30 Days of Temptation

by LuminoZero

Day 5: Fire and Shadow

Rarity hoped that Portrait was relaxing on his day off, because she was not afforded that luxury. She had to scour the capital of Equestria for a single model, with only her name and physical description to go by. Scarlet Passion was her name, and the first meeting had been when she had come to them. Rarity cursed her foolishness in not obtaining any way to locate the mare. Still, she was not without contacts in the city, though getting to them might be more complicated.

She considered subterfuge a rather... uncouth skill. Still, she could not deny that deception had its uses. There was one pony in Canterlot who would be able to find a wayward model—somepony who kept his eyes on every up-and-coming model in the city. The pony in question was supposed to be covering a fashion show uptown, but Rarity knew that such events were usually by invitation only. So, here she was, dressed to impress with her latest design, watching ponies come and go from the event. She did not wish to watch for too long, lest someone think she did not belong.

She had put the finishing touches on this new outfit just this morning. Starting with a regal violet base gilded with gold trim, she'd added a highlight unusual among her designs: the dress featured a collar in a warm russet color, emphasizing the familiar necklace adorning it. She smoothed out her dress one more time, checking her reflection quickly in a window, before moving towards the door.

The models entering via the side entrance walked like they had a broomstick lodged inside of them, like little clockwork toys wound up and going through their motions. As Rarity walked towards this door, and the stallion standing by it checking names off his list, she put on her most confident persona. She strolled up without a second glance, as if her being there was totally natural. Predictably, the stallion moved to block her way.

"Name?" he asked simply, clearly bored of playing door guard for a bunch of uptight mares. Rarity glanced his way with a devious smile, turning on her charm for a moment. He held a clipboard of names and a pen through his magic, his horn glowing a light green. Rarity's horn glowed for a moment as she gently plucked the pen from the air, sliding it behind his ear in one fluid motion as she shook her mane out. It was a simple action, but it demonstrated her confidence. Confidence opened doors, after all.

"Darling, if you want an interview, you need to talk to my agent like everypony else," Rarity said, slipping her way past him without another word. Without turning back, she allowed herself to brush against him in a way that was two bits from inappropriate. Her gamble paid off, and the stallion was too shocked by her response to stop her. She walked the walk, and apparently she could talk the talk as well. She was backstage now, where all of the real models were getting prepared to make their entrances. Rarity, however, had no such preparations to make. Instead, she turned and headed for the door that led out to the lobby around the runway. The same style that made her stand out in most any crowd helped her blend into this one, nopony throwing her a second glance at first.

Rarity eyed the crowd, looking for the one stallion she had snuck into this fashion show to see. There was still some time before it began, and she was hoping she could find out what she needed before then. There was no way he would have two words to spare once the show started, and he'd likely be in a rush to leave to write up his review after it ended: had to beat the rival critics, after all.

Rarity finally saw the familiar white mane belonging to the most famous fashion critic in Canterlot. He was standing right next to the runway, of course, and seemed to be engaged in idle conversation with a mare or two. His glasses made it difficult to gauge his reaction, but his posture suggested he was bored out of his mind. Rarity smiled to herself; that was perfect.

She slipped through the crowd easily enough, and decided to break into the conversation without waiting for the other two mares to stop for breath. "I never did get the chance to thank you for that delightful review you wrote for my Gala dresses, Hoity Toity." Rarity started off with 'shop talk', quite certain it would at least get his attention for a moment. Her gamble was wise, for the second time that day, as the earth pony turned towards her. Confusion adorned his face for a moment as he raised his hoof to lower his glasses.

"Miss Rarity! Will one of your designs be on display today?" he asked, eying her new outfit critically. He must have liked what he saw, because he nodded approvingly. Rarity found some humor in the fact that he eagerly jumped into the 'shop talk' without a second thought to the two mares who had been talking his ears off. Since the conversation had switched to 'professional', they now found themselves without much to say.

"Oh no, not today. I have a few designs I am working on, but I am lacking the right model. I don't suppose you would be interested in helping with that? I'd be happy to offer an exclusive show when my next line is finished," she tempted him.

Clearly the thought of a private showing from someone with contacts like Rarity had was enticing him, but Hoity was a business stallion as well. "Hmmm, an interesting proposition. My schedule is very tight lately, a fashion show with one model seems like a bit of a wash. Maybe you could... sweeten the deal?"

Rarity knew instantly what he was getting at, and leaned in a bit closer. "Perhaps if I convinced the Princess to come show off a new gown as well? Would that be worth your time?"

Hoity's eyes bulged for a moment, recalling that Rarity did know Princess Twilight. She'd been in her last fashion show, after all. "I think we can arrange something. Now, this model you are looking for: what qualities are you interested in?"

"Actually," Rarity started, "I know precisely who I want to model my new line. A pegasus by the name Scarlet Passion. Do you know of her?"

There was a moment of shock in Hoity's expression. He recovered quickly, but she'd noticed it. "I do, yes. She is quite temperamental, I was quite sure she would never be a good model. Why, I heard rumors that she ransacked an artist's studio during a modeling session! If you are looking for somepony with that appearance, I am sure we could find another..."

"No," Rarity interrupted, "that fire of hers is what I want. That indomitable spirit, unyielding personality, and pure emotion is exactly what I need."

Hoity eyed her closely, but relented quickly enough. "Well then, this show of yours sounds like it will be interesting, if nothing else. Then again, your shows often have that effect, don't they?" The last statement made her blush a bit, recalling the first time Hoity had seen her 'work'. While she was lost in that thought, the stallion clapped his hooves twice. A small unicorn colt, maybe a few years older than Sweetie Belle, came up to the two of them. "Bolt, Miss Rarity needs the contact information of Scarlet Passion. Also the show will start soon, be ready to take down what I say," he instructed. Rarity barely had time to turn and acknowledge the unicorn when he tore a sheet of paper from a small pad, levitating it over to her. He wrote fast, which made sense now. Hoity must have dictated his views on the outfits to him during the show, and then used the notes to write his reviews.

"Thank you," Rarity spoke to the colt with a smile, before turning back to Hoity with a new thought. "Something always bothered me though, if I may ask. How did you meet Spike?" She recalled that Spike was the one that had gotten Hoity Toity to come down to Ponyville, twice.

Hoity seemed surprised by her question, but recalling the memory put an odd smile on his face. "I was just starting out. I was set to cover my first big show when I stopped to get a drink at a small doughnut shop. I took my jacket off to avoid spilling coffee on it, and before I knew it there was someone tugging on it. The little drake, barely old enough to be walking, ate the diamond cufflinks right off of the fabric! One bite each, like they were cookies! Well, I was quite upset, as you can guess. The cuffs were frayed and ruined, not to mention wet. A young unicorn filly, whom we both know, was with him at the time, and offered to repair the damage if I would come with her."

Rarity felt the need to interrupt, because she knew this story now. Everypony involved in fashion knew the story of what had made Hoity Toity into a huge name in Canterlot. "You mean, that was the interview?"

"Indeed. Princess Celestia was adamant on doing something to repay for the inconvenience. I suppose she thought of something like a new jacket, but I couldn't let a chance like that go by. So I asked for the chance to interview her on the fashions she'd seen over her years."

Rarity remembered hearing about that when she was younger. It had been in all the magazines: this critic nopony knew somehow got the immortal Princess of the Sun to sit down and talk fashion. "Wow, I had no idea he'd been so integral to your success."

Hoity nodded. "Every cloud has a silver lining, as the saying goes. Even in those days, the drake had an eye for fashion. Not that he understood it, but he appreciated it. So when he told me about a 'once in a lifetime' show in Ponyville, well I couldn't rightly refuse him. I'll admit, the second trip took much more coaxing on his part."

Rarity was about to respond to that when the lights dimmed, thankfully hiding the return of red to her cheeks. All attention went towards the runway, and Rarity prepared herself to leave. She stopped as the first model stepped out, pondering her timetable. She'd gotten what she needed here; she could stay and watch a little of the show. Maybe it would give her some ideas for her own designs.

---

About an hour later, Rarity was leaving the fashion show with the rest of the onlookers. She hadn't intended to stay for the whole thing, but she had just gotten so absorbed in the new designs. Some were creative, striking out with new ideas and daring styles. Some were too timid, sticking to the tried and true methods of the past. Rarity had no doubt that Hoity would have plenty to write about. The show also gave her a few good ideas for improving her latest works. Being too scared to try something new was bad, but changing things just for the sake of changing them was just as bad. She considered the delicate balance she would need to employ to make her designs really stand out here, as she prepared to cross the street.

There was a small wooden cart being pulled through the street. The back of it was filled with squares of fabric. All manner of color and quality lay within the stacks; it must have been a shipment for a tailor. The cart was being pulled by an earth stallion with a black coat and a midnight blue mane. He wasn't a noble, but he at least knew how to present himself. A respectable worker, it would seem. A sudden noise snapped Rarity out of her thoughts, as she watched the scene before her.

Everything seemed to happen at once, and her mind was assailed by a number of sensations. First, oddly enough, she felt a sudden jolt of magic. There were many unicorns around, employing their magic in mundane activities, so there had always been a light humming of power, but this was more direct. Rarity wasn't a master of unicorn magic, but you didn't spend so much time with Twilight without learning something about it. Instantly, the back door of the cart flipped open, allowing reams of fabric to fall onto the ground right at her hooves. Thankfully not into a mud puddle or something similar, but the damage would still be noticed by the kind of business owners Canterlot housed. The stallion who had been pulling the cart turned and looked back, his face aghast. "Oh... oh no. I'm so sorry miss." He moved himself free from the cart, stepping over to begin collecting the fabrics as well as he could.

Rarity understood almost instantly what had happened. Some unicorn in the crowd had used their magic to open his cart. Just to show their superiority over him, she supposed. Disgusted with the snickers and whispers from behind her, Rarity allowed her own horn to glow. The fabric folded itself up, and rose into a nice pile, before being set down into the cart again. The earth pony looked a bit... worried? Yes, that made sense: he was likely worried about the damage to the shipment. "Don't worry, darling. It was an accident, and I am not so cruel to take delight in somepony's misfortune." As she said this, she turned a reproachful glare towards the crowd behind her. Some of them looked surprised to be addressed as such, others looked amused. Still, at least a few of them looked embarrassed for acting as they had, so her words had done some good. "There we are," she added, closing the back of the cart before she allowed her horn to dim. "On your way now, it won't do to keep somepony waiting."

The stallion had been surprised at her reaction, and it looked for a moment like he was conflicted about something. He nodded in thanks, but quickly left the scene with his cart in tow. Rarity's face scrunched up, trying to make sense of that scene. The stallion had seemed embarrassed from her reaction. Well, she did have that effect on ponies. Maybe he was just a male version of Fluttershy, and didn't like talking?

As the crowd began to disperse, Rarity pulled the scrap of paper from her bag. Well, she'd indulged herself enough for today; now she had work to do. She verified the address once more, and made her way towards one of the many residential districts in Canterlot.

It was a short walk to her destination, but Rarity had enough to keep her mind occupied. She wasn't certain how she could possibly convince this mare to come back to work for her, not after the last time. Still, she knew that this was an angle others had not tried yet, so what could it hurt?

She recalled the state of the studio the other day, and winced. Apparently, it could hurt a lot if she wasn't there to keep things from getting out of control. She found the apartment building her target lived in rather easily. Many of the artists looking for their 'big break' lived around here; it was just how things had worked out. It was by no means a poor neighborhood, but it was certainly more down-to-earth then the rest of Canterlot.

Rarity's appearance drew a few sideways looks as she entered the lobby and strode down the halls. She clearly knew exactly where she was going, but she could still sense the vultures stirring. Someone who clearly had money coming into this place meant someone just got their big break. Many of the residents who had seen her seemed poised to strike out at her, desperate to get a bit of her attention for their own ideas. Still, she walked without stopping, clearly demonstrating that she had not the time or desire to indulge them.

In truth, she felt a bit guilty about that. She would have loved to help all of them, but it was simply beyond her abilities. She could not give a chance to every aspiring artist, model and composer. She had her obligations, and those came first. She finally arrived at the indicated room, and raised her hoof to knock on the door twice.

The sounds of somepony inside reached her ears soon enough. Whomever they were, they were moving towards the door, at the very least. In another moment, the door opened, and Rarity came face to face with her wayward model. Scarlet's face had been a mixture of annoyance and boredom, but on seeing Rarity, that changed: now it looked like a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

"I've got to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you again after that little disaster. Especially not without a wing of guard ponies," the model said.

Rarity nodded, choosing her words carefully. Once bitten, twice shy, after all. "He was adamant of the fact that what happened was not your fault. But I still did wish to come see you in the... aftermath of the job." Rarity smiled pleasantly as she eyed the younger model. "May I come in?"

Scarlet shrugged, shaking her mane out. She had a sort of... rugged beauty look today. She clearly had intended to stay at home, since she had not really made much of an effort to get 'dolled up'. "Sure, if you really want to. The little brat didn't cause any trouble; I'm used to dealing with prissy little kids." Scarlet walked back into the apartment, allowing Rarity to move in as she wished. Rarity stepped in slowly, but found her anxiety was unfounded. Despite her personal appearance, Scarlet kept a clean and well organized apartment, likely to prevent any dust or grime from getting on her modeling attire when she needed it.

"I will confess, I do not know what happened inside the studio. I should have been there to ensure things went smoothly, but I thought he would want his space. Rest assured, that will not happen next time."

Her comment did not escape the pegasi's notice. She'd been heading towards a small sofa to lay back down when she paused, turning around to look at the unicorn. "Next time? What, you want me to have a second round with that kid? I'm a model, not a babysitter."

Rarity's clever smirk rose to the front again. She had her attention, now she just needed a little bait. "Actually, yes. Like you said, he is a pampered, rich child. Surely you have had to work with somepony you didn't like before, yes? He hasn't, and that frustration is what I want to expose him to. That... passion, as it were, is something he has never experienced. From what I heard, he reacted strongly, and you didn't back down. That is what I need, someone who won't bend to what he wants. Oh this probably sounds so silly to you..." Rarity finished, acting a bit unsure of herself now.

Scarlet turned a bit, giving Rarity a better view of her flank, specifically her Cutie Mark: a long-stemmed, red rose. But unlike how roses were usually depicted in art, this one had a stem with the thorns present. "I think you're the first pony in Canterlot to think passion meant something other than lust and affairs. I come on strong, you think the kid can handle that?"

Rarity had no doubts in her mind that he would, because she'd be there from now on to keep him in check. "He'll learn. Now then, the other day was a volunteer shift, but I think I liked what I saw. Show up tomorrow morning, and we can discuss the specifics of your rate. Oh yes, don't worry about your attire for the session, I will be providing it."

Now the mare looked a bit surprised. She hadn't expected all of this from that catastrophic fight the other day. There sure were some weird ponies in Canterlot. "Wait," she said, a thought coming to her mind. "How did you even find me? I never told you where I lived."

Now Rarity gave a little laugh, turning to leave the apartment. She looked over her shoulder at the model, dropping one more surprise in her lap. "Hoity Toity told me. Oh, while I think of it, I promised him a private showing with you in some of my new designs. I'm glad you agreed to come back and work for me, it would have made the arrangement very awkward if you hadn't! See you tomorrow, darling!" Rarity called.

She closed the door behind her, the stunned silence of the model inside music to her ears. That moment when some pony saw all of their dreams on the cusp of coming true, those were the kinds of moments she lived for. It always felt amazing to give the gift of a dream fulfilled to another pony.

---

The sun was setting when Rarity finally returned to her penthouse. Today had been a productive day. She'd gotten some wonderful new dress ideas, met up with Hoity Toity again, and secured her preferred model for the training. Life was good, she decided, as she walked next to a ponyquin and began pulling off her attire. She stepped out of her horseshoes, pulled off her hat, and set aside her purse. She had her magic grab around the back of her collar, humming to herself as she considered what would happen tomorrow.

She felt the fabric on the back of her collar bunch up as it was pinched. This action confused the mare, as she hadn't expected it. It dragged her out of her thoughts, as her mind struggled to understand why something was off. Right, she'd been moving... her necklace. In an instant, Rarity no longer paid any mind to the regal dress she was wearing. She grabbed the collar between her teeth and pulled, slipping the fabric off in a quick motion and dropping it along the ground as she ran her hooves over it. She felt no obstructions.

It was gone.

---

"What do you mean you lost it?!" If Rarity didn't feel terrible enough about the situation she'd found herself in, Twilight's reaction was certainly pushing her that way. The look on her friend's face was both shocked and accusatory, something Rarity hated to see. Though she was quite sure she deserved it this time. "How could you? You know how much it meant to him, how could you just 'misplace' it?"

"Please, Twilight, I don't..." Rarity began, feeling herself close to tears once again. Such a priceless treasure, such a steadfast reminder of what they had been though. Twilight did not wait, however, and continued lambasting the unicorn.

"I know he didn't mean much to you, but he means the world to me! And you meant everything to him! How could you just misplace something that important? I can't believe you!" Twilight wasn't even confused. She wasn't pacing back and forth, she wasn't thinking on some solution, she was looking right at Rarity. Her angry gaze burned deeply, and Rarity felt herself shying back from it.

"But I don't... I didn't... I never noticed that..." Rarity began, trying to explain the events of the day to her rightfully furious friend. Maybe friend wasn't the right word to use right now, that bridge seemed like it had been long since burned.

"You never noticed?!" Twilight shouted incredulously. "After everything we've been through? Sweet Celestia, I can't even look at you." Twilight's horn began to glow, and Rarity took another step back in fear. In an instant, she felt the familiar magic surrounding her. This was a teleportation spell, like she had used when they were being chased by those dragons before. This felt stronger, however. Twilight's ascension must have been responsible for that.

When Rarity's vision cleared, she found herself not in Twilight's room, as she had been, but still in the castle. No, that was not accurate. She was in a castle, but not the Canterlot castle. There were no curtains or tapestries, just cold stone. Rarity looked around the familiar castle, her eyes settling on two objects. A large stone throne, one that made her heart slam against her chest in terror. Next to the throne, a large mirror, the frame made of some black stone. A voice wormed itself into her ears, familiar yet foreign.

"They would never really appreciate your gifts. The first failing and they turn against you. All we ever desired was your generosity. Your help, to give our lives meaning." The voice came from the mirror, echoing in the empty hall around her.

No. No this wasn't right. Those forces were gone, she'd purged them from herself. Her friends had seen to that... her... friends.

"This has always been your home. You've always hated your reflection, so flawed and broken. But now, look at the beauty present..."

Rarity knew it was foolish, but her legs seemed to move on their own. Up the steps to the throne, to the mirror on the side of it. She swallowed hard, standing before the mirror and looking at her feet. Finally, she brought her eyes level, staring at her own reflection in the surface.

The mare stared back through, her coat as black as night. Her horn glowing a dazzling and sickening white on its tip. Her mane flowing behind her as if it were alive, and her smile piercing into her very soul.

"Hello again, Rarity. I always knew you would return to me."

Author's Note:

Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long! This chapter needed a lot of work to come out right, but I am really happy with what I have here. I hope you are too, and I'll see you next time!

-Lumino

Comments

[TheMessenger]

Oh dear, didn't expect an actual antagonist. I don't know, this development kinda came from the left field and the meeting with Twilight was so sudden I wasn't sure whether it was just a dream or Rarity beating herself up or something.

[LuminoZero]

3461117

Ya know, dedication deserves some recognition. You comment on every chapter I release, and I wanted to say I do appreciate that. Just getting back thoughts like that really means a lot to me.

So, thanks again;
-Lumino

[TheMessenger]

3466414
I appreciate being appreciated

[djthomp]

I like the Spike/Hoity connection, and Scarlet Passion seems like she will be a lot of fun.

I'm confused by the ending, did Twilight just send Rarity to the moon? Over a lost necklace?