Chapter 7
Ghost POV
The Carousel Boutique was... an interesting building, to say the least. It resembled an actual carousel, but was decorated with tons of intricate designs and stuff. But, as of most of the businesses in Ponyville, there was love being put into the work that went on here. I wasn't even inside yet and I could sense the care and effort going on inside, even if it was a bit tainted with malice at the moment. I made sure that my disguise was up and checked the bowtie that Applebloom gave me, before stepping in with my head held up straight and correct posture. If what Applejack and Sweetie Belle told me was true, then manners could make me or break me.
"Excuse me? May I speak to Ms. Rarity?" I called out, wanting to make a good first impression to sway her in my favor.
"Oh! Umm... In a minute darling! I'm currently trying to fix the absolute disaster in my inspiration room!" Rarity cried out, and I could feel that with all of the love in the air, the source of malice was coming from her. My curiosity was piqued at the mention of an inspiration room, so I crept up and peered through the doorway her voice was call from to see what she meant.
I put on a confused expression as I looked around and saw the white coated and purple maned mare standing in the room, but instead of the disastrous mess I was originally expecting, it was as pristine as 64's room on inspection day. There was a single piece of fabric out of place, not a single pincushion misplaced, but for some reason Rarity was pacing around with an uneasy look on her face. "Umm... this... isn't exactly what I would call an absolute disaster..." I mumbled, trying to be inaudible. Her head whipped around towards me, and she gasped.
"Young stallion! Didn't your mother ever teach you it is improper to spy on a somepony like that!" Rarity scolded, giving me her narrowed eyes. I gave a small smile and walked into her 'Inspiration Room'. "Well, I suppose now is a good of time as ever for whatever it is you need. How can I be of assistance?"
"You're Rarity right? Sweetie Belle's older sister?" I asked, not wanting come off as a weird creep who already knew everything about her.
She nodded curtly. "Yes, well, not by her standards. From what she's told me, we are now 'un-sisters', whatever that may mean. And for good reason too! Look at all of this! It's an absolute disaster!" She said dramatically, collapsing onto a couch on the side of the room in the same manner.
"Not to be rude, but this doesn't exactly seem like what would define a disaster..." I said, motioning to everything. "Look, you have your design plans posted here, next to the measurement tools just incase you need to make a few alterations, next to your ponnequin stands where you can test said alterations. It all seems very well organized if you ask me."
"Hmph, you sound like my friend Twilight. Now, is there something you need besides pointing out the mess Sweetie Belle has made?" Rarity sighed, getting up from her collapsing couch and going over to a cabinet of different colored fabrics.
"Well, I don't know if she's mentioned me before, but I'm friends with Sweetie Belle at school. My name's Ghost." I introduced, holding out my hoof for a shake. Rarity kindly took it, before immediately turning back to her work. "And, she told me and Applebloom about the little spat you guys have had going on for awhile and-"
I was cut off by Rarity huffing and turning towards me. "For awhile?! Is that what she said? I'll have you know she was dropped off by my mother and father just this morning! In the short timespan of 2 hours she manages to nearly burn my kitchen down, makes a mess of said kitchen, shrunk my one of a kind crocheted wool sweater, and used up all of my very important extremely rare baby blue sapphires! And just look what she did to this room!"
"She... tidied up?" I deadpanned, not really like all of the drama she was creating around herself.
"Hmph, you can't expect a stallion to understand, a colt no less..."
"Hey! I take offense to that. Anyway, I'm not here to focus on the 'messy room' or anything. I came to talk to you about the Sisterhooves Social thing happening tomorrow. It would really mean a lot to Sweetie Belle if you were to compete with her." I pleaded, not really forcing her just yet.
"You mean compete in a competition where physical, and most importantly filthy labor is involved? Why'd you might as well as Mr. Project 64 to star in a fashion show!" She scoffed with flip of her hair, but the mention of my mentor caught my ears.
"Wait, you know 64?" I asked. "I'm his apprentice."
Her eyes widened and looked down at me, surprise written all over her face. "Apprentice? Why on earth would he need an apprentice? What could he possibly teach you?"
"Well, if you know him, then pretty much what you'd expect. How to fight, protect others, and just keep Equestria a safer place in general. Plus... I have a few specific set of skills which can come in handy at any given situation..." I hinted, turning around and secretly dispelling the disguise around my badge. I turned and held it up for her to see. "See? Agent 65 of the Equestria Knights."
She took the bade and gave it a look, before shaking her head. "A position such as this shouldn't go to a young colt. How did you manage to become affiliated with something such as this?" She asked, giving the badge back to me.
"Well... that doesn't matter right now! What does matter, is that your little sister as all broken up about you not wanting to do the Sisterhooves Social with her. Can't you just get dirty for just a few hours, then take a shower afterwards?"
"I'm sorry, but I refuse to participate in such an... uncouth activity such as that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my work cut out for me, re-organizing everything after Sweetie Belle ruined it." Rarity finished, walking to the other side of the room and opening a small drawer. "Oh my, it's usually a big mess in here..."
I was about to turn and leave, seeing how her mind was already made up, but stopped when I heard her gasp very loudly.
"Id-ee-a! This is genius!" Rarity exclaimed, taking various colors of fabric sheets out of the drawer she opened and different accessories out of the shelves. I could literally see the love for her work floating into the air around her, the malice being held towards Sweetie Belle immediately leaving the room as it was filled with the sweet taste of love. Of course I couldn't help myself and decided to take a bit of the stuff for my lunch, but I was sure she wouldn't mind.
Once her frenzy of magic and tools were done, there stood 5 ponnequins in the room, each of them wearing a different color of outfits. "I shall call it 'full spectrum fashions'! If Sweetie Belle hadn't–" She cut herself off, just where I was really hoping that she would admit that she was being silly about the whole thing. "Well, no matter. She still shouldn't have touched my things without permission."
"But without her, you wouldn't have had the idea of making this beautiful designs! Doesn't that make up for what she did?" I asked, watching as Rarity took the clothes off of the ponnequins started towards another room.
"But that doesn't mean she was still way out of line in ruining my inspiration room. One chance moment of inspiration doesn't make up for her negligence."
I gave a large sigh. This was going to be harder than I thought...
"Now, to get these fabrics washed for my fabulous new line." Rarity stated, all of her new clothing suspended in the air by her magic.
"But... you just made them, why would they need to be washed?" I asked, wondering what her line of thought was for that.
"Oh who knows where these fabrics might have been before I came along. I can't simply just present them as they are right now!" The dramatic mare walked into what I could imagine was her laundry room, and scowled at what I assumed was one of Sweetie Belle's first mishaps. First of all, the sweater was really, really ugly. It didn't even look that good, so I don't know why she was making a big deal about. Maybe it was a grown up pony thing or something.
"Ooh, my favorite sweater... I just can't believe that Sweetie Belle." Rarity grunted, before accidentally stepping on her pet cats tail. Instead of lashing out at her with the blind fury of tartarus like I expected, all it did was return to licking its paw lazily. Rarity looked down at her cat before the same look she got when she got an idea plastered onto her face once again. She took the shrunken mess of a sweater off of the clothesline she had before pulling it over the cat, making it seem even more miserable.
"Oh, Opal-wopal! It's as if Sweetie Belle knew the sweater was perfect for you." Rarity cut herself off, realizing that she was just complementing her sister once again. "And Sweetie Belle should consider herself perfectly lucky that this thoughtless mishap turned out all right."
"Oh why are you still hung up about all of this? Sweetie Belle might have made a few mistakes in your eyes, but to her all she was trying to do was help. Can't you just put your differences aside for one afternoon and have a bit of fun with her?" I asked, trying to make her see how pointless this all was. The malice was once again filling up the room, giving me a bad taste in my mouth.
"And make up for the mishaps that she performed? Absolutely not! Why if I were to go running off to her and beg for 'forgiveness', then she would think that she could just do anything she wants and not have to deal with the consequences!" Rarity argued, beginning to wash all of the clothing in a basin.
I didn't want to leave just yet, because Rarity had been beginning to see that Sweetie Belle was just trying to do what she thought was right, and it was actually working out in the end. She just needed that small push... The blue garment was the first one that she finished washing, and when she turned around and saw me still standing there, she just scoffed. "Please don't tell me that you are going to continue to pester me to join Sweetie Belle in the Social."
I shook my head and grinned. "Nope! I don't have to do anything. You'll come to your senses eventually." I stated, seeing her dry off the garment with her magic and put it back on a ponnequin. She began to adorn the azure clothing with very shiny sapphires, humming a tune as I just sat there quietly. Every now and then she gave a backwards glance at me, but no matter what I wasn't going to leave until she realized she was being ridiculous.
Eventually, the blue clothing neared completion, Rarity sighing in relief. "Perfect! Just one more, and this ensemble is fini!" She exclaimed, walking over to the chest where she had been pulling out the gems from. I heard her gasped and looked over to what was going on, and saw that the chest was now completely empty.
"Need to go get more of them? I can help you." I offered, knowing of a Diamond Dog settlement nearby.
"No... Rrgh, Sweetie Belle!" She growled in frustration. "She made silly little arts and crafts with these gems... where is her little project?"
I got up from the chair I was sitting in and went to help her search for it, looking around the dressing room and her 'Inspiration Room'. That's when my ears perked and I noticed something was up. Usually Rarity's annoyance towards Sweetie Belle was constantly filling the room, but for some reason, I was feeling more love than when Rarity was beginning to make her dresses. I followed the source and found Rarity beginning to tear up over a heart outline made of gems with her and Sweetie Belle in the center, and smirked as I could tell that she had finally had a realization.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle! My one and only sister! What have I done? All the time I could have spent with you was wasted complaining and wishing you were gone! Woe is me!" She cried collapsing to the floor in an overly dramatic manner. I deadpanned at her demeanor.
"Maybe instead of crying over all of this, you can come back with me to Sweet Apple Acres and explain to Sweetie Belle that you really do care about her." I consoled, laying down next to her on the floor.
"You're right! I must! As Celestia is my witness, I shall never be sisterless again!"
"Maybe a bit less dramatic though..."