"So, you want me to... what, exactly?" the familiar green thestral asked his purple companion,
"Well, that whole ticket fiasco last week has gotten me thinking. I'll need to wear a dress, and I just so happen to have an old one my grandmother gave me, so... I was hoping you could give me your opinion on my dress to the Gala?" she asked, smiling sheepishly.
Emerald sighed slightly, but nodded. It was a Sunday, so it wasn't like he had to work.
"Lead the way then, Sparky,"
...
Ever since the ticket trouble last week, it seemed that the six mares, save Crash, acted... friendlier than before.
Before, he hardly ever interacted with anyone other than Pinkie and Fluttershy, with Rarity and Sparky being uncommon occurrences. Since then, however, it seemed that those two went almost out of their way to greet him at work, and even Applejack was more than happy to call out to him in the marketplace, usually accompanied by a playful maneuvering of the treats she was selling, claiming that she didn't want any more in her mane.
He would've thought she'd be angrier about that, but it wasn't the first time he was wrong.
A prime example of this new treatment was right now, in fact. From what he'd seen of her, Sparky was actually quite shy around him, for whatever reason. He just chalked it up to her lack of interaction with the opposite gender growing up.
From what he'd seen, he was the first male 'friend' she'd ever had!
Save Spike and her brother, but they don't really count, now do they?
He trotted behind Sparky as she pranced through the library door, idly noting that it seemed... cleaner, than before.
Maybe Fluttershy's earlier 'Spring Cleaning' had been messier than he'd noticed?
Whatever.
"Alright, just wait here while I go grab it, okay?" she asked, already walking up the stairs, not bothering to wait for him to answer. He rolled his eyes at her behavior, but nodded otherwise, if only for himself.
He took the moment to look around, taking in each and every minuscule change from his last visit, when something caught his eye.
On one of the upper ledges, specifically the one he read in the first time he'd been here, was a velvet blanket and pillow, with a familiar book laying a top it. He frowned at it, confused.
Had she put those up there... for him? He hadn't really been back to the library since then, so it would be a real surprise if she had.
He recalled her saying something about the library actually getting fairly lonely from time to time, especially when Spike was out helping Rarity. Had she put that there so he'd be more comfortable staying by?
He shook his head. Too many questions, no answers.
"NOOO!"
The sudden shout caught him off guard for a moment, but he immediately shook it off, before bolting up the stairs. It took him less than a second to pinpoint the source of the scream, and he burst through the only door in his way, preparing himself for a confrontation.
He scanned the room immediately, taking in every detail. He found Sparky hunched over a small box, looking distraught, and he calmed down, not detecting any immediate threats.
"What the fuck?!" okay, perhaps he wasn't as calm as he thought. He stomped over to the doubled-over mare, scanning her for any sort of abnormalities, when she turned to face him, pouting and watery-eyed.
"My old dress..." she muttered, holding out an old red and orange blouse. He frowned, looking it over, before spotting the issue.
One of the buttons on the front was torn, only hanging on by the barest thread. He sighed, irritated,
"That's it?" he asked, "That's what the screaming was for?" Sparky frowned,
"I liked this dress," she defended, pouting slightly, "My grandmother gave me this. I always took good care of it... how'd it get torn like this?" she continued, under her breath. He sighed, shaking his head,
"Just fix it, dammit."
"I don't want to accidentally rip it!" she protested. Emerald chuckled,
"Gee, shame you don't know anybody who knows how to work with clothing, like, I don't know... Rarity." he stated flatly. Sparky blinked, before clapping a hoof against her head,
"Right. Of course. Still kinda new to this whole 'friend' thing," she admitted with a sheepish laugh, "Alright, let's head to Rarity's then!"
The trip wasn't long, only about ten minutes at most with the pace they had.
They arrived at the Carousel Boutique soon enough, with Sparky entering before him,
"Rarity!" Sparky called, looking around, before frowning, "Hmm, she's not here. Come on, she might be up in her sewing room," she added, trotting along without waiting for his answer, once again.
Heading up the stairs, as well as locating the room she was in, wasn't difficult, as Emerald could faintly hear the sound of straining fabric from behind one of the doors.
"Here it is," he muttered, before gently pushing through the door, not wanting to startle the mare if she was actively handling a needle.
He ignored the half-shiver that went down his spine at the thought. They were sewing needles. Just sewing needles.
"Rarity? You busy?" he asked, glancing around the room.
It was surprisingly messy, especially considering he thought her to be the clean type of mare. It was a simple circular room, with pink walls and a rug of the came colour. He could see multiple shelves containing a variety of fabrics of all different colours and shades. On another shelf there where dozens of different threads and cloths, with several ponyquinns standing in front of it, each one sporting a hat and, what he presumed were, half-finished dresses.
They spoke highly of her skill, since Emerald was certain those 'half-finished' dresses would sell just as well as a fully completed dress from another maker.
"Emerald!" Sparky hissed, "Can't you see she's concentrating?!" Emerald just stared at her for a moment, before directing his gaze to the white mare, who was currently trying, and failing, to ignore them as she carefully stitched a few pieces of fabric together.
"She already knows we're here, no point in just waiting around and making things harder for her," he argued easily, venturing further into the room. Rarity sighed,
"Yes?" she asked, turning to face them, "How can I help you two?"
...
Why was she wearing glasses?
Indeed, there was a single pair of red-framed glasses sitting on her muzzle, something he was certain she didn't actually need.
Unless she wore contacts.
He was pretty sure she didn't need contacts.
...
Did she?
"Sorry to bother you Rarity," Sparky began, fishing around in her bag, unwittingly breaking Emerald from his thoughts, "I just need a quick favour," she pulled out the red dress from earlier, gently setting it down on the nearby workbench, "Do you think you could fix a button for me real quick? It's for my Gala dress!" she finished excitedly.
Rarity, who had been listening patiently, let her jaw drop slightly at Twilight's declaration.
"D-dress?" she asked, glancing at the red... thing laying on her desk, "This?" she clarified, Twilight's nodding doing nothing to assuage her worry, "Oh, no, no, no! You can't wear... this to the Gala!" she protested, shooting a mildly disgusted look at the atrocity, "No! You need a brand new dress for the Gala!" she said, and an idea suddenly struck her, "And I'd love to make it!"
Of course! She was already working on her own dress for the Gala, so why not work on dear Twilight's as well?
"W-well, that's a wonderful offer, Rarity," Twilight said, "But I can't let you do that! I-it would be way too much work! Besides, I'm perfectly fine with the dress my grandmother gave me," Rarity smiled gently, but shook her head,
"Nonsense! It would be my absolute pleasure! I insist!" she added, seeing Twilight's continued resistance, "Ah! And I won't be taking no for an answer!"
"W-well... thank you, Rarity," Twilight said, sincerely, "I really appreciate your generosity. Knowing your handiwork, I'm sure it'll be wonderful!"
Rarity smiled brightly at Sparky's enthusiasm, before her gaze slid over to Emerald,
"What about you, dear?" she asked, "You've been to the Gala before, if I recall?" he nodded, "Of course! I imagine you've already gotten a suit prepared?" she inquired.
Emerald internally grimaced. He'd never worn a suit to the Gala before. Usually he just wore his Champion's armour to the Gala, since it was the closest thing to formal wear he owned, but he couldn't exactly do that now.
Trix already did though, so he at least didn't have to worry about her.
"Well... I did," he began, "But they were damaged beyond repair last time. Apparently, Spits thought it'd be a good idea to spill wine all over the damn thing," he lied, "I was just going to go as is," Rarity tutted,
"Well that's no good," she said, then nodded, "Formal attire is a must! I'll make you something dear, I insist!"
"LOOK OUT BELOOOOWWWW!"
Emerald grabbed both surprised mares and moved the three of them back a few steps, just in time too, as Crash once more lived up to her false namesake, barreling straight through the ceiling, bouncing against the ground, and landing in the nearby line of ponyquinns, knocking them all down.
"Agh..." she groaned, before sitting up, covered in fabrics, "Ow... hehe," she laughed, "sorry about that. New trick, didn't quite work out," she explained. Emerald sighed irritably from beside Rarity, who was busy rubbing her chin with a thoughtful look on her face. Suddenly, she gasped,
"IDEAAAA!~" she sang, "I'll make you a dress for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash!" she giggled. Crash looked around for a moment,
"Uhh... a what for the what now?"
"I'll make you an outfit, and you and you, all of you!" she continued, ignoring Crash, "Oh! And I certainly can't forget Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie! And once I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!" she rambled, holding her hooves to her cheeks in excitement.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Sparky agreed,
"If you can handle it," Emerald continued. She either could, or she couldn't. Though, considering his own track record, he wasn't about to stop her.
No point in being a hypocrite.
"Oh, well, it'll be a bit of work, definitely," she said, waving off their concern, "But it'll be a wonderful boost for my business! Plus? FUN!" she chirped, already levitating fabrics around the room, a few stopping by the other occupants, likely comparing colours.
"It's settled!~ We'll have a fashion show, starring US!" she yelled, getting both Sparky and Crash to cheer. Emerald shook his head,
"Don't get too excited, not yet," he advised, "You still have to make a unique, stunning outfit for seven different ponies, all with different likes and dislikes, not to mention vastly different personalities, which your designs will have to match," he said, "I won't try to discourage you, by the moon I can't count how many times I've done the same, but... try not to overwork yourself," Rarity laughed,
"Oh, Emerald," she said, "You make it sound as if it's going to be hard!"
He wasn't going to lie. The idea that a dressmaker of Rarity's honest talent was going to be making him a suit was actually fairly exciting.
Somewhat.
Over his twenty two years of life, he'd never really interacted with creatures of similar talents in the making arts, aside from Gustave.
Ever since coming to Ponyville, he'd met and interacted with Pinkie and Rarity, a pair of ponies who had real talent and ability in making things that made his skills look mediocre in comparison.
Though it wasn't a surprise. His skills in in just about everything aside from fighting were more passing hobbies he'd either needed at one point, or decided to develop just in case. So comparing them to ponies who'd worked and developed those skills for their entire lives wasn't really a fair comparison.
A jack-of-all-trades was what he needed to be. Fighting was the only thing he was really good at.
It was... depressing at times to think about it like that.
...
Getting back on track, he was looking forward to whatever Rarity ended up making for him.
It would also work as a way to let him know what the mare knew of him. It would let him know exactly how he's been portraying himself to those mares, so he'd be able to keep it constant.
So, it was with intrepid anticipation that he walked towards Carousel Boutique several days after her declaration.
He was early, that was true, but he didn't have anything else to do at the time. The Cakes had left to order new supplies, since Pinkie had ended up using the rest of the sugar in her 'Super-Sweet-Sugar-Surprise-Sugar-Cookies' a few days ago.
Once he arrived at the familiar building, he gently crept inside, his ears on the lookout.
"...."
His ears perked up at the faint humming from upstairs. It was coming from her sewing room, which he supposed he should've expected.
Jogging up the stairs, he arrived outside the door moments later, and he couldn't help but overhear Rarity singing to herself.
"~Letting my inspiration take root,
Making sure the suit is just fine,
Perfect for a stallion of his design,
I'm stitching Emerald's new suit!
Stitched in line, nice and pressed,
And that's the art of the dress!~"
He nodded is head along with the tune for a moment, before it abruptly stopped.
"Aha!~ Perfect! And before tomorrow's fashion show to boot!" he heard Rarity squeal. Figuring that he might as well, Emerald pushed his way into the room,
"Do you sing while working often?" he asked cheekily, startling the mare. Rarity's horn flashed, before rapidly dragging a nearby blanket and depositing it over the ponyquinn, where his suit supposedly lay,
"Emerald!" she snapped, whirling around, holding a hoof to her heart, "Please, don't sneak up on somepony like that!" He chuckled, holding his hooves up,
"Sorry, sorry," he said, though it was clear he didn't really mean it, "But still, you have a nice voice. Do you sing often?" he asked. Rarity took a few calming breaths, before smiling,
"No, but I have been thinking of performing," she admitted, glancing at the nearby clock, "Now, if I recall, I asked you and the girls to come by ten minutes from now," she said, shooting him a scanning look, "So what brings you by so early, Emerald?" he just shrugged,
"The Cakes left to get some ingredients, so they let Pinkie and I off for the day," he said, before grinning, "Besides, I'm rather anxious to see what you've made me," he admitted, before frowning, "Which reminds me, how much do I owe you?" he asked. Rarity simply waved her hoof, causing him to blink,
"Nothing at all, darling!" she said, smiling brightly, "You're a dear friend, so it's on the house. Besides," she began conspiratorially, "it'll be wonderful advertisement during the Gala. Imagine, six beautiful mares wearing dresses of my design, and a stallion such as yourself modeling one of my suits!" she giggled, "Oh it'll be marvelous!" he chuckled,
"I see," he said, "Rather smart. You help your... friends, and they help you just by wearing them. And that's not including tomorrow's fashion show. Your ambition knows no bounds,"
She smiled at him, levitating her glasses onto the nearby stand. The action seemed to spark a cascade of movement from all around the room, as her magic washed over dozens of different utensils, fabrics, and just about everything that had, at one point, been moved from it's original position, flew around the room, settling gently into their designated places, as if they'd never moved at all.
It spoke greatly about how much time the mare spent in this room if she could reorganize every single item in the entire room by memory alone.
"Well, no point in dilly-dallying!~" she sang, six ponyquinns arranging themselves in the air behind her, just as she began trotting out the door behind him, the ponyquinns following along like a parade.
He chuckled once more, but followed after.
Emerald was slightly surprised to find Fluttershy and Applejack already waiting for them downstairs.
"Oh my! It seems Emerald wasn't the only pony who was feeling excited!" Rarity teased the two as she set up the ponyquinns, which remained hidden from view. Applejack gave a sheepish laugh,
"Yeah, well, Big Mac didn't want me ta be late, so he sent me off a bit early," she said, "And it was mighty kind'o ya ta go outta yer way ta make us all a bunch'a dresses. I hope it wasn't too much?" she asked, worried. Rarity shook her head,
"Not all dear!"
"I'm glad to hear that," Fluttershy's quiet voice chimed in, "I would've felt awful if you overworked yourself because of us," Rarity just gave the shy mare a gentle smile,
"It's no worry, dear. You're all my best friends. Even Emerald," she added slyly, much to the thestral's chagrin, "And even if I had overworked myself, it would be all worth it to see how much you all adore the outfits I made for you!"
As if on cue, the front door opened, accompanied by the loathsome bell, and in walked Pinkie, Sparky, and Crash.
Well... Pinkie hopped in, and Crash hovered, but it was all the same in the end.
"Ooh! You're all here!" Rarity gushed, almost scrambling over to the ponyquinns, "I can't wait to see your faces when you lay your eyes on these!"
"I'm sure they'll be wonderful Rarity!" Sparky said.
"Oh! Line up everypony, come along, line up!" the white mare ordered, almost bouncing in her place as the ponies and thestral did as asked, Rarity took a moment to move around the ponyquinns, likely lining them up with their new owners, "Allllright!~ Feast your eyes on... THESE!" she shouted, using her magic to throw off all of the tarps at once.
The mares, and even Emerald, all gasped in unison at the sight.
"These are your new outfits everypony!" Rarity began excitedly.
Emerald thought they were magnificent, absolutely perfect in every way!
"What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, huh!?"
Applejack's dress had been transformed. It now bore a modified stetson with apple appliques, a green collar held together by an apple button, a set of apple green boots with an apple band. A single brown saddle rested on the back, with a train of green fabric trailing to the floor, ended by a set of brown tassels.
"Oh, and Twilight I made this dress just for you, and I designed every outfit to perfectly represent each pony's unique personality!"
A dress, that was likely Sparky's, stood to it's immediate left. It was a shade of royal blue a few shades lighter than her mane, with a much, much lighter blue saddle with a swirl of stars, separating the front and back halves. A single blue star pin sat comfortably behind the ear, with a similar star button connecting the ends of a collar that popped out. The large back end of the dress puffed outward, with the bottom edge coated with brilliant stars. The design was finished off with a set of starry blue shoes. It reminded Emerald greatly of Trixie's hat and cape, in all honesty.
"It took me hours to get the colours right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I think it came out perfectly! It's simply beautiful, don't you think?"
A dress that could only belong to Crash was next. It had a set of golden leaves as the headpiece, where a grape necklace wrapped snugly around the neck. A set of gold wrappings around the hooves served as the shoes, and the large rainbow train at the end dragged lightly across the ground, yet it's cloud trim remained perfectly white. Perfect for the chromatic mare.
"Oh and I just know you'll love this one Fluttershy. It just sings Spring!"
And it certainly did. With a large blue butterfly pin at the top, with a similar button on the chest, it almost looked like something Emerald had seen a Fae wear. A set of light green horseshoes with a pair of decorative vines rested at the bottom, and the long green train at the back was decorated with flowers of various colours, matching the shy pony's love of nature perfectly.
"And Pinkie Pie. Look! Pink! Your favourite!"
It really was pink. Pink and puffy, just like the mare it was made for. A white and blue cap rested a top the head, decorated with a bright pink bow. A second bow connected the white and blue striped saddle on the back, with was connected to a white skirt with designs of lollipops and candy corn on the edges. Underneath the skirt, a poofy pink train trailed outwards, ended by a long blue ribbon, clipped on by a set of light pink bows. Simple pink shoes, with white and blue striped ribbons sat on the front hooves.
"Oh and Emerald! Dark and mysterious, with a wonderful air of maturity! You'll have to fend the mares off with a stick, I tell you!"
Sitting at the head was a onyx fedora with a crimson band wrapped around it, holding in a single black feather. A black jacket of a similar shade wrapped around the torso, with a pair of long sleeves going down the front legs. A blood red undershirt could be seen visibly from the front, as well as peeking out slightly from the sleeves. A single black tie clipped the neckline together. Towards the back, the suit would stop just before his cutie mark, but a pair of long black tails extended back, surrounding where his own tail would be.
It was... perfect. Absolutely perfect.
"Well?! What do you think?! Aren't they all amazing?!""
Emerald whistled,
"Damn. I knew you had talent, Rarity, but this is simply beyond my expectations. It's perfect," he commented, idly walking around ponyquinn wearing his suit, looking at it from as many angles as he could.
"I'm so glad you think so!" Rarity gushed, moving over to him, "Admittedly, your outfit took the longest to make, Emerald," she said, "I just could not figure out what design I should use!" she added, using her magic to lift up a few papers on a nearby table, each one sporting a half-finished sketch of what must've been the first stages of his new suit, "But eventually, I remembered the first time we met," she giggled at the memory, "I was honestly quite surprised when Sweetie brought you along, but I distinctly remember that feeling you gave off. You were so calm, but also a bit cold. It was like looking at the main character of one of my mystery novels!" she gushed, "I think I captured that perfectly as well!" she turned to face her other friends, "Oh, and what about all of you? Don't you just love them?!"
Of course they did, he thought, how could anyone dislike such masterpieces?
So why was nobody talking?
Indeed, the five mares had gone oddly silent, constantly sending each other unsure glances, as if they were all of one mind.
...
He had a bad feeling about this.
"W-wow... they're... um..." Sparky finally began, but it was clear she had no idea how to phrase... whatever it was,
"Yeah! They're..." Crash tried continuing,
"They sure are, uh... somethin'?" Applejack tried,
"Yes! Something!" Sparky finished,
"Yeah! I love... something?" Pinkie cut in, "Something is my favourite!" she added with a strained smile, something Emerald didn't know Pinkie could actually pull off.
"Yes, they're... nice," Fluttershy ended.
It almost sounded like they were trying to say... no...
"But, what's the matter?" Rarity asked, "Don't you like them?"
"They're certainly nice," Sparky spoke,
"An' we're plum grateful fer all yer hard work, but..."
They can't be... there's just no way...
"Mine's just not as cool as I was imagining," Crash deadpanned, finally giving them a straight answer, although the others looked offended, "What?" she defended, "She asked!"
"What Rainbow means, Rarity," Sparky began diplomatically, "is that, they're just not what we all had in mind," she said, which was met with hesitant agreement from the other mares.
"I'm sorry," Emerald growled, starting towards the group, "It almost sounds like you're all throwing her hard work down the-!"
"It's okay," Rarity said, cutting Emerald's tirade off early, "Not a problem. There's plenty more where that came from," she added sadly, before forcibly cheering herself up,
"You can't be serious," Emerald said, only for Rarity to shake her head,
"It's fine, they were only a first draft anyways!" she lied, before turning to the mares, "You're my best friends, and I want you all to be one-hundred-and-ten percent satisfied!"
Emerald frowned, before walking over to Rarity and grabbing her front hoof,
"Give us a moment," he ordered, before gently dragging her to the far side of the room. He turned to her sharply, "What the fuck are you doing?!" he whispered harshly, "You and I both know those dresses are perfect for them!" Rarity shook her head,
"I'm aware, dear," she whispered back, looking down, "But you know what they say... the customer is always right,"
"Not right now,"
"Emerald," Rarity began, looking stern, "I appreciate your worry, truly, but if they aren't satisfied with the dresses I made, then I'll just try again!" she stated resolutely, before bitterly adding under her breath, "Though it'll be a lot of work. I barely have any time left until the show,"
Emerald frowned hard at that. He didn't understand what was going through this mare's head.
It was as clear to her as it was to him that the other five were just being idiots. Those dresses were perfectly fine. And even if they weren't, they were still gifts. Gifts that were hoofmade by their friend, and here they were, all but spitting on her hard work with nary a regret!
... So why wasn't she angry? Why wasn't she disagreeing with everything they were saying?
...
It must be a pony thing.
As a thestral, that was not something he could understand.
So why did this bother him so much? So what if this mare had wasted away several days, painstakingly stitching together every last piece of fabric for six different outfits, without even asking for any sort of monetary compensation, only to have all of that brutally stepped on and disregarded as if it was nothing, only for the ones responsible to somehow haggle five brand new outfits out of the mare, who now had even less time to make them all?!
...
He respected Rarity. Perhaps even considered her a hesitant friend, not that he'd ever admit it. That was why this was bothering him so much.
It just brought to mind his earlier concerns.
How was it that these dense mares were the Elements of Harmony, when they could hardly handle social interactions with each other?
"Not to worry girls, I'll redo them!" Rarity exclaimed, bringing Emerald out of his thoughts,
"Oh, Rarity. You don't have to do that, they're fine," Fluttershy weakly protested,
"No no!" the fashion mare continued, undeterred even while slowly taking down the dresses, "I want them to be better than 'fine'! I want you all to think they're perfect!"
"Are you sure?" Applejack asked skeptically, "I mean, we wouldn't want ta impose,"
"You already are," Emerald muttered, but he went unheard,
"Oh, it's no imposition," Rarity laughed, though it was obviously false, "Really, I insist," she added flatly, giving her friends a faux smile.
It seemed good enough to fool the apparently dense mares, as they began filing out of the room, each one wearing a semi-content grin,
"Well, in that case, thank you again Rarity!" Sparky announced, smiling brightly. Rarity just laughed at her thanks, though the laughter quickly died down after they left, leaving herself and Emerald alone.
They were silent for a moment, before Rarity turned to Emerald, looking lost,
"What did I get myself into?" she asked.
Emerald didn't know how to answer that.
Rarity had rushed back upstairs into her sewing room, looking distraught as she flailed around, already beginning to sew together who knows what, if the sounds he was hearing were right.
Emerald let out a disgruntled sigh.
Honestly, he could not understand those mares.
Crash, he might be able to understand, but Fluttershy at the very least?
How was it that none of those mares understood just how badly their words and thoughts hurt the high-society mare?
Then again, didn't Rarity put up a tough facade? Doesn't she always hold herself up highly, like the very ponies she hoped to be?
He supposed, like so many before her, that facade hid a soft, feeble shell that could only just withstand life's turmoils.
A tough exterior, with a soft, squishy inside.
A mask to hide the pain.
He wondered.
Was he the same?
Did he have a hard mask that he wore without realizing?
Or was he empty?
He sighed. There was no point in getting all philosophical now. That mare, as much as she pretended otherwise, would not be able to finish all five dresses in a single day.
Six. Six dresses he reminded himself.
After all, wasn't she apart of this whole 'fashion show' as well?
Speaking of, where was her dress? He'd've thought she'd put that as a priority. In fact...
Hadn't she been working on something when he and Sparky had come by with the torn button?
Yes... yes. She had been. As a matter of fact...
Emerald starting looking around the room immediately, hunting for that familiar hint of colour. He ended up finding it a minute later, tucked away into the far corner of the room.
A single ponyquinn, with a single piece of magenta fabric laying on it's back, an entire box of fabric of the same colour, as well as dozens of other decorative appliques that would be applied to whatever Rarity had been trying to make. But what he was hunting for, sat right next to it, forgotten on a desk in lieu of Rarity's new project.
A single sketch, not even in colour. It depicted a single unicorn, wearing a dress that could only belong to royalty. While it lacked colour, that nearby fabric made it clear what it was meant to look like.
A single tiara sat on the head, likely adorned by rubies if the fabric was any indication. Around the pony's neck was a diamond necklace, specifically designed to look just like Rarity's cutie mark. It was held together in the front by a single, likely golden, button, and the shirt piece wrapped snugly around the pony's torso, coming out into large ruffles that puffed outward at the sleeves and neckline. The dress itself cascaded backwards in waves of fabric that folded over itself, lined intricately with ribbons and gems set into the fabric itself.
It was beautiful, even if it was nothing but a mere sketch that lacked the majesty it would likely have in reality.
But it would never see the light of day as it was. With the foolhardy decisions of those five taking priority in Rarity's mind, this dress would be left behind to gather dust.
...
Not only did this mare make six outfits, five of which were harshly rejected, but she had made them all free of charge.
Emerald grinned wickedly.
This would be a wonderful way of repaying the overly generous mare.
For no other reason than because he didn't like owing anybody anything.
No other reason at all.
Nope.
-
-
Twilight was feeling giddy.
How could she not? While yesterday hadn't been the best of days, it seemed that Rarity hadn't taken their denial to heart.
That alone made Twilight's heart feel lighter. She'd admit. The first dresses Rarity made for them were pretty, yes, but she just wasn't satisfied with hers.
The dress Rarity made had been made for a pony who was much, much better looking than her, in Twilight's mind. She didn't deserve a dress like that. She wasn't some model-esque mare like Fluttershy or Rarity. She wasn't an athlete like Applejack or Rainbow. She wasn't even as curvy as Pinkie.
No, all she had was her intelligence. Her dress had to reflect that.
But even though she had a direct hoof in making her dress this time around, she couldn't help but be nervous as Rarity ushered them into the room where the finals projects lay.
"Alright," was it just her, or did Rarity seem nervous too? "You girls can open your eyes now,"
Twilight opened her eyes, and brightened immediately.
"Wow!"
"It's amazing!"
"Awesome!"
"The best duds I ever did see!"
"""""It's exactly what I asked for!"""""
"Oh thank you Rarity!" Twilight gushed, looking at the oddly tired looking mare, "They're absolutely perfect!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie gushed, "I can't wait for everypony in town to see them either!" Rarity smiled at the excitable mare, although it looked strained for some reason.
Twilight didn't really understand it too much, although it must've been because of the fashion show later that night.
She'd admit, the idea of going up on stage and showing off for everypony in town was absolutely nerve-wracking and, had it been just her, she would likely have been halfway to Canterlot by now, just to get out of it.
But she had her friends by her side. It might be scary or, in her case, absolutely terrifying, but as long as the girls, Spike, and Emerald were by her side, she knew that she could get through it, eventually.
...
Speaking of...
"Hey, where's Emerald?" she asked, "The fashion show is in ten minutes, isn't he coming to see our dresses?" Rarity shook her head,
"No. I even went by his house to ask him along, but he said he was working on something and couldn't make it," she said, "If only I could say the same," she added under her breath,
"Did you say somethin' Rarity?"
"Oh no, not at all!~"
Twilight frowned a little. It was a shame that Emerald wouldn't be able to see her new dress just yet, but if he was really working on something...
"Did he say what he was working on?" she asked, Rarity shook her head,
"Not even a peep," she said, before frowning, "I'm... actually a little worried. He left the Boutique yesterday in a hurry. It almost seemed like something was bothering him," she added, worried.
"Huh," Pinkie began, holding a hoof to her cheek, "Now that ya mention it... Emerald didn't come into work today,"
"He what?" Applejack cut in, looking surprised, "That ain't like 'im. He takes work really seriously. What in the hay could that colt be doin' that would keep 'im from workin'?"
"Who knows?" Twilight said, "But I guess we'll find out later."
The front door suddenly burst open, allowing a heavily panting Spike to stumble into the room,
"Girls! Girls! You won't believe who I just saw in Town Square!"
"Who was it, Spike?"
"Have any of you ever heard of Hoity Toity?" Rarity gasped,
"Who hasn't!?" she exclaimed, "He's only one of the biggest fashion critics in all of Equestria!" she gushed, only to freeze, suddenly looking... afraid? "A-are you saying that... that he's in Ponyville... right now?" Spike nodded rapidly,
"Uh huh! Apparently he's here to try and find a new model. But not only that, but he's heard about your fashion show! Well, maybe I told him about it, but still!" he insisted, "He's coming here to watch! Isn't that amazing?!"
"It sure is Spike!" Applejack agreed looking back at Rarity, "If you can sell a bunch'a yer new dresses ta this guy, yer business would be boomin'!"
Rarity smiled, though Twilight couldn't help but feel like it was more of a grimace for some reason.
"Hoity Toity..." she breathed, "He's... he's coming here... to see... these dresses?" she asked, Spike nodded,
"Yep! Get ready for all your dreams to come true!"
Was is just Twilight, or did it look like Rarity's eye was twitching?
-----
A soft sigh escaped the lips of the room's sole occupant.
It had taken all day to prepare this. His hooves were a little sore from the constant maneuvering of the needle. He was glad his job didn't involve doing this very often, his hooves might not be able to take it.
His respect for earth pony tailors had risen dramatically in the process as well.
But now, it was done. It might not be exactly what Rarity had imagined, but he liked to think he'd gotten decently close.
Even if she didn't like it, she at least couldn't deny the effort in making this, rather complicated, dress in only fourteen hours.
Granted, this would come from a mare who could make six in only two days. And then another five in less than one.
...
Maybe she could deny his efforts...
Oh well, he rarely ever sewed anyways. This was still pretty damn good by those standards. Now all he had to do was get this damned thing over to Carousel Boutique without anybody seeing the dress underneath the tarp.
No no. The first pony to lay eyes on this was going to be Rarity. No exceptions.
Shouldn't be too hard, all things considered.
It's not like he'd have to deal with a group of annoying ponies pestering him all the way to Rarity's, right?
...
Well... he only partially jinxed himself.
He wasn't dealing with a group of annoying ponies who were pestering him every step of the way there.
No, instead he was dealing with one annoying pony who was pestering him all the way to the Boutique.
He was an annoying little bastard. Looked the part too.
He had a dark gray coat that was immaculately trimmed and brushed, a clear indicator of the kind of lifetyle he had to live. Coupled with his light blue and white pompadour. He even wore what appeared to be a pair of sleeves on the ends of his hooves, as well as a bright white collar around his neck, and a pair of purple designer sunglasses.
From the look of him, he obviously didn't exercise much, if at all. Though he likely did eat rather healthy, if his thin body frame revealed anything.
Anyhow, the moron had been following him around ever since spotting him entering town, going on about how he was 'The One, and that he could be the 'Next Big Thing' in fashion.
Emerald wasn't stupid. He was fully aware that this nuisance was the famous fashion critic, Hoity Toity, a stallion whose popularity was on par with that of famous photographer, Photo Finish.
"Ah, ah, ah! I know you're just playing hard to get Mr. Skies!" Toity proclaimed haughtily, "But know that I'll get you yet!" Emerald growled,
"Keep dreaming."
"Well, I must be off," the stallion continued, seemingly ignoring Emerald's words, "We'll have to continue this conversation later. I've been informed that there's a fashion show later tonight featuring an up and coming designer, and I'd like to give it a go."
Emerald idly nodded, barely catching what the stallion had said. It was only when he'd left that Emerald realized the implication of his words, and he shivered.
Great, he'd spent the better part of an hour refusing to be a model for that stallion, and now he learned that he was going to be one anyways, just for another pony.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
He sighed.
Rarity better love this dress, or else he might just pop a vein.
...
Everything was pretty much already set up, thankfully.
Lights, a walkway leading to a stage, even curtains were hung to hide the models before they walked out. All of it connected to the Boutique's front door, just waiting to be used.
How often did this happen that Rarity had all of this ready anyways?
Whatever. Not his business.
A crowd had already begun forming, and he could easily spot Toity's large mane-do from where he stood off to the side. Honestly, Emerald never really understood the fuss. He was a stallion who either praised or insulted models and what they wore.
Didn't everyone do that?
What made critics like him so special?
Regardless, Emerald marched onward towards the Boutique, not paying any mind to the ponies who he moved past, each one asking what was under the tarp he was dragging.
Not that he could blame them. He had tied his tail to the pole of the ponyquinn's stand. Combine that with a tarp, and he was certain he made a funny sight.
His eyes flickered up to the runway, spotting a familiar head of purple mane poking it's way from behind the curtains,
"Rarity!" he called, startling the mare, given the way she jumped. She turned, searching for the source of his voice, before her eyes locked onto him and brightened.
"Emerald!" she squealed, now beckoning him up to her, "Come, come!" she said before darting back behind the curtains.
He followed the panicked mare back into the Boutique, where he found her pacing back and forth, her mane and tail looking frayed. She glanced up when he entered, not bothering to question the tarp or the fact he was currently untying his tail from it,
"Thanks goodness you're here! Those dresses are absolutely terrible! My career is going to be ruined if they go out there tonight!" she screeched, her pacing speeding up, "Nopony in all of Equestria will want to buy my dresses!" she stopped, abruptly turning to face him, "But with you, at least, my business might not go under quite yet!" she said, her voice pitching, "I might have to stop making dresses entirely, but at least I'll be able to continue making suits! Haha!" she laughed, before leaning close to the ground, a haunted look crossing her face, "I'm doomed."
Emerald grimaced. He couldn't really imagine what was going through the mare's mind right now.
Well, other than a string of curses, but that might just be him.
"Are they really that bad?" he asked tentatively, Rarity just stared at him,
"Worse," she muttered. He narrowed his eyes. This was getting bad. But really, who else but the entirety of Ponyville, as well as some fashion critic, was going to see this train wreck?
"Is that the princess?!"
"Oh my gosh!"
"Look everypony!"
"Oh sweet Faust let that be a prank," Emerald muttered, horrified, even as both he and Rarity bolted out the door.
He stuck his head out through the curtain, just as Rarity's own head popped out from abov-
Was she standing on his back?
...
Yes, she was.
Whatever, back to the crowd.
Everyone was looking up excitedly as a familiar golden chariot swooped through the sky, serving to both awe the crowd, and freeze the blood of both the resident thestral and dressmaker.
""We're fucked,"" they chorused, so distracted that neither noticed the fashionista's choice of words.
The chariot landed gracefully just beyond the crowd, and, even with all the excited jumping around the crowd was doing, he could still see the princess's smiling face from her chariot, with a smaller figure wearing a hooded cloak sitting beside her.
"Both of them," Emerald muttered, just loud enough for Rarity to hear, if her gasp was any indication, "How the fuck did they hear ab-... Sparky," he concluded flatly, "Or Spike. One of the two, possibly both," he added, nodding idly. He pulled his head back and turned around, not bothering to shake Rarity off. She merely stood, stock still, even as Emerald entered the Boutique, subconsciously stooping down to keep her from hitting her head.
"Okay," he muttered, now falling into the same pacing route Rarity had been in earlier, "This changes things. I was perfectly fine just letting this whole thing crash and burn earlier, after all, the chances of this little show going past the town's borders were practically nil. Now, this is serious," he stopped, trailing off.
He needed to stop those mares from wearing those awful dresses. Letting them embarrass themselves in front of the crowd, filled to the brim with ponies they were familiar with, was one thing. But letting them embarrass themselves in front of the princesses and a newly gossip happy crowd?
Not so much.
"This... this ends now."
-----
"Is it straight?"
"Mhm! It looks wonderful Fluttershy. I'm sure everypony will love it!"
Twilight smiled at her shy friend, even as she carefully readjusted her own gown. Dark purple, with about a dozen separate constellations and their representations. Coupled with the starry headband, she thought it looked... well, she supposed with was a bit odd, but she liked it as it was.
Fluttershy's cute little nest and flower necklace fit together, and it was made even better with the long green gown she wore.
"Yeah Fluttershy, you look fine," Rainbow said, "But look at me! I'm awesome!"
Indeed, although it looked more like a rainbow themed suit of armour than anything else.
"Yeah, yeah. Ya always think yer awesome," Applejack snarked from by the door. She adjusted her tall red hat, and even messed with the overalls she wore over her yellow and green striped dress. How she even managed with those galoshes was lost on Twilight.
"Well she's right, isn't she?" Pinkie asked innocently, bouncing on her hooves in time with the balloons tied to her tail. Even Twilight would admit, the balloons and cupcake hat were a bit unusual, but they at least worked with the green shirt and blue tutu she wore.
"Ya really shouldn't agree with everythin' she says, Pinkie," Applejack deadpanned, "Her ego's big enough as is. Honestly, I'm jus' surprised it ain't keepin' her on the ground," she said.
Twilight sighed and shook her head, but she smiled all the same.
These were her friends. She wouldn't trade them for the world.
The sound of the door opening broke through the semi-silence, causing the five mares to turn. Was the show starting?
Rather than Rarity, or even Spike, a familiar stallion stood in the doorway instead, with Rarity standing nervously behind him. Was something wrong?
"Emerald!" came a shout, followed by the pink pony it had come from, "Didja come here to look at our dresses?! Aren't they super?!" she asked excitedly.
Sapphire eyes gave her a once over, before their owner scowled.
"By and far," he began, his deep, deep tones laced with an unusual hint of venom, "those are the ugliest things I've ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on."
-----
Rarity wasn't sure what she was expecting.
She envisioned Emerald being a rather kind stallion, even if he hid it behind a stern exterior. So, perhaps she had been anticipating him taking a stern, logical approach when addressing the issue with her friends.
Maybe a part of her thought he'd be a little understanding, given how generally nice he was towards them.
But this?
"Wh-what?"
"You heard me," he repeated, strutting past Pinkie without issue, "Those things are the ugliest dresses I've ever seen," he snarled, before he waved a hoof around, "I mean, look at you!" he turned and flicked the cupcake on Pinkie's head, "A cupcake? Balloons?" he sneered, "Please. The fact that any of you think these things are good is nothing more than your inexperience talking," he added.
"Wha-? Hey! Rarity worked real hard on all this, ya can't jus-!"
"I 'can't just' what, exactly?" he interrupted, rounding on the country mare, stalking towards her in a manner eerily similar to a predator, "'Insult her designs'? Is that what you were going to say? Because if so, you've already done that," he snapped, before taking a large step forward, stomping harshly on Applejack's galoshes, startling the mare into backing up, causing the hoofwear to slip off, "Galoshes?" he asked, before kicking it away with a scowl, "Practical, sure, but this is a fashion show, you idiot!" he growled, causing her to gasp, "You don't know the first thing about fashion, something I'm certain you're freely willing to admit, right?" he asked, before taking another step forward, forcing himself in her face when she didn't answer immediately, "Right?" it took a moment, but she finally nodded, which caused him to back away.
This was not what she was expecting at all.
"And you," he snapped, whirling to face Fluttershy, who cowered as he approached, "A bird's nest?" he asked, before forcefully pulling her closer, "And what's this around your neck? A flower? Pathetic," she whimpered as he let go, "Just look at you. You look like you walked into the Everfree and came out like that," he muttered, then turned to the other pegasus in the room, "And don't even get me started on what you are wearing," he snarled, advancing towards Rainbow, "What the fuck is that even supposed to be? An awful dress? Or shoddy armour?"
"It's supposed to be cool, like me!" Rainbow answered, glaring at him, her eyes narrowing further when he laughed,
"Cool?" he asked, "Ha! You look like a little filly who's trying to play pretend! You might not look out of place in the Canterlot Guard, but here, when everyone knows you're just a little stuntmare? Please! Are you really willing to let this image of a little filly playing dress-up muck your so-called 'reputation'?" He narrowed his eyes at the mare, who shrunk away from his fierce gaze, before he finally turned to the last mare.
"And then there's you," he stated, striding forcefully over to Twilight, "Really?" he asked, giving the stars on her head band a little swat, causing them to swing around, "This is what you wanted?" he asked, staking a firm step forward, forcing Twilight to take one back. He continued doing this, even as he spoke, "You denied the first dress, like the rest of these fools, for this? In what backwards reality do you have to live in to think that this is better?" he asked, before stopping, and gestured with his hoof to the left toward a mirror he'd corralled Twilight next to, "Take a good long look at yourselves. All of you," he ordered, idly moving over to the nearby window, "And I want you to ask yourselves: 'Is this what I want all of them to see?'," he said, ripping the curtains away, revealing the by-now massive crowd all eagerly waiting down below.
He strode through the room, not bothering glance at any of the now sheepish looking mares, whose gazes were too busy roaming over their dresses to look at him anyways. He stopped next to the folding curtain on the other side of the room, before giving it a harsh kick, causing it to fold and crash lightly into the far wall. The very first dresses Rarity had made sat where the curtain had laid, as pristine as they had been the first time they saw them. Emerald turned towards the mares, looking resolute,
"I expect you to make the right decision," he stated, before finally walking back to the door, where he passed Rarity, "C'mon. You and I still need to get ready."
-----
Well, that was harder than he'd thought it would be.
"Emerald, dear, was all that necessary?" Rarity asked. He supposed it was an example of her character that she'd worry about her friends more than the potential career ruining catastrophe that was standing outside.
"Yes," he stated simply, "But there's no point in arguing about it. You need to put on your dress," he said.
"My dress?" he heard her ask, before she gasped, "MY DRESS! I never got around to making mine!" she shrieked, "Goodness, I was so focused on making those fashion disasters that I completely forgot about my own ensemble!" Emerald fidgeted slightly,
"Uh... yeah. You forgot about it. I... didn't."
"What?" she asked, looking at him curiously. Emerald marched over to his still covered project, and sighed, before tugging the sheet off of the ponyquinn.
Rarity gasped, her hooves flying to her mouth.
She stared at the dress-no-the masterpiece before her.
It was just like the dress she'd intended to make! Down to the last detail, even!
Wait... was this is what he'd been working on for the past day!?
He'd spent an entire day of his own life, even forgoing his job just to make this for her! For HER!
Rarity couldn't hold in the squeal of excitement, though she'd later deny ever making such an unladylike sound. She immediately turned to the slightly nervous stallion, and all but launched herself at him, wrapping him up in her hooves in a hug that could put Pinkie to shame.
"H-hey!"
"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou soooo much!" the mare gushed, excitedly rubbing her cheek against his, "I can't believe you'd do this for little old me!"
"D-don't go getting the wrong idea!" Emerald stuttered, turning red at the unexpected affection, "I just don't like owing a-anybody!"
"Aww~ Is wittle Emerald embarwassed?~" she teased, only for the reddened thestral to pull out of the hug and all but jump away from her. His reaction only made her giggle, but she decided to relent.
For now.
"Thank you, Emerald," she said sincerely, smiling gently. The thestral narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, keeping watch for any sudden movement. Upon finding none, he nodded, relaxing,
"It's fine. Like I said, don't go getting the wrong idea. I did it because I felt like it, that's all," he repeated, looking away from her, steadfastly ignoring the twinge of heat he could feel on his cheeks,
"Oh~?" Rarity began, her tone lightening, "I thought it was because you didn't want to owe me anything?"
Rarity just laughed at his disgruntled expression.
"Dammit, how long are those mares going to take?" Emerald growled, pacing impatiently around the perimeter of the room,
"Now, now," Rarity tried gently, carefully straightening her tiara, "I'm sure the girls are almost ready," she continued calmly.
Of course, calm as she might seem, Rarity was likely the most nervous about the whole thing, unsurprisingly. After all, this was her business on the line.
Still, the wait was a good sign, at least. It meant that the girls were still putting on their dresses, and, considering that they'd already been dressed when Emerald scolded them earlier, it was likely that they did make the right choice in putting on their old dresses.
Almost on cue, Emerald heard the sound of a door opening from upstairs, causing him to pause in his pacing and look up, the sudden movement catching Rarity's eye as well.
One by one, the sound of many hooves on wood echoed through the shop as the mares finally ventured out of that damned room.
"Took you lot long... enough..." he trailed off as the mares finally came into view.
Damn. If he thought Rarity had done a good job before....
But yes, they were perfect. Every last detail on each dress served to complement the mare wearing it in the most subtle of ways, but altogether it made the image so much different.
Though there were some differences altogether. For starters, Applejack had opted to braid her mane and tail, Crash had actually tied her mane into a ponytail similar to Applejack's, and Fluttershy seemed to have curled her mane, as well as woven some flowers into her hair.
Emerald himself had actually done something similar. Rather than just let his mane frame his face in a set of gentle spikes, he'd pulled the back end into a slim ponytail, with the band at the base of his skull rather than the ends like Crash or Applejack. Even Rarity had changed up the design a little, having put in, what were likely false, piercings in her ears, a sight that made the ear-conscious thestral shiver.
"Wow," Emerald breathed, "You all look grand," he admitted, his eyes roaming over each mare appreciatively, though it lingered on Sparky the longest.
She was blushing quite heavily, looking downward at the floor, even as she gently traced circles with her right hoof.
"You alright there, Sparky?" he asked, frowning slightly. She looked up, startled, before her face flushed a deeper red,
"Oh! N-no- I mean, yes! I'm fine," she stuttered, before suddenly taking a deep breath, and letting it out, "Yes," she repeated, "I'm fine," she looked up at him, "You look great, Emerald. And..." she fidgeted, "you were right."
"Yeah," Applejack cut in, "It took us a bit, but we figured ya'll were right. I mean, galoshes? What was I thinkin'?" she asked, laughing good-naturedly,
"Yeah!" Pinkie interjected, "Cupcakes are super for eating! Not so much for wearing," she said, adding that last part dejectedly,
"Eh, I still think mine was pretty cool," Crash shrugged, but Emerald chose to ignore her.
"We're really sorry for making you go through all that trouble, Rarity," Fluttershy whimpered, "I just feel awful thinking about it."
"Girls!" Rarity cried, smiling brightly, before rushing forward, and practically dragging the five of them, six since Emerald somehow got included, into a large group hug.
"Ugh," he grunted as the mare's death grip forced him against Sparky, who was chuckling gently, "How do you deal with this so often?" she laughed,
"You'll get used to it!"
The hug lasted for another minute, before Rarity finally let go, discreetly wiping away a tear or two, Emerald was sure.
"HELLO PONYVILLE!!" came the amplified voice of the local drake,
"Oh! The shows starting!" Rarity squealed, "Everypony! To your places!"
"SINCE THE BEGINNING OF PONYKIND... THE ELITE OF EQUESTRIA HAS SEARCHED TIRELESSLY FOR PONY FASHIONS, THAT TRULY EXPRESS THE VERY ESSENCE OF THEIR SOUL!!"
"Laying it on a bit thick, isn't he?"
""""""Shhhh!!""""""
"PATIENTLY WAITING DECADES, NO, CENTURIES FOR THE PERFECT PONY GOWN!!"
"Well, maybe,"
"""""SHHHHH!!!"""""
"Okay, okay! Sheesh,"
"TODAY, AT LONG LAST, EQUESTRIA, YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BREATHTAKING DESIGNS, OF PONYVILLE'S OWN.... RARITY!!!"
The curtains practically shot open, the light blinding Emerald for a moment. Thankfully, Sparky and her friends had already begun trailing out onto the stage, so his faltering wasn't noticed.
First went Sparky, followed by Applejack, then Fluttershy, Crash, and Pinkie. Rarity stood back, as, apparently she was to be the last one, given that she was the designer.
Emerald strut out after Pinkie, holding his gaze forward.
"SAY HELLO TO OUR MODELS!!" Spike called, "TWILIGHT SPARKLE! APPLEJACK! FLUTTERSHY! RAINBOW DASH! PINKIE PIE! ANNND EMERALD SKIES!"
The six of them marched onto the large found platform at the end of the runway, but there was still a single space in between him and Sparky,
"AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THE DESIGNER OF THESE LOVELY DRESSES, RARITY HERSELF!" Spike called once more, Rarity appearing back at the curtains with a flourish of her mane. She practically glided out onto the runway, looking as confident as ever, until she slid into the space between Emerald and Sparky.
Now completely filled, the platform began to slowly spin around, giving the crowd a better look at the seven ponies on stage.
"Oh my, those dresses are marvelous!" Hoity Toity's posh voice cut through the crowd's cheerful murmuring easily, "These are by far the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen! Oh, and let's not forget that amazing suit! I dare say everypony in all of Canterlot will want one!"
Emerald gave a hidden smirk when he noticed Rarity struggling not to tear up in the corner of his eye.
While the crowd was distracted with their attire, Emerald allowed his eyes to roam, before they easily caught the familiar magenta of the solar co-ruler. She gave him a gentle smile that had him almost subconsciously puffing his chest out slightly, though it died down when his eyes met the twinkling set of teal just off to the side.
The lunar princess gave him an almost shy wave, which he returned with a simple nod and a satisfied smirk.
This was a job well done, it seemed.
-
-
"You were all wonderful!" came the cheerful cry as the, admittedly large, mare strode into the mare's dressing room,
"Indeed. We-I was most amazed by your designs, Lady Rarity."
""""""Princess Celestia?! Princess Luna?!""""""
"Wh-what are you two doing here?!" Twilight asked, perhaps a bit too loudly, which she likely noticed since her cheeks reddened. Celestia merely giggled at her student's reaction,
"Why, my sister and I came to see the show, of course,"
"Yes, young Spike was most insistent that we come," Luna added, giving a small, almost mischievous, smile, "T'was most serious, he claimed."
"Spike!" Twilight hissed under her breath, planning on scolding the young drake later. Probably confiscate his rubies too, while she was at it.
"I'm so glad you liked my designs!" Rarity gushed, bowing low to the ground,
"There's no need to bow, Rarity," Celestia gently admonished, "And how could I not? It must've taken you several days to make such wonderful dresses."
Celestia's serene smile fell a little when she noticed the nervous, and guilty, glances her student and her friends sent each other,
"Is something the matter?"
"Well, see, the thing is Yer Highness, well..."
"We kinda messed up," Rainbow admitted. That caught her interest, but her sister spoke up before her,
"How so?"
"Well..." Twilight began, "Rarity made these dresses for us," she said, gently putting a hoof to the star band around her neck, "But, the problem was... none of us liked them," Celestia's brows rose in surprise.
Not like them? That was... hard to believe given how nice they looked. Even harder to believe, since they all seemed to like them so much now.
"I get the feeling that's not all, Twilight," the solar princess prodded gently, earning an embarrassed nod from the purple unicorn,
"Well, even though Rarity made these super nice dresses for us, and Emerald's amazing suit, he was the only one who was really happy with his," Pinkie explained rapidly, "And we were all sad 'cause we all had these ideas for our dresses and these looked nothing like them so Rarity said she'd make us brand new dresses!"
"A-and, um... our ideas weren't very... good," Fluttershy squeaked. Luna raised an eyebrow,
"Nonsense," she disagreed, "Though you may not be dressmakers like Lady Rarity, I am sure you're ideas were not bad in any way," she argued, before straightening herself, "Show them to us," she ordered, before deflating slightly, her cheeks darkening a shade, "Please."
Celestia noticed Rarity grimace, but she nodded, her horn lighting up, just as a curtain by the far wall lit up the same hue, and was drawn aside.
The royal sisters blinked at the sight of the... dresses?...
"Well... they're certainly... unique?" Celestia tried, smiling weakly,
"Those are atrocious," Luna stated flatly, earning a discreet magic swat to the back of the head from her elder sister, though she was unfazed.
"Well... appearances aside," Celestia began, not so subtly pushing the subject aside, even as Rarity covered the abominations back up, "since you're wearing those dresses now, I take it something happened?" Twilight nodded,
"Yes. Emerald talked, or rather, insulted some sense into us," she said, causing both sisters to perk up.
Emerald helped them?
Wait... insulted?
"What do you mean?" Luna asked, hiding a smirk,
"Well... he sorta jus'... strolled right in an' started beratin' us on our designs. Told us our designs were terrible an' that we were bein' stupid. He kinda made us think everythin' over. Made us wonder if we actually wanted ta been seen in those dresses," Applejack said. Celestia nodded, before giving the six mares a gentle smile,
"Well, regardless, it certainly sounds like an important lesson was learned here, isn't that right, Luna?"
"Indeed so, sister," she said, "What say you, Twilight Sparkle?" the question caused all focus to shift onto the short mare, who shifted nervously at all the attention. She took a deep breath, before speaking in a confident tone,
"Well... today I learned that if you try to please everypony, then you'll likely end up pleasing nopony, not even yourself," she began, "And not only that, but I also learned that if somepony offers you a favour, like making you a beautiful dress," she smiled at Rarity, "you shouldn't be overly critical of something given to you. In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Rarity helped me learn that," she giggled, before her eyes traveled upward in thought, "... I also learned another thing. When somepony makes a decision that could end up hurting them or somepony else, sometimes it's necessary to be a little mean, rather than try and settle things gently. A firm hoof, or even some firm words, can be enough to set somepony straight without hurting anypony. Emerald taught me that," she said sagely, giving a gentle nod to herself, as if confirming a thought.
Celestia nodded, smiling brightly,
"What wonderful things to learn, Twilight," she said, "I hope you take those lessons to heart."
"I will," her student replied resolutely. They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, before Luna suddenly spoke up,
"Where is Sir Emerald anyhow?" she asked, looking around curiously, "I would've thought he'd be around here, given that the show ended not too long ago."
Luna's question got the rest of the mares thinking. Where was Emerald?
"I've told you a hundred times, Toity! I WILL NOT BE A MODEL FOR YOU!!"
The sudden shout caught their attention, and the eight mares all looked out the nearest window, just in time to spot the familiar green stallion, no longer clad in his suit, being chased by the fashion critic.
"Come now! There's no need to play hard to get! You could be a star!"
"I said, NO!"
The sight of their green friend's misfortune sparked an intense giggling storm in the dressing room of the Carousel Boutique, where even the high and mighty princesses looked like nothing more than harmless fillies having fun.