“I’m terribly sorry, mademoiselle, but you must understand that I’m simply fully booked when it comes to creating bespoke garments at present. With the Gala coming up I’m afraid I have my hooves full for the next several months.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Rarity, I just hoped… I could pay, and well!” Had it been any time other than the busiest season for Rarity’s personal designs the mare in front of her would have been quite the inspiration. A bespectacled white pony with a fire red mane that flowed in waves not dissimilar to the unicorn’s own when unstyled, and a cutie mark displaying a paintbrush surrounded by multicoloured blotches, she instantly made Rarity think ooh, a fellow artist, followed quickly by I’m picking up a touch of Twilight and Fluttershy in this one too. It filled the designer’s head with dozens of ideas that would be just perfect! But creativity alone didn’t pay the bills…
“Darling.” Rarity’s sapphire eyes filled with compassion. “Believe me, if I could, I would. I daresay you’d be a joy to work with, but you must understand that I have so many other commissions that must be fulfilled. I couldn’t possibly create a ballgown in the timescale you need without rushing either yours or someone else’s piece.” The unicorn struck a proud pose and shook her spiral mane for dramatic effect. “And I refuse to give any item I personally work on less than one hundred and ten percent!”
Her customer smiled sadly. “I understand. I didn’t think of how much work you must be getting, I just hoped that…”
“That..?” Rarity prodded, curious.
“Well, they say that you’re the pony to go to for personalised outfits. Not things you already want, but things that you never even thought of. I… uh… am terribly boring with formal wear, I can follow the trends easily enough and maybe even throw in a little of my own flair, but…” The flame-haired pony blushed, and Rarity had heard enough. She couldn’t follow through with the request without cutting corners, but…
“Enough, my dear.” The unicorn’s horn flared a pale blue and a patch of mottled red and black silk floated nearby alongside a pair of scissors. “Um, I don’t think you ever told me your name?”
“Oh! I’m sorry, Miss Rarity!” Her would-be customer blushed brightly. “My name’s Floral Sketch.”
“Well then, Ms. Sketch,” Rarity grinned, using her magic to tie the cloth loosely around the other pony’s neck then trim it into a very fetching neckerchief, “I have a proposal. Can you get to Canterlot easily?”
“Well, yes…” the other pony blushed, overwhelmed.
“Splendid! I happen to own a retail outlet there. All the items for sale have either been designed or personally vetted by myself, and I've only hired the most competent and knowledgeable of ponies for my staff.” The white unicorn giggled slightly at this point. “Truth be told, if I weren’t so insufferable at times I would have gladly taken on my master tailor as an apprentice. I’ll send word, go find yourself a design and you’ll have a splendid team making whatever alterations you wish for a sizeable discount. And you can keep the necktie as a token of how disappointed I am to let you down like this.” She smiled wickedly at how speechless her customer seemed. “There is one caveat, however.”
“Y… yes?”
“You…” A serious expression crossed Rarity’s face for a second, “will return after the Gala rush has passed to go over the designs I’ll likely be sketching tonight. I may not be able to provide you with a gown in the timescale you need, but I would like to do so eventually. Styles may come and go, but you wanted a outfit that was you, and that, at least, is something that every pony ought to have in their wardrobe.”
“Oh thank you, Miss Rarity! I… I won’t let you down!” Floral Sketch looked about ready to burst into tears with happiness. “I… I’m sure your Canterlot team will be amazing and… and I’ll see you soon!” The redheaded mare galloped out of Rarity’s purple-hued showroom with happy tears in her eyes and a huge grin on her face, not even noticing the unassuming pegasus she passed on her way out.
“Um… I really, really hate to assay this, Rarity, but… um… I think you may have agreed to another, uh… teensy order. Are you sure that’s okay?” The voice was quiet, without judgement, and in it’s own way angelic. Rarity knew who it was before she even looked over to see a contrite yellow pegasus shuffling her hooves and trying very hard to hide behind her pastel pink mane.
“Fluttershy my dear, so good to see you!” the unicorn squealed happily. “Please, do come in, I’ll put some tea on. Also, of course, I’ve only taken on… four like this? It’ll be fine, I get the designs done overnight and one the Gala rush dies down it’ll be much easier, but you have to understand, darling, when inspiration strikes it must be acted on… and here I am going on and on again. Terribly sorry about that.”
Fluttershy stifled a giggle. To say her fashionista friend could be intense would be an understatement, but in some ways that was part of her charm. “Don’t worry, Rarity, I know you know what you’re doing. Um… but tea sounds really nice, would you like me to brew it while you clear your shop up a little?”
“That… that sounds divine, darling.” Little did either pony know that this almost regular meeting would set off a chain of events that would change their lives forever.