The Challenges of Love--Part One: Rarity's Tale

by pmcollectorboy

A Charming Stranger

Quivering in an envelope of blue light, two tiny yellow stubs of paper floated in wavering, swirling patterns in front of a pair of icy blue eyes. A harried white unicorn galloped in a frenzy, struggling to maintain her breath and her concentration on the tickets that hovered alongside her as she weaved through dense crowds of ponies, all bustling about in different directions as they all went about their separate lives.
A train's whistle pierced the winter air from the distance, its high-pitched shriek rising above the din of city life. Rarity swallowed a lump as she felt her heart labor even harder in her chest. She pressed on, shoving ponies aside as she made her way towards the source of the noise, her hooves pounding the hard concrete surface of the Canterlot avenue which wound towards Platform Four. The snow-colored unicorn feared her mode of transportation would soon depart without her, and so she rushed along frantically to make her scheduled departure, not giving a second thought to the possible consequences of her mad dash.
A lime green mare went down to the pavement as Rarity muscled past, the mare's chapeau tumbling away like a leaf in the wind. As the mare lifted her head, she fixed a steely gaze on Rarity and wrinkled her nose.
"Terribly sorry!" Rarity exclaimed with a huff as her sprint took her away from the wronged mare.
She inhaled sharply and then released a harsh, ragged breath, a short wisp of icy condensation tumbling from her mouth as she focused her attention straight ahead once more. The unicorn felt a nagging dry spot in her mouth that she had difficulty getting rid of. Across her back lay a pair of saddle bags, with each laden with supplies and materials that would be crucial for her next project.
"One side, please! Out of the way! I have to catch that train!" she exclaimed as she weaved through the crowd and created a path through the chaotic masses.
With a forceful stomp of her left legs, Rarity flexed and surged to the right to sidestep a couple of lovers locked in an impassioned kiss. She then swerved back left and pushed her way through a particularly dense crowd of ponies. When she emerged on the other side, she spotted the boarding platform and the locomotive hissing steam, but before Rarity could celebrate her victory, a couple of swiftly moving stallions knocked her off balance, taking her by surprise from just outside her peripheral vision. Before she knew what had happened, she felt the harsh thud of the freshly plowed pavement slam her ribs. When she shook the dizziness from her head, she found herself on her left side and spotted her saddle bags arcing up in the air and then hitting the platform, sliding away from her and scattering her precious goods.
"Oh! Oh no!" Rarity said, dismay in her voice.
"Watch where you're going!" one of the stallions bellowed as he hurried along.
Rarity coughed out a snoutful of dust she had inhaled when she hit the pavement, and as she struggled to her feet, her left side throbbing, she gazed at the train station's circular analog clock mounted on a brass fixture high above the boarding platform. The large clock ticked past 11:00, and she gasped in realization that the train would pulling out and heading to Ponyville in just four minutes.
The blow had been rough, but Rarity eventually made it to her feet. She took a few seconds to steady herself, her calf muscles weakened and shaky. With a low, sorrowful sigh and a press of her lips into a pout, she glanced around for her items, hoping to find them close by and in easy reach. Instead, she spied her spool of Neighpon silk thread underneath a light post a good distance away, the luxurious item dangerously close to being kicked into the railroad tracks. Her ruffles and beads dangled from the deeper branches of a bush that lay third in a row of bushes. Her cuttings of satin and taffeta fabric gathered dust on the pavement as the crowd milled about them, trotting past a hair's breadth away from trampling the precious goods to shreds.
A gasp escaped her lips when she realized the precarious spots her items were in. Frantic, she reached out with a hoof, as if to indicate to the indifferent crowd to cease its chaotic motions.
"No! Be careful! Those items are expensive!"
She zipped her gaze from item to item, her nerves brought almost to the point of fraying as she struggled to decide upon which item to rescue first. The random passers-by trotting past here and there rendered keeping an eye on her items difficult, let alone rushing forward to snatch them. Seizing on a thought, she steeled herself enough to call upon her magic, and she tossed her head high in the air, the elegant, purple coils in her mane bouncing once as she closed her eyes.
However, her belongings being scattered as far and wide as they were, she found erecting levitation fields around them very difficult. Connecting with every single piece of her things proved almost impossible. A few beads wobbled in the air in one place. A piece of fabric hovered weakly in another place. Try as Rarity might, she couldn't find any cohesion in her magic.
The magical blue light around her white horn died as she allowed her connection to fizzle out with a sickly pop. Behind her, the Friendship Express belched smoke and hissed steam, looming like some noisy metal beast and occupying her mind with the pressures of her travel plans and the upcoming holiday with her family, which she had to make on time. Her holiday plans also called for her to finish her project, which required the materials so important to the gifted fashionista, the same materials that lay strewn about.
With a sigh, Rarity hung her head low, feeling decidedly weak and unglamorous. She spotted a gap in the crowd and with some effort, found her swath of taffeta fabric again. She primed her leg muscles to dart out and collect her things the mundane, magicless way. However, just as she was about to do so, her materials became wrapped in an aura of a different color and levitated over to her. She stopped and let her jaw hang slightly open as she wondered about her items floating before her, captured by a magic bubble of a new hue.
First came her saddle bags, which situated themselves across her back. Next came her materials, which settled into her bags. Finally, she saw her tickets float over to her, wrapped in an envelope of brown magic. A small smile came to her lips as she reached out and connected with her own magic, replacing the brown aura around the tickets with her own blue bubble of light.
As Rarity glanced around, trying to find her would-be rescuer, the crowd in front of her suddenly parted, with several ponies sporting slack jaws as they stepped away. She looked up the center of the parting in the crowd, and a strange creature slowly strolled up, giving her an amiable, toothy smile. Her own jaw dropped slightly as she watched the creature approach. She became filled with mild curiosity as she turned her thoughts over and over in her head on what to make of her new friend. Rarity had never seen such an animal before. It appeared to be much like a unicorn pony but with slightly different features. Its coat shimmered with an iridescent blue while its mane, although a simple brown color, flowed around the face and neck in a delightfully graceful way, much like the way Fluttershy's mane did, but somehow in a masculine fashion. As the creature got closer, she could tell that it was male. His mane bore a couple streaks of fire red, and this same streak pattern went down along the length of his neck. His face held features like a regular unicorn stallion, but his muzzle was slightly more elongated, and his eyes were a fascinating almond shape, with a vibrant, shifting array of colors for the irises. The horn, instead of spiraling in a conical shape like a regular unicorn, rose up from the center of the forehead in a single unbroken structure, which curved backwards slightly. His tail had slightly less hair than most ponies and had a longer base, reminding her more of the tail of a golden retriever than the tail of a pony.
When the strange creature approached within conversation distance, he bowed his head momentarily and then looked up again. The amiable smile came again, and Rarity found herself nearly at a swoon as her concentration became lost in the dazzling, multi-colored eyes. The mouth opened, and her friend spoke, the words gliding out like silk.
"Good morning. Are you okay there, Miss...?"
"Miss Rarity, please," Rarity said as she brought a hoof up to conceal a touch of blushing. "I, uh, I..."
"You have a train to catch. Yes. Don't allow me to delay you any further. I just wanted to ensure that you were fine."
Rarity nodded, her thoughts still stolen by her companion's exotic beauty. "Um... Yes. Yes I am fine, and all my things are here," she said when her presence of mind returned. "Thank you once again. If you'll excuse me?" Rarity gave her own bow before turning to head towards the train.
A small line had formed at the door of one of the train's cars, but it wasn't long before she made her way to the front. The conductor nodded and touched his hat as Rarity approached.
"Hello there, ma'am. May I see your tickets please?" the middle-aged brown unicorn said.
"Oh. Yes of course."
Rarity levitated the tickets held in her magic bubble closer to the conductor. The conductor squinted his eyes and leaned forward as he eyed the paper stubs. Then, raising an eyebrow, he turned back to Rarity.
"Ma'am? These don't seem to be the correct tickets."
Rarity's eyes widened and her jaw fell slack, and for a moment she couldn't be sure if she had heard the conductor correctly. "What?!"
After a quick glance at the tickets floating there, the mistake made itself evident, and Rarity's cheeks burned with embarrassment. She had accidentally brought out the train tickets for her trip from Ponyville to her family's hometown in Baltimare, tickets which she had bought in advance of coming to Canterlot. Upon realizing that she could've misplaced her proper tickets, Rarity started to grow frantic.
"No! I know my tickets are here! Just give me moment to look for them!"
The fashion pony stuffed the Ponyville tickets into her saddle bags and, in a frenzy, she sorted through her items, shoving them aside and rifling through side pockets as her fear grew.
"I know they're in here! Give me a moment!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking as her search became more sporadic.
In a burst of anger and frustration, Rarity intensified her magic's power, yanking the saddle bags closer to her neck to allow her a better view. She levitated the items out of her bags one by one, her eyes darting from one article to the next as they presented themselves.
"Ma'am? Ma'am!" the conductor exclaimed, waving a front hoof at Rarity to get her attention. "This train is almost boarded to capacity! I need to serve my other customers and get underway on time! Now if you'd like, there's another train bound for Ponyville leaving here from Platform Six in exactly two hours time. That should give you enough time to find your tickets."
Rarity shook her head as she placed her items back in her bags. As she situated her satchels across her back once more, she gazed up at the conductor with tears filling her eyes. "I need to catch this train so that I can make the final train ride from Ponyville to Baltimare and arrive by next morning. Please. My family is counting on me to be there."
The features on the conductor's face softened a little, his lips curling down into a frown and his eyes becoming sympathetic, but he still shook his head. "Please step out of the line," he muttered.
"Conductor. Please allow me to offer my tickets as a replacement for the lady's misplaced ones."
A set of tickets hovered over to the conductor's head from behind Rarity, the tickets wrapped in the same brown magical bubble of light she had seen when her strange friend came to her assistance. She glanced behind and saw her strange and exotic rescuer approach from across the boarding platform. The conductor gazed at the tickets, nodded in confirmation, and levitated his ticket puncher to snip holes into them.
"You're clear to board, ma'am," the conductor said with a touch of his hat.
Rarity glanced first at the conductor and then at her friend. She felt a flush come to her cheeks as embarrassment set in, embarrassment that somepony had to inconvenience himself just for her sake. While not adverse to seeking assistance like her farmer friend Applejack tended to be, Rarity often felt out of sorts with the idea of somepony doing something for her when she couldn't reciprocate in kind. The fact that his actions were the result of her mistakes made her embarrassment even worse.
With the heat of guilt filling her heart, Rarity shook her head. "I couldn't possibly take your tickets if it meant you had to miss your ride."
"Miss Rarity, please. I implore you to accept my offer. Please board the train," the stranger urged.
"But what about...?"
The dark blue unicorn raised up a front hoof, silencing her. "It'll be fine, Miss Rarity. I will find some way to reach my destination," he said softly.
A quivering smile came to her, a bittersweet mix of sadness and gratitude welling inside her, freeing tears that couldn't quite find the power to fall. She wondered about this strange, beautiful unicorn of shimmering dark blue fur, about what caused him to show such kindness to a pony he had met just a few minutes ago. Reaching out with her magic, and working around her hesitation, she latched onto the punched ticket and boarded the train.
Rarity wasted no time in finding a seat. She secured one several rows towards the rear from where she entered the train's car and threw her saddle bags next to her before tearing them open to search through them one more time. It still didn't sit right with her that her new friend had to sacrifice material goods and convenience on her account and would be out his train ride, possibly disrupting whatever plans he had. She wouldn't be able to look herself in the mirror knowing that even the slightest possibility existed he would miss something important. She felt the right thing to do would be to continue to search for her original tickets and offer it to her friend before the train got underway.
Her items levitated out of her saddle bags, just as before. She gave them all cursory glances, parting article from article and sifting through any nook and fold in her fabrics. The last item to float out was her stack of business cards, which flew apart in a shower of reinforced paper when a passenger shuffling down the aisle and carrying a large burden of travel bags brushed against the stack. Rarity reacted quickly and snared the cards in her magic field. As she brought her cards together and realigned them, she spotted a tiny slip of yellow paper peeking out from underneath one. Encouraged, she divided the stack and brought the yellow paper closer for a better examination. Her Ponyville tickets were already separated from the rest of her items in another bubble of magical light. She knew these had to be her proper tickets. A quick glance at the locations confirmed her hunch.
A rush of excitement forced a cry of triumph from her throat, and she threw open the window next to her seat in a flourish, sticking her head through the opening and into the cold winter air. Perhaps it was not too late. She spotted the conductor making his way towards the front cabin. Not sparing a moment, she stuck a hoof out and waved frantically, trying to attract his attention.
"Yoohoo! Mister conductor! Over here!"
The unicorn stopped in his tracks and glanced at Rarity. He looked exhausted, if his posture and slow steps were anything to go by, and Rarity wondered if he grew fatigued from his shift or if he started to get fed up with her. Nevertheless, he touched the tip of his hat.
"May I help you, miss?"
"Conductor! Where did my friend go? You remember that charming dark blue unicorn?"
"I believe he went to go stand in line to purchase a set of tickets for the other train out of Canterlot. This train is about ready to get underway, so he won't be able to catch it."
Rarity floated her tickets out the window and presented them to the conductor. "Oh but mister conductor... I've found my old tickets! See? Could you be a dear and find my strange friend and give these to him in place of him buying another set? He was so kind to me, and I would greatly appreciate it." She granted a pearly smile, hoping to disarm him enough with her charms to set him at ease.
The conductor glared at her for several tense seconds, but Rarity never dropped her smile. He then lowered his head, defeated, and plucked the tickets from Rarity's magic field, taking it along with him. It wasn't long before she saw the dark stallion approaching the train, following the conductor through the crowd from the rear of the boarding platform. He paused briefly around the middle and lifted his head, smiling when he met Rarity's gaze and giving her a vigorous wave. She pulled her head back through the window, closed it tight, and took a few moments to rearrange her things inside her saddle bags. She then placed them under her seat while her friend made his way towards the train car's entrance.
"All aboard!" came the shrill call of the conductor.
The train whistled its own shrill call, as if to answer back.
Satisfied, the white unicorn settle back in her seat, enjoying the plush, soft velour of the cushions. Outside, the Canterlot citizens trotted about in the cold, their breaths escaping as white wisps, their bodies embraced by cashmere sweaters or luxurious scarfs woven with llama wool. There was little doubt in Rarity's mind that many of them went about with their plans for the upcoming holiday, either completing their shopping or perhaps, like Rarity, traveling by train to visit family members in other lands. She didn't envy them for the cold they felt. She lost herself in the caress of central heating and comfort.
A loud, metallic thunk and her body lurching forward in her seat brought her attention to the forward motion of the train, and she opened her eyes to gaze back out of the window, the temporary daydream now over. A gentle, rhythmic noise reached her ears from outside the car, and as she enjoyed her view of the beauty of Canterlot and its citizens and culture, the buildings and ponies outside her window moved sideways along her field of vision. The train steamed towards Ponyville, her hometown.
The sound of stepping hooves behind her came to her ears, and Rarity turned her attention from the window to the aisle going down the middle of the train car. Standing before her was her strange friend.
"You made it!" Rarity squeaked in delight.
A friendly smile parted his lips, and she couldn't help but smile back. Her friend nodded politely.
"I certainly did, and now it is I who must thank YOU for your kindess." He then tilted his head toward the empty spot in the train seat. "May I join you, Miss Rarity? All the other chairs in this car seem to be nearly full."
The familiar, warm feeling of blushing came to her cheeks again, and she nodded meekly. "Yes. Yes you may join me. Oh! One moment. Please allow me to sit on the outside."
"Of course."
Her companion stepped backward as she reached under her seat and retrieved her bags, gripping the strap with her teeth before placing the bags across her back. Then, using small and ginger steps, she sidled out of her chair and into the aisle. At that moment, the train rounded a corner, Rarity lost her footing and found herself tumbling forward.
"Whoa. Careful there," her companion whispered as he stepped forward to catch her.
The blush on her cheeks burned even hotter than before, and she brought a hoof up to conceal her embarrassment as stepped away from her friend's strong embrace. When she had found her own footing again, she allowed her friend to step away from the aisle and take a seat. With her friend situated comfortably, she took her place on the outside seat.
Rarity slid her bags down to the floor once more and looked back at her companion. "Please forgive me. I would like to thank you properly, but I never did receive your name."
"Why certainly, Miss Rarity. Where are my manners? My name is Dusk Seed. I am very pleased to meet you."
There came another smile and a small bow as Rarity acknowledge the salutations of the pony sitting across from her. "I am very pleased to meet you as well, Dusk Seed. Thank you once again for being so kind to me and for assisting me back at the train station."
"Oh it was no trouble at all. It was entirely my pleasure."
Rarity grew more comfortable with her new friend, and as they conversed, she developed a desire to know a little bit more about him.
"I hope you don't think me rude, but I must say that I couldn't help but notice you don't have a cutie mark. I'm really curious to know what sort of a pony you are." After a pause where Dusk Seed gave her a look of discomfiture, Rarity hastily waved a hoof at him and added a quick and awkward amendment. "Not that I'm troubled by you or anything!"
She bit her lower lip and glanced away, fearful that she may have said something to upset him. There was a slight period of silence between them, and this did little to ease Rarity's anxiety. The bothersome pause was soon interrupted, however, not by Dusk Seed or even herself, but by a pair of passers-by entering the car from the rear door and complaining noisily as they went along.
"Can you beLIEVE it, Dandy Lion? We paid for a first class ticket, and the porter loaded our bags and boarded us all the way in the back in third class!"
"Yes. Such an inconvenience. I believe first class is towards the front."
The indignant interlopers were two earth pony Canterlot residents. The mare, the one called Dandy Lion, wore an ushanka and a thick winter coat with plush, oversized cuffs. Her fur had the color of lilacs and her mane, what little Rarity could see under the large hat, seemed to be canary yellow. The male, a silver colored stallion, bore both of the couple's saddlebags and sported a cashmere vest with a donegal jacket. The two spoke with the typical, nasal Canterlot accent, although Dandy Lion sounded like she was still working on the last notes of a Manechester dialect. The two passed Rarity and Dusk Seed swiftly, heading towards the front of the car. As they reached the center, the male stopped, turned around and backtracked, pausing just in front of her as he eyed her through his spectacles. It took a couple moments before Dandy Lion realized she had been walking alone. When the realization finally registered, she whirled around and stomped her right front hoof in anger. Rarity, however, could only continue to look up at the curious socialite.
"May I help...?" Rarity began.
"You're Rarity the unicorn!" the silver stallion exclaimed.
She blinked, slightly unnerved by his strange glaring and uncertain about whether she was supposed to know him. Canterlot socialites could be tricky to deal with. Many were just all flash and money, but a select few wielded enough power to elevate or ruin a pony such as Rarity. With their fickleness in mind, Rarity had to approach her words very carefully. Searching her brain for her many tools and tricks, she settled on flattering deference. The trick lay in not utilizing too much of it and upsetting the wife.
"Why I must thank you for noticing. It is quite obvious that a stallion with such an exquisite taste in winter wear should possess such a keen eye for quality, and I DO try to offer quality. I must say, however, that it appears your lovely companion has such a bold and varied attitude towards fashion that I'd wager she's seen it all, but I'm hoping that with her extraordinary grace and sense of sophistication that she could find something about about my work enticing."
As Rarity delivered flatteries and smiles to the Canterlot citizen, she used the distraction to spot his cutie mark and come up with some idea of his identity. Suddenly it clicked.
"Mister Prism Sketch. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I hope you'll excuse me, but I am currently in the middle of..."
"Oh but Miss Rarity! Your reputation precedes you. I have heard so much of your work, and I am in a bit of a bind that requires your flourish. You see..."
Suitably miffed, Dandy Lion trotted noisily over to her husband, her frown becoming more pronounced. She leaned over and whispered in his ear but did a rather poor job of concealing her words or the bite of her intentions. "Come on, Prism. Why are we associating with these rustics? And just look at her companion! Let's be on our way, already."
Rarity parted her lips as a gasp escaped. Dandy Lion's eyes shifted first to Rarity and then slightly behind her to where Dusk Seed sat. Even though Rarity's gaze was still on Prism Sketch, she felt Dusk Seed pull away from where his coat made contact with hers, and she also heard the sounds of a pony shifting about uncomfortably behind her. After a few moments, Prism Sketch moved his head to the side and noticed his wife in her untoward state. He then turned back to Rarity.
"I'll be in touch with you. Do you have business card I can keep?"
"I... Well sure," Rarity sputtered.
She levitated her bag and pulled out her cards, peeling one off and handing it to Prism, who grabbed it and stuffed it one of his saddle bags.
"I will be contacting you," Prism said. "I look forward to doing business with you. I won't accept no for an answer!"
As the Canterlot stallion got dragged away by his ever suffering wife, Rarity tried to call after him, to little effect.
"But I...!" she exclaimed.
The sound of a closing door was her only response.
Rarity pulled her lips into a pout. It wasn't quite the meeting she had expected. While she knew that she should always be ready to promote herself and show off her skills to the upper crust of Canterlot, Rarity had other engagements, and she was disappointed she couldn't express this to Prism Sketch.
"Well that didn't go like I wanted." She then turned towards Dusk Seed. "I must apologize for the strange interruption. I hope it didn't make you feel upset. My career sometimes places me in the path of the well-to-do, but I fear Prism Sketch may ask me to undertake a project for him at a time when I simply can't offer my services to anypony."
"You don't have to apologize, Miss Rarity. I tend to attract the odd stare here and there. I'm slowly getting used to it, but you're the first pony who's ever shown me any kindness. For that, I am grateful to you."
She brought her right front hoof up to her mouth, coyly covering up her growing smile and doing her best to hide her embarrassment over being flattered and her reddening cheeks.
"If you don't mind my asking, why is it that you can not offer your services to that strange stallion?" Dusk Seed continued.
Rarity shook her head. "I don't mind at all. I have other engagements. I'm closing my store early so that I may honor these engagements, but I'm worried Prism Sketch may not be aware of this. If he commissions me for a project, it'll have to wait until after the holiday." She gave a quiet sigh.
Dusk Seed turned his head to watch the hills and the trees, all blanketed with snow, roll by the window for a moment or two. He kept his watch of the countryside as he continued his conversation with his friend. "You speak of, pardon me, a holiday?" he asked, throwing in a questioning inflection. "What is this holiday?" He reconnected eye contact with her.
Another jolt of surprise hit Rarity, and she jerked her neck back slightly as she furrowed her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon? You've never heard of Gift Giving Day?"
He slowly shook his head. "I'm not from around here. Would you be so kind as to tell me what it's like?"
Rarity tapped a front hoof to her chin as she thought. "Well... It is what it sounds like, but ponies on Gift Giving Day typically hold parties and festivals and sing songs and go out shopping. It's a very lively holiday, and in the evening on Gift Giving Day itself, we all exchange gifts to show how much we care about each other."
He seemed to mull on his thoughts a bit as he considered her words. "That sounds wonderful. I would like to learn more."
"I would be happy to teach you more, but for now, I hope you'll excuse me. I'm going to retire to my cabin so that I can get started on my dress project for my sister. I've got a six hour train ride ahead of me, and I need to use that time wisely. Have a good day."
As Rarity got up, took her bags and headed towards the rear door of the train car, she heard Dusk Seed call after her. "Before you go, Miss Rarity, would you join me for lunch sometime?"
She stopped and smiled. The delicate mare thought she detected a hint of eagerness in her friend's voice. This charmed her, but she allowed herself a careful pause. She couldn't be sure if there were any deeper intentions in his request. After a few seconds, however, she decided that lunch was a perfectly reasonable expectation and that accepting his invitation was the polite thing to do. She turned her head over her shoulder and granted him a cheerful smile.
"Lunch would be just fine. Shall we meet at the dining car around three?"
Dusk Seed nodded. "I would like that just fine."
Rarity closed her eyes and lifted her head as joy welled in her heart. She then continued on her way towards her designated sleeping cabin.

A screech of metal grinding against metal sent an uncomfortable surge of tingling through Rarity's teeth, a surge all too familiar to any teacher who had scratched a piece of chalk against the board just so, and she steadied herself in her chair as several tons of train came to a slow but shuddering stop. The shriek of a whistle pierced the air, followed by the sound of steam being evacuated.
When Rarity finally disembarked the train, she took the time to stop and bid a good day to Dusk Seed. Before she went on her way, however, Dusk Seed pulled Rarity aside and draped a hoof around her shoulder, keeping her within whispering distance.
"Miss Rarity," Dusk Seed said, keeping his voice low. "This Gift Giving Day you mentioned... You said it was to exchange gifts between ponies who love each other?"
The mare nodded. "I did indeed."
"What about between friends? Or ponies who trust each other?"
A broad smile parted Rarity's lips and that familiar feeling of joy filled her heart once more. She became eager to know where Dusk Seed was headed with his words, and she gained reassurance and a sense of wonder at the feeling of his steady, strong hoofs wrapped around her shoulders.
"Absolutely!" she exclaimed.
"Well I trust you, Miss Rarity. In fact, I think... Yes! You ARE my friend!" The dark, iridescent unicorn took a step away from their embrace. "I want you to have this. It is yours now."
Rarity watched as Dusk Seed reached up with a hoof and brushed back several strands of hair. His whole left ear became revealed, and she gasped upon spotting the shimmering treasure that had been hidden by his mane. Fastened to his ear lay a diamond studded earring, the gem cut to a simple round brilliance, the pavillion hidden in the notch of the jewelry itself. She found herself dazzled by how perfect the facets seemed and at the polish which allowed the right amount of light to catch the diamond's inner mirrors, returning the illusion of a shiny, magnificent star to the eye. The fashion pony with the penchant for gemstones figured the diamond to be around two carats, the perfect size for an earring.
She found herself captivated in doe-eyed adoration by the gem's sheer beauty. As enamored as she was by it, though, her better nature eventually took over, and she found herself resisting once more.
"What a beautiful and generous gift," she breathed with a smile. "I... I couldn't take that, but..."
"It is my gift to give to you. Please take it."
Rarity swallowed hard, drawn to the diamond yet again. Dusk Seed must've seen the eagerness in her eyes, for he levitated the diamond earring off of his ear and moved it over to where Rarity stood, gently fixing the jewelry to her right ear. Rarity struggled to maintain her composure as a fine mist of tears came to her eyes, driven there by the sudden welling of joy and gratitude. She wiped her eyes for a bit and then brought her right front hoof up to her ear, feeling for her new present. A smile parted her lips, and she threw her front hooves around Dusk Seed's neck.
"Oh thank you! Thank you very much!" Rarity squealed with joy as she squeezed her friend's neck with an eager passion.
"You're very welcome," Dusk Seed said, returning the hug.
After the embrace ended, the white mare held out her friend at one leg length. "Where will you go from here in Ponyville? Are you here to visit or stay?" Rarity's voice took an eager rise in intonation when she asked her friend if he was staying.
"I will be walking from here and staying in a cabin at the edge of the woods. I'm actually not certain if I am staying here in Ponyville, but while I'm here, I assure you that I will not be far away."
Rarity's smile faded somewhat, but she kept her polite air, trying not seem disappointed. "I hope you will stay here in Ponyville. I think you will love it. What will you do while you're here?"
"For the moment, I am here to visit my family. I might also explore more of Ponyville and see some of its citizens."
The smile came back in full. "Oh you're visiting family too? I as well am visiting family!" Rarity then paused as she thought a bit. "I wish there was some way we could keep in contact with each other while I'm away with MY family." She clicked her teeth as she furrowed her brows in thought. "My parents would absolutely KILL me if they knew I gave away their address, but..."
In a flash of blue light, her right saddle bag worked itself open, and she levitated out a pencil and a small scrap of paper. A forgotten moment of inspiration had eased the resourceful fashionista into the habit of carrying around writing materials whenever she made outings, just in case an eye-catching configuration of color and curves gave her cause to jot down ideas or illustrations. She scribbled down two sets of numbers and letters. It didn't turn out to be her best cursive, but her excitement came close to ruining her concentration.
Stifling a small giggle, Rarity folded the paper in half and passed it over to her friend. "The top address is my parents' house. The bottom one is my own house. It is called Carousel Boutique, and I make dresses there. You can't miss it. It is probably one of the most unique buildings in all of Ponyville. However, for the duration of the holiday season until the eve of Gift Giving Day, I will be staying at my parents' place for vacation. Do write me, if it so pleases you."
Almost out of habit, Rarity coyly lifted her right front leg, keeping it bent in a ladylike manner, and batted her eyes. She had done this flirtatious move so many times that she often went unaware she was doing it. She caught herself in time, however, and upon seeing Dusk Seed's reddening cheeks, she lowered her hoof and backed away a single step. Her friend continued to smile, and when she saw his pearly whites, it set her heart back at ease.
Dusk Seed transferred the slip of paper to his own magic field and nodded. The dark blue unicorn didn't possess his own travel bags, but around his shoulders hung a coin purse. It seemed to be made of soft purple velvet, with a drawstring made of golden fibers. On one side of the pouch, stitched in shiny, silver threads, appeared an emblem or a regalia of some kind. A closer inspection revealed to Rarity that the emblem resembled two crossed unicorn horns, one red and one purple. She tilted her head in wonder at the emblem but then brushed the thought aside as Dusk Seed stuffed the note into his coin pouch before looking up with a smile.
"I thank you kindly, Miss Rarity. Will we be going our separate ways, now?"
"Oh don't be silly," Rarity said with a small hoof gesture. "I've still got a little time before I have to catch my other train. I should introduce you to my friends. Or at least one of them. If you're going to be seeing all Ponyville has to offer, you'll probably be needing a guide, and I can think of nopony better suited for the job than my good friend Twilight Sparkle." She turned to head away from the train but paused in midstep to glance back at Dusk Seed, coyly tilting her head in the direction of her travel as if offering an invitation. "Would you like to escort me while I tell you all about them?"
The dark blue unicorn bowed low. "It would be my pleasure."

The trip to Ponyville from the train station was pleasant but hardly uneventful. Rarity explained that they were headed towards the town's library, and Dusk Seed learned a great deal about her friends. As they walked through the snow covered streets, however, Dusk Seed couldn't help but notice that a few of the locals stared at him as they passed by. Dusk Seed, out of respect for Rarity, surmised that they were just curious about his unique features and weren't trying to be rude. His conjectures did little to relieve his unease, however.
"I seem to be attracting some attention," he remarked as he glanced around pensively.
Rarity gave her surroundings a scan, much as he did, and did indeed notice a few ponies here and there muttering amongst themselves and staring at her friend. With a look over her shoulder to where her friend followed her, she saw that he no longer possessed the vibrant smile he had when they stepped off the train. She did her best to diffuse his unhappiness with her own smile.
"They've probably just never seen a pony with such strikingly handsome features as yours," she crooned.
The corner of Dusk Seed's lips turned up slightly, and Rarity saw the briefest flash of teeth from a modest, reserved smile. There also came a blush on his cheeks, which against the deep, iridescent blue of his fur, came back as an intriguing purple.
Her friend pressed his lower lip into his teeth momentarily before looking back at her to speak. "Miss Rarity? Would I be too bold if I asked a favor of you?"
Rarity paused and turned around to face her friend. She felt rather surprised that he would seem so hesitant to ask something of her after all the kindness she had shown him. "That wouldn't be too bold at all. I would be glad to do something for you. Just name it."
He smiled and bowed. "I would greatly appreciate it if you made me some kind of coat with a cowl, please."
"I would be glad to make you a coat. I will make it very warm and oh so fashionable." She gasped, and her eyes widened in delight as her mind turned over ideas. "Ooh! I've got so many ideas! So many different fabrics and colors I can think of! I hope I have time to sketch out a couple designs."
"Please make it simple."
Rarity blinked and tilted her head. "I beg your pardon?"
Dusk Seed turned his head to the side, giving his fur a brief look. Then he returned his attention to Rarity. "All I seem to be doing is attracting attention."
"Well in MY opinion, that's not a bad thing."
"Plain is fine, please milady," he said with another bow.
Rarity couldn't resist such an act of courtesy. She drew great pleasure in knowing she had found such a delightfully charming friend and could only marvel at how lucky she was. With a smile, she nodded her approval and continued on her way towards the library.
After a quick jaunt through town, they came upon the library. As the two friends approached, Dusk Seed's jaw dropped slightly, caught by surprise at the sight of a library built into a large tree. He remarked to Rarity how he had never seen such a thing before, with its windows set into the trunk and the branches, to which she remarked that it was unique to Ponyville. Rarity approached the door, a simple wooden half oval with a picture of a lit candle stick and an old fashioned courting candle holder and drip.
Before she entered, she turned around and motioned towards Dusk Seed with a hoof. "Perhaps you should wait over there for a tiny bit while I go in," Rarity insisted.
The dark blue unicorn raised an eyebrow. Considering the few stares here and there that he had received, Dusk Seed figured that prudence was being asked for. While he trusted Rarity's judgment, he hoped her friends were as kind and understanding as she. Reluctantly, he backed away from the door a few steps.
Rarity nodded towards Dusk Seed and then turned back towards the library's door. Raising her hoof, she proceeded to knock a few times before slowly opening the door to stick her head in.
"Hello?" she called. "Are you home, Twilight?" As she walked inside, stepping through the threshold a few steps, all she saw was Spike the baby dragon, pacing around on the floor in the middle of the main study and looking decidedly upset. "Hello, Spike? Is Twilight home?"
"Wah!" Spike had nearly tripped over his own feet while in mid-pace. He whirled around to face Rarity, granting her an awkward, crooked smile. "Oh," he said with a small wave. "H-hey there, Rarity. You startled me. I didn't notice you coming in."
The unicorn trotted closer to the dragon and ran a hoof through the stubby green spines on his head. "My apologies, Spike. It was not my intention to startle you. Would you be so kind as to fetch Twilight for me?"
Spike paused and tapped an index claw against his chin as he looked up slightly. "Well I'm sorry, Rarity, but Twilight isn't here right now. I think she's out with Fluttershy collecting moonglow bugs for the upcoming festival."
She pulled her lips forward into a pout. "Oh well that's a shame. I really don't have the time to go track down my friends, either. I have to finish up this dress for Sweetie Belle and get going on my family visit."
"What do you need her for, Rarity?"
Rarity looked down at Spike and smiled. "Well, Spike, I needed her to show my new friend around Ponyville. And by the way, Spike, I couldn't help but notice you pacing around, looking like you got caught with your claws in the cookie jar, so to speak."
Upon hearing this, Spike gasped, took a couple steps away from Rarity, clasped his arms behind his back and traced circles in the floor with a toe. "Well... You see, Rarity..."
The two of them heard a creak, and Rarity glanced over her shoulder to see the door slowly being pushed open. In the door frame stood Dusk Seed.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Rarity, but I'm afraid I couldn't wait that much longer. I don't mean to seem impatient, but it was rather cold out there."
She brought a hoof up to her mouth, which hung open as embarrassment took hold again. "Oh goodness me. I am so terribly sorry. I did not mean to be so discourteous to you. Please come in."
With Rarity's apology and upon receiving her permission to enter, Dusk Seed walked through the library door and closed it. He immediately became grateful for the warmth.
Spike weaved his head to the left and right. With the way Rarity had been standing while she talked to him, he couldn't see who had just walked through the door. However, just on the outside of Rarity's flank, he caught glimpses of a dazzling, almost shimmering deep blue. The little dragon was just about to get it into his head to walk around Rarity when, almost as if she knew to satisfy his curiosity, she stepped to the side to let whomever was behind her pass through.
"Who's your new friend, Rari--WHOA NELLY!"
Spike wheeled backward, almost tripping over himself. After he had regained his balance, he gazed at the newcomer with a slack-jawed look. Spike was half in awe at the stranger's dazzling color and shimmering quality and half in bewilderment at his exotic and unusual features. The dragon shifted his eyes left and right, working his field of vision from the top of the stranger's form to his very feet. Spike noted to himself that at least the stranger had hooves, but upon going back to his fur coat and his almond eyes, which almost seemed to have its own rainbow trapped inside, he couldn't help but become mesmerized. It almost seemed to Spike like he was staring at the deepest part of the ocean just by looking at the stranger's fur.
Upon seeing the baby dragon's reaction, Dusk Seed shuffled slightly and took a couple steps back towards the door. He tried his best to keep up a smile but found difficulty in maintaining eye contact with the dragon.
Rarity didn't seem angry or upset, however. Indeed, she seemed calm, granting the dragon a considerate, caring smile. She slowly trotted over and bent down to place her mouth near one of the dragon's ears. "Spike," she whispered. "Now that's not polite." She then lifted her head and stepped to the side, pointing backwards at Dusk Seed. "This is Dusk Seed, Spike. Please do not stare because he's a little self-conscious about his image. Now if Twilight isn't here, would YOU like to show my new friend around town?"
Spike shied away from Rarity and went back to floor gazing. "I'm sorry, Rarity." Then as he looked up again, he continued, "And I'm afraid not. I promised Twilight that I'd stay here so that I can help out when she comes back."
"Oh what a shame."
Dusk Seed trotted closer and held out a hoof. "It's okay, Miss Rarity. Some other time, perhaps. Spike, is it? I am very pleased to meet you, and I must say that I'm charmed to have met my first baby dragon ever." With his delivery in place, he bowed low once more.
The handful of years Spike remembered of Canterlot took hold like a training regimen of etiquette, and he gave his own bow, a short, shaky bow but a bow all the same.
"Isn't he a gentlecolt?" Rarity whispered as she leaned in close towards Spike.
Spike could only gaze up at her, a tiny hint of suspicion growing in him.
"Miss Rarity? If you'll excuse me, I think I'll take my leave now."
Rarity turned her attention back towards Dusk Seed and nodded. "Yes of course. I should get started for home, as well. I need to put the finishing touches on this dress and then catch my next train towards my family's home town."
She saw her friend out of Twilight's house. She stood in the doorway for a bit, watching him walk away before turning left and disappearing down the road. She felt her cheeks becoming warm again, and she brought a hoof up to her face, rubbing her right cheek as if to tell it to cease. After a few moments, she turned her head and looked back over her shoulder, giving Spike a nod.
"Tell Twilight I stopped by. Would you, darling?" she said with a chipper squeak in her voice.
As she raised a leg to step out of the door and make her way home, she heard Spike rush forward and call her name, a sense of urgency evident in his voice.
"Wait! Rarity!"
She stopped and lowered leg, staying where she was at the threshold and closing the door with her magic. She then slowly turned around and tilted her head at the young dragon. He had stopped just a few paces away from her and now had his two index claws pressed together end to end, twisting and fidgeting them around each other.
"Please don't go yet, Rarity."
Rarity considered Spike's expression. The dragon seemed to be on the verge of tears, and he had his lower lip quivering underneath his teeth. Despite keeping up the appearance of cordial indifference, Rarity had grown rather fond of Spike, and it broke her heart to see him upset. Judging by how hard he tried to keep his emotions in check, Rarity surmised that something had been deeply troubling him.
"You're leaving for your holiday. Aren't you, Rarity?"
To this, she nodded. "Indeed I am. Is something troubling you, Spike?"
"I broke it," came a tiny, scratchy squeak of a response.
Rarity's jaw dropped. Out of all the words in the Equestrian language, "broken" was Rarity's least favorite. However, just to be absolutely sure of Spike's words, she decided to press the issue some more.
"I beg your pardon?" she asked.
Spike reached up and wiped away a tear that had threatened to bring more of its companions along. "Th-the special jewel encrusted, mithril inlaid, magic catadioptric telescope you helped make for Twilight. Sh-she was so fond of it and she was going to use it for the upcoming festival about how Gift Giving Day came about. I-I was messing around with it a bit and I knew I shouldn't have but I did anyway and... and..." He sat down on the ground and drew his knees close to his face, hiding his eyes as he sniffled.
Rarity found she had to bite her lips as well to keep her composure, and she ran a hoof through his spines once more. Carefully she tucked the hoof behind his knees to gently lift his face out of its hiding spot. He tried to resist at first but eventually yielded to her touch. His eyes glistened with big, moist tears. These tears she gently brushed away as they came.
"Let's see the damage," she said, as softly as possible to ease the repentant dragon.
Spike nodded and wiped away the last of his tears. He led her towards the back of the library where Twilight's laundry room was situated. He made his way over to a small basket that had been conspicuously inverted. Removing the basket revealed a pile of sheets. Spike tossed the basket to the side, and it gave a hollow, plastic clatter as it wobbled in a clockwise motion on the floor. He then carefully pulled up the linens on the floor, and Rarity's ears detected the sounds of clinking, both of a metallic and glass nature. Bits and pieces of a small telescope landed unceremoniously on the tile.
Rarity furrowed her eyebrows. "Spike. This is a terrible hiding spot to cover up your indiscretion."
"You've got to help me, Rarity!" Spike exclaimed, rather loudly.
Before Rarity knew it, Spike was on his knees in front of her, clasping his hands together in a pleading way. The unicorn was immediately put off by Spike's unbecoming display of groveling. She wrapped the dragon in a levitation field, lifted a hoof up and gently eased him away. She then glanced down at the scene of the crime. Twilight had to help Rarity with the more technical aspects of the telescope, but Rarity knew a wreck when she saw one. The telescope was just as much an objet d'art to her as it was an item of scientific endeavors to Twilight. The reflective mirrors were pulverized to bits. The same could be said about the lens. The casing had been bent in several spots, rendering it unsalvagable. However, Rarity's heart lifted when she saw that all the gems had survived, as well as the eyepiece with the single enhancing gem that had given the telescope a slight magical property. She also wondered if she could peel the mithril inlays away from the polished mahogany casing. She knew it would definitely save a lot of time, effort and money if she could salvage the second rarest metal in the entire world.
"So would it be correct of me to assume that you would like to me to craft another one just like this without Twilight's knowledge?" Rarity asked as she turned her attention back towards Spike.
The dragon only found the strength to nod once.
"Spike. You DO realize that the first one required my seeking Twilight's advice and knowledge of telescope parts, gear ratios, and precision instrumentation. Don't forget the amount of time and cost of materials I had to invest in creating the original. There's ALSO the simple fact that I have a holiday engagement that I must attend to after I finish this dress for Sweetie Belle. I simply can't spare the time."
Rarity heard sniffling again, and as she stared into the young dragon's eyes again, she saw streams of tears falling from them and off the sides of his tiny snout.
"I understand, Rarity," Spike said through his sobs.
Rarity's heart seemed to rage at her as she continued to watch Spike in his current state. It was something in his words, in the way he said "I understand" that hurt her, and she started to regret to her actions.
"Oh Spikey-Wikey," Rarity said, her voice low and shaky.
These intimate moments between herself and her favorite dragon sometimes gave Rarity pause to consider the nature of their relationship. Life was a big charade for Rarity, a series of masks that she wore well. Around Spike, she often acted amusingly patronizing, putting on acts of treacly sentimentality but trying to be inconspicuous about her feelings for him. She couldn't decide half the time if she saw herself more like a mother or the doting older sister when she delivered her pink tinted words. The increasing frequency of these intimate moments, however, alarmed Rarity. She felt protective of Spike, in a way that was different from Twilight's protectiveness of him. Platonicity was the barrier she erected, time and again, to quell a seed of something in her heart that she feared was really there, ready to grow if given the chance. Even as she lifted her hoof to massage Spike's head spines again, she willed herself not to cry in front of him.
"I'll you what, Spike. You have to promise me that you'll tell Twilight the truth of what happened because I need her help in crafting the telescope again. In return for your promise, I will try to carve out a new casing for the telescope while I'm away on vacation and see about shopping around for telescope parts. I won't make any guarantees, but with any luck, I'll have something I can put together when I come back."
Slowly, Spike calmed down, and as he looked up at Rarity, the edges of his lips crept up ever so slightly into the meekest flash of a smile. He then dried his eyes and wrapped his short arms around her neck. Rarity returned the hug and then instructed him on what he should do.
Spike searched throughout the library and brought over a small sack and some cloth pieces for Rarity. She recovered the gems that studded the shell of the ruined telescope and placed them inside the sack. With the cloth pieces, she wrapped up the telescope's eyepiece after she undid the screw keeping it attached to the gear mechanism. Then, peering into the ruined, hollow tube, she squealed with delight upon discovering the gearwork could be saved. Licking her lips, she carefully focused her magic, pushing and prodding around the inside of the telescope to find a connection with the intricate structure. She eventually latched on and withdrew the gears from the telescope. She placed the gears in their own separate cloth piece. The final task for Rarity was in peeling the mithril inlays from the outside. She had laced the outside of the telescope with a network of long threads of the beautiful metal. Peeling it away would prove tricky, as the metal tended to be inflexible unless it was heated.
Rarity tried tugging on the inlays with her magic, but the precious metal wouldn't budge. After a few rounds of tugging, she gave up on retrieving the metal.
"Well that's a shame," she said as she lowered the telescope back to the floor. She then shifted the focus of her magic and gathered up the small sack and the cloth pieces, placing these inside her saddle bags. "But other than the mithril, I've got everything I need. Thank you, Spike. I'll be taking my leave, now. I'd advise you to clean up this mess and tell Twilight the truth."
Rarity closed the flaps of her saddle bags and turned to exit the laundry room. Spike scampered closely after her, bounding along like a puppy dog.
"I can find more mithril for you, Rarity!" he exclaimed, his intonation lifted up a few notes by his eagerness.
Rarity smiled and stopped. She turned around to face him and found herself having to struggle against becoming enamored by his face, with his eager doe eyes and toothy smile. Reaching down, she gave him another hug.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Spike, and I'm very grateful. But mithril is kind of hard to find, and monsters tend to be attracted to it in many of the caves that have it. I am fine, Spike. I'll just try something else. Brass is very fashionable."
"Oh but Rarity!" the dragon pleaded.
The white unicorn held up a hoof, and Spike fell silent.
"Spike. Just wait here and help out Twilight and the others with the upcoming festival. Now I must take my leave. Please be a good dragon while I'm gone."
"Okay, Rarity," Spike said softly, his eyes downcast. Then, looking up as she passed by him, he said, "May I escort you out of the door?"
"Oh Spike, you sweetheart. Of course you may!"
A broad, cheery smile came to Spike, and he bounded ahead of Rarity as she walked, opening the front door for her and bowing low as he did so. A great feeling of joy, driven by the unicorn's love of chivalry, propelled her past the open door with a spring in her step, and she had to stifle a squeak of delight as she trotted past the young dragon. She took two steps into the crisp snow before she heard her name being called again, the quake of anxiety jittering the words of the young dragon saying them.
"R-Rarity?"
The white unicorn smiled and turned around to face the young dragon. "Yes Spike?"
"Will you be joining us for the festival on Gift Giving Day?"
Rarity closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "I will try my level best, but I can't make any guarantees." She then reopened her eyes. "Was there something else?"
"Well..." Spike kicked at a spot on the floor. "After Gift Giving Day, I mean if you're not b-busy and anything, do you think we c-could... c-can we...?" Spike closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stood with his arms held stiff by his side as his words came tumbling out. "I've been studying a little dragon magic and I've been practicing and getting really good at it and there's this trick I wanted to show you. Could you join me in the park sometime?"
Rarity smiled and nodded. "Day after Gift Giving Day in the park it is, then. Shall we say three in the afternoon?"
A shy smile crept up into Spike's lips, reflecting the glimmer of some kind of hidden victory rising up within him. "I-I'd like that, Rarity."
She closed her eyes with a smile, confident in her act of charity, and then continued on her way.

After the crunch of snow and the squeak of the door's hinges had passed from her hearing and into the cold air, complete silence greeted Rarity as she stared through the threshold into the showroom before her. The Carousel Boutique was almost somber in its organization. She remembered yesterday's mess, with streamers and balloons tossed about her house and hanging upon various catching points like vines in a garden, all reminiscent of a good time. Pinkie Pie had thrown Rarity a special "Congratulations On Selling Your Tenth Dress In A Week" party.
Ten dresses. Rarity had to chuckle at the thought. That was more than a dress and a half a day, and all of them had been hoof-crafted originals. The number of dresses itself wasn't special. A busy week for Rarity would've seen her selling close to thirty. The dresses she had been crafting throughout the week were all extremely elaborate projects that had eaten up a lot of her time and money. They were most of the reasons she had been so stressed out over her schedule as of late. She also dreaded closing out her ledger and locking up her store.
A sigh, visible in the cold air as a white wisp, escaped Rarity's lips.
"Ten dresses. Plus one more, I'd wager."
On the floor across the threshold, Rarity spotted a tiny slip of paper. It bore the seal of Prism Sketch, the Canterlot citizen she had bumped into on the train. She levitated it into the air and brought it with her as she got out of the cold and closed the front door behind her. Finding her letter opener located on her work desk, she extracted the letter from the envelope and began reading.

Dear Rarity,
I have come to you so that I can commission your expertise for a project that is of some importance to me and my colleagues. You are probably aware of the businesses I deal with. I own several large and powerful companies all across Equestria, but my main skill is owning and financing several venues that I use for public and private functions. I have offered up one of my venues for use to an auction house. It seems the princess of Romanea, Princess Edelweiss Glimmervale, is set to be married any time soon. She has commissioned the auction house to sell most of her dress collections, for which she is famous throughout Equestria, in preparation for her new life, as is the custom of her country. The proceeds will go to charity. Unfortunately, the good princess has seen fit to go through a preliminary examination of the auction plans and has expressed great displeasure over it and the decor. On top of all these troubles, the main fashion designer in charge of creating outfits for all those attending the auction seems to have quit in a fit of disgust. To cut straight to the point, I am absolutely certain that you will fit the bill. The auctioneer is a good friend of mine and is almost close to tears over this whole mess, and I myself am worried that my venue may never be used again. I implore you to use your skills to assist me. The auction requires ten suits and ten dresses. Three mares and one stallion want custom outfits, and I have included the details of what they want on the next part of this letter. You will be doing a great service if you agree to do this for me, and not the least of which is saving an auction event that would be for a worthy cause. The auction takes place two days after Gift Giving Day. Please respond with a letter as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Prism Sketch

The letter fell to the floor, released from the levitation field as Rarity suddenly felt defeated.
"Well. Ten suits and ten dresses, with four of them being custom projects." The unicorn then looked at the saddle bags on her back. "I still have to do some trimmming and adjusting for Sweetie Belle's dress. And Dusk Seed wants me to make him a coat. Spike wants me to help create a new telescope for Twilight. I also still have to close out my ledger. Oh dear." Rarity's voice went up an octave as she bemoaned her current affairs. "How did I ever find myself in this predicament?!"
Twenty feet in front of her stood a dress form, a ponyquin as Sweetie Belle sometimes called it. It possessed the proportions of a filly and was much smaller than her regular dress forms. She stared at it intently, as if expecting it to answer. All she heard was a tiny "mew".
"Opal!" Rarity exclaimed as she looked to the ground and spotted her white Persian. "Well, Opal. What should I do?"
The cat said nothing. She only sat there on the floor, paws pulled close together, looking up at her owner.
Rarity looked back up at the dress form. "Too many ponies want me. But I guess I should do first things first. Time to get to work."
A flash of blue enveloped Rarity's horn. The dress that had been stuffed in her saddle bag levitated out and wrapped itself around the dress form. She then extracted pins, scissors, seam rippers, and other assorted tools from her tool box. Licking her lips, she got to work.