The Art of The Doll
Canterlot continued to fulfill Rarity’s expectations at every turn. The opulent ballroom she found herself in was fit for a king—or, rather, a princess, as was actually the case. And she certainly felt like one, as she dazzled the surrounding ponies with her newest creation. She’d toned down on the gemstones, feeling the Stalliongrad Benevolent Society's Charity Ball was perhaps not the best place to display a wealth of precious gems, unless they were being donated to the cause itself.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for most other attendees—as far as Rarity could see, each and every noble mare in the room sported a glitzy, glamorous, gem-studded piece that bore the signature craftsmanship of Hoity Toity. In fact, it was the exact same design. The exact same dress.
She had nothing against the design of the dress itself—it was as beautiful and glamorous as the rest of his craft. But she knew the wearers cared nothing for the amount of work that had been put into it. If Hoity Toity were to appear at that moment with yet another new piece, there would be a hoof fight to wrest it from his grasp, right then and there.
While Canterlot itself was a glorious testament to ponykind’s artistic side, the Canterlotian elite remained haughty, aloof, and arrogant.
The donations flowed, but it was merely for the sake of appearance. Here, bits bought prestige, a reputation for good deeds. Such a reputation often hid the true pony behind the mask. Rarity shuddered as her mind drifted back to the Grand Galloping Gala. That despicable prince was the worst of the lot, and he unfortunately proved to be a rule, rather than the exception.
Thankfully, Rarity knew some of these exceptions personally. She smiled at the thought of one, likely already asleep—if her nose wasn’t buried in yet another book. Rarity mentally chided herself; she’d spent so many years pining for that boorish oaf, she’d completely overlooked something—or rather, somepony—much closer. After all, Ponyville’s library was just a stone’s throw away from the Boutique.
“I do believe the ball is quite a success, would you not agree?”
The voice tore Rarity away from her thoughts, and she smoothed away the wrinkle that had formed on her nose as she gazed at the other attendees. She smiled, turning to face another of the exceptions—blue gray mane, a monocle, and a jacket to die for; it could be none other than Fancypants himself.
“All thanks to your generous contribution,” she replied, beaming at the stallion. “Your donation has put everypony else to shame!”
Fancypants waved the praise away with a hoof. “Nonsense. How does one say it nowadays?” He cleared his throat. “ ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it?’ ”
Rarity let out a very unladylike snort, blushing as she noticed the stares it had caused. “Y-yes. Well.” She didn’t have the heart to explain that wasn’t quite how the phrase was meant to be used. Thankfully, the stallion took no notice.
“I can think of no greater cause than helping an orphanage. The Society deserves every bit they will get.”
“Indeed! I–” A wide yawn interrupted her, which she quickly covered with a hoof. “Oh, I am so sorry! I had a very early start, and must catch an even earlier train tomorrow…"
Fancypants smiled. “I understand perfectly. You are staying at the castle again, are you not?” he asked, to which Rarity nodded. “I’ll hold down the fort. Do say hello to your friends for me, will you?”
The mare smiled gratefully. “I shall. Good night, Fancypants.”
Rarity’s hoofsteps echoed along the corridor, belying the activity that usually existed within the castle’s halls. After a thousand years of diurnal rulership, castle life and society had not yet fully adjusted to the return of Equestria’s second princess. Luna herself had opted to be active during the day for the time being, eager to keep close to ponies after her millenium of solitude, but had started to shift towards her natural nighttime schedule. Rumor had it that she’d gotten acquainted with the Canterlot nightlife, and had started changing her waking hours accordingly.
But for now? The Royal Castle was very much asleep, apart from the occasional guard patrolling the halls, or posted at a door. The silence was oppressive, and Rarity felt herself speed up, hoping to reach her suite as soon as possible. She just had to take a left here, and down the red carpet…
She paused after the first few steps, looking down at her hooves. She didn’t remember there being carpet from her previous nights at the castle. I must have taken a wrong turn. Clearly, she needed her beauty sleep. She turned back to retrace her steps, but froze as her ears caught the sound of something out of place.
Voices.
Rarity glanced down the corridor. At the very end stood a pair of large doors, a sliver of light shining through the small crack. Somepony had apparently forgotten to close them. She quietly drew closer, her curiosity driving her forward, even though her mind was telling her not to snoop around. The voices grew clearer as she got within a few steps of the doors.
“I haven’t forgotten that look, Lulu. What are you hiding?”
Lulu? Rarity recognized that warm, pleasant voice. She’d somehow stumbled on none other than Princess Celestia herself. But who was she talking to?
“I-I am not hiding anything, sister!”
Rarity could barely stifle her gasp. She’d stumbled on not just one, but both princesses. She stepped back. I should go. It is late, and I need my sleep.
“Yes you are!” Celestia insisted. She then laughed. “Maybe… some colt has caught your eye?”
Well. Maybe I should stay just a bit longer… This was entirely too juicy to pass up. Rarity inched closer again, and peered through the small opening.
Luna was blushing, glaring at her sister as the pair relaxed in front of a fire. “No. And even if I had, I wouldn’t tell a gossip like you!”
Celestia chortled. “Guilty as charged. But you’re still hiding something, Lulu. What is it?”
Luna closed her eyes and sighed, her head bowing in apparent resignation.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said, as her horn started glowing. Something lifted out of her mane—a small, dark shape that Rarity couldn’t quite make out until the light of the fire hit it. It was a doll, a plush doll of Princess Luna herself.
Celestia’s eyes widened as she took in the doll, numerous emotions playing across her face, none of which escaped the dark alicorn’s gaze.
Luna’s smile faded as her sister remained silent. “You… You do not like it?”
The elder sister seemed to snap herself out of her daze.
“I’m sorry, Lulu. I was just thinking.” She beamed at Luna, her own magic taking hold of the doll, as she placed it between her front legs, leaning it against her chest. “It has been so long since I’ve seen one of these,” she murmured, squeezing the doll tighter. “And the meaning has… changed in your absence.”
Luna tilted her head in confusion, her starry mane shifting on an invisible breeze. “How so?”
Celestia’s smile changed, taking on a more mischievous air. “It is a tradition now, which comes and goes every few hundred years, and the significance seems to change slightly every time.” The princess laughed softly. “Our little ponies have even given it a name. ‘Felt Heart’.”
Luna nodded, but frowned as she kept listening to her sister. “But what does it mean?”
“Oh, I don’t know if I should tell you…"
“ ‘Tiiiaaa!” the younger princess whined, pouting.
Celestia laughed. “I never could resist that face. Very well.” She smiled at her sister. “Nowadays—or, rather, about a century ago, the last time the tradition was practiced—the giver makes a doll of themselves, to give to somepony. However…" She looked down at the doll, then back up to Luna. “It symbolizes giving a piece of their heart to them. It is done to express interest, a desire for a relationship with that pony.” The grin widened in tandem with Luna’s eyes. “A romantic one.”
“I-I didn’t, I don’t mean–” Luna sputtered, a blush visible even on her dark coat.
The sound of hooves echoed on the marble floor, drawing Rarity’s attention away from the door. Probably a guard, making his rounds. But even if it wasn’t, it would simply not do to be caught snooping around. But even as she scanned her surroundings, the words floating from the door were still audible as Celestia continued her conversation.
“I know, Lulu. I accept it in the spirit of the original meaning.”
“You mentioned the significance changed quite often,” Rarity heard Luna say. “Tell me more?”
As much as she wanted to hear Celestia’s answer, Rarity could no longer afford to stay. She hurried back down the corridor, away from the approaching noises, her mind awash with what she’d just heard. With ideas. She might not be getting quite as much sleep as she’d hoped for.
The last thing she heard was Celestia’s sly voice. “Well…”
Rarity’s fears proved to be on the mark. Thankfully, she’d had the foresight to pack her numerous bags before turning in, and after a few meager hours of sleep, a maid had woken her at the time she’d requested. The first thing she did upon waking was spend fifteen scandalously short minutes on her coiffure, making sure to be as presentable and fabulous as possible, even in the early morning.
Few ponies would be up at the time, and fewer still were likely to see her, but that was no excuse to not look good, now was it?
But now that she found herself on the train, its slight sway threatened to lull her back to sleep. She could possibly take a nap on the multi-hour ride, but as tired as she felt, that would risk her missing her stop entirely. And the next stop after it was Appleloosa. Nothing against Applejack’s cousins’ home, but she had work to do, and could ill afford such a delay.
No. Instead, she focused her energy on staying awake, her mind once again wandering over the things that had kept her up all night. The very idea of the dolls, and the tradition it represented, had enchanted the unicorn the moment she’d heard it.
It was well known amongst her friends that she had a passion for romance novels—something her more uncouth friends often poked fun at. But she could not help it; the heroic deeds and impassioned words of the princely stallion protagonist were enough to make her swoon. Even though she knew these were the scribblings of lonely mares, they struck a chord in Rarity’s romantic soul.
But these dolls, this ‘Felt Heart’ tradition? If the novels struck a chord, this had fully strummed a harp. It felt… real. It was heartfelt. She smiled as she realized she’d possibly stumbled on the origin of the tradition’s name. Twilight would be proud.
She’d spent half the previous night twisting and turning a picture of her doll in her mind, until she could picture its every last detail. She’d even gotten up and sketched the doll in excruciating detail. She had then made a list of all the materials she would need, and written down the estimated measurements.
She'd make them about the size of a stuffed toy, around the size of a basketball. It would be small enough to cuddle but large enough to display prominently, similar to Princess Luna’s. The perfect size!
She’d made a checklist, and had organized everything in advance. Twilight was apparently rubbing off on Rarity. She would have been so proud.
Twilight.
Twilight Sparkle.
A picture of the purple unicorn sprang into her mind as she let her eyelids drop; it seemed to happen every time Rarity closed her eyes. Twilight was smiling, surrounded by her friends as they rode the train from Canterlot, freshly returned from the Crystal Empire. Rarity could feel Twilight’s touch as her hoof lay on top of the librarian’s own.
Rarity had always liked the other unicorn, but it was that moment when she knew it was more than just friendship. The adorable smile. The somewhat scary, yet endearing twitch of her eyes when she was annoyed. The gorgeous pink stripe in her mane and tail. And that wonderful laugh.
Rarity knew she’d have to pour every ounce of her skill into the creation of this doll. She’d heard Celestia say it was akin to giving a piece of your heart to the recipient. She’d make it clear that she was giving her entire heart instead.
Rarity smiled gently as she thought of the rest of her group. Others would tell her she was just imagining things, but she thought she’d seen signs. How Pinkie seemed to hug Fluttershy more than any of her other friends, or anypony else in town. How she seemed to slow down, without prompting, just to match the pegasus’s pace. How Fluttershy seemed to bloom when Pinkie was around, a constant smile on her face.
Small signs, but enough to catch her eye.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack, on the other hoof, painted a clearer picture. It was still subtle, but unmistakable to her eye. The glances they shared, the secret smiles, their constant physical closeness. They always seemed to hang around each other, never more than a stone’s throw away. It was quite a telling sign. She briefly wondered if others had caught on as well.
And then, there was Twilight and herself.
Rarity’s smile dipped as she pursued that line of thought. She felt confident in her ability to trace the little lines of love that ran between her four other friends, and surely picking up on anything from Twilight should not have been a problem. But the other unicorn was, ironically, a closed book. As much as Rarity had enjoyed the contact of her hoof on Twilight’s, there’d been little to no reaction.
The fact that Twilight wasn’t showing interest towards any other pony was a welcome comfort… But a meager one, as she’d not picked up on any signs from Twilight toward herself, either.
But what if she didn’t feel the same way?
The very idea put a chill in Rarity’s veins. Twilight could very well say no. Reject her. Or even be offended. Did she truly want to risk their friendship on such a silly notion? Dolls?
The answer was obvious. No. If there was one thing in all of Equestria she would not risk for the chance to be with Twilight, it was the friendship they already shared.
But… maybe there was another way? Yes—she could give her the doll anonymously. It would add an air of mystery, of intrigue, and it would give her a chance to observe Twilight’s reaction. If it was negative, well, nopony had to know. Ever.
And if it was good? Rarity clapped her hooves in excitement at the thought. She could swoop in, admit responsibility, and confess her feelings, all at once. It would be glorious.
But Twilight was smart. Damnably, lovably so. If a doll of Rarity appeared out of nowhere, she’d suspect Rarity herself. Admittedly, it wouldn’t take someone as smart as Twilight to draw that conclusion. The rest of her friends would figure it out just as quickly.
Her friends… the same friends she'd been watching for a while now. The friends that, as far as she could tell, had crossed the line of friendship, and were now residing in the realm of the heart. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had given theirs to each other. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie might well be on the verge of doing the same—and if not, well, both were the type to enjoy such a gift for its own sake.
But regardless of how they were received, these dolls were an embodiment of the sharing of hearts. Her friends were no less deserving of their own dolls than Twilight. And if everypony got one, then no one would suspect her.
It was perfect.
Rarity released the breath she’d been holding as she snipped off the end of the last thread, then took a few steps back. She blinked blearily, sneaking a hoof behind her sewing glasses to rub her eyes, and let out a large yawn. She could see the beginnings of dawn through her window, and she realized that she’d worked through the entire night. She’d had a late start, as Pinkie Pie had insisted upon throwing Rarity a party for her return to Ponyville, and she could not refuse her friend.
Although she’d arrived home early the previous day, she had very little time to start working on the dolls. She gathered most of the materials and, after an inspiration, gone digging through her gemstone chests. She’d considered using beads as the dolls’ eyes, but in a moment of brilliance, she realized that they would look more lifelike if the eyes were gems instead. Thankfully, her most recent bout of gemhunting had been only a few weeks prior, and she’d refilled her stock quite adequately.
By then, of course, it was time for Pinkie Pie’s party, and it would be rude not to be on time. She was, after all, the guest of honor. And as ever, it had been a joy. Inwardly, she should have seethed at the ridiculous delay with her project, but she could not bring herself to be mad at her pink friend. Pinkie was only trying to make others happy, and she was ever so good at it.
Admittedly, Twilight’s presence might have had more to do with Rarity’s change of heart than anything Pinkie did. Throughout the evening, her eyes had kept returning to the one she was there to see, taking in all her features, her attitude, her personality. Her very soul, if she could manage it. She wanted to capture her essence.
She’d managed to force herself to tear away from Twilight, and had set aside some time to observe her other friends as well, although perhaps not with quite so much zeal. But they deserved just as much effort.
Her effort, she believed, had paid off, as she threw a critical eye on the results of her work, the light of the early morning shining through her window and basking the room with a warm glow.
She’d tackled Rainbow Dash’s doll first. She pictured it as the most complicated one, but had risen to the challenge admirably if she said so herself. Plus, she imagined that the pegasus would enjoy the idea of being first. Her numerous colors had certainly been a chore, but the sky blue doll seemed ready to fly off at any moment, wings eager for flight. Its mane had her model’s typical ruffled air, and as much as Rarity wanted to brush it, she left it as it was. The spinel gems she’d used for the eyes glinted, matching the real mare’s fire.
Applejack, of course, was next. It felt… wrong, somehow, to not follow up on the first doll with its intended partner. She’d used her entire stock of gold thread for Applejack’s mane, and did not regret it in the least, watching it shine brightly in the dawn’s light. The doll’s colors were vibrant with life, just like the pony herself, from the bright orange coat to its emerald eyes.
Rarity had always admired Fluttershy’s grace. She exuded it unconsciously, and wouldn’t have believed it of herself, but her brief career as a supermodel had shown Equestria what Rarity had always seen, and she’d made sure to reflect this in the doll. The well brushed coat, the long, flowing mane and tail, the pristine wings, and a pair of aventurine eyes completed the look. As tired as she was, she could almost swear she was looking at the real thing in miniature.
Pinkie, of course, had been difficult. Despite her eccentricities, Rarity did dearly love the party pony. But she could be terribly frustrating at times, and the doll seemed to take that to heart, as most of the plans she’d made had had to be thrown out. The coat had been a simple matter, and the blue topaz gemstones matched Pinkie’s eyes, similar to Rarity’s own color. The mane, however, had clearly been spawned in Tartarus. She’d struggled with it for far longer than she cared to admit, attempting to recreate the frizziness of the original. She’d finally settled on unravelled yarn, which would likely amuse Pinkie to no end, which imitated her mane’s ‘poofiness’, as Rainbow Dash had once described of Pinkie’s hair.
Her own doll had been a breeze. After all, who knew her better than herself? Pristine white coat, sapphire eyes, and a mane she styled a million times. Admittedly, it was the first time she’d used wire to get it in the right shape, but she made it work.
Twilight was going to love it.
She glanced at the remaining materials, then out of the window, staring at the ever increasing light pouring in. She had everything ready, all the pieces to make her very own Twilight doll. But she was so very tired. She realized, in her state, that the risk of making a mistake was extremely high. And that could not happen, not with this doll.
It had to be perfect.
She blinked blearily, forcing out a yawn. As much as she wanted to create the last doll, she could not let it be anything less than her crowning achievement. And for that, she had to sleep, the sooner the better.
However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t send the rest on their way. Making her way to her storage room, she levitated out five of the boxes she used for sizeable orders. Soon, all five were packed and sealed, with a little padding in each box to keep them in good condition. She’d even intentionally written down everypony’s address by mouth rather than by horn, aware that her horn-writing would be a dead giveaway to the sender’s identity.
Dark cloak? Check. Five boxes ready to be sent off? Check. A bag of bits to cover the shipping costs? Check. All the above items dropped off, without anypony seeing her? A thankfully brief excursion, and check.
Beauty sleep? Check. In triplicate. With immediate effect.
“Well…” Celestia said, hesitating. “You know how it started as well as I do, Luna.”
The younger alicorn nodded. “A gift between family. A sign of love and respect between parents and child, or siblings.” She frowned as she stared into the fire. “Do you remember who started it? It has been so long…”
Celestia shook her head. “It has. Perhaps it is documented in the archives.” She lifted the doll in her magic and perched it on her head, resting against her crown. “I always did like the original meaning best.”
Luna giggled at the sight, and leaned forward, eager to hear more. “What came next?”
“Ponies started giving them to others, outside of their family. It was a sign of trust. It eventually came to mean ‘I consider you family’.”
“That must have been a great honor,” Luna mused.
Celestia nodded. “To some. But it represented more than just honor.” She smiled at her sister’s raised eyebrow. “It was a symbol of great friendship.”
Twilight Sparkle glanced away from the shelves as she heard the knock at the door. Her horn shone as she levitated numerous books around her, busy sorting through the library during her weekly reorganization. With a brief shift of her concentration, the front door was surrounded by a purple glow, and swung open to reveal none other than the mailmare, Derpy.
“Delivery for Twilight Sparkle!”
“I’m here, Derpy. Come on in!” She turned back to the shelves, quickly floating the books back to their respective places, and gave a satisfied nod. Everything was where it should be. She turned around, and jumped back in surprise as a pair of gold eyes stared at her from a horn’s length away.
“That’s soooo nifty!” Derpy was all smiles, her wings fluttering animatedly.
“Um, thanks?” Twilight blinked in confusion. She then noticed the box perched on Derpy’s back. “Is that for me?”
“Huh?” The pegasus twirled around and gasped in surprise. “Oh! Yeah!” She watched as Twilight’s magic grasped the package, then dove her head into her bag to pull out a clipboard. “Sgn hr pf!”
Twilight giggled at Derpy’s quirks. A quill floated to the clipboard, quickly placing Twilight’s signature on the form. The mailpony grinned and stuffed it back into the bag. “Gee. Lots of packages today!”
She frowned, thinking of something only she was privy to, but perked back up again as quickly as she had lowered her head. “Well, gotta go! Bye, Twilight!”
Still grinning, Twilight turned to the box and placed it gently on the table, wondering what it could be. She wasn’t expecting anything. Maybe it was for Spike? But Derpy had said it was a delivery for herself, so that was unlikely. She lit her horn to open the box when she was bowled over by a soft, but heavy object.
“Hiya, Twilight!”
“Pinkie?” The unicorn groaned, her eyes spinning in their sockets. “Why did you knock me down?”
“ ‘Cause I’m excited! I haven’t been this excited since yesterday! Wasn’t Rarity’s party fun? Didn’t you have fun?”
Twilight rolled her eyes at the verbal avalanche. “Of course I had fun, Pinkie. But why are you excited now? Where’s the party?”
Pinkie gasped. “There’s a party? Where? Who organized it? Why wasn’t I told?!”
“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted. “Relax. There’s no party! That’s just an expression!”
“Oh. Silly, don’t get my hopes up like that!”
“I’ll try.” Twilight giggled again. “So what’s up?”
“Oh!” Pinkie grinned again, clearly remembering why she’d come here. She lifted a hoof to her mane and pulled out something yellow and pink. Upon closer inspection, Twilight quickly determined it to be a plush toy, specifically of Fluttershy. The mane, the wings, and the coat color were easily recognizable.
Pinkie kept talking as she lifted the doll towards Twilight. “I just got this in the mail! I don’t know who sent it but it’s adorable and cute and OH MY GOSH DID YOU GET ONE TOO?!”
“Get one? One what?” Twilight flinched as the sudden rise in volume as the pink pony leapt towards the table, staring intently at the box that rested upon it.
The pink pony was bouncing, barely able to contain her excitement. “A doll! Mine came in a box just like this one! Come on, open it!”
“Alright, alright!” She stepped up to the table as well, also eager to see if Pinkie’s prediction was true. Was there a doll in here? Her magic shone, snipping apart the tape that held the box closed. Before opening it, she glanced at the address. She could only see the recipient, namely herself, but no sender. She shrugged, setting the mystery aside for the time being. She wasn’t sure how much more Bouncing Pinkie she could take, and the only way to calm her was to open the box.
Pulling the flaps open, she let her magic delve into the box itself, grabbing hold of the objects inside. A few pieces of padding later, the way was clear, allowing her to lift what had been protected.
It was, indeed, another doll. But to their surprise, it wasn’t like Pinkie’s. Instead of another Fluttershy, Twilight had pulled out a white doll, with a purple mane and tail, and sapphire eyes. Even if she hadn’t immediately recognized it as one of her friends by the color alone, the three diamond cutie mark would have sealed the deal.
Pinkie was beside herself with glee. “Eee! She’s gorgeous!”
Twilight could only agree. “She is. It looks really well made!” She looked at the doll in Pinkie’s arms, and frowned slightly. “But why Rarity? And why’d you get Fluttershy?”
Pinkie shrugged, her smile still wide as could be. “I dunno! Maybe–” She was suddenly cut off by a loud crash. The library’s front door had been flung wide open, the culprit having exerted a bit too much strength in the process.
Rainbow Dash grinned guilty, one of her hooves scratching the back of her head. “Uh. Sorry bout that. So!” She cleared her throat. “I just got this box with a weird–” The words died in her mouth as she saw the objects her friends were holding. “Wait, you guys got one too?”
Pinkie wasted no time in hopping towards the new arrival. “Who didya get Dash? Who, who, who?”
Rainbow leaned back, hoping to put a little distance between herself and Pinkie’s snout. “Uh. A.J.?”
“You got Applejack?” Twilight repeated. “This is strange. Three of us got these dolls. Maybe the others got one too?” She suddenly looked around, searching for her assistant. “Spike? Spike! Where are you?”
The dragon in question walked out of the kitchen, munching on a sandwich. “You don’t need to yell, I’m here.”
“Spike! I need you to go get Rarity. Ask her to come here immediately.” Twilight turned to Dash, missing the little dragon’s salute. “Rainbow! Go get Fluttershy and Applejack.”
“On it!” The pegasus yelled as she ran out of the door and shot into the sky.
“Pinkie, y–” She fell back with a startled gasp, as she turned her gaze to find herself inches away from Pinkie’s blue eyes. What was it with ponies getting in her face today?
“Twilight?” Pinkie asked quietly, her expression eager, hopeful.
The unicorn swallowed, her heart still beating frantically. “Y-yes?”
“Can I… Can I play with it?” The pink pony pointed at the white doll, resting awkwardly on the table. It had dropped out of Twilight’s magic when her concentration was broken.
Twilight blinked, finally calming down. “S-sure, knock yourself out. But be careful! It looks delicate.”
Pinkie had already bounded away, and placed the Fluttershy doll next to the miniature Rarity. She placed her hooves behind each doll’s head, and moved them as she spoke.
“Oh Fluttershy,” she started, in a poor imitation of Rarity’s voice. “This spa is so… steamy!”
Twilight froze. She’s not…
“Too hot for me to wear this towel!” Pinkie continued. “ I hope you don't mind if I… remove it.”
She is. “Pinkie, what are you doing?” Twilight said, attempting to scold the pink mare. Yet Pinkie ignored her completely.
“In fact, Fluttershy, maybe you should remove your own!”
“Pinkie…" Twilight ground out the name, her exasperation rising.
Pinkie kept going. “Um, okay…" she imitated, and Twilight could have sworn that the pegasus was in the same room. It sounded exactly like Fluttershy. Pinkie then switched back to Rarity. “Oh Fluttershy, your wings are so… majestic! Especially, mmm, when they're flared!”
The blush that Twilight had been fighting finally won over her self control. “Pinkie! Stop that!”
“Mwah! Mwah!” Pinkie remained oblivious as she pressed the dolls’ heads together, making sloppy kissing sounds. Twilight was about to light up her horn to wrest the doll away from Pinkie’s grasp, when she heard a voice through the front door.
Rarity stepped into the library, a smile on her face. “Hello girls, what’s going on?”
"O-oh hey, Rarity!" was the shaky response given to Rarity's greeting. It seemed that she had walked in on something, and Twilight was attempting—with not much success—to cover up her embarrassment with a smile.
But Rarity’s smile was just as fake as Twilight’s. On the outside, she looked happy and oblivious, but on the inside, a wide array of emotions swept through her as she tried to figure out what Twilight’s expression meant. Confusion. She looks… nervous. Worry. Does she know? Did she find out already? Excitement. I can tell her, then! Panic. But she’s nervous. Is this a good sign? Or a bad sign? Fear. Maybe the princess already told her about the dolls?
She’d seen how the princess and her protegée acted towards each other. It wasn’t simply a student and teacher relationship, but much more. If Rarity hadn’t known that Twilight did have parents, she would have thought the princess was the young unicorn’s mother. They certainly acted like family.
And family talked. Celestia could well have written Twilight a letter, sharing gossip about how Luna had given her a doll. She'd made her escape back in the castle before she could overhear Princess Celestia detail the other meanings of the doll, and by now, Twilight probably knew all about it. Oh dear. She knows.
Her ear twitched as she suddenly realized that Twilight had been speaking, and she had missed the entire thing. She cleared her throat, hoping that she didn’t sound too perturbed. “I’m sorry dear, I zoned out for a second. Could you repeat that?”
“I said that I’m waiting for the others. We’ve got a bit of a mystery on our hooves.” Twilight glanced at Pinkie, who was still playing with the dolls.
“Oh, the dolls? Y-you got one too?” Rarity asked, disingenuously, following Twilight's gaze. “What are you doing, Pinkie?” She winced internally as she watched Pinkie mash the two dolls together. They weren’t exactly delicate, and could certainly handle a little rough and tumble… but that didn’t mean she enjoyed watching that, on top of all her other worries.
“Oh!” Pinkie perked up, noticing the new arrival. “I’ve just been playing with them! It’s your lascivious spa day sauna activities!”
“Eep!”
Rarity’s indignant retort died in her throat as she turned towards source of the sound: a petrified Fluttershy, standing in the door. Did she just hear that?
“L-l-lasci—oh my goodness!” The poor pegasus cowered behind her mane, her face taking on the hue of a tomato.
Yes, she did.
“I’m sorry, girls!” Twilight pleaded, sounding exasperated. “I didn’t think she’d start doing that! I tried to get her to stop… this is so embarrassing!” She could barely look Rarity or Fluttershy in the eye.
So that’s… oh goodness. It took all of her self control to stop her eye from twitching. That’s all it was? Her relief was almost palpable, and she did not know whether to laugh or cry. Twilight hadn’t uncovered everything. The secret was still safe.
But this, this was an indignation! “Pinkie! You know as well as I do that that kind of thing doesn’t happen at the spa!”
“Aww, but it’s fun to pretend!”
“It’s undignified!” Rarity huffed, glaring at the pink pony.
“I don’t think Fluttershy finds it fun,” Twilight added, pointing at the still-cowering Fluttershy. Pinkie gasped, and immediately bounded towards Fluttershy, the dolls forgotten on the table.
“I’m sorry, Fluttershy!” The pink pony lowered herself to the ground, at equal level with Fluttershy, who peeked out from behind her mane. “I was just teasing Twilight!”
“It-it’s okay, Pinkie…" Fluttershy mumbled, her face still red. She squeaked as Pinkie smiled and drew her into a gentle hug.
“What in tarnation is goin’ on here?” Applejack asked, as she and Rainbow Dash came up behind Fluttershy, taking in the odd scene before them.
Twilight cleared her throat, her expression still a bit strained. “Never mind that! Sit down girls, something strange is going on.”
“This about them dolls?” The farmer ventured. “Dash told me you ‘n Pinkie got one too.”
Twilight nodded. “Correct. And so has Rarity, it seems. Fluttershy, did you get one as well?”
Rarity swallowed as Fluttershy nodded in confirmation with a little ‘Y-yes’. She felt a small wash of guilt sweep through her. Technically, she hadn't lied—at no point before this did she actually say that she had a doll, and Twilight had just assumed. But still, it weighed on her as heavily as if the deceptive words were her own.
Thankfully, everypony seemed to be focusing on Twilight. “Pinkie, you got that Fluttershy doll.” She ignored Fluttershy’s squeak as Pinkie nodded, holding up the doll in question. “I know Rainbow got Applejack…”
“Yeah,” the pegasus confirmed, shrugging. Rarity noted how Applejack’s eyebrows rose up.
Twilight nodded, her horn shining as she levitated the white doll towards herself. “And I got a doll of Rarity. Fluttershy, who did you get?”
Fluttershy stared at the floor as she twisted her hooves. “I. Um. I got… Pinkie Pie.” She squeaked again as the pink pony squealed with delight, hugging first the doll, then Fluttershy herself. For a moment, Rarity’s panic was forgotten as she smiled at the pair. Any reservations she’d had about crafting the dolls for the two was fading.
Twilight was pressing on. “Applejack, you got–”
“Dash,” the farmer interjected, eyeing Rainbow.
“Which means that Rarity must have gotten me,” Twilight finished.
Rarity couldn’t bring herself to answer, and simply nodded in reply.
Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, deep in thought. “There’s obviously a pattern to these pairings, but what is it?”
Rarity continued to keep a careful watch on her friends as each of them reacted to Twilight’s question. Half of it was out of worry—any of them could start suspecting one another, and she’d be just as easy a target as anypony present—and the other half was due to pure curiosity. She’d originally made the dolls because she thought she’d seen something between her friends, but ever since she finished them, she found herself observing the couples she’d guessed at, as if to justify the time and effort spent making the dolls.
She didn’t miss the glance Applejack threw at Rainbow Dash, nor the small, subtle smirk. Rainbow raised an eyebrow in return, before shrugging. Fluttershy shook her head, looking as lost as the rest.
And Pinkie was grinning.
“Wait. Wait. I think… I think I've got it! I've totally got it!”
Rarity could only stare in horror. Other than Twilight, she hadn't considered that one of her other friends may also know of the tradition. Why that hadn't occurred to her, she'd never know. She desperately tried to think of something to say or do, but her mind was drawing a blank.
All she could do was wait for the other horseshoe to drop.
“Eh, I don't got it.”
What.
“This sounds like your department, Twi.”
“Mine?”
Rarity smiled as Applejack’s words drew her out of her momentary daze. Oh, I could kiss you for that. “Of course, dear,” she said, addressing Twilight. “This is a mystery—a research problem, if you will.”
She smiled as Twilight’s eyes lit up in realization and eagerness.
“And I—we all know how you love those,” she corrected herself mid-sentence. That was too close.
“You’re right. I just need to look at this like a research project! Thanks girls! I’ll get right on it!” Twilight beamed at the group, until her stomach grumbled loudly. “After lunch, I think.” She blushed, earning a giggle from the rest of the group.
Applejack stood up, stretching her legs. “Well, now that that’s sorted, I’m headin’ back to the farm. Those apples don’t pick themselves, much as I’d like them to.”
“Fluttershy, you’ve gotta show me doll-me!” Pinkie asked as she lifted Fluttershy to her hooves. “Pleaaaase?”
“Oh—But—I—I still need to feed some of the critters…" the pegasus mumbled, and fought back a smile as Pinkie hit her with a full-fledged pout, trembling eyes and lip included. “But I guess we could do both?”
“Yaay! And my Flutterdoll can say ‘hello’ too!”
‘F-flutterdoll?’ Rarity heard Fluttershy mumble as the pair left the library, soon followed by Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The fashionista took note how closely Rainbow stuck to the earth pony, as if intending to follow her all the way to the Acres. She nodded to herself. Whereas there’d been some small worry in regards to the pink and yellow pair, she’d never had any doubts about the rambunctious duo.
All too soon, only she, Twilight and Spike remained in the library.
“You want a bite to eat, Rarity?” Twilight asked, a leg lifted in the direction of the kitchen.
Rarity shook her head. “I’m quite all right, thank you. Go soothe the savage beast in your stomach.” She shooed the other unicorn with a hoof. As Twilight stuck out her tongue and left the room, Rarity’s eyes couldn’t help but follow her until she was out of sight. Sighing, she turned to the shelves. Surely, amongst all these books, there must be something that would give Twilight the hint she needed. She might as well make sure that there was something for the librarian to find.
She jumped as the room’s final occupant spoke up. She’d completely forgotten him, too focused on Twilight’s departure.
“You like her.”
“I—what?” Rarity gasped, whirling to face the young dragon, hoping her heart would slow down soon. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Spike took a moment before he replied, quietly. “I know that look. I’m usually looking at you like that.”
Rarity felt a weight settle in the pit of her stomach. “Oh, Spike…"
Spike took a moment to compose himself before giving her a tremulous smile. “I always knew it couldn't work. You're out of my age range, out of my species, and out of my league.” He shrugged, sighing. “But hey, it was fun while it lasted!”
Rarity could feel her heart twist at Spike’s words. She walked over to him, and wrapped the young dragon in a hug. “Maybe I’m not so far ‘out of your age range’ as you think, Spike. You’re growing up.” She leant down and planted a kiss on his head. “And nopony is out of your league. You are a perfect gentlecolt. Well, gentledragon.”
Spike held on to the hug for a moment longer, before pushing himself away and wiping his nose. “… Thanks,” he said, with a slightly stronger smile.
Rarity hated asking this, but she just had to. Even if it was a twist of the knife in his heart. “Are you going to tell her?”
He grimaced. “No.” He held up a hand before she could reply. “I’m not gonna get in the way. But don’t expect me to help, either.” He shook his head. “That’s a bit too much.”
“I won’t, Spike. Thank you.” She looked away, unable to meet his eye. “And I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just make her happy, Rarity.” Spike took a deep breath, before turning to the kitchen. “For now, I’ll just be making sure she doesn’t burn the kitchen down.”
Rarity waited until she heard the door close, then turned back to the shelves. Any eagerness to confirm the presence of research material in the library had left her, but she still needed to be sure.
D for ‘Doll’. D for… wait, ‘426.71 GRE’? This isn’t alphabetical! How did Pinkie…
“It eventually moved on from just friendship, though.”
“More than friendship?” Luna asked, her eyebrows rising.
Celestia nodded. “Yes. It eventually became a symbol for ‘family’.”
Luna held up a hoof. “Wait. Didn’t you just say it was a family thing before this?”
“I did. But that was between existing family—parents, children, and siblings.” Celestia smiled at her sister, briefly nuzzling her once more, as if to make up for the thousand years without contact. “This was different. It changed to mean ‘I want you to become family.’ ” She stressed the word, emphasising its meaning.
Luna’s eyes widened. “You mean…”
“Not only that. From an adult to a foal, it was an informal declaration of adoption. Between two adults, it meant that they considered each other siblings.” Celestia smiled at her sister, seeing the question in Luna’s eyes. “But yes, there was also a romantic side to this, when between a mare and a stallion.” Celestia frowned briefly. “Or occasionally two mares or two stallions, but such relationships weren’t talked about much in those days. Thankfully, that type of thinking has died out.”
Luna stared into the fire, deep in thought. “This is a lot to think about, ‘Tia.” She raised an eyebrow as her sister giggled. “More?”
“One more thing, yes…”
Pinkie Pie giggled as she charged up Sugarcube Corner’s stairs, heading straight to her room, careful to not let the Fluttershy doll on her back fall off. Once inside, she grinned wider than ever. She’d just returned from Fluttershy’s cottage, where she had finally gotten to see the doll version of herself. She’d probably scared a few of the Fluttershy’s critters with her squeal of glee. The coat, the eyes, the mane and cutie mark had all been Pinkieriffic! She needed to find who had made them, and throw them the best party ever.
Pinkie flicked her rump towards her bed, sending the doll flying with a perfect aim, until it landed on the pillows to join its companions: a horde of small pony ragdolls, made with her own two hooves. She had her family from the rock farm, the Cakes and the twins, Cranky and Matilda, and even the princesses.
And, of course, her five friends.
She’d thought about making a doll for everypony she thought of as a friend, but since that meant all of Ponyville, she’d realized long ago that she didn’t really have the room for that many dolls, so she stuck to those she was closest to.
She bounced to her hooflocker, digging into it to find all the components needed to welcome the newest addition to her fluffy family. Small table. Cups. Teapot. Hat, with the 10/6 label.
Soon, everything was in place, especially her hat. She lifted her cup, and beamed at the new Fluttershy doll, which sat upright with a cup between its hooves. “Fluttershy! Your birthday is in four months. That means today… is your unbirthday!” She pointed a hoof at the doll. “So let’s get this party going!”
“Aaah… AAAAH-choo!” Fluttershy rubbed her muzzle. Was somepony talking about her? She hoped it was nothing bad.
She shook herself, and focused back on the task at hoof—a meal. She was making herself a soup, as well as a little something extra for Angel. He was in one of his moods, and had demanded—politely; he remembered his lesson—something fancier than usual: a ‘Hundred Clouds’ salad. She stood in front of the kitchen counter, ingredients on one side, and cookbook on the other, as she tackled the somewhat difficult recipe.
Angel was present as well, keeping an eye on Fluttershy. But for the most part, he stood with his arms crossed, glaring daggers at the cookbook. Or rather, what was holding it up.
“Oh, don’t be like that, Angel,” Fluttershy cooed to the hare. “Pinkie is just helping me.” The hare kept glaring, sticking his tongue out at the doll that sat behind the cookbook. Fluttershy frowned briefly as she turned back to her meal, stirring the soup as it simmered in the pot. “I should have asked her to stay for lunch…” she mumbled.
She lifted a wing to turn the page, but distracted as she was, her aim was slightly off. The wing knocked the book over, sending both it and the doll tumbling to the floor.
“Ohmygoodness! I’m sorry Pinkie!” She grabbed the doll and placed it back on the counter, brushing it off in an effort to keep it clean. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention! Are you hurt?” She checked the doll over, lifting each hoof and scrutinizing it carefully.
On the counter, Angel smacked his forehead with a paw.
Spike busied himself around the library, brandishing his weapon at his foe. His mighty feather duster would vanquish all the dust and dirt, and leave the place clean and sparkling. Or at least, as sparkling as a library could get.
He was, however, not alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Twilight. She’d eaten, and had taken it on herself to start her research. She was surrounded by a dozen books, all pertaining to dolls in some fashion or other. She should have shone with contentment, being deep in her element: reading.
But each time he glanced at her, he noticed something was wrong. Her usual focus was off, and her attention kept wandering from her studies. He’d caught her glancing off to the side, and she’d even turned her head completely towards the table once or twice, her attention fully on the object resting on it—the white doll with the curly purple mane.
Spike turned back to his work, not wanting to dwell on the subject. The wound was still fresh, and if he thought about it for too long, he’d probably start crying. But Rarity had said he was growing up. He wouldn’t disappoint her by shedding tears.
Still, it was strange that Twilight was so… distracted. She tended to lose herself in the written word, ignoring everything around her to the point that she lost track of time. Maybe, since the doll was part of the problem, she was just studying it for reference.
A few shelves later, he glanced at her once more and blinked at the sight. Her focus was back, and she shone with her usual enthusiasm. She seemed much more relaxed, her eyes speeding along the lines of text. The doll sat nestled between her front legs, facing the book, and Twilight’s head was bent down, chin resting on the doll’s mane.
Spike smiled his first real smile since he talked with Rarity. It was Twilight—as long as she was happy, it didn't matter to him if the cause was the doll or not.
“Careful where you’re putting those hooves, Blondie!”
“Ah’m puttin’ my hooves where Ah want to and you’ll like it, Daring!”
“Later, sure, but for now, keep your hooves off the thousand-year-old deadly traps!”
“Oh. Uh, right. Ah’ll get right on that.”
Rainbow Dash grinned as she moved Blondie and Daring Do across her bed, making them leap over the random objects she’d placed on it that simulated numerous traps the duo had to avoid. The pair was totally into each other, even if the books didn’t outright say so. You just had to ‘read between the lines’, as Twilight had called it. Then again, Twilight had also said that Rainbow was just seeing things, as romantic relationships just weren’t suitable in foals’ entertainment. Nothing wrong with the pairing, she’d argued, but the target audience was just too young for such a subject.
Rainbow snorted. There was totally something going on between the two, and she’d seen it. And now that she had this Applejack doll that was such an excellent stand-in for Blondie, she finally had an adventuring companion for her very own Daring Do plush, which she’d bought after reading through the entire series. Not that anypony else could ever learn about it. After all, Blondie pretty much looked like Applejack. Green eyes, orange coat, freckles, blond mane. Even the picture on the cover looked almost exactly like her, just… grayer. And she had a duster coat. Rainbow briefly wondered if doll-sized duster coats existed. Maybe Rarity could make one for her?
Rainbow lifted the Applejack doll, taking a closer look at it. Whoever had made it had done an awesome job. Every last detail, from the hat down to the cutie mark, was as close to perfect as it could be. So close, in fact, that she couldn’t resist pulling the doll into a hug, lovingly nuzzling it. She couldn’t get enough of the feel of Applejack’s coat on her own, the feeling of the earth pony at her side while she draped a wing over her, snuggling every time they were alone.
But as much as she loved cuddling, she could never tell anypony else. Her hard-earned reputation would crumble to pieces, and she’d be the laughingstock of town, perhaps even Equestria. Who had ever heard of a mushy wonderbolt? Luckily, she’d managed to convince Applejack to keep the relationship secret. It had taken a lot of eye-rolling from the honest farmer, but she’d given in. Even though she kept teasing Dash about it every so often.
Rainbow shook her head and tore herself away from those thoughts, focusing back on the adventure. Daring Do had just made a schoolfilly mistake: after safely obtaining the prized treasure—the golden Wonderbolt Goggles—she’d let her attention wander, and sprung one of the deadliest traps known to ponykind.
The giant rolling apple.
Daring and Blondie turned tail and ran, setting off every trap in their wake. Daring turned her head and eyed the immense fruit bearing down on them.
“How did that apple even grow that big?” Dash asked, imparting her own voice on the intrepid explorer. “How should Ah know? Do Ah look like an apple farmer to you?” she answered herself, imitating Applejack’s southern drawl to voice the desperado mare. She then giggled, pushing the dolls along with her hooves as she kept an apple rolling behind them with her wing.
This was entirely too much fun.
Applejack tossed her Stetson onto the hatstand as she trotted into her home. It was bad manners to keep a hat on while eating, even when alone. Apple Bloom was still at school, Big Mac was in the fields, and Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair in front of the empty fireplace.
Because she’d run off to meet the girls, she’d missed her noontime meal, but a certain old pony had left a few fritters on the table for her, which she quickly scarfed down. They’d last her for the rest of the day, up to the usual big Apple Family dinner. Until then, she still had a lot of work to do. She stepped back towards the front door, grabbing her hat and flipping it back onto her head, but paused as she put a hoof through the doorway.
She glanced behind her, looking at the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. She turned her head back to the door and looked at the sky, taking in the few leftover clouds—some small, one large with rainbow fountains. She nodded to herself, stepped back inside, and trotted up the stairs.
When she came back down, her hat was still on her head, but it now had a string around it that securely fastened a passenger to the brim—a little blue doll, with a rainbow mane and a pair of blue wings.
Applejack trotted out happily, with a spring in her step as she headed to the orchard. In her delight, she failed to notice that the old mare had woken up and followed her grandfilly with her gaze.
Granny Smith had seen the newest addition to Applejack’s headwear, and had narrowed her eyes. The gears turned, old memories surfacing from long ago. She had a sneaking suspicion of what that doll meant, and there was only one way to find out. It looked like she had to find herself a rainbow pegasus filly.
Right after she finished her nap.
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I see what you did there
OHMIGOSHTHATPICTUREISSOCUTE HNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG
Welp, this certainly is good! Moar!
Why hello there, did Steel Resolve bring you here too? :P
Aanyway, sounds interesting. Let's see what it has to offer
2125316
I deny everything!
And yes, yes it is. Ratofdrawn did a wonderful job with it ^^;
Okay, names for the dolls. Pinkie Plush and Flutterdoll, Applemodel and Plaything Dash , Twilight Figurine and Raritoy. Well, that was harder than expected... but it seems like a nice story, but I see friendzoning happening in the future. Twilight will first find the older meanings off the doll-giving instead of the "new" meaning.
Awesomness!
2125382
ahahaha 
Plaything Dash
And... you will see!
Dewey Decimal System? Do we ever!
Let's all worship our great writer god Tcherno and his supernatural genious mind
But now serious that is glorious, good and epic
That is ALL bullshit. Good thing Rarity corrected him a moment later. Still, I hate fanfics where the mane six all fall in love with each other. It's just another way to exclude Spike, who is absolutely devoted to them.
>>>But brilliant plans never go as expected, do they?
Except when Tchernobog's writing them. This should be glorious!
Hm. Tchernobog writing about... wait, Rarity and Twilight? Luna and Celestia gifting adorable pony dolls!? SECRETIVE RITUALS REGARDING SHIPPING!?
... I'm shocked and dismayed! Or er... wait, no. It's okay! Aj and RD are still fated to be a couple! IT'S ALL RIGHT! DON'T JUMP - IT'LL BE OKAY!
Conceptually, this is quite unique and delightful.
PLEASE CONTINUE!
... I asked nicely. Consider that your "warning shot".
Cute Rainbow Dash is CUTE!
Only Spike getting kicked out so easily is kind of a weak spot. There should have been a bit more conflict for my tastes.
2125669
Perhaps. But this is Rarity's story, and in that scene, from her point of view. Which makes it hard to expand upon without delving into spike's mind. And in this case, the way he reacts (maybe a tad short, i admit) shows that he is, in fact, more mature than one would expect for someone of his age. The barriers are there, and he's known it for some time. He was just enjoying his fantasy as long as he could, and now that he sees where it's going (ie, nowhere)... he's doing the right thing, stepping aside :)
Commence read.
Seems like a few already have some idea behind the dolls.
Fun read!
Just curious, is Blondie a nod to "What Would Daring Do"?
2125706
I'm hoping he'll read it soon enough.
It is indeed!
So far, this story is entirely too adorable.
2125868
I pretty much tried turning the adorable to 11 in this fic. And I there's many more scenes to come ;)
2125871
I wasn't sure what to expect and it started out a little slow with the massive inner monologue of Rarity's, but it quickly picked up pace and became quite enjoyable after the set up when the dolls were delivered. I get the impression that there's something else going on behind such realistic versions of the dolls that you're hinting at but I'm not sure what just yet. I loved how cute the characters were being with the dolls without seeming out of character for it. I think the only stretch was AJ tying the doll to her hat, but given she's been in a relationship with Dash for awhile that could explain it.
The only note of improvement I'd mention was that though much of it was necessary, that first portion of the story with the Wall-of-Text-that-was-Rarity's-thoughts part was a deterrent to keeping a readers attention and engagement. I'm glad I kept going, but it really did feel like work to get through much of it.
I'll be looking forward to seeing how things keep going from here!
This looks VERY promising, cant wait for the next chapters.
I'll admit, I was intrigued by the cover alone when you showed me the other day. I shall read this at once.....I've done a couple of other things.
All aboard the Hilarious Misunderstanding Express! Next stop: Disaster!
2126210
Full steam ahead!
I just woke up and then I read this... I think I just had cardiac arrest
And I love how you made a mark in Equestrian history (even that's adorable!) 
I haven't seen the sneezing-means-someone-is-talking-about-you thing since I stopped watching a lot of anime, I found it extremely humorous.
Also, the pic at the end made me squee, to which I immediately looked around the room to make sure I was alone, then proceeded to writhe about in agonizing d'awww.
Blondie? I'm thinking that's a not-so-subtle nod to "What Would Daring Do"?
2126282
I was hoping someone would recognize this!
2126296
Maaaaaaaaybe?
Oh, I see what you did there.
Amazing work, fella. Can't wait for more.
I've been waiting for this.
I was not disappointed.
AJ equips Rainbow Plush!
AJ gains several spell-like abilities.
Resist Heat (20%)
CHR bonus +5.
Skill bonus: Bluff +10.
Cloudwalk (once per day)
Featherfall (automatic)
2126322
That would be totally awesome. Tailored spells on the dolls for the ponies they are meant for! Ah well, another fic maybe
OH MY GOD THAT PICTURE AT THE END
MY CHEST HURTS A BIT FROM LOOKING AT IT
IT REMINDS ME OF THAT SCENE IN TOY STORY
AND IT'S CUTE TOO
*grabs chest and falls over*
(Great story so far!)
Oh my god, Pinkie.
I see that "What Would Daring Do" reference, sneaky.
Great start!
And so the girls go about their daily lives, each with one small addition. But trouble brews as it seems this version of Granny Smith is the old-style traditionalist who frowns on same-gender couples. Who knows what prejudice lurks in the hearts of elder ponies?
A very interesting premise, and another well-written work from you, Tchernobog. I look forward to more!
HAHAHAAAA!!!! Holy crap that is one hell of a joke at the fandom. Nice one. Anywho, I'm enjoying this, especially so since it is in perfect agreement with my headcanon.
All my favorite pairings and a well written story? YES PLEASE!!!!
I was initially worried that things were going to get a bit creepy and eldritch (Forced love or living dolls perhaps?), but I see you're going another route entirely. Also, I have survived your attempt on my life at the end! Wait, sorry, *THUD*
I'm a sucker for Twirity (Rarelight? RariTwi? What the heck is their shipping name anyways?), and you have done a beautiful job here. I hope this gets featured amigo.
Edit- I see it was. Good of ya.
Granny of course would remember the most recent of traditions involving the giving of plushies.
Ciao darling
Wow this story's just too perfect. There were just so many awesome moments, I especially like it when Pinkie started playing with the Fluttershy and Rarity dolls. So much lol!!!
Defiantly faving this story!
My attention, you have it.
i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/Putuk22/judging_hardcore.gif
2126431
*grabs some defib* LIVE!!!! DAM IT LIVE!!! *defibs*
2127180 *dies*
2127240
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! *drama pose*
ALL OF MY YES!!!!
have 5 moustaches. 
2127260 Chill out, bro. I'm a ghostie nao. Fuck YOLO.
2126787 ... Its worse than that. She's an old fashioned mare who takes family very seriously. As far as she is concerned, Rainbow has just proposed.