It was a cold day in the middle of December when I made my annual visit to the Canterlot Clothing Convention. I wore a coat of wolf fur that I had worked months on, and made my way to the convention center. I carried a suitcase full of clothes that would be shown off to the high society. After all, Canterlot was the city of dreams, and I certainly had plenty of those.
I day dreamed of the applause that my dresses and suits would get, of the adoring fans screaming my name, and of being adored by all. After a while I broke out of this trance of glory is was in and realized I was lost. Luckily for me Twilight gave me a good map of the city before I left. I levitated the map out of my bag and took a long look at it.
I could get to the convention by going back 7 blocks, turning right, and then left. I also could make a trip through a near ally way and get there way quicker. I choose the shorter route, as timing was important in this business, and I couldn't afford to be late. I slowly made my way towards this ally wondering if I made the right decision. I was after all one lady in a big city, I could be attacked, I could be hurt.
I brushed these fears aside and made my way into the ally. I walked slowly through looking at the poverty that surrounded me. There was broken glass everywhere, box like structures all over the ground, barrels with raging fires in them to provide warmth, and filth strewn all over the ground. It was repulsive this mess, but there was something even more disturbing. There were ponies with no clothes on, they looked sad, and cold. It was winter, they were homeless and had nothing to warm them up.
Then they noticed me, those eyes of longing turned to me with envy, I was warm, and they weren't. I was worried for a second they would attack me for my clothes, but nothing of the such happened, they simply turned away and huddled around the fire barrels. I continued to walk down the ally way, feeling guilty that I was going to a warm building with already warm clothes on and they had no place to go.
As I continued my trot an un-groomed, roughed up, and sad fellow approached me. "Do you have anything warm I could wear, anything so I can escape this chill." I looked in his eyes full of longing and sincerity. I pulled off my jacket, put it around his torso and put a scar around his neck. His smile was intoxicating, his face lit up, and he said, " Thank you so much" It warmed my heart immediately, but I knew this wasn't enough. Other ponies in the ally saw the exchange and gave the stallion looks of jealousy almost as cold as the weather.
"What is your name?" I asked the stallion. I wanted to hear his story. "Also, can you tell me how you got in your position, if it isn't to much darling."
He sighed, quickly gathered his thoughts, and answered. " My name is Vivid Dreams, I was a painter who couldn't find work. Art no longer means what it used to, I tried to pay rent, but I just didn't have enough to take care of myself. I am the starving artist I guess." He giggled at his misfortune, at least he cold laugh, even if it was an uneasy one. He was an artist just like me, but he was in a bad situation and I was not. He looked up at me and asked, "What is your name misses?"
I answered with determination, "My name is Rarity and I am going to help you all." I pulled the clothes out of my suit case and sent them over to every pony in the alleyway. As I went along giving each stallion and mare a suit of some kind, my suit case ran out of clothes, but the smiles on all the ponies faces were well worth it.
I could no longer go to the convention, with no one to show my clothes off to, so I turned around to head back to the train station. Before I could leave the alley I got a big round of thanks from everyone. There excited faces and excited voice making me warm inside. "Come back to visit us!" They said in unison.
"Don't worry, I will be back to say hi, and will bring some gifts for you all." They cheered for me as I walked away. I knew I would be back soon.
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It was two weeks since that faithful day, I made my way back to the alley, with plenty of clothes for all of those ponies. Once I arrived, however there was no one in the alley. All the box like structures, the barrels, and the garbage was gone. I made my way down the alley, in shock, and wondered what had happened. As I got to the spot where I had met Vivid Dreams, I noticed that there was a note and a square outline in the dirt.
I cleared the dirt away and lifted the square outline out of the ground. It was a beautiful pastel painting of me smiling with beautiful angelic wings. The detail was amazing, the look captivating, and it all made me sad. Then I opened the note and read it.
"Rarity, thanks so much for the coat you have given me. I have sold it in order to buy the material needed to write this and paint you. It was the least I could do in return for the generosity you have given to me. As I write this we must move to avoid the royal guards, as I may not see you again, I hope you like the painting. Thank you again."
The note caused me to truly cry, I usually cried as a joke, and to act like a drama queen. This was rely sad, but I knew more from this experience. I slowly made my way down the now melancholy alley, with the memories of them to console me.
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Dear Princess Celestia,
I Learned that we often don't realize how much better off we have it that others. Sometimes we like to ignore people who can't afford to have a life like ours. That is wrong though and we must learn to help them. Generosity is truly shown when we help those who need it rather then want it.
Your Subject,
Rarity