//------------------------------// // Adjustement // Story: Galant's Truth // by Lethanvas //------------------------------// Working. Not thinking about it. Just working. Rarity sat at her desk and lifted a pen with her magic, tracing curves, drawing the last lines of her new concept. Spike’s scales were more useful than she thought. While the more glowing part was rough and waterproof, the inner zone were quite soft and agreeable to touch. She wasn’t about to make only one ensemble out of it. She was going to do a complete series. She begun to hum quietly as she moved to the sewing machine, taking the patron and the fabric, going back to her craft work. What was that ? She hummed again,  a very, very male-ish hum.  She sighed. A chance nopony knew her situation. Of course, her parents knows. But Sweetie Belle ? She never told her and begged  her parents to never say a word about it. If her little sister needed to know, it’ll be from her and her only. She facehoofed, She though about it as she groaned and got back to work. She had a dress to make. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sweetie Belle was bored out of her mind. Pony history wasn’t her strengh when it came to school work. It was utterly boring! “Hey! Pss!” whispered a voice next to her; “Uhm, what?” she asked to nopony, looking around nervously “I was listening I swear!” “That’s good, Sweetie Belle, I know you were!” Said Cherilee joyfully, pushing another button to activate the next slide “And that’s all about Princess Celestia’s role in the confetti war!” “Oh, uh , yeah !” she nodded, when something poked her side. She jolted a little and turned her head, seeing Scootaloo trying to poke her again with the tip of her pen. “Stop that! It’ll leave marks!” she groaned “What do you want, Scootaloo?” “Did you find something interesting about that potion? I just got weird looks from my parents” “Me too! They made me go to bed earlier!” the filly whined. “Maybe we should ask somepony else?” Scootaloo added. “Sure, but who?” “Hmm, I don’t know, Pinkie Pie?” the orange pegasus adventured. “... Nah, I don’t think she’ll know what that means, she’s more into pastry than potions” Sweetie belle said, looking down at her desk. “ hey, gurls ! Gurls, Ah have a crazy Idea !” Apple bloom said, on the other side of Sweetie Belle. “ Why don’t we look at .... an encyclopedia ? Or a dictionary ?” “Pft! Since when are books useful like that?” Apple Bloom said. “Books are lame, face it!” “You dodo! Why don’t you think there is books in school?” Said Sweetie “To weighen the bags of the students?” Adventured the concerned. “No! This is where grown ups find their lessons! And where they want us to learn things ! maybe we can find a definition in gender bending !” lectured the white filly. “Oh yeah ! but we already know what that means ! It .... bends, the ... gender?” she closed a little her eyes and rub her head. “ Gah ! That makes no sense at all !” “I dont want to my gender being bent!” whined Sweetie Belle.“ It sounds like something that might hurt!” “Ah dun’t think it’s something like that ! Ah hope it’s Something ... methafo...meta .... metaphorical!” Apple bloom deadpanned. Scootaloo facedesked and groaned in her book as the bell rang, signaling the end of the School day. “I’ll See you tomorrow, class.” Cherilee grinned forcefully, always a little frustrated that she wasn’t able to finish her lecture for today. Sweetie Belle dismissed and moved out the classroom, thinking about the whole potion thing  Girls, Maybe I should ask Rarity again for that thing, I’ll come to the clubhouse right after that, okay?” “Yeah, but don’t be too long, or you’ll miss our special assignment !” the filly pegasus said, hopping on her scooter. “Wher gunnah be...” “Cutie Mark Crusaders Throw-that-ring-in-the-lava!” yelled the two fillies.  “What is that even? How can you get a cutie mark in throwing a ring into some hot lava?” the white unicorn retorted, not convinced. “I dunno! It’s a weird gramps in grey robe who asked us to!” Apple bloom explained “Grown ups are weirdos!” Scootaloo proclaimed. “Errr, good luck with that, I’m going to see my sis!” Sweetie belle said, trotting out. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This day is going to be perfect ! Rarity thought. For the first time in a year, Sweetie Belle wasn’t here to stop her from her work, and nopony went to her boutique, she had beenclosed since morning. I should’ve done that more often, just take some time with me alone, working on my projects. It’ll probably hurt my business, though, I’ll need to manage that carefully... her concentration broke as the Boutique bell rang the door opened, too focused on her work to realize that she was indeed supposed to be closed. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where everything is chic and authenti- Gah !” Rarity shouted when she looked down to the visitor. And down again. All the way down to a white little filly with a bicolored mane. Sweetie Belle was very confused. Who is this stallion in the boutique of her sister Rarity ? Talking like her, wearing her glasses. “Who in the hay are you !?” “Who do you think I am ? I’m R....” the stallion began, stopped short in his speech as he nervously passed an hoof into his blue mane, putting it on the side, not unlike Rarity did sometimes when extremely nervous, but Sweetie Belle was too busy to take the hint and charged at him, grabbing his hoof. “L...let me go, Sweetie Belle, enough !” “You know me ?” the little filly asked quite rudely. “Why yes ! I am your S.... Cousin ! I’m your cousin, cousin Gallant, nice to finally see you in the  flesh and bones * he grinned nervously, an hoof raised to his chin. “Cousin? I don’t have any cousin ! Uncle and Aunt never had a child ! do they?” Asked the confused Sweetie Belle. Gallant nodded “Yes, I’m the son of Auntie Gabriel and Fine fabric. Rarity and I spent days to play each other when we were as young as you.” the stallion explained. “Why did they never told me that I have a Cousin !“ she whined, stomping the ground. The Stallion laughed nervously “Well, what can I say, I was in Neighpon since a few years, and maybe they didn’t wanted you to know about me because they really didn’t wanted to think about me so far away ... my parents think that it is bad luck to talk about absent ponies” Sweetie Belle’s eye twitched. That didn’t made any sense. But she was able to see the common figure of her family, the stallion having quite a resemblance with her sister. “By the way, where is my sister?” “I’m afraid that Rarity is sick” Gallant replied with a contrite face.“ She has maneringitte, she’s very contagious.” Sweetie Belle gasped “She’s very, very sick?“ The stallion nodded “Yes, I’m afraid that lady Rarity will have to take a break and be alone for five weeks.” “B...but she was supposed to keep me here for the holidays !” Gallant tilted, he didn’t have thought about that “R...really? Oh well...” He scratched his neck.” I guess I could do that between taking care of your big sister and the shop... I’m not supposed to open it.“ “Yeah, I don’t think Rarity will appreciate somepony else running her boutique.” Sweetie Belle stated. The stalllion noded “ I’m very sorry, Sweetie Belle, but I think I’ll need to get back to her. Would you like to come back another time ? i’ll be more in measure to welcome you, what about tomorrow ?” he smiled and opened the front door. “Can’t I talk to my sister, mister Gallant?” Gallant used his front hooves to push the filly out of the boutique, moving her to the front door. “Soon, I promise ! But please, call me cousin” Said the interested as Sweetie belle left the Boutique “Goodbye !” he waved at her and closed the door, turning the key in the door and locking it up. Phew Rarity, It was a close call, she scolded herself. What were you thinking to not LOCKING the door? A chance nopony else when.... Diling~! Oh horseapples... “Hello, how can I help you Dar....Twilight?” “Oh, hello, Gallant, I’m glad to see you again” “What are you doing here ? I said that the boutique is closed“ The stallion smiles nervously “Well, I saw Sweetie Belle and I thought that Rarity were maybe better or that I could pay a visit to her “ “Sadly, as I said to my cousin, I can’t let you in her room. She is actually sleeping, and still contagious,“ he answered. “Oh ... okay, I was trotting by and thought that you should be very lonely, so... I wanted to say hello and maybe have a chat ?” she said, seeming uncharacteristically shy. The stallion blinked, then smiled. “How marvelous” he commented“ I was indeed quite bored, thank you for coming here !” “So, what do you do for a living, Mister Gallant?” asked Twilight “Like my cousin, Rarity I have a certain appeal for Fashion,” he said, the ‘F’ emphasized. “But unlike her, my passion for gems took priority on my will to design outfits. I’m more a jewelry designer, even if I don’t mind drawing a tuxedo or two, maybe even a dress, that said, I'm far from the talent of my cousin.“ He smiled and motioned Twilight to take a seat as he walked over, taking a teapot and few cups. Twilight sat and took a cup of tea, breathing slowly on it.“ I have to admit Rarity knows her affair pretty good.” Rarity mentally grinned as she nodded to Twilight. It’s the perfect plan, I’ll know what everypony thinks about me, I’m so curious to know what my friends gossips about me “She surely does, I heard that she have quite the talent, I mean, having a presentation for Hoity Toity ?  The Hoity Toity ? He’s quite the Sommité into fashion.”  Twilight cringed a little at the memory, remembered how it happened.“Well yes, but the news doesn’t really talk about her first attempt ,that was disastrous. It was our fault, Me and Rarity’s other friends...” “Oh? My yes, when you asked her to redo your dresses because they were not what you wished them to be!” He looked at twilight, forcing a polite smile, on the inside, Rarity cringed too, unpleasant memory, I agree. “That’s right! but how do you know? She asked us to never talk about it again.” Twilight’s head perked to the side as she looked at Gallant with a new acuity. Rarity felt cold sweat on her coat. Oh goodness, she is too smart for her own good, I’ ll have to react before it tilt in her clever head. The stallion chuckled after a second of shock.“ I have my sources, Rarity told me about it while she was feverous. The poor dear weren’t thinking straight and told me about her life.“ He looked down, his face serious as he said the last word. Twilight looked down, nervously “I’m sorry to hear that she is in such a bad shape, but I’m happy to know that the doctor told you that she wasn’t in danger.” Gallant nodded “Yes, She’ll begin to feel better in a few weeks.” Twilight breathed in relief. “Thank you for taking care of her,” she laughed lightly.“ I’m pretty sure she did an act of her condition and wanted to dictate,“ she attempted to joke. Gallant eye twitched. “Really? Why would she do that?” “Everypony knows that Rarity sometimes suffer instances of being an huge drama queen !” Twilight retorted, deadpanning a little “She likes over worrying about little things. But I don’t blame her, I have my moments where I'm quite the drama queen too,” she blushed at those memories, shifting in her seat. “It’s okay darling, I’m sure everypony has their moments.“ He said, placing an hoof on Twilight’s, making her blush deeper. “Uhm... Thanks,“ she answered, moving to retire her hoof, smiling apologetically at him... “I’m very sorry, Twilight Sparkle, I misbehaved” the stallion blushed, making Twilight melt. “oh gosh that stallion is cute when flustered!” she thought. “I can’t help but notice that your cutie mark is the same as your cousin’s,” She said, curious,  keeping herself to look at it closer. The stallion froze and grinned nervously “ Oh, yes, this is something that amused us when we met after getting it. We received it after quite the same predicament and we ended being talented in fashion and gems. Me obviously taking more interest in the latter.” He added, chuckling, taking a semi-relaxed composure. “Oh, well I’d love to see a piece of your work in the future.“ Twilight said, blushing a little as she looked at Gallant, eyeing him from dead to ... hooves. She snapped out of it when the clock tower of Ponyville rang the sixth hour of the afternoon. “Already ?“ She said, mouth open in mild shock “I’m very sorry, mister Gallant but I really need to go to my library and double check if Spike did what I wanted him to ,“ she said , standing up and moving an hoof apologetically . “There is no trouble, but please, Miss Sparkle, call me Gallant“ he said in a soft tone, receiving a blush from the young mare.” “I promise I’ll come back tomorrow. Earlier!” she added, smiling. "If that's okay..." “I assure you it’s no -” “Ep ep ep ! I told you that I wanted to know you better, and we only dug the top, I really want to get to know you, and I’ll introduce to every single friend of mine and Rarity, I’m sure you’ll love them. I’ll come tomorrow with Fluttershy, is that okay?” she asked, making a puppy face. The stallion hesitated before giving up “Sure, you can come back, I’ll be glad to see you again, Miss Sparkle.” he smiled and lead her to the exit, closing the door when she left, putting an insane amount of padlocks on it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear Diary         Today I was working on that new concept of mine, It’ll be fabulous and really handy for unicorn working in areas of high magic density.  According the function with the currents waves of fashion will be sensational and totally Novateur .         I also received the visit of my Little Sister.  This poor dear think I’m  home-stuck with a mareingitte. It was necessary, only mother and father know the truth and they never told a soul.         I’d rather pass for a cousin until I can get some potions again. I’d rather pass for a stranger rather than getting my condition gossiped all over Equestria.                  I also met Twilight. I think she came here to check on me and my “disease” but I also  think she wanted to see “Gallant”. The poor dear doesn’’t realise, and never should. I’ll play along and be a nice pony to them, they miss me already, but I need to act as a distant as possible for now, I don’t want them to know, there is laws against what I’m doing here and I don’t want any of them being torn apart from their friendship and their loyalty of honesty to the Princesses and the laws. Also, using.. that.. to go to the colts room is awkward, I wanted you to know that. I hadn’t in years and I realize that it kinda missed me.                                                                           Rarity