30 Days of Temptation

by LuminoZero

The Way Back Home

Rarity's mind raced as she helped Fleur into the living room. Swarms of questions buzzed in her mind, and answers would not be forthcoming from the distraught mare. She tried to recall if anything odd had happened on the walk back here, but her mind was still waking up.

"Fleur," Rarity said. "Please tell me what happened since I left with Fancy Pants." It was as good a place to start as any.

Fleur nodded as Rarity levitated a small cup of water with a straw over to her, shakily taking a sip. "I went to bed s-shortly after you left. I woke up a little bit ago from...well, I don't sleep well anymore..."

Rarity nodded. This late in her pregnancy, that was not too surprising.

"I noticed that he wasn't back yet, so I went looking for him. When I saw he wasn't in the house, I checked in the guest house. I thought he might have been checking in on Portrait, but there was nopony there, either. I... started to think that maybe he stayed here but..."

Rarity arched an eyebrow as Fleur trailed off. With anypony else, Rarity would ask what she was being accused of, but she bit her tongue for now. "He walked me to the doorstep and then said he was going home. I cannot imagine what could have possibly delayed him so much..." Rarity thought out loud.

She realized very quickly that it was a poor thing to say, as Fleur's expression gave away her distress at that news. Rarity was thinking on how to placate Fleur when a sharp rapping at her door made the both of them jump.

Fleur nearly jumped to her hooves, but Rarity was faster. She guided the distressed mother down into her seat, and moved over to see what other visitor she had tonight. She hoped that it was Fancy Pants, but doubted her luck would be that good tonight.

The door swung open, and the stoic face of one of Luna's Night Guards greeted her. Their appearance always frightened Rarity. She was never certain if their bat wings were natural for them, magically given to them, or some form of illusion. It felt like an inappropriate question in the best of times, let alone in the current situation.

"Ma'am," he said with a salute. "Night Captain Midnight Bastion, reporting. Her Majesty has ordered us to escort Fleur De Lis home safely."

Both mares blinked in confusion, but Rarity was the first to speak. "Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I think it may be best to avoid traveling more than needed. She is in no condition, after all. I would be happy to take care of her here."

The captain's face was stoic as he spoke again. "Her Majesty said that you would not be remaining here for much longer, and a noble lady would require proper protection and care. She seemed to imply you had someone to find."

Rarity was about to argue, when she recalled what Luna had told her just an hour ago. She'd made a big deal out of telling her that one, final thing. Luna had also told her, through these guards, that she would be the one to go find Fancy Pants. There was somewhere she had to go, someplace she had to be.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I have no idea where I would even start if he wasn't at... home..."

One could almost hear the 'click' of everything coming together in Rarity's mind. She stomped her front hooves in frustration. "That son of a mule!" she spat, forgetting all pretenses of lady like behavior. "I'll find him, Fleur. I'll drag him back here by the hair of his tail if I have to!"

Rarity stormed out the door, into the night, without a word more.

In retrospect, running out like that hadn't been the wisest decision. She had nothing packed for her trip, little money on her, and the trains wouldn't start for hours. She'd quietly returned to her penthouse a bit later to gather what she would need, now that she'd processed the entire situation. Acting on emotion was something Rarity thrived on, but it wasn't always the most productive way to accomplish things.

She'd caught the first train out of Canterlot, even before the sun had risen into the sky. The trip was long, and it would likely be well into the afternoon before she arrived at her destination. She'd calmed down a bit since her outburst, but she was still seething. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what had happened.

Going "home", he said. He must have thought he was so clever. Luna's clues had been enough, Canterlot had never been 'home' for Fancy Pants. He'd gone back to his roots. He'd run away from his troubles rather than facing them. Ordinarily, that would be bad enough, but with a wife on the cusp of becoming a mother, it was inexcusable.

Rarity was too worked up to sleep on the train, stewing with anger and rage for the entire trip. It was always the worst feeling to want to do something, yet to be forced to wait. When the train finally pulled into Dodge Junction, Rarity was the first pony off the train. It was at that point that she realized she had no idea where he would be.

She stuck out like a drop of bleach on a midnight gown, but Fancy Pants grew up here. He could blend in easily, and unless she could think of some way to locate him, this would take days. There were dozens of ponies walking up and down the dirt roads. Mostly earth ponies, but there were a few of the other tribes.

Just like that, Rarity had her idea. There were only so many of his identifying factors he could change. Sure, he could change how he spoke, or dressed, or even walked. What could not be changed, however, is that he was a unicorn with a white coat and three crowns for a cutie mark. In an earth pony town, that would stand out just as badly as she did.

A unicorn, with a white coat, and three diamonds for a cutie mark. She'd never considered the parallel before, and it brought a small grin to her face as she realized it. "Excuse me!" she said, walking towards the pony at the ticket booth. He glanced up at her, and prepared himself for the obvious tourist questions.

"I'm looking for a stallion that looks similar to me. He should have arrived early this morning. Have you seen anypony like that today?"

Her question clearly caught the tan earth pony by surprise. "Maybe. This morning was a long time ago, don't really remember too well." The stallions eyes twinkled with avarice as he scanned her form.

Rarity would not have begrudged the pony payment for his help, but to pay him now would be reinforcing poor behavior. Instead, she allowed her eyes to tear up as she wore a truly pathetic pout. "Oh, but I missed the last train out of Canterlot last night! I simply must find father, I don't know what I'll do here all alone!" she began, her voice wavering at first. "He said he'd be waiting at the train station, but he's not heeeeereeee!" she said, turning it into full volume wailing.

Rarity had succeeded in drawing a good deal of attention, making the ticket pony more than a little uncomfortable. "Wait! I think I remember. Yeah, I saw a pony like that get off the train this morning. Looked like he was heading to the mines, though, so I don't think that was him," he said, gesturing towards one of the nearest mountains.

Rarity's dramatics cleared up instantly, as she shot a wry smile to the stallion. "Why thank you, sir! Have a lovely day!" she said, before trotting off in the direction he had gestured. The stallion just stood there, his mind slowly catching up to the fact that he'd been played like a fiddle.

Rarity was pleased with having found a decent lead, but slightly dismayed at where it led her. Somepony like Fancy Pants was a miner? She imagined that a job like that would have made him much bulkier than he was. Something wasn't adding up, and she still wanted to hear the reason for all of this from his own mouth. She had her theories, but she had a feeling the truth was going to be even stranger.

Spotting the entrance to the mine was easy enough. There was a worn path through the dirt leading to a small building by a cave mouth. The walk was long, enough that she was left time to consider how much dirt she was getting in her coat. Was this really some place he had willingly returned to?

A pegasi, one of the few she'd seen since arriving here, intercepted her before she could reach what must have been the administration building. He looked her up and down, judging her by her dress alone. It seemed that the attire that opened doors in Canterlot only worked to shut them here.

"Sorry ma'am," he said, "this ain't no place for you. It's pretty dangerous here on in. Can't let ponies get too close." He spoke politely, but firmly.

Rarity smiled, stopping before him. "Oh of course, I wouldn't want to cause trouble for you. It's just, I'm looking for a friend of mine who I think is working in the mines. I don't suppose you can help me?"

The pegasi looked behind him, at a large clock that hung on the side of the building. "Well, shift ends in about ten, then it'll be crazy with paying the day workers. I can let ya try the forepony if he's willin' ta listen, but you'd have ta be quick."

Rarity nodded with a warm smile. "Oh thank you very much! I promise I'll be in and out as quick as I can," she said, trotting off towards the building. The pegasi flew on ahead of her, slipping inside. By the time she arrived, he'd come back out again, with a stone grey earth pony next to him.

The forepony, which Rarity had no doubt this pony was, had a weathered and stoic expression. He looked somewhere around Granny Smith's age, but he seemed to have been sculpted out of the mountain itself. He showed age, but not an inch of him showed weakness. If she'd walked into him, it would probably feel like walking into a wall.

"Picked a bad time to come round here. What are you looking for?" he asked gruffly. Rarity was a bit annoyed by his lack of manners, but she ignored it and pressed on.

"Ah, hello sir. My name is Rarity and I am looking for a friend of mine." Rarity knew she'd never be able to use the 'father' bluff on this pony. He was old and wise, and he'd likely seen a lot more than she could even imagine. "A unicorn with a white coat and a triple crown cutie mark. I've heard that he was heading this way, have you seen him?

The forepony's face didn't change, though the pegasi's did. It was clear that somepony matching that description was here. "And why should I tell you that? Some of my workers come here cause they don't want to be found."

Rarity sighed inwardly. All of these ponies were alike, always trying to make a quick bit from the 'clueless nobles'. Still, this time she had no choice but to play his game. "How much is it going to cost me to find out?"

Instantly, she realized she'd said the wrong thing. The stallion's nostrils flared, showing emotion for the first time. "Lady, you'd best be on your way now. Nopony—worker, noble or princess—comes into my mine and tries to pay me off." He jerked his head to the pegasi, clearly indicating that Rarity should be 'escorted' away from the mine.

Rarity reacted quickly, trying to save this chance. "Wait! You're right, I shouldn't assume that money can solve all issues. I'll tell you the truth about why I want to find him. Whatever you decide after that, I'll live with it."

The forepony paused for a second. He glared at her, still annoyed, but his words were not as unyielding. "Never known a noble to apologize to someone for offering to pay them. Lady, you got thirty seconds of my time. Make them count."

It was roughly an hour later when a knock came on the main door to the building. The monosyllabic response given was taken as permission to enter, as a white unicorn walked into the building. The forepony looked up at him, sizing up the stallion. There was nothing exceptionally odd about him. No clothing, like most of the workers, save for a small bandana around his neck. His fur was ruffled and his mane was filled with dirt. He looked the part of a day worker.

"Well?" he asked the worker. As usual, the old stallion's voice was as hard and unyielding as the stone that they worked with.

"I did a tour of the mines, and I found twenty-seven workers that I would move. They've got talents better suited to mining softer ores and gems, not hard metals."

The old stallion nodded, looking closely at the 'younger' worker before him. "I'm not one for asking question on intention, I've seen a lot of weird things in my time, but coming back one day without a word after... how long has it been? Twenty years, maybe thirty? You just decided that you wanted to pick up where ya left off all those years ago, and I gotta wonder why. Been a long time since you left, Royal Derby."

The unicorn looked very confused. "It's also rare for you to use my full name, gramps. Did you become a nosy gossip in my absence? Time was you wouldn't care what somepony's story was, long as they did a good days work."

"You got all the fixings of a kid running from something. Thirty years is long enough to make one hell of a life to run from. Wanna make sure you ain't bringing trouble back home."

The unicorn named Derby shook his head. "I promise, nothing is going to be following me."

"Is that a fact?" the forepony spoke, as a door into the back office opened. Rarity stepped out, and Fancy Pants eyes shot open in shock.

That moment of comprehension was what the forepony was looking for. "Her story was true then. You've got a wife back in that prissy unicorn city?"

"It's... not quite as simple as..." Fancy began, but he was not afforded time to finish. In a flash, the elderly stallion had closed the distance between them and brought a right hook right across his muzzle. The blow was strong enough to send Fancy to the ground, a small trickle of blood coming from his mouth.

Rarity, for her part, hadn't been expecting things to break down to violence so soon. She moved quickly to Fancy Pants side, trying to help him back to his hooves.

"Now I know I taught you better than that! Is just up and running from your job what those city ponies do? You signed on for a job, and you'd best go back and finish it or that love tap'll be the least of your problems!"

The room went silent, as Fancy Pants slowly lifted himself to his hooves, with Rarity's help. He nodded once, looking very much humbled, before turning for the door. Rarity looked between them, clearly confused.

"Wait...that is it? I must say I'm a little disappointed," she admitted. This just felt so anticlimactic.

"Lady, I run this place. I don't have time for the poetics and theatrics your lot fawns over." He looked to Fancy Pants one more time. "Colt, if I ever see you here again without the mare who is holding your child, you'll be leaving on a stretcher. Now go do the damn job you signed up for! Next train back to your prissy city leaves in twenty. You'd best be out of this town by the time I'm done here. I don't care if it's by train, hoofcar or walking."

Rarity recalled when she called this place 'rough and tumble'. Those words seemed even more accurate now. "I've taken a hoofcar back from here before. It isn't something I wish to repeat. Come on now, move!" she said, pushing him towards the door. Rarity was still quite confused, and had a lot of questions left to ask.

Luckily, it was a long ride back to Canterlot.

The two of them had been quiet on their trip back to the station. Rarity had only just met the forepony, but she had no doubt he would make good on his threat if they missed that train. Thankfully, they'd arrived just in time, and were now settling down in their seats. Rarity had brought enough coin with her to secure a more secluded car on the train, since she assumed they had much to talk about.

"Is your lip alright?" was the first thing she said, as the train lurched to life.

Fancy Pants raised his hoof to his lips, finding a small amount of blood still came away. "I've had a lot worse, and I had this one coming," he responded.

Silence for a moment more, before Rarity asked her next question. "Can I ask why?"

Fancy Pants sighed, glancing out the window at the familiar countryside. "You've put quite a bit of effort into tracking me down, I suppose I owe you that much." He turned back to face her, adjusting himself in his seat. "It is a long story. Are you sure you don't want to get a drink before I begin?"

"You're stalling," she said, her eyes boring right through him.

Fancy Pants smiled ruefully. "Guilty as charged. Ah well, where to even start? I suppose the story can actually start with Stone Quarry, the mine forepony."

"Is he your father?" Their interaction in the office had made it seem that way.

Fancy Pants shook his head. "Not directly, no. My parents were cobblers by trade. They made the shoes for the miners, since working in such an area does require such protection. They died when I was very young, so I was raised by the old miner. He's a bit gruff, but I'd like to think he taught me the value of an honest day's work."

"I have a lot of trouble imagining you as a miner. You don't seem... built like the other miners were," Rarity said.

Fancy Pants chuckled softly. "You'd be right. Tell me, do you know what the term 'triple crown' refers to?"

Rarity shook her head silently.

"It is an old term for a pony whose skill is unsurpassed in their generation. The best of the best at what they do. I'm not sure where it came from, exactly, but that is the truth of it. And before you ask, no, my cutie mark is not saying I am one of those ponies."

"But it has something to do with that definition, doesn't it?"

"Indeed. I usually helped with the paperwork around the mine. Scheduling, work posts, payroll, all of the behind-the-scenes things that kept the mine operating. It was doing this work that I discovered my talent. I had an... instinct, let us say, on which ponies were skilled in different areas. Who was better for mining certain ores and jewels, or at certain times. I was able to turn the mine into a model of efficiency. I was a very good judge of who was capable of being a 'triple crown pony', and I moved them to the areas they would excel."

"How did you come to be in Canterlot?"

Fancy Pants shrugged. "I grew bored of the simple life. Every day doing the same thing in a tiny town. I was young, I wanted adventure and excitement. So I went to the biggest city for my tribe, Canterlot. The first few years were difficult. I was just a country pony; nopony would even give me the time of day. But as I spent those years in the city I realized something. It was filled with ponies trying to break out and be famous. Some of them were talented; many of them were not. I began to watch the games of the rich, backing certain ponies they liked. They would buy the early works of a fledgling artist, and if the artist became famous they would reap the rewards of their choice. It was like a giant guessing game for them."

"And one that you had a natural advantage at," Rarity said. Fancy Pants was good at seeing the potential in ponies. In such a situation, of course he would thrive.

Fancy Pants nodded again. "Of course, but there is more to thriving in Canterlot than just money. I knew that if anypony ever found out where I'd come from, it would ruin any chance of succeeding there. Canterlot is a city of privilege and illusions. So I changed my name, my manner of speaking, everything I could about myself. I haven't used my birth name in a very long time. But even with my new found money, having taken to their 'guessing game' so easily, I was not welcome in their circles. It takes more than money, you need the right connections. You need someone to pull you into the circles, much like I did with you."

Rarity knew enough about Canterlot to see that problem coming, but the solution still eluded her. How would Fancy Pants have broken into the high circles if he'd become a totally new pony? "Did somepony help you like you did me?" she asked.

Fancy Pants laughed, shaking his head. "Oh no, I made a far more foolish decision for the sake of wealth and power. I got married."

The way Fancy Pants spoke of this event confused Rarity. He made it sound like marrying Fleur had been a mistake. They seemed perfectly happy when she saw them together, so why? "I don't understand. I thought you loved Fleur?"

Fancy Pants smiled now, recalling some old memory. "Oh I do. But that didn't start until maybe a year or so ago."

"What," Rarity asked, deadpan.

"I can't fault your reaction. Back in those days, Fleur and I were as different as possible. She was a wild high class party pony, and I was a down-to-earth connoisseur. Her lifestyle served to displease her parents, who cut her off. Fleur has never worked a day in her life, and they wanted to force her to make some sort of a decision with her life instead of living off of them. It was an admirable attempt, which I am sorry I thwarted with my own youthful stupidity. It was a perfectly pragmatic union. She was social, and could get me into the circles I needed, while I was wealthy, and could easily support her lifestyle choice."

"You...didn't love her," Rarity spoke, shocked by the revelation.

"Love her? My dear, I didn't even like her. It was a marriage of convenience for us both, and we treated it as such. She still entertained her 'guests' and threw her wild parties, while I went about my work amassing an even greater fortune and making my name known to all within the city's walls. Of course, in public we kept up appearances, as was required of us. Still, it was just twenty years of a game, of living a beautiful little lie for the eyes of everypony else."

Rarity didn't even know how to respond to that. How could she respond to having her view of this stallion so thoroughly destroyed? He wasn't a fine and respectable stallion of Canterlot. He may have been the most despicable stallion she had ever met. He'd lived off of deception, off of the illusion of love, for twenty years. He'd profited from selling away his emotions.

Still, there was one thing he'd said earlier that kept her curious. He loved Fleur now. "What changed all that?"

He looked up at her. "Hm? Oh, you mean when did we actually grow up and act like real ponies? Well, the truth is, it was because of you. When I first met you on the street that day, I remember seeing some pony with a very unique talent and ability. I could tell instantly that you were a diamond, if you will forgive the pun."

Rarity blushed slightly, but realized what he was saying. "You just saw me as another fledgling artist that you would profit from backing," she concluded.

Fancy Pants continued as if he hadn't heard her question. "However, you showed me something far different from what I'd expected to see. When it came to a choice between wealth and power, or your family and friends, you didn't even give it a second thought. I guess you just reminded me of home, of that hard-working and inflexible honesty to one's family and friends that I had all but forgotten. That was why I supported you then, because if I had the integrity to stand for what was really important so long ago, I wouldn't have sold away all I was for a mountain of gold. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I spent many a night awake, pondering over the choices I had made."

Fancy Pants sighed wistfully. "Through it all, Fleur was there. She asked questions, she cared, she listened. I hadn't really noticed, but through the years she had changed. She'd become more calm and refined, less obsessed about her next big party and more concerned with repairing her ties to her family. I never associated with her family any more than I had to. To me, it was all part of the illusion. But in those months I realized, Fleur knew more about me than I thought. The mere fact of living together for so long had taught us so much about the other, that when we actually sat down and talked about it, we were surprised how close we had become. It seems rather silly, a real connection forming because we lived the fake for so long, but there is no better way to describe it. We pretended to be in love for so long that we finally realized we actually were, once the both of us grew up enough to see it."

Rarity's next question was quick and without mercy. "Then why did you run away?"

Fancy Pants sighed. "I didn't intend to stay. I just wanted to remind myself of what I'd spent so long running from. I couldn't risk having a relapse to a Canterlot way of thinking, not with another life on the way."

"You scared Fleur half to death. When she couldn't find you she went hysterical."

Fancy Pants turned his gaze out the window again. "As soon as old Quarry spoke to me, I knew I'd messed it up again. I'm just lucky you were able to find me so quickly. Which reminds me; how did you find me so quickly? Coming here was a rather big leap of logic."

Rarity paused, recalling Luna's advice to her. She'd been pushed here, aided by an outside force. This was what Luna did, manipulating others to change destiny. In her case, the interference was obvious. But what about ponies like Twilight, Golden Truth and Fancy Pants himself, who had all been manipulated by Luna without realizing it? Had Luna been manipulating her since her arrival in Canterlot? How much of what she had done here was her choice, and how much was somepony else pulling the strings to make her act in a predictable way?

"Sometimes, I feel like the pawn of something far greater than myself. Things always seem to just 'work out'," she answered. "When you invited me to Canterlot, I thought I would just be teaching somepony else. Instead, it seems I am the one left with all the questions here."

Fancy Pants sat up straight, smiling at her. "Well, I'm always available to listen to your woes. I feel I owe you at least that much. That and I would very much like to help that pony who has already helped me so much."

Rarity laughed a little bit, but the conversation drifted into silence after that. She couldn't share the secret about Luna's powers with him, she'd promised to not tell another soul. There was one topic he might be able to... but no, it wasn't appropriate. It was far too odd to ask somepony like him.

However, Rarity realized that the situation she found herself in was only slightly weirder than the situation Fancy Pants had lived through. Complicated emotions were something he would be very familiar with.

"Well, there is something. It is sort of a long story, though," she started meekly.

"There is still plenty of train ride left," he retorted.

Rarity managed a weak smile. "It's about the one who gave me my necklace. I've been... conflicted on this issue for a long time. I think getting a little insight from somepony who has been through an odd relationship might help me but...er... it is an odd tale."

He smiled warmly at her. "I am quite sure that it won't be the oddest story I've heard."

"You do realize I have done battle with the Lord of Chaos before, right? My life tends to be very peculiar."

Fancy Pants laughed. "I suppose you are correct. I forgot who I was talking to for a moment there. My offer still stands, however. If you wish to talk, I would be delighted to listen."

Rarity nodded, taking a deep breath. "Well, it all started when he first found the gem..."

Rarity recounted the tale, no longer hiding the 'unique nature' of her admirer. Fancy Pants remained quiet through the first tale, but the second tale was the true test of his composure. She told him of the return of the Nightmare, of everything that had transpired that fateful night. She recalled the entire experience, painful though it was. If he was going to help, he needed to understand in a way few other ponies possibly could.

When she finished, Fancy Pants was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his first words were a bit underwhelming. "A dragon, you say."

Rarity blinked once, a half smile forming on her lips. "Please don't tell me that is the only part of the story you grasped."

Fancy Pants returned the smile, waving his hoof. "Oh no, I grasped every word of it. The story is a bit unbelievable, but, as you say, you live an odd life."

"So...?" she said, eager to hear his thoughts on the matter.

"Well, as you told the tale I had to wonder if I knew any ponies who would act like that. We know so little about dragons and how they grow that I have to wonder: Does his mind mature at the same rate as his body? I do not know a single colt that would act with half the dedication Spike did in those tales. I don't know many stallions who would either."

"But he isn't a stallion, or a colt, he's a dragon. A baby dragon, at that," Rarity said.

"That is true, but I don't think that is as important as you are convincing yourself it is. If a stallion did all that he has done for you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. There would be no doubt in your mind. Your doubt comes from wondering if he is really thinks like an adult and understands what he is doing. My answer is you should find out."

Rarity blinked twice. "Find out, how? Are you saying I should...?"

Fancy Pants held up his hoof to stop her. "What I am saying is that you should give him a chance. Try to get to know him a bit better, how he thinks, what he does. Don't you think he deserves at least that much? Trust me when I say, getting to know someone is the quickest way to sorting out your feelings. I know from personal experience that it works."

Rarity mulled over this. It seemed so simple now that she thought about it. What would her friends say? Twilight, especially, might have some very choice words if she thought that Rarity was just leading Spike along. She banished the thought from her head. She would just have to have faith in her friends to not judge her for this. Fancy Pants was right: After all the sacrifices Spike had made, he at least deserved a chance.

Thankfully, the rest of the train ride passed in the company of a much lighter conversation.

The two of them parted ways once the train pulled into Canterlot Station. Night had already fallen around them, and if Rarity had to guess, it was somewhere around midnight. She would have loved to go back to her penthouse, take a nice bath, and sleep until tomorrow afternoon, but she'd resolved to finalize something else.

Fancy Pants had his wife to go and confront, but Rarity had to confront somepony far more powerful.

Princess Luna.

She truly appreciated the princess's help, but Rarity had not been able to banish her own doubts. How much had Luna been influencing her actions since she'd arrived in Canterlot? How much did she manipulate anyone's actions on a day-to-day basis? Was Rarity nothing more than a pawn to be moved around the board by the orders of an unseen master?

Whatever the answer was, she had to know. She walked up to the castle gates, seeing the Night Guards standing as sentries. They did not move to obstruct her, but they did address her.

"Good evening, Miss Rarity. What can we do for you?"

Rarity smiled wearily, her long day taking its toll on her. "Good evening. I wanted to know if I would be allowed to meet with Princess Luna?"

The sentry nodded. "Of course. We have been instructed to show you to her private quarters if you arrived. We will inform her of your arrival," he said, ringing a small bell by the doorway.

Another guard came down the stairs a moment later, and proceeded to lead her into the castle. As they walked, Rarity had to wonder if Luna had been expecting her to visit. Did she guess, or did she know that Rarity would be coming here?

They arrived at the large oak double doors before Rarity was afforded too much time for her thoughts. The guard pushed one of them open. "Her Majesty will be with you shortly. Please make yourself comfortable," he said plainly.

Rarity thought for a moment on the poor manners of all of the castle guards before she allowed her eyes to sweep over the room. The opulence of the room was to be expected, but it still stunned Rarity for a moment. She'd stayed in the castle before, but this was quite different. The designs and fashions here were things she'd never seen before. The style of this room was almost ancient in its design, like it had been plucked out of the past.

Rarity realized that was likely exactly what happened here. These were likely possessions from Luna's old life, a thousand years ago. As she slowly walked around the room, her critical eye taking in every detail, she noticed a full length, standing mirror next to the far wall. What really caught her eye about it was that its frame was made of stone. Carefully worked, masterfully crafted, and breathtakingly beautiful.

It stole Rarity's breath away, but not in awe. Terror gripped her heart as she remembered this mirror. It was the same mirror from her dream, the one where the Nightmare had tried to reach her again. She timidly walked over to the mirror, looking into its surface.

She saw her own panicked face looking back at her.

Rarity took a breath of relief as she stepped back. Of course, that was just a dream. The mirror wasn't anything evil, it was just a mirror...

Another thought passed through Rarity's mind as the door to the room swung open. She spun around to see Princess Luna walking into the room, a small smile adorning her face.

"A good evening to you, Rarity. To what do we own the pleasure of this visit?" Luna paused, studying Rarity's face for a moment. "Are you well? You look as if you have seen some hideous specter."

"Oh, no it's nothing. Your mirror just gave me a bit of a scare. It looks exactly like the one I saw in my nightmare last week. It must have been a memory the Nightmare Forces had from when they were with you that got carried over into my dream, or something like that."

Rarity's gaze moved between Luna and the mirror. As such, she almost missed the change in Luna's expression. It was an instant, but something Rarity had said had just surprised her. Rarity couldn't let that go unquestioned. Something about this was bothering her.

"I mean, that is right, isn't it? I've never seen this mirror before, so how could I dream about it?"

Luna remained silent, refusing to meet Rarity's gaze.

Rarity felt her stomach drop. Something was going on here that she didn't like or trust. Something wasn't right, and Luna was very near the center of it. "Princess Luna, please. Don't tell me you..."

Rarity trailed off, and Luna still refused to respond.

"If you tell me right here and now that you had nothing to do with it, I'll believe you," Rarity said, stepping closer to the Princess of the Night. "Please, Luna, tell me that."

Luna finally spoke, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "I cannot. For I am the one who entered your dreams and made them into your worst nightmare."

Comments

[Rubakor]

I'm still wondering, is the foal Fancy's or did Fleur sleep around with other ponies?

[fferror]

I'm still wondering, is the foal Fancy's or did Fleur sleep around with other ponies?

Yes, and probably. Fancy Pants and Fleur actually fell in love about a year ago, and lo and behold she's with foal now; seems likely the two are connected. But before that, as Fancy put it, "She still entertained her 'guests' and threw her wild parties".

[DanvilleBengal]

4157933

Considering that pregnancy runs between 9-11 months, and Fancy has said that he has actually loved Fleur for real for at least two years, I think it's safe to say that the foal in Fleur is definitely Fancy's. Definitely is a pretty permanent way to show that they love each other now---the moment they realize the spark is there and thriving, they basically rut enough to celebrate, and without contraceptives. Boom!! Literally a 1-in-a-million bulls-eye shot. But I have to say, he's definitely a cock shot rifleman there!!

[LuminoZero]

4159400

God, this is like a soap opera. All anyone talks about is who Fleur banged.

-Lumino

[TheMessenger]

So wait, are you telling me the mirror had nothing to do with Rarity wanting to have sex with her mother? So much for the Freudian approach.

[LuminoZero]

4160032

We're 4/4 on sex based comments. LET'S KEEP THE STREAK GOING!

-Lumino

[TheMessenger]

4160035
Actually, I was hoping to discuss the implications of the word "nightmare", which comes from Nachtmahr. That would imply the existence of a pony equivalent of Germany, which explains hayburgers and totally justifies that one line Applejack has in the season 3 finale: she wasn't looking for a hand, she said Hans.

Adjust your head canon accordingly.

[LuminoZero]

4160068

-Lumino

[TheMessenger]

4160088
After several hours of deliberation, I finally got the message. Too bad, I refuse to cease and desist!

[djthomp]

Interesting backstory and special talent for Fancy, I like it.