Under the darkness of the night, deep in the undergrowth of the Canterlot park, a young stallion paced back and forth. He was unaccustomed to shadows, having lived in mansions all of his life. He was also unused to traveling alone, servants had always followed him around, stuck up his plot. But the letter had said to come alone, and here he was.

He'd been surprised, at first, to receive a small slip of paper addressed to him in the morning. It told him of something spectacular; an offer no sane stallion could ever refuse. Rich as his family was, he got a distinct feeling that it wasn't to be passed up.

A rustling of the branches behind him alerted him to a newcomer's presence. Perhaps the stallion who sent the letter, then? About time, he'd only been waiting around for an hour!

A shadow made its way towards him, stopping just feet away. It wore a cowpony hat, he mused. How interesting. Cowponies were a rare and nigh unheard of breed in the upper echelons of Canterlot society. What was this one doing here? What was his business with him?

“Ah see ya made it.”

Her business, his subconscious corrected. “Of course,” he said plainly. “A gentlecolt is never late.”

The cowpony nodded. “Okay, let's git down tuh business.” She pulled out a small sheet of paper and gave it to him. It was a photograph. A photograph of a beautiful young unicorn mare with a white coat and purple mane. She smiled happily at the camera, her eyes sent a chill down his spine.

“Oh, my,” he whispered softly. “She is quite fetching.”

“Tha's Rarity,” the shadowmare said. “An' tommorah, she's gonna ask you tuh be her date at the Gala.”

“Really?” the stallion said, surprised. “A mare like her? Why, that's fantastic!”

“No,” the cowpony said firmly. “It's not.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow. The mare on the picture was the definition of beauty, of elegance, what would possibly be wrong with taking her to the Grand Galloping Gala? “Oh?” he asked. “Why is that?”

“'Cause that's not the deal.”

“Deal?”

Another nod from the shadow mare. She pulled a large, jangling sack out of her saddlebags and tossed it on the ground at his hooves. “Five hundred Bits,” she said. “It's all Ah own. Five hundred Bits and a good word from me to any mare in Ponyville, if'n yah make her sick o' stallions.”

“Sick of stallions?” the stallion spluttered. “You mean mistreat a fine lady? What kind of colt do you take me for?”

“The sensible kind,” the shadowmare said. “Yer only gonna go tuh one dance with her, right? Why not make a little money on the side, and get a chance with another cute filly in the future?”

The stallion's brow furrowed. He looked at the sack of Bits sitting at his hooves. “You make an interesting case,” he said. “But why? What do you get from this?”

“Let's jus' say yer not th' only pony who know how tuh treat a lady right.” she answered.

Suddenly, the stallion understood. This wasn't some kind of underhoofed trick, or some scheme for petty vengeance or spite. This was a matter of attraction, something he definitely understood. He'd spent many a youthful day chasing after young fillies that always seemed to pick all the wrong colts. If he could help something go right for once... “Sick of stallions, you say?”

“Make her hate their guts.”

Another look at the sack of Bits, another thought about her deal. Any mare in Ponyville, huh? Even that beautiful dentist? For helping a love blossom? It seemed so right, no deal with other businessponies had ever been this good, or clear cut for that matter.

Still, there was the issue of morality. Could he really just walk all over a beautiful mare's feelings like he was being asked to? For money? Even if he was being paid to help a true love grow, that seemed incredibly uncouth.

Then again, it was only one dance, right? It wasn't like he had to become her colt friend and treat her that way. Certainly the mare in the picture could stand a few hours of stereotypical rich snob. Would anypony truly get hurt? He didn't think so. Not for very long, at least.

He looked back at the shadowmare in the cowpony hat. “You've got a deal.”