In the darkened dorm room, a sole occupant slept quietly. The embroidered quilt blanket rhythmically rose and fell as they slept. The hind legs of the sleeper would occasionally twitch or move around as awakening was not far off. A nearby radio clock silently ticked away the seconds as it counted down to 7:00 in the morning.
As it turned to its predetermined time, a pleasant instrumental tune began to play. Blue irises fluttered open to a world of darkness before she lifted the sleep mask from her face. Rarity gave a long, healthy yawn, and reached over to turn off her alarm. She could see the early morning light filter its way through her closed curtains. Pulling aside a corner of the curtain, she could see the sky was clear; the day promising to be a warm one.
Rarity let her curtain fall back to its place with a content sigh. “What a splendid way to wake up in the morning!”
She tossed aside her quilt blanket and gathered her comfy pink robe, pulling it over herself. As she pushed open her curtains fully, she caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby standing mirror. What she saw made her gasp in shock.
“Oh, my, how awful!” Her hooves went up to her ruffled mane. “I must have been turning in my sleep rather fiercely. Only one way to fix this.” She used her magic to collect a new bottle of scented conditioner and happily strode for the shower room.
After a time of washing, drying, grooming, and plucking of eyebrows, Rarity stepped from her dorm room as pristine as she always was, her coat glistening in the lights of the hallway. She was privately pleased that she was lucky enough to have gotten a room all to herself; one of the perks of being from a well-to-do family, she assumed. It provided her privacy, a shower to herself, and extra space to work on whatever project she had going, whether it was for a class or a personal project.
As she made her way down the hallway, she would politely greet or return greetings to the other mares she encountered. If Rarity was anything, she was the very definition of polite; a lady of her stature had a reputation to uphold, after all.
When she left the building, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. The weather was full on into autumn, and the air had a crispness to it that belied the late summer’s warmth. Rarity was more than ready for winter; she had a supply of fashionable scarves and sweaters for when winter finally arrived.
She smiled as she saw her three followers hurry towards her. The three stopped at the stairs to the dormitory and waited for her, having learned early on not to enter the mare’s dormitory. Rarity recalled the one time they had with a wince. It was still an embarrassing moment to recall.
“Good morning, Miss Rarity,” the three said in unison as they waited patiently for her.
“Good morning to you, Victor, Sport, and Charles. I trust you all slept well?” she asked as she descended the stairs to join them.
“I know I did,” said Victor, the unicorn of the trio. “A good night’s rest for another day of class.”
“May I carry your bag for you, Miss Rarity?” the earth pony of the three asked, glancing to her saddlebags that carried her books.
“That would be delightful, Charles. Thank you.” She levitated her bag onto his back, right behind his own.
The pegasus of the trio glared at him with utter jealousy. “Would you like some breakfast, Miss Rarity? I can go get it for you.”
She turned her heart-melting smile to him. “Let’s see what they offer today first, then we’ll see, Sport.”
“I think it’s blueberry pancakes today. They had eggs and hash browns yesterday, so I’m almost positive it’s pancakes,” Victor said as he fell in step behind Rarity.
An excited smile tugged at her lips. “That would be simply divine. Come, let us not tarry any longer.” She picked up her pace with the three following behind closely.
-o-
The cafeteria was just beginning to bustle with the breakfast rush when Rarity and her entourage arrived. As she walked into the cafeteria, the tantalizing smell of pancakes and hay bacon reached her nose, and it almost caused her to drool. She restrained herself, however, and made her way to her customary table, drawing a few stares from other ponies as she went. She noticed that she was the first of her friends to arrive; usually Rainbow Dash or Applejack would be the first to arrive, but Rarity figured they must’ve been running late for some reason.
“What would you like us to get for you, Miss Rarity?” Sport asked her as Charles set her bag down next to her.
She put on a show of thoughtfulness. “Oh, a small stack of pancakes will do, as well as some hay bacon and a cold glass of milk. Do be dears and please get them for me. I want to look over my studies before I eat.”
“Yes, Miss Rarity,” Charles said.
“Right away,” Victor added and the three stumbled over each other to fulfill her wishes, nearly bowling over some other students in their rush.
“Don’t forget the maple syrup,” she called after them.
She watched them a moment before smiling in good humor and using her magic to dig into her bag for her books.
“I’d say you have them wrapped around your hoof,” she heard a voice say.
She looked up from her searching to see a light-pink earth pony mare with a purple mane looking at her from the other side of the table. Her mane was held up by a white headband, and she wore a white and light-blue scarf around her neck. Rarity saw quickly that the mare had a three-button cutie mark.
“Um, yes, can I help you?” Rarity asked her with a slightly raised eyebrow. There was something in her sly expression that made Rarity uneasy.
The other mare gave her mane a toss. “I was just saying it seems you have those three under complete control. How do you do it?”
Rarity turned her nose up a bit in pride. “Well, a proper lady should have fellows such as that trio in waiting to see to her needs. It’s only proper.”
The other mare’s sly grin grew just a bit. “Mm-kay. You’re the one from the Belle family, right?”
Rarity nodded. “I am. My name is Rarity Belle. Who might you be?”
“I’m Suri. Suri Polomare,” Suri said with more than a hint of pride.
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Polomare. Though I can’t say I’ve heard your name before, darling.”
Suri’s grin faded a bit, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. “Yes, I’ve yet to make a name for myself. In our kind of profession, reputation is everything.” She sat down uninvited.
“Oh? Are you an art major as well?” Rarity removed a small mirror from her bag and made sure her mane was still in its proper place.
“In a sense.” Suri watched her a moment, her expression changing none. “I will be an art critic to be exact.”
Rarity looked at her curiously again. If what she said was true, Suri’s impression might make waves for her own career. “Indeed? It takes a fine eye to appreciate art, as well as to be a fair and reputable critic. Who is tutoring you?”
“Hoity Toity. I’m his apprentice.” Suri’s grin grew a bit more.
Rarity almost dropped her mirror, but otherwise gave no other emotion away. Hoity Toity was the who’s who in the world of fashion! He was almost as big a name as Fancy Pants! More than one artist’s reputation was created or destroyed by his reviews.
“That’s, er… good and all, dear. But what does all of this have to do with my valet?” Rarity forwent the verbal fencing and addressed the point.
“It’s like this, mm-kay, a reputation is everything in the world of art. And I can tell you, honey, you’re not starting out well.”
Rarity furrowed her brow. “Whatever do you mean? I have done nothing untoward to deserve such an accusation. All of my instructors have praised my work in every class.”
“I’m not talking about your art, honey.” Suri looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t see it, do you?”
Rarity privately hopped that furrowing her brow wouldn’t cause unsightly wrinkles. “See what? Explain yourself.”
“Mm-kay, picture this. A young lady, dressed fashionably and groomed to near perfection—“
“Near?”
“—is followed around by a trio of drooling, fanatical, male followers. They do anything and everything for this lady, and make themselves appear like complete fools for this lady’s desires. She is seen giving them smiles, flirtatious winks, and sweet little comments, but never seems to give them anything else in return. She’s waited on hoof in hoof, but seems to take advantage of the situation by giving nothing back publicly. So it leaves those who watch them with the question: what is she doing to deserve all of that? Nopony does something for nothing, so what else could she be doing? Now tell me, what would you think of this ‘lady’?”
Rarity’s eyes widened in shock and outrage. “Surely you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting? That is an out and out lie!”
Suri’s sly grin never faded. “I call it like I see it, honey, and I’m not the only one. If you want to avoid such rumors, I’d think hard on what you’re doing.”
Rarity sputtered and turned her nose up. “Well, I never! I would ask you to leave me now. Good day.”
Suri smirked. “Do you at least pay them for what they do for you?”
“I said, good day, Miss Polomare!”
Suri gave her a self-satisfied smirk and walked off.
Rarity watched her go, fuming at the implications she had made. How dare she accuse her of such things!? She was not that sort of lady. She came from a reputable family whose name was untarnished. It was simply impossible to accuse her of anything less than that.
She settled down with a huff and looked towards the lunch line for her valet. As she looked, she saw more than one pony give her an odd look. A group of stallions looked at her, one of them making a comment that had the others laughing. One mare walked by her and silently shook her head as she passed.
Rarity frowned softly. Surely, they didn’t think that way of her? Her entourage followed her of their own volition. They didn’t demand anything from her and neither did she of them; only the reasonable services of a proper valet, as was to be expected.
‘She’s wrong. That is the fact of the matter. I have always been kind and generous, and no words from a single mare can change that fact,’ she thought to herself.
‘Have you always?’ A question came to her mind. She was not sure where it had come from, but it did cause her to think. Was she as generous as she claimed? Had she really been fair to the three who followed her around?
“I have…” she whispered softly.
“You have what, Miss Rarity?” she heard Charles ask. He and the other two had returned while she had mused.
“I have… been waiting for my breakfast. I thank you three for getting it for me.” She smiled weakly at them.
“Happy to be of service, Miss Rarity.” The three set her breakfast in front of her. It looked simply scrumptious; the smell of freshly cooked hay bacon caused her to salivate. Only a little bit, of course. She did have standards, after all.
“Come, let’s enjoy our breakfast while it’s still warm.”
As they ate, Rarity found that she didn’t enjoy her meal as much as she had hoped. Her nagging thoughts kept her from thoroughly enjoying her breakfast and her morning.
-o-
As Rarity made her way towards her first class, she pushed the thoughts aside. She silently dismissed it as paranoia. Suri’s claims were groundless and exaggerated. Anypony who knew Rarity knew that she was a well mannered and proper lady; any claims otherwise were based in jealousy or ignorance. Sometimes both. It was simply impossible, she reasoned.
Her valet had already gone ahead to their own classes and promised to find her again at lunchtime. She walked by herself through the hallway, though there were other students all conversing around her. Normally she’d never pay any attention to the chatter, but today she found herself listening to the gossip.
“Did you hear about the recent foalnapping?” She heard one say.
“Yeah, I heard it was a little filly this time.”
“I heard the mother saw the foalnapper, but was knocked out cold by the crook.”
“What about the Royal Guard?”
“They've got nothing. It’s getting to the point I’m scared to go out alone anymore.”
“You and me both.”
Rarity continued on her way. Such conversation was much too unsettling for her tastes. Her class was ahead, but before she could make it, another conversation made her stop in her tracks.
“Oh look, there she goes again. Little miss priss.” she heard one mare say.
“And without her rump kissers in tow. Maybe they finally got tired of her,” the other said.
Rarity turned to the two. “Pardon me, but who are you referring to?”
Both mares looked at her in shock. “Oh, darn it, she heard us!” the first said in a tone just above a whisper.
Rarity gave them a stern look. “It’s unseemly to engage in hurtful gossip. Surely, you both don’t truly find joy in saying such things?”
The second mare help up her hoof to try to calm her. “Look, we didn’t want to start trouble.”
Rarity gave her a stern glare. “Neither do I, dear. I just don’t want such ugly rumors floating around campus. Especially when they are untrue.”
“We’re sorry—” the second began.
“I’m not,” the first interjected.
Rarity and the other mare looked at her in shock at the vehemence in her tone.
“Wha—” Rarity started.
“You don’t want ugly rumors spreading around campus, then don’t throw wood on the fire, ‘darling.’” She jabbed a hoof into Rarity’s sternum. “You parade around here like you’re Princess Celestia, acting like you’re more important than everypony else. Well, let me tell you something: you’re not.”
“I don’t—”
“Worse yet, you have those three goofballs so tightly wrapped around your hoof, they’re cutting off blood flow to your brain. We’ve seen how you treat them, and all you do is use them. You give nothing back in turn, yet act like you’re the most generous pony around. You don’t want rumors to spread? Then stop with the high-and-mighty act.” She turned from the stunned Rarity and the two mares walked off. The second mare shot Rarity an apologetic look as she walked away with her fuming friend.
Rarity was too shocked to even sputter out a response, completely floored at the other mare’s outburst. Did other ponies really think that way of her? As some sort of self-important manipulator? It wasn’t true! How could ponies think that of her?
She held her head up high and turned for her classroom; though all she really wanted to do was go back to her dormitory and start the day over.
-o-
Rarity couldn’t remember a time when she was happier for class to be over for the day and being surrounded by her friends. Though no other ponies had said anything to her, she had felt the stares. Even when a pony wasn’t even looking at her, she felt they were silently judging her. She was so distracted by her thoughts that her performances in her classes today had suffered from it. When her instructors expressed their concerns, she lightly laughed it away as nothing more than a long night of studying last night. Rarity was usually a strong-willed pony who could face her problems on her own, but today, she felt the need of her friends around her.
She felt comfort in their being there, but still her doubts plagued her. She sighed softly as Pinkie Pie was going off on some exaggerated tale that had most of the others laughing.
“-and then the ant-eater said to the aardvark ‘Who nose best?’” She extended her hoof from the tip of her muzzle outward.
The others howled in laughter; Rainbow held her sides and Applejack pounded the ground in their mirth.
“Pinkie.” Rainbow brushed away a tear of mirth. “You sure know how to tell a story.”
Pinkie smiled. “If you like that one, you’ll love the story of the ninja cats and pirate dogs. It’s one doozy of ‘tail!’” She flicked her own tail pointedly.
“Maybe some other time,” Rainbow said, after the next round of laughter subsided. She looked at the others with an amused expression. “So, anypony else have a story to share?”
Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She was just about to tell them about how terrible her day was getting to be, but bit her lip nervously, almost afraid to say anything.
She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see Applejack. “Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” the earth pony asked, concern in her eyes. “Ya look like ya got somethin’ on your mind.”
Rarity gave a painfully fake smile and brushed Applejack’s hoof off of her shoulder. “Oh, no, I’m quite all right. Today has been rather long, that’s all.” Applejack raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face, before glancing to the others. They didn’t seem that convinced either, not the normally oblivious Twilight. She blinked, then gave a sigh of defeat. “You all know Victor, Charles, and Sport, correct?”
“Your little helpers?” Trixie inquired with a nod. “Yeah, of course. They’re only everywhere you are.” She then perked up slightly, looking around. “Where are those three anyway?”
“I told them to give me some time alone with you all,” Rarity answered. “But that’s not the point. What do you all think about them?”
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked with a tilt of her head.
“Well… they’re always following me and waiting on me and whatnot. I just want your opinions on them, I suppose.”
The others all looked to each other for a few moments before Twilight spoke up. “Well, they are fairly handy to have around,” she admitted. “All I’m really afraid of is that you’ll become complacent, but I’ve seen some of your scores in your classes.” Rarity blushed slightly at the subtle reminder of how she often - and admittedly in a fairly unladylike manner - bragged about how she was the top of her class in several of the subjects she’d been studying (as expected of a Belle, of course). “Other than that, I don’t personally see anything wrong with it.”
“Personally,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, “I think it’s awesome to have those guys around all the time, doing everything you tell them to do. I wish I had a setup like that.”
“Sure,” Trixie said with a mischievous smirk. “Then you can go ahead and give up your place in the Academy track team to the pegasus in that trio. Which one was that again? Victor or Sport?”
“Sport,” Rarity said in a voice just above a mumble. “Do you all feel the same?”
“Ah more or less agree with Twi,” Applejack answered. “And Ah reckon a bit with Rainbow, too.” The others all nodded in agreement.
“So you don’t believe I keep them to use them?”
“Use them?” Twilight lowered her book and looked to her in concern. “Rarity, what happened to make you think that?”
Rarity sighed and told them of Suri and her accusations, and of the encounter in the hallway. As she told them, the doubts and thoughts from earlier came back and threatened to cause her to break out into tears. Her voice cracked a bit as she came to the end of her tale.
“You’re really upset about this, aren’t you?” Fluttershy wrapped a supportive foreleg around Rarity’s shoulders. The latter sniffed and nodded weakly to the question.
Rainbow growled softly. “I don’t know who this Suri thinks she is, but I’m gonna give her a piece of my mind!” She smacked her forehooves together with a loud clop.
“Absolutely not, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity cried out in near horror. “I will not have anypony starting fights for my sake. That would only make the rumors worse.”
Applejack looked to the riled pegasus in annoyance. “Rarity’s right, Dash. Not everythin' can be solved by usin’ your hooves.”
“It works more often than you’d think,” she shot back.
“Regardless,” Rarity made sure to head off another argument between the two hot-headed mares. “These rumors are making their way all throughout the Academy and…” She sighed deeply. “Well, they’re simply not true.”
“We know they’re not, Rarity, and you know it, too.” Twilight finally set aside her book to comfort the other unicorn. “You shouldn’t let them get to you.”
Rarity wiped at her eyes. “Thank you so much girls. I feel so much better.” She gave them each a grateful smile. “At least I know you all don’t think I just use them.”
“Well, of course you use them!” Pinkie said. “You use them to get us drinks, and snacks, they help with homework—”
“Pinkie…” Twilight started.
“They give you hooficures, back massages—” The pink mare continued on.
“Pinkie.”
“And they follow you around all day and do anything you ask them! They’re super useful to have around!”
“Pinkie!” The others all shouted.
“What?” She looked at their angry stares in confusion. “What’d I—” She saw that Rarity was on the verge of tears, biting her lip to keep it from quivering.
Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Oh! Rarity, no! That’s not—”
With a badly contained sob, Rarity turned and fled from her friends.
“Rarity! That’s not what I meant! I’m soooorrry!” Pinkie called after her.
“Way to go, Pinkie.” Trixie snapped at her.
Pinkie looked to the ground, her shoulders slumped, tears threatening to fall from her own eyes, her mane beginning to flatten against her head like a deflating balloon.
-o-
Rarity fled past many other students in her rush, not caring who she pushed aside as her hooves carried her. Pinkie’s words had hit her like a buffalo in full charge. How could she have been so blind to the obvious? It was there, plain as day, that she had used those three young stallions for her own ends, and with no regards to their feelings. The rumors were true; she was a manipulator. An evil, conniving manipulator that cared only for herself and nopony else. How could she face the public with this shame and guilt?
She ran on, not stopping for the concerned shouts of three stallions who quickly gave chase.
“Miss Rarity, what’s wrong?” Charles asked as he galloped beside her.
“Tell us what happened!” Sport demanded, flying above her.
“Who did this to you? We’ll make them pay!” Victor growled.
Rarity skidded to a stop and whirled on them. She glared fiercely at the three, her eyeliner running down in streaks along her face. “Stop following me!”
“But, Miss Rar—” Victor started.
“Leave me alone! Just stop following me!”
“But—” They tried to object.
“Just... stay away from me.” She turned and fled once more, sobs escaping when she tried to keep them back. The three could only stare after her in shock and confusion.
-o-
Rarity walked by herself along one of the main roads of Canterlot. The lantern lighters had just begun to light the street lamps as dusk settled through the city. The lamps set the darkening streets aglow with a warm, low light. Rarity trotted quietly, no longer crying, but walking in a pensive silence. She had wiped away the majority of her ruined eyeliner, though any who looked at her could see that she had been crying profusely.
She had left the campus to clear her head, but no matter where her train of thought went, she couldn’t find any silver lining to her predicament. No matter what she did, the rumors would remain, and any reputation she had hoped to build would have no meaning. Who would want to purchase fashionware from somepony who was renowned as a coldhearted manipulator? Nopony, that’s who! All of her hopes and dreams were ruined!
The tears threatened to fall again, but she forced them back. Now was not the time for tears. Now was the time to do… something. What that something was, she didn’t know.
She walked behind a pair of stallions who were conversing before one stopped and gestured to a nearby restaurant.
“Hey, come on. Let’s grab a bite to eat.”
The other winced. “I can’t. I don’t have my bits on me.”
The first shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it this time.”
“You don’t have to do that,” the other protested weakly.
“It’s on me.” He gave his companion a lopsided grin. “You’ve got the next one, though.”
The other laughed. “Fair enough.” The two turned towards the restaurant, joking and laughing as they went.
Rarity watched them for a long moment before continuing on. What the stallion had done was a kind act, she reasoned. He had willingly treated his friend to a meal without any real desire to get something in return. He claimed his friend would treat him back, but Rarity could tell by that look on his face that wouldn’t actually insist upon it. She was an excellent judge of character… most of the time.
She had considered herself a generous pony before today. She had helped Twilight and a number of other students on their first day at the Academy, and even gave fashion and beauty tips to those who had asked, and didn’t demand a thing in return. Yet, for all the good she had done, she knew that it would mean nothing in the face of the situation with her trio of followers. Nopony would believe her to be generous with those ugly rumors floating around.
What would her family think? Her parents had always taught her to be kind and generous to others; a good reputation was key to success, they always said. She wholeheartedly believed them, too. She had set out to make her parents proud of her, and to set a fine example for her little sister Sweetie. Would her parents even want to see her again? What would her sister think? Rarity could only growl softly in frustration as she continued to dwell.
So entrenched in her own thoughts was she that she didn’t see the statue until she bumped into it. She rubbed at her snout and looked up to see the compassionate visage of a stone alicorn. She looked around in bewilderment; there were five other statues of similar make, all arranged in a circle. Each one of the statues was dedicated to one of the great alicorn heroes of legend. Somehow, in the depths of her musing, she had walked into the Plaza of Heroes.
Rarity looked back to the statue she had ran into and read the plaque.
"Hermoso the Giving; May his generous spirit ever lift our souls in the darkest of times."
She looked to the carved likeness of the hero and sat down in the grass in front of it. The statue was breathtaking. Hermoso was supposedly the most handsome of all the six heroes, and he was always depicted as having a sort of inequine beauty. However, his looks were nothing compared to his legendarily giving nature. She had once read that he gave up all his worldly possessions to aid a group of villagers whose town had been destroyed by monsters, leaving himself with nothing but the joy of having helped those in need.
She gave a small, humorless chuckle, somewhat amused by the irony of which statue she’d wound up in front of. “Were I was as generous as you. You likely never had to deal with the troubles I'm facing right now.” She spoke quietly, keeping her tone respectfully low in this hallowed place. “I could never be like somepony such as you.” She lowered her gaze to the ground in shame.
‘You sell yourself short.’
She looked back up to the statue, staring into it’s carved eyes.
‘You have a good soul, senorita. You have strayed from your path, but a path lost can always be found again. One must simply look.’
Rarity felt a sense of relief wash over her as the thoughts came to her. It was similar to when her mother would comfort her when she was sad, or when Rarity herself would insist upon looking after her sister when she was ill. Perhaps she was being unfair to herself and to her followers. Maybe she did use them and gave nothing back in return, but it was not as bad as Suri made it out to be; it was never too late to make amends. Generosity worked out of the kindness in one’s heart; to give and not expect a reward. Her followers always gave to her and asked for nothing. Perhaps they were the generous ones. Perhaps she could learn a thing or two from them. Fixing her mistakes would take time and effort, but it was more than worth doing. It wasn’t the pride of being a Belle that drove her, nor saving public face. It was about doing the right thing.
She stood in determination, her head held high. “I know what I must do.”
Turning to leave, she froze when she saw two obscured forms by another statue approach her.
“Well, hello there, little lady. Didn’t think we’d run into you again,” one of them said.
She backed away from the two, instantly recognizing them as the two stallions who had tried to kidnap her months ago.
“Ah, g-good evening, gentlemen. Long time, no see. You’re looking, um… well. I was just on my way back... er, home, so if you'll excuse me.”
The second grinned evilly, stepping to block her path. “Don’t think so, missy. We got plans for you, so you’ll be coming with us.”
She put on a bold face, a feeling that she honestly didn’t feel. “If you come any closer, I'll scream.”
They both laughed. “Scream all you want, girly. Nopony’s coming to save you this time.”
“Enough talk, grab her!” They lunged at her.
Rarity hopped back and brought down a hoof on the head of the first thug, but was tackled by the second. Fear and instinct kicked in, and she rolled with the tackle and tossed off her attacker.
“Help me!” She screamed on the top of her lungs and tried to bolt. The first thug tripped her up and leaped at her. With a scream, she blasted the thug with a desperate, instinctive bolt of magic. The blast struck his face, and he gave an animalistic howl of pain, clutching at his face.
As soon as he let go, she tried to run, but she was shoulder rushed by the second thug. She slammed into the statue of Hermoso, the wind blasted out of her. She tried to scramble away, struggling to draw breath, but was lifted up by her attacker and pinned against the base of the statue.
“That’s more than enough out of you. You’re coming with—” He was roughly tossed aside and was replaced by the other thug who glared hatefully at her with his one still good eye. The other had turned a solid, milk-white color. Rarity screamed, terrified by both his stare and what she had done to him.
“You’re going to pay for this, you little brat! I’m gonna make you suffer before the boss even gets his hooves on you!”
The other looked at him in disgust. “Just hurry it up, will you? Remember that the boss needs her—” He grunted as a form tackled him to the ground.
“What—” The other thug only had time to say the one word before Rarity kicked him in a rather sensitive spot for stallions. He instantly dropped her and bent over painfully before a second form rushed up and slugged him away. A third form ran up to Rarity in concern.
“Miss Rarity, are you alright?”
“Victor?” She blinked in surprise and saw that Sport and Charles was squaring off with her attackers. “Sport? Charles? How did you find me?”
“We went looking for you, Miss Rarity. Your friends are looking, too.” Charles backed up to stand in front of her protectively.
The other thug threw Sport off of him and snarled at the four. “You colts don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Sport flew down to stand next to Victor. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. You lay another hoof on Miss Rarity, and you’ll walk away with it broken!”
“Stupid brat! Get out of our way!” the one-eyed thug bellowed.
“You’ll have to go through the three of us.” Victor said, not backing down from the intimidating stallion.
“Four.” Rarity clarified, standing beside Charles’s other side.
Her followers looked to her in admiration before turning their attentions back on the duo of thugs.
“That does it!” The two ran forward but stopped as the unicorns hit them with magical attacks. The thugs only had time to look back at them before being slugged by Charles and Sport respectfully. The thugs stumbled back and shook the dizziness away, only to see the four ready to hit them again.
Rarity perked up as she heard her name being shouted off in the distance.
The thugs must have heard it, too, as the one-eyed thug swore. “Let’s get out of here.” The second growled and the two fled as fast as they could, the one-eyed one walking with a pronounced limp.
“We see you again, and you’ll get it worse, punks!” Charles taunted them.
Rarity’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Oh, boys, thank you so much! How did you ever find me?”
“We heard you scream,” Victor said. “Sorry we didn’t get here any faster.”
“You boys got here just in time.” She smiled at them but it faded and she looked to the ground. “I… I want to apologize to you three. For my behavior.”
They looked to her in confusion. “What do you mean?” Sport asked.
“The three of you have done so much for me since school began, and all I've done is… use you to my advantage. It was wrong of me to do so.” She slowly looked up at them. “So I don't want you to do anything for me ever again.”
The three shared quick looks with each other. “You don’t have to be sorry, Miss Rarity.” Victor said.
She looked to him curiously. “What?”
“Look, we don’t do things for you in hopes of getting anything back. We do it because we want to.”
“Being around you and your friends is a lot of fun.” Charles added.
“Pinkie’s funny, Applejack and Rainbow are entertaining to watch, Fluttershy is nice as all can get, and Twilight helps us with our homework when we’re having trouble.” Sport landed next to the other two. “Working for you gives us something fun to do.”
“We consider you a friend, Miss Rarity. We don’t mind doing chores for you if it means we get to hang out with somepony other than each other,” Victor said after a glare at Sport.
Rarity looked to them for a moment before smiling, her eyes alighting as an idea struck. “Well, if you're going to be my valet, it is only proper you get paid for it. Starting now, I’ll make sure you are paid a proper wage.”
All three beamed at her. “Sure beats having to get a job at a restaurant, like we first planned,” Charles said.
The other two glared at him.
“It is,” he said defensively.
“Rarity!”
She turned in time to be tackled by a pink blur. She found herself being crushed in a vice-like hug by a distraught Pinkie Pie.
“Rarity! I’m so so so SO sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or make you cry! Please, please forgive me! I’m so soooorryyy!” She buried her face into Rarity’s shoulder, crushing her in an even tighter hug, her frame shaking with sobs.
“Pinkie, darling, it’s okay. I forgive you,” Rarity said, patting the other mare on the back.
Pinkie looked to her with wide, watery eyes. “You do?”
“Of course, dear. In truth, you actually helped me see something I needed to see.”
“You mean it?” Rarity nodded to her question. “Yay!” Pinkie sprang away happily, finally letting Rarity take in a full breath.
There was a chorus of concerned shouts and Rarity saw the rest of her friends running up to her.
“Girls, girls, I’m fine.” She raised her hooves up to calm them as they bombarded her with questions about her well being. “I thank you all for your concern, I truly do.”
“What happened?” Twilight asked.
“Do you remember those thugs who tried to assault me the day we first met?” Twilight nodded with a scowl. “They tried their hooves at me again.”
“You chased them away?”
“They did.” She motioned to her followers who rubbed at the backs of their heads in embarrassment.
“They did?” Applejack, Rainbow, and Trixie said in stunned unison.
The stallions glared at them in annoyance.
Rarity gave a firm nod. “They did, and they've helped me understand that I can fix what has been said about me.”
“Oh?” Twilight looked to her curiously.
“Indeed. Now come along, everypony! Let us get some of those delectable donuts again. My treat!”
The entire group cheered and followed the unicorn from the plaza. As she lead them towards Donut Joe’s, Rarity felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. It will take some time, but she will see those heartless rumors quashed. As long as she had the support of her friends, she could see anything through. She was determined to be the generous pony her parents taught her to be, and nothing would change that.
Unbeknownst to them, after they had all left, a small light glinted off the eyes of Hermoso’s statue.
-o-
“We had her, boss! We had her!” one of the thugs pleaded as he and his one-eyed companion knelt before their master.
When they had returned from their failed capture mission, the two were roughly brought to a large vaulted chamber. The torches along the walls flickered with a midnight-blue flame that caused the shadows to dance and writhe throughout the room.
“And yet, she is not here,” their master said. He stood cloaked in a heavy monk’s habit, his back to them as he faced an altar that bore the symbol of a crescent moon.
“Sh-she got away from us, boss,” the one-eyed stallion stuttered, casting a fearful look at the guards that stood behind them quietly; each of them brandished a cruel-looking spear.
“Obviously.” He turned to look at the two; they could both feel his iron stare boring into them like drills through loose soil. “What happened to your eye?”
The thug quickly put a hoof over his damaged face. “I-I…”
“Speak, dog!” The thug felt the point of a spear prod the base of his skull painfully.
“She did it!” he screamed in a near panic.
“The white one?” Their master approached and took the thug’s face in hoof to better examine the injury. The thug tried his best not to shake under that scrutinizing gaze.
“Interesting.” The master pushed the thug’s face away and turned back towards the altar.
“What do you want done with them, my lord?” One of the guards asked, both of the thugs tensing up at the question.
“See them out of Canterlot. They are dismissed.”
“But, boss—”
He whirled on them. “Do not question me, fool! You should thank the Mistress that I am not sacrificing you on the altar now. I would not dare defile it with your taint!” He glanced to the guards. “Get them out of my sight. Their presence offends me.”
The master turned back to the altar as the thugs were ushered out of the chamber. He knelt before the altar and began a low, dark hymn.
Another of the Knights approached him quietly and knelt beside him to join in the devotions.
“Speak,” The master commanded once their hymn was completed.
“Will you let them live?” she asked.
“Of course not, they have failed us too many times. There will be wanted posters for them, and we cannot allow such a liability.”
She nodded. “What do you wish to do now?”
“We can no longer suffer incompetence. The time of our revolution draws ever closer, and the One Queen will need all the recruits we can find for the night of her return.” He turned his cold gaze to the knight. “See that it is done.”
She bowed her head. “Yes, my lord.”
-o-
“So her little hissy fit is done now?” Sunset Shimmer asked the stallion in the quietness of the sports equipment room. It made for the ideal place for her to meet him away from curious eyes and prying ears.
“Yeah, she even put that Suri in her place. Suri kept trying to get under Miss Rarity’s skin, but she kept shrugging it off until Suri stomped off in frustration. You should've seen everyone laugh at her. It was great! Miss Rarity is—”
Sunset scowled at him. “I don’t care about that, you twit! I want to know if you’re still in danger of being dismissed by her!”
His smile faded into a soft scowl. “N-no.”
If she was bothered at all by his scowl, she didn’t show it. “Then you have what I want?”
“...No.”
Her eyes blazed in fury. “Why not!?”
The stallion cringed. “She hasn’t done anything I could get for you. What am I supposed to do?”
“Make something happen, you idiot! I want something to ruin her with, and I want it now! Do I make myself clear?”
“...Crystal.”
“Good. Now get out.” She turned away from him in disgust.
“Just you wait, Sparkle.” she said after he had left. “No one humiliates Sunset Shimmer and walks away freely. No one.”