“Just a few more dresses,” the thought echoed through Rarity’s head. “Just a few more and the order for Hoity Toity will be done.” She knew she should have brought in help days ago, but now it was too late to train anypony. Even the time it would take to explain the layouts and designs to a skilled pony like Fluttershy was a loss she couldn’t allow. Even pondering her dilemma was a loss of time! And it were just a few more pieces. She put the finished touches on a dress and placed it on a hanger. Just a few more.
-z-
Her magic felt sluggish, like she was trying to juggle water balloons. Needle and thread slipped from her grip, and Rarity had to focus with all her might just to thread a new needle and sew the next button where it belonged. How many of those had she used? Was it even the right button for this dress? She couldn’t remember. Just a few more buttons.
-z-
The staccato of the sewing machine filled the boutique. Didn’t she just sew buttons? What? No time, the machine pressed on. She had to follow or the fabric would be ruined. Her eyes watered from the strain of looking at the red silk all the time... red silk? Wasn’t it blue cotton? No matter, no time, no time. There was far too little light in here. She reached for the curtains with her magic, but they were stuck, and then she didn’t bother anymore. The dresses had to be ready by the end of the night. Just a few more, just a few.
zzz
Rarity looked up as a piece of cloth was placed before her. “Princess Luna!” She bowed to the royal pony.
“It’s the last piece, dear Rarity. Just this manescarf for me, and then your task is complete.” Luna pushed a piece of night-blue silk to Rarity, and the designer took it in her hooves. She could have sworn there were some dresses left, but as she looked around all the hangers were full, and every point on her list was checked off, except for the last: Princess Luna’s scarf.
“A scarf, from this high class silk?” Rarity bit her lip. She didn’t know what to say. This fabric was far too valuable to be made into something as simple as a scarf. But the customer is king, as they say, or a princess, in this case. She whipped the piece, but placed a few gems onto the scarf as well. “It wouldn’t be fitting for the night sky to have no stars,” she smiled at Luna.
“Indeed,” the Princess answered. “Now, while I’m here, let’s have some tea and talk.” She led Rarity out of the building, and as Rarity turned to look she found herself on a wide meadow. The Carousel Boutique was nowhere to be seen, but it didn’t bother her that much. Her job was complete, and now it was time to have tea with Luna.
---
Applejack pulled the door closed behind her. Rarity had finally stopped tossing and turning in her bed. She returned to the boutique’s showroom where Sweetie Belle waited for her. “She’s calm now, Sweetie. It was good that you send Apple Bloom to get me.” Applejack ruffled the younger ponies mane. “Now, let’s write your sister a note to let her know you’ll spend the night at the farm, and then we’ll let her rest.”
“What are we going to do with … those?” Sweetie Belle pointed at something that might have been a dress, if it hadn’t been fashioned from the curtains. Then there was the hat that was covered in buttons next to a pullover with more arms than she had bothered to count.
“Let’s just leave it like this.” Applejack couldn’t suppress a grin as she remembered a certain dress she had made and a certain comment about it. These pieces were worse. A lot of ponies thought Applejack didn’t have mean bone in her body. A lot of ponies would have been surprised about the twinkle in her eyes as she continued. “You know what, sugarcube? Let’s make breakfast for her tomorrow morning. I’d love to see her face when she sees them.”