//------------------------------//
// Thomas Leans In (Part 2) 
// Story: Good Times in Equestria: Thomas at the School of Friendship 
// by GoebelTron 
//------------------------------//

After a long train ride, Fluttershy and Rarity finally arrived at Manehattan and went to the Rarity For You boutique after meeting up with Coco Pommel. “I’m so glad you could volunteer, Coco darling,” Rarity said. “I know. It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you and Sassy Saddles,” Coco said.

As the door opened, Fluttershy saw how big the stocks were, “I think I forgot how big this shop was. How do you find anything?”

“Oh, darling, it's easy to track. The store is divided into sections – chic, classic, modern, sophisticated, avant-garde, traditional, and obtuse. And, of course, each section is divided by season, color, and price. It's a classic SCP system. Then it's just a little ringing ponies up...” Coco then showed Fluttershy how the cash register works while paying for the items, and then Rarity showed Fluttershy how to package up the items into bags, “...a little fluff and fold... Voilà! But, of course, that's the easy part.” Fluttershy gasped, “It is?”

“Mm-hmm. As you well know, the real focus at Rarity For You is on the customer!” Rarity said, as she saw a customer named Pursey Pink. “Allow me to demonstrate. Hello, welcome to Rarity For You. What can I help you with?”

“I need something classic but modern. Something with drama but also understated,” Pursey Pink said. “If I may, I'm thinking noir-esque minimalist but with a twist. Perhaps a tapered hem,” Rarity said. Pursey Pink gasped, “It's like you read my mind! Are you a fashion psychic?” She then laughed. “Hmm. The inseams say, "Yes!" They’re all yours!” Rarity said as Coco made the purchase through the register and packed it into the foam and shopping bag. Rarity and Pursey Pink laughed as the customer left with her shopping item.

“Wow. You make it look so easy,” Fluttershy said. “Oh, darling, come now. You've conquered your shyness a thousand times over. You can't let a few fashion ponies undo all that progress,” Rarity said. “I guess not,” Fluttershy said. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. If you have trouble, just talk to me and I’ll help you,” Coco said. “We need to leave now if we're going to catch the train to Canterlot,” Blue Bobbin said.

“Oh, goodness, look at the time! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, go, go! I'm right behind you!” Rarity said with her bags and supplies for Canterlot. “You're not gonna be here? In your work room?” Fluttershy asked. “But, darling, I simply can't. The fashion show is in Canterlot tomorrow, and I'll be up all night, even with the help of all of my assistants! But I placed you and Coco Pommel in charge of the shop while I’m gone,” Rarity said. “But, I also recruited these darlings right here.”

Fluttershy saw three tuxedo wearing raccoons, “Smoky! Softpad! Smoky Jr.!” The raccoons chittered happily and nuzzled with Fluttershy as they ran to her for a hug. “Oh!” Fluttershy giggled while hugging the raccoons. “Ever since you convinced me to let them live in the shop, these beastie sweeties have been nothing but helpful,” Rarity said. “And I’ll be here as well!” Coco said. “Thank you, and I’m sure they’ll all help me find my place in fashion!” Fluttershy said. “Oh, I wish I could stay and offer more help,” Rarity said, until she gasped as an idea popped in her head. “Why not try a new outfit? Think of it as the costume for your role as... Fluttershy the Shop Pony of Kindness! Ha ha! You know what they say – "clothes make the pony".”

“Um, who says that?” Fluttershy asked. “You know, "them". All right. I'm sure you, Coco Pommel and your furry friends will do just fine. Ta-ta!” Rarity said as she left the store. Fluttershy sighed, “I hope she's right.”





Back at Twilight’s castle, Thomas had his bedtime bath without wetting his cast, and then took his pain pills and 3 cups of water until Starlight tucked him into bed in a spare room provided by Twilight. As he was sleeping peacefully, Thomas, in his gray and white pajamas from his Canterlot party when he was 5, was having pleasant dreams until he began hearing monstrous voices during his nightmare while twisting and turning, but as he turned to another side of the bed, he pressed his arm by accident. Thomas then woke up, and he saw himself in a spookily mystical dimensional place that was no other than the Dark Dimension. He tried to run, but he suddenly saw a huge cloud of darkness that was not like Sombra, but it looked at him and then went towards him.

Thomas woke up as he let out a loud scream and hugging both his arm cast and teddy bear before he was breathing heavily and deeply while shaking with soft whimpers and sweating as he was looking around the room to see if the nightmare was still happening, but he realized he was now awake with a sigh of relief and soft sobs, before he went back to sleep, but as he tried for an entire hour and 55 minutes, his arm kept hurting while sleeping comfortably, “OW!!” Thomas gently hugged his arm, until he felt something warmly wet underneath the bedsheets. He looked underneath the blankets and saw that he accidentally peed on the bed and wet himself, including his pajamas as well.

“Oh no...” Thomas was now worried that he might be yelled at by his aunts if they saw his piddled puddle of urine on his bedsheets.

Just then, Thomas gasped and saw the bedroom door opened to reveal Twilight, Starlight and Spike walking into the room, as Spike wore a nightshirt with a sleeping cap on his head.

“Thomas? Is everything okay, sweetheart?” Twilight asked. Thomas shook his head as he tried to hide his urine-filled mess. “Twilight? I think I know what’s wrong,” Spike said, as he smelled something. Twilight and Starlight started to sniff out the smell until they found out that it came from his bedsheets, and then they uncovered him and saw the wetness on his bedsheets and his pajama pants.

“Oh, Thomas. Did you have a little accident?” Twilight asked. “I didn’t mean to! It won’t happen again!” Thomas said as he was still crying, “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I-I just had a nightmare... ab-about me in a sp-sp-spooky place and a big cloud eating me!” Both Twilight and Starlight looked at him with sadness and concerning shock on their faces as Twilight had her hoof over her chest and Starlight had her hoof over her mouth as it was opened. “Please don’t be mad at me!”

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked. “Thomas had a nightmare, and kinda piddled himself accidentally,” Spike said. “Oh, honey. Are you okay?” Sunset asked, gently touching his arm cast.

Thomas began to cry uncontrollably and hugged himself as the three mares looked at their nephew. “It’s okay, sweetheart! Calm down. It didn’t happen. And none of us are mad at you,” Twilight said. “She’s right, you know,” Starlight said, then she reached her hoof out after sitting on one side of the bed. “Come here.”

While continuing to sob and whimper, Thomas slowly crawled over to his aunt and as he got closer enough, Starlight gently placed both her hooves onto him and then lifted him up and placed him on her lap until he leaned against her belly, “Thomas? Can you look at me?” Thomas looked at her eyes, and then she continued, “Listen, you’ve got nothing to be scared of anymore. We’d never be mad at you, or even yell at you or severely punish you for wetting the bed, or on your clothes. Not even your mother would be like that. As long as you have her or all of us to love you, care for you and protect you, we’ll never send you away or punish you. Not now, not ever.” Starlight then gently pulled Thomas into a hug as he curled himself up with his arms against her belly, and then buried his cheek against her chest and hugged her neck with one arm and his Snuggle Bear teddy with his casted arm, listening to her heartbeat.

“Was your arm bothering you, too?” Sunset asked. Thomas nodded, “Y-Yes. It won’t stop hurting every time I try to sleep.”

“Oh, sweetie...” Starlight said, as she hugged him again and kept him calm for a few more minutes, until she carefully placed him onto the floor and then Twilight looked at him, “Why don’t you go clean yourself off while Sunset and I wash your sheets, okay?”

Thomas nodded, and then felt Starlight lift him up to hold him on her hoof. “I’ll go clean him up. I’ll see you too in the morning,” she said, before walking out of the guest bedroom and over to the bathroom. Starlight placed Thomas on the stool, and used her magic to turn both the hot and cold faucets on, until they reached perfectly warm and then it filled up the entire tub. Once it was at the perfect level for Thomas so that it doesn’t wet his arm cast, Starlight magically helped Thomas remove his urine-stained pajamas and then put him in a safer spot of the bathtub.

“There we go. Is the water okay?” Starlight asked. Thomas nodded, and then put his arm cast on one corner of the tub so that he doesn’t get it wet. “How about if I just wash your wet area you peed on and then get you a clean pair of pajamas?” Starlight suggested. Thomas nodded, “Auntie Starlight, I’m really sorry for peeing on the bed. I didn’t mean to.”

“Aww, it’s okay, honey. It was only an accident, and I told you: I’m not mad, and it will never happen. I promise,” Starlight said, as she gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Now, hold still.” Starlight then magically grabbed a sponge and filled it with warm soapy water and scrubbed it all over Thomas’s wet area, and then all over his belly, before she blew a raspberry on it, making him laugh. 

After a few more seconds of scrubbing and cleaning, Starlight gently levitated Thomas out of the bathtub and used her magic to bring a towel over as she carefully wrapped it around Thomas as a blanket, causing his little legs to stick out. She then gently placed her hooves all over her nephew and dried him off with the towel without damaging the cast, and then gently held him in her hoof before she magically unplugged the bathtub drain, and then felt him hug her on the belly.

“Was the bath nice?” Starlight asked, until Thomas nodded in reply. “How do you feel, sweetheart?”

Thomas yawned. “Tired,” he replied softly with sleepy and scared together as he was still shaking while rubbing his eyes. “Looks like it,” Starlight said, kissing his cheek. “Auntie Starlight?” Thomas said. “Yes, sweetheart?” Starlight asked. “Can... Can I sleep with you?” Thomas asked. “Please?”

“Aww... Of course you can, honey,” Starlight said, and then she walked him over to her bedroom and placed him on her bed. “Now, just wait here and I’ll be right back with some clean pajamas, okay?” Thomas nodded and then as she left to get him some pajamas, Thomas cuddled with his teddy, until she came back with his forest green pajama set, and then helped him change into it after applying some clean underwear for him, and then she placed the towel on her robe hanger and then pulled the covers out and gently placed Thomas onto the bed and then climbed onto her bed and then used her magic to pull the covers over them.

“There we go. All tucked in?” she asked softly while leaning on one side. Thomas nodded, until he yawned quietly and sleepily. Starlight shook her head with a smirk, and then laid on her bed, before Thomas carefully scooted over to her as Starlight carefully wrapped her hooves over him, pulling the little boy over for a cuddly and snuggly hug, but his arm cast was over her right hoof and then he snuggled closer to Starlight’s chest and went back to sleep as he laid his head on her chest. Starlight then kissed him on the top of his head and placed her chin on top of his head and stroked his hair with her other hoof as they slept through the calm night.





The next day, Fluttershy, Coco and the raccoons were preparing to open the shop, and in the back room, Fluttershy was getting ready to address herself professionally, as she was now wearing a outfit Rarity prepared for her. It consisted a light grayish cerulean buttoned shirt with a gray jacket, and gray baggy pants.

“Are you sure I can go through with this?” Fluttershy asked. Smoky nodded in agreement, and then the other two acknowledged. “Good. Now, I’m going to have to sound professional, but I’ll make sure it sounds like myself, okay?” Fluttershy said, and then the three raccoons wished her luck.

Fluttershy then approached to a unicorn pony named Bracer Britches, then cleared her throat. “Welcome to Rarity For You. What can I help you with?” she asked in a professional tone. “What's the thread count of this shirt? I can't be seen in anything less than a thousand,” Bracer Britches asked. “Well, here at Rarity For You, our merchandise defies typical attempts to quantify its quality, but rest assured, it will make you the envy of all who see it,” Fluttershy replied. “Oh, in that case, I'll take three!” Bracer Britches said as he paid for his items at the cash register, and then left. “Smoky Jr., I can't believe it worked! I suppose clothes really do make the pony after all,” Fluttershy said, as the raccoons chittered happily and Coco gave her a smile of confidence.

Meanwhile, a couple of mares were walking with shopping bags carried in their aura. “I don't know about you, but I have a full day of shopping planned. And if even one shop pony isn't up to my standards, well, I shall make my displeasure quite plain,” Luckette said. “Oh, you are wicked!” Strawberry Ice laughed. Suddenly, Rarity ran past them, “Canterlot fashion show or no, I simply can't leave Fluttershy to fend for herself with these Manehattanites.” She kept panting while running.

“Rarity?” Bracer Britches asked as Rarity passed by, but suddenly stopped. “Oh, darling, I'm afraid I can't stop. Potential emergency at the boutique,” Rarity said. “Oh, well, whatever it is, I'm quite certain the pony you left in charge can handle it. Oh, she's simply divine!” Bracer Britches said. “Oh, well, I always knew Fluttershy had it in her,” Rarity said before laughing. “And there's still time to catch the train to Canterlot!”

Back at the boutique, Fluttershy kept using her professionalism towards the customer’s services and help them with their needs. “It's an unique play on the old standard. We call it a Rarity cut with a triple-cut stitched hem and a guacamole chevka pattern fabric.”

“Don't you mean "chevron"?” Silver Berry asked. “If I had meant "chevron", then that's what I would've said,” Fluttershy said. Silver Berry chuckled, “Of course. It's so unique! So en vogue! It must be mine!” She then made her purchase. The raccoons then chittered happily at Fluttershy’s performance. “Aw, thanks, everyone. But I feel I should push the professionalism further, but I’ll try to keep it to a medium.” The raccoons chittered in agreement. “If you really wanna help, I suppose serving tea would be nice. Oh, if you don't mind,” Fluttershy said kindly.

The raccoons made some tea and poured a few cups full for the customers to drink.

“I like my accessories bold and shiny, and I'm just not seeing anything nearly bold and shiny enough,” Old Money said. “I'm afraid bold and shiny won't work with your whole... modelle. Perhaps... pointy,” Fluttershy said, showing her a few pointy necklaces. “Pointy? Yes! I must have pointy!” Old Money said. “Not everypony can pull off a found object, but you... nearly get there,” Fluttershy said, as the customer made her purchase. “I need, like, a red carpet glitz-and-glamour gown that's also casual, but, like, still artsy and a total head-turner,” Valley Trend said in a millennial accident. “Yes. Casual chic prêt-à-porter is very branché this season,” Fluttershy said. “Uhh... I don’t know what that means, but if it’s a yes thing... I’ll probably take your word for it,” Valley Trend said. “So, how about a demonstration? What we have here is what you would call a “high-key savage,” which is a totally inspirational ensemble made of the finest linen and fabric you need,” Fluttershy said, holding the dress. “That is, like exactly what I need!” Valley Trend said excitedly, and then made her purchase.

Fluttershy then saw a goth pony looking for something he might like. “This store is a desperate wasteland of nothingness. Do you have anything in black?” Snow Hope asked. “I do beg your pardon, but here at this store, we have the finest black colored quality,” Fluttershy said, revealing a few outfits in black. “It's not like the futility of shopping can be made better with black leather and metal studs, but they help.”

“Uh.... that jacket completes me,” Snow Hope said, hugging the jacket. Joan Pommelway spitted the tea at the three raccoons, “This tea's, like, lukewarm. It's barely drinkable.”

“Don’t worry, madam. I’ll take care of this,” Fluttershy said. “Don’t be afraid, but we really need this at a precise temperature.” The raccoons nodded, and then they made more freshly brewed tea for the customers while Fluttershy and Coco kept running the store.