Usually, Carousel Boutique was a quiet place. Even though clothes and dresses were being made there everyday, the soft humming of a sewing machine, the snips made by scissors, and the scribbling of pencils were almost inaudible. In addition, few ponies visited the store on a daily basis, since the clothes sold there were primarily for more formal events. Today, however, was a bit different.
Outside the store, several ponies were lining up in front of the boutique. The line, in fact, was so long that it stretched all the way to Town Hall. But even the ponies in the far back could hear the abnormally loud noises coming from Carousel Boutique. The sounds of heavy machinery, power tools, and clinking metals screamed and screeched from the shop, the ground shaking slightly as if it were afraid of the noises. Clouds of black smoke also rose up from several chimneys on the roof, partially blocking out Celestia's sun up above.
Inside Carousel Boutique, odd machines and zipping conveyor belts were stationed all over the store. All the fancy dresses that used to be manufactured here were gone, replaced with heavy suits of armor and helmets.
Rarity grabbed a helmet off a conveyor belt and placed it on a nearby mannequin. The helmet bore a striking resemblance to the helmets used by the Royal Guard in Canterlot. Ah, perfect! she thought to herself. She removed the helmet then approached a customer that was waiting by the front desk.
"Here you are, sir!" cheered Rarity. "I believe it shall go nicely with your armor." The colt took the helmet and placed it upon his head.
"It fits pretty well," said the colt. "Thank you very much." He turned around and left the store, while another pony behind him came up to the front desk.
"Hello ma'am!" said Rarity. "I'll need to quickly take your measurements before suiting you up, okay?" The mare nodded and followed Rarity into the next room over.
"Let's see here..." Rarity took out a measuring tape, and began measuring several parts of her customer. The length of her legs, the size of her head, the length of her body, etc. As she did this, she took several notes down on a pad of notepaper, which Rarity was suspending in midair with her magic.
"Thank you, ma'am," said Rarity, as she finished taking down her notes. "You may wait outside in the main room. I'll get your armor!"
"Thanks, Rarity," said the mare, smiling. The mare trotted out of the room while Rarity went upstairs. The top floor was also filled with machines, most of which were steaming with hot metals inside, waiting to be shaped into a certain form. Machines next to them were extracting the hot ores and molding them.
"Sweetie Belle!" called Rarity. Immediately, a small filly popped out from behind one of the machines. She was covered in soot from head to hoof. She was also wearing a mask on her head, to prevent herself from breathing in too much smoke and her eyes from getting damaged.
"Yes, Rarity?" asked Sweetie Belle in a muffled voice.
"12, 14, 10, 7, 3," said Rarity. Sweetie Belle quickly ran over to a chart, which was a key to help convert these measurements into the size and shape the armor would have to be.
"Okay, Rarity, I'm on it!" said Sweetie Belle, running over to a control pannel. She pressed buttons and pulled levers, and immediately, the machines began to create a new set of armor.
Rarity began walking down the stairs to wait for the armor to be delivered down to her. In the meantime, she would begin taking the measurements of her next customer. Armor sure was hard to make, but the feeling Rarity got every time she successfully created a set for one of her customers was satisfying and made her happy.
... Armor? thought Rarity to herself. I'm a fashionista! I'm supposed to be making dresses! Beautiful, beautiful dresses! So why am I making armor, of all things? Rarity thought deeply about this. Why was she making armor instead of dresses? And why were ponies buying her armor? There wasn't a war going on, nor were there any major political disputes between Equestria and the other nations of the world.
Deeply troubled by this, Rarity went back upstairs. Sweetie Belle was still there, waiting for the armor to be completed.
"Um, Sweetie Belle?" asked Rarity. Her sister turned around.
"Yeah, sis?"
"Why are we making armor?"
"Huh? What a silly question!" laughed Sweetie Belle. "We're making armor because..." She stopped laughing. "Uh... we're doing it because... um... because the... the..." She thought for a moment, tapping her hoof on her chin. "I dunno!"
"This is strange..." said Rarity, worried. "I'm going to Town Hall to ask Mayor Mare what's going on. I need a good explanation as to why we're making armor of all things."
"Can I come with you?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"No, you have to stay here and continue making the armor."
"Pleeeeeeeaaaasssseee?" begged Sweetie Belle. Rarity sighed.
"Okay, okay, but I'll have to tell the customers that we'll be closing for today," said Rarity. Sweetie Belle went over and quickly wiped off the soot on her body with a towel. Then she followed her sister, who was headed for the stairs.
YOU WILL NOT LEAVE.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle screamed as a hideous creature suddenly stepped out in front of them, coming up from the flight of stairs. It had an elongated head, sunken eyes, and pale skin. It lacked a mane or any fur, nor did it have a mouth.
"W-who are you!?" shouted Rarity.
WE ARE THE SILENCE. said the creature in a dark tone.
"What do you want!?" yelled Sweetie Belle, her voice cracking a bit.
YOU WILL CONTINUE MAKING THE ARMOR. DO NOT LEAVE CAROUSEL BOUTIQUE UNTIL YOUR MISSION IS COMPLETE.
"M-mission?" asked Rarity. Sweetie Belle, deeply frightened, began stepping back away from the creature.
YOU WILL CONTINUE MAKING THE ARMOR. repeated the creature.
"Sweetie Belle! Do what I say and turn off the machines!" ordered Rarity.
"B-but the thing said to continue!"
"Just turn the machines-" Rarity turned around to face Sweetie Belle, looking away from the creature. Suddenly, her face, which was one of fear, became one of confusion. "Sweetie Belle? What are you doing?" Sweetie Belle was pressing several buttons on a nearby control panel, still looking at her sister and the creature behind her.
"Y-you told me to t-turn off the machines..." stuttered Sweetie Belle.
"Huh? Since when?" asked Rarity, speaking in a much calmer tone now.
"Just now!"
"No, I didn't." Rarity cocked her head to the side in confusion, while Sweetie Belle still stared in front of her, frightened by the creature.
"Anyways, I'm going to go downstairs and wait for you to finish the armor I just told you to make," said Rarity. She turned around to head for the stairs. As soon as she saw the creature behind her, she screamed again.
"W-who are you!? What do you want!?" yelled Rarity. This time, the creature just stood there silently.
"You said that already!" shouted Sweetie Belle to her sister. "Remember?"
"I didn't!" said Rarity, addressing her sister but still looking at the creature.
"R-rarity, I'm scared..." said Sweetie Belle, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sweetie Belle, it's okay, I'll protect-" Rarity turned around to face her sister, and again, her fear turned into confusion. Sweetie Belle just stared ahead, the tears now pouring out of her eyes.
"What's wrong?" asked Rarity.
"T-the creature is scaring me!" cried Sweetie Belle. "Please make it go away!"
"Sweetie Belle, what creature?"
"The one that is right behind you, and the one we've been talking to this whole time!!!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "Why can't you remember??" Rarity, still deeply confused, walked up to her sister and held out her front hoof.
"Here, Sweetie Belle, give your sister a hug. I don't know what's wrong with you, but if a hug will help, then hug me," said Rarity. Sweetie Belle ran away from her control panel and into Rarity's arms. She nuzzled her neck, tears still streaming down her cheeks. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she stopped crying.
"Wait..." said Sweetie Belle, confused. "Why am I crying...?"
"I was just asking you that."
"I feel like... I was scared by something..." thought Sweetie Belle.
"Well, obviously there's nothing to be afraid of, see?" Rarity turned around and looked around the entire room. The machines and conveyor belts were still continuing to do their jobs. The creature was nowhere in sight. Sweetie Belle looked around, too.
"I-I'm sorry, Rarity," apologized Sweetie Belle. "I probably just got scared by a shadow or something."
"Everyone gets frightened by something they think they see," said Rarity. "Just remember none of it is real, okay?"
"Okay," said Sweetie Belle, smiling. She turned around and went back to manufacturing the armor. Rarity went back downstairs to attend to her customers.
***
Carousel Boutique wasn't the only store that went through an extreme makeover. The colorful building that was Sugarcube Corner was completely gone, replaced by a massive factory, with smokestacks spewing out thick, black smoke, machinery running, and metals being forged into weapons. Outside, the cupcake sign that indicated it was Sugarcube Corner was replaced with one that read "Pinkie's Weapons". Sugarcube Corner was basically turned into a weapons factory.
Many ponies were also lined up in front of this shop. Some of them were wearing the armor made at Rarity's Carousel Boutique. Inside, a certain pink pony was handing out freshly-made knives and guns to some customers inside.
"Our new line of knives and guns have just been completed!" announced Pinkie Pie. "Plenty of weapons for everypony!" All the customers cheered at her announcement, and immediately ran up to the front desk to gather their weapons. Pinkie gave everypony the weapons they ordered, along with some complimentary bullets. She then reached over and rang a bell that was sitting on her desk.
Outside, Fluttershy was standing next to the front door. She heard the bell ring inside, and quickly flew up into the air, carrying a megaphone.
"Okay, next twenty customers may enter!" said Fluttershy through the megaphone. Despite the megaphone, however, Fluttershy's voice was still too quiet for anypony to hear. The customers waiting in line just stood there, talking to each other.
"Um... I said... next twenty customers!" repeated Fluttershy. Nopony moved. Fluttershy sighed and moved the megaphone away from her. But then she frowned.
If you get ignored, show them your roar! thought Fluttershy. She brought the megaphone to her mouth again.
"HEY! NEXT TWENTY PONIES! GET IN!" shouted Fluttershy. The crowd outside suddenly became quiet, and everypony looked up at her. Quickly, the first twenty ponies in line rushed through the front doors. Thank you, Iron Will, thought Fluttershy to herself, smirking.
With no more duties to perform outside for now, Fluttershy flew back into Pinkie's Weapons. She saw Pinkie taking down her customer's orders.
"Hey, Pinkie, how are sales going?" asked the yellow pegasus.
"Oh, they are fantastic!" cheered Pinkie happily. "So many ponies are buying from us that I may have to open up another store!"
"Well, if you do get another store, I could run it for you," suggested Fluttershy. "Um, well... if that's okay with you..." whispered Fluttershy.
"That's perfectly fine! Thanks for the extra help!" replied Pinkie. "By the way, can you pass me that basket full of knives?" She pointed to a basket, which was filled with several daggers and combat knives, located near the back corner of the room. Fluttershy nodded and flew over to the basket. As Fluttershy was about to pick up the basket, she heard a noise coming from the closet next to the basket. The noise sounded like a growl or a click. She looked up and opened the door.
"PINKIE! HELP! HELP!!!" Pinkie quickly looked over her shoulder, then ran to the source of Fluttershy's voice.
"What is it, Fluttershy? What-" Pinkie stopped mid-sentence, as she found herself face-to-face with one of the strangest ponies she had ever seen. The creature stared at Pinkie and Fluttershy, who was sitting right in front of Pinkie. Pinkie stared back at it.
Then she laughed.
"P-P-Pinkie! This is not the time to be laughing!" squeaked Fluttershy.
"Hahahaha! But look at it's face! It's bald!" laughed Pinkie. "Balder than Cranky Doodle Donkey!"
"Pinkie! Shhh!" hushed Fluttershy.
"Wait..." Pinkie walked up to the creature and suspended her face right in front of the creature's. Meanwhile, Fluttershy shivered behind Pinkie.
Pinkie laughed again.
"No mouth!" she yelled. "IT HAS NO MOUTH! HAHAHAHA! That's hilarious!"
YOU WILL KEEP MAKING THE WEAPONS, ordered the creature.
"W-weapons?" asked Fluttershy. "Wait, since when did we make weapons?"
"I dunno, but who cares! All I care about is this weird pony I've just met!" laughed the pink pony. "Hey, do you want to be my friend?" The creature just stared at her.
"T-this isn't safe! Pinkie, we have to get away from him! We also have to stop making weapons!" ordered Fluttershy. "Why were we even doing such a horrible thing in the first place!?" Fluttershy quickly ran behind Pinkie and grabbed her. Then, she dragged Pinkie away from the creature, who continued to stand there like a statue. Once the two mares looked away from it, however, they stopped in their tracks.
"Hmm..." thought Pinkie to herself. "My lungs ache a bit. That must mean I was laughing just now."
"But I don't remember you laughing just now..." said Fluttershy, cocking her head to the side.
"Yeah, me neither," replied Pinkie. Pinkie thought for a moment. "Oh well! Even if I don't remember doing it, a laugh is still a laugh. And laughing is healthy for you!"
Fluttershy smiled at her friend. "Yes, laughing is nice."
"Anyways, let's keep working!" cheered Pinkie. Fluttershy nodded and followed her friend back to the counter.