--- Diamonds in the Rough ---
As the morning sun began to shine down on the land, Twilight Sparkle awoke to the delightful fact that the night had been kind to her. Fully reveling in the aftermath of a good night's sleep, Twilight stretched and yawned with an honest smile on her face. Her current hypothesis stated that extreme physical, magical, and emotional strain made the act of resting all the easier. And based on how this day had begun? That theory was definitely correct.
Of course, that feeling of content and ease was swiftly put to rest as the young alicorn recalled what this day would entail for her. And she groaned in anticipation of what was to come. But that was a problem for the future her, even if that future was soon, and the present Twilight took some comfort in that at the very least.
After living through the day's first major—and hopefully last—mood swing, her next action was to immediately check up on the well being her young draconic companion. Safe and sound, lightly snoring away at the daylight in his own little den with the smallest bit of drool escaping his maw. This calming and adorable sight was contrasted deeply by the bandages wrapped snuggly around one of his legs, their pristine white tarnished slightly by what little blood was able to squeeze out of the bite over the course of the evening. Despite Spike being the one to have been hurt, the pain that Twilight felt at the sight eluded description by mere words.
It should have been me, the grim thought lingered in Twilight's head as she donned her concealing garment. She'd gladly have let one of her own wings be ripped off if it would have spared Spike that injury. But in a surprising act of mental fortitude, Twilight managed to repress this thought relatively quickly. The past was the past, immutable and absolute. Nothing could change what had happened, that was something Twilight learned a long time ago. Dwelling on it anymore would only impede her future, and that would only invite disaster.
With a series of deep breaths, Twilight allowed her failures to pass on by. Being guilty would do her no good, so instead, she was resolved to be better. At least until after she had gotten a stable job in this town. Then, in the privacy of whatever abode she ended up renting, she could beat herself up over letting her friend get hurt. Putting on a brave smile while adjusting her cloak, Twilight felt like she was ready to take on the world as she opened the door.
And there was a bear.
Just standing there in the middle of the hallway like it owned the place, in just the right way that their eyes met as soon as the door was opened. There was no reaction on either individual's part, just a silent exchange of stares that lasted for an eternity. There was also no thought in this moment, just a steady and continuous state of internal screaming on Twilight's behalf. The look on her face acting as the only outward expression of this inward panic. The bear, meanwhile, just gazed back with this half-eyed look of indifference. If Twilight were in any state of mind to take into consideration the emotional state of this animal, she'd proclaim that it looked groggy. Tired even, like a caffeine junkie who had yet to partake in their morning coffee.
Without the slightest of shifts in posture or expression, Twilight ever so slowly closed the door and clicked the lock. She then proceeded to slowly turn around, same wide-eyed gawk painted across her face, and slowly walked towards the window. By some improbable coincidence, it was now that Spike had decided to gently rouse himself from his own slumber. Yawning loudly, emerald eyes locked upon his purple pony comrade as she unlocked and opened the window.
"Uhh... Twilight? What are you doing?"
"There's a bear out there, and I'm not dealing with that today." Her stress-filled response sounded almost giddy. "I'm just not dealing with that today. This is where I draw the line."
"... Are you being serious right now?" It wasn't often that Spike looked at Twilight like she were an absolute lunatic. Well, not too often. Maybe two or three times every few months, but that's not important. Right now, though? That was the look he was giving her. Unquestionably.
"Very."
"You're scared of a bear?"
"Not particularly. I just don't feel like dealing with that today."
Unamused, Spike narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Looking back and forth between the door and the cloaked alicorn, there was a brief moment of pause before he climbed out of bed. And after figuring out how to walk with only three legs, he made his way over to the door. Propping himself up on his hind legs, it wasn't long before the lock clicked open once more.
"Spike, don't you dare," there was no change in her tone or her expression as she turned to face Spike, "Do not open that door."
"There can't be a bear out there though, and I'm gonna prove it," Spike chuckled as he turned the knob, absolutely sure in his reasoning. A confident smile on his face, he knew that there couldn't possibly be a bear in this house. He might have been young, but he was clever enough to know that bears do not just wander into houses like this. To find food? Maybe. But if that were the case, the supposed bear would be in the kitchen, not up here. And he was determined to prove that to his friend as he opened the door against her wishes.
The bear was still there.
"Oh." That's all Spike said as his eyes met with the grizzly's own. Closing the door just as slowly as Twilight had, he turned back to her with his face now matching hers. "I stand corrected. That was a bear."
"Which is why we're going out the window. I'm not dealing with that today." Twilight turned back to the window to continue her escape but was greeted to the sight of a worried looking yellow pegasus in a sunhat.
Fluttershy hovered before the window with a puzzled look on her face. It looked like she had been doing some yard work when she had noticed Twilight's attempted escape. "Is everything alright?"
Spike and Twilight answered in perfect synchronization. "There's a bear in your house."
A sincere look of guilt came across Fluttershy's now reddened face. "Oh! Did I forget to tell you about Harry? I sent him up to let you know breakfast would be soon... Could have sworn I told you about him though... Sorry."
Silence. Absolute silence. A complete lack of any sound at all, as if the world itself had been forcibly muted. Neither the wounded dragon or the disguised alicorn could comprehend what the yellow pony could have meant by that. Well, it was clearly an indication that she and this bear have had some kind of longlasting acquaintanceship. That was just one of several questions answered, at the very least.
"... You have a pet bear?" Twilight's reaction was surprisingly calm.
"Ehh... less 'pet' and more 'freeloader who lives in my basement and drinks all my coffee,' but effectively yes," Fluttershy hesitated for only a moment after that, "And... not to be rude, but you have a dragon..."
This was true.
--- — ---
Today was an odd day.
Not only had Twilight Sparkle woken up to the sight of a bear waiting outside of her current bedroom, but she also ended up sitting down and having a civilized breakfast with that very same bear. A bear who, shockingly enough, had better table manners then Twilight herself had. And that was impressive, considering her hometown. But aside from the inclusion of a bear, the meal that she and Spike had been invited to was pleasantly uneventful. Just a normal breakfast in a normal house, something that Twilight and Spike hadn't experienced in a very long time. It was nice. And also gave Twilight a perfect opportunity to plan out the rest of her day.
Thankfully, Fluttershy was more than willing to allow Spike to rest and "lay low" in her cottage while Twilight spent the day looking for a job. Spike deserved the reprieve from all the activity for a while, he needed the rest and Twilight didn't want to jostle him about in her saddlebag all day. This meant one less thing for the cloaked pony to worry about, which was great because the job hunt was proving to add a whole bunch of NEW things to worry about.
A few days ago, when she had been merely been searching for some quick cash, she had found several possible employment options who were looking for full-time employment or local workers. And while Twilight couldn't fix the second issue, the first one was now no longer a problem. But, just her luck, those positions had been filled in the days since she had looked into them.
Each and every single one.
And thus explained Twilight's current predicament. Sitting on a bench in the center of town, a recently purchased newspaper floating before her. She had previously skimmed the jobs section earlier in the week during her quest for cash, but she was hopeful that something new had been added between then and now. This town was pretty decently sized, surely a new job opening could have opened up since then.
"Nope, nope, double nope, nope, supreme nope, nope, nope, nope with a garnish of NOPE," Twilight grumbled as she fiddled through the job listings, verbally disqualifying a number of options from the list. Eventually, the paper drooped as the cloaked pony gave up hope with a sigh. "... Maybe I should bring back Twiggles the Clown..."
"Twiggles the Clown?" A bubbly voice spoke from the other side of the newspaper. "Now THAT'S a story I want to hear!"
Lowering the document to see the intruder, Twilight's eyes met with the bright blue orbs belonging to Pinkie Pie. "... How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know you need more money," Pinkie said with an honest smile on her face, "What happened to all the cash you got from Mr. Knox?"
The cloaked pony had to pick her next words very carefully as to not cause a scene. "I've... actually decided to extend my stay in town... and I need to put food on the table, after all."
Her words had been chosen poorly and a scene was in the works, evident by Pinkie's reaction. Her lips were sucked into her mouth as if she had just gotten a taste of something sour, eyes wide and shocked by the news. And then, she began to shake. Subtly at first, but the vibrations quickly grew more and more noticeable at a scarily exponential rate. Before long, the earth pony was practically a pink wheezing blur.
Is she going to explode? The question wasn't entirely unjustified, Twilight moving behind the bench in order to use it as some form of cover for the inevitable detonation.
The shaking only became more violent as Pinkie's head lurched back towards the sky, her ecstatic humming becoming louder and louder. It wouldn't be long before whatever cosmic force she was holding back was unleashed upon the world, likely with enough force to violently transform Ponyville into a smoldering black crater.
And then, it stopped. Pinkie's ceaseless jittering finally ceased, and she looked back to Twilight with her usual happy outlook. "That's fantastic!" She wasn't even that loud, just her usual speaking voice.
In all honesty, Twilight found herself being disappointed as she peeked out from behind the bench-made-barrier. She had been promised a cataclysm of apocalyptic proportions, and all of that buildup had lead to a rather disappointing anticlimax. And against her better judgment, Twilight just had to ask.
"... What was that?"
"What was what?" The earth pony answered as if she were entirely unaware of what she just did.
"All of... that! The shaking, and the MMMMMMM-ing," Twilight almost perfectly imitated Pinkie's peculiar body language as she mimicked the sound, "That!"
Words have power, actions have consequences, and Twilight Sparkle learned this lesson the hard way with Pinkie Pie's reaction. The earth pony's ears practically stapled themselves to the sides of her head as the pink pony's face flushed into a deep shade of red. She broke eye contact and looked to her forehooves, one of which was currently scratching at the other as the mare sunk into herself. In this specific instance, Pinkie Pie reminded Twilight more of Fluttershy then of Pinkie Pie.
"S-sorry," Pinkie almost inaudibly whispered, "Sometimes I get really excited and I have to stop myself from freaking out... sometimes I'm not very subtle... and I'm kind of having an off day, so the good news was really good and... eh... ya know?"
The disguised alicorn didn't think that the feeling of guilt she felt about letting Spike get hurt could be beaten. And it wasn't, but this was a very close second. She felt as if she had just ripped this poor mare's still-beating heart out of her chest and stamped it into the ground. Everything that had made Pinkie Pie who she was had just been torn away in a single instant and Twilight felt absolutely horrid about doing that to such a nice young mare.
"I... sorry... I didn't mean to upset you," Twilight responded slowly, not sure how to respond to that. "I was just curious, that's all."
The speed in which Pinkie managed to bounce back from her stupor served to almost give Twilight whiplash. "It's okay! You didn't know, but now you do, so it's all good!" The mare giggled and snorted as if the episode had never even happened, leaving Twilight perplexed beyond imagination. "So, how's the new job hunt going?"
"...Not well," Twilight mindlessly wandered around the bench to continue the conversation, "Haven't exactly found anything I'm looking for."
"Well, what are you looking for?"
"That's... not exactly an easy question." What was she honestly supposed to say? That she was looking for something with no uniform so she could keep her wings hidden? That question would contradict the goal entirely. "I... don't really know what I'm looking for." That wasn't exactly a better explanation.
Pinkie's head tilted to the side as she mused over the words. There was a short lull in the conversation as she looked over the covered pony. "Well, whatever you end up doing, you might wanna get the hole in your cape fixed!"
Caught off guard for the third time this conversation, Twilight quickly began searching her person for the supposed hole in her garments. And it wasn't long before she found it, a decently sized tear in the thick cloth. Clearly where she had previously been bitten by that timberwolf, on further investigation. Thankfully the gaping rip wasn't in any position to reveal her hidden wings to the world, but that could change if it were to be left to its own devices for too long.
"Oh... that's a problem."
"Don't worry, I know where you can get that fixed! Come on!" Pinkie didn't wait for a response before trotting off, humming that same catchy tune.
A mile a minute, that mare. Twilight rolled her eyes as she followed suit, resigning herself to whatever wild ride the earth pony had just signed her up for. After all, there was no force in this or any world that could get her to take off this cloak, so making sure that it was presentable to any potential employers was important. Pinkie's escort wasn't nearly as quick or hasty as it had been earlier, a much more manageable pace than she had gone the other day. Though the route was much shorter than the trek to the library, as today's destination was actually in the town proper.
The appearance of the structure did more than enough to conceal the shop's true nature. From the short time that she had been here, Twilight knew that Ponyville was a town with a fairly uniform architectural style. Every structure, while not one hundred percent identical to the ones around it, all fit within the same visual schema. This building, however? Well, it definitely rode on the edge of not fitting into that style. The two-story foundation was cylindrical in nature, an outstanding oddity when compared to its brethren, and was painted in colors that were both eye-catching and subtle. The fact that it took the alicorn this long to notice it was a testament to her ability to become lost in her own headspace.
The building's construction and design were made with the clear intent of drawing one's attention, everyone except for Twilight apparently. And combined with the various ornaments and design elements that gave the distinctive and immediate impression of a carousel, it did just that. Though to say that it was gaudy was a bit of a stretch, there were subtleties within the structure. It was just that it's differences were amplified greatly by the comparatively dull shops surrounding it. Above the main entrance sat a beautifully carved wooden sign hung just above the shop's entrance, the words "Carousel Boutique" carved in with an elegantly curvy font.
Well, I should have seen that coming, Twilight thought as she overlooked where she had been brought. "I'm guessing this is what you were talking about?"
"Yep! Rarity's super good with this kind of thing," Pinkie beamed back, "Who knows? Maybe she'll even be able to get you a way better one!" And with that, the pink earth pony trotted on into the shop to the tone of a small bell without another word. Twilight, in the meanwhile, was left with feelings of self-doubt as she overlooked her concealing robe.
What's wrong with this one? She asked herself distraughtly. Yes, this particular article of clothing was indeed a bit old and well worn, but Twilight didn't see anything wrong with that. The brown mass of fabric had a few flaws and distortions in it from so many years of frequent use, that's what happens when you wear something every single day, but it was made for that purpose. The large timberwolf-based hole from yesterday was the first time the garment had ever been damaged this badly. It was reliable and relatively subtle, that's all she really needed from it.
Putting aside the moment of uncertainty, Twilight followed Pinkie Pie into the clothing store. Taking in a deep breath as she passed through the threshold, a very distinct aroma of incense greeted her nostrils. It was actually quite pleasant, really. It gave off a certain elegance to the air within the structure and one that was a very one. There was no doubt in her mind that whatever fragrance the shopkeeper had chosen, it had been imported from Canterlot. Not surprising considering this town's apparent proximity to the nation's capital, but it did catch the cloaked pony off guard. Old memories instantly being brought back to the surface by the familiar scents.
Instead of dwelling on that any further, she instead turned her attention to the shop's interior. Much the same as one would expect from a clothing store: a register towards the back, several mannequins each displaying a unique garb, and a series of seating arrangments that were likely used by any poor stallion dragged through here. The color scheme of the inside matched that of the exterior with not a single inch of space wasted, everything was set in such a way as to maximize the space of the building. The true intricacies of interior decoration were lost on Twilight, but even she could tell that this Rarity individual was someone who knew what they were doing. If the magical pony didn't know any better, Twilight would think that this store had been plucked right from the capital and dropped into the middle of this country town.
"Just one moment!" A voice called, almost sang, from somewhere on the second floor. "Just have a seat, and I'll be right with you!"
"Okay, Rarity! We'll wait!!" Pinkie hollered back, firmly planting herself on one of the plush seats that had been left out for customer use. "She's probably busy with a commission or something, sorry about that." Twilight found her own perch on the chair neighboring Pinkie's couch.
"Commission? So she's a couturier?" One of the pink earth pony's ears drooped at the question, a conflicted look coming over her face. Twilight knew that particular expression well from her own life experience, a clear sign that Pinkie knew what the word meant—or had at least heard it before, but didn't currently remember the exact definition. Twilight's brother had made this very face at her countless times in the past whenever she got a bit too verbose for him. And so she did what she used to do in those situations, and simply rephrased the question.
"She makes custom clothes?"
"Oh, yeah! That's what she does," Pinkie's face returned to its natural state of being, that being a massive smile, "She absolutely loves making dresses. And jewelry, and all sorts of other fancy stuff!"
So this Rarity is also a jeweler, Twilight pondered as she looked about the store. True to Pinkie's word, there did also appear to be some fine trinkets on sale as well, just not as eye-catching as the dresses being shown off. Interesting skillset.
True to her word the owner did not leave the two waiting for long, only a short few minutes or so, and her arrival was soon heralded by the distinguishing sound of hooves descending stairs. A doorway was opened, and out stepped the unicorn known as Rarity. As if to serve only to further remind Twilight of her days in Canterlot, this mare's perfectly groomed white coat combined with the royal violet finely curled mane gave the impression of someone who carried themselves with grace and elegance. Yet while her outward appearance would allow her to fit right in back at the capital city, it was the unicorn's sapphire eyes that brought back the most memories in the young alicorn. The tired yet determined eyes of an overly passionate—and overly hard-working—pony who didn't know when to quit or even when to take a break. Eyes that Twilight once stared back into every morning when she looked in the mirror. And that memory alone was enough to send a chill down her spine.
The white unicorn flipped a stray part of her mane back into place as she strolled on over towards her guests. "So sorry for the wait, Pinkie, I was just finishing up—" she stopped as she took notice of Twilight staring straight through her. "Oh, this is a new face. And who might you be, darling?" Twilight shook herself out of her self induced trance and went to answer, but found herself being cut off by the pink earth pony instead.
"Rarity, this is my new friend Twilight Sparkle," the earth pony blared out with pride, "And Twilight, this is my old friend Rarity!" Shortly after completing the introduction, Pinkie's joyous outlook was tainted by a look of anxiety. "N-not old in that she's old or anything! Old in that I've known her longer then I've known you! That's what I was trying to say!" Several nervous chuckles followed the clarification, her eyes darting back and forth between the two magical ponies standing at either side of her.
Rarity instantly shifted her expression into a more concerned and nurturing one. "Pinkie, are you having an off day?" That was the second time Twilight had heard that combinations of words today. Obviously, they had some kind of meaning that the disguised alicorn didn't know about. And Twilight had a feeling that she'd be discovering that meaning was very soon.
"... Maybe," Pinkie muttered back, almost shamefully.
"Don't worry, you'll get through it. Just like you always do." There was no hesitation on Rarity's part, pulling the earth pony into a one-hooved hug of sorts. It was almost reactionary from Twilight's point of view as if this very situation had happened before. "I have ice cream in the freezer if that'll help."
Pulling away from the embrace, Pinkie shook her head. "No, I couldn't do that! That's your ice cream, and—"
"It's cookie-dough," Rarity cut off with a sly grin. Within seconds, Pinkie Pie was on a fast track to the promised frozen dessert, shouting out a very grateful sounding declaration of thanks in the process. "There, that should keep her busy for a few moments," the unicorn chuckled to herself as she turned to face the cloaked alicorn. "Now then, Twilight Sparkle, was it? It's very nice to meet you."
"... Likewise," Twilight responded dully, unsure of what exactly had just transpired. "I... I'm sorry, I said something to her earlier that might've—"
Rarity raised a hoof in protest of the apology. "You don't know her very well yet, do you?"
"... Not really, no."
"Well, don't put any unnecessary blame on yourself," Rarity sighed, "Pinkie just has... 'off days' sometimes. And when she's having one, just about anything can set her off like that. She's already forgiven you for whatever you may have said, trust me."
The information was quite a bit to take in all at once. Up until today, just about every interaction with the pink pony had been nothing but smiles and laughs on her part. But, in retrospect, it made perfect sense that there'd be 'off days' in her routine. After all, it is effectively impossible to be happy one-hundred percent of the time, and it was now clear to Twilight that Pinkie was no exception to that rule.
"Don't worry, a little comfort food is usually enough to help her bounce back," Rarity continued with a reassuring smile and tone of voice, "Now then, what can I do for you? I'm sure Pinkie didn't just bring you down to my humble little shop just to chat. Even on her off days, there's a method to the madness, as it were."
"Oh, right!" With everything that had just happened, Twilight had just about forgotten about that herself. "Yeah, I had an... accident of sorts yesterday, and I needed a quick patch job." She turned to show the seamstress the large tear in her cloak. "Didn't even notice until Pinkie pointed it out."
"Oh my, that certainly won't do at all! Well, you certainly came to the right place." Rarity maintained a respectable distance as she overlooked the large tear, something Twilight was very thankful for, for a number of reasons. "Hmm... this 'accident' wouldn't happen to be timberwolf related, would it? You really should exercise caution when going into the Everfree around this time of year. Did you not see the signs?"
A silent rage befitting a Tartarian Lord was born within Twilight. "There were signs?"
"Well, there's supposed to be. Someone must've forgotten to put them up again," Rarity thought aloud as she finished up her concise examination of the damages, the statement serving to quell the fury within Twilight's heart. "It happens every year. Quite irresponsible, if you ask me. Now then, what exactly do you mean by 'patch job'?"
What kind of question is that?
Twilight looked to the snow-colored unicorn as if she had just spoken in some silly made-up language. The request was blatantly clear, she wanted a patch to cover up the hole in her cloak. It didn't take much to piece that together from the context clues that had been provided. This Rarity didn't seem like an unintelligent pony, the tact and grace she had used in taking care of Pinkie Pie just now was proof enough of that. Not to mention the fact that she worked with fabrics for a living, meaning that she should know what a patch is.
"I... want a patch... for this hole," Twilight reiterated blankly, "I thought I was being pretty clear."
"A... patch?" Against all odds, Rarity went pale as she spoke. A strange brew of confusion and disgust was made apparent as she mulled over her own question, the words seemingly leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "Just... just a patch?"
"... Yes...?" Twilight wasn't exactly sure anymore, given the couturier's reaction.
"No. Absolutely not. No, no, no. That will never do." In an act of absolute defiance, Rarity quite literally turned her nose up at Twilight's request. "I simply will not degrade either of us with the lowest common denominator of fabric mending. I have my reputation, and we both have our dignity."
Now that reminded Twilight of Canterlot. To a tee. Rarity could very well be from the Celestial City herself, given the pompous nature of the denial. It was far more polite then what someone from the capital might say, given that Rarity at least gave the impression she was also worried about Twilight's well being, but even still. Though once again, Twilight was thrown for a loop by one of Ponyville's citizens as Rarity turned back with a smile.
"Now then, I am more than capable of mending this hole good as new without the need of a filthy disgusting patch," she continued cheerfully, "I can also touch up the rest of the piece for you. It should only take about a day or so."
The idea of being left without her protective garment, even for a mere day, sent a near painful shock throughout Twilight's body. A near primal fear of being potentially exposed for what she really was, an incident which would come with no end of consequences for herself. And that fear only grew as she felt an unfamiliar magical force begin to gently tug and pry at the latch holding the concealing cloak to her person, her wings reflexively clenching uncomfortably tight against her frame. Thankful for the sticky-nature of the lock, Twilight hurriedly reached out with her own arcane touch and nullified the soft blue light the unicorn had inflicted upon her.
"Noabsolutelynotnononothatwillneverdo," Twilight frantically parroted back to the white unicorn, sheer and utter panic apparent in her eyes. And as Rarity looked back to her with a frown and a cocked eyebrow, the cloaked pony was forced to quickly come up with some kind of explanation for her sudden frenzy. "I... need to have this done today."
"Well... alright then. If you're okay with me just mending the rip, I could get that done within an hour or two, not taking into consideration any potential customer interruptions." Rarity was clearly confused by the odd request, but not enough so as to question Twilight's true intentions. "The repairs will run you about fifteen bits. You can leave it here, and—"
"How difficult would it be to sew this up while I'm wearing it?" Twilight blurted without thinking, instantaneous regret shooting through her like a bolt of lightning. The point of the cloak was to draw attention away from what she had underneath. But that question served to only draw attention to her dependence on the sheet of fabric that adorned her body.
"I... could do that..." Rarity continued to grow more and more curious as to Twilight's motivations, actually tilting her head as she tried to figure out the odd mare that had been led into her store. "Pardon my prying, but with how you were speaking earlier, you made it sound as if you were in a hurry. But now you want to stand around while I fix your garment?"
"... I'll pay you double," Twilight blankly offered, silently praying that the offer of extra pay would deter any further questions.
There was a moment in which Rarity looked as if she were about to press the issue further. Anyone with eyes could see that she was suspicious of Twilight's inconsistent behavior, but it seems that the promise of double pay was at least enough to get her to conform to her client's odd demands. Gingerly gesturing with a hoof towards the staircase, Rarity politely requested Twilight to step into her workspace before taking the lead. Twilight followed without any objections, she had pushed her luck far enough for one day. She needed to keep her actual identity a secret if she were to have any intentions of staying in this town.
Especially this close to Canterlot.
--- — ---
The last half hour or so had been spent in relative silence, Twilight standing as close to perfectly still as possible as Rarity worked away at the large tear in Twilight's garment, occasionally muttering something to herself while attending to other minor things in the interim. Though the "workspace" that Rarity had led her to was not exactly what Twilight had been expecting. The mannequins, work tables, and large rolls of fabric definitely gave the impression of a seamstress's office. But at the same time, there were furnishings such as a bed and dresser that gave the space the distinct impression that it was also a bedroom. When asked on the subject, Rarity was happy to explain that wasted space is never good. Why spend the money to upkeep both a home and a business when you could put both in the same building?
Twilight couldn't exactly argue with that, and she could respect the unicorn's efficiency. Something else that reminded Twilight of her younger days living in the nation's capital. But the conversation had come to a halt at that, Rarity focusing on her work and Twilight not knowing what to even say. The disguised alicorn couldn't help but feel that her behavior from earlier had put some kind of rift between the two of them, either out of suspicion or just out of good old fashioned awkwardness. And as the tailor continued her work in relative silence, Twilight was left to muse on these thoughts while she waited. Every now and again she turned her head to check up on Rarity working away, just to make sure that she wasn't sticking her nose where it didn't belong. It wouldn't be good for either of them if Rarity discovered the feathered appendages hidden beneath the layer of fabric.
And it also served to give Twilight a measure of just how long she was going to be stuck here. And it was looking like it was going to be another half hour, maybe more, just as Rarity had said before she started. She stifled a groan, not wishing to show the obvious boredom that was brought on by the current series of events or lack thereof. Twilight had asked for this, there was no backing out now. But that didn't stop the session from being any more or less dull than it already was.
Thus Twilight did what everyone always does in such situations, she allowed her eyes to wander about without aim in search of something to occupy her mind. Surely there was something in this room that could spark her interest, she assumed. Or maybe even act as a source to start up another conversation, anything to pass the time quicker. The alicorn considered starting up some kind of conversation, but she wasn't sure if this unicorn was the kind of pony who needed to focus as she worked.
"So, where are you from?" Twilight suddenly asked without much thought, her eyes still scanning what they could of the room. Why'd I ask that? She's obviously from—!
"Ponyville, born and raised," Rarity swiftly answered, clearly more focused on the task at hoof then actually talking. "Sorry for the silence, darling, I have a bad habit of getting absorbed in my work. Feel free to keep on chatting, if it staves off the boredom."
"To be fair, I asked for it."
"Yes, you did." Rarity paused her work for a moment and stepped forward to face her client. And the expression she wore mirrored the one that she had previously given to Pinkie Pie. Not as intense, but the similarities were blatant. "I'm sorry if I'm stepping over any boundaries, but are you not comfortable in your own skin?"
"... That's a very personal question."
"There's no shame in it if you are. We all have our insecurities, I know I have my fair share," the look of worry was overtaken by a sympathetic smile, "But we're all beautiful on the inside. And my job, as far as I'm concerned, is helping to put some of that inner beauty on the outside. But this?" She gestured to the old brown cloak with a look of mild disgust. "This is not inner or outer beauty. Forgive me for being crass, but this is absolutely hideous and I can't understand why anyone would let themselves be seen in it."
This was the second time today that Twilight's beloved cloak had been insulted right in front of her face. Taking a look back at her preferred garments, she could at least understand where her critics were coming from. The sheet of fabric wasn't exactly much to look at, but that was never the purpose it was meant to have. It was meant to be subtle, to help her blend in with a crowd. And it had done its job fantastically, Pinkie and Rarity had been the first two ponies in years to bring it up in conversation. And both of them only spoke of it because it had been the topic of the conversation in the first place.
"Look, it's alright if you're nervous about it. And no one is saying that it has to be today," Rarity returned to her makeshift workstation at Twilight's flank and resumed her work, "But if you ever want some advice for coming out of the shell you're in, my door's always open. And I won't push the issue anymore out of respect for your dignity. I'm sorry if I went too far just now, but it has been bugging me for a while now, and I just wanted to get that off of my chest."
Twilight didn't reply. Or rather, "Twilight couldn't respond" would be a more accurate statement. Rarity's words got Twilight thinking on the unusual circumstances that had led her to constantly hiding beneath this litteral veil. The cloak was a countermeasure against unwanted and unnecessary attention from prying eyes while she traveled throughout Equestria and beyond. It was just easier to let people think she was just a unicorn with an interesting fashion sense then to continuously explain the complicated and borderline twisted story of why she was the way she was.
But that wasn't always the case, and Twilight knew that for a fact. She had owned this particular piece of clothing for six years, exactly as long as she had been an alicorn. This dull piece of cloth had been her constant companion throughout this massive chapter in her life, and she didn't think she'd be getting rid of it any time soon. She hadn't been traveling the world six years ago, she had been living in Canterlot with her family. Living as normal of a life as she could, all things considered. Something drove her to don the robe way back when, something that Twilight hadn't consciously thought about for years.
Maybe I'm not comfortable in my own skin? She pondered on Rarity's words for what felt like an eternity. Though, in reality, it was only for a minute or two. Twilight could feel herself begin to break down, she wouldn't last long if she kept on this train of thought.
"I'll... keep the offer in mind," she slowly spoke back, forcing her tone to remain calm. Not paying attention to the unicorn's own reply, Twilight once more began scanning the room for something to distract her from the oncoming crisis. Anything to change the subject of her thoughts, and the conversation if need be, to keep her from having an unnecessary mental breakdown. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find just what she was looking for.
In an instant, the panic and the worry just vanished. Replaced instead with a strong sense of curiosity, and a familiar feeling of Canterlot-based nostalgia. The source of this sudden change in attitude was a framed photograph, sitting all by it's lonesome on a shelf in the distance. But even from this far away, Twilight could clearly recognize the subject contained in the small wooden display. How she hadn't seen it until now was baffling, it was practically right in front of her, just begging to be noticed. And Twilight wasn't one to ignore the request of something begging to be noticed, at least not in this instance, so magically reached out to draw it closer for a better look.
Once again Rarity stopped working, taking notice of the magical hum that was associated with unicorn magic and realizing that it wasn't her own. "Oh, I see you've taken notice of that particular memory," Rarity almost sang with glee, seemingly happy that the photograph had been seen. "Quite spectacular, if I may say so myself."
Considering what Twilight was now looking at, "spectacular" was an understatement. Two ponies sat within the captured moment in time, both looking directly towards the camera with grand smiles. The first of the two was Rarity, dressed to the nines in an absolutely beautiful faded blue dress, one worthy of royalty by Twilight's evaluation. Though while her attire was rather high class, her expression wasn't exactly matching. Someone could have told Twilight that this was actually a picture of Pinkie Pie in a very convincing Rarity costume, with how big her grin was. And considering who she was standing next to? It was understandable why she looked so ecstatic.
There was not a single doubt in Twilight's mind as to the identity of the second pony in the picture. The soft and well-kept soft pink coat, the thrice colored mane made up of violet, magenta, and a creamy yellow, the golden regalia decorating her body, and the fact that she was without question an alicorn. There was only one pony in the entire world who matched that description, a pony that Twilight hadn't seen in a very long time.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.
"You've met... the princess?" Twilight tried to casually ask, not taking her eyes off of the royal pony in the portrait. The consistent reminders of Canterlot were one thing, but this new revelation was in a league all of its own, and she had to catch herself before she eluded to knowing the pink alicorn on a personal level. Though she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the familiar face, fighting back a joyful tear all the while. "How did that happen?" It seemed that Rarity had been waiting for Twilight to ask that very question, evident by her puffing out her chest a bit as she cleared her throat.
"Well, it's a very long and complicated story, but if I must it all started—"
"She won a sweepstake from some fashion magazine," Pinkie Pie cheerfully answered, startling the two other ponies half to death with her sudden presence. And after getting over the shock, Twilight's mind once more began to do the thing it was best at. Thinking. Specifically thinking on the past, and how she recalled Cadence speaking of something like that a few years ago. Something about wanting to seem more approachable to the general public.
"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity barked at the pink mare, "I thought I told you not to ruin that story!"
"Sorry, I forgot!" Pinkie replied without a fault in her smile, her "off day" seemingly behind her now. "Oh, and you're also out of ice cream."
Rarity's anger was overtaken by confusion. "It took you a half hour to eat half a pint of ice cream?"
"Actually, it took about five. But then I felt bad about eating all of your ice cream, so I went and bought you more!"
"... That was very nice of you, Pinkie, but you didn't have too—"
"And then I ate that too! So I went and bought you more again." Pinkie's tone was just as chipper and upbeat as Twilight was used to seeing from her. Clearly, the comfort food method Rarity used had worked like a charm.
A hoof was placed against Rarity's forehead as she sighed. "You didn't have to do that, darling. I'll pay you back by the end of the week," her disappointed outlook was directed back to Twilight, "And she isn't wrong... I only ever met Princess Cadenza through an event in Manehatten hosted by Pristine Perspective Magazine..."
"But at least you got to meet her at all," Pinkie Pie tried to cheer up, "You even got to talk to her! How many ponies in Ponyville can say that?!"
Oh, if only you knew, Twilight silently taunted to herself with an internal laugh. Princess Cadence was practically extended family, in more ways than one, and Twilight knew her better than anyone in this town ever could. Enough to know that she preferred "Cadence" over "Cadenza," but she wasn't about to correct them on that. While the idea crossed her mind for the briefest of seconds, Twilight was smart enough not to brag about having a personal relationship with one of the most famous ponies in the world.
Yet for a moment, she thought she wouldn't even have too as Pinkie suddenly gasped with shock. "Wait a minute! Twilight! You're FROM Canterlot! You've probably seen the princess in person more than ANY of us!"
Rarity looked at Twilight as if she knew she was an alicorn, "You're from Canterlot?!" Her voice came extremely close to cracking with that question. "Well, why didn't you say so?!"
"You never asked," the other two ponies answered in perfect synchronization. "And, ya know, once or twice," Twilight continued, "Public events and all that. Never close enough to actually talk to her though. Good on you, Rarity." That statement wasn't technically a lie, as Twilight had never been within speaking distance of her old friend during said public events. Of course, she didn't need to clarify that to these two.
"Well, today's certainly been a cavalcade of emotions," Rarity magically seized a small fan and began to casually cool herself down, "A pony from Canterlot in my shop, how exciting!"
And with that, Twilight couldn't help but roll her eyes. Whenever the topic of her hometown came up, nine times out of ten there was always someone who suddenly thought more of her because of where she grew up. Sure, she was raised in a national and cultural powerhouse of a city, but that didn't make her any better than anyone else.
"A-a-and you hired me for a job that I'm currently not doing!" The white unicorn gasped loudly, dropping the fan and quickly running around to Twilight's backside and returning to her appointed task. "Do forgive me, I did say distractions might happen, after all."
"It's fine, just calm down," Twilight huffed back, hiding her irritation at the sudden change in treatment. "And take it easy back there. If you stab me, I'm not responsible for kicking you."
"Sorry, sorry," the flustered Rarity apologized through a deep breath, "I just wasn't expecting to have someone from Canterlot of all places show up in my store today." Her tone slowly returned to normal as she spoke, redirecting her focus to the tear in Twilight's cloak. "I really shouldn't get so flustered about that sort of thing."
"Especially with your trip coming up," Pinkie added with a shout, "You're still going to Canterlot later this week, right?"
"Yes, I am," there was a newfound twinge of nervousness surfacing in her tone, "A three-day taste of life in the Celestial City, it's going to be absolutely breathtaking!"
Once more defying all expectations, Pinkie's smile somehow widened as her eyes fell back to Twilight. "OH! Maybe you can give Rarity some tips on where to go!"
"Anywhere but Sun Square," Twilight's reaction was cold and quick, her attention still upon the picture of Rarity and Cadence. And thus, she didn't notice the twin looks of absolute bewilderment that were turned her way.
"But... that's the most famous spot in the city, save the palace," Rarity explained matter-of-factly. "It's practically the heart of the city!"
"Exactly. It's always crowded, and someone tries to sell you something every six steps," Twilight explained similarly, "Do you want to buy twenty watches that don't work for eighty bits a piece? No? Then avoid Sun Square as much as possible. It sucks. Go to the East Village instead."
"... What's in the East Village?"
"The stores and restaurants that won't put you in crippling debt for the rest of your life. It isn't as glamorous as the rest of the city, but it's worth spending some time there."
From there, the conversation simply divulged into the three ponies talking about the logistics of Canterlot as a vacation destination. Twilight doing all she could to help counter their preconceived notions of the city based on what the two have seen and read, going through Rarity's list of places she wanted to visit one by one and setting her straight. And while not all of them were worth abandoning entirely, Twilight was able to at least convince her to avoid some of the spendier establishments in the city.
Seventy bits for a salad without dressing? Not worth it, in any of their eyes. Time seemed to fly as the conversation went on. To the point where two of them had practically forgotten why the three of them had even met up. But the third of the group didn't forget, and after some time she had finally managed to finish the task of fixing the gaping hole in Twilight's cloak.
Taking a step back with a pride-filled smile, Rarity took a brief moment to collect herself as she observed the stitching. "Do me a favor and turn about a bit, I want to see if my work is symmetrical." Taking a sigh of relief herself, Twilight did as she was told and made a complete rotation, the hem of her cloak fluttering about in the small breeze created.
Rarity placed a hoof to her chin as she deeply observed her work compared to the rest of the garment. "Hmm... well, I can still notice the new stitches... but I'm the one who put them there, so it should be fine," the look of contemplation faded away entirely as she gave a warm smile, "And in record time, if I may boast."
Craning her neck to take a look, the tear that had previously threatened to expose her true identity had all but vanished. The only sign that it had even been there was a long but thin line of stitching, hardly noticeable unless you really tried to look for it. It didn't just look good either, even Twilight could tell that the repairs were made to last. It'd take another timberwolf incident to rip through that again, and that wasn't exactly something Twilight was planning on doing again.
"Impressive," Twilight began with an approving nod, "I believe I owe you thirty—"
"Fifteen bits," Rarity quickly corrected.
"... But I said I'd pay you double."
Rarity riposted with a slight chortle, "I'm sorry, but I don't recall ever accepting that offer."