Ponyville seemed to have everything it needed. If it was not in the town proper, it was easily accessible even by hoof. Canterlot and many other cities were easily reachable by train. And then, there were the Gem Fields.
A vast swathe of land stretching for miles. Its soil was infertile, incapable of supporting even the likes of grass, but it was rich nonetheless. Gemstones of all colours lay scattered beneath the surface, ready to be dug up by those with the appropriate skill set. Some found it strange that no mining operations were underway.
The simple truth was they wouldn't have been profitable. The gems were plentiful, yes, however, they were also scattered. There was no large concentration, just small patches here and there, waiting to be dug up. If miners had wanted to gather them all, they would have had to dig through the entire area, tremendous effort for too little gain. These same qualities make it a haven for individuals just looking for a wagon or two of stones, though.
It was somewhere in this barren land, that Trixie had been told to look for Ponyville's fabulous fashionista. Considering the size of the place, not the easiest of tasks, but not insurmountable. Especially when their chatter could be heard from at least a mile away. Sound didn't have too many obstructions in such a place.
Finally, she spotted the duo of pony and dragon, walking at a steady pace, and she rushed to meet them. The clop of her hooves spread far and wide as the two gem hunters turned her way, waving their hooves and claws, respectively. A short gallop later, she finally got a good view of them.
Even in the middle of a wasteland, Rarity looked amazing. Her violet mane and tail were meticulously brushed and styled, her snow-white coat glistened in the rays of the afternoon sun. With her magic, she held onto a beautiful silk umbrella, decorated by a web of various shapes, usually gems and almost lifelike flowers.
Spike looked much more... mundane. Purple-and-green scales, with a touch of cuteness that only he seemed capable of possessing. In his claws, he held onto a decorated fan, and waved it in Rarity's direction in regular intervals. With an enthusiastic hop, the little draconite cried out:
"Hey, Trixie!"
"Hello, Spike," she finally came to a stop and bowed in the white mare's direction, "and good day, Rarity."
"Same to you, Trixie, darling," they both came closer, "what brings you here, of all places? Not the best terrain for travelling."
"Actually, I was looking for you. I have something to ask of you."
Without even skipping a beat, she smiled and replied:
"Of course! Name it and I will do my best to help you!"
"You're too kind. You see, I have received this," from her bag, the showpony pulled out the fateful ticket. Rarity frowned for just a fraction of a second, but then her smile returned, "and I seem to lack a proper dress."
A spark could be seen within the fashionista's eyes as she stomped her hooves enthusiastically:
"Darling, you have come to the right mare! I can get to work as soon as me and Spike are done here."
"Thank you. And don't worry, I have enough bits to pay for it."
"Do not insult me, darling! For you, free of charge."
"But-!"
As she tried to protest, Rarity wrapped one hoof around the showpony and confirmed her position:
"Trixie, I know we had a bit of a rocky start, but you are a friend. One that clearly knows the value of proper headwear, might I add! A dress is the least I can make for you."
She couldn't help but smile:
"Well, if you insist."
"I do, darling."
"Can I at least help you with your gem hunt?"
At that, Spike blurted out:
"Well, we're not on a hunt, per se," this earned him a light kick with a hind hoof, "ow!"
"What Spike is trying to say, is that we already have a few volunteers joining us. You don't have to trouble yourself."
"It wouldn't be trouble at all," she played Rarity's own cards against her, "please, I insist."
"Listen, I," with a defeated sigh, she straightened herself back up, "oh, horseapples, I can't lie. Trixie, dear, can you keep a secret?"
With a smirk, she replied:
"Cross my heart, hope to fly," the final hoof movement was incredibly important, if only because one had to be careful not to actually hurt their eye, "stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Och, a Pinkie promise! You mean it, then. Alright, you can come with us. I'll explain later. It's easier to show than to tell."
"Lead the way, then."
They travelled for a few minutes, until they reached a small hill, perhaps the only one of its kind in the Gem Fields. A pathway was dug into its side, its walls reinforced by wooden pillars. Small torches were attached to them to provide light. Without a hint of hesitation, Rarity packed her umbrella and headed downwards, Trixie in hot, if reluctant pursuit. The path winded down in a circular fashion, until finally, they reached a simple, wooden door.
With a smile, Rarity knocked on it. A deep, raspy voice sounded from the other side:
"Coming," part of the door slid to the side, revealing a pair of yellow eyes, "ah, Miss Rarity! And friends. Come in, I open!"
Trixie expected to see many things once the door opened. Most of them related to mythical beasts or an old pony miner. What she got instead was a large, muscular canine. His fur was dark brown, covered in plates of thick, metal armour. He stank of... daffodils? Yes, the pleasant aroma of daffodils spread from his surprisingly well-groomed fur. Rarity addressed the hound:
"Thank you, dear!"
"No problem! Come, they wait for you."
While the fashionista and dragon walked in without a second thought, she merely crept inside. The guard's strange, canine smile did not help her relax at all. Beyond the door, she saw a completely new world.
Lit by gem torches, undoubtedly magical in nature, the underground was a large maze of massive chambers connected by a confusing web of pathways, often dead ends. Watchdogs patrolled the paths and greeted them, always referring to the white mare as 'Miss Rarity'. Other hounds were busy digging out any gemstones that they discovered. Finally, the trio reached an especially large chamber. The pillars of rock left in place to support the ceiling could have easily passed for towers.
A large group of hounds was gathered in the middle. Most of them did not seem too different, but one stood out. He was not as muscular, nor as tall, but his ears were especially large and he wore an eye-catching, crimson vest. Unlike the others, he also wore a gemmed collar. As they entered the room, he turned their way, revealing a set of emerald eyes. She could see a fair bit of cunning behind them. The brains of the operation, as far as she could tell. With a growl towards the assembled workers, he addressed the new arrivals:
"Good day, Miss Rarity."
"Good day, Rover."
"I see more ponies join. They search, too?"
"No, just visiting. Her name is Trixie."
"Hello, Miss Trixie."
"Umm, hello." she was unsure whether to add 'Sir' to the end of that.
"We start now, yes?"
"Absolutely!"
"You hear Miss Rarity, dogs! Follow and dig, yes!"
They traversed the underground tunnels along with their canine entourage. Rarity's horn glowed constantly, as she used her talents to search for and mark patches of gemstones, which the dogs eagerly dug out. Trixie had many questions, but the most obvious one was:
"Rarity, how did this all come about?"
"Oh, simple, really. We did have a bit of a rocky start."
"By which she means they kidnapped her." Spike chimed in.
"We still sorry!"
"I know, dear. Anyway, I got out, no harm done. But I still needed gems from these parts, for new ensembles and such. So we kept running into each other. Our meetings were all rather awkward affairs, but eventually, I got an idea!" she delivered the final word with a burst of unexpected pazazz.
"Miss Rarity come, say we could help each other. Good deal."
"Indeed! We worked out our differences and now we cooperate. I find the gems and they dig them up. We then split the earnings, seventy-thirty."
"In whose favour?"
Rarity gave her a bewildered look:
"Theirs, of course! The poor dears do most of the work, after all."
"Miss Rarity also help set up showers," Rover smelled like a tulip, "always willing to help."
"It's the least I could do."
"Your catchphrase is not entirely accurate," the chique mare blushed ever so slightly. Trixie turned to the lead hound, "what do you need all these gems for, anyway?"
"Simple. We trade for food and other stuff. Deep down, nasty things live. But nasty things like gems. Give gems, get stuff in return. Sometimes, even trade with ponies."
"Quite the operation you have here. If you don't mind me asking, though, where are your, ummm... females? I haven't seen a single one since we entered."
His ears dropped for a moment before he answered:
"Elsewhere. Some nasty, deep things not want gems. Want meat. Mates and pups kept away, safe. Safer."
"I'm sorry if I..."
"No apology, Miss Trixie. We choose living deep. We endure living deep. World up there cannot compare," his face lit up again, his ears standing at full attention, "I can prove point! We find nice thing, few days ago. Missas... Missos... ladies will like!"
Spike grumbled something to himself as Rarity looked up at the hound:
"I must say, Rover, I am intrigued."
"Show when finish digging. No rush."
The leader was accompanied by two other dogs with collars. One was uncharacteristically small, the runt of the litter, but there was a fierceness behind each of his movements, as if he was compensating for his size with some amount of aggression. The other was the polar opposite, large even by their standards, but timid, reserved. The short one shouted, his voice high-pitched and energetic:
"Not too far now. Worth the walk."
The large one's voice was deep and a bit slow, as if every word was a chore:
"Careful stepping. Pony-pedy safe that way."
Trixie whispered to Rarity:
"Pony-pedy?"
"Long story."
The pathway they traversed was obviously freshly dug, with only a few torches lighting the way. After a few minutes of precarious descent, they reached another large, dimly lit chamber. Trixie could make out the beginning of an underground lake, before darkness reclaimed its domain. They watched silently as Rover pulled out a few gems from a prepared satchel:
"Not seem like much, but watch now!"
He tossed the gems with all his strength and they landed somewhere in the darkness with an echoing splash. For a few moments, there was no reaction. Then, suddenly, lights appeared underwater. A closer look revealed strange eels, their burst of activity somehow causing them to luminesce. Their numbers grew from a few, to a dozen, to over a hundred in a short span of time.
There seemed to be some fighting among them, undoubtedly over the thrown gems. Suddenly, one of them glowed bright green, like an emerald. More and more colours appeared among them, reacting to their chosen meal. The lead hound threw in some more gems and soon, the entire cavern was illuminated by the underwater light show. The waves in the lake created incredible shapes on the ceiling and walls of the place.
Rarity squealed in delight as she watched it all transpire, while Spike mourned the loss of delectable gems. Trixie tried to commit the sight to memory as best as she could. Beauty could truly be found in every corner of the world.
Tagging along with Rarity and Spike had turned out to be a good idea in other ways, as well. The day's bounty had been particularly large, so much so that it resulted in an extra wagon for towing. And the showpony was more than happy to lend a hoof. They reached Carousel Boutique along with her old friend, the moon.
After carefully separating the gems based on type, stashing them and saying goodbye to Spike, the two entered the living quarters of the building. Everything was so stylish inside. The colours always matched, the paintings and hues chosen to promote certain feelings or attitudes in specific areas. Rarity's mark was clearly felt throughout. Trixie commented:
"Your home is lovely."
"Thank you, darling, I try my best. Sweetie Belle, my sister, is having a sleepover at one of her friend's, so we'll be alone. Now, before I get started on your dress, I simply must take a bath. I think we'd both appreciate one, actually."
"Indeed. Though, you don't have to work overnight. There is time enough."
"Nonsense, dear! The night is the finest time for this sort of work. Especially one like this, without a single cloud. The stars in the sky simply overflow with inspiration!"
"If you say so."
"I do, darling! Now, it is fortunate that I had two bathrooms installed for just such an emergency! Let the bathing begin!"
"There we go," Rarity whisked the measuring tape away and jotted down the last few numbers into a small, purple notepad, "I have all the figures I need! Don't you worry, your dress will be simply fabulous."
"I have no doubt about it, Rarity."
"You may go to sleep now, if you want."
"Would it be okay if I stayed for a little while? I'd love to see how you work. I wouldn't even know where to start, myself."
"Oh, the art of the dress is no intimidating matter, darling! All you need is a little," she spun around towards a wall with several papers attached to it. Each paper had an image of a pony on it, bare and colourless, "inspiration!"
She drew several lines on one of the papers and the process began. Humming a tune to herself, Rarity was a mare possessed. Several different initial sketches were made, each with minute alterations to the original. With a final, content nod, one design was chosen as the winner.
The entire boutique obeyed her as needles, spools of thread and fabric floated towards her through the air, animated by magic. Magic and careful hoof movements worked in perfect unison, cutting out patterns from the fabric before stitching them back together. The whole time, Rarity was in a trance, completely consumed by her work. Trixie was quite sure nothing short of a bomb could have caught her attention at that point. With a smile, she headed to the guest room, which was, much like the rest of the building, posh.
"Are you ready, dear?" Rarity cried out towards a set of folded curtains, connected to a miniature stage within Carousel Boutique. Rarity was prepared for everything.
Unlike Trixie, who was still struggling with the dress:
"Ugh, almost."
"Has the Great and Powerful Trixie," the teasing voice of an alicorn princess filled the room, "found her match at last?"
"Oh, shut up, Twi. Okay, ready or not, here I come."
The curtains parted and immediately, Spike burst out:
"Woah!"
The showpony's usual simple charm was replaced by elegance and undeniable style. The dress rode high on the flank, but by no means made her look like a tank. It was breezy, by no means cheesy. Its fabrics were violet and pearlescent blue, almost matching her mane. Stars were placed in visible areas, drawing one's eyes closer to the intricate patterns of the dress. The look was completed by a sapphire-adorned, silver tiara. Not even Twilight could contain herself:
"Wow, Trixie! You look like a million bits!"
She smirked:
"Uhuh! And it's all thanks to the Equestria's greatest trend-setting fashionista!"
"Oh, you are too kind. Now, if you want, you can keep it here for now. The gala is still some time away and I'm sure you have some travelling to do."
"That would be splendid, actually. Now, Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"After I reluctantly slip out of this beautiful thing, how about a cup of afternoon tea? We have much to discuss, I believe."
"Absolutely. I'd love to."