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// 10 - Filly Fashions 
// Story: Born Under Silver Moon Light 
// by David Silver 
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Crescent trotted down the street, enjoying the sound of her own clops and the noises of the bustling city around her. "Today is a good day." And she was helping by sharing those good days. Even if Luna had insisted it wasn't required, Crescent enjoyed sharing her days and all their memories, and Luna accepted them. They always made her smile in a way she wouldn't otherwise.

They may be separate creatures, but Luna was still her mother, for lack of better term. Making her smile and be happy felt good for herself.

She nodded at each brightly-colored store she went past. Each promised different things for any pony brave enough to walk into them and browse their wares. But she had a specific one in mind. She turned off the main path and towards her goal as she reached it. Canterlot Boutique. "What treats will you have for me today?" she sang out, pushing the door with her magic to enter with a jingle of an unseen bell.

"Be right there!" Sassy called from further in the shop, where she was assisting another customer, but would be with Crescent shortly.

Crescent trotted along the walls, examining the clothes, and considering what she might wear. The bedazzling array of styles made her eyes swirl, a shame most of them had no chance on fitting on her tiny little body.

Sassy arrived at last, smiling down at the little filly. "Welcome back, Crescent. There's somepony here today that was quite eager to meet you. I've been passing along your feedback and they began to ask questions."

A white unicorn with purple mane pushed through a line of clothes, her magic pushing them to either side without harming them. "And I had to know more about my smallest, but eager, customer. Hello there, darling. I'm Rarity, and it's a complete pleasure to meet you."

Crescent stared up at the tall mare, and the colors she wore, and the jewelry she had on, and the general style she presented herself with. "Wow. You're really pretty." She took a step closer. "I like your hair, and your outfit. It's so cool!"

Rarity giggled softly, flattered by the child's innocent admiration. "Why thank you, darling. I do try to present myself in the best possible light." She turned a critical eye to Crescent's own appearance. "I see you're exploring what works for you. You've just set a hoof in the accessories, and I can feel it." She reached out a hoof, her magic gently playing with the baubles on Crescent. "May I?"

Crescent nodded eagerly, her mane bouncing a little as she did so. "I love the accessories here. They're all so neat." She smiled up at Rarity. "You must be a good pony if Sassy likes you."

"Oh, we are very good friends." Rarity nodded firmly. "We go way back. And she's told me all about you." She reached into her satchel, pulling out a sketchbook. "Now, I've been thinking about this since we started talking, and I would love to make something special for you."

She tapped at her chin a moment. "Well, we'll design it together, but it won't be just for you. Other little fillies will be able to enjoy it, and don't they deserve it if they want it, hm?"

Crescent bounced at the idea. "That would be wonderful! Yes! Yes!" Each cry was more excited then the last. "What do you need me to do?" She grabbed the notebook in her magic and pulled it over for a peek as Rarity laughed. "There's not much there." There wasn't, just the start of a pony outline, awaiting far more detail.

"No, it's not." Rarity gently pulled the book away from Crescent's eager eyes. "But it's a start. Now, I need you to tell me what you like, and what you think other fillies will like." She held up a hoof. "Don't worry about what you think I want to hear. Tell me what you think is right."

Crescent scrunched her snout in thought, turning around as she did so. "Little girls like dresses." She pointed up at the many dresses. "These are all way too big for me." She stroked at her chin gently. "In fact--" She reached out to brush along the long hem of one dress. "If you avoid the ones that are way long, so a filly can still run around, then you could just make adult dresses, but smaller, and I think a lot of fillies would appreciate just being treated like small adults, which we are."

Rarity considered that with a thoughtful hum, jotting down a few notes on the page, underlining some words, and circling others. "I see. I suppose that makes sense. It's quite clever." She looked at Crescent with a smile. "And I can tell you've given this some thought."

"I have." Crescent nodded firmly. "Mama says I'm smart, and I like to help ponies, and that means knowing them. And I know little fillies, because I am one." She flashed a big happy smile, even if, technically, she was more than a filly. "You already have so many amazing dresses! I just want to fit in them."

"I'll see what I can do." Rarity nodded firmly, reaching out to gently stroke Crescent's mane, which she didn't mind at all. "I don't want to give you false hope, but I do believe I can come up with something suitable."

"That's all I ask." Crescent bobbed her head in response. "Thank you." She looked up at Sassy. "Do you want to be in on this too?"

Sassy shook her head. "Thank you for thinking of me, but I work here. In a way, I already am 'in' on this. I will gladly be the one selling the smaller dresses Rarity sends to me." She heard the chime of the bell over the front door. "I should see to that. You two carry on." She hurried towards the next customer.

Crescent turned back to Rarity, who had returned to her sketchbook, working on it as she muttered to herself. "So, how long do you think it will take?"

"Not long at all." Rarity glanced up from her work. "I'll need your measurements, and then I can begin the design process. Then, I'll make a few samples, and we can go from there." She reached out to ruffle Crescent's mane. "You're such a sweet little filly. Helping little sisters, cousins, or friends find adorable new clothes to match your own."

"That would be really good." Crescent sat down, ready to listen to anything Rarity had to say on the matter. "Tell me about that. How did you become a dressmaker?"

"You really are interested in other ponies." Rarity chuckled, setting aside her sketchbook, her horn lighting up in preparation for the task before them. "Very well. Allow me to tell you everything about my life." She giggled at that. "Well, everything is a bit much. Let's keep it to the basics. To be a dressmaker is to be a slave to the creative urges within you! Darling, do you ever feel like you have an idea you just simply must share with the entire world?"

"Oh, yeah!" Crescent smiled eagerly, rising to her hooves with her magic grasping up at the air for emphasis as she spoke. "Mama's my best friend, and I tell her every single day, and a couple times on Sundays, how much I love her and how happy she makes me."

Rarity covered her mouth to stifle her soft laughter at Crescent's eager monologue. "I see. You're quite the generous young lady, aren't you, dear?" She frowned faintly with thought. "And as lovely as that is, that isn't creativity, dear. Now, don't get me wrong, it sounds absolutely wonderful, but have you ideas you wanted to share with us? Do you draw, write perhaps? Sculpt with those adorable little hooves, hm?"

"Oh! Ummm..." Crescent waggled her hooves at herself, which lacked any skill whatsoever in writing, and her attempts at drawing were very poor at best, lacking the patience and training for the kind of fine lines and shapes needed to capture the world around her accurately. "That's not me at all! I can barely scribble with these little hooves."

Rarity pet down the back of her small customer. "Then, perhaps, creativity isn't what calls you, at least so far. This may change as you grow. You are yet a filly, you have a life ahead of you! Let's not limit ourselves just yet, hm?" Her horn floated as she lifted Crescent up to meet her eye to eye. "Now, tell me this. Which of these lovely outfits is most strongly calling to you."

Crescent twisted around slowly, pointing to the purple shirt with stars on it, a matching skirt, and a simple, yet pretty bow she would wear in her tail, while a smaller version of it would tie into her mane as well, leaving a cute tuft hanging out in front of her ear. "That one."

Rarity smiled in delight as she lowered her tiny guest gently to the floor, her horn glowing as she began picking out the pieces that had been selected. "Then this will be the very first dress I work my magic on and make filly-sized. Won't that be wonderful?"

Crescent did a little hop, pumping a hoof into the air. "I can't wait to see it. I know it'll be great, and--" She paused with a sudden thought. "It's your fault, that I like wearing pretty things. I was happy just being naked before, but this store, and Sassy? They showed me how nice it felt to wear things to show different versions of me."

"I'm glad to have been of service." Rarity bowed to the filly. "To see such a little girl taking an interest in personal presentation is lovely. A proper upbringing is vital to encourage the development of a well-rounded individual who can excel at any number of things." She clasped her hooves before her chest, sighing blissfully. "Little Sweetie looks so lovely when she decides to dress up." Her expression soured into a wry smirk. "Even if she is sometimes comically bad at it. Such is youth!"

As promised, Rarity sent Crescent on her way, but a letter arrived a few days later. Crescent hurried back to the store to find a dress right there in the window. It stood out among the others, being so small. It was the filly-sized version of the same dress she had pointed out. Crescent gasped with amazement and darted inside.

Sassy was there, of course, smiling at Crescent as she entered in a rush, slamming the door with her magic as she skidded to a stop in front of the mare. "It's so cool!" She bounced in place, looking up at it. "It's me!"

"It certainly is." Sassy pulled a copy of the dress away with her magic, folding it neatly as she held it out to Crescent. "The dressing room is right there. Go ahead and try it on. Though I have complete confidence that Rarity got the sizing correct. Go on."

Crescent grabbed the dress and ran into the dressing room, closing the door and dropping it to the ground. She levitated the new outfit on and spun around, finding it to be a perfect fit. She leaped out of the changing room, letting the door swing closed behind her. "I love it! This is the best. Thank you, Sassy!" She bounced on her hooves, doing a little spin.

Sassy smiled gently. "You are most welcome. And look at you. It fits perfectly. And the color brings out your eyes. Perhaps you'll take up painting when you're older, and this will be one of your earliest inspirations." She reached for the filly, gently pulling and pushing to get the dress fitting just right. "How do you feel?"

"Like a star!" One could see the stars twinkling in her eyes. "I need to show everypony! Oh." She curled on herself and got out her bits to pay for her purchase. "Thank Miss Rarity for me, please."

"I'll be sure to let her know." Sassy reached under the counter and pulled out a little hat, decorated with a red ribbon. "Here. Take this one as well. No charge."

"Woooow." Crescent took the hat, putting it on her head. "I love it!" She scampered back to the dressing room, retrieving the other bits of her new outfit before returning. She darted out onto the street, still getting it on as she went. She just couldn't wait to meet new friends, and show older ones her new ensemble.