Chapter 8:
Rarity for you
“Excuse me, darling” said Mrs. Cake, as Sunset lifted her eyes from the menu: “May I take your order?”
“Of course, I think I’ll just have the usual” answered her the girl, clearly showing a sign of boredom on her face. As the woman left, she had the chance to look around and noticed that Sugarcube Corner was strangely empty that afternoon: Mr. Carrot Cake, not seeing any other customer approaching the door, had decided to let his wife do the baking for once and use that time to polish the whole place a bit. The man had in fact turned on an old radio and was dancing, while sweeping, counting on the fact that the only client of the day did not bother the music:
“Dearie?” the sound of the woman’s voice made Sunset raise her head: “Your order is ready”, when the girl laid her gaze on the yummy looking cocoa Mrs. Cake was serving her, a natural:
“Mmm” slipped from her mouth: the sweet drink was still warm and filled Sunset’s nose with a nice aroma, as soon as she took the cup in her hand: “Perfect as ever Mrs. Cake” exclaimed the girl, after taking a sip of her cocoa: “or perhaps even more than ever, is that cinnamon, I taste?”
“Why yes, I’m trying to perfect my recipe, adding some extra ingredients”
“to me whatever you make is delicious, Mrs. Cake”
“Oh, thanks darling, you’re such a sweaty; though...”asked the woman who had suddenly put on a serious face:
“what is it?”
“well...forgive me for being so forward, but what are you doing here all alone, aren’t your friends coming?”
“Oh, that” sighed Sunset, lowering her head:
“they’re too busy I guess, so I’m here on my own this time”
“But you girls are usually inseparable, I hope nothing unpleasant has come between you?”
“Oh, not at all! In fact Rarity is going to be here any moment; we’re spending the evening together, but she said she couldn’t possibly come to our regular hang out here at Sugarcube Corner, since she had her hands full with the schedule Prim Hemline has planned for her. She and top designer Hoity Toity had requested her two dozens of dresses by Thursday for the incoming fashion week; apparently it’s going to be something big this year and Hoity Toity has even agreed on having Rarity’s handy work wore by some of his most successful models in a fashion show in front of his boutique in downtonw!”
“Guess it was an offer she couldn’t turn down”
“You said it” at that very moment a laud noise of dishes shuttering on the floor was heard, shortly followed by the sound of two babies crying:
“Oh honey, I believe I need your help in the kitchen, now!” shouted Mr. Cake who seemed to be just about to loose control:
“I’m coming sweat heart, don’t panic! Forgive me Sunset” said then the woman, turning toward the girl: “but I must be going!”
“Of course, need any help?”
“Thanks, but I believe I can handle this: don’t fret my precious, mama’s coming!” exclaimed in the end Mrs. Cake, right before disappearing behind the kitchen door. The loud noise continued, as the two parents desperately attempted to calm down their children, which made Sunset regret she hadn’t followed Rarity’s suggestion and stayed home to rest a few extra hours after her day with Pinkie Pie; yet luckily for her, her mobile started vibrating in her pocket; it was the sign she was waiting for:
“I am right in front of the sweet shop” she read, then texted back:
“Be right there”. The girl grabbed her hand bag next to her, searched it and pulled out a few pocket money, left it on the desk and got out quickly, while thinking: “Gosh, am I glad I don’t have any kids!”
After Sunset had walked through the exit, she found herself in front of a gigantic limousine only the wealthiest people could afford: “Wow!” exclaimed the girl, beholding such a view: “wonder whose this is?”
“Hey Darling!” a friendly pleasant voice said, capturing her attention:
“Rar...Rarity?!” Sunset struggled to reply: “Is that really you?”
“Of course, who else where you expecting to see?”
“Nobody, but, I mean...how in the world...”
“speechless, uh?” teased the girl:
“Well...yes, speechless is right; you have to explain to me how did you get that vehicle”
“Fine, I’ll tell you, now jump in” Sunset did not need a second invitation. While entering the limousine, the girl could not help but notice the exquisite white leather the seats were clothed in, not to mention the flawless cleaning of the whole car which was with no doubt the result of tough job, and the crystal bright glass of the windows:
“So” continued Rarity who was apparently unable to contain her enthusiasm, seeing her friend still being stunned: “I take that you like this little jewel?”
“Little?” exclaimed Sunset who was clearly exited in equal measure: “this is the most luxurious vehicle I’ve ever seen! Where ever did you find the money to rent it?”
“professional secret, my dear”
“Mmm...” whispered the girl, bothered by Rarity’s mysterious attitude: “ah, fine” she said in the end: “Nice dress anyway: one of you newest design I suppose?”
“You guessed, Darling; glad you like it, I’m planning on using today to show it off”. Rarity’s outfit was truly something unique; the girl had clearly outdone herself this time: the upper part of her outfit was sleeveless and ended in the most beautiful edges, sewed in an expensive white silk, while the lower part had pure amethysts carved into it and each one of those priceless gems, circled by a delicate layer of silk, outshone the others, to cover her legs was a violet skirt which the girl had hemmed with her own hands for days; in addition she was wearing a pair of expensive looking boots with high tassels, painted in a violet and white tint, and which also had flawless baby blue sapphires carved into them:
“So” said Sunset, after a while, so she could break the awkward silence that had suddenly filled the air: “where are we headed, exactly?”
“The mall, I need to get some fabric from one of the shops and, while we’re there, we might as well do some shopping”
“Fine, not that I really need to buy myself anything, right now”
“Oh, darling!” protested at that moment Rarity:
“how dare you say such a thing, take that back this instant!”
“Okay, okay, I take that back!” quickly answered the girl, worried at her friend’s reaction:
“One does not go shopping just because they need to” carried on saying Rarity: “One goes shopping, for it brings out their very true soul, for it inspires the artistic spirit within them, for, for...oh, you get the idea”
“Yeah, I get it” replied Sunset giggling; as for her friend, even If she did her best not too loose her usual lady like composure, she indeed struggled not to burst into laughter, since she knew that sometimes she could get carried away with her fashion pearls of wisdom: “Ever considered joining the drama club at school?”
“I did” replied her friend: “yet my true talent lies somewhere else, besides what would you girls do If I let you all down, abandoning the band, and became member of another club?”
“We’d be lost without our friend” said, Sunset smiling: “and miss you all so much”
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest?!” exclaimed Rarity, holding the girl in a tight embrace:
“I mean” went on Sunset: “who would think about our performance costumes If you suddenly went away?” at that point, her friend could not help it any more and abandoned herself into a giggle:
“Don’t worry about that darling, I’m already bursting with ideas and I assure you that by our next concert, we’ll have suits even more spectacular than the last ones!”
“I’m already looking forward to it”. All of a sudden Rarity shut up, making Sunset worry she had brought up the wrong topic at the wrong time, but the silence did not last long:
“You know...”said then the girl: “this chat of ours has given me a brilliant idea!”
“What’s that?” “how would you feel If I made you a bright new outfit?!”
Wait, what…are you serious?”
“Of course I am darling, why should I ever be joking on such an important matter?”
“But Rarity, you’ re already supposed to be working on those extremely important dresses for Prim and Hoity Toity, I could never ask something of this kind to you in a time like this!”
“Now, now, Miss. Shimmer; I will not take no for an answer, besides with the Friendship Games coming on, it’ll be a wonderful occasion to show everyone at school my talent!”
“But how will you get enough time to both fulfil your employers’ orders and mine?!”
“Oh, Sunset!” answered at that moment the girl: “You make it sound as If it’s going to be hard”
“uh, okay! “sighed in the end her friend: “If you say it’s fine, I trust you’ll come up with an amazing dress for me to wear in front of those Crystal Prepers”
“Oh, It won’t just be amazing, It’s going to be big, it’s going to be bold, it’s going to be...”
“so much Rarity?”
“well...yes”, after she spoke those words, the two of them hugged together once more, as they giggled kindly to each other:
“Sorry to interrupt you ladies” intervened then the driver:
“yes?”
“We have reached our destination”
“Wonderful to hear! Ready for some shopping, my dear?”
“Sure, let’s go” replied Sunset, as she followed her friend out of the car and entered the mall.
The shopping centre was so full of people, the girls had to made an effort to squeeze through the main hall: “Ah” sighed Sunset, as she and her friend finally managed to free themselves from a large group of people blocking the entrance:
“Never seen such a crowd all at once, not even during holiday time; why have they decided to come here of all places?”
“Elementary, darling” immediately answered Rarity, without turning back: “when fashion week is around the corner, many shops and boutiques offer their last year products at a hugely minor price than they usually do, so it’s only natural for here to be so full of people”
“And you decided it was crucial for us to come, despite what you’ve just said, because?”
“To buy some buck up fabric, remember?”
“I do” replied the girl, suddenly putting on a frowning face:
“Something, wrong?” asked Rarity, as she noticed her friend’s sighing:
“It’s nothing, really, just not the afternoon I had in mind”
“whatever do you mean, darling?”
“Well… it doesn’t matter”
“Indeed it does, my dear”
“I wouldn’t wanna sound ungrateful”
“C’mon just tell me what you’re thinking”
“Rarity, I...”
“I promise I will not be offended”
“Okay, you win, I guess what I’m trying to say is... I did not expect I would spend the evening lining up in a shop or two, I imagined we would spend our time together doing something a little more...you know, enjoyable?”
“Oh, is that all, Sunset?” giggled Rarity with a delicate smile upon her face: “My dear, you’re simply must stop thinking about the downfalls of our current situation”
“Come again?”
“You must get into the spirit of things: sure a long line to wait may sound boring to you, but I guarantee you’ll smile widely by the end of the day. Just leave everything to me”
“Fine” said Sunset in the end, giving up: “I suppose, If you say so, that I could be mistaken: show me what you have in mind”
“With pleasure, my dear” exclaimed the girl, right before pulling Sunset along with her by her hand.
“Here we are” said at that point Rarity:
“Sure, and where is here exactly?” asked her friend who was still clearly not sure the girl would be able to light the mood in such a crowed and overwhelmed place:
“Isn’t it obvious darling?” replied Rarity, grinning: “this is the finest clothes store they have and it looks like they haven’t sold everything, yet. If we hurry, maybe we still have a chance to come across some of the finest outfits ever seen”
“But, Rarity, shouldn’t we head to the...” her friend did not allow her to finish:
“Hush darling or you’re spoil the best part”
“But”
“No buts and let me do the leading”
“Fine” exclaimed Sunset without the slightest idea of what Rarity had in mind.
The girls entered the shop where they could see an employer who apparently hadn’t rested in hours, since on could notice her hair messily tied behind her head and drops of coffee spilled on her uniform shirt, as she was struggling to serve three costumers all at once and trying to do her best in order to look well composed. Her college was a handsome young man, with an elongated chin and chestnut long hair; his eyes were cerulean and his attire showed a remarkable taste in fashion, though his nice look was in contrast with his stressed out mood: he was sitting behind a table, hands on his head, staring at some paper sheets, probably the latest sales records:
“Oh my stars, darling!” exclaimed Rarity, laying her gaze on a stunning purple dress covered in shiny sequin: “Yes, yes!” kept saying the girl, as her ayes got themselves lost before that beautiful handiwork: “this will look perfect on you”
“I’m not sure” answered Sunset, putting on a doubtful face: “that’s not really my colour, I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it”
“Pish-posh” said her friend, interrupting her: “now you go there in the changing room and try it; I’m sure it will absolutely speak to you, once you put it on”
“Truth to be told, I...” before Sunset could protest, the girl pushed her into the changing room and let her out only after she had put on the dress:
“So?” curiously questioned Rarity: “What’s your opinion now?”
“Well...” whispered her friend, trying to use the politest tone of voice she could: “I’m still not so sure this is something I’d like to wear everyday”
“Mmm…” said Rarity, once she had reflected: “You do have a point: this outfit is clearly not your style: we need something else, something capable of reflecting your true personality, something a little more modern for instance?” The girl handed Sunset a pair of pink trousers, a hat of the same colour and a dark blue sweater:
“Definitely not this one, either” sighed the girl after trying the clothes on:
“how about this one, then?” asked her friend, holding a long white dress and an elegant hat decorated by a blue feather: “would you be a dear and put it on?”
“Sure, why not...” complained Sunset who had lost interest in the whole matter and was looking forward to escape that awkward situation:
“I suppose this one won’t do, either?” questioned Rarity with a tone of disappointment in her voice, as she saw her friend scowling:
“Nope” answered Sunset reluctantly: “Look Rarity I...”
“Not a single word, darling” quickly replied the girl: “I know what you need”. Without wasting time, the two girls got out of the store and approached a salon nearby: “Nothing’s better than a new haircut to lift someone’s spirit”
“I don’t know Rarity, I kinda like my hair the way it is”
“Trust me, dear Sunset, once we exit this salon you’ll feel refreshed!” The two girls entered the shop and made themselves comfortable on the first chairs they saw, as a barber welcomed them:
“Well, well, what do we have here?” the well built man got close to her costumers and quickly took a look at them; meanwhile Sunset who wished anything but to cut her hair was unsure If it would be impolite for her to just refuse to have something she did not want done and walk away, but in the end she decided It would be better to just do nothing:
“Just a little from behind” she said, hoping for the barber not to cut off too much of her “mane”; yet the man did not seem interested in what her client was saying, as he kept staring at the red lock dropping on Sunset’s forehead:
“must cut!”
“what?!” exclaimed the girl worried by the man’s weird attitude:
“must eliminate the imperfection!” the barber grabbed a pair of scissor and went for the poor girl’s hair. Sunset managed to avoid his hand the firs time, but as the man did the same twice and then three times, she eventually got tired and almost collapsed on the chair. It was only when the barber was about to succeed in his intentions, a loud scream caught his attention:
“Oh my gosh, is that Prim Hemline?!”
“Prim, where?!” exclaimed the man, turning around; which gave Rarity the time she needed to grab her friend’s hand and pull her out of the salon.
“Thanks for saving me or rather, my hair” sighed Sunset before taking a sip of the tea a waiter had just served her:
“No need, darling, I had to do something, as soon as I realized you were uncomfortable with having it cut”
“Sorry, Rarity, guess I ruined the day for you, too”
“Don’t worry, darling, I was just trying to do what I thought it was best to cheer you up, but it seems it didn’t work out” hearing those words, Sunset lowered her head and put on an even more sad expression:
“It’s like I told you before” replied the girl, after a while:
“I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to sound ungrateful to you, especially considering what you’ve been doing for me the whole day, but I ended up making a mess of things; again I apologize, Rarity”
“I said no need” replied her friend, disappointed in seeing Sunset frowning once more:
“I just wish there was something we could both enjoy, but at this point of things, I doubt we’ve got time left to...”
“Don’t even say that” interrupted her Rarity: “that is not of our concern right now, besides I think I might have an idea of what we could do”
“Rarity...”
“Trust, me Sunset, this time it’s going to work” at the sound of her friend’s kind encouragement, the girl finally smiled and followed Rarity, without asking questions.
“Miss. Rarity, my favourite costumer!” exclaimed a cheerful looking young woman:
“Delighted to see you, Miss. Lotus Blossom” replied the girl, smiling:
“and you are?” questioned the woman, turning toward the girl standing next to Rarity:
“This is my dear friend Sunset, she’s with me today”
“Okay, I understand” said Lotus Blossom, nodding:
“Rarity...” whispered then the girl: “what’s this all about?”
“I though I told you to trust me” grinned her friend:
“Yes, you did and I completely have faith in you, but I’ve never been in a place like this before”
“I know and that’s why I brought you here”
“Sorry, but I don’t get it”
“Not to worry, you shall thank me later”. At that moment the woman appeared from behind the curtains and approached her clients:
“Everything is ready, you may come in”.
Sunset timidly followed her friend inside a room where she saw two comfortable looking massage tables; the girl, following Rarity’s example, took off her clothes, wrapped herself in a towel and laid on one of them. Not knowing what to exempt next, she decided to concentrate on the relaxing music the employees had turned on, when, all of a sudden, she felt the sensation of cold on her back, as if a cool liquid was being squeezed on her, shortly followed by two warm small hands. The only thing she felt afterwards was gentle moving on her back, which she surprisingly liked; then the girl, stressed out by that exhausting day, felt her last energies draining out of her and fell asleep. She woke up about half an hour later, when Rarity was putting her clothes back on:
“Good morning, Sunset!” exclaimed the girl: “how do you feel?”
“Mmm...”whispered Sunset, rubbing her eyes: “To be honest: very well rested”
“Excellent, darling; told you this was what you needed”
“Uh” smiled the girl:
“Okay, you win, but invite me the next time you come here, too”
“Agreed” answered her friend, using the sweetest tone of voice.
“So” asked Rarity proudly: “Overall, how was today?”
“It started out as a solitary morning at Sugarcube corner, then we got to the mall, tried dresses whole day, a guy desperately tried to cut my hair and then you offered me the best Spa treatment ever; sounds like everything on the list”
“Was it enough to compete with the days you spent with Applejack and Pinkie?”
“It was… exiting, but I can’t choose a day spent with only one of you as best: you’re all my friends, it’s either all or none of you”
“Well” answered the girl, blushing for a moment:
“I suppose that’s correct, yet I wouldn’t relax too much, If I were you: with all this time Rainbow Dash must have prepared an extremely hard sport training for you to do, I still wonder about Fluttershy, though….”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be ready for that, too, even If I kinda hope Dash would come up with something less athletic and exhausting”, as Sunset spoke those words, the two girls could not help but laugh as they hugged each other: “Looks like we’re here” exclaimed Sunset, noticing the car had stopped in front of her house: “Thanks again Rarity, you sure helped me a lot today”
“That’s what friends are for darling, see you at school!”
“Yeah...” sighed Sunset, while watching Rarity’s luxurious limousine getting further and further away: “...that’s what friends are for...”the girl closed her eyes for a moment, while smiling, falling into thoughts only she knew and, after she had opened them again, entered her home, shutting the entrance door behind her.
“Uh?” questioned Sunset with a doubtful face to the mail man: “a package for me? But I’m not expecting anything right now: there must be a mistake”
“No mistakes, miss” answered the guy wearing a blue uniform, in front of her: “This package is to be delivered to this here address to Ms. Sunset Shimmer and that’s you, no doubt; now I’ll need you to sign here”.
Despite her surprise, the girl could not reply to the mail man, for, if the package’s receiver was really supposed to be someone called Sunset Shimmer, then it must have been her. After taking care of the paper signing, Sunset got upstairs and dropped the heavy box the mail man had delivered on the bed: “Who could have sent something to me, I wonder, and why?” Little did the girl know the package contained a splendid cranberry waistcoat, meant to be worn together with a white silk shirt; a skilfully sewed skirt of a bright watermelon colour with Sunset’s cutie mark on it and had a layer of black velvet beneath, plus a pair of high tasselled shoes of the same tint of the dress.
The package also contained a letter with the words:
“Sorry it took three weeks, but I think you’ll like it. Your friend Rarity” written on it.