//------------------------------// // 293. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifiqué, Ponyville’s premiere place of fashion, a business that began with the dream of a beautiful unicorn who aspired to bring beauty to all around her. Speaking of whom... “Spools of thread, extra sewing needles, what else should I take...?!” Rarity was manic as she was going back and forth through the boutique, stuffing all manner of sewing tools and such into her fourth hoofbag- “FABRICS! I should take fabrics, of course! Cashmere? Cotton? No, silk! Everypony loves silk!” “And... she’s been like this the entire morning?” whispered Blueblood to Sweetie Belle as they stood by and watched their Rarity in a frenzy. “She got that letter from Pinkie Pie over there because Miss Ditzy the mailmare had a tummy ache,” Sweetie Belle pointed it out on the nearby table, “At first, she was really happy, but then she started panicking,” “Let’s see...” Blueblood levitated the letter over and read it to see what had his muse so ecstatically anxious, “Ah! Well, little Sweetie Belle, it seems your big sister’s hopes of expanding her business has become a reality.” “Huh?” Sweetie Belle didn’t understand, but Blueblood was already walking into the fashionista’s frenzy and very carefully swept her off her hooves before pulling her into a passionate kiss, which caused Sweetie Belle to gasp and cover her eyes and blush, but she couldn’t help peeking with a filly-ish giggle. At first, Rarity protested but was unable to use her lips to voice her protests as they were preoccupied with Blueblood’s. But then she gave in with a swoon and ran her hooves through those wheat-gold locks she loved so much. Finally their lips parted, and Blueblood raised a brow and pulled a smirk before saying, “I would say, congratulations are in order, my muse.” He levitated the mail Rarity received and beamed, “Opening a branch boutique of your business in Canterlot?! You’re moving up, love!” “Thank you, darling,” Rarity gave her stallion a grateful smooch on the cheek before taking the notice from him and worry falling over her face again, “It’s just... I was indeed hoping that spot I’d scouted out on my last visit to Canterlot would become available, but... I wasn’t entirely certain my request would bear fruit! I have some ideas to put this new store together but not an actual plan!” “Perhaps I-” Blueblood started but Rarity wasn’t done. “And the boutique here! I can’t just shut close it up and leave it unattended while I’m away taking care of this new one,” Rarity fussed, “not to mention I have a few orders I still need to complete this week. But if I don’t answer this notice by tomorrow noon, the building will be passed onto someponey else!” “Well, that’s what I’m saying-” Blueblood tried again- “And who could I ask on such short notice to mind the store and fulfill those orders to give me the time I need to take care of this?!?” Rarity was on the verge of freaking out again when Blueblood levitated her around to face him, and then he mimed his sister Cadance’s calming technique. Rarity did the same, taking a deep breath, and then exhaling the anxiety. “Thank you, Blueblood... I suppose I needed that.” “Rarity, go,” Blueblood declared, “I shall oversee the Carousel Boutique in your absence.” “You?!” Rarity flabbergasted before regaining composure, “Uh- Not that I underestimate you, my beau, but... Are you certain you can take care of the boutique and the orders I have yet to even get started on?” “Worry not, my love,” Blueblood chuckled while waving at Rarity’s concerns, sounding just a little condescending, “I am the owner and CEO of a multi-million bit airship industry. I am fairly certain I can handle running a little fashion shop and some tailoring on the side for a while.” “You can sew?” Rarity raised a brow, a slight miffed by Blueblood’s tone. “I’ll have you know, I was the best of my Home Ec class back in my Auntie’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Blueblood demonstrated his point by levitating out Rarity’s cleaning utensils, one of her sewing kits and machines, and in no time at all, he’d cleaned the main room of the boutique from top to bottom and had made for himself a snazzy jacket, a glamorous shawl for his Rarity, and a pretty hat for Sweetie Belle. “Ooh!” Sweetie Belle liked the hat’s ribbon fastened with a jeweled brooch. “Well... I suppose you have a handle on things,” Rarity hesitated when she felt Blueblood hold her hoof and give her a warm smile. “Rarity, this is an opportunity you’ve been hoping for,” he reminded her, “A chance to expand your vision of beauty and culture from Ponyville to Canterlot, and perhaps one day even across the land of Equestria!” - He grabbed Rarity’s cheeks and whispered to her face-to-face, “Don’t. Pass. It. Up!” He stepped back, Rarity considering Blueblood’s words before regarding the jacket, shawl, and hat he’d made, and had to admit. The work was good, the materials exquisite, the looks were appealing to the right kind of ponies. She looked to Sweetie Belle, who was posing in front of the mirror, enjoying her new hat, and then to Blueblood, who was smiling encouragingly. Then, the hope and the dream of expanding her business and spreading her taste of fashion lodged itself into her mind, and Blueblood’s words met their mark as she smiled determinedly. “So be it, you’ve convinced me, Blueblood! Sweetie! Get out my luggage, I’ve got a business trip to pack for!” “BYE!” “SEEYA WHEN YA GET BACK!!” “KNOCK `EM DEAD, MISS RARITY!” “HAVE A GOUDA TIME!!” The guys waved at their girls as they poked their heads out the windows of the Friendship Express taking them off to Canterlot. The girls had decided to go with Rarity to prepare her new boutique in Canterlot as emotional support, and that meant Rarity was going to be away for about a week, and it only felt fitting their boys saw them off. They watched until the train had vanished into the distance before Thunderlane said, “Welp, I gotta get to training. I got a notice from the Wonderbolts Administration that I’d be summoned to a special training session sometime this week, and I wanna be at the top of my game!” As he zoomed off, Midnight and Soarin shared a knowing look before Soarin asked, “So Blue, you’re really okay to handle Rarity’s boutique while she’s away?” “No worries, boys,” Blueblood responded confidently, “All the real hard work will be taking care of a few orders Rarity took from some clients. I’ll just get those out of the way and-” “Oh, Blueblood, don’t you remember?” Midnight interrupted, “Techorse and Dr. Whooves are coming in a couple days to discuss the engine project we’re all working on and a clean energy to fuel it.” “Oh! Uh- Yes, of course,” Blueblood reeled back, as he did remember, but it had admittedly (to himself) slipped his mind, “No worries, Midnight. The engine project, and our brilliantly-minded friends will have my full and undivided attention when they arrive. I suppose I can spend the next couple of evenings to work on Rarity’s orders-” “Uh, haystack...” Big Mac spoke up, causing Blueblood to stifle a sigh. “Yes, Macintosh?” “Th’ Sisterhooves Social is gettin’ t’ be around th’ corner,” Big Mac explained, “and Ah know Miss Rarity often gets some orders from sisters t’ make `em matchin’ accessories an’ such. Applejack’s told me it’s one o’ Miss Rarity’s best times t’ make good income.” “I... see,” Blueblood was starting to get the picture. But he shook it off and struck a regal pose, “But again, gentlecolts, I say, neigh to your worries! I have full confidence in my ability to run Carousel Boutique in the absence of my Rarity and I endeavor not to let her down!” But as Blueblood walked away, he made sure his friends didn’t see the slightly nervous look on his face as he thought to himself, Okay, so... maaaybeee this week might be a little more busy than I bargained for. But it’s a tailoring business! What could go wrong? The sketch, design, and notes on the first order, Blueblood had to admit it was quite ambitious. But he wasn’t deterred; if he stuck to it and worked carefully, he’d have this ensemble complete by nightfall. He tied his mane back, took his reading glasses, and got to work. Blueblood took his time as while he could put together a suit and such, he’d only worked a few times on dresses back in his Home Ec classes. He knew what to do and how to do it, but he wasn’t experienced in making them. He paced himself, double-checked his measurements, conferred with the notes and details on the order to make sure he was doing it right, and only twice did he glance at the clock but otherwise forced himself to ignore it. He barely noticed the light in the room dimming when his stomach growled and he realized the hour was close to dinner time. Wiping his forehead and removing his reading glasses, Blueblood levitated the dress to gauge his progress and smiled in satisfaction to see how nearly finished he was. His growling stomach demanded his attention, and he retreated to the kitchen to feed the beast in his belly. Deciding he could finish the dress in the morning, Blueblood made himself comfortable on Rarity’s fainting couch, with a cup of his favorite tea and one of his favorite books on engineering to refresh himself for when the gents arrived to discuss the engine project. He didn’t make it past the first chapter before he fell asleep, his tea left untouched on the coffee table. “Blueblood? Blueblood, wake up!” “Ugh, mmwha...?” Blueblood creaked his eyes open, feeling somepony pushing up against his barrel. His eyes cleared enough to see it was, “Sweetie Belle?” He yawned and stretched before sitting up to scratch an itch on his belly and asking, “What brings you by...?” “Blueblood, you might wanna take a look outside,” Sweetie Belle said precariously. “What’re you talking about, Sweetie?” Blueblood asked, still not quite up and ready for the day as he pulled the curtains back to look out the window, “It’s only- !!” Blueblood jerked fully awake to see a long line of mares and fillies, a couple stallions here and there, all waiting to enter Carousel Boutique and looking excited or chatting it up. “They’re all here to get matching accessories for the Sisterhooves Social coming up,” Sweetie Belle explained, causing Blueblood to gulp as he realized just how much he might have underestimated the work ahead of him in managing the boutique for his Rarity. “...Oh boy!”