“So tell me again why I’m here? I’m pretty sure I misheard you the first time.” Rarity rolled her eyes as Aegis Flare asked this for the tenth time in the last ten minutes. She continued to levitate a measuring tape around the orange unicorns form as she took notes on it all.
“As I said dear, I had the most brilliant idea to make all of us a fabulous new dress for when we go to the Gala. We can’t be embarrassing ourselves in front of the princess now, can we?” The orange mare just sighs as the torture continues around her causing Rarity to lightly jab at her side. “Oh come on now darling, I know you don’t like dresses but neither do Applejack and Rainbow Dash but they didn’t complain as much as you are.”
Rarity paused a moment after poking her friend and got a thoughtful look as she prodded he shoulder a couple more time. “Well they weren’t standing around for as long as I am and I think they both have more dresses than I do as well. And why are you still poking me?”
Rarity gets one more prod in before she shakes her head and turns away from the other unicorn. “Well they were easier since I had their measurements on file and just needed a slight update for them. You on the other hoof haven’t been around in years so I needed to do a complete measuring. As for the poking, well…”
The alabaster unicorn blushed a bit before clearing her throat a bit. “I noticed when I had Twilight up here that, while she was a bit plush, underneath all her softness she still had a bit of muscle tone. Even Fluttershy and Pinkie were much the same as well. You are more like Applejack and Rainbow Dash though in that you are more muscle than anything else.”
Looking down at her legs Aegis Flare watches how her muscles shift as she tenses her legs a bit and considers what her friend was saying. “Well it’s not all that big of a surprise if you think about it really. While three of us are more athletic overall, there is still the fact that all of us are pretty active in some way. She paused as she thought over what she knew of Twilight’s habits and drew a blank over most of it. “I’m not really sure with Twilight but with how many books I see her carrying around then she gets her exercise from that. Of course I’m not sure what she did before she came here or mastered teleporting so she may have worked out more, especially with how many stairs are in Canterlot.
“Fluttershy does a lot for her animals, including chiropractic work for a bear and I sometimes wonder about how weak of a flier she truly is. I’m not sure how pegasus magic works exactly, but her flying ability seems more erratic than weak like during the Summer Sun Celebration she could lift a pony one moment then has trouble when helping lift another. As for Pinkie Pie well…” The two look at each other as they speak at the same time. “...She’s just Pinkie Pie”
The two chuckle as they call out the default explanation for anything relating to anything odd that happens around Pinkie Pie. As they settle down Rarity starts pulling out various bolts of cloth and holding them up against Aegis Flare’s coat. “I have to say, Flare, it’s wonderful to be able to spend time with you again. It was hard being one of the few unicorns in town so when you were forced to quit school to take care of your sister it was a bit lonely. Not to say that earth ponies and pegasi weren’t worth talking to but there are some things only another unicorn could understand.”
She paused a moment but before the other could respond she spoke up again. “Of course it wasn’t just that. I could have made more of an effort as well when you were in town but you became so distant. I’m ashamed to say that I was a bit scared of how cold you seemed after the first couple months. It’s actually relieving to see you being able to laugh after all those years in that horrid forest.”
Aegis Flare glanced over at Rarity and felt a small stab of regret at her words. While she didn’t regret doing what she could for her sister; the fact that she had lost touch with her old friendships during that period was something she wished that she could have changed. Sure the two had exchanged words over the years when she dropped off or picked up Scootaloo, but there was so much more they could have done.
“Those really were some difficult years for me since I had to not only learn where to find everything out there but also find ponies to sell it all to. Since Twilight showed up I’ve been rethinking many of my past decisions and I’m spending less time out there. It’s not like I really need to go through the Everfree as much as I had been since I’ve learned many of its secrets.” She looked up to see Rarity smiling at her so she let out a resigned sigh. “Just don’t expect me to start wearing dresses anytime soon. If I have to wear something I’d rather it be a suit if anything, but since you are being generous and doing this for free then I’ll go along with it.”
Rarity looked surprised for a moment before she frowned and muttered something to herself. “Really now, even Rainbow Dash doesn’t go that far, although…” Shaking her head the alabaster unicorn turns her attention back to her friend. “We should really get together more often even if it’s just for a cup of tea. Maybe you could join Fluttershy and me at the spa sometime?”
Looking over to see a hopeful grin on her friend’s face, Aegis Flare rolls her eyes before letting a small smile appear on her face. “I guess I can show up there a bit more often to spend some time with you both. To be honest I’ve come to enjoy relaxing there even if I only started going there to help with my old injuries. It probably won’t be as often as you two go but I can set aside some time.”
The two settle into a calm silence as Rarity continues with her examination of Aegis Flare for her Gala dress. While most designers would have been finished by now; she preferred to get every last detail so that her dresses were not only stylish, but also extremely comfortable as well no matter what the wearer was doing. While she worked, her ear flicked occasionally as an odd sound floated through the air. It was only when she paused and paid attention to it that she realized that it was the sound of humming which originated from the other mare in the room. Rarity paused in her work to listen to the unfamiliar tune as she wondered where it was her friend had learned it.
When Aegis Flare finished the song Rarity chuckled a bit before continuing with her work. “That was a rather lovely tune, my dear. I’d love to hear it sung out load sometime but after your accident, well…”
The orange mare looked at her strangely for a moment before her eyes widened and she brought a hoof up to her face. “Ugh, I was doing it again, wasn’t I?” On seeing her friends questioning look she sighed before explaining. “It may sound strange, but sometimes when I lose track of what I’m doing I start humming strange tunes. I never notice when I’m doing it but my family has never heard anything like them before. They even called in a doctor once and they had no explanation for it.”
Rarity looks thoughtful for a moment before she smiles and waves a hoof. “Well darling it was a lovely way to end our little get-together in any event. I should have everything ready in a couple days in time for our little fashion show.”
Seeing the hopeful look on her friends face really stung Aegis Flare as she had to deny her this simple pleasure. “Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it, Rarity. That last big storm that rolled in from the Everfree signaled that the forest has moved around again. I’ll be gone a week or two checking it all out as well as taking samples for my buyers. I’ll be sure to stop by as soon as I return though.”
Rarity pouted for a moment before she sighted and waved her friend off. “It’s fine dear. If you have to be gone for that long then there’s no point in complaining is there? Really I was expecting you to fight a bit harder against the whole dress idea in the first place. I assume that you’ll be having your sister stay with Sweetie Belle again?”
At the orange mares nod she shook her head. “As much as I enjoy seeing her, I wish that she and Sweetie Belle would make a few more friends. At least Scootaloo has been able to keep down the number of cooking accidents over the years.” With that the two part ways with one off into a dangerous environment and the other to provide fashionable wear for her friends.
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Aegis Flare plodded her way through town after finally returning from her two week expedition through the Everfree. Everything had been going fine as she explored the new areas brought into the forest until the last area where she had encountered a nest of giant fire ants in a volcanic region. That alone had been fine, but throw in a couple rookie guard-stallions that had been following her around and that led to a recipe for disaster. Having to carry the two of them back after they knocked themselves out made her a bit irritable especially as she had gotten scorched a bit trying to save the two and exterminate the pests before they could spread to the Everfree.
On a hunch she had checked with Pinkie Pie when she got back into town and found out the location of the head guard. The pink pony's directions led her to an out of the way house on the edge of town that was surrounded by a few others that she hadn't known were inhabited yet. Knocking on the door of the home that she was directed to she only had to wait a moment before it was answered by a decently muscled gray unicorn stallion.
“I believe these two are yours.” She turns to the side to reveal the two guards on her back which causes the stallion to smack a hoof over his face.
“Not again. That's the sixth time one of you mares brought in the guards that were supposed to be keeping an eye on you.” With a sigh he levitated the two off of Aegis Flare's back and turned back into the house before slamming the door shut again. This left the mare to stare at the door with a bit of amusement before she shook her head and walked off while wondering who else brought guards to this place.
While making a note to talk with the others sometime later about this she made her way towards Carousel Boutique to meet with Rarity as she promised. When she arrived she found the alabaster unicorn working on setting up a few ponyquins with some fancy looking dresses. The orange mare looked them over for a moment before she just shrugged in indifference though she couldn't deny the work that was probably put into them. “I take it those are the dresses that you made for the others, Rarity? They don't look too bad.”
Rarity, on hearing the voice, turned around to see that her friend had entered without her noticing and was looking over the dresses. She did a double-take when she saw the state of her friend's mane causing her to let out a gasp of shock. “Darling! Whatever happened to your mane?!”
Aegis Flare reached a hoof up to the end of her braid as she lifted it up to took at the slightly blackened end. “I had to save a couple idiot guards that were following me around in the Everfree so I was distracted and not paying as close attention as I should have been. On the plus side I've learned that while I can ignore most flames; lava is something that still burns.”
The alabaster unicorn just stares at her for a moment before she shakes her head and ignores the attempt at humor. Looking over the dresses once more she moves over to a curtained off area. “Well since you are here now I can finally show you your dress. The others have already seen theirs so...” With a flourish she pulled back the curtain to reveal what was behind it. “...behold! Your dress!”
Looking over the dress, Aegis Flare tried to keep an open mind as she didn't want to offend her friend. On the front of the ponyform was a piece around the chest with a large topaz in the shape of the shield on her cutie mark that traveled around her front legs to the rest of the dress. At that point it went around the barrel of the form and from it trailed a shimmer of reds and oranges which looked like flames trailing behind it. The trim of the dress looked like it was a fur of some type of a deeper red than the rest of the dress. With the golden shoes she couldn't really complain about how it looked even if it was something she didn't wish to wear. “It looks good, I guess.”
She knew she said something wrong when Rarity's face fell at her words. “Is there something wrong with it? Is it the color? The shape? What? Please don't tell me you're going to do this as well.”
Seeing her frantic look the orange mare brought a hoof up to her head before sighing. “Rarity? Compared to you I know nothing about fashion especially since dresses are the last thing I'd choose to wear normally. I don't see anything wrong with it but if you think it's good then it's good. Asking me to decide on how a dress should look is like asking your sister to cook a banquet.”
Pausing for a moment she looks around the store for sign of the filly before looking back at Rarity. “Actually I wouldn't even know what would even be acceptable for the Gala either. You'd know more about it since you pay attention to the nobles in Canterlot, though Twilight might have some idea as well.”
Rarity winces at those last few words before she mutters something that was just loud enough for the orange mare to catch. “I wouldn't say that. Her taste in dress design is terrible. The others were not much better.”
Aegis Flare looked over at Rarity and gave her a deadpanned look. “What?”
The fashionista looked a bit embarrassed at being heard like that and she sighs before moving over to another curtained off area and opening it. Behind it was another set of dresses
that even Aegis Flare could tell were completely horrible. “I am ashamed to say these were my second attempt at our friends' dresses using their ideas on what was perfect. I really would rather not talk about it if you don't mind.”
Looking over the five horrible dresses, Aegis Flare wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry at the disaster they each were. Looking over at the others she could see why Rarity was worried about what she was thinking and decided to reassure her. “Rarity , the dress you made for me is fine. Anything I would decide would just make things worse and I'm pretty sure I mentioned something about a suit last time we talked.”
Rarity thought back to the last time they talked and she remembered that being said and turned down. She felt relieved that she didn't have to go through what happened with her other five friends another time. Looking at the orange mare as she looked over her own dress again her gaze kept going to the singed mane and fur as she got an idea. “Say, since you are here how about you join me at the spa like you said that day? You obviously need some work done and I can even ask Fluttershy to join us as well instead of when we usually had planned.”
Aegis Flare looks between her mane, the dress, and Rarity before shaking her head with a slight grin. “I did say that, didn't I. You know what, that sounds like a good idea. I could use a bit of pampering after this last week.”