//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: The Bonding Stone // by Some1Else //------------------------------//             The box bearing her colors was in the same spot it had been inside of her saddlebag the first three times she had looked to be absolutely sure she had it after Discord stopped showing it off.             Rarity opened the front door of the tavern, stirring up some confetti that was on the floor. “Until next time, boys!”             Karat and his crew raised their mugs to her and cheered. Rarity turned to the front and found herself looking at a mannequin wearing a familiar wedding dress. The warm tavern that smelled like caramel, honey, and popcorn where she had spent almost two hours chatting with Karat while Discord amused everyone with copies of himself playing jazz up on stage was no longer behind her. Her hallway was. Rarity checked her saddlebag again and couldn’t find Spike’s present.             She heard the muffled sound of a metal door slamming nearby. The secret door at the end of the corridor opened.             Discord stepped out from the hidden room, still wearing a hat that allowed him to drink two bottles of mead at once. “Already taken care of.” He turned to wander into her bedroom, slammed into the door, fumbled with the handle, and lurched out of view.             Rarity found him lying in her bed. He hadn’t bothered elongating it to accommodate his body.             Discord extended his lion paw to her, which held an envelope. “Here’s the pictures for your scrapbook.”             She took the envelope in her aura and set it on her bedside table. “Do you want this orange saddlebag back?”             “Nah, keep it.”             “Thanks. I’ll make good use of it.” Rarity set the saddlebag down in her closet.             “You and Karat looked like you were having a great time.”             “Not until we started talking business. I think he might set up a shop here in Ponyville.”             Discord chuckled. “That filly in Canterlot won’t be fond of her new neighbor.”             “I thought you would approve.”             “I do. It stirs up chaos.” He giggled a little too much at his own joke.             “I wouldn’t think of it that way. A little competition never hurt anyone.”             “There’s nothing to compete over. He makes the better jewelry.”             Rarity caught herself smiling. “Maybe. Anyway, I had better get back to work. Before I do, I want to thank you. For everything.”             Discord waved the compliment off. “It was my pleasure, Rarity.”             She stopped before leaving her bedroom and looked back at him. “Can I expect to see you at the birthday party?”             “Sure. I’ll stop by with Fluttershy and all of us can go together.”             “That sounds lovely. I am sure they will want to hear all about how we made that gem. It will take both of us to tell the whole story.”             “We should leave out the part where I impersonated Twilight until after the festivities have concluded.”             “Funny. I had the same thing in mind. Enjoy the rest of your day, Discord.”             He rolled over. “Don’t prick your hoof on a needle.”             Rarity closed the bedroom door behind her and headed for the stairs. She almost pranced. It had been a while since she felt so elated. Everything was perfect. Her high spirits were sure to help her ensure every customer who came in left with something they didn’t know they needed.             A mare’s voice drifted up from the parlor. “When is Rarity going to be back? I need to see her now!”             She smiled. Again. It was a good warm up. A lot more of them would be coming.             “There’s no need to get flustered, she’ll be back by this afternoon,” Applejack said with cautious patience.             “What am I supposed to do until then? Why isn’t she here now? What’s so important? She should be here working on my wedding dress.”             Her hoofs came to such an abrupt stop just before she got to her stairs that she scuffed the floor. There was only one wedding dress in her shop currently in production.             “She’s busy makin’ a gem for a friend. It’s goin’ to be his birthday present.”             “That’s ridiculous. She isn’t a jeweler.”             “You’re right, she ain’t. But she’s gettin’ help from another. . .friend of ours.” Applejack had really dug deep to force that word out.             “Are you making this up?”             “You do know who you’re talkin’ to, right?”             If Ocean Rain smelled the mead on her breath, Rarity’s reputation would suffer. Rarity left her customer in Applejack’s care as she headed back for the master bathroom. Discord was nowhere to be found, but an extra bottle of mead placed inside a bucket of ice had appeared so very mysteriously on her bedside table. She burst into her bathroom and grabbed a bottle of unflavored mouth wash from the medicine cabinet. Rarity filled her mouth up with more of it than she should have, tossed the empty container into a waste basket, and gargled with all the enthusiasm she could muster.             After freshening up her breath, she gave herself a good look in the mirror. Ocean Rain wasn’t just any client. She needed to look her very best. She seized as many beauty related products with her aura as the extent of her magical power allowed. Several minor adjustments to her makeup and a few brush strokes made it less evident that she had been socializing with stallions on a workroom floor. And inside a pub. A quick check of her smile revealed a hidden piece of an apple she’d eaten. She yanked it lose with her aura and washed it down the sink.             Though she wanted to gallop, Rarity forced herself to trot as though nothing were amiss. Her current predicament wasn’t unnatural. It was only a case of bad timing. Ocean Rain didn’t need to know that. Rarity had no reason to be overly excited. Her brain doubled over with the effort required to convince her of the façade she was trying to put on and couldn’t quite still the beating of her heart as she headed downstairs.             Applejack saw Rarity first, put down the note she had taken, and reached out to Ocean Rain just as she opened the front door to leave the store. “Ms. Rain, wait! It looks like Rarity just got back!”             Ocean Rain’s expression lit up with excitement as she turned around and spotted Rarity. Rarity stood just a bit behind and off to the side where she normally would have if she hadn’t waited until the late afternoon to begin enjoying mead. “Ocean Rain, what a surprise! It’s a joy to see you, darling. Please excuse me. I just got back from Trottingham via teleportation.” “You were that far away?” Rain asked. “Who were you traveling with? Princess Twilight?” “The self-proclaimed Lord of Chaos, Discord. Without his help, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the gift I’m going to give to a friend of mine.” Rain smirked, put off by Rarity’s familiarity with a former threat to the kingdom. “Discord? You sure do keep odd company.” Rarity expected Rain would reply in the manner she had and didn’t consider editing her opinion of Discord for her sake. “Yes, it’s true that he is a bit abrasive, but that’s only because he’s so familiar with expressing himself in that manner. Discord has a heart of gold, I assure you. Anyway, how can I help you this afternoon?” Rain blushed. “Do you think I’d be able to look at my dress? I would love to see what you’ve done so far. I know I’m early, but I can’t help it!” Working on commissions often produced such requests. Usually, the client was worried about what they had paid for. Rarity couldn’t blame them. Her prices weren’t exorbitant, but they covered her work. “What a coincidence. The dress is finished. I’d be delighted to show it to you.” Rain let out a delighted squeal. “I knew it! This is kind of strange to say so suddenly, but I’ve always kind of had some sort of silly extrasensory perception when it comes to certain things and I was certain you had my dress finished. That’s what brought me here. I should have waited another thirty minutes like I initially planned, but I couldn’t help myself.” “There’s nothing silly about a talent like that. My job would be much easier if I had it.” The joyful twinkle in Rain’s eyes dropped quickly enough to send a chill down Rarity’s spine. It couldn’t have been anything Rarity had said since whatever had ruined their conversation had appeared behind her judging by where Rain was looking. Every bit of color drained from her face. Rain screamed almost high enough to shatter glass, leapt up, and somehow managed to attach herself to the ceiling while still being able to look down at Rarity. Dignity needed to be retained. Rarity acted as if this happened all the time and glanced behind her shoulder. Applejack scratched her head while staring up at Ocean Rain. In front of Applejack, a cellar spider made its way across Rarity’s counter, bobbing enthusiastically as it sought cover. Rarity felt her face scrunch up violently enough to catch Applejack’s attention. Applejack took off her hat and sat it down gently on top of the arachnid. “Whoops. That little fella must’ve hitched a ride over here on me. Don’t let it bother you none, Ms. Rain. These critters are harmless.” Rain, still glued to Rarity’s ceiling, made clicking noises with her throat. A bomb had gone off in Rarity’s soul, but she wouldn’t let it show. Rain lived with a remarkably noticeable amount of arachnophobia. Her wedding dress was made from silk. Spider silk. Her debilitating phobia hadn’t been indicated anywhere on the questionnaire she had filled out. Rarity felt her face flush and swayed slightly. This bit of bad luck had to be because she had projected Rain’s image on the mannequin to see how it looked. “Could you take that bug outside, Applejack?” Rarity asked, deliberately avoiding the use of the word spider. “Yup, that’s where it belongs.” Applejack moved her hat towards the edge of the table, dropped the arachnid in her hoof, and set it free outside. A pile of sweatshirts appeared on the floor at Rarity’s command in time to soften Rain’s landing.             Tears formed in Rain’s eyes. She shook as adrenaline continued running through her. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I’ve made a fool out of myself.”             “Nonsense, dear. Everyone is afraid of something. Some ponies can’t cross bridges and others aren’t at their best when they’re more than ten hoofs off the ground.” A part of her wanted to add how she constantly faced the fear of rejection daily, but it didn’t seem appropriate. “Are you hurt?”             Rain got up and stepped away from the pile of clothing. “I’m fine. Again, I’m really sorry I acted like that. When I was a foal, I was bitten by a red back. I had an allergic reaction to the venom and slept my birthday away at a hospital. It was awful.”             “There shouldn’t be any more of them,” Applejack said. “Rarity keeps this place really clean. It was my fault.”             “It’s fine,” Rain said. “I know that they are useful to have around. Some of them, at any rate. My grandmother liked to say that they kept the bad bugs away.”             Applejack smiled. “Sounds like the opinion of someone who never got bit by one.”             That earned her a genuine laugh, which Rarity was grateful for since it helped Rain relax.             “Shall we all have a look at your dress?” Rarity asked.             “Yes, I’d love to. This is sure to be interesting. An emotional low straight up into a high. Hopefully, I won’t pass out.”             “Rarity’s got three couches just for faintin’ on if you do,” Applejack said.             A wink inferred no insult was intended. Rarity expected a bit more sympathy from Applejack since she knew what the dress was made of. She would have to tell Rain and it would do her no good to lie. Rarity would be honest, but only after Rain tried it on. In the past, she had helped a few clients get over their distaste for certain fabrics by using the same method.             Rain would love the dress. Rarity made herself believe it, but couldn’t completely squash the lingering possibility that her method of breaking the news to her client might blow up in her face. They stood outside the door to the room containing the dress. Rarity looked to Applejack for support and received an encouraging nod. Applejack showed no signs of doubt.             The click the door made as it unlocked was louder than it had ever been.             “Without further ado, Ocean,” Rarity said, hiding her fear, “I humbly present to you the first dress you’ll wear in this exciting new chapter of your life.”             Rarity entered the room and quickly drew back a few curtains with her magic to give the room some lighting before Ocean Rain joined her. She prepared for her ears to be blown out. The squeal Rain let loose was at a higher pitch than the one she had used in the foyer. If the town watch didn’t stop by in the next ten minutes to see if everything was alright, Rarity would be appalled. Rain bounced into the room and jumped around the dress. She tried to express her delight, but couldn’t speak coherently.             Even Applejack was taken aback. “Sheesh, I kinda wish that one was mine.”             Rarity leaned in to whisper. “I’ll make you something better when it’s your turn.”             “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”             Rarity flicked her hair back. “Trust me. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it.”             “I need to try it on!” Rain exclaimed, finally able to speak without babbling. “Help me get into it!”             “Alright, but you’ll have to hold still,” Rarity said.             A full-length mirror slid out of the corner and stopped in front of the dress. Rain tried standing still, but couldn’t keep herself from shaking in excitement. Rarity could easily work around such tremors when it came to zapping outfits unto eager clients. She added the usual flourishes. A bright flash of light to get the customer to close their eyes followed by a few lingering stars in the color of her own aura. Seeing Rain in the dress drove home every decision Rarity had made while crafting it. The image she had projected onto the mannequin couldn’t begin to compare to the real deal.             Applejack whistled. “Ain’t no way your fiancé will get cold hoofs if you come down the aisle lookin’ like that.”             Rain started crying as she admired herself in the mirror. “I can’t believe how nice this is. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t think it was going to be anywhere near this great.”             Rarity almost teared up. Doing so wouldn’t look very professional, so she held it in.             Rain put a hoof to her brooch. “I love how this little pin combines our cutie marks. Can I use this design on the invitations?”             “Go right ahead. It’s yours now. You may do with it what you like.”             “What’s it made out of?”             Rarity knew the reply would leave her shocked. “Lunatoite,”             Rain’s jaw dropped. “No kidding?”             “I’m completely serious.”             “This alone might be worth more than what I paid for the dress!”             “There’s no need to get so excited. I acquired the lunatoite through an affordable bargain. Think of it as a gift from me to you.” Rarity added a wink.             “What about this crown?”             “White gold and blue sapphires. It’s the only part of the dress I didn’t make. I happened to come across it while browsing an exclusive collection of exotic antiques and couldn’t imagine considering the ensemble complete without it.”             Rain fiddled with the crown. “It is pretty nifty. I like how it brings out my eyes. What about the dress? What fabric did you use? I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything like this before. It’s a little warm, but that’s alright.”             She just had to ask. Rarity almost swallowed her tongue. “Since this is such a special wedding, I wanted to give you something completely unique. I intended for you to be able to wear something that would awe not only your guests, but the rest of Equestria as well. If I could help it, there wouldn’t be a single mare who would forget what you were wearing at your wedding.”             Rain’s excitement had reached its peak. “Well? What is it? Go on, tell me.”             Rarity put on the most serious look she could muster. “Spider silk.”             Contrary to her expectations, Rain didn’t react by tearing off her dress and diving out the nearest window while screaming. However, all the merriment was sucked out of the room.             Rain’s face contorted into an unrecognizable expression. “What?”             It was the moment of truth for Rarity. “This is the first dress of its kind. Up to this point, only hoofkerchiefs have been made from spider silk.”             “How many golden orb weavers did you have to catch to manage this?” Rain asked.             “Zero. The silk comes from the den of a cave spider.”             The unreadable expression morphed into something more recognizable. Apprehension mixed with a tinge of nervousness. Rain glued herself to the mirror again. She spun to the left and right, checking the dress for anything out of the ordinary. “If I asked you to give me your word that this silk hasn’t been used to catch anything larger than a fly, could you?”             “Without hesitation. The den was freshly spun.”             “That’s a relief.” Rain sighed. “I can’t fault you for your decision to use spider silk since you had no way of knowing how much spiders frighten me. If anyone else had made this, I’d be tempted to accuse them of trying to capitalize on my wedding by deliberately designing something extravagant in order to boost their fame. The Element of Generosity would never do such a thing. You made this to make me stand out and I certainly will. I love it too much to be disappointed with what it’s made of.”             Rarity had dealt with enough disgruntled clients to know Rain wasn’t too terribly upset. It was a shame to see her joy end so prematurely. She needed to be certain she had done all she could do. “I believe I still have enough time to remake the whole gown using a different fabric if wearing something traditional would make you feel more comfortable.”             Rain shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do that. You put a lot of effort into this. Besides, I paid you for one dress. This is that dress.”             “Are you sure? I want your wedding to be one of the best days of your life. Any second thoughts about your dress will take away from the experience.”             Rain looked away from the mirror and locked her gaze on Rarity. “Second thoughts? I have been having those for the past two months. While I was on my way here, I couldn’t stop thinking of how I’m not pretty enough for Waltz.”             Applejack barked a laugh. “Honey, he proposed to you. Don’t forget that.”             “It’s not just that. I’m worried we might grow apart as we get older. I’m worried he might meet someone new and more interesting than I could ever be. All of that stopped when I saw myself in this dress. So long as I’m in this, I can stand up to my fears, which is kind of funny considering what it’s made of. I intend to make this work and having this dress is a good start. I think I’m ready to put it back on the mannequin, though. Do you mind?”             The dress was back on the doll in a flash. Rarity also closed the curtains.             “Will you be able to keep it here for the next few days?” Rain asked.             Rarity gave her a nod. “I’ll have it inside a discreet garment bag by this evening. You may pick it up whenever its convenient for you. I’d suggest spending a little more time in the dress in case you need any alterations. After all, you are going to be in it for at least half a day.”             “I’ll be sure to wear it again before the wedding, but I think you got it right on your first try.”             “Though that does tend to happen, I don’t make a habit of relying on it. If there’s nothing more I can do for you today, shall I see you off?”             Rain nodded and left the room. Applejack followed her. Rarity made sure the door was locked before catching up with them.             “Have you decided where you will have your honeymoon?” Rarity asked.             Rain blushed. “My father owns an island in the Celestial Sea that has six villas he rents out. We’ll be spending a few weeks there in one of them. With any luck, nobody will follow us.”             “Are you referring to Destiny Island?” Rarity asked. “My parents were there last summer for their wedding anniversary. They didn’t want to leave.”             “I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve never actually had the chance to go down there. Something always comes up. Not this time, though.”             The trio reached the front door, which Rarity held open with the aid of her magic.             Rain paused, having one last thing to say. “It was nice getting the chance to meet both of you. I’m glad you haven’t let your success get to your heads.”             Applejack tipped her hat. “Much obliged. I wish you many years of happiness. Just don’t forget, marriage ain’t spelled f-u-n. Like anything else, it’s somethin’ you gotta work at. Both of you, that is.”             Rain smirked and walked out into Ponyville. “I know. My mother has already told me all about it. I’ll save his morning kiss until after he’s brushed his teeth.”             “Please do come again, Rain,” Rarity said.             Rain nodded as she walked away. “You can count on it.”             Rarity closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief with Applejack.             “You’ve got a hard job,” Applejack said.             “True, but it’s something I enjoy. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”             “I thought she’d pass out the second you told her what that dress was made of. I was actually prepared to catch her.”             Rarity had a short laugh at the mental image of Applejack swooping in to save a falling bride.             “How did Spike’s present turn out?”             “Better than expected. I’ve got it locked in my safe right now. Would you like to see it?”             “No, I’ll save that for the party. I don’t want my reaction to be fake. I was only askin’ to make sure Discord was good on his word.”             “It is quite unexpected, isn’t it? I might actually be friends with him now.”             A look of concern crossed Applejack’s face. “Good luck with that. Are you good to mind your store?”             “I am. You’ve done me a great favor, Applejack. I’ll be sure to repay it.”             Applejack opened the door. “Just so long as it don’t involve workin’ a tiller, right?”             A slight trace of worry entered Rarity’s voice. “Well. . .if you absolutely, positively, need someone to work with you in the dirt for a few days, I’ll help. You stepped outside your element to help me. I can step outside my element to help you.”             “I might have to hold you to that, but I won’t put you through the ringer like Discord did. See you later, Rarity.” Applejack closed the door and left, leaving Rarity alone in her shop.             Once she was safely behind the counter, Rarity summoned her nearest fainting couch. Her aura had hardly left the outline of the furniture when she collapsed into it. The relief that came with a significant accomplishment greeted her. It had lessened as she had gotten better at her profession, but she couldn’t deny how much more free time she now had. Her tranquility lasted until she realized Townsville needed banners. Before that, her store needed to look a lot less like she was having a sale.             Rarity hopped off the couch and began rearranging her merchandise with a bit more pep than usual. The bell above her door rang as a mare with a scarf that didn’t match her coat stepped in. Rarity smiled. It was time to make another sale.