Sassy Saddles liked to think she was prepared for anything and everything, that's why she'd often tended to depend on certain patterns to aid her in life. And even after seeing what following those established routines could ultimately lead to, Sassy was still confident that she could more or less handle whatever life threw in her direction.
If only Sassy had known how mistaken she was in her beliefs, for she was now cursing under her breath and wondering just what she'd done to deserve being stuck with this sort of situation. Foalsitting her business partner Rarity's little sister, while Rarity tended to an important client halfway across town was not her idea of a good time, for sure.
"Is this my punishment for almost running Canterlot Carousel into the ground, back when we first met?" Sassy wondered to herself, as she continued to glance at the clock while occasionally looking back at her young charge, and all the while reflecting to back to how she'd gotten stuck with this foalsitting job on such short notice.
It had all begun when Rarity had decided to pay Sassy a rather unexpected (though not entirely unwanted) visit, while bringing her little sister along for the ride. Sweetie Belle could hardly contain her excitement. "I can't believe I'm actually gonna get to see your second boutique, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed merrily, miniature sparks shooting out of her horn. "This is gonna be so much fun!"
Rarity couldn't help but smile at her little sister's enthusiasm. As much as she disliked the fact that she seemed to be more prevalent in her little sister's life than their actual parents, she couldn't deny that their moments of sisterly bonding were quite enjoyable. Whether it be participating in the Sisterhooves Social, having a spa date together, or even just Rarity helping Sweetie Belle with her crocheting whenever she found the time, those precious little moments of genuine sibling interaction always held a special place in her heart.
Even so, Rarity knew she needed to curb her little sister's over eagerness, lest she cause trouble for Sassy Saddles. "Now Sweetie Belle, I allowed you to accompany me here today, but I expect you to behave yourself," She spoke up, her tone trying to strike the right balance between stern discipline and gentle persuasion. "So please keep your enthusiastic behavior under control as much as possible in front of my friend, please."
"Relax, Rarity, I'll behave." Sweetie Belle promised, as the two unicorns approached the front door of Canterlot Carousel. Sweetie Belle delighting in the impressive design of the building and how easily it seemed to stand out in the middle of a bustling city.
The two sisters stepped inside, the jingling of the bell above the door announcing their arrival. Upon entering, Sweetie Belle saw that the inside of the boutique was just as impressive as the outside, if not more so. The filly was amazed at such beauty and was practically at a loss for words.
"Well, bless my buttons, Rarity!" Exclaimed a jovial voice, soon revealing itself as belonging to a tall but slim looking unicorn mare, wearing a two-tone black dress with a yellow saddle resting firmly on the shoulder area. Said mare had a coat that was a pale, light grayish cerulean in color, a fairly curly mane and tail that was brilliant vermillion with light amber and tangelo stripes running through them (with moderate fuchsia on the shadowed side of the curls), and brilliant orange eyes complimented by moderate persian blue eyeshadow. Her cutie mark consisted of two small pins, which were obscured by her dress. "This is certainly an unexpected but pleasant surprise!" She finished her sentence, regarding the two new arrives with a real sense of warmness.
Sweetie Belle eyed this mare uncertainly. "Uh, Rarity, did you know there's a total stranger living in your boutique?" She commented with a raised eyebrow.
Rarity chuckled at her little sister's comment. "Sweetie Belle, that is no stranger. This is Sassy Saddles, the manager of this boutique and my business partner," To Sassy she then said. "And Sassy, this is Sweetie Belle, my little sister."
Sassy smiled broadly, as she and Sweetie Belle shook hooves. "So you're the little sister Rarity's mentioned so much," She nodded to the filly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And I must say, you look even more adorable than I had imagined."
"Uh, thanks… I guess," Sweetie blushed slightly. "So uh, how long have you known my sister?"
"Quite a while actually," Sassy recakked. "I must say, when comes to business partners, I don't think I could've asked for a better pony than your sister to team up with me. Rarity's fashion skills are second to none, but I'm sure you know that already!" She then looked in earnest at the older unicorn before continuing. "So, Rarity, why is it that you decided to pay me a visit today, and on such short notice? Usually I get a letter informing me when you're going to make an appearance."
"I must apologize for stopping by unannounced, Sassy," Rarity commented in regret. "But Mother and Father went off on vacation yet again at a moment's notice and left Sweetie Belle in my care. Since none of her friends were available to play with her today, I decided a trip to Canterlot for just the two of us would be just the thing to cheer her up."
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was scoping out the boutique, taking in all the sights. Looking at Sassy, she eyed the mare's cutie mark carefully before asking her: "So, Miss. Saddles?"
"Please, just Sassy will do. There's no need for such formalities when I know your sister so well." Sassy replied with a small grin.
Sweetie shrugged, but still asked. "Sassy, what kind of dresses do you make here? And why do you even wear a dress? Aside from my parents hardly anypony I know wears any clothes apart from for very special occasions."
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity scolded, reacting as if Sweetie had done something seriously wrong.
"What? I'm just curious. What I said wasn’t rude… was it??" Sweetie pondered nervously.
Rarity tried her best to keep her temper under control as she lightly reprimanded Sweetie. "We do not ask such questions in polite company. If Sassy wants to wear a dress every single day, it's her right to choose."
But Sassy spoke up, eager not to cause friction between the two feuding siblings. "It's quite alright, Rarity. Your sister is hardly the first pony to ask me such a question," Then to Sweetie Belle she gently explained. "Lots of ponies in high society wear clothing all the time, some of them do it for comfort and others do it to project an austere image. For me, this dress is something that makes me look professional. And as the manager of Canterlot Carousel, it's important that I look the part."
"So, did you make that dress yourself?" Sweetie’s inquisitivity was not yet sated.
Sassy shook her head. "Oh no, I don't really do any kind of sewing, that's Rarity's department. I much prefer the marketing and managing side of things."
"Then why does your cutie mark have two pins?" Sweetie Belle asked Sassy.
Sassy giggled a bit at Sweetie Belle’s non-stop curiosity. "It's a reflection of my talent for marketing and selling dresses, not making them," She told the young unicorn. "Although I will admit, I do occasionally partake in a bit of needle work. Mostly for emergency repairs in the case of rips or tears."
"Oh." Sweetie realized, her enthusiasm draining a bit. She had hoped that maybe Sassy had a cutie mark problem (the filly would've then asked Sassy if she could come to Ponyville to consult her fellow Crusaders. Business had been a bit lean as of late).
Rarity regarded the pair’s interaction with amusement, delighted to see them both getting along. "Well now, if there are no further interruptions," She spoke up, attracting Sweetie Belle's attention. "Perhaps we could-" But at that precise moment Rarity remembered something important, and she flinched as if her rump been smacked with a fly swatter. "Oh my stars! I completely forgot!"
"What?!" Sweetie and Sassy both asked in unison.
Rarity put her hooves to her face as she exclaimed. "I'm supposed to be meeting with an important client halfway across town, and in just a few minutes to boot! I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle, but it looks like our sisterly bonding time will have to wait. In fact, I'm afraid I might have to send you home on the next train. This meeting could take quite a while."
"Ah, but that's not fair!" Sweetie Belle complained, stomping her hoof down in frustration. "Can't I just come with you? I promise I won't get in the way or anything."
Rarity shook her head firmly at that suggestion. "Out of the question, Sweetie Belle. This client asked for one-on-one meeting to discuss a very important issue. Besides, Canterlot is a big place, and the last thing I would want is for you to wander off and get lost while I was otherwise occupied," She then added in a tone of voice she usually used when trying to charm others. "I promise I'll make this up to you. When we get back to Ponyville I'll take you and your friends out for ice cream, how does that sound?"
Sweetie Belle was tempted by the offering of the dairy delights of Sugarcube Corner, and nearly said ‘yes’. But then she started thinking about all the things she'd heard about Canterlot, especially from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon back when the two fillies had constantly teased her. She really didn't want to miss out on anything while she was there. "No, I want to stay here! This is my chance to see all that Canterlot has to offer!" Shooting her best pair of puppy dog eyes at her sister she then added almost beggingly. "Please let me stay, I'll do everything you ask of me while we're here."
Rarity tried her absolute hardest, but as usual she was powerless in the presence of such adorable cuteness. With a reluctant sigh, she gave in. "Very well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. You are getting to be a big filly after all."
Sweetie cheered and embraced her big sister in a crushing hug! "Oh thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You won't regret this, Rarity! I swear!" She happily exclaimed.
"Not so fast, Sweetie Belle," Rarity cautioned, trying to curb her sister's enthusiasm a bit."I'm afraid I still can't bring you along with me to meet my client. It would be most impractical, and I'm sure you'll find the whole thing boring," She then turned to Sassy Saddles before adding. "You will stay here, and Sassy Saddles shall watch over you until I return."
Sassy's eyes widened in shock at hearing this unexpected news! Rarity had to be joking, as her experience with fillycare was practically zilch. "What?! Me?! Rarity.. I... I couldn't!" She insisted, while frantically waving her hooves about like a windmill.
"Nonsense, Sassy. Sweetie Belle won't be too much of a hoofful. And hopefully I shan't be away for more than a few hours." Rarity explained to her not-so-willing assistant.
"B-but," Sassy stuttered, until at last she found the words for what she thought was an arguable point. "I'm a boutique manager, not a foalsitter!"
Rarity wouldn't take no for an answer, however. "Sassy, I promise I will make it up to you for springing this on you so suddenly, but I'm afraid my hooves are tied. If it will sweeten the deal, I can gladly pay you for your services."
"Oh no no no, Rarity," Sassy replied with a shake of her head. "You hardly need to pay me for such a thing," With a reluctant sigh she caved into her business partner's demand. "I suppose I can look after your little sister for you for a while, just this once."
"Excellent!" Rarity responded happily, relieved to have that ordeal taken care of. She then dashed out the front door with her saddle bag in tow as she shouted to Sassy. "You won't regret this!"
"I sincerely hope not." Sassy muttered under her breath.
And that was the end of that. In what seemed like the mere blink of an eye, Sassy had found herself going from professional boutique manager to clueless foalsitter. Given the choice, it was a job she would've rather avoided. It wasn't that she didn't like children, far from it in fact. But Sassy wasn't yet at that point in her life where she was willing to consider settling down and starting a family, and a part of her wasn't certain if she ever would. After all, it wasn’t like her demanding job left her much time for such ‘luxury’.
"Well, a promise is a promise, like it or not," Sassy thought to herself, as she eyed the slow hands of the clock ticking away on the wall. "I just have to keep an eye on Sweetie Belle for hopefully just a few hours. Sounds simple enough."
Sassy was snapped out of her revelry by Sweetie Belle tugging on her dress a little. "What is it?" Sassy asked, as she lowered herself to the filly's level.
"Uh, do you have any place where I can hang up my saddle bag? It's getting kind of heavy." Sweetie Belle replied, motioning to her saddle bags that seemed to be filled with supplies of some kind or another.
"Well, I don't really think we have any place for personal items." Sassy commented, while scratching her head to see if maybe she could remember any locations in the boutique that might temporarily serve as one.
Rather than wait for any kind of response from Sassy though, Sweetie Belle simply trotted off, saddle bags in tow, to see if she could find somewhere herself. Before long, she spotted a door which led to a rather large room near the back of the boutique. In her mind, that seemed like the perfect place to store stuff, and she trotted over to it.
Sassy didn't notice Sweetie wander off at first, but when she did and saw where Sweetie Belle was headed, she desperately tried to call out and make her stop. "Sweetie Belle, wait!" She shouted at an elevated volume.
Sweetie didn't seem to hear what Sassy had said, or if she did she chose to pay no attention. She just enveloped the door knob with her magic, and turned it so the door slid open. A bunch of unfinished dresses greeted her eyes, and as luck would have it, they had all been heaped up against the door and came crashing down on her! Poor Sweetie barely had enough time to get out of the way! "Oops." Was all she said in response to her error.
Sassy rushed to the scene at once, relieved to see that her young charge wasn't harmed, but quite frustrated to see all the formerly pristine dresses that now littered the floor. Sighing, she lit up her horn, and carefully moved them to where they were supposed to be. She then tried to explain to Sweetie Belle. "That is your sister Rarity's workshop, and sometimes she brings along dresses that she hasn't finished yet to work on. She likes everything in a particular order, as do I, so next time please don't open random doors without my permission."
"I'm sorry, really," Sweetie apologized, but still ventured into the workshop regardless. She figured that since it wasn't currently in use, it was as good a place as any to deposit her heavy saddle bags. She set them on the ground, and began to open them while continuing to talk to Sassy. "I'll just do a little bit of sewing, or maybe some crocheting." She proceeded to open up her saddle bags, taking out some needles and a bit of fabric.
The very sight of the needles was enough to unnerve Sassy, as they looked awfully sharp and Sweetie Belle didn't exactly strike Sassy as the most careful filly in Equestria. Besides, Sassy was certain Rarity had mentioned to her on more than one occasion that while Sweetie greatly admired fashion design, she was nowhere near as good it as her big sister. And the last thing Sassy wanted was for a bunch of crudely cut-out pieces of fabric to litter the floor of the workshop. "Actually, why don't do you do some coloring, or doodling?" She suggested, immediately using her magic to confiscate the 'dangerous' needles.
"But, I didn't bring any paper or crayons." Sweetie complained, with a visible frown.
Sassy groaned at this setback, but quickly recovered as her mind settled on a solution and she said to the filly. "Well, how about I give you some scrap paper and colored pencils then? I keep some around in case a client orders an item we don't sell here, and really wants it," Before Sweetie could utter a syllable of protest, Sassy led the filly out of Rarity's workshop (making sure to shut the door en route) and sat her at the little desk Sassy liked to frequent. Bending down, the older mare opened up a drawer, and used her magic to place several sheets of paper in front of Sweetie Belle, along with colored pencils consisting of every hue you could imagine (including some that Sweetie had never heard of). She also placed a couple of regular pencils on the desk, as she then adopted her best authoritative tone to instruct to the filly. "Now, just stay there and doodle away. And if you need anything at all don't hesitate to ask me. Got it, dear?"
To Sassy's surprise, Sweetie Belle replied by audibly groaning. "Yes, yes, I got it. I'm not stupid you know. Just because Rarity asked you to foalsit me doesn't mean I need you always hovering over my shoulder telling me what to do. I know how to ask a grown-up when I need something, it's not like I'm an actual helpless foal. I walk to and from school everyday, and often vacate back and forth from my sister's boutique and my house. I actually really wanted to go on that trip with Mom and Dad, but they said I wasn't old enough yet."
Sassy felt guilty ever so slightly for her intrusive behavior, though to be fair this was the first time the unicorn had ever foalsat anypony. "I... didn't mean to be rude or anything," She attempted to apologize. "I really had no idea you were that independent already. Growing up in a big city like Canterlot, my parents seldom allowed me to trot anywhere without them until I was almost in high school. And they certainly didn't just let me stay out for as long as I pleased. I guess things are different with your mother and father."
"That and Ponyville isn't nearly as crowded, plus it's a lot more friendly," Sweetie Belle replied thoughtfully. "But I still make sure to look both ways before crossing the street and be home by sundown. I know the rules." And with that final remark, the filly turned her attention to the papers and colored pencils, quickly tuning out all else.
Two and a half hours passed by quickly, at least for Sweetie Belle. For Sassy, they seemed to tick by at the same speed as molasses, and as more time passed she grew increasingly concerned. So far her hastily assigned foalsitting job had gone off without a hitch (Sweetie Belle only occasionally breaking away from her doodling and coloring to ask for a glass of water or to use the little filly's room, to which she made perfectly clear she just needed to know the location of and nothing more), but she had been hoping for Rarity to return by this point and that had not happened. "I know Rarity said the client was important, but I did not imagine the meeting would take this long," She anxiously thought to herself, as she glanced at the clock for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Surely Rarity would not hold me up for longer than necessary, even for a customer she won't tell me about. Which begs the question of just who it was that was so important she couldn't even reveal the identity of them?"
Not helping Sassy's nerves at all was the fact that today was a slow business day. Only one or two customers had bothered to make the journey to Canterlot Carousel, and their visits had been brief. Just quick scheduled pick-ups for the dresses they had ordered (which Rarity had been thoughtful enough to send to Sassy just the day prior, as if though she'd unintentionally anticipated having to be called away on such short notice). If Sassy didn't know better, she would've sworn there was some kind of curse that had been placed on the day tick to make it pass by more slowly than normal.
Realizing that Sweetie Belle was starting to run low on sketch paper, and was reducing her pencils to mere nubs, Sassy decided she would need to do some kind of special activity with the filly. Both to keep Sweetie Belle out of trouble, and to (hopefully) pass the time much quicker. "Now if I were a filly, what would I want to do in this situation?" Sassy thought to herself, but her mind drew a blank on the question. The few things Sassy could remember from her childhood that she had enjoyed, she was certain Sweetie wouldn't share her interest. And so it was that Sassy opted to straight up ask her young charge without further delay: "Sweetie Belle? What do you like to do for fun?"
Sweetie turned to face Sassy, and a big smile appeared on her face as she happily spoke out. "Oh, all kinds of things! Sewing or crocheting, singing, magic practice, and so many other things that I could probably go on and on about!" She then added in a somewhat less cheerful tone. "It's too bad all of my friends were busy with other things today. I'm still waiting to hear back from my fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders in Manehattan and Griffonstone, Babs Seed and Gabby. Hearing from them always puts me in a good mood."
Sassy giggled upon Sweetie mentioning Griffonstone. "My goodness, you have quite the imagination, Sweetie Belle," She commented, trying to stifle any further laughing. "Friends with a griffon who lives in Griffonstone? Everypony knows griffons usually live in solitude and don't really socialize with ponies."
Sweetie surprisingly growled, slanting her eyebrows a little at Sassy's dismissive comments. "But I'm serious!" She protested, before continuing. "I can prove it, I've got Gabby's previous letter in my saddle bags! I'll go and get it!" She hopped off the chair Sassy had seated her in, and was about to take off for Rarity's workshop where her saddle bags were stored.
But Sassy quickly extended a hoof to block Sweetie as she lightly tsked. "I will get your saddle bag for you, dear. I think we can both agree we don't need a repeat of what happened last time."
"It was only one slip-up, I promise I'll be more careful this time around!" Sweetie Belle insisted, but Sassy ignored her and trotted to the workshop anyway, leaving Sweetie to just sit there and pout. "Now I know how Apple Bloom must've felt when Applejack was treating her like a baby, guess that means I owe Apple Bloom an apology for saying it sounded delightful." She contemplated, while becoming increasingly annoyed with Sassy's constant overprotective ways.
Sassy returned shortly with the saddle bags and allowed Sweetie Belle to dig through them to her heart's content (though Sassy did use her magic to hold onto the items that Sweetie tossed aside without fanfare as she frantically searched). It didn't take long for Sweetie Belle to find what she was looking for. "Aha! I knew I still had it!" She pulled out an envelope that had her home address written on it, but displayed the signature albatross logo of the official Griffonstone Mail Service. She delighted in showing it off to Sassy with an "I told you so" look on her face, as she proceeded to read the letter aloud:
Dear Cutie Mark Crusaders,
How's life treating you wonderful fillies? Did you have any more success finding others with cutie mark problems, or are you pursuing your own pastimes like you told me you've been doing lately?
Life in Griffonstone's been okay, nothing to really write home about. So I thought I’d write to you instead, tee hee! It sure isn't proving easy to bring those Cutie Mark Crusaders values to Griffonstone though, not that I haven't been trying.
Gilda seems to be the only one really interested in hanging out with me, though I'll occasionally get more than a passing comment from another griffon. I'm actually starting to wonder if perhaps I should make Gilda a crusader as well, though I think I'd have to ask her how she feels about that before I could make any arrangements with you three pioneers.
I hope you'll invite me to come back to Ponyville soon, I could always use a break from delivering the mail here in Griffonstone. Although, if you think about, if you like what you do at your job, that means it's not really work now is it? Lucky me!
Hope to hear from you soon,
Gabby Griffon
P.S. Could you please Twilight to stop sending me letters via dragon mail almost every day? I know she wants to learn more about griffons and Griffonstone, but I've only got so much time on my claws.
Sassy examined the letter carefully, checking for any signs of forgery. As far as she could tell, this wasn't written by hoof, and she had plenty of experience with hoofwriting to know when such duplicity was the case. "So, you weren't pulling my leg after all?" She remarked to Sweetie Belle. "Dare I ask just who in the hay this 'Gabby' is?"
"She's a griffon, obviously. Why are grown-ups always so slow on the uptake?" Sweetie Belle replied, rolling her eyes with a pronounced sigh. "To be fair, she's not a full fledged Cutie Mark Crusader like we are, she's more of an honorary member. She's kind of like Babs Seed, another member of ours. She lives in Manehattan and she's pretty much the same as Gabby, except she actually has a real cutie mark. Oh, and she’s a pony. At first we thought she couldn't be a Crusader if she got her special symbol, but after what happened with the three of us we kind of realized it wasn't fair to kick her out afterwards. Now we mostly keep in touch through letters, especially since some of our other honorary members have something of a bad past with her."
"That's.... fascinating I suppose," Sassy spoke, trying her best to sound intriuged. Though that fascinating revelation still left her none the wiser on what to do with the filly, an idea suddenly came into the forefront of her mind. "Say, Sweetie Belle? How would you like it if I took you out for ice cream? You do like ice cream, don't you?"
Sweetie practically leaped into the air with excitement (Sassy was surprised she didn't shoot through the roof of the boutique) as she happily exclaimed. "Yes! I LOVE ice cream!"
Sassy waited for Sweetie to calm down a little, before she said with a smile. "Then it's settled, I know just the place to get the best ice cream in all of Canterlot. Perhaps even all of Equestria."
"But what about the boutique?" Sweetie asked, looking up with confusion at Sassy. "Won't Rarity be mad if she comes back and finds you're not here, running things?"
"Oh satin and silk, Sweetie Belle, you worry too much," Sassy replied with little concern. She simply trotted over to the front door and flipped around a sign so that to anyone looking at it from the outside it would read "Closed". "Business has been rather sluggish today anyways, I doubt it would really hurt the coffers to take a little time off for the two of us to enjoy ice cream. I'll even leave Rarity a note, just in case,"
Once Sassy had scribed said note, she followed Sweetie Belle as the two trotted out the boutique's front door. "Now stay by my side, please," Sassy cautioned her young companion. "I don't want you to get lost." But those firm words fell on deaf ears, as Sweetie Belle took off running the instant they left the store, while shouting loudly. "Last one there buys the ice cream!"
Sassy sighed and chased after Sweetie as quickly as she could, hoping to intercept the filly before something unforseen could happen to her. "Bust my buttons, no fair getting a head start!" She gasped, as she lagged behind by quite a distance!
It didn't take long for Sassy to catch up to Sweetie Belle, even though the unicorn would hardly consider herself much of a runner. When they met up she made sure to envelope Sweetie Belle in her magical aura to pull the filly close to her. "Did you even know where you were going, young filly?!" Sassy lectured with a frown. "You could've gotten hurt! What would your sister have said if that’d happened?!"
"I think I have some idea of the place you were going to take me to," Sweetie Belle replied, ignoring the question for the most part. "I've been to Canterlot before, it's actually a long story that I'd rather not repeat. Let's just say, I got a little carried away with what was supposed to be an act of revenge."
"Whatever, that's not important right now!" Sassy remarked, the stern tone in her voice never letting up. "Just what do you have to say for yourself rushing off like that?!"
A distinct feeling of guilt suddenly hit Sweetie as she apologized. "I'm sorry, Sassy. I guess I just got carried away."
"It's fine, nopony got hurt, thankfully," Sassy expressed her relief to Sweetie. "But from now on, please stay by my side at all times. Go off like that again, and I might just decide not to get you ice cream after all. Do I make myself clear, young filly?!"
"Yes, Sassy." Sweetie nodded in agreement,, as she felt Sassy's magical hold of her finally fade away.
Sassy smiled upon hearing acceptance of her terms and patted Sweetie Belle on the head. "That's better, now come along please." And she led her young charge through the streets of Canterlot, making sure to keep one eye on the filly at all times so that the previous situation wouldn’t be repeated.
After a great deal of walking (too much as far as Sweetie Belle was concerned), the two came upon their destination. It was actually a rather quaint looking building that would've seemed out of place in Canterlot, were it not for the giant ice cream cone shaped sign that hung above the door, and the fact that the interior looked more like a fancy diner than an ice cream parlor. "This always was my favorite place to get ice cream when I was your age," Sassy commented to Sweetie, memories long thought forgotten briefly surfacing in her mind as she further reminisced. "I dare say, it looks like this place hasn't aged a day since I last visited."
Sweetie Belle read the name of the shop. "'Sweetie Scoops Ice Cream Emporium'? Sounds kind of stuffy, like those fancy parties Diamond Tiara's parents are always throwing. I kind of wish she'd talk her mother into letting me attend one, I wouldn't cause trouble if that's what her mom's so worried about." (Of course Sweetie knew the more likely reason for Spoiled's reluctance to allow for such a guest, but all the same she still longed for a chance to attend, just to see what those parties were like).
"Oh, I assure you, the title is quite deceiving," Sassy chuckled at Sweetie. "And you'll see soon enough." Without hesitation, Sassy pushed open the door to the parlor, the jingling bell announcing the arrival of new customers.
"Well well, Sassy Saddles," Greeted a unicorn mare whose coat was as white as snow, with a chocolate brown mane and tail with streaks of strawberry pink appearing on the curls. Her blue eyes seemed to full of amazement and surprise, but her cutie mark was hidden behind a white uniform splotched with smears of various ice cream flavors. "Long time no see," The mare then eyed the filly standing next to Sassy and added. "Oh, what's this? Is that filly yours?"
Sassy shook her head with a blush. "N-no, Sweetie Scoops! I haven’t started a family just yet! I'm simply looking after this filly while her big sister tends to an important fashion client," She then nudged Sweetie Belle forward as she said to the youngster. "Sweetie Belle, this is Sweetie Scoops. She runs the place."
"Sweetie Belle huh? I kind of like that name… especially the first part," Sweetie Scoops remarked with a wink. "I think I've heard of you from your sister, she designed my wedding dress for me. I must say, it's a real treat to see you with my own eyes," She then asked the filly. "Now, how about a ‘treat’ of your own? I've got every flavor of ice cream known to pony, even a few you've probably never heard of before. And I've got milkshakes and sundaes galore, should you want something else!"
"Go ahead, Sweetie Belle," Sassy encouraged the young unicorn. "Get whatever you like, I'll pay for it. I've got plenty of bits to spare."
"What about you?" Sweetie Belle asked her foalsitter. "Aren't you gonna buy something for yourself?"
"Me? Oh no, I'm quite content. You go ahead though, order whatever you feel like. Even something in a larger size, just make sure you don’t rot your teeth." Sassy replied with a thin smile. But she had to admit, she was awfully tempted by the sweet smelling aromas wafting through the parlor.
Sweetie Belle strolled up and down the parlor, nearly pressing her nose to the glass as she eyed all the delicious sounding flavors on the menu. It seemed so difficult to select just one, but at last she settled on an old favorite of hers. "Get me two scoops of vanilla with sprinkles and a cherry on top, please." She said to the waiting Sweetie Scoops.
Sweetie Scoops smiled, and rang up the purchase. "An excellent choice young filly." She said, as the cash register displayed the price.
But much to the surprise of both Sweetie Belle and Sweetie Scoops, Sassy suddenly spoke up. "I will have a single scoop of rocky road with whipped cream, please."
Sweetie Scoops didn't hesitate for a second to ring up that purchase as well. "Right, that'll be thirty bits in total, please." She said, but those words had hardly left her mouth when Sassy deposited the required amount on the counter top. Working in a clothing store, she was used to calculating final amounts quickly.
"I thought you said you weren't going to get anything?" Sweetie Belle asked Sassy, as Sweetie Scoops prepared the orders.
"I changed my mind," Sassy explained bluntly , licking her lips in anticipation. "I haven't had such a tasty treat in Celestia knows how long. Besides, I think everypony deserves to spoil themselves every once in awhile. Even older ponies like myself have a sweet tooth, you know."
Sweetie Belle and Sassy ate their ice cream in almost total silence. Although Sassy was careful to avoid getting any ice cream on her dress, she still dropped some of it on her face. Sweetie Belle somehow found this hilarious. When the frozen treats had been completely devoured, Sassy levitated a few napkins up from the table she and Sweetie were seated at, and wiped both their faces clean.
"Thanks for taking me out for ice cream, Sassy," Sweetie Belle commented, as the two returned to Canterlot Carousel a short time later. "Rarity does that all the time, though usually I just get a milkshake from Sugarcube Corner, especially if I'm hanging out with my friends."
"Think nothing of it, Sweetie Belle," Sassy happily replied, her sunny mood matching the warm weather outside. "I must say I've actually quite enjoyed our time together. I wouldn't necessarily mind doing it again sometime, not often mind you, I can only take so much chaos."
Sweetie couldn't help but feel partially responsible for the older mare’s turmoil, thinking back to the mess she'd made earlier and the fact that she'd run off on Sassy when they'd first left the boutique. "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble today," She apologized most sincerely. "I didn't mean it, honest."
Sassy just shook her head playfully. "It's alright, fillies will be fillies I suppose. Now perhaps, we could see about doing a little bit of crocheting together. As long as you promise not to turn the boutique upside down." With that final statement, she pushed open the door of Canterlot Carousel, and she and Sweetie Belle stepped inside.
Much to the surprise of both unicorns though, Rarity was already there waiting for them. "Ah, finally back from ice cream I see," She commented, noticing the streaks of dessert. "Thanks again for foalsitting Sweetie Belle for me on such short notice, Sassy. You did me a great favour and allowed me to continue my meeting unhindered."
Sweetie Belle immediately ran over and embraced her big sister in a tight hug. "I had so much fun today, Rarity!" She gushed, while snuggling in. "Sassy's the best foalsitter ever, at least when she's not constantly trying to be too overprotective."
"I was just trying to look out for you. Celestia knows Rarity would've killed me if anything had happened to you on my watch." Sassy commented, while dreading the mental image that conjured up (Rarity could be quite scary when she was mad, and not in the kind of 'you're beautiful when you're angry' way either).
"And you did a terrific job. I daresay you foalsit as well as you manage this boutique when I'm not around," Rarity said as she nodded with approval at Sassy. "I apologize for being gone for so long, darling. But the client was, shall we say, very demanding. She had some specific needs that proved quite difficult to address. Details that I shan't bore you with."
Sassy didn't bother to press any further, she knew the importance of client confidentiality in the fashion world.
"So, does this mean you have no other important meetings that you've nearly forgotten about?" Sweetie Belle hopefully asked her big sister with wide eyes.
Rarity confirmed that was indeed the case. "Yes, I am now free for the rest of the day, Sweetie Belle. I intend to spend every minute of it with you too. Now, if you are ready, there is still much of Canterlot you've yet to see."
"I'll be there in a moment, Rarity," Sweetie replied, as she rushed over to Sassy Saddles once more. "Thanks again for taking me out for ice cream! You were a lot of fun to hang out with, Sassy. I hope we can do this again soon."
"Not too soon I hope," Sassy grinned nervously at the eager filly. "At the least I hope the next time your sister needs me to watch over you, it is NOT a last minute thing like it was today! I need time to get prepared for this kind of stress, you know!" That actually got Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and even Sassy Saddles herself to laugh. Of course, Sassy was legit about that request, but she also knew full well that life often works in mysterious ways.