Burning bright, the sun threatens to boil me in my own sweat as I walk to the castle. Is it too much to ask for some clouds, for a change? I have left behind the cloak, wearing the tuxedo in its place, and ponies look at me as I walk through the streets of Ponyville. Do they look in shock as they see Rarity, the most feminine mare in town, walk around with an stallion's mane cut and dressed to fit? If only they knew... It doesn't matter. Look upon me, I say. Like a butterfly, I have shed my cocoon and become my true self, and the only thing left is letting the truth be revealed to those that matter to me.
I look at the horizon, the castle still a rather long distance away, and I walk.
I look on the golden doors of the castle. This is it. There is no turning back now. I knock on the door with my hoof two times, managing to stop myself before I accidentally hit Pinkie Pie when she opens the door.
"He- Holy moly! What happened to your mane, Rarity? Why are you wearing a tuxedo?"
"Change, darling. Change happened."
"...You did this? On purpose?"
"Yes."
"Why? I mean, it doesn't look bad, but, no offense, Rarity... But you kinda look like a stallion."
I look into her eyes, and smile, and as I see her pupils widen into normality, she smiles back at me.
"I don't know what's happening, but, right now, when I saw you smile, I knew that, somehow, I made you happy."
"You can't imagine how much right now, Pinkie. Come, and I shall let you know."
She turns around, and, as I walk behind her, I feel a tear roll down my cheek. As we reach the doors of the throne room, she turns around,and sees the tear in my face.
"Rarity, why are you crying?"
Unlike the last time somepony asked me that, I can answer that question now.
"Joy, Pinkie." I answer, as I push the doors open.
“Are you okay, Rarity?! What the hell happened?!” I hear a voice say. I look at them, all six of them, their faces contorted in confusion. Of all that were there, I expected Spike would be the most shaken, and I was correct. “Did you get mugged on the way here?! Why… why are you dressed like that?”
“I have something to tell you. I am not the pony you think I am.”
I always felt like something was odd, like I was putting on an act. Ever since that day, when I was a filly, and I saw it. On a ponyquin, displayed on a window for the world to see, was a tuxedo. Black satin shone in the shimmering sunlight, contrasted by a white shirt, with a red bowtie on the neck. I didn’t know how this things were called back then, I only knew that I wanted them. They were made for me to be clad on. I was in Manehatten with my parents, and they had told me that they were going to buy me one thing and one thing only.
“Mom, that… dress! I want it! I want that dress!”
“Rarity, dear, that’s not a dress. It’s a tuxedo. That’s for colts to wear.”
“I don’t care! I want that tuxedo, mom! I want it! IwantitIwantitIwantit!”
“You can’t, darling. You’re a filly. Filly’s don’t wear tuxedos. That’s how the world works. Choose something else. Something that is for fillies.”
That day I learned what the world wanted me to be. I was meant to be a mare, to be an image of femininity for the world to praise. But I always felt cracked on the inside, like a wind-up toy whose mechanism lacked teeth in the gears. No one knew how I felt, trapped like a butterfly inside a cocoon of iron, unable to break free.
My femininity was a sham. The only thing that was real was my interest in fashion. It was always an exaggeration, a caricature of a mare, tailor-made to fool the world into thinking I was normal. And most of all, I tried to fool myself. And I was almost successful most of the time.
But the doubt was always there, eating away at me constantly, until I couldn’t hold myself together anymore. That’s when I finally realized what I was, when the iron rusted away and I could finally spread my wings and show the world my true self.
Yesterday, that’s when it happened. I am a stallion. I made this tuxedo, I finally have it. I finally have become what I always meant to be, and may the world be damned if they do not want me anymore. I don’t care for their appreciation anymore.
And so, here we are.
You are the only people whose opinions matter. So I must ask you:
Can you still be my friends, now that you have seen me as I am?
"You wound us." Twilight said, her face in an expression of disbelief. "I can't believe the thought would cross through your mind."
Through the deafening silence, I can only hear my own heartbeat. All faces are turned to Twilight Sparkle's, jaws dropping in disbelief. Not even I expected that.
"I see." I hear myself speak. I turn around, and walk to the doors. But as my hoof is centimeters away from the door, I hear Twilight say:
"How could you believe that we would ever think differently about you, just because of that?"
I look back at her, and she looks at me with a warm smile. I feel a tear run down my face, and I run to hug her. As I hold her, I feel the hooves of my friends surrounding me. It didn't matter to them. It never would have mattered. I look at Twilight and say:
"But why did you have to make me walk to the doors before saying that you wouldn't change?"
"Well... You are a rather melodramatic pony, Rarity. I felt it would be appropriate. You did make the tux before coming out. I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"It's alright, Twilight. There is nothing to forgive. You support me, and that is all that matters."
Surrounded by my friends, I know that nothing could hurt me now. I don't know what the future keeps for me, but I know that I am ready. Because now I know that, no matter what, there will be somepony to watch my back.
I'm not alone anymore.
"Wait, Rarity. Didn't you have to go to a fashion show in Canterlot?"