite a veritable list of who’s who in Canterlot.”
Really?” Fancy acted aghast. To himself, he resolved to provide Rarity with the personal address of every single pony he knew in Canterlot. She’d be able to send personal invites to ponies who were at the forefront of Culinary, Fashion, Technology, Music, and more. That should bump up the guest list and make Blaze uncomfortable.
“Really,” Blaze confirmed. “She wants to turn our wedding into a public affair. I’m not too happy about that, but I understand that it’s who she is. And it’s just one day, I can survive that.” He smiled. “Besides, I’ll be getting the best mare ever out of the deal.”
“She really is one of a kind,” Fancy agreed. “You’re a lucky stallion, Blaze.”
“I know. I never expected any of this to happen. Asking her out that first time was simply an unthought impulse. Where it’s gone from there, it’s like a dream. Only real.”
Fancy tried not to grimace. If Blaze was living a dream, then Fancy was living a nightmare. His Rarity was taken by this oaf of a stallion. He needed to know more, he needed to know Blaze’s secrets, so he could use them to pry the stallion away from Rarity.
“How’s Sweetie taking all this? Her sister getting married?”
Blaze shrugged. “She’s happy, I’d assume.”
Fancy quirked an eyebrow. “You assume?”
“Well... I wasn’t the one who broke the news to her, that was Rarity.”
“But surely you were there, even if you didn’t speak.” Fancy studied Blaze’s face and body language. Something seemed off here.
The stallion’s left ear twitched. “No, I wasn’t. But if she’s upset or anything, she hasn’t said anything to me. I assume she’d talk to Rarity and they’d discuss things as sisters.”
Fancy hummed a moment. “Even you have to admit that Sweetie and Rarity are less like sisters and more like mother and daughter. Their parents are always away somewhere, leaving Rarity to practically raise Sweetie.”
“True,” Blaze admitted. “Rarity’s told me of Sweetie’s upbringing.” Again, his ear twitched. Fancy was beginning to think it was an unconscious tell. Now all he needed to know was under what circumstances it happened.
“So by marrying Rarity, you’re not really gaining a sister-in-law, but a daughter.”
A heavy silence overcame the shop. “I never really thought of it like that.” No twitch. Blaze shrugged. “I’m okay with that, though.” Twitch. “Rarity’s worth it.” No twitch.
Fancy smiled. “You’re a good stallion, Blaze.” The words were painful, but he needed to see how Blaze would react. He had a suspicion over what the ear twitching meant, he just needed to confirm it. “Most stallions I know wouldn’t want that kind of baggage in a relationship.”
Blaze smiled as well. “She’s a good filly. I don’t mind having her around.”
Fancy’s smile became genuine. There it was. When Blaze was presenting facts about Sweetie, his smile was true, and his ear stayed still. When stating opinions about the filly, his ear twitched, and the smile became false.
The differences were subtle, but Fancy was from Canterlot. Navigating amongst the ponies there required that he be well versed at finding those subtle cues. A false smile, a fake laugh, they were potent social weapons, but also easy to pick out for those who knew what to look for. The upper-class ponies in Canterlot had practice with their falsities, Blaze did not. He was easy to read, and Fancy now had him figured out.
Whenever his ear twitched, he was lying.
Anytime Blaze had said something about Sweetie, like how the stallion liked her, he was lying. Blaze had no love for Sweetie. It was probably true that he saw the filly just as Fancy had said, extra baggage in the relationship.
This was good. This was something he could use, somehow. He’d need to dig deeper, see just how much Blaze was against Sweetie. Maybe he could get the stallion to admit something, blurt out his secret in front of Rarity and Sweetie. That would certainly turn Rarity against him.
Of course, questioning the stallion would have to wait. Fancy was supposedly here to look at his products, continuing to question him about Rarity and Sweetie would only arouse suspicion. However, he knew that he’d be coming back soon, until he could get Blaze to at least admit to him his true feelings on the situation.
Fancy looked back into the case. “Tell me about this piece here,” he said, pointing arbitrarily with his hoof.
The genuine smile returned to Blaze’s muzzle. “Sure!” He went around the case, sliding it open and pulling the piece in question out. Fancy didn’t care what it was, he only needed to ask about the piece, have Blaze explain it, perhaps wander around a bit more, then make his excuses to leave. He’d already gotten what he came here for.
Twenty minutes later, and Fancy was approaching Carousel Boutique. A spring was in his step and a bag floated by his side. He’d ended up buying some useless bauble from Blaze in order to get out of there. As soon as he could, he’d toss it in the trash, as that’s all it was good for.
Opening the door to the Boutique, he saw the main room was empty. “I’m back, Rarity,” he called. After taking a deep breath, he smiled. It was an excellent day.
“In the kitchen, Fancy,” he heard Rarity respond. He set the bag down by the door, heading into the kitchen. What, or more accurately, who, he saw sitting at the table chilled his blood.
Rarity was sitting in a chair, a teacup on a saucer in front of her. Across the table, looking up at him with her hazel eyes, was Quick Time, his assistant from Canterlot, the one he’d put in charge of his company while he was away.
How had she found him? How did she get here? What did she know? Why was she here? All those questions and more raced through his head.
“Darling, welcome back,” Rarity said. She gestured to Quick with a hoof. “I was just sharing a cup of tea with your assistant, Quick Time.”
“Fancy,” she said.
Never letting his smile falter, Fancy approached the table. Rarity didn’t look upset, so either Quick hadn’t said anything, or she didn’t know anything. “Quick, what brings you here?”
“Oh, it’s nothing important,” she said. “I just had a few business things to run past you.”
“Worth making the trip down here from Canterlot?”
She nodded, her golden mane swaying about. “I’m afraid so.” She looked around the kitchen. “I had a hard time finding you, since you neglected to tell me where you were going to be staying.”
Taking a seat, Fancy stared at Quick. “I didn’t? My apologies on that oversight.” Of course he didn’t tell her, she wasn’t supposed to know, nopony was. That was the point, being unreachable, allowing him to concentrate.
“Quick was just telling me about what it’s like, running your business. I had no idea it was so difficult,” Rarity said.
Fancy nodded. “Oh, it’s no walk in the park.”
Quick stood up. “Pardon me, Rarity, but would you mind if Fancy and I spoke in private?”
“Not at all. Sweetie’s out with her friends, so feel free to use the sitting room.”
“Thank you.” Giving Fancy a meaningful glare, she trotted off through the kitchen door. “Coming?” she asked.
“Of course.” He stood up. That she wanted to speak in private was a blessing. It meant that depending on what she knew, he could still salvage the situation. Perhaps she just didn’t want to bring it up in front of Rarity.
He took the lead, crossing the main room and into the sitting room. He held the door open, gesturing for Quick to head inside. After she passed him, he closed the door, shutting them both into the room.
“Why are you really here, Quick?” Fancy asked. Now was not the time for beating around the bush. “I trust you have everything well in hoof with the business. I wouldn’t have left you in charge, otherwise.”
“Oh the business is going well,” she replied. “That’s not the issue.”
“Then why are you here?” Fancy repeated. He wanted to know the answer so that if anything, he could run damage control.
Quick still had her back turned to him. Her violet coat complemented her golden mane and tail nicely. In a flash of color, she turned on him.
“I can’t bucking take it anymore! You selfish bastard!” Quick reached into her mane, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, showing it to Fancy. It was a picture of Rarity. With a sinking feeling, he recognized it as one of the pictures that he had hidden in his secret room. Quick must have found the room. What else had she found?
“You just up and vanish off to this backwater nowhere so you can sleep with this nothing little tart and leave everything to me? Buck you, Fancy!” She tossed the photo at him. “I don’t care that you have some mistress. I don’t even care if Fleur left you because of that. I do care about you being so damn selfish.”
She started pacing around the room. “Do you have any idea the stress I’ve been under? No, of course you don’t,” she said without waiting for an answer. “You just gallivant off without a care in the world, not thinking about those of us left to clean up after you.”
Her eyes never left his, despite her pacing. “Well I’ve had enough. Enough of the ridiculous hours, the meetings, the business proposals, and two actual proposals. I swear to Celestia that if you don’t get your flank back to Canterlot, I will give the tabloids so much dirt on you, including your vaunted mistress.”
So this was why she was here. She’d found his secret room, but failed to divine it’s true purpose. She’d just assumed that Rarity was his mistress. Not an unfair assumption, given how the upper-class in Canterlot were, just incorrect in the current situation.
She had assumed he’d simply run off to be with Rarity. Close to the truth, but not quite. She was just overly stressed and upset at his sudden departure. Out of all the possible scenarios, this was one he could easily work with. He knew just how to placate Quick.
Fancy sat down, head bowed, eyes looking at Quick’s hooves, ears flat on his skull. “You’re right, Quick.”
“I’m— What?” She seemed taken aback by the admission.
“You’re right,” he repeated. “I was selfish in leaving as I did, without even warning you. That was unfair of me. I apologize.” He bent his forelegs, giving a little half bow. “I was just upset over Fleur, and everything that came of that.”
Quick’s muzzle opened and closed a few times. “Fancy, I didn’t mean to—”
He held up a hoof, cutting her off. “It’s alright. I’ve put you through a lot of stress this week. Please, allow me to make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to do that, just come back and take over again.”
“I insist. Remind me, Quick, how much do you make?”
She looked confused. “I’m sorry?”
Fancy adopted a sheepish look. “I admit, I just sign your paychecks without actually looking at them, so I’m afraid I don’t actually know what you make.”
“Well, you are my boss, so I’ll tell you. You pay me a salary of four thousand bits a month.”
That was a modest salary for Canterlot. For somewhere like Ponyville, that would be a lot of bits. However, Quick was a simple mare, so he had an idea of what to do.
“Well, considering you’ve been doing my job for the last week, I’ll give you my weekly salary instead of your own.” He named a figure, considerably more than she earned in several months, much less a week. It was a little more than he earned in a week, but she didn’t need to know that.
Her muzzle flopped open, little sounds emerging. “That’s... certainly generous of you,” she finally managed to say.
He waved a hoof in the air. “Think nothing of it. You’ve done the job, you get the money.” He looked over towards the door and the shop that lay just beyond.
“I also admit that this week off has reminded me of just how much I needed a vacation like this. So I want to make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?”
His gaze moved back towards hers. “I would like to be able to take the occasional vacation, or even a day off, again. To that end, I’m willing to work with you. I’ll teach you about my job, about running my company. I’ll take you under my wing.” He looked at his wingless sides. “So to speak.
“In return, I’ll take an occasional day off, or long weekend. However, I’ll inform you of the dates before hoof, so you’re prepared and know what’s coming up. Sound agreeable?”
Quick sat on her haunches, thinking. She was silent for several long moments. Finally, she spoke up. “I have a condition of my own.”
He nodded, indicating for her to go on.
“You come back to Canterlot. Tomorrow. You can spend tonight with your mistress, but I don’t want to face another day of those... those... ponies!”
He’d been hoping for some more time in Ponyville, he still had things he needed to get done here. At the very least, he wanted to speak to Blaze again. He was also making fantastic progress on getting Sweetie to trust, and turn to him.
However, keeping Quick happy was also important for the long run. He might have to sacrifice a little now, but if it meant that in the future he would be free to pursue his goals, then it was necessary.
“Very well. I shall take the train to Canterlot tomorrow.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of trains, the last one out today leaves in an hour.”
“Oh I’m not going back tonight,” Quick said with a smile.
“You’re not?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Let’s just say that you’re not the only one who could use a vacation.”
Fancy sighed. There would be a lot to catch up on by the time he got back to the office. Especially if Quick was also going to take a day or two off. He’d also have to face the newsponies eventually. He couldn’t just tell them “No comment,” not in this case. The tabloids had already printed every rumor they could about him, he needed to set the record straight, clear his name. And hope that Fleur continued to keep her mouth shut.
“Well then, I suppose you should do whatever it is you’re going to do tonight,” he said.
“Oh don’t worry, I won’t be messing things up for you and your mistress.”
There was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” Fancy said. He and Quick had concluded their business transaction. He’d had to give up a few things, and she’d gotten more out of it than she’d most likely dreamed, but it would all even out in the end. Just like always, he’d come out on top.
The door opened, revealing Rarity standing there. “I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Not at all,” Fancy said. “We were just discussing the business.”
“Well I just wanted to ask whether Quick here was going to stay for dinner?”
Quick smiled at Rarity. “Oh I don’t want to impose on you.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. I’m afraid it won’t be anything fancy, but you’re more than welcome to stay.”
“Then I suppose I will. Thank you, Rarity, for the invitation.”
“Not a problem, Quick.” She turned to leave, but Quick’s voice stopped her. “Rarity, would you be willing to tell me where your bathroom is?”
“Of course. Up the stairs, second door on your left.”
“Thank you.” Quick left the room. Fancy could hear her hooves heading up the stairs.
“Fancy, would you mind setting the table? Sweetie should be home any minute now.”
Fancy turned to look at Rarity as he stood up. “I don’t mind at all.”
Together, the two of them headed into the kitchen. While Fancy no longer had a spring in his step, his good mood, which had crashed upon seeing Quick, had returned. Today was still a good day.
Within short order, the table was set and dinner was ready. Sweetie had indeed come in the door not long after. Now, all four of them were seated around the table, eating a meal consisting of a simple salad, expertly prepared by Rarity.
Fancy didn’t say much, content to let Quick and Rarity talk fashion. Instead, he was biding his time, waiting for a lull in the conversation. Quick was forcing him to accelerate his plans.
Finally, that lull arrived. Rarity had just finished up discussing some of her latest work, and the two mares were searching around for something else to talk about.
“Say Rarity, I have something I’d like to ask you.”
She turned her attention onto him. “Oh?”
He nodded. “During the course of a conversation with Sweetie the other day, she made mention of how she’d never gotten to see Canterlot when she was up there on her school trip. Well, this simply won’t do. I’d like to extend an invitation to her to stay at my mansion. I’ll show her around Canterlot, all the sights there.”
He paused a moment, before acting like he’d just thought of something. “Why, you could come, too! I’m sure the two of you would love to get away to Canterlot. Besides, you’ve done me a favor, letting me stay here for so long. Allow me to return it.”
Rarity’s eyes looked around the kitchen. “I don’t know,” she said.
“Oh come on, Rarity,” Sweetie said. “I wanna see Canterlot, maybe even the Princesses! I’ll be a good girl.”
“I’ll take good care of her,” Fancy said. He waited for her response anxiously. This is what he wanted, to get Sweetie, preferably alone, to his mansion.
“I don’t know,” Rarity repeated. “I mean, it is summer vacation for her, and I have no doubt that you’ll take excellent care of her. I just don’t know about sending her off alone.”
“Then come with me, Rarity. You’re always saying how you want to impress ponies in Canterlot.” Sweetie waved a hoof across the table at Fancy. “I’m sure he can help with that.”
Fancy smiled. Sweetie was playing right into his hooves. He knew that he alone would have a difficult time convincing Rarity, but with Sweetie, it would be much easier. “I can make a few introductions, absolutely.”
The idea of getting to meet power players in Canterlot, ponies that could really help expand her business, was getting Rarity excited. He could see it written on her face. He was winning.
“Oh, well... I suppose we can plan something.”
Sweetie cheered, getting out of her seat and rushing around the table to hug Rarity. “Thanks, sis!” The filly then turned around and hugged Fancy, who chuckled and patted her head.
“Are you sure we won’t be imposing?” Rarity asked him.
“Of course not.” With Quick now on his side, Fancy would make sure to have nothing but free time when Sweetie arrived. Rarity would be easy to distract, he’d just have to set up a few meetings.
With some input from the filly, they came to an agreement on the date of the trip. It was to be one month from tomorrow. Fancy was fine with that, it would allow him plenty of time to get things ready.
As they were clearing the dinner table, Quick excused herself. “Thank you for dinner, Rarity. However, if you’ll excuse me, I wish to go find a hotel to spend the night.”
“Oh you don’t have to do that,” the fashionista replied. “You’re more than welcome to sleep on the couch. I’d offer you the guest room, but Fancy’s sleeping there.”
Fancy almost dropped the plate he was carrying. Looking over at Quick, he could see her giving him a funny look. She’d caught that comment as well.
With one casual phrase, Rarity had taken Quick’s mistress theory and shattered it. After all, if Fancy was sleeping in the guest room, that certainly meant he wasn’t sleeping with Rarity. He’d need to come up with an excuse, some reason to explain to his assistant why he was here. It was unlikely she’d figure out the truth, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
Still giving him a funny look, Quick responded to Rarity. “Oh it’s no problem. I prefer a bed, really. Thank you for your generous offer, though.”
“I’ll see her out,” Fancy said. It was time to do some serious damage control.
He led Quick out into the main room. “So,” Quick said. “Who is she? She’s obviously not your mistress.”
“She’s a friend, nothing more. When she heard about what happened with Fleur, she simply offered me an open invitation to stay here whenever I wanted to. It just so happened that I wanted to right then. I needed a break.”
There, an abbreviated version of the truth. Everything he’d said had been true, just some parts were missing. Like everything about Sweetie Belle.
Quick’s eyes narrowed, staring at him. After a moment, she relaxed. “Well, you have fun tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow at the train station. And if you’re not there, I’ll come back here and drag you there.”
That was not an idle threat. He knew that she really would do that. She’d proven before that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, nor give him a kick in the flank if he needed it. More than once she had quite literally shoved him out of the office.
“Of course. I’ll be there. Good night, Quick.”
She nodded her head, opened the door, and left the Boutique. Fancy watched her walk away down the darkened street. He’d have to watch her. Maybe a raise was in order, some extra mollification.
He closed the door. It was time he prepared for his last night at the Boutique. There were still a few things he needed to take care of. First was finding and talking to Sweetie Belle.
The filly wasn’t in the sitting room or the kitchen. He could hear the sounds of activity in Rarity’s sewing room, though he suspected it wasn’t who he was looking for. Heading upstairs, he found her in her room.
“Sweetie,” he said.
The filly looked up from the drawing she was working on. “Oh, hi Fancy.” She looked downcast, though trying to hide it.
Fancy moved into the room, sitting on his haunches next to her. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed, setting down the marker. “It’s nothing.”
He slung a forehoof around her shoulder, drawing her into a hug. “Hey, you can talk to me, remember?”
“Well, that’s the problem. You’re leaving.”
He used the forehoof holding her to gently rub her shoulder. “You knew that I would eventually. You said it yourself, I can’t stay here forever.”
“I know. It’s just that... I like having you around. You’re so friendly, somepony I can talk to.” She wasn’t looking at him, instead her eyes were staring at the floor.
“And who said we have to stop talking just because I’m no longer here?”
Her eyes darted up to his for a moment. “What do you mean?”
Using his magic, he floated over a piece of paper. “I mean letters, dear Sweetie.” He grabbed her marker, using it to write on the paper, giving both items back to the filly. “There, my address in Canterlot. Feel free to send me anything, anytime. It’s not the same, I know, but I’ll still listen to anything you have to say, even if it’s just about your crusading adventures.”
She smiled. “I’d like that. You’re pretty awesome.” Her smiled turned cheeky. “For being so old,” she finished.
He laughed with her. “From someone as awesome as you, I’ll take that as a compliment.” He hugged the filly with both forehooves, a gesture she returned.
“I’ll miss having you around,” she said. “That sounds stupid.”
“Not at all. We’ve had fun this last week and you don’t want that to end. And it won’t. We’re just putting it on hold for now. But next month you’ll be in Canterlot, and I’ll show you around the city.”
The filly’s face lit up. “I’m looking forward to it.” She gasped. “Do you think we’ll be able to see the Princesses?”
Fancy paused for a moment. He had a lot of pull in Canterlot, but not even he could demand an audience with the Princesses. However, Rarity was an Element of Harmony, so she could. It would certainly be something to bring up in his next letter to her as they planned for next month.
“I’m sure something could be worked out,” he finally said.
“Yay!” Sweetie danced in place a moment.
Fancy laughed at her antics. He knew that many foals had a somewhat inflated view of the Princesses, looking up to them. So it came as no surprise that she wanted to meet them.
He stood up. “Better spend the next month thinking about what you want to do in Canterlot. Send me letters with your suggestions, I’ll start getting things planned and set up.
In the meantime, keep working on your magic.” He pointed a hoof at her. “I fully expect to be dazzled by you when I see you in Canterlot.”
She gave him an adorable little salute. “Yes, sir!”
He patted her head. “Have a good night, Sweetie. I’ll see you in the morning before I leave.”
“Night, Fancy,” she replied. Picking up the marker in her magic, she went back to her drawing. Fancy watched her for a moment, before turning and leaving the room.
Things were certainly looking up for him. Sure, he’d had to cut this visit short, but everything was still going well. Better than that, really. He’d uncovered plenty of information to use later. From Blaze’s dislike of Sweetie, to the wedge between the sisters. He could use these things to drive Sweetie away from Rarity, towards him. For now, he’d have to keep Rarity close, but someday he wouldn’t. Someday, he’d have all the access to Sweetie he wanted, and she’d trust him implicitly.
There were a few more things to work out with Rarity regarding next month, but all that could wait until tomorrow. There was plenty of time before he had to board the train. Tonight, he simply wished to celebrate his successes.
Heading into the guest room, he lay on the bed. Plans were already starting to form in his mind. One downside in doing what he was, was that he couldn’t write anything down while here. There was too much a chance that Rarity or Sweetie could find it, no matter how well he hid it. This was their house.
He’d have to wait until he was home. Though already, Quick had stumbled across his secret room, thankfully she hadn’t divined its true purpose. He’d need to find a better way of securing the door, or an even better hiding spot.
He had a lot to do in the next month to prepare for Sweetie’s arrival at his mansion. Everything would have to be perfect. He smiled up at the ceiling. Things were falling into place so well.