//------------------------------// // Restyled Phoenix. // Story: Equestrian Eeveelution. // by Symphonicdysonince //------------------------------// [Lulu] I flowed around the boutique, a cookie in my mouth. I had been able to send Leo into Sugarcube a few times, so I had stockpiles hidden around Rarity's. After a couple of days, Sweetie and Eros had found most of them, but left them in place with the understanding that they could have some. Right now, I was just looking for some inspiration. Rarity may not know it, but she's already made a few of my designs. As I passed the front rooms, the frills around my ears twitched at the sound of hooves outside. I flowed into prime lounging position and scarfed down the last of my cookie. The door opened, setting the little bell to jingling. Silver stood in the doorway, glancing into the store nervously. "Coming~!" Silver flinched at Rarity's voice, before letting her gaze drift around again. The filly's eye's eventually landed on me. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, making her way over to me. She began petting me to calm her own nerves. "Welcome to Cara-" Rarity cut herself off as we came into her view. "Ah, Silver. What can we do for you today?" "I'm, um, here to ask for a, erm, some custom clothes?" Silver hesitantly asked. Rarity smiled. "Well, you certainly came to the right place." She waved the filly further into the store. "Let's just see if there's a design back here that is close to the dresses you'd like, shall we?" Silver winced slightly. "They're not dresses..." She mumbled out. "Oh?" Rarity arched an eyebrow at the grey filly. "Well, now. If I may ask, what do you wish me to make for you?" "Well, I've just gotten used to wearing them." Silver began to ramble. Rarity and I just shared a knowing look. "And I think that they're comfy, but now that I'm no longer required to wear the one the guards issued, I don't know where to get one. I've tried looking everywheres in town, but nopony sells them. So I was hoping you could make me a couple...?" "A couple of what, dear?" Rarity stressed, though I think she already figured it out. "Hoodies." Silver mumbled, beginning to blush. "I know that they're not something you normally make, and am willing to pay extra, it's-" I placed a paw over her mouth. <> "Thank you, Lulu." Rarity smiled at us. "Silver, darling, I don't expect you to pay extra. The offered challenge will be enough for that. I will still be charging the commission price, though that is always negotiable." she began nudging the grey filly along. "Now, let's get your measurements, and lets discuss colors, shall we?" "I'm not really sure what goes well with greys..." Silver admitted. I glided ahead, glancing at the spools already there. I gently pawed at the purple, pink, blue, and silver fabrics, knowing that Rarity's eye would be drawn to them. Rarity smiled softly as she entered the room. "I think Lulu may have some ideas." Rarity had been at her work desk for several hours now. Silver had long since left, and various dyed fabrics lay draped over a filly sized pony mannequin. I lay curled in my bed, watching Opal bat the crumpled up papers of discarded sketches. "Hmm, yes this could work." Rarity murmured to herself. "If I just lengthen this, tuck there. But, no, how would I get that pouch. Maybe if I?" I watched her brow furrow before she crumpled up another page and threw it over her shoulder with a frustrated yell. I watched the ball bounce to join its brethren on the floor. With a sigh, Rarity lay her head down onto her desk. "Well, I must commend the pony who first designed these. And the model who had to wear it. I don't think that there's anyways for me to stitch it without making an uncomfortable seam somewhere..." I shrugged and lay my head down, my frills twitching as Rarity shuffled through her papers. Soon, even that stopped. I felt Rarity's hoof falls as she approached my bed. I turned to face her as she lay down facing me. Rarity looked at me contemplatively. "You know..." She drew out. "I've been wondering about some of the designs I've made recently." She tapped a hoof to her chin. "The lines were too smooth to be mouth drawn, yet too shaky to be telekinesis. I've only been seeing these recently, ever since you've grown..." She fixed me with a look, the one mothers would give to their unruly children. "You wouldn't happen to know something about that, would you?" <> Opal sang from across the room. I sighed, standing and stretching. I led Rarity back to her work desk, and propped myself up to reach her papers. Grabbing some and a charcoal stick, I dropped back onto the floor. I began sketching hoodie designs, using everything I had learned back home to make it look comfortable. Five pages later, and I sat back, and noticed Rarity studying my designs. <> I smirked. Rarity sighed. "Every day, you and your Pack give us something new to ponder. If you've lived all your lives out in the wild, where did you learn about these? Unless you learned from watching me, in which case I'm flattered to have taught you so well..." She pursed her lips, staring at the papers. "I suppose it doesn't matter, really. Although, I can't, in good conscience, use these." I tilted my head at her. Rarity giggled at my confusion, placing my sketches down. "What kind of a seamstress would I be if I profited from somepony else's work?" She shook her head. "But I can't just credit these to you, nopony would believe me." I placed a paw on the papers and slid them closer to Rarity. "You still want me to use these?" I nodded. "Why?" She held a hoof up. "No, wait. Silly me. I'm not Fluttershy, I won't be able to understand the answer." She pondered for a while. "I think I may have a solution." I heard Rarity lead Silver through the shop to the showroom. "I really hope you like the hoodies we've made for you." "We?" Silver asked. "Why, yes." Rarity explained. "I had to get some outside help to finalize these." "Who?" The two ponies finally joined me. I sat amongst the new hoodies awaiting their filly owner. Rarity smiled at me. "Oh, just a friend."