//------------------------------// // One Mess of a Dress // Story: Adventures at Canterlot High // by MLP Fangirl //------------------------------// Picture Day. For some, it is the highlight of the entire year. For others, it's a nightmare. Especially for Rarity. It's not that she's unattractive, far from it. Her appearance was never a problem; the apparel, however, was a different story. Twilight ran through the doors of the Boutique, panting from her sprint here. She caught her breath and adjusted her glasses. She walked over to the girls who were all currently lounging on some benches, looking bored. Twilight raised an eyebrow, taking out her phone, "I got your text, Rar - uh, where's Rarity? What's the emergency?" Sunset sat with her arms crossed, "There is none." Applejack yawned, "Ol' Rarity's complainin' about her dress again." "Well, excuse me," Rarity's voice came from behind a curtain. "Picture Day only happens once a year. And, I want to look my best." Rainbow groaned, "Ugh, we go through this every single year. Literally. Just wear what you always wear. It's not that big of deal." Rarity poked her head out of the curtain, annoyed, "I beg your pardon. It most certainly is a big deal. This picture is going to be what they place next to my name in the yearbook. I refuse to rubbish my name with an awful picture." Twilight rubbed her forehead, "Rarity, you're being a tad bit melodramatic." Fluttershy patted Rarity's back, "Come on, Rarity. Your picture's going to be fine. It always turns out nice, doesn't it?" "Yeah! Except for the time when you had that nasty zit on your nose. You had bandages wrapped around it. Your nose looked like a mummy." Pinkie giggled. Rarity covered her face with her hand, "Thank you for bringing that up, Pinkie." "Anytime, sister." Sunset rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Rarity. There's no reason to make such a big deal about this." Rarity folded her arms, "I have reasons. I don't like wearing the same outfit every year. I appreciate variety. Unlike some." Fluttershy rubbed her arm, "We didn't mean to offend you." Rainbow Dash shook her head, "You don't have to apologize, Shy. It's not your fault Rarity can't decide what to wear." Rarity furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't text you all just so we could argue about my views on fashion. I wanted to know if you wanted to change your looks as well." Rainbow waved a hand in dismissal, "Not a chance, Rares. I happen to like my look. Anything else lowers my coolness by twenty percent." Applejack rolled her eyes, "And, we can't have that happen." Rarity sighed, "All right, what about you girls?" Sunset shook her head, "No thanks, Rarity. I like what I'm wearing." Pinkie Pie raised her hand, jumping in her seat, "I'll do it. I like trying on new clothes. As long as it's pink. No wait, blue. Or maybe, yellow. Orange? Aqua? Or, maybe - " Rarity held up a hand, "Thank you, Pinkie. I shall do my best to accommodate those colors. If I can. Fluttershy? Twilight?" Fluttershy nodded, "I wouldn't mind a new look." Rarity smiled, "Excellent. Anything in particular you had in mind?" Fluttershy put a finger to her chin, "Well, maybe a cream-colored cardigan over a pink polo and matching skirt, woven with a traditional - " Rarity rubbed her head, "I...think I got it. What about you, Twilight?" Twilight twirled a finger in her locks, "Well, I would like to change my outfit, but I don't really have any ideas on how to. I'm not very familiar with fashion terms and such." "That's no trouble at all, darling. Oh, why don't you girls follow me upstairs? I've been working on several new designs during my free time, and I want you to be the first to see them." Rarity began walking towards the stairs. Twilight smiled, "That'd be grea - " Twilight was interrupted by the sound of her phone buzzing. "Uh, hold up a sec." She pulled out her phone from her pocket and read the text that had appeared. Twilight sighed, "Sorry, Rarity. My mom's worried about me. I told her I'd be back in a few minutes, but you know how some mothers are. I have to go." Rarity nodded understandingly, "That's all right, darling. Why don't you three come over tomorrow?" "I can do that." Fluttershy and Pinkie said at the same time. "Jinx! You owe me a soda." Pinkie giggled. Fluttershy frowned, hiding under her hair, "But, I don't have any soda." "Fine. But, you're buying tomorrow. Make it a Sprite. Or, you know, Pepsi's good, too. Get me a Mountain Dew. Or, or - " Rainbow covered Pinkie's mouth with her hand, "For goodness sake, Pinkie, you're listing about every brand of soda there is. Make up your mind." Pinkie whined, "But, I like them all. It's so hard to choose between them." Fluttershy raised a hand meekly, "Do I still need to buy you a - ?" "Yes." "No." "Aw, come on, Sunny. Why do you have be a party pooper?" Pinkie folded her arms. "I'm not. You can buy yourself a soda if you want, Pinkie. No one's stopping you, " Sunset said, adjusting her sleeves. "But, that ruins the point of jinxing." Pinkie fell back in her seat dramatically. Twilight cleared her throat, "Well, I've wasted more time than I should have. I gotta go. See you girls tomorrow." She waved goodbye before running out the door. Rarity sighed, "You all should leave as well. There's nothing else for you to do here. Pinkie, Fluttershy, you can come over after school. I'll let Twilight know as well. As for you girls, it's not too late to change your mind. A new look might be the best thing that ever happened to you." Applejack chuckled, "I doubt that. But, thanks fer offerin', Rares." Rainbow stood up and stretched, "Like I said before, I like how I look. Anything else - " "Lowers your coolness by twenty percent. I get it." Rarity rolled her eyes. Sunset patted Rarity's shoulder, "Sorry, Rarity. I just don't need a new look right now. Maybe next year. But, I'm good this year." Rarity sighed, nodding, "I understand, darling. Not everyone appreciates fashion like I do. But, at least I can help some of you change your appearances." Pinkie jumped and hugged Rarity and Fluttershy super tight, "This is gonna be so much fun!" Fluttershy tried to wiggle out of Pinkie's grip but failed, "Um, Pinkie, I can't breathe." "Whoops, sorry, Flutters. Don't know my own strength," Pinkie giggled. Rarity pushed Pinkie off her and cleared her throat, "Right. Anyway, you all may leave. I shall see you girls at school tomorrow." With that, the girls bid Rarity goodbye and left the Boutique. ----- Rarity sat in her desk in Homeroom, polishing her nails, waiting for the bell to ring. She smiled as the azure tint of the polish that beautifully accented her slender fingers. "Rarity?" She turned her head to see Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon sitting next to her. Rarity closed the bottle of nail polish and turned to face the two girls, "Good morning, Lyra, Bon Bon. May I help you with anything?" Bon Bon pulled on her dress, "Well, we heard from Pinkie Pie that you were offering a change of look for Picture Day." Lyra nodded, grinning, "And, knowing how good you are with clothes and stuff, we were wondering if you could - " "Help us change our look," Bon Bon interrupted, throwing her arms around Lyra and Rarity. Rarity blinked, "A new look? But, I..." She looked over at Pinkie Pie who was sitting across the room, waving happily at her. She furrowed her eyebrows, looked back at Lyra and Bon Bon, and sighed. "Well, while I wasn't planning on it, I see no reason why I shouldn't help others express their personalities through their outfits. Meet me at the Boutique after school, and I will see what I can do." Rarity winked at the two. Both girls' faces broke out into a huge grin. "You are awesome, Rarity." Lyra hugged Rarity tightly. "We are going to look fabulous on Picture Day. Thanks a bunch, Rarity." Bon Bon joined Lyra in hugging Rarity. Rarity was caught off guard by the sudden hugs. But, she found herself hugging them back. "Think nothing of it, you two." Lyra and Bon Bon walked back to their seats, just as the bell rang. Rarity sat in her seat, not paying attention to the announcements. Instead, an idea was formulating in her head. One that could benefit a whole lot of people. ----- "You're kidding, right?" "I most certainly am not kidding, Rainbow Dash." Rarity folded arms proudly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Sunset asked worriedly. "There's a lot of students here at CHS." "And, ya want to give each of 'em a new look?" Applejack rolled her eyes "Yes! I've already gotten several requests from several students, and I am not one to let my fellow Wondercolts down." Rarity nodded firmly. "But, are you sure you can handle it? It was originally supposed to be us three." Twilight pointed to herself, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. "And, we don't want you to bite off more than you can chew." Fluttershy said, twirling a finger in her hair. "Yeah! I mean, who would want to bite dresses? I don't think they taste all that good." Pinkie sipped her soda, sticking her tongue out. Rarity shook her head, "Look, I appreciate your concern, girls. But, this is my decision. And, I believe I can pull it off." Twilight sighed, "Well, if you're sure. Just, try not to overexert yourself." Rarity chuckled, placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, "Darling, you don't have to worry about that." "No, you probably should." Rainbow smirked, tossing a potato chip into her mouth. Rarity gave Rainbow a hard glare. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, Rainbow. It is most appreciated." Rainbow gave a two-fingered salute, "Anytime, Rare." Rarity turned away from Rainbow, crossing arms, "Fine. I'll show you girls that I can do this. You won't be laughing when you see everyone on Picture Day with a new outfit." She stood up and stormed off towards some of the fashionistas. Sunset slapped a hand against her forehead, "Rarity sure is stubborn." Applejack nodded, "Known that since day one. She's gonna realize too late that ya shouldn't get involved in somethin' this big." Twilight bit her lip, "Do you think we should help her?" Rainbow shook her head, "No. This'll teach her a lesson." Fluttershy hung her head, "I just hope Rarity won't be too disappointed." She turned towards the direction Rarity ran and saw her talking with the fashionistas. Pinkie folded her arms, "Knowing Rarity, if she doesn't pull this off, she's gonna lock herself in her bedroom and refuse to come out in fear of public humiliation, and we're gonna have to talk her out of her pity party. Again." Twilight raised an eyebrow, "This has happened before?" Applejack nodded, "More than once." Sunset sighed, "Well, maybe this time, she'll be able to do it." Rainbow saw Rarity running over to the Eco-kids, "I kinda doubt that." ----- Rarity opened the door to the Boutique. She walked in, taking a deep breath. "Oh, don't you just love the smell of dresses?" She said to no one in particular. She grabbed a nearby dress in her hands and began twirling it around. She walked over to a mirror and held the dress up in front of her, "Oh, yes, that does look nice." Rarity heard the bell of the door ring, indicating someone was coming in. "That must be the girls." She turned around towards the door, ready to greet her friends. Only to be met with over a dozen girls. Rarity stumbled over a chair at the sight of the group. "Oh my, I didn't expect you all to be here so soon." Lyra, who was in the front, laughed, "Well, we figured it'd be easier to all come together. Save you some time, ya know." Rarity stood with her mouth wide open, "Buh-but - " Thankfully, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie rushed up to Rarity's side. Twilight grabbed her wrist and whispered, "We need to talk." Twilight ran towards the stairs, pulling Rarity with her. Fluttershy ran after them. "Don't worry, folks. We'll be back right after these messages." Pinkie gave a thumbs-up before running off in a cloud of smoke, causing many of the students to shrug. Meanwhile upstairs, Fluttershy and Twilight were doing their best to console Rarity. Twilight patted Rarity's back, "You know, it's not too late to change your mind." Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "Twilight's right. I'm sure they'll understand once you tell them." Rarity huffed, "But, I made all of those promises. I can't go back on my word now." Pinkie gave Rarity a noogie, "Don't worry, Rarity. If they all end up hating you, we'll still love you." Twilight hid her face in her hands, "Not the best wording there, Pinkie." Rarity shoved Pinkie gently, "I am not going to let all of those people down. They're all looking forward to a new look for Picture Day, and I guaranteed them one. What are they going to think of me when I tell them I can't do it?" "Uh..." "No. I shan't let that happen. I am going to keep my promises. Starting with you three." She grabbed each of them and dragged them to a section of the store. "Rarity, you really don't have to - " "Up bup bup, " she put a finger on Twilight's lips, "I won't hear of any of it. I promised you girls a new look, and that's just what I'm going to give you." Fluttershy rubbed her hands together, "Are you sure?" Rarity nodded, "Of course, I'm sure. Now, while you girls browse up here, I shall assist the others down stairs." She headed down the stairs to the main floor. ----- "Well, it's about time. The Great and Powerful Trixie does not like to be kept waiting." Trixie stood with her arms crossed, bearing an impatient expression. Rarity sighed, "I am well aware of that fact, Trixie." "So, how do we get our new looks?" Rose asked. Rarity clasped her hands together, "Well, as you can see, there are many ensembles here to choose from. Feel free to browse around, and if you have any specific requests, don't hesitate to let me know." She winked. At that, the girls all scattered, running around the Boutique like a herd of gazelles. Rarity grimaced, "Please handle these outfits well. I've spent hours on some of them." She looked around the Boutique, watching each of the girls look over the different dresses. "Well, I guess I'll go check on the girls and see how they are doing." She ran back up the stairs, leaving behind the browsing girls. Once she reached the top, she walked over to where she had left her friends. "Girls, are you here?" "Yup, we're here. And, lovin' our new looks." Pinkie jumped in front of Rarity, wearing a frilly hot pink tank top and a light denim skirt. She wore pink leggings and light blue high heels, which complimented her well. Rarity clapped, smiling, "My goodness, Pinkie, you look simply marvelous." Pinkie flipped her poofy hair, "I know." Rarity turned around to locate the other girls, "How about you, Twilight? Fluttershy?" Twilight came out from behind the corner, wearing a simple, but cute purple dress. The top of the dress was a shade lighter than the bottom, and stitched on the corner of the dress was a pink six-pointed star. Her boots were a dark magenta, which went perfectly with her light purple complexion. "Well?" Rarity squealed, "Oh, darling, you look simply adorable. You have excellent taste." Twilight twirled a finger in her hair, "Well, I wouldn't say that." Rarity scoffed, "Oh, don't be so modest. Now, Fluttershy, what about you?" Fluttershy poked her head from behind a curtain, "Um, well, it's nothing special, but..." She walked out of the fitting room. Her pink hair was braided down. She wore a light pink sleeveless shirt, similar to the one she usually wore. Draped over her shoulder was a light green shawl with yellow frills at the end of it. Her skirt was peach colored, a white belt went around her waist. Her boots remained the same. Rarity squealed once again, running over to the three of them and throwing her arms around each of them. "Oh, you girls look remarkable! I'm so glad you were able to find the right outfit. " "We are, too." *CRASH* The three jumped at the sound. "What was that?!" Fluttershy shrieked, hiding under a chair. Rarity turned towards the direction of the stairs. "It came from downstairs." She began walking over to the stairs when Pinkie grabbed a hold of her arm. "No! Don't do it, Rarity. We love you." Pinkie tightened her hold on Rarity, Rarity jerked her arm out of Pinkie's grasp, "Something probably just fell over. I'm just going to see what it was." She descended the stairs. And, she immediately regretted doing so. ----- The scene was utter madness. Dresses and clothes alike were being strewn and ripped apart everywhere. In one corner, Octavia and Carrot Top were in the middle of a tug-of-war game with a gold silk dress. In another, Derpy and Lyra Hearts were arguing about who touched the pair of moccasins first. All in all, the room was in a state of total anarchy. "ENOUGH!" Each girl froze in their tracks. They turned to see Rarity fuming. Rarity's eyes were filled with rage, but being the lady she was, she managed to calm herself down. She took a deep breath. "What in the name of common chamomile is going?" Rarity walked into the middle of the room. "I'm gone for a mere five minutes, and suddenly this boutique turns into a madhouse." Lyra held her hands up in defense, "Hey, don't pin this on me. I saw these babies first." She held up the pair of shoes in her hands. "Nuh uh," Derpy exclaimed, taking the shoes from Lyra. "I did." "Real funny, Derpy. But, I clearly saw them first." Lyra reached out to grab them, but Derpy held them away from her. "Get your own shoes." "But, I want those." Lyra tackled Derpy to the ground. Rarity ran over to them, "Girls! Girls! Please, don't act so uncivil." "Trixie demands you step away from that dress. She clearly saw it first." Rarity turned to see Trixie yelling and pointing at Cloudchaser. "Yeah? Well, I touched it first. So, hah." Cloudchaser stuck out her tongue at Trixie, which only made her mad. "How dare you show the Great and Powerful Trixie such disrespect?!" She seethed, lunging at Cloudchaser in a fit of fury. "Trixie! Cloudchaser! Enough." Rarity ran over to them, trying to break them apart as well. Meanwhile, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were watching from the stairs. Fluttershy covered her eyes, "Oh, I can't look." Twilight frowned, "We have to do something." She began walking down when Pinkie grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy?! It's a mine field down there." Pinkie clung tightly to Twilight's arm. Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ladies. Please. If you can't handle my dresses with care, then you don't get to wear them." The girls all stopped beating each other up at that. Rarity walked into the center of the room, "I made a promise to each and everyone of you that I would give you a new look for Picture Day. I didn't have to do that. You would've been stuck wearing the same outfits if I hadn't stepped in. I am willing to help all of you change your look. But, if you all are going to argue over it, you aren't going to get a new look like these girls did." Rarity gestured to her three friends, who had come down to the ground level. The other girls were very impressed with their new looks. Rarity smiled, "Now, you all can either continue arguing, or you can browse again in a much more civil manner. And, I do have duplicates of some of these items. So, don't hesitate to ask." Lyra rubbed the back of her neck, "Wow, Rarity, I'm sorry for making a mess." Trixie looked at her nails, "Trixie gives her apology as well. But, don't expect it often." Derpy rubbed her arm, "I'm sorry, Rarity." Rarity chuckled, "You are all forgiven. Now, get on with it. This boutique isn't open all day." ----- Rarity waved goodbye to Octavia, who was the last to leave, minus Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. She sighed, happy that she was able to help so many people. Twilight walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You did good today, Rarity." Pinkie Pie jumped, grabbing both Twilight and Rarity into a bear hug, "You sure did! I didn't think you'd be able to do it." "Pinkie!" "What?" Rarity chuckled, "Don't worry, Twilight. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, either." Fluttershy walked up and joined the hug, "But, you did. And, you made a lot of people happy." Rarity smiled, "And, it feels wonderful." "Yeah! Now, everyone's gonna have a new look for tomorrow," Pinkie grinned widely. Rarity nodded, but soon realized that she had overlooked something. She stood up suddenly, "Good heavens! I was so wrapped up in giving everyone else a new look that I didn't give myself one!" She quickly ran upstairs, looking for something to wear. The girls shook their heads in amusement. "Do you think we should leave?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the staircase. "Yup. She's gonna be up there for a long time." Pinkie smirked. "Probably an hour at the least." Twilight smiled. "Only Rarity."