"Rarity? Rarity!" Pinwheel knocked hard on the boutique door and waited. Still no answer. Heavy with pointy diamonds, her saddlebags cut deep into her sides. Just the weight of the gems made Pinwheel's back twinge. Sighing, Pinwheel gripped the door handle in her teeth and gave a forceful tug. The door rattled in its frame, but didn't budge. Scowling, Pinwheel set down the saddlebag and darted to the side of the building. Heavy purple curtains blocked the windows. Gritting her teeth, Pinwheel rapped her hoof against the glass. No movement answered her – no shift in the curtain, no shadow across the glass. Pinwheel let out a groan of defeat, "Looks like she's not answering." Pinwheel walked back to the door, where Pale Hoof waited. There was no 'open' or 'closed' sign in the front window, just a locked door and drawn curtains.
"THE SHOP IS CLOSED." Pale Hoof answered coolly. He'd washed off the blood from the ursa, but his grey fur and skull still carried a tinge of crimson. Pinwheel sighed. Last night, when she'd told him to wash himself off, he'd nearly flooded the bathroom trying to get the blood out. Some crusty bits of red still clung to his belly and neck.
"It's noon on a weekday. What kind of shop closes at noon on a weekday?" Pinwheel complained, dropping her head.
"RARITY SAID SHE WAS BUSY. PERHAPS SHE IS TAKING TIME TO COMPLETE HER WORK."
Pinwheel turned faintly pink. "Yeah…I guess that makes sense." She sighed, "I shouldn't be getting annoyed with her."
"WE WILL GIVE HER THE GEMS TOMORROW." Pale Hoof bent and scooped up the saddlebags with his teeth. He draped the bag over his back and turned toward Pinwheel. With a sweep of his hoof, he gestured toward the road. Just as they began walking home, Twilight rounded the corner. Upon seeing Pinwheel and Pale Hoof, she paused.
"Are you two here to see Rarity?" Twilight asked, approaching them. Pinwheel glanced back at the boutique, then nodded, "She's been locked in there for days. We keep trying to get her to come out, but she won't even answer the door."
Pinwheel tilted her head. "But why?"
Twilight frowned at them, blinking in confusion. Then, suddenly, her face opened with realization. "Oh, you two weren't at the fashion show last week, were you?" At the mention of the fashion show, Twilight lowered her ears and scrunched up her nose, "Er…now that I think of it, that's probably a good thing. It…didn't really go so well."
Pinwheel glanced up at Pale Hoof, then back at Twilight. "What do you mean?" Pinwheel occasionally liked to glance in the windows of Carousel Boutique. Rarity changed the displays every so often. Opulent gowns of purple silk, pearls with white chiffon…Rarity's dresses caught the light and drew the viewer. How could one of Rarity's fashion shows go wrong?
Twilight's cheeks darkened. "Well…uh…." The purple mare shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof, "You see…we kind of…well…"
Pinwheel stared at Twilight. "Is this about those dresses Rarity was making for you guys?"
Twilight started. "She told you about that?"
"Yeah. Rainbow Dash wanted armor."
Twilight grinned nervously. "Yeah…Those dresses didn't turn out so well." Twilight gazed down at her hooves, frowning deeply, "We ended up embarrassing Rarity in front of a big fashion critic. She locked herself in the boutique and now she won't even talk to us."
"FOALS."
Pinwheel knocked Pale Hoof's saddlebags with her hoof. "Don't be so mean." She growled at him. Pale Hoof remained still.
"No…the thing is, we WERE foals." Twilight's shoulders drooped, "We should have listened to Rarity from the start, but…we were just so caught up in having our own way. We ended up really hurting her." Taking a deep breath, Twilight lifted her head and gazed at Pinwheel and Pale Hoof. Before she could open her mouth to speak, her eyes darted down to the saddlebags resting against Pale Hoof's side, "Oh, watch out!" Pinwheel turned just in time to see the threads along the bottom of the bag straining and snapping. Gems spilled out in a glistening rainbow, clattering noisily on the cobblestone road. Pale Hoof, as still as a statue, turned slowly to look at the pile.
"OOPS."
"Oh, geez. I guess I'll have to get new saddlebags." Pinwheel bent down, nudging the gems into a pile. Twilight gawked down at the treasure.
"Where…where did you get all those?"
Pinwheel's eyes jumped between the gem pile and Twilight's face. Her pupils were huge and her mouth hung open like a door with a broken hinge. "Uh…Pale Hoof helped me find them. They were in an old dragon cave." Pinwheel admitted, "I don't have the bits to pay for a Gala dress, so I thought maybe these gems would work as payment…"
Twilight peered down at the gems, sifting through them with her telekinesis. "Pink…Purple…Blue! These are perfect, Pinwheel!" Twilight exclaimed, rearing joyfully. Pinwheel stared.
"Perfect for what?"
"Get the gems and come with me! Hurry!" Twilight didn't even pause to let them pick up the gems. Watching the purple unicorn rocket off, Pinwheel glanced up at Pale hoof. Enveloping the jewels in a dark aura, Pale Hoof lifted them off the ground and stuffed them in the other unbroken bag. The satchel sagged like an unbalanced scale. Nodding to Pinwheel, Pale Hoof started after Twilight. Pinwheel dashed alongside him.
Twilight dodged through the buildings and side streets, making a beeline for the edge of town. She came to a hard stop just outside the town limit. Pinwheel slammed into her, knocking them both to the ground. "Oooof!" Pinwheel grunted, climbing off of Twilight. The unicorn brushed herself off and fluffed her mane. Pale Hoof strode coolly up beside them.
Twilight turned abruptly. "You can't tell Rarity about this, all right? It's a surprise."
Pinwheel frowned. "Twilight, I don't really get what's going on." She answered, hoof uncertainly scraping the dirt, "Why the heck would you take off running like that?"
Twilight grinned. "You'll see. Come on."
Pinwheel looked up. Sunlight filtered delicately through the leaves, coloring the ground with dappled shadows. Birdsong mixed with the burbling of a small brook. Nestled at the heart of the grove was a house covered in greenery. Grass blanketed the rooftops and birdhouses perched on the gables. Clouds of rabbits, grey, brown, and white, hopped around in the flowers surrounding the cottage. Swallowing hard, Pinwheel looked toward Pale Hoof. "Don't step on anything, all right?" She whispered hoarsely. Pale Hoof simply stared.
Twilight hurried along the swept dirt path up to the cottage. Lifting a hoof, she rapped on the front door. The top half of the horse door swung open. Fluttershy peeked cautiously over the edge, a white rabbit balanced on her head. "Did…did Rarity come with you?" She asked in a small voice. Frowning, Twilight shook her head.
"No. She still won't open her door." Twilight sighed, then nodded toward Pinwheel and Pale Hoof, "But these two found something I think will help!"
Fluttershy peeked up at Pale Hoof and let out a squeak of fear. "Oh…Oh no…! It's that scary pony, Twilight…" She whimpered, hiding her face behind her long pink mane, "He's…he's not going to hurt any of my animal friends…is he?"
Before Pinwheel even had a chance to defend him, Pale Hoof sauntered up to the door. He loomed darkly over Fluttershy, casting a long shadow across the half door. Fluttershy let out a high pitched whine, gazing up at him with huge, trembling eyes. "LITTLE PEGASUS." Pale Hoof boomed. Frost crawled across the windows of the cottage. Pinwheel could see white puffs rising from Fluttershy's mouth, "I VIOLATED THE PRIMEVAL LAWS OF NATURE TO BRING BACK YOUR TURTLE. DOES THIS NOT PROVE I AM YOUR FRIEND?"
Fluttershy's lip quivered. "I…I don't…I mean…" Tears glossed over her teal eyes.
Pinwheel sprinted to the door, squeezing past Twilight and Pale Hoof. "I'm sorry! Don't be scared! He isn't trying to frighten you, this is just how he is naturally!" Pinwheel explained frantically, gesturing wildly at Pale Hoof with her hoof, "If you want him to stay outside, that's okay too!"
"Hey, Fluttershy! Did you notice all the frost on your windows? Pretty neat, huh?" Another voice sounded from inside the cottage. Pinwheel, Pale Hoof, Fluttershy, and Twilight all turned toward the staircase. Pinkie Pie bounced down the stairs, looking excitedly at the frosted windows. Giggling, she began drawing stick ponies in the ice. Glancing toward the door, she grinned widely at Pale Hoof, "Oh! I shoulda known it was you, Mister Spookypants! It's way too warm for frost!" Skipping over, she sidled past Fluttershy and pulled the bottom half of the door open. "Come on in!"
"Pinkie Pie…no!" Fluttershy whispered. Pinkie giggled.
"Oh, stop being such a silly filly! Mister Spookypants is a-okay!" Pinkie beckoned them inside with the hoof. Ducking his head, Pale Hoof strolled through the doorway. All around, lights flickered and went out, leaving the tiny cottage in a cold half-light. Deep shadows squirmed in the corners. Fluttershy shrieked and covered her head with her hooves.
"I'd better get some candles." Twilight said, glancing around the darkened foyer. Slowly, she picked her way toward the kitchen, "I guess Applejack and Rainbow Dash are upstairs?"
"Yeah!" Pinkie hopped up next to Pale Hoof, "Are you gonna help us with the dress, Mister Spookypants?"
Pinwheel grinned uncomfortably, "His name's Pale Hoof and…uh…what dress?"
Twilight returned, a candle levitating next to her head, "Come upstairs, I'll show you." Leading them up the low wooden staircase, Twilight ushered them into a small room. There, surrounded by rolls of fabric and boxes filled with needles, pins, and thread, was a mannequin swathed in fuchsia and purple. Ruffles cascaded over the mannequin's rump, falling in sumptuous pools on the dusty wood floor. Rainbow Dash stood to the side with Applejack, eyeing the dress critically.
"I'm telling you, AJ, it would look WAY better without those silly ruffles. Streamlined, ya know?" Dash struck a heroic pose. Applejack simply shook her head.
"Ya'll be quiet now, Dash. Ya'll dunno nothin' 'bout fashion." Applejack criticized, stepping around to the other side of the dress, "Ah think it needs more green mahself."
"Green? You don't know anything about what looks cool!" Dash growled.
"Girls…" Twilight set her candle down on the windowsill, "This is Rarity'sdress, not yours. We're following her plans this time."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack wilted simultaneously, their ears dropping. "Right…" Dash muttered.
Twilight turned to face Pinwheel and Pale Hoof. "Rarity was so busy making dresses for us that she forgot to finish her own. So…as an apology gift, we decided to work together to make her dream dress." Glancing down, Twilight levitated a small piece of paper over to Pinwheel. Though the sketchy lines were hard to make out in the dark, the pencil drawing matched the dress on the mannequin. Rarity's name stood in slanted cursive at the bottom of the sketch. Twilight set the sketch aside, "The only problem is…the dress design calls for a lot of gems and we didn't know where to get them."
Pinwheel glanced at the saddlebag hanging from Pale Hoof's side. "So you need our gems to finish the gown."
Twilight nodded. "Right. We can pay you, if you like. I just need a few for the accessories and the embroidery." She replied, "You can charge whatever you want. The princess gives me a big allowance, so I can pay."
Pinwheel blinked. "Uh…no. It's okay. We have plenty, so just take what you need." Making sure not to touch Pale Hoof, Pinwheel carefully removed the saddlebag and tossed it at Twilight's feet. Gems of every color scattered on the wood floor. Twilight lifted a handful magically in the air.
"Thank you, Pinwheel. I really appreciate this. I know these gems must be really rare." Turning toward the dress, Twilight began placing the gems. A few she slipped into slots on the crown. Others she set on the fabric, "I can't believe you actually found a dragon's nest."
"Wait a second here," Applejack interjected, "Ya'll stole from a livin' dragon?"
Pinwheel blushed. "N-no! No. There wasn't a dragon living there anymore." She grinned awkwardly, "Though…we did find an ursa in there. Chuckles here took care of it, though."
"MY NAME IS PALE HOOF."
Pinwheel covered her face with her hoof. Twilight, however, gawked. "You killed an ursa? Really?"
"I BEHEADED IT WITH MY SCYTHE. ITS BLOOD WASHED THE WALLS OF THE CAVERN FROM FLOOR TO CEILING." Pale Hoof answered, "A FROTHING RED SEA, FUR EVERYWHERE -"
Rainbow Dash interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "I don't believe it. An ursa's WAY too big to behead! Unless you have a pair of THESE babies, of course!" She stretched her wings.
"OH, IT WAS QUITE EASY, I ASSURE YOU. IF YOU LIKE, I CAN SHOW YOU HOW I DID IT."
Pinwheel laughed nervously, shooting a sidelong glare at Pale Hoof. "But…but you know, that doesn't really matter. An ursa's no big deal. We have the gems, right? That's all that matters."
Twilight gazed at them uncertainly, a small frown tugging at the corner of her mouth. She telepathically pinned the last gem in place. "An ursa is a huge deal, Pinwheel. But…as long as you're not stealing…or doing anything the Princess would disapprove of…I suppose it's fine." She sighed, turning back to face them, "I heard about what happened, Pale Hoof. With you and Celestia."
"I DO NOT CARE FOR CELESTIA'S APPROVAL." Pale Hoof uttered, "I AM NOT HERE TO PLEASE HER."
"Well…be that as it may, but…" Twilight paused, thinking, then sighed, "You know, I had trouble fitting in when I first came here too. It's hard for ponies like you and me…but I guess it's a little different in your case. Even so, if I can learn to fit in and make friends, so can you. You have Pinwheel to help you, after all." A sweet smile illuminated the unicorn's face. Pinwheel felt her face grow hot. She glanced at Pale Hoof out of the corner of her eye. He did not move.
"He didn't do anything bad, though, did he?" Pinwheel asked, "Since that last incident, he's been really good!"
"Well, no, he didn't do anything bad…but I don't think the Princess would like it if she knew you were going around killing animals in their dens." Twilight responded, "I know Pale Hoof can't help how he is, but I think it'd be good if you avoided that sort of thing. That's what got him in trouble the first time."
Pinwheel chewed her bottom lip. "Well, uh…I don't think we're going to be hunting ursas every weekend, if that's what you mean." She answered, "And Pale Hoof is doing his best to fit in. That's right, isn't it, Pale Hoof?"
"THAT IS CORRECT."
Twilight beamed. "That's all I wanted to hear." The purple unicorn took a step back, eyeballing the dress admiringly, "It looks just like the sketch, doesn't it? I'll get Fluttershy to sew all these gems in place and then we can all take the dress over to Rarity's. I know she'll be excited!"
Rainbow Dash perked up. "Do you still want me to kidnap her cat?"
"Can you think of any other way to lure her out?"
Rainbow Dash grinned broadly, saluting. "Mission Catnap is a go, then!" She zoomed to the window and pushed it open. In a second, she was off, leaving only a rainbow blur in her wake.
Twilight smiled. Glancing over her shoulder at Pinwheel and Pale Hoof, she asked, "Do you want to help us give the dress to Rarity? You helped make it, after all."
Pinwheel shook her head. "Nah…we just supplied the gems. You ponies are the ones actually put it together. Let me know how Rarity likes it."
Twilight nodded. "Will do."
A day passed.
"Pinwheel! Oh, Pinwheel!" Pinwheel woke to the sound of hooves knocking on the screen door. Falling out of bed, she poked her head into the hallway. There, visible through the screen door at the end of the hall, was Rarity. Pinwheel rubbed her eyes, fetching her glasses from the nightstand. She hurried to open the door. Rarity smiled at the bleary blue mare. She wore her mane in the usual immaculate purple coif – much improved from the last time Pinwheel saw her. Gone was the saggy eyed Rarity with her lank, greasy curls. Rarity nudged past Pinwheel into the house, "Oh, I'm so sorry to wake you, but I simply couldn't wait! I was so excited, I walked all the way here!"
"Excited?" Pinwheel brushed her mane back with a hoof. Two saddlebags rested on Rarity's sides. Stepping into the living room, Rarity opened the bags and dumped their contents onto the coffee table. Pinwheel followed her groggily, "What's all that?"
"Why, designs for your dress, darling!" Rarity chimed, "Twilight told me about you donating those gems for my dress. Well! Let it never be said that Rarity didn't repay a kindness. You shall have your Gala dress, free of charge." Pale Hoof seeped from the shadows, ghostly whispers filling the room as he entered. The temperature dropped ten degrees. Rarity froze in place for a second, then turned and beamed at him, "You too, Pale Hoof! A black tux for you, of course, with a bright red cummerbund! Oh, won't that be gorgeous?"
Pinwheel blinked slowly. "But…I thought you were booked."
Rarity deflated, her ears drooping. "Well, ah…I DO have several orders. Hoity Toity – the big Canterlot fashion designer, I'm sure you've heard of him – just put in a demand for seventy two gala dresses. However…in my opinion, this is much more important. If you hadn't given those gems to my friends, well, I might have gone off into exile!" Rarity let out a gentle, ladylike laugh.
"I don't want to burden you." Pinwheel replied.
Rarity tossed her mane. "It's no burden at all. It's much more fun to design a new dress from scratch than to copy old ones over and over." Telepathically sifting through her drawings, Rarity lifted a swatch of soft teal fabric, "Teal is definitely your color, Pinwheel. I was thinking…something with lots of movement. Oh, idea! Petals! Like your pinwheels outside! I can see them now, swaying around you while you dance! Exquisite!"
"Rarity, this is…"
"For you, Pale Hoof, I was thinking of trying a top hat. Silk, of course, with a red band to match your cummerbund. The classic gentlecolt. I won't have any cliché skulls or bat wings ruining your look. I'm a little worried about getting your measurements though…" Rarity continued, "Goodness, I've never designed for a colt of your size before!"
Pale hoof stared. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH SKULLS?"
"Nothing, dear, but don't you think that'd look dreadfully tacky at a formal ball? Hmm, I've only ever seen one pony as tall as you and that's Princess Celestia." Rarity paused for a moment, "I wonder if she'd let me measure her…"
"Rarity!" Pinwheel shouted. Rarity's mouth shut.
"Oh…Oh my." Rarity colored, "My apologies, I didn't mean to ramble."
"No, it's fine." Pinwheel smiled, "Whatever you want to do for us is fine. We trust you."
Rarity's face broke into a relieved smile. "Well, then, leave it to me. I will make you the best looking couple at the Gala." She hid her grin behind a hoof, "Next to Prince Blueblood and me, of course."
"Of course."