Chapter 3: Dressed For Excess
About a half hour later, the scholar and the speed demon left the cloud house and strolled down the main street of Ponyville. Celestia was tied to their hooves in the same way, only this time there were more strings attached to the Princess’s face that were practically unseen. The ponies along the street waved and bowed in her presence courteously, completely oblivious to the illusion. Most of the citizens knew that Twilight and Rainbow were close to the Princess, so they weren’t suspicious about the two walking beside her. So far so good, they made their way to Carousel Boutique.
“This is never going to work.” Twilight said under a feigned smile.
“Quit being so negative.” Rainbow told her. “We got this in the bag.”
“You keep saying that, but I have a hard time believing it.”
“Just let me do all the talking.”
“That’s what worries me.”
Twilight and Rainbow approached the front door of the boutique and Rainbow knocked, in turn making Celestia’s hoof follow the same action. Sure enough, a pearly white unicorn answered.
“Princess Celestia, your highness,” greeted Rarity cheerfully. “I didn’t expect you to arrive so early. And Twilight, Rainbow, what brings you two here?”
“Oh, uh, we were just out and about when we ran into the Princess here.” Twilight answered. “Um, she told us she was coming to visit you for a fitting and, uh, we decided to come along.”
“Oh splendid!” Rarity replied. “That means more time to show off my work. I have just the outfits for you two. But first, I must prep the Princess for her audience tomorrow. Shall we get started then, Princess?”
Twilight darted her eyes to her right. With her free hoof, Rainbow grabbed a couple strings that led up to Celestia’s face and strained to concentrate. She also turned her face away from Rarity and cleared her throat discretely. Then, Celestia’s lips began to move.
“Why certainly, Rarity dear,” came Rainbow’s voice in a regal impression. “I’m sure you have only the finest dress for my, uh, royal taste.”
“You won’t be disappointed!” Rarity said as she skipped back inside inviting them in.
“You see, Twilight?” whispered Rainbow. “If we can make her walk the walk, we can make her talk the talk.”
“Wow, Rainbow, you weren’t kidding.” Twilight replied. “You should have been some kind of puppeteer.”
“No way. Don’t tell anypony, but puppets actually creep me out.”
The two walked the Princess into the main room of the boutique where they sat down on a couch in the corner lounge area. Rarity placed a tea tray on the table in front of them.
“Have some tea, while I go get my finished product.” She said.
“Certainly, Rarity,” Rainbow made the Princess say. “I’ll be right here.”
Rainbow waited for Rarity to leave the room. But the unicorn fashionista only stood there smiling politely. Knowing it was time to intervene, Twilight turned her head away from Rarity and charged the magic in her horn. She levitated one of the cups of tea to Celestia’s mouth, hoping Rarity would not notice that the Princess’s horn was not glowing. Seeing the cup, Rainbow manipulated the face strings making Celestia slurp the tea from the cup and close her mouth.
“Be right back!” Rarity called as she cantered off upstairs.
Both Twilight and Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, but then noticed tea dripping from Celestia’s mouth. Twilight quickly wiped her face with a napkin.
“Gee, you’d think that Rarity would recognize my magic aura.” Twilight said.
“That was some quick thinking,” replied Rainbow. “I can’t believe she’s that gullible.”
“By the way, maybe you should let me do the vocal impression. I think you were kind of milking it there.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, all I’m saying is that I’ve known the Princess longer than you, so-”
“Hey, I can imitate her as well as anypony. Are you saying I don’t have talent?”
“No, I’m saying that I can voice circles around you.”
“Now you listen here, egghead-”
“Ahem.”
The pair stopped bickering as they noticed Rarity reenter the room and put on their fake smiles again.
“I think you’ll be quite pleased with what I have in store for you, Princess.” Rarity announced. “I’ve been working on it since the minute I got your request letter.”
It was then that Rarity presented a large red and yellow dress designed in a royal fashion. Along the trim were bold blue gemstones cut in alternating circles and squares.
“Now at first, I thought the color scheme was a bit drab,” she continued. “But it came to me: sapphires! I think it’s just the perfect touch for your royal taste.”
Rainbow didn’t know what to honestly think of Rarity’s creation, as she wasn’t too keen on high-end fashion. So she left the talking to Twilight as she manipulated the strings.
“Oh it’s absolutely gorgeous, Rarity,” Twilight said in her Celestia impression. “It’ll be just the thing to where to the council tomorrow.”
Rarity grinned from ear to ear at “Celestia’s” approval. She even squealed with joy a bit.
“I’m so relieved you like it.” She said. “You simply must try it on now.”
“I certainly will.” Twilight’s voice said.
With that, the two got up with the Princess’s body and Twilight levitated the newly crafted dress, this time altering her purple aura to turn yellow. They walked Celestia over to the changing room when Rarity interrupted.
“Um, girls, what exactly are you two doing?” she asked suspicious.
Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other noticing their blunder.
“Um, we’re joining the Princess in the changing room?” Rainbow responded with a sheepish smile.
“That seems a bit…awkward.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “May I ask why?”
“Well, uh,” stammered Twilight. “She needs help to zip up the dress of course.”
“So she needs two ponies to zip a dress?” contradicted Rarity.
Rainbow gulped hard. “Um, yup.”
“…Well if you say so.” Rarity said uneasily. “As long as the two of you are in there, you might as well try on these.”
With her own magic, Rarity levitated two smaller dresses off a rack. They were modified versions of Twilight’s and Rainbow’s gala attire. She placed the two dresses on their backs.
“Thanks, Rarity,” said Twilight. “We’ll be out in a jiffy.”
They walked into the changing room with the Princess, leaving a perplexed Rarity waiting outside. Once inside the small blank room, Twilight and Rainbow untied the strings on their legs making Celestia fall over limp.
“Alright, Rainbow,” said Twilight quietly. “Help her up while I put the dress on her.”
“Right.” Rainbow grunted as she lifted the body partly off the ground. Slowly and carefully, Twilight slipped the dress over the Princess, sliding over one hoof at a time then both wings. She cautiously put force into it as the dress seemed to be a bit snug on the body.
“How does it fit, Princess?” called Rarity from outside the door.
Twilight cleared her throat as she answered in her Celestia voice. “Um, it’s a little tight.”
“Oh dear me! I knew I got the size wrong!” whined Rarity. “Confound it, Rarity, why can’t you think straight?! I am not fit to sew for royalty!”
Rolling her eyes at her friend’s melodrama, Twilight called back. “It’s quite alright, Rarity, it still fits well.” She finally finished fitting on the dress. “Okay, that wasn’t so bad; now the zipper.”
She grabbed the zipper on the back of the dress and slid it downward. But suddenly, it stopped halfway down.
“Uh oh.”
“What’s the hold up?” asked Rainbow straining.
“The zipper is stuck. It’s caught in her coat.”
“Ouch. It’s a good thing she can’t feel it. She must really be out cold.”
“Is everything alright in there, girls?” called Rarity from outside the door.
“Uh, yeah, we’ll be out in a sec.” Rainbow responded. “Twilight, for the love of Luna, get that zipper unstuck.”
“I’m trying.”
Twilight struggled to move the zipper back and forth, but it would not move either way. She tried not to apply too much force as to leave a painful nick on the Princess’s body.
“Ah, it’s no use.” Twilight said. “Let’s just get the strings back on and get out. Maybe she won’t notice.”
“If you say so.” Rainbow replied and tied her legs back onto Celestia’s right. After Twilight did the same of the left, they faced the door.
“Wait!” stopped Twilight. “We forgot about our dresses.”
“Ugh!” groaned Rainbow. “I would give my right wing just to have this day end.”
Once again they detached from the Princess and slipped on their own dresses, having no trouble helping each other with their zippers. They reassumed puppet master positions and exited the tiny room. Rarity beamed as she saw Celestia.
“Oh thank goodness, it fits!” she said. “And you look absolutely marvelous, Princess.”
Rainbow gripped the strings beneath the half-zipped dress and Twilight responded.
“I couldn’t be happier with it, Rarity. Thank you for your service.” Twilight then reverted back to her normal voice. “So how do we look, Rarity?” she asked changing the subject.
“Oh you two look just as dazzling. I think it’s some of my best work yet, if I do say so myself.” The alabaster unicorn fluttered her eyelashes in pride, and then turned to Rainbow. “Um, Rainbow, might I ask why you have your hoof on the Princess’s back?”
Rainbow quickly withdrew her hoof nervously. “Heh heh, what do you mean?”
Rarity peaked behind Celestia and saw the zipper.
“Ah, pardon me, Princess,” she said. “But your zipper seems to be half-zipped back here. Allow me.”
She extended her hoof and gripped the zipper. With a swift tug, she pulled the zipper all the way down, unknowingly ripping off a sizable lock of the Princess’s coat. Twilight and Rainbow cringed at the harsh tear as they saw the white fur descend to the floor.
“No need to thank me.” Rarity smiled.
“Well, uh, thanks for the dresses, Rarity,” said Twilight. “We’d love to stay, but we actually have to get back to Canterlot.”
“Oh, are you going to wear your dresses out, then?” asked Rarity curious.
Twilight paused considering her answer. “Um…yes.”
“Thanks again, Rarity.” Rainbow added. “Uh, yeah, we’ll just be on our way, then. See you around!”
“Okay then, have a good day, you three!” Rarity happily waved them off as they exited the boutique trying to hide their urgency.
They proceeded on toward the library, with their dresses turning the heads of passersby. Rainbow groaned under her breath as she even received a few catcalls from the stallions.
“Hey Rainbow Dash, I think you made my heart do a sonic rainboom!”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up,”
At last, they reached Twilight’s house and entered quickly. Immediately, they removed both the strings and the dresses which they laid on the sofa. When Twilight removed Celestia’s dress, she gasped at the sight of where Rarity accidentally ripped her coat.
“Oh shoot! Look what Rarity did.” She said.
On the Princess’s back was a patch of exposed skin with a red welt swelling up. Rainbow winced as she saw it.
“Ooh! That looks painful. Twilight, remind me to never ask Rarity to help with a zipper.”
“Alright, don’t panic.” Twilight slowed her nerves down. “It’s not that noticeable. We already got the dress, so all we have to worry about is putting on a show for the griffons tomorrow. For now, let’s just take some time to recuperate.”
“Hey Twilight, I was wondering when you were getting back.”
“Aah!” shrieked Rainbow at the new voice.
They both turned around to see Spike descending the staircase.
“Whoa! Is that Princess Celestia?” asked the little dragon. “Why is she lying on the floor like that?”
Twilight and Rainbow darted their eyes at each other with panic in their eyes.