After closing the door to her boutique at the end of the day, Rarity gave the showroom a once-over to check whether everything was in order. Polished marble counters gleamed like river stones and the floor-length mirrors seemed clear enough to step through. The mannequins, clad in sensuous fabrics of her own design, were elegantly posed and arranged, with not a fold out of place. Evening sunlight bathed the high-ceilinged room in golden rays, catching motes of dust that hung suspended in the light like sediment beneath the waves of a still ocean. But there was a scuff on the tile next to the front door.
“My God, this place is a disaster,” Rarity cried, her voice booming in the empty room. She magically summoned a wet rag from upstairs and dropped it on the floor, scrubbing away the marking on the floor. “Really, Rarity, how do you ever expect to make any headway this season when you let your showroom collapse like this? You might as well set up shop in Applejack’s barn!”
The light tinkle of a bell caused her ear to twitch. Opal had padded near-silently down the stairs and had taken her spot on a cushioned chair next to the front desk. Rarity, abandoning the rag, lifted the cat high in the air with magic and wiped the seat down with a lint roller before setting her down again. Opal was unphased.
“Ugh, the burden of success, Opal. It’s a fair bit heavier than I expected,” Rarity sighed. “Now that Canterlot designers know where to find me, the expectation of perfection is higher than I could ever imagine. There’s no telling who could waltz through my door one afternoon; the showroom should be fit for royalty.”
Opal yawned and licked the end of her paw. Rarity owned a cat primarily so she could have a face to talk to that wasn’t her own reflection in a mirror. She still did that, too.
“On the contrary, royal visitors would be much easier to handle. I’ve already made my first impressions with most of them, it’s the Canterlot high society we need to impress.” She returned to the scuff mark on the floor and found it still stubbornly visible when she lifted the rag. Rarity spat on it, then screwed up her face and let out a low growl as she tried and failed to rub it away.
“Take a note, Opal,” Rarity said, while actually talking to herself. “Let’s consider requiring a customer dress code in the future. Slippers, socks, and-”
A knock on the front door echoed through the showroom, bringing her train of thought to a sudden halt. Her first instinct was to ignore it, letting the ‘Closed’ sign on the door speak for her, but considered that the trip from Canterlot was long enough that travelers could only just be getting into town. Like she told Opal: there was no telling who could walk through the door next.
“Just a moment!” she called. Rarity made a few more attempts at rubbing away the scuff mark, then sighed and resigned to the easier option: moving the elaborate fountain display from the upstairs closet that she’d bought specifically to cover stubborn marks on the floor. At the door, Rarity checked her reflection in the mirror she’d mounted to the back of it for the purpose of fixing her mane before greeting customers. Once satisfied, she cleared her throat and opened the front door with ease and grace like she’d just woken up from a long and pleasant nap.
“He-llo, darling! Welcome to- Oh.” Rarity’s elegant affect dropped instantly. “Hello, Rainbow Dash.”
“Hey Rarity!” Dash said, shuffling on the doorstep. “What’s up? You uh...you busy?”
“Not especially.” Rarity frowned and glanced back to the circular window set high in the ceiling of her showroom, left unlocked for pegasus customers, but more specifically Rainbow Dash. This might have been the first time she’d seen Dash use the front door. Looking at her, Rarity didn’t have to guess why.
“Awesome. I kinda sorta...need your help with something. And you gotta keep it quiet, okay? Don’t tell anybody.”
Rarity’s eyes widened, her heart raced, and her pupils dilated. These were some of her favorite words to hear, second only to, ‘Did you hear what so-and-so said?’
“Of course, darling, I’d be more than happy to help. Come inside, I can’t have you standing outside letting all the fresh air in.” Rarity stepped aside -- very far aside -- and let Dash waddle past. She was far into the throes of her pregnancy at that point, her belly beginning to widen out at the sides while hanging below her with a distinct, observable weight. The foal, whoever’s it was, was certainly on the healthy side. Dash’s back legs struggled as her belly spread them apart, forcing her to walk with a stiff-legged shuffle. Flying, clearly, was out of the question.
“I was just closing up for the day, but I can always make time for friends,” Rarity said, pushing the door closed. Dash stood awkwardly in the middle of the showroom, absentmindedly rubbing her belly with one wing. She had a saddle bag slung over her back, but the straps were unable to fully reach around her barrel.
“Thanks, Rarity. It’s, uh, kinda embarrassing, y’know?”
“There’s no such thing as ‘embarrassing’ with me, darling. Tell me anything you need, I’m here for you.” She summoned a pair of wide, thick-cushioned chairs for them both, as well as a kettle of tea that appeared on a nearby table with a soft ‘poof.’ “Can I get you anything to eat, dear?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Dash shuffled back and awkwardly fwumped into the chair, which was only barely wide enough to carry her new girth.
“Tell me everything, what’s on your mind?” Rarity stirred a lump of sugar into her tea and
sipped it while keeping an eye on Dash. “Nothing will leave this room if you don’t want it to.”
“Uh, okay?” Dash raised an eyebrow and gave a suspicious side-eye to the teacup floating next to her head. Ignoring it, she fished into her saddlebag and removed a thin, blue and yellow garment with her teeth. “I ripped my Wonderbolts uniform today. Can you fix it for me?”
“Of course, of course.” Rarity sipped her tea and stared at Rainbow Dash expectantly, slowly blinking at her. Dash cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. Neither spoke. After minutes of silence, Rarity frowned, her eyes flitting to Dash’s bulging stomach. “Is...is that what you needed to tell me?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“I thought you said it was embarrassing?”
“It is! See, I’ve been on this diet lately. Y’know, you basically need to eat whatever you want to bulk up before-”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard about the ‘diet,’” Rarity interrupted, rolling her eyes while sipping tea. She tapped her hoof against the china, the light ‘clink’ sound filling the empty room. While she frowned, squinting her eyes at her, Dash shuffled uncomfortably in her chair, looking anywhere but directly at Rarity. One of her hooves migrated to the surface of her belly, but she jerked it back once she realized what she was doing.
Rarity let a smile creep across her face.
“Well, no sense is burning daylight, is there?” She made both teacups vanish with a soft poof before dropping to her hooves and guiding Dash across the room. The pregnant pegasus waddled awkwardly behind her and had to be helped onto a raised pedestal in the center of the showroom. “Certainly I can fix the material, but it would just tear all over again unless we can alter the garment to fit your...eh...physique.”
Rarity summoned a long tape measure, cracking it in the air like a whip and making Dash jump.
“We’d need some fresh measurements to get started. You wouldn’t mind, would you darling?”
“Pfft, what? Nah, why would I...why would I mind?” Dash said with an exaggerated shrug, even as she fluttered her wings with nervous energy. “But it’s like, y’know, I’m gonna be losing this weight pretty fast, so I don’t wanna waste your time or whatever.”
“You seem rather confident,” Rarity said, absentmindedly widing the tape measure around her leg. “I have no doubt, of course, but I’d like to take some contingencies into mind.”
“Conten-what?”
“It might be safe to measure a little on the loose side, darling. Just in case your...diet doesn’t work right away.”
Dash furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side. “Huh?”
“It would be a bit prudent if…” Rarity paused to think of the right words, then huffed and stamped her hoof on the ground. “I’m going to alter your suit in case you gain any more weight.”
“C’mon, Rarity, I’m not that big,” Dash said, laughing a little louder than was natural. Rarity glanced down at Rainbow Dash’s belly, which was sagging heavily between her back legs like a ripe fruit, then clucked her tongue.
“Of course not, darling,” she said, tossing her mane out of her eyes and forcing a smile. “But it’s so much easier to make alterations a size too big rather than too small.”
“Is it?” Dash scratched her chin and shrugged. “You’re the pro, I guess. Whatcha need me to do?”
“Not a thing, just hold still for me.” Rarity sighed and produced a quill and paper to jot measurements down on. She started with the inseam between Dash’s front legs, stretching the tape measure from her left hoof up to her shoulder. This was all for show; Rarity knew all her friend’s measurements by heart, but needed to stall for time to make things seem natural.
After a few silent minutes spent measuring the length of Dash’s legs, Rarity let out a sigh, practiced extensively to seem perfectly nonchalant.
“You know, it’s quite a coincidence you should come by,” Rarity said. “I just happened to run into your captain Spitfire just earlier today.”
“Oh...yeah?” Dash paused. “You guys talk?”
“Just for a moment. I made a few inquiries about the fabulous formal uniforms the Wonderbolts wear. Military styles are coming back into trend very soon.”
“Oh. I guess so. They’re pretty cool,” Dash said, letting out a quiet sigh.
“Frankly, I prefer them to the normal outfits, though I suppose they aren’t exactly aerodynamic.” Rarity climbed onto the platform and walked around Dash, measuring the length from her neck to her rump. “I hate to be so predictable, but I simply melt at the sight of a stallion in uniform, don’t you?”
“I-I dunno.” Rainbow Dash coughed. “Sometimes...I guess…”
“And you’ve certainly got an embarrassment of handsome stallions in the Wonderbolts.” As Rarity finished a full walk-around of Dash, she stopped in front of her and sighed, making a show of chewing her lip. “Rainbow Dash, you were honest with me this afternoon, so it’s only fair I make the same effort. I’m afraid I’ve...found myself head-over-hooves with one of your Wonderbolt teammates.”
Dash froze, her mouth half-open and her eyes wide with an emotion much stronger than simple surprise. Rarity fought the urge to smirk. She was getting warmer.
“I’m just as surprised as you are, darling! Like a filly with a crush!” Rarity sighed and tossed her mane again, staring wistfully into the air. “I’ve scarcely spoken a word to him, yet I can’t get him out of my mind. It’s dreadfully embarrassing, as you can imagine. Even the sound of his name puts butterflies in my stomach.”
“Who?” Dash asked, taking a step forward.
“Only the most debonair stallion to ever take to the skies,” Rarity giggled. “Thunderlane.”
Dash blinked at her for a split second, then let out a deep, relieved sigh that ended in a faint chuckle.
“Thunderlane? Yeah, he’s cool, I guess. He’s a good flyer when you can get him going. Got kind of a lazy streak, y’know?”
“Oh.” Rarity’s eyes darted around the room and she trotted to Dash’s side to stall for time. After tossing the measuring tape across her back, Rarity crouched and pulled it underneath the pegasus’ low-hanging belly. “Well...if it were only that, then it wouldn’t be so shameful to admit.” Rarity sat back and pulled the measuring tape tight, making Dash wince. She was too big for the two ends to meet.
“The truth is... he isn’t the only Wonderbolt that’s stolen my heart,” Rarity said, tugging the tape until it wrapped tight around Dash’s middle. “It isn’t just Thunderlane but also... Rapidfire.”
“Rapidfire’s alright. He likes to gamble, owes me some bits I’m not sure I’m ever gonna get. He’s probably single, though. Want me to talk to-” Dash grunted uncomfortably as Rarity pulled the tape even tighter. “Easy, Rarity. I got... uhh... f-food...in there. Big lunch.”
“If it were only just the two I had to choose from,” Rarity said, marking the measurements of Dash’s belly on her notepad. “But I’m also hopelessly pining for… uh... Silver Zoom.”
“Who?” Dash looked back and raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah! Silver Zoom. I don't know a whole lot about him. Seems cool.”
“But if only that were all,” Rarity said, slumping dramatically against Dash’s bulging side. She could feel a subtle movement from the foal inside. “More than them all, I’m simply infatuated with your teammate Fire Streak.”
“Fire Streak retired, like, a while ago.” Dash shuffled in place, trying to shake Rarity away. “Can you get off?”
“Of course, the others are simply childlike crushes compared to the true love I have for...er...the blue one. The light blue one.”
“Soarin?” Dash whirled around faster than a mare of her size should’ve been capable of and stared at Rarity, still slumped on the floor.
“Yes!” she gasped, leaping to her hooves and fanning herself. “Oh Soarin. Just his name makes my heart race…”
“I...I…” Dash shuffled her wings again and swallowed. Rarity, who had been silently congratulating herself, recognized the sudden fear on her friend’s face and made an effort to backpedal.
“O-Of course, I don’t have a shadow of a chance with the man,” Rarity said, sighing wistfully and looking off into the middle distance. “That’s what makes this so mortifying. I’ve barely spoken a word to him.” She paused, glancing at Rainbow Dash while avoiding the pegasus’ pregnant middle. “You wouldn’t happen to know if he’s seeing anyone, would you?”
“Why are you asking me for? What am I, his mom?” Dash quickly spluttered.
“Mm. Pity. I suppose I could always ask him myself, should I ever have the opportunity.”
“N-nah, you don’t...you don’t gotta do that…” The pegasus fluttered her wings again. If she were lighter, she would’ve been flitting through the air with nervous energy. “I’m... pretty sure I heard Soarin is seeing someone. And that it’s...uh…” Dash cleared her throat and touched a hoof to her belly. “...Pretty serious.”
“Oh no! That’s awful! It makes me feel even worse knowing I’m pining after a taken stallion. I’m simply sick with envy for the lucky mare. Any idea who it might be, darling?”
“How should I know!?” Dash snapped. She waddled back to Rarity and turned around. “Can we hurry this up? I got practice in the morning.”
“Of course, of course. Forgive me, I’ve caught a bit of the gossip bug, haven’t I?” Rarity chuckled and went back to work. While her head was only inches away from the taut surface of Dash’s belly, a soft, gentle motion prodded from inside.
I certainly hope your father will be more forthcoming about all this, Rarity thought, watching the foal get comfortable inside their stubborn mother.
The silence only lasted a few minutes before Dash herself broke it.
“It’s not like I’m stalking him or whatever, y’know? I don’t know all that stuff about his personal life.”
“Of course, darling.”
“He’s just a teammate. A good flyer, fun guy. We get drinks sometimes after practice sometimes, but that’s it.”
“Yes, darling.”
“Soarin’s kind of a party animal, he isn’t really your type. Even if he was single, you guys wouldn’t get along. Thunderlane’s pretty cool, I could put a word-”
“Spread your wings, Rainbow, let me get your wingspan.”
“Oh, sure.” Dash spread her wings out as Rarity stretched the tape measure from tip to tip. “Like I was saying, Soarin’s got a lot of energy, plus he’s a night owl. You two wouldn’t really work. He’s totally a nice guy, don’t get me wrong, really genuine dude. I just figure you guys wouldn’t get along. And I hear he’s real happy with whoever he’s with, so you might as well forget it.”
“Funny,” Rarity said. “I was under the impression you didn’t know much about him.”
Dash swallowed. “Well, not as well as you guys, but he’s a teammate, y’know? We see each other a lot and we...hang out sometimes and…” She shuffled uncomfortably and stomped a hoof on the ground. “Hey, you got my measurements or what?”
“Nearly there, darling, nearly there,” Rarity said, checking her notepad. “I have to say, your numbers have changed in a remarkably short amount of time. I certainly hope this diet will be as effective as you claim.”
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll be back to normal before you even know it.”
“Oh, I naturally have the greatest faith in you, Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. She tossed the tape measure over her shoulder and stepped down from the platform, reading through the measurements she’d taken. “There! That’s all I need!”
“Awesome, thanks a ton Rarity.” Dash stopped at the edge of the platform and hesitated before taking a very slow, very careful step down, letting out a sigh once all four legs were on the floor. “Want me to come back tomorrow morning?”
“Nonsense, this won’t take twenty minutes. Besides, I never let my work out of the shop without seeing it on someone, first.” Rarity trotted to her sewing table, levitating Dash’s Wonderbolts uniform behind her. “Feel free to wait, of course. I don’t know what fits in your ‘diet,’ but there’s a slice of cheesecake in the kitchen you can help yourself to.”
“Cheesecake?” Dash tapped at the floor, glancing over her shoulder. “I guess a cheat day is okay every once in a while…”
Rarity glanced up at watched Dash shuffle out of the room before chuckling to herself and turning to the garment in front of her. She’d only dabbled in maternity clothing a few times before and scarcely ever worked with stretchy, skin-tight materials, so altering a Wonderbolts uniform to fit a pregnant mare posed a unique challenge. Still, the task was simple as long as Rarity was diligent with her measurements and precise with her cuts. Naturally, she always was.
She finished just in time for Dash to return from the kitchen with a sleepy, satisfied look in her eye and crumbs at the corner of her mouth. After locking eyes with Rarity, she hastily turned aside and wiped her face clean.
“All finished!” Rarity said, hopping up from the sewing machine. “Try it on, I’m afraid I’ll need to see you dressed to make sure everything is accurate.”
“N-nah, I’m sure it’s fine,” Dash said, shrugging. “Besides, you gotta close up soon, right?”
“I never leave a task half-finished, Rainbow. Come-come, while we still have daylight.” Rarity tossed the uniform to Dash, where it draped over her head. With a sigh, the pegasus took it down and carefully stepped into it, pulling the fabric over her swollen belly.
It fit. Mostly. Dash’s pregnant stomach filled the extra fabric without stretching it too far. Rarity had taken steps to make sure it could accommodate her all the way to term without making it too obvious. The stitching was a hair too obvious and the extra material didn’t quite match the original colors, but it was a serviceable job. The sight of a heavily pregnant Wonderbolt would be enough to distract from the imperfect work.
“Man, this feels so much better,” Dash sighed, flexing her legs and cantering in a circle. As she moved, the fabric pulled tight against her belly. By the time she was full term, it would fit her like a glove. “It feels just like it did before I got pre…” She froze and faked a cough before continuing. “Promoted. Promoted from cadet.”
“I can imagine,” Rarity said, raising her eyebrow with a smirk. “You’ve got a lot of room to fill with your...promotion.”
“Yeah I...I guess... ” Dash scratched her stomach through the fabric, then flapped her wings and took a wobbly, awkward ascent into the air. “Sorry, gotta go. Doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”
“Of course, darling. Tell Soarin I said hello, will you?”
“Why? Why do you think I’m gonna see Soarin? I didn’t say anything about that, what are you even talking about?” Dash cleared her throat and began to sink toward the floor, forcing her to flap twice as hard to keep her heavy body airborne. “Uh...Bye.”
Rainbow Dash exited through the window with all the grace of a deflating balloon. Rarity waited until she was gone before grinning ear-to-ear and clicking her hooves on the floor. There was nothing more exciting than knowing something before anyone else.
“Take a note, Opal,” she said to herself through her cat. “Find an excellent bottle of wine for the lucky father. Shame there isn’t a proper cigar seller outside of-”
Rarity froze, her eye catching the pair of blue feathers Rainbow Dash had left behind on the floor. With a loud, exasperated groan, she stamped her hoof and went for her broom and dustpan.
“Honestly, must I do everything myself?”