//------------------------------//
// The Boutique  
// Story: Universe 63 
// by CarmenColor 
//------------------------------//

"Ah, the boutique! It's been quite awhile..." Rarity said, sighing contentedly. "I say, Elusive, how different is my boutique from yours?"

"Well..." Elusive looked around, "My own shop isn't quite as, well....I mean no disrespect, my dear, but yours is much...girlier. But that's understandable! After all, you yourself are female and many of the ponies in this town, from what I've seen, are female. You have quite a lot of dresses here, dear. My shop is more vest-oriented as many of the ponies in my own Ponyville are colts..."

"Really? Hmm... Vests....I don't think I've ever had to make one of those before. Perhaps you should teach me, darling?"

Elusive looked a bit surprised. "Never made a vest? My dear, of course I would teach you to make one! We should start at once!" The two alabaster unicorns got to work finding some fabrics.

"Oh, these will work quite nicely don't you think?" Rarity asked, levitating a few swatches of fabric up to her double. Before the colt could respond however, the voice of a young filly came from upstairs.

"Rarity, is that you?"

"Oh my!" Rarity yelped, "What's Sweetie Belle doing home? She supposed to be staying with the Cakes!" The little pony galloped down the stairs, a little saddlepack on her back.

"Rarity!" She ran to her sister and hugged her, not even noticing the colt at the moment. "Where have you been? I was just grabbing some stuff to bring to the clubhouse, and I heard some pony downstairs. I wasn't sure who it was until you were talking about the fabrics, but I could have sworn I heard another..." The young unicorn noticed the colt watching her and her sister. "Rarity, who's that?" 

"Oh!" Rarity looked over at the other fashion pony. "This is Elusive, dear."

"His hair is all styled like a girl."

"Sweetie!"

"What?"

"That's not polite! Now, Elusive and I have some work to do, so I hope you don't mind spending some more time away from the boutique. Off with you. Go play with your crusader friends."

"But..." the little pony started.

"Sweetie, now!" Sweetie Belle pouted for a second before trotting out the door. Rarity turned to Elusive, slightly embarrassed. "My apologies, but I simply cannot have her snooping about. We need to get our story straight, you know."

"Ahh, you're quite right, Rarity. Now....how are we going to do this?" The pristine white colt sat back on his haunches to think. "I suppose, being of unicorn lineage, we would have to be very closely related. Perhaps a brother, or maybe step-brother? I dare say we could find a way to make one of those work, could we not?"

"Brother, perhaps. The latter would be difficult, but I can handle brother. Long lost twin perhaps? Anytime Sweetiebell should ask why you're not always around, I can simply tell her that you have your own life that needs to be attended to, which is true, no?"

Elusive nodded. "That would work nicely, my dear Rarity. Now, about this vest-making...." At that  moment, a little purple dragon burst through the front door.

"Rarity!" The whelpling exclaimed happily, "Twilight was hoping you would let me stay at the boutique for awhile. She and Dusk are really hitting the books, and they figured that they wouldn't need me for a bit..." He smiled a bit dreamily and the white mare, and Elusive noticed the stare. He had seen that very look come from another baby dragon...

"Oh, that would be splendid, darling. Do you mind being a pin cushion? Elusive is showing me how to make vests. Oh! I could make one for you! But I think I'll try on the ponyquins first..." Clearly giddy with excitement, Rarity got to work on trying to make her very first vest.

"Not there, Rarity. A bit higher. You must accommodate for the difference in the shape of a colt's body..." Elusive said, gently moving the needle Rarity was holding up just a bit to where it needed to be.

"Ah, thank you dear. Forgive me, I'm afraid this made take some trial and error... Spike! Pins, please." The baby dragon scurried over, offering her the pins. Rarity plucked out a few to pin up the vest. "You're absolutely sure that those pins aren't hurting you, dear?"

"Not at all, Rarity," Spike said happily, "Can't feel a thing."

"Well, good. I wouldn't want to hurt my little Spikey-Wikey...." Rarity smiled and continued her sewing, Elusive giving her gentle recommendations and hints along the way.

After some time, and several goes with a seam-ripper, Rarity's pony model was adorned with a quite lovely vest. Elusive smiled at the handiwork. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than acceptable for a first try. "Excellent, Rarity, though there are a few adjustments that you could make next time."

"Ah, yes, I know.... I'm sure I'll get the hang of this!" 

"Yes, I think you will. After all, I think I've been able to master dresses, so you should be able to master vests."

"Oh, you've done dresses already, darling?" Rarity asked, sounding a bit disappointed. Elusive nodded a bit, a blush creeping across his face.

"While Twi was staying in our universe, she spent a lot of time at my boutique. She let me use her as a model when I tried my own hoof at making dresses. I must say, it is much easier to make an actual pony to work with."

"Why, darling, I could have just made a vest for you! It would have saved me some hassle!" Rarity giggled lightly. "Ah, well. I suppose I will just have to rope someone in for my next try."

"I'm sure Dusk would be more than eager to give you a hand there, my dear..." Elusive said, grinning a bit smugly.

"Dusk? Why?" The mare asked obliviously. Elusive was about to respond, when he noticed Spike not far away, still staring at rarity with such a dazed expression. He couldn't have the little dragon knowing about the feelings Dusk had, or at least, the feelings that Elusive assumed Dusk had. Twilight wasn't the only one who had noticed his expression when he had seen Rarity.

"Ah, I think we should wait until later to tell that story... Come dear, let me see all your wonderful dresses! I'm sure I could learn a thing or two from them." The two unicorns trotted over to observe Rarity's display of dresses, leaving Spike to his daydreaming.