Monochrome, a stallion with a grey coat and black mane, enters the Carousel Boutique and finds Sweetie Belle trying to lift some fabric with her horn.
"Awww... When will I ever be able to use magic?" she pouts. She notices him and tries to feign professionalism. "Um... hi. Rarity is out on gem hunting errands right now." She takes a crayon in her teeth and lies down before a notepad. "Pleph telf meeph whaph youph wanph and I'll makph phore pahrity gets your orderph," she tries to say with the crayon in her mouth.
The grey unicorn smiles a bit, remembering his own troubles with magic when he was young. "Oh, alright then. May I ask who you are, though, Miss?"
"I'm Sweetie Belle. I'm just tending the shop while my sister is out," she says.
"And you said she was out gem hunting, correct?" he confirms.
"Yeah... I used some of them up and she has to get more, I think she was mad," Sweetie Belle explains with a frown.
He smiles a bit once more, closing the door behind him, having forgotten to before. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. As long as you weren't needlessly using them, of course."
"Made her a card," she pouted. "She didn't even look at it."
He walks towards her, sitting down beside her. "May I see it, if the young lady doesn't mind?"
"Okay..." She gets it and shows it to him, a big love heart made out of Sapphires on the front. "I thought it looked nice."
He stays silent for a few moments, his mouth gaping slightly. "That.... is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen."
"Aww, thank you." She wraps her hooves around him in a hug.
He returns it gently, a smile still on his face. "Though I can partially understand her anger at the gems, I believe you still to be in the right if she can go find more."
"Thanks... I keep trying to impress her and I only do things wrong,” she said, sighing. “I'm useless," she complains.
He raises a hoof and gently pats. "Now now, no pony is useless. There's never been a useless pony to walk in Equestria."
She starts to cry. "But I have no cutie mark and I can't even use magic... I'm worthless!"
"Well you're still young; cutie marks come in time, once you learn just what makes you, well, you. And magic just takes practice," he replies, encouragingly.
She gives him another hug. "Thank you... maybe you should be my big brother... she hardly qualifies as a sister," she sobs but smiles at the stallion.
"Now hold on," he says gently, touched that she would even think of him as brother worthy. "Siblings may fight, but that doesn't mean they don't love you."
"But... she's so mean... I was about to go ask Applejack to be my sister; her and Applebloom are such good friends."
"Well, everypony is different. While with some ponies it’s easy for them to get along, with others you just have to try a bit more. And the reward is all the sweeter when you succeed."
She laughs. "Well I'm getting along with you pretty quick... Can you be my big brother, please?" She grins at him adorably.
He looks at her grin with his own smile, ruffling her mane a bit. "I suppose so. But, you do need to make up with your big sister."
"How should I do that... ? Don't think I want to anyway."
"Just trust me when I say you need to. And to go about doing it, you two need to find a way to get along. Something you both like, perhaps," he suggests.
"Oh I know! Can I live with you for a bit, then when my sister comes begging me to come back, I can... um..."
He blinks a few times in surprise. "Beg pardon, live with me?"
"Yeah, I'm sure it will be fun!" She smiles and flutters her eyes, pleadingly.
"W... well... I can't deny someone a place to stay, but won't that worry her? She might call the police if you're missing."
"If she does, I'll tell them she is a bad sister and made me run away!" she says stomping her hoof.
"Hey, running away from your problems doesn't solve them. I've tried before, too. It just doesn't work. They find you," he explains. She looks at him with disappointment.
"Fine... I guess I won't have a sister or a brother then!" she cries.
"All I'm doing is telling you the truth. I will help you if you absolutely need it, but I think that we should wait here for your sister to see if you can't sort things out. If she is stubborn and refuses, of course you can stay with me."
Sweetie Belle pouts and turns her head away from him. "I think you should go now."
"Listen, please,” he said, trying to reason with her. You can't just ignore the truth when it's not what you want. It never works out well. And even if you don't listen to this, be aware I'm not leaving until your sister gets here. I want to talk to her myself about this, as well.”
"I'm in charge of the shop, I can kick you out if you want!" she shouts, getting increasingly angry.
"Did the owner of this shop actually say to you ‘you are in charge while I am gone,’ or did she just storm out angrily?" he asks.
"I... I... um.... Well I thought she might like me, if I take care of the shop well and get her lots of customers..." the filly replies.
"I guess I've been the only pony through though, hm?" he smiles gently once more, lying down next to her again.
"Yeah... so far... and I almost kicked you out... I'm sorry," she strokes his back apologetically.
"No, it's fine, Miss. Emotions can be a very powerful thing, indeed, anger being one of the strongest, sadly."
"Oh... I know... how about I let you use the spa?" She suggests.
He raises an eyebrow slightly. "You have a spa here?"
"Yeah, Rarity takes clients there all the time for treatments... not sure what that means... but maybe I can try," the little unicorn suggests.
He blushes slightly as he guesses what those 'treatments' are "Oh no, that, um, won't be necessary."
"Oh... why not... I'll give you a massage, I'll stop if it hurts," she offers.
"I suppose so. But if your sister comes back, I suggest you quickly stop doing so. Something tells me she would not think this so.... innocent," he says carefully.
"Innocent? what do you mean?" The filly asks.
"Oh, I don't think it would be best for me to tell you that. Something tells me your sister and parents would not take me teaching that to you well," the stallion explains.
"..." she cocks her head curiously.
"Just, um, ask your parents the next time you see them. Just don't mention me, please. I enjoy living," he mumbles the final sentence.
She stares at him curiously and decides to just shrug. "So, did you want to use the spa?"
"Just do it here, I suppose. Something tells me your sister would not take it well if she caught me in the spa and I would prefer to not go to jail...."
"Do what here, the massage?" Sweetie Belle asks.
"Yes, that," he nods.
Sweetie Belle smiles enthusiastically. "Yay, maybe this will be my special talent!"
"Quite possibly. You never know, I suppose," he agrees.
"Okay. Can you lie down... wait... I think we need a bed for this," she says.
"Why would you need a bed?” he asks. “Most massages are on the back..... tell me, have you seen your sister give a massage?"
"Oh... you can lie down here if you like, I just thought the floor would be uncomfortable. And no... but I've read about massages..." Sweetie Belle says.
He thinks to himself alright she isn't confusing massages for sex, thank Luna. "Alright then". He rests his head on his forelegs, his back exposed.
"Yay!" She clops her hooves and carefully steps on his back with her tiny hooves. After she gets all four hooves on she asks "is this okay, are you comfortable?"
"Yes. I've definitely been in more uncomfortable places," he replies.
Sweetie Belle grins in satisfaction and starts to lightly stomp her hooves and twist them at his tense muscles.
His face twists up a bit "A little bit more gently, please."
"Oh sorry..." She slows down and brings her hooves down a bit more lightly. "I hope I get my cutie mark in massages."
"Well, a bit of advice, start with what you like to do," he suggests.
"What I like to do..." she stops on his back and ponders.
"Yep. It is the absolute best way to find out what you are good at."
She twists her hooves a little at his tight muscles. "Well this is kinda fun."
"Alright, there's one thing,” He says encouragingly. “Can you think of anything else you are good at or like to do?”
She starts to stomp a little beat on his back, but keeps it light. "We are the cutie mark crusaders!" she sings in a wonderful voice.
His ears perk up a bit, but he remains quiet as she sings.
"On a journey to find out who we are!"
"Now there is a good place to start," he says.
"And we will..." She stops singing. "Oh was that a good spot?" She twists her hoof on his back a bit harder.
"No no no, I meant your singing." He shakes his head.
"My singing... nah... I can't sing!" she laughs. “I just wrote the lyrics for that song and Scootaloo sang."
"I beg to differ,” he replies. “You have one of the best voices I have ever heard, in all honesty."
"Really?" She steps off his back. "Did my massage make you feel any better?"
"Yes, to both and oh definitely!" He smiles.
She looks back at her flank. "Awww, still no cutiemark," she says with disappointment.
He smiles a bit, patting her head gently. "Well, then that wasn't meant to be your destiny. That just means you have to look at what else you are good at."
Sweetie Belle lies down and thinks. "I'm not good at anything."
"I wouldn't say that. If you really want my advice, I think you should look into that singing voice once more." he suggests.
"Singing?" she scowls. "Don't be silly."
"Come on now, you have an amazing singing voice,” he disagreed. “As I said, one of the best I've heard."
"You are just being nice... like a big brother," she laughs.
"No, I'm telling you the truth,” he persists. “Haven't others told you that you can sing well?"
"No... Well sometimes, but they were just being polite," she replies.
"Oh no, they were telling you the truth. Tell me this, have you heard yourself sing before?" He asks.
"Um... no," Sweetie Belle responds, shaking her head.
"Well, give me a moment," he says as he closes his eyes, recalling the memory of her singing. As he recalls it, he taps his horn to the floor. When it touches the floor, the ground starts to ripple like water before the singing starts to play aloud. She is surprised by how good it sounds.
"Oh... stop enhancing my voice with your magic, anypony can do that!" she scoffs.
"I promise you I'm not. I swear it on Princess Luna herself," he encourages.
"And we will never stop the journey! Not until we have our cutie marks!" she sings again.
He smiles as she finishes the song, nodding approvingly.
"Maybe I should try singing then..." she considers.
"You definitely should," he nods.
"Okay then." She takes a deep breath.
He smiles once more, nodding
"Hello I'm Sweetie Belle and I want to play!" she sings out loud as Rarity opens the door.
"Hello I'm Rarity and I have to work all day!" Rarity sings back.
He looks towards the door as Rarity walks in, then back to Sweetie to see how she reacts.
"No, Un-sis! Now to me, you're dead!" she sings aggressively.
While impressed by the amount of emotion she puts into it, he is fearful of what this will do.
"I'll promise to be nicer" Rarity sings back pleadingly.
"I don't believe you liar!" Sweetie Belle retorts still in song.
He sits where he is, stunned and not quite sure how to fix this right now.
Sweetie Belle smiles and hugs her sister.
"Sis! sis! I can sing!" She boasts happily.
He sighs quietly, thanking Luna she's calmed down.
"This stallion helped me find my special talent," she points to the grey stallion.
He smiles as innocently as he can, silently praying he doesn't get the police called on him.
"Oh, hello... I must have forgot to turn the closed sign around," Rarity apologizes.
He walks up to her, mentally breathing a sigh of relief. “No, it's perfectly alright, Miss. I had good company because of it.”
"He was really nice sis... I gave him a massage!" Sweetie Belle boasted.
"What?" Rarity turns to the stallion and frowns.
Oh dear He thinks to himself.
"What exactly happened?" She asks him calmly not wanting to jump to conclusions just yet.
"Oh, nothing bad, I assure you. We were just talking and she mentioned the spa in the back and how you massage ponies back there apparently. She offered me a massage because she had read about it, and she did just that. A massage. Nothing bad," he ran on trying his best to look innocent. Despite it being the truth, he worried the mare wouldn't believe him.
"Is that true, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asks the nodding filly.
"Yes sis, he's really nice," she grins.
"I try to be, at least," he says sheepishly-
"I'm sorry Sweetie, I was stupid to leave you here alone," she nuzzles her. "Thank you for being a gentlecolt," she tells the stallion with a warm smile.
He smiles once more, nodding his head slightly. "It was no trouble at all, Miss."
"Who knows what other colts might have done," she says to apologize for her earlier scepticism.
"Well, I can assure you that I'm not like other colts."
"Is there anything you would like me to do for you?" she asks.
"He wants a suit!" Sweetie Belle proudly states and shows Rarity her notes.
He glances at Sweetie himself, forgetting that she had taken notes. "Yes that. If you have the time, that is.”
"Sweetie Belle, be a dear and go work on your homework," Rarity asks the filly.
"I've done it, Sis!" Sweetie Belle replies.
He raises an eyebrow quietly, wondering about Rarity's motives for a moment.
Rarity sighed. “Just go to your room, please," she demands, getting frustrated.
"Am I in trouble?" Sweetie Belle pouts. As he continues to just stand there, his eyes following the current speaker.
"Yes Sweetie Belle, get to you room now and think about what you have done!" Rarity shouts.
Sweetie Belle sobs and leaves the room. "That's not fair, you are my un-sis again!"
He looks at Rarity, stunned silent.
"Sorry about that..." She gives the stallion a knowing look. "But I can't conduct business with my little sis watching," Rarity rubs a hoof on his muzzle affectionately.
"So darling, what were you really after?" she winks.
He backs up a bit, a disapproving look on his face. "A suit. Coloured black, styled with a more modern taste. And also, for you to apologize to your sister."
"Oh..." Rarity looks confused.
"The dress business is just a front, sorry about that. I suppose I can just make the suit if you want."
He raises an eyebrow. "A front? I'm guessing its a front for whatever you want to call what it is you actually do?”
"I'm a whorse darling, but I'm sure you knew that. You didn't give any hints to Sweetie Belle about why your were here did you?" Rarity explains.
"I did not know that's what you were to begin with." He says, his tone now deadpan.
"Oh. Sorry then..." She looks disappointed. "So, just the suit then. I'll take some bits off the price if you don't want the extra service".
"Alright," he says in the same tone, glancing at the stairs. "Actually, I will pay the extra. Just take it and go apologize to your sister for earlier."
"Apologize to my sister?" Rarity scoffs. "She makes it so hard to run my sex shop when she is here, I can't wait for her to be gone".
"Do you realize how much she looks up to you?
"She shouldn't,” Rarity says defensively. “I'm not a good example... as you can see."
"Then why don't you be one for her?" He asks.
"Dresses don't make money sweetheart,” She continues to defend herself. “Ponies only wear them on special holidays. I have to do this to survive and it's best Sweetie Belle knows nothing of it".
"I can understand the necessity of it, I suppose. But that doesn't give you an excuse to treat your sister like that, even if she does annoy you a bit," he argues.
"I was hoping to make her not want to visit again, I've been mean for her own good," she argues back.
"So money is more important than your own sister?" he asks in a quiet voice, his eyes dark.
"Just because I'm her sister doesn't mean I have to be her mother," Rarity scoffs."I have to look after myself."
"You know, she asked me to be her brother," he says."She asked me if I would let her live with me, until you missed her so much, you came looking for her."
Rarity looks at him stunned, realizing that she had put her sister in danger.
"Poor girl... I don't want her to run away... and maybe get abducted," Rarity submits.
"Well, with your attitude, I’m surprised she hasn't." He points toward where Sweetie Belle exited the room.
"Like I said, it's mostly deliberate... but I still have to take care of her," Rarity says sadly. "Her parents don't know about my real business either."
"Her parents? Aren't they yours, too?
"One of them..." she replies.
He nods a bit, understanding. "Well, either way, I don't think you should be deliberately mean to her. Ask them about letting her stay elsewhere instead. If they ask for a reason, just tell them orders are overflowing."
"I suppose you are right," she smiles and gives him a thankful pat on the shoulder.
"I'll go and apologize to her... and I'll close my other business and just make dresses for the next few days," she decides.
He smiles a bit as well, nodding his head. "Thank you. I'm glad I could help you with your sister."
She gives him a overly eager hug. "Sure you don't want a quick spa?" she asks seductively.
"I'm sure, miss. I don't believe in sex without love, and I believe love takes a lot of time to build," he explains.
She smiles. "I hope I can find that kind of love someday, but it's kind of a confusing blur now."
"As I told your sister, patience is one of the best things in the world," he says as he hoofs some bits to the unicorn and leaves the boutique.