"Thank you again Rarity. I love this dress...it just still isn't perfect." Twilight Sparkle told her friend, who nodded at Twilight's every word.
"Well, I understand, Twilight. Let's just hope seventh time lucky..." Rarity said with the smallest hint of malice in her tone.
Twilight glanced nervously side to side before stepping outside Carousel Boutique without a goodbye. She knew when she wasn't wanted.
Rarity sneered. "It just still isn't perfect!" Rarity whined in an imitation of Twilight's voice. "What does she know anyway? I'm trying to be as generous as I can, and all I'm getting in return is a 'thank you.'" Collapsing in her favourite armchair, Rarity began to think about her very own Element.
'Why be generous when I can be greedy? After all, it is so much more rewarding...the satisfaction of having everything, and not having to part with a single bit of it is absolute bliss.' Is what Rarity thought to herself as she lounged on the plush armchair. The Unicorn suddenly realised what she was saying and shook her head hastily.
'No...I am above such dark desires.' Rarity thought to herself, gazing over to a photo of the six of them at the Grand Galloping Gala. She had made those dresses for her friends, and the satisfaction of seeing their faces light up when they saw their gifts was more than enough comfort. 'After all, I'm the Element of Generosity.' Rarity thought to herself still, slouching further down into the armchair. They had defeated many enemies with the power of friendship. To throw it all away just for earthly desires would be...silly.
Or would it?
Starting to speak aloud again, Rarity stood up, pacing the length of the room. "Yes...why should I have to do this for my friends? After all, what have they ever done for me? I'm doing the honour of designing them a Grand Galloping Gala dress for the...third time. That's Eighteen amazing, unique dresses! Eighteen dresses that I could have made for myself..."
For herself...yes. Yes! Why not? She had slaved over each of those dresses, putting off very important clients, shoving all work aside just, just because she was being generous. Being nice. But they hadn't repaid the favor. All she had gotten was a thank you. She had some very important clients that would have paid for her dresses. With Money.
Rarity once again pushed these thoughts of Avarice to the back of her mind. "Stop it, Rarity. Their happiness was all the payment you needed. And they finished your gala dress. Rarity, you are being quite selfish." She scolded herself, making her way to the kitchen for a drink. She needed something strong to knock her out of this odd phrase, and train of thought. Grabbing a bottle of Applejack Daniels, she took a swig without pouring any into a tumbler. It burnt her throat and she coughed and hacked. At least it had snapped her out of that odd phase.
"I suppose I should check the mail." Rarity said, rifling through some letters she had put off looking through until now. Levitating them with her magic, she read them out in her head. 'Bill, bill, Pinkie Pie party invitation...ah! What is this?' Rarity thought to herself slowly, levitating a single letter in front of her.
"It's from Fleur-De-Lis" She said to herself, opening the letter with a knife made for the purpose. Slipping the letter out, she realised what it must be about. "Ah, yes, I made that dress for her photo shoot with Photo Finish. This must be another...'thank you'." She said, starting to sneer again, before snapping back and reading the letter.
"Thank you for the ball gown...much appreciated...will be using you again..." Rarity skimmed through the letter, occasionally reading bits of it out loud. "I am aware I have already payed for the dress, but as an extra little thank you I include 2000 Equestrian bits, in the form of a check. This work is your best yet and you have always been a loyal and generous pony as one could ever want." Rarity's river of dark thoughts all came crashing back, the dam built of alcohol and self-determination breaking under the gain of so much money. Tucking the check in a pot in the kitchen among many others, Rarity exhaled with a deep grin.
"I guess thank you's are okay if they include money..." Rarity told herself.
Rarity loved money. She hid it very well, but she loved it. It had such power. To have money was the hold the very economy, all in a small round metal coin. In your hoof. Money was power. And the more you had of it, the more powerful you were, right? The Equestrian Bit was a very strong currency. Much more powerful than the weak Griffon Drachma, or the laughable Zebrican Dalasi. To think Zecora thought she could pay for a dress with those filthy...things. Rarity digressed and thought of the power money held. If she had the money, Rarity could buy Twilight's library. It would be easy. She could buy Sugarcube Corner. Or Sweet Apple Acres. She could manipulate lives, change fates, decide whether a pony lived or died, all the decisions she could make with money. And Rarity was much richer than she let on.
'Whoever said Money doesn't make the world go round is a bucking idiot.' Rarity thought to herself in an extremley un-ladylike manner. 'Money can buy you happiness.'
But it wasn't just money and power. Rarity loved status. To be 'the pony everypony should know', so to speak. Yes, that was the dream. To be the one thing all other ponies strive to be. To have it all. The money, the fame, the power. Influence, pure and undiluted. That is all Rarity desired. She craved attention and had loved being the center of it all when living in Canterlot that one time. Ponies clamoring for her attention, all eyes on her, she made the choices. The thirst for greed in Rarity's mind grew and she supplemented it with another swig of Applejack Daniels. She called the shots. She was the one that everyone respected - and if they disrespected her, they'd immediately be rejected. Like a worn out cog, to be replaced with another eager cog, ready to become part of the well oiled machine.
'Everypony is a tool.' Rarity thought to herself.
"What am I doing?!" Rarity yelled at herself, giving herself a slap to the face with her hoof. "A tool? I speak of these people as simple parts of machinery! My friends are much more than that...I love them...Rainbow Dash might be a little brash at times, but I couldn't ask for a more loyal friend." She told herself. 'And Pinkie Pie,' she thought, going back into thinking rather than speaking, 'has always made me laugh. And Fluttershy, who I love so dearly, has been nothing but kind to me.
The dam built back up again with the thoughts of her very best friends as the building blocks, Rarity went upstairs to her bedroom, ready to hit the hay. What a horrible night this had been. Looking at the wall, Rarity found herself gazing at a row of Ming Chinese Vases. They were so exquisite and ornate they literally oozed with decadence and sophistication.
"I may have been raised to not think so highly of Earthly desires...but I love them. I love them so much." Rarity told herself, reassuring her dark thoughts. She had bought them for so much money...and she loved them. Oh, she could easily get more money, more power, more notoriety. Yes, notoriety. To be feared, as well as appreciated was something that made Rarity's insides shiver with delight. To be as Celestia, living with ponies waiting on you hide and hoof. And how indulgently rich she was, was something to aspire to! She probably wiped her flank with Bit bills, for Luna's sake! But Rarity didn't remain envious of the Princess. Unlike her, Rarity wasn't just a puppet, an illusion of power. Sure, Celestia seemed to make all the decisions, but it was really the Equestrian Council who did all that. Rarity knew this...because of her links. Her links...that would help her rise to the top again.
This notoriety idea played on her mind, however. Rarity wasn't shy of a little blackmail and betrayal. It was all too easy...lull other simple ponies into a false sense of security, sucking them dry of their money and all they were worth, before finally delivering the Coup de grâce and throwing them aside. She was very well spoken and could easily fool her friends, as well as the Canterlot Elite. Yes, Canterlot! The streets were paved with gold, but not just that. Fine architecture, the right sort of people to mingle with...the polar opposite of her hometown of Ponyville.
Why limit herself to Ponyville? Limit her self to a life of plain and simple tastes? Why not indulge? Feast on the richest of foods, live in the most excessive of palaces, throw money around and buy things she didn't need. And design dresses, beautiful dresses, become famous...she had all she needed. After all, her parents had left her that fund if times got bad. Things weren't bad, but oh, they could be better for sure. Things could be much better.
Rushing to her bedroom, she flung a portrait of a stern looking stallion of the wall, revealing a bland grey door. Entering the secret code, 'S-W-E-E-T-I-E' Rarity paused for a moment. Her sister. Her small sister, who, by doing this, she would be leaving behind. Good! She was also a restraint, a thorn in the side, something that stopped her fulfilling her grandest desires. Leaving her behind with the parents would be better for her, as well as her sister. Bringing her along would mean sharing the wealth, which Rarity did not want. All good, generous thoughts had been shoved into the dark corners of Rarity's mind. What was the point of being nice? No-one deserved it, and it got you nowhere.
"Being generous is a stupid concept!" Rarity said, laughing a little. It felt good to finally say that to herself
Flinging the safe open, rarity grabbed the bundle of money, shoving it in her face, inhaling deeply before letting out an almost orgasmic sigh. Money...power...status...nothing could stop her now. She was to leave Ponyville and her so called 'friends' behind, making her way to Canterlot. She would play the game, indulge herself in every manner and be loved...as well as feared. The world was her Oyster.
"Why be Generous when you can be greedy?" Rarity said to herself aloud, giggling in a malicious manner.