The Best Plans of Bugs and Ponies
As the lazy sun of a winter’s day bathed the snow-covered roofs of Ponyville, what would be a most unusual sight for most settlements on Equestria was taking place. Though, considering all that had happened to the small village in the last few years, basically, none of the ponies walking through the snowy streets even batted an eye at the sight of a large colorful changeling nervously pacing around on the same spot.
As he kept fidgeting at the same place while staring at the display case just on the other side of the street, Thorax knew he was being ridiculous. He knew that there was no reason to feel the way he currently felt. He knew that there was no logical reason for why he should even be worried about it at all.
Thorax knew that.
But that knowledge didn’t stop the lime-colored changeling king from fidgeting in place while fretting about it all.
Only when a little colt pointed at him before being corralled away by his mother did he finally act. With several deep breaths, he attempted to calm himself and firm his resolve. He had faced Chrysalis and shown to his brothers and sisters that there was another, better way to live their lives! He was the new king of the changelings; somehow, no matter the fact he still felt pure incredulity about said fact! He could do this!
With a firm nod he firmed himself and marched onwards, crossing the cobblestone street and approaching the store’s door, opening it with but a minimum of hesitation even!
As the ringing sound of the bell at the door announced his entrance into the establishment, a very familiar voice immediately made itself known.
“Welcome to the Carrousel Boutique! Where everything is unique, chic, and magnifique!” Rarity proudly announced from deeper into the boutique. As the white-coated mare entered the main room of the boutique, her eyes shone in delight upon seeing who exactly had entered her shop.
“Hi, Rarity.” Thorax hesitatingly said, rubbing his front hooves together while his eyes roamed all around the boutique, taking in the many dresses and suits displayed all around the establishment, while basically avoiding eye contact with the beautiful white-coated unicorn that was its owner.
Why did this have to be so hard and embarrassing!?
“Thorax, darling, it’s so nice to see you!” Rarity happily exclaimed, completely ruining his attempts at avoiding eye contact by walking straight towards him and giving the fretful changeling a hug. “It’s been far too long! How have you been?”
“I-I’m fine, thanks for asking!” he stammered for a moment due to the deluge of love the mare was giving out with the simple gesture, before regaining his wits and returning the hug. Butterflies flapped in his stomach while his nerves attempted to desert him once again. But nonetheless, he soldiered on. It wouldn’t do for the king of the changelings to be tongue-tied due to a simple show of affection. “A little busy overseeing the hive, and trying to make sense of all this ‘king’ stuff. But all in all, things are good. What about you?”
“Oh, I’m doing wonderfully, darling, thanks for asking!” the unicorn happily replied, releasing Thorax from the hug, much to the changeling’s simultaneous relief and disappointment. “Things have been a little on the harried side due to all the work caused by orders for the coming Hearth’s Warming Eve, but I’ve managed to get ahead of the rush this year and keep things under control. The same is true for both my shops at Canterlot and Manehattan!”
“That’s good to hear,” the lime-colored changeling said with a small smile, the sheer joy Rarity was radiating as she talked settling his nerves slightly. Taking one more fortifying breath, he centered himself. He could do this!
“Actually, the coming Hearth’s Warming celebration is the reason for my visit,” he started to say, rubbing one of his fore-hooves against the other in nervousness while forcing his eyes to not wander away from Rarity’s beautiful blue eyes. “I’m not sure if you know or not, but Princess Luna is going to be hosting a ball in the coming Hearth’s Warming Eve, but a few days from now.”
“Why, yes, I’m quite aware of that little fact!” Rarity gleefully replied, rising a dainty hoof to hide her mouth as she let out a small chuckle. “Poor Fluttershy attempted to convince Princess Luna that doing so was unnecessary, but she insisted that the one-year anniversary of their courtship had to be celebrated with a ball worthy of her mate! Oh, so romantic!”
“Yes, quite,” Thorax replied with a tremulous smile while watching Rarity fawn over the budding ongoing romance between the princess of the night and the bearer of Kindness. “But, well… you see… what I mean is that… well, Princess Luna has sent me an invitation for said ball due to my new status as the king of the changelings.”
And hadn’t that been an unexpected surprise? When he first had been thrust into his new position, Thorax would never imagine he would end up being invited to social functions by the Celestial Sisters themselves! Quite frankly, sometimes he wondered if this wasn’t all a dream. And then he remembered that if it was, that wouldn’t really stop Luna from giving him the invitation anyway.
With a small shake of his head, he banish the unneeded train of thought from his mind and focused on the task at hand, the beautiful white-coated unicorn standing before him, staring at him with interested eyes while playing with her long purple mane with a hoof. Clearing his throat, Thorax got back to the topic at hoof.
“Well, yes, so I was invited for the ball, a ball that will happen by the end of the week,” he continued to speak, only to realize that he was prevaricating once again by repeating things both of them already knew. A faint blush of embarrassment appearing through the chitin on his cheeks, he soldiered on. “Well, Rarity, what I mean is that… the reason I came to visit you is… well, I would like to ask you if…”
“Yes?” Rarity gently prodded as Thorax trailed once again, slowly blinking her eyes in such a way that her long eyelashes seemed to glimmer upon the light. “What would you like to ask me, Thorax?”
The changeling king could feel how Rarity’s initial feelings of surprise due to his words were slowly shifting into interest and giddiness. Reassured by that fact, Thorax attempted to ignore the butterflies in his stomach and his fraying nerves and chose to simply say it.
Honesty was one of the Elements for a reason, after all!
“Okay, I’m terrible at this and literally have no idea what I’m doing, so I’ll just go ahead and say it,” he said it all in a single spurt, as if afraid that if he said it any slower he wouldn’t say it at all, something that somehow made Rarity’s feelings of giddiness to grow even further. “There is a lot that we changelings know almost nothing about in regards to pony culture, and this is one of those things!”
“It’s okay, darling, I’m here for you,” Rarity promptly comforted him, taking a step closer and resting a hoof upon his shoulder, a sincere smile on her lips as she watched him with shining eyes. “Just ask.”
“Could you help and make me a suit for the ball?!” Thorax blurted out, finally voicing the question that had been plaguing him ever since he had received his invitation.
“What?” Rarity asked, tilting her head sideways in clear confusion.
“I mean, normally Changelings kinda don’t wear clothes, like at all, and I myself never wore any kind of clothing before,” Thorax continued not really noticing the fashionista’s confusion, now that the dam of his nerves had been broken his words coming out like an unending deluge as he paced back and forth in front of the white-coated unicorn. “But the ball’s invitation said that it is a black-tie event, something I’m not even sure I know what it even means!
“I have no idea what I’m supposed to do or wear! And then I remembered that you own several fashion stores and are a renowned fashionista!” he exclaimed, turning towards Rarity’s confused form with a huge beaming smile on his face, his eyes filled with hope. Only to finally notice that Rarity was looking at him oddly, and that her emotions were also now a mix of confusion and befuddlement. And so his nerves came back with a vengeance. “And so… well I thought… Please help?”
A moment of silence permeated the boutique after Thorax’s sincere plea had been spoken. A silence that lasted until it was broken by a very unladylike snort of amusement coming from a normally very prim and proper fashionista.
“Of course, Thorax, it would be my pleasure to help you with such an endeavor,” Rarity promptly replied, a small but sincere smile on her muzzle and her form all but radiating amusement and joy as she gestured towards one of the boutique’s inner doors. “Please, follow me.”
“Thanks!” Thorax said, sheer relief filling him due to both Rarity’s agreement to help and the positive emotions the mare was feeling, which told him that he hadn’t screwed up his request! Awesome!
“Also, my invitation mentioned something about bringing a ‘plus one’,” the lime-colored changeling king idly mentioned as he followed Rarity into one of the fashionista’s workrooms. “Would you happen to know what that’s about?”