//------------------------------//
// Confusing Couture 
// Story: One Bolt, Many Questions 
// by Boltsinger 
//------------------------------//

Weeks passed since the trip to the Crystal Empire, and life in Ponyville was in a state of relative normalcy. Boltsinger flew out of a window in the castle, taking a look at the town and swooping into the streets. Rarity had been following him for the past few days with a measuring tape, occasionally getting up close and getting measurements. He was happy to get away from the bustle of Rarity’s “inspiration”, at least for a little while.
He looked around town, seeing Apple Bloom and two other fillies talking with another foal, Big Mac was pulling the Apple Family’s sales cart behind him as Granny Smith followed behind. Eventually, he came upon Sugar Cube Corner, where the Cakes were dealing with standard customers.
“Hiya, Bolt!” Pinkie called from the kitchen. “You here for some sweets?”
Boltsinger scratched his mane, looking back as he came in. “Sweets would be great, but… I’m more or less trying to get away from Rarity for a while.”
“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked, pulling her head back behind the doorway. Boltsinger went into the kitchen, seeing Pinkie speeding around an obscenely large cake, adding icing and decorating it.
“Well, she’s been getting my measurements a lot lately. Practically every hour on the hour, she’s been showing up, looking at some part of me, and then running off.” He explained. “I feel like there would be a more expedient way to get the things she needs, but she’s been so quiet about it, rushing around. Maybe she’s distracted?”
“Maybe she’s got so many orders that she’s gotten sick of it all, and she’s going to give up fashion and is going into sculpting!” She gasped. “Maybe you’re her first sculpture model!” She put her hooves onto Boltsinger’s shoulders, rapidly shaking him. “YOU’RE GONNA BE IMMORTALIZED IN STOOOOONE!!!”
“I… don’t think it’s that.” Boltsinger replied. “So, what are you doing?” He looked at the cake, which featured a star pattern on deep purple icing. The edges of the cake had a spiral pattern from a star-shaped tip.
“Experimenting with recipes for Twilight's birthday cake!” She told him.
“Okay. So when is her birthday?” He asked, raising a hoof to his muzzle. “If her birthday is coming up… I should probably find some kind of gift for her… Ah! Books! I bet she’d love books!”
“It’s in one hundred and thirty-four days!” Pinkie clarified. “I wanna make sure I get the recipe juuuuust right!”
Boltsinger’s eyes widened. “That’s some super detail there. You prepare for this stuff this far in advance?”
Pinkie sped over to the stallion, putting her hoof around him. “You have noooooooooooooo idea!” She zoomed back over to the cake. “Wanna help me taste test?”
Boltsinger looked at the beautiful cake, his eyes shining, and his mouth letting loose a little bit of drool. He nodded his head as he inched closer to the confection.
Five minutes later, the room and the ponies in it were covered in frosting and cake bits. Boltsinger and Pinkie Pie were sitting on the floor, bellies engorged.
Boltsinger groaned. “Best… cake… EVER.” He drummed on his belly with his forelegs, making a sound similar to that of a djembe.
Pinkie giggled. “Yup. Twilight’s birthday is gonna be a-MAZ-iiiiiing!” She got up, the belly bulge somehow vanishing.
Boltsinger worked his way to his hooves, letting out a burp in the process. “Well… I think I should go see what Rarity’s been working on so frantically that she has to follow me around everywhere.”
As the stallion made his way to the door, he heard the voice of Rarity asking everypony in the establishment where Boltsinger might be. She directed her gaze towards him when Mr. Cake pointed towards the kitchen.
“Boltsinger, darling!” she exclaimed, rushing over to him. “Where in Equestria have you been?”
Boltsinger covered his mouth as another burp came out. “I was in the kitchen. Pinkie needed some… ‘help’ with a cake.”
Rarity looked at the mess that covered the colt’s coat. “I… can see that. Well, I just needed to get your measurements one more time.” She floated a measuring tape over to the stallion, taking note and turning around to walk away. “I’ll be on my way!”
Boltsinger raised a hoof. “You know, I can just come with you for the whole project if you need me to.” Rarity stopped and looked back. “It’s got to be easier than following me around.”
“Well, your outfit hasn’t quite come to the forefront yet. I’ve just been trying to keep my information on your sizes up to date!” She laughed nervously as her eyes darted around the room. “Besides! The Gala is moons away! It’s not like your outfit needs to be done immediately…” Her laughter continued as she tried to walk out farther.
“You have no idea what to do, huh?” Boltsinger flatly asked. Rarity’s pupils shrank, her ears lowering as she rushed back over to him, looking him in the eye with her most serious face.
“Oh, no no nonono… Preposterous!” She put her front hooves on his neck. “I’ve never been without inspiration! It’s just… unthinkable that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a good outfit for you!”
“Well, then, why don’t we go to your boutique, and then I can see what you’ve got. Then we can work from there.” He started walking forward, Rarity looking at him with a worried look on her face.
“You want to see?” She ran up in front of him. “You really want to see?!”
“Yep. If it’ll help you, at least.” Boltsinger confirmed.
“YOU CAN’T!” Rarity yelled. “I mean… I can’t possibly ruin the surprise for you! You’ll have to… go home and wait until I’m finished!”
Boltsinger looked at Rarity, looking both confused and concerned. “Alright… I guess I’ll go home, then.” Boltsinger spread his wings and took off out the door, ascending as he left the building.
Rarity, seeing the Pegasus fly away, ran out of Sugar Cube Corner, making a beeline for the Carousel Boutique and looking around at the ground level to see if she might be followed. She ran into the boutique, slamming the door behind her.
Overhead, Boltsinger was sitting on a cloud, watching her run by. Once she was inside, he flew over to a window, where Rarity was standing over a box containing much of what they bought in the Crystal Empire. She looked at the fabric and jewels, putting a hoof to her muzzle contemplatively.
“Why on earth is this so hard?” She floated a piece of parchment over, looking between it and the materials so rapidly that when she finally stopped, her mane had begun to split apart. “Any other time, I can come up with an outfit in an instant! What’s so different about this one?!”
Boltsinger sighed and descended to the ground, walking to the castle. He went to the library, where Twilight was reading the book Sunburst referred to her.
“How is the research coming?” Boltsinger inquired.
“It’s fascinating! I’m learning more about phenomena regarding Cutie Marks every day!” She excitedly answered. “Did you know that some Cutie Marks will respond based on how the talent they’re associated with is used? Your Cutie Mark still has a few mysteries to solve, but I’m really making headway on the subject!”
“That’s really cool!” Boltsinger responded, his ears perking up. Twilight looked back at him, smiling, but her face turning to worry as she saw him pawing at the floor with his hoof. “Twilight, can I ask you a question?”
“What do you need?” Twilight replied, putting the book down and getting up from her chair.
“So, I think Rarity might be having a problem.” He began. “She’s been following me for the past few days, taking measurements and various other things. I know she’s trying to make an outfit for me, and I really appreciate that she’s going that far, but… She seems really… um… I can’t think of the word…”
“Frazzled?” Spike suggested, walking behind him with a book that he added to the stack of books on the table.
“Yeah! Frazzled! Thank you!” he said. He went on to explain the situation to Twilight and Spike. “... and I was wondering how we might be able to help…”
Twilight turned her head, bringing a hoof up to her face. “It is odd that Rarity would have trouble coming up with an outfit. I think we should go talk to her about it. Come on!” She spread her wings, Spike jumping onto her back as the two ponies trotted out the door.





Rarity was at her wit’s end. She had been occupying her mind to the best of her ability with the outfits for the others, but every time she turned her attention to the materials for Boltsinger’s outfit, she drew a blank. She briefly contemplated biting her hooves, but brushed off the thought as unthinkable. She just got a hooficure, after all. She was about to go back to work on something else when the bell rang, signalling that somepony had arrived. Perking up at the thought of a distraction from all of this, she ran down to the shop, stopping in her tracks as she saw Twilight, Spike, and Boltsinger.
“Twilight! What brings you here?” She asked, her eye twitching. “And… Boltsinger… How are you?”
“That’s just what we were going to ask you.” Twilight told her friend. “Boltsinger told me you’ve been a bit frazzled lately.”
“Frazzled?!” Rarity repeated with a slightly freaked out smile. “Why in Equestria would I ever be fra-ha-ha-zled?” She backed up, bumping against a mannequin.
“Something about a lack of inspiration.” Boltsinger hinted.
Rarity shook her head, holding up a hoof. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! I’M ALWAYS INSPIRED!!!” She stomped her hoof, glaring angrily at the visitors. “This is about that outfit of yours, isn’t it?”
“No, Rarity, this is about you.” Twilight corrected. “Boltsinger saw that this was clearly bothering you and told me about it. We’re here to help, Rarity.”
“She’s right. I’m not worried about the outfit.” Boltsinger confirmed. “What I see is a friend in need. So, whatever you need, let me know.”
Rarity’s face softened. “Ohhh… I don’t know what to say…”
“Say what you need. We’re here for you.” Boltsinger, Twilight, and Spike all walked over to Rarity.
“All right, then.” Rarity began. “For some reason, I can’t get any ideas on what to do for your outfit past what we purchased in the Crystal Empire. But I’m sure you figured out that much.”
Twilight chimed in. “Why is it so difficult?”
“You see, that’s what has me so… well... frazzled.” the Unicorn started. “Every mare I’ve ever designed an outfit for has given me such inspiration that the design comes easily!”
“Umm… Let me stop you right there.” Boltsinger said, placing a wing on Rarity’s shoulder. “Think about what you just said.”
Rarity paused. “What? You mean about how each mare--”
“That.” the stallion stated. “Right there. Every ‘mare’ you’ve designed for. Think about that. What is different in my case?”
Rarity puzzled for a few moments, looking between Twilight and Boltsinger. “Why… You’re a stallion! I’ve never designed anything for a stallion before! At least not for a formal event like this.”
“Hey! She’s designed outfits for me, and I’m a guy!” Spike interjected.
Rarity looked fondly at Spike. “Oh, Spikey-wikey, it’s different with you!” She pressed a hoof against Spike’s cheek. “You’re just so adorable! And, you’re a dragon.”
“She’s got you there, Spike.” Twilight added.
“Yeah, I suppose…” Spike replied as the ponies laughed.
“Anyway. Yes, I’m a stallion.” Boltsinger continued. “But I’ve heard from Twilight and everypony else how you approach design. I’ve seen the results for myself, both in here, and at your Manehattan boutique.”
“Oh my! You were there during your trip?” Rarity queried.
“Rainbow Dash wanted to see how it was going.” the Pegasus dismissed. “Anyway. Think about it this way. Do what you’ve done for everypony else, and there shouldn’t be an issue.”
“I can see what you’re getting at.” Rarity stated. “What I typically do is base the outfit on what I know about the pony I’m designing for, and I use that to make something fabulous!”
“Good! So what’s different about Boltsinger?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know… I just can’t come up with any ideas that would make him seem ‘fabulous’.” the fashionista explained.
“Then think about the words you’re using again.” Boltsinger instructed, walking past Rarity and looking at all of the fully dressed mannequins. “If you can’t do something ‘fabulous’, then try some other descriptive word. Try and fit the word you use to the pony you’re designing for!” He looked back at Rarity, all four hooves placed firmly on the floor, with his tail twitching just enough to have it raise up and coil, accentuating his Cutie Mark as he spread his wings.
“My… That was certainly... suave...” Rarity said, looking at the pose her friend had unwittingly struck, a spark appearing in her eyes. “THAT’S IT!!!”  Her face lit up as she ran upstairs, floating several materials in the corner of the room with her as she went. Spike quickly followed suit.
Boltsinger nudged Twilight on the side, smirking. “Not bad for somepony who has no idea about fashion, huh?”
Twilight looked at the stallion, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that this…” Boltsinger pointed a hoof at his pendant. “Is the closest thing to ‘clothes’ I’ve ever worn. There was never an occasion that needed it when I was a colt, and once I got my Cutie Mark, I was never in one place long enough to need it anymore.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Wow… Well, Rarity is the best choice for the first pony to…” she laughed to herself. “‘dress’ you!” Boltsinger joined in the laughter as the two ponies got up to join their friends upstairs.