Bombastic Bookpony's Bazaar of Oneshots

by Bombastic Bookpony

Belief (Rarity, Fancypants, and Dash, Implied Raridash in development, Adventure/AU)

“Rarity, Rarity, Rarity...” Fancy Pants sighed, disappointment dripping from his voice. Rather than the usual rage that her employers exhibited when they were betrayed by her. It was a nice change of pace. “Did you really think you could cheat me and get away with it?”

“Ohhhh, Fancy Pants,” she chuckled, “I didn’t think I could. I knew I could.”

Fancy Pants stared at her for a moment, before chuckling as well. “Ah, my dear Rarity. It is that delightful wit you had that I’ll miss the most. To be frank, I’m amazed you still have it, what with the dozens of firearms and magical horns aimed against you, whilst your back is not against the wall, not literally at least, but rather against a window of an airship that is currently 500 meters in the air.”

“Thank you for the thrilling recap of things I already know, Fancypants,” Rarity deadpanned.

“Oh, quite right. One of these days I simply must stop the evil gloating. So cliche. So,” he began, adjusting his monocle, “Why did you do it, hm? You are known as one of the most loyal spies in the business, rarely betraying your employers. Certainly in the past when I’ve hired you you’ve been remarkably loyal and efficient, and quite the joy to chat with.”

“The feeling is mutual, Fancypants.”

“Why, thank you. So what made these five targets different, hm? What made them worth sinking your reputation in your field, worth throwing away an award of 5,000,000 bits? You’ve killed before. If you somehow live through this, you’ll likely kill again. Why defend them, and fight against the own team I assigned to help you?”

“Why indeed?” she retorted, giving an obligatory look across the environment, looking for a weak spot in the guards.

“You can stop scanning for a way out, my dear. You know my guards are extremely well trained. You’re frankly doomed. So you should at least explain yourself.”

“Hm. I suppose I should, shouldn’t I? Yes, Fancypants. I’ve killed. I don’t mind it. In fact, in certain circumstances I enjoy it. But not the way I was doing it before. Before I met them. I didn’t get into the spy business for the money, did you know that?”

“Oh, really? You were one of those types?” he asked in disbelief.

Rarity smiled as she recalled those early days. “Yes, I suppose I was. Money was a factor, of course. But mostly, I wanted to change the world. Make it better. Take missions that would put better people in charge, make good nations stronger. And behind the scenes is the best way to do so. But I lost myself, along the way. It became about the glory. And the money, of course. Always the money.”

“And what?” Fancypants asked, a faint sneer in his tone. Most wouldn’t notice it, but Rarity knew him well. “These five reawakened those archaic beliefs in you?” He let out a dignified snort. “To think I was calling myself cliche.”

“It is quite cliche, isn’t it? But there it is. They believe in something. I want to believe in something again.”

“Believe in what? Honesty? Kindness? Please. That is the old ways, when we needed some dull gods to lead us by the hands like children. They disappeared, we grew up, and now it’s us. Those who lie and get the ponies on their side, those who do what must be done and to Tartarus with everypony else, are those with the power. And the power is all that matters.”

“No. There are so many things that mean more.”

“Like what?”

“Friendship, for one.”

Fancypants let out a giant laugh at that, his entire body shaking. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Well, I hope it was worth it. You threw your lot in with these revolutionaries. You’ll die here. And eventually me, or somepony else, will kill your ‘friends’. It is what always happens to the idealistic types.”

“Not this time.”

He shrugged. “If you say so. Believe it or not, I will miss you, my dear.”

Rarity held back a smirk. It was time. And he hadn’t even noticed she was stalling. “Can I just tell you one saying, Fancypants?”

“Go ahead.”

“Those who are loyal... are often given loyalty in return.”

“Poignant,” he deadpanned. “Guards-” Suddenly the sound of shattering glass rang out, and Rarity had brought up a magical shield just in time, as several of Fancypants’ guards fell. Suddenly, from behind Rarity a giant airship decloaked behind her. It’s canons fired immediately and took care of most of the rest. Then a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane came up behind her, firing at the guards while they were down.

“You better appreciate this. Twi almost collapsed keeping that airship cloaked this whole time.”

“Of course I do, darling. Now carry me to the ship, if you will.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you betrayed us, I’ll drop you.”

“Haven’t I proved my devotion yet?”

“...Yeah. You really kept that idiot talking, didn’t you?” She gave her a grin, earnest and true and friendly, a grin that Rarity had not seen for far too long in her type of business, the grin that had made her feel something again, even when the first time she saw it she was trying to kill this infernal, irritating, wonderful, loyal pegasus. She gave Dash a similar grin in return.

“I told him I knew I could get away with it.”

Author's Note:

Prompt #438: You think you can cheat me and get away with it?

This... I have no idea why I've been so hard on it in the past? It's an intriguing alternate universe, what we're given of spy Rarity, her sordid past, and her redemption arc is interesting, Fancy Pants as an Affably Evil villain is a lot of fun, and the touch of RariDash is pretty good too. As a final TMP story, it reinforces the core theme of the show. Friendship. So I think even as a final TMP story, it's pretty dang good.