Working Towards The Future

by Dasponi


Chapter 31; Measuring A Rainbow

Rarity began measuring Rainbow Dash but Rainbow kept fidgeting and wasn’t making it easy.

“Hold still darling or this is going to take a lot longer than it should.” Rarity chastised. Rainbow Dash fidgeted a little more and then managed to stand still.

“Sorry, I just don’t like standing still.” Rainbow Dash said. She continued fidgeting but tried her best to only move the parts Rarity wasn’t measuring. “By the way I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Who did you talk to about Star Shine? I want to find who wrote that story.” Rainbow Dash asked. Like Star Shine, she was willing to give Rarity the benefit of the doubt and let her explain herself. In the end it had been a blessing in disguise she lost her voice and had the time to calm down and not ruin her friendship with Rarity over something that was, in the grand scheme of things, so small. The day’s events had really put her situation into perspective.

“To be perfectly honest dear I couldn’t tell you who he was.” Rarity answered. There was sadness in her voice. She genuinely felt bad that she couldn’t help her friend.

“What? How can you not know that?” Rainbow Dash hissed, turning around to face Rarity. Rarity made Rainbow Dash face forward so she could continue measuring before answering.

“I mean what I said. I don’t know who they were. They had a picture of your little Star Shine there and asked me if I knew anything about him. I just told them what I knew. I didn’t know it would end up where it did.” Rarity explained.

“Do you remember what they looked like?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Of course, it was only a few days ago. But I don’t think knowing what they look like is going to help much.” Rarity said. Rainbow Dash turned to face her and Rarity turned her head back again. “They were wearing a lot of clothes. Far more than anypony usually does. All I can really tell you is that it was a stallion. He was wearing a suit that covered most of his body including his cutie mark. He also wore glasses and a hat. I think that look has been done to death, but I must admit he pulled it off well.” Rarity said, her inner fashion critic shining through. “He also looked really official and that’s why I talked to him. I was almost afraid of him.”

“Makes me think who Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom might have talked to. We forgot to ask them that after everything that happened.” Rainbow Dash replied, facehoofing at her failure to ask the Crusaders about Gabby Gums.

“Oh you don’t need to worry about that. I was there when it happened.” Rarity said, moving the tape measure down Rainbow Dash’s back and eliciting fresh squirming from Rainbow Dash.

“When what happened?” Rainbow Dash asked after she had regained her composure.

“A stallion talked to her too. He came over to the Boutique looking for her Friday night. He said he was the assistant of somepony who’s on the school board of governors. He asked her where Scootaloo vanished to because Cheerilee never made an official record of it. According to the records Scootaloo just disappeared for a week and the school wanted to know what happened. They asked Cheerilee but she said she didn’t know, and recommended asking her friends if they knew anything. He found out where she lived and came and asked her about it. Sweetie Belle only told him what Scootaloo had told her, and she did it because she didn’t want the little dear to be in trouble.” Rarity explained as she finished up measuring Rainbow Dash.

“Did you ask Cheerliee about it?” Rainbow Dash asked. Rarity nodded.

“I went to talk to her on Saturday about it and she said that the stallion had come to the school on Friday after the children left.” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash sighed. It seemed like her investigations were nipped before they could really begin. All she had to work with were two mystery stallions, one of which worked for an important pony at the school. At least the list of suspects was narrowed down. But then there was the problem with how the ponies were connected and who took the information and turned it into the wild speculation that it became.

“Well thanks for helping.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Don’t mention it. I’m just ever so sorry that it ended up there at all. If I’d have known it would, I wouldn’t have said anything.” Rarity replied, looking downcast. Rainbow Dash could tell she genuinely meant it and felt bad about what happened.

“Don’t worry about it. I got over it.” Rainbow Dash said, giving her friend a brief nuzzle to reassure her.

“No doubt thanks to that little coltfriend of yours?” Rarity replied, giggling and raising an eyebrow.

“For the last time Rarity he’s not my coltfriend.” Rainbow Dash said, facehoofing and then rubbing her now aching muzzle. “Although he did help calm me down.” Rainbow Dash relented. It was true that if Star Shine hadn’t told her she was scaring Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash would have exploded in a flurry of anger and curse words. She had proceeded to do that in the shower, but keeping calm long enough to get to the shower to do it had been a small victory in itself. “Anyway, when will the dress be ready?” Rainbow Dash asked, coming back to her senses.

“Well I could have a suit done by tonight, but a suit and two dresses is going to take a little longer. They should be done by tomorrow afternoon if that’s okay?” Rarity replied after calculating how long it would take to fill this order, as well as all the other orders she had going on. She would have done Rainbow Dash a favour and worked on her clothes immediately but she had too many priority orders from high society.

“Yeah that’ll be fine thanks. There’s something else actually.” Rainbow Dash replied sheepishly.

“Oh? More? Whatever is it?” Rarity asked.

“Well I’m not going to ask you to do this for free, I mean you’re making something for Scoots and Shine as well as me, but could you give him a discount? These things are expensive aren’t they?” Rainbow Dash asked. She was starting to feel just a little guilty about taking all of Star Shine’s money.

“You’re feeling a little guilty about taking his money?” Rarity asked. As a dress designer with a hooves on approach she had come to help a lot of ponies with their problems, and knew one when she saw one. Rainbow Dash nodded, shifting uneasily.

“A little yeah. I mean, he doesn’t even know what we’re doing with them.” Rainbow Dash said. Rarity mulled it over and smiled at Rainbow Dash.

“I suppose he can have a little discount.” Rarity said, winking at Rainbow Dash. “But please dear don’t do anything rough in them.” she added. Rainbow Dash had a tendency for horseplay and she didn’t want these dresses to get ruined.

“How much longer are they going to be?” the pair of mares heard Scootaloo whine. They had lost track of time and hadn’t realised how long they had been.

“I dunno. Maybe Rainbow Dash has a giant flank and it’s taking a while to measure it.” Star Shine joked before giving a small cry of pain. Rainbow Dash surmised Scootaloo had hit him for his transgressions.

“I could give him a little less of a discount?” Rarity offered sheepishly.

“Yeah, I’ll go for that.” Rainbow Dash replied, giggling. Rarity smiled at her and her horn lit up as she moved the screen aside, revealing herself and Rainbow Dash to Star Shine and Scootaloo. The pair were sat on the floor. Star Shine was rubbing his sides where Scootaloo had hit him and he and Scootaloo looked up when they heard the screen move at last.

“Oh? All done then?” Star Shine asked. Rainbow Dash nodded and walked over to Scootaloo.

“I heard what he said, good girl.” Rainbow Dash whispered into Scootaloo’s ear before laughing and giving the filly a small hoofbump.

“Now it’s up to you two what I do from here.” Rarity said, bringing the attention of everypony towards herself. “I can measure Scootaloo, or I can just use Sweetie Belle’s measurements. They’re pretty much the same size and if Scootaloo is so sick she’s off school then I suggest just taking her home.” Neither Star Shine nor Rainbow Dash had actually told Rarity why Scootaloo wasn’t in school and whilst she was curious, she could only take the best guess for now. Even if Scootaloo didn’t really look ill and even if that still left the question of why she was out of the house if she was ill.

“Right. She’s ill and should be in school right now. Oh hay I should be in work! Shine, take her home for me and make sure she stays in bed!” Rainbow Dash said quickly before zipping out of the door. Scootaloo ran up to the door and watched Rainbow Dash take off into the air. Star Shine walked up behind her. Rainbow Dash quickly flew back to give Scootaloo a small kiss on the cheek and say goodbye before heading back in the direction of Cloudsdale.

“Come on, you heard what she said. Let’s get you home little lady.” Star Shine said, patting Scootaloo on the head and scooping her onto his back. “Thanks for your time Miss Rarity. If I might ask, how much is all this going to cost?” Star Shine asked, turning around to face Rarity.

“Well Rainbow Dash said she wanted something special for herself, then there’s a small dress for Scootaloo, and lastly your suit.” Rarity said, thinking about the cost. After a bit of mental maths she applied the discount and came up with the answer. “All in all that’s going to be two hundred and seventeen bits.” Rarity said. Star Shine went stiff with shock and it almost looked like he’d had a heart attack and slipped into a coma.

“Two...two hundred and seventeen bits?” Star Shine managed to say slowly. Rarity nodded and smirked at him.

“It was going to be less but then you commented on Rainbow Dash’s flanks.” Rarity explained. “She asked if you could have a discount but then you did that.”

“But I think she has lovely flanks! I mean..arrgh...” Star Shine said hurriedly before realising what he was saying and stopped before he could say anything else stupid. He’d said enough stupid things for one day.

“Well it’s nice you think that, but she’s not around to ask for a discount. Maybe you should compliment her when she’s actually around.” Rarity said, giggling at Star Shine’s embarrassment.

“Well thanks anyway. When should I come by to pay for and collect the clothes?” Star Shine asked with a sigh. If he was going to do this then he wanted it to be over and done with. He still didn’t know what Rainbow Dash wanted the new clothes for either.

“They should be ready by tomorrow if you want to come by. Try to do it after Scootaloo is done with school and Rainbow Dash is done with work though. I want to see their reactions to their new outfits, and you’re going to want to compliment Rainbow Dash on how she looks in her’s, am I right?” Rarity replied, giggling as a fresh blush made it’s way to Star Shine’s cheeks. Scootaloo popped her head around Star Shine’s neck and prodded his cheeks.

“I’ll bet, with how warm his cheeks are.” Scootaloo said, giggling. Star Shine looked like he was going to crumble under the onslaught but he sighed and pulled himself together in time.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then Miss Rarity.” Star Shine said, bowing his head politely to Rarity.

“Until tomorrow then. Get better soon Scootaloo.” Rarity replied, waving at Scootaloo as Star Shine turned around.

“Thanks Rarity. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Scootaloo replied, waving back. Star Shine walked out the door and took off in the direction of Rainbow Dash’s house. Rarity watched him fly away for a minute before turning around and getting started on her work, her face positively aglow as she thought what a cute couple Rainbow Dash and Star Shine would make in their new outfits. In her own, overly romanticised mind at least