//------------------------------// // S5 E14: Canterlot Boutique (What If?) // Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 3 // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// It was a peaceful (and rather uneventful) day in Ponyville, with not a crisis or friendship problem in sight. Ponies went about their business as usual, enjoying the fine spring weather. At the throne room inside The Castle of Friendship, five ponies and one dragon were passing the time with a variety of different activities. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were discussing the latest Daring Do book, Applejack and Fluttershy were engaged in an intense staring contest, and Spike was watching Pinkie Pie as she blew up a balloon, let the air out of it, then blew it up again. Suddenly, the peace and quiet was disturbed, as Rarity came rushing into the throne room with a huge smile on her face. "Good news everyone!" Rarity called eagerly, immediately attracting the attention of her friends "It's finally going to happen! At long last, my dream is going to come true!" "What are you talking about, Rarity?" Applejack asked. Still smiling, Rarity had to take a minute to calm herself, before she explained "Ever since I got the paycheck for helping Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers, I've been looking for a place in Canterlot to open a second boutique. And at long last, I've finally found a location! Canterlot Carousel is finally going to become a reality!" This news prompted everyone to gasp, including Pinkie Pie. And the resulting rush of air caused her to over inflate the balloon, it popped with a loud bang! But everyone was so swept up in the shock of Rarity's announcement, that they didn't notice. Fluttershy was the first one to speak up, once the reality of the news sank in. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Rarity. I know how much you've dreamed about having your very own boutique in Canterlot. I can't wait to see it!" "Neither can the rest of us," Rainbow Dash chimed in "I just know it's going to be a success. So, when's it going to open?" That question caused Rarity's smile to fade, and be replaced by a slight frown "Unfortunately, I've only just managed to get my hooves on a suitable location for my shop. And there's no way I can manage everything on my own. I'm going to have to go into business with a partner if I'm ever going to be able to get the boutique ready for opening day. I'm sorry, but it'll be weeks before I'll be ready to let you all see it." Everyone in the room let out a small "Aw." in complaint, but they knew it was wrong of them to put more pressure on Rarity. "Cheer up, you can read all about the opening ceremonies in Canterlot Times," Rarity replied, then she turned to Twilight "And, there is something I need your help with, darling." Twilight was surprised "What?! Me?!" she exclaimed. Rarity nodded "You're going to play a very important role in all of this. You are the key to drumming up publicity for the boutique. It's all part of the plan, or 'pattern' if you will." Upon hearing the word "pattern" Fluttershy's expression changed from one of confusion, to one of concern. "Rarity?" she asked "Who are you going into business with for your Canterlot shop? Not many ponies would be available on short notice." Rarity smiled "I'm glad you asked me that, Fluttershy," then, turning to one of the throne room doors she declared "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you all, Sassy Saddles!" The throne room doors were flung open by a pale, light grayish olive magic glow. Into the room trotted a tall but slim looking unicorn mare, wearing a two-tone black dress with a yellow saddle resting firmly on the shoulder area. The mare had a coat that was a pale, light grayish cerulean in color, a fairly curly mane and tail that was brilliant vermillion with light amber and tangelo stripes running through them (with moderate fuchsia on the shadowed side of the curls), and brilliant orange eyes complimented by moderate persian blue eyeshadow. If one looked closely, they could see her cutie mark, which consisted of two small pins that were obscured by her dress. "Well, bust my buttons, Rarity!" Sassy Saddles exclaimed "So these are you friends that you've told me so much about. What a charming little bunch." "You must be Sassy Saddles," Applejack greeted "Sure is... interestin' meetin' a big fashion hot shot like yourself." "Oh, I'm not a designer," Sassy Saddles replied "I'm simply the manager, and I do what all good managers do, ensure the shop I oversee runs smoothly. A task, I assure you, is quite difficult." Fluttershy spoke up next "Rarity, are you really sure you want to hire her? Sassy Saddles doesn't exactly have the best track record." "I understand your concerns, Fluttershy," Rarity reassured her "But Sassy was the only pony available on such short notice, and when I saw that she worked in all of the finest boutiques in Canterlot, I hired her right on the spot!" "I then laid out this plan, or 'pattern' as we say in the fashion biz, for Canterlot Carousel so that Rarity's boutique will be a guaranteed success and those doors will never, ever, ever close!" Sassy Saddles explained, showing off a series of hoof-stitched pannels that depicted various objects or ponies. Twilight was most impressed " Wow, Sassy. Your attention to detail is truly impressive. You remind me a lot of myself." "That certainly doesn't surprise me," Sassy Saddles replied, chuckling a bit "Rarity has told me all there is to know about each of you. And I must say, Rarity couldn't possibly ask for a better batch of friends." "We've already set to work on the first piece," Rarity explained "Beautify the Boutique! However, the next two pieces are extremly crucial to the boutique's success, and that's where you come in, Twilight." "It's all a part of Marketing to the Mares, though the stallions are just as important," Sassy Saddles added "Turns out that everypony here loves royalty! So, along with her new boutique, Rarity is going to be debuting a collection of dresses inspired by royalty. And it just so happens there's a hot new princess in Equestria!" "In every poll Sassy Saddles took, you were the most popular princess!" Rarity told Twilight "Coincidentally, one of my gowns is inspired by the window in Canterlot Castle commemorating your coronation! It's sure to be the star attraction of my new line. I wanted to call it 'The Reign in Stain', but Sassy's research showed that not many ponies got the play on words, or what they referenced." "Which is why we decided, for the sake of simplicity, to rename it 'The Princess Dress'," Sassy Saddles said proudly "My marketing research also confirmed that customers who viewed someone famous wearing a gown, then wish to own that gown for themselves. I call this piece of the pattern Celebrity Status!" "So, Twilight, we were wondering if perhaps you might possibly wear 'The Princess Dress' at the opening ceremonies tonight?" Rarity asked "The dress was designed specifically for you, and I've taken my latest collection to a whole new level with 'Rarity's Rules of TLC'! When customers get a look at the work that went into the dresses, I'm sure to have more orders then I'll know what to do with." "If being a princess and wearing that dress can help your boutique in any way, then I say: Stick a pin in it, it's done." Twilight said proudly, as she used her magic to plant a pin in the pattern piece, showing her wearing a dress that looked like it had been made out of a stain glass window. "So I'm guessing TLC stands for-" Rainbow Dash began. "-'Time, Love, and Couture', actually," Rarity replied "I want each dress to truly be the best it can be. It's done wonders for me in Ponyville, and I'm sure the clientle in Canterlot will readily accept it as well. I'm going to take the fashion world by storm!" "Not if we don't head down to the train station this instant!" Sassy Saddles demanded "There are still some things we need to take care of if we're going to open the doors tonight! The boutique could do with a little more beautifying, and the dresses all need to be moved into their proper places. Everything must go off without a hitch if we're to succeed." "Sassy's right!" Rarity realized "Come with me, Twilight! There's no time left to waste!" Then, just before she dashed out of the throne room with Sassy and Twilight, Rarity said to the rest of her friends "Wish me luck!" Canterlot Carousel was a moderate sized building that still easily dwarfed Carousel Boutique. And as luck would have it, it was located right in the heart of Canterlot. Already, word had spread that a new business was opening, and crowds were starting to form outside as they waited for the doors to open. Inside of the boutique, Rarity was helping Twilight get ready, while Sassy was busy making sure all the dresses were placed wherever they were required. "Is everything ready?" she asked Rarity, as she carefully moved a dress based on the fountain in the castle garden into place. "Pretty much," Rarity replied "Twilight's all dressed up and ready to show off 'The Princess Dress'," then she noticed the dress that Sassy Saddles was moving "Oh, I'm afraid I've not had enough time to give that dress enough love to become couture." She told Sassy Saddles. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Rarity?" Sassy Saddles asked "I think this dress has tons of potential." "Yes, I think so too," Rarity nodded "But I just don't feel it's ready to be shown off, at least not for the grand opening. Be a dear and place it in storage, I'll work on it when I find the time." "As you wish, Rarity," Sassy Saddles reluctantly agreed, and moved the dress into Rarity's workshop. Rarity then used her magic to close the workshop door. Once that was done, Sassy Saddles proudly declared "Alright, everypony! Let's set the stage! Those doors will open any minute now!" Rarity could hardly contain her excitement "Ever since I was a little filly, all I've ever wanted was to own a boutique here in Canterlot. Somepony pinch me! I'm about to open the doors to that very boutique!" she said to herself, and went to go open the door. But when she did so, she was shocked at just how many ponies were waiting in line. The crowd seemed to stretch out as far as the horizon, possibly even beyond. And quite a few high profile ponies were in attendence, including Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur, Jet Set and Upper Crust, and even Hoity Toity. Rarity froze in place, the words she wanted to say died on her tonuge. "I wasn't expecting such a huge crowd for opening night," she thought nervously to herself "I certainly wasn't expecting celebrities to be in attendence. This could be a problem." Fortunately for Rarity, Sassy Saddles quickly came to her rescue. "Welcome to the grand opening of Canterlot Carousel!" she proudly declared "Rarity and I thank you all for coming!" The crowd cheered in excitement, and raced into the boutique as fast as their hooves would let them. Sassy Saddles quickly occupied herself with meeting and greeting the ponies in the crowd, as they observed the boutique in all its glory (as well as occasionally helping themselves to the catering that been provided for the celebration). Meanwhile, Rarity was trying her best to regain her composure. She knew it would not look good if ponies saw her all worked up and anxious. "Deep breaths, Rarity," she thought to herself "You can DO this!" "Rarity, are you ready to reveal the collection?" Sassy Saddles suddenly asked, snapping Rarity out of her mental pep talk. "What? Oh, yes-yes, of course!" Rarity quickly replied, shaking her head briefly. Clearing her throat, she turned towards the chattering customers and said to them "Fillies and gentlecolts! I am designer and couturier Rarity Belle, or Rarity for short. I'd like to welcome you – once again – to the grand opening of Canterlot Carousel!" she said with a nervous laugh "And I'm thrilled that you are all here to see my newest collection inspired by this regal city!" As she spoke those words, Sassy Saddles used her magic to lift the various dresses into the air. The crowd started to let out oohs and aahs in excitement, as photographer cameras clicked away. The noise of both was soon drowned out, as music began to fill the boutique. Rarity was a bit jealous of Sassy's impressive feat, but quickly forgot all about when she descended the steps of the stage and came face to face with a blueish green coated unicorn stallion, with a wavy two tone gray mane and tail cut short. He had a red plaid scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, and his blue eyes were obscured by a pair of red titned sun glasses with bright white frames. His cutie mark was a trio of stars. "Greetings, Rarity!" the stallion said eagerly "I'm-" "-Fashion Plate of Cosmare magazine!" Rarity exclaimed "I'm so honored that Cosmare is willing to do a piece on the grand opening of my boutique!" "Well, when Sassy Saddles calls, saying she's found the latest and greatest in fashion, we hightail without fail!" Fashion Plate boasted "Now, what can you tell us about this marevolus collection you've assembled?!" "Oh, uh, it's offically called 'Rarity's Royal Regalia'." Rarity told Fashion Plate. It was always easier to slip into the zone when designing dresses, or telling someone how you made them. Fashion Plate gasped "Royally radiant!" he exclaimed. Rarity went on with her explanation, as Sassy Saddles used her magic to provide the necessary backdrops to compliment Rarity's narration. "My favorite part of being a designer is finding my inspiration, and that really wasn't difficult when it came to Canterlot," Rarity told the gathered crowd "Everywhere I looked, the royal city just spoke to me! I call it 'In-spire-ation'." Quite a few ponies in the crowd began to ooh at such a statement, as they witnessed a dress that had a design similar to the ones seen in the castle spires, be moved onto the stage for display. All thanks to Sassy Saddles. "Genius! Simply genius!" Fashion Plate said eagerly as he lifted his sunglasses up, while snapping dozens of photos with his camera. "I spent hours upon hours by the lily pond on the castle grounds, which inspired this gown – 'Water Filly'!" Rarity went on, as another dress replaced the one that had been standing behind her. This one had an aqua blue colored front half with bubbles, reeds, and small roses, while the back half was as green as a leaf and had a few bubbles on it. The two halves were joined at the hip by a small flower like fold. As Rarity was speaking, the background changed to match the dress. The crowd oohed once again, as their excitement rose. Fashion Plate's did as well. "Oh, the whimsy!" he casually remarked. With help from Sassy Saddles, Rarity had no trouble explaining her "Royal Regalia" to the gathered crowd, in addition to "In-spire-ation' and 'Water Filly', Rarity had dresses designed after Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The dresses were titled 'Tripping The Light' and 'Over The Moon' respectively, and both attracted a huge amount of attention (especially from Fashion Plate). But it was 'The Princess Dress' that had the mouths of everyone present dropping open in shock and surprise. Twilight moddled it to perfection, as she trotted down the stairs and past the crowd of ponies, as the spotlight shined on her. "Rarity, I want to be the first pony to congratulate you!" Fashion Plate exclaimed, as he looked at the dress "The grand finale of this grand opening is a dress that is guaranteed to ensure Canterlot Carousel's success! This event is going to make a fabulous article for Cosmare, probably even headlining news! Your name and face will be all over Canterlot, I gurantee it!" Meanwhile, Sassy Saddles was already wasting no time in drumming up publicity for the dresses. "We'll be sure to send out a catalog within the week. And the best part is, these dresses will sell for a price you'll all find to be very reasonable." When the opening ceremonies were over, and the crowds had dispersed, Sassy Saddles quickly put the collection of dresses back on the display stand (making sure to put "The Princess Dress" in the center so that it would stand out more). Meanwhile, Twilight was talking with Rarity about a concern that had come to the young princess' mind. "Rarity, Sassy completely and totally stepped on your hooves back there!" Twilight complained "She was the one running everything, all you did was follow her leads and explain about your dresses." "Twilight, Sassy Saddles did nothing of the sort!" Rarity angry replied "I got nervous when I saw that huge crowd of ponies waiting outside, and I found myself at a loss for words. If Sassy hadn't stepped in, I would have made a complete fool of myself and the grand opening would've been ruined." "Maybe so, but you just agreed with her to rename the signature dress of your collection," Twilight added "I know how much you loved 'The Reign in Stain' and I thought it was a fitting name." "I understand you're concerned about Sassy, Twilight," Rarity realized "But she has every right to inform me of the results of her research, and make suggestions as needed. If she believes 'The Reign in Stain' is too complicated to explain, and she has the research to prove it, I'm going to trust her judgement. After all, the next piece of the pattern is The Success of the Signature Dress." "And it's quite simple," Sassy Saddles explained, walking over to Twilight "Market research helps us figure out what ponies and non-ponies want, and then we give it to them. Sure, we push all our dresses from the collection so we don't flood the market too soon. But if one dress stands out from the rest, it becomes a guranteed money maker. That way, even if the other dresses don't sell well, we can still make a profit and keep the boutique running." "Well, Rarity's Royal Regalia is amazing," Twilight commented "And I do appreciate a pony that understands the importance of research. But I learned the hard way that research only gets you so far, and there are times when you won't be able to develop the necessary data." "Twilight, I assure you that Sassy and I are well aware of that fact." Rarity said kindly. "But my only goal right now, is for Canterlot Carousel to succeed. That's why I changed the name, and that is why I made such a strong push for the dress to stand out. Thanks to me, you can bet your saddle that everypony seemed to love the Princess Dress!" Sassy promised. "I will make sure that I sew my very best to provide each and every individual a Royal Regalia dress full of TLC, regardless of what they order," Rarity reassured Twilight, and changed the subject "You were a big help in promoting the signature dress, and for that I thank you." "I hope you weren't planning to make me a full fledged model for the Princess Dress," Twilight joked "Because that would be bad." "How bad exactly?" Rarity asked. "'I'd have to throw you and Sassy in the dungeon' kind of bad." Twilight replied, which caused her, Rarity, and Sassy Saddles all to laugh. A few days passed uneventfully, as Canterlot Carousel offically opened for business, and Rarity and Sassy waited for the order forms to be delivered. When at last they did, Rarity was quite overwhelmed and nearly fainted right on the spot. "One hundred and twenty five orders?! All at one time?!" Rarity exclaimed. "And exactly one hundred of them are for the Princess Dress, just as the pattern predicted," Sassy Saddles boasted "That's not going to be a problem, is it?" "It's just too much too soon!" Rarity protested "It would take even a team of highly skilled sewers days to complete the orders, and we don't have that kind of budget. It'll take a week and a half to finish all the Princess Dress orders, and at least three more days after that to complete the rest." Sassy Saddles gasped "Are you actually saying we should... cancel all these orders?!" she remarked "That would be a public relations nightmare!" "Uh, n-no, Sassy," Rarity nervously stammered "Promises were made, and it wouldn't be right to go back on them now. These orders are my responsibility. All I have to do is stick to my plan so I can deliver each and every dress in accordance with my Rules of Rarity! But, if possible, try not to take on anymore orders without asking me first." "Satin and silk, Rarity, I'll try my best." Sassy Saddles promised. "Good, then I'll leave you to deal with any customers that come into the shop," Rarity told Sassy "I will require absolute concentration when I am 'In The Zone'. We certainly can't afford to make mistakes." "No we cannot." Sassy Saddles nodded, as Rarity retreated to her workshop within the boutique. Pretty soon, Rarity was hard at work making the dresses. And as she often did, Rarity sang a little song to herself to help pass the time. And it went something like this: The rules of Rarity, guaranteed quality This I can assure For each and every dress I vow to give finesse With time, love, and couture. It didn't take long for her to begin to fantasize about what she hoped to accomplish in Canterlot, and why she had decided to become a dress maker to begin with. And this fantasy worked its way into her song: My favorite moment's when a pony sees it That special gown that she just adores That pony's now in style My hard work's all worthwhile Oh, yes, it makes my heart My heart just soar. The days flew by pretty quickly once Rarity started to focus on making the dresses. But it didn't take long for more orders to come in, and unfortunately many of them seemed to be for the Princess Dress only. Even with her secret of switching the gem stones around on each Princess Dress, Rarity couldn't help but grow unhappy. It pained her very much to see the parts of her collection (which she had worked just as hard on) be ignored in favor of the signature dress. And this unhappiness seeped its way into her song, which began to sound like this: The rules of Rarity, just a parody No dress here's unique The panels all the same Each colored windowpane I fashion only makes me want to shriek! Dress making slowly stopped being fun for Rarity, as more and more orders for the Princess Dress flowed in (the other dresses still occasionally got an order, but those were becoming increasingly rare). One day, with a sigh, Rarity stopped in the middle of sewing and laid her head down on her desk. By now, her song was starting to sound more like this: Oh, to create would give me elation To feel once again some inspiration Come on now, Rarity Give me some clarity Time for your couture love to rule! Suddenly, as if in answer to her pleas, Rarity spotted a pile of new gemstones that had not yet been touched. Their radiant glow was enough to give Rarity an idea. They would make a fine addition to the next batch of Princess Dresses, and as she worked them into each one she sang happily to herself: The rules of Rarity, guaranteed quality All can see it's true These new gems add such flair Their beauty can't compare This old style suddenly gleams anew. Just as Rarity put the finishing touches on the fifth to last Princess Dress, the door bell rang. Seconds later, Sassy Saddles came trotting into the workshop with a few more order forms. "The Princess Dress is really selling, I don't think the fashion world has seen anything like it!" she exclaimed happily "It's too bad I can't say the same for the other dresses. I've been trying my hardest to push them, but practically nopony wants to wear them." "I've noticed," Rarity remarked glumly, then her mood changed as she asked Sassy Saddles "Is that the customer who ordered this Princess Dress?" Sassy Saddles nodded, but said to Rarity "I'll take care of her. You keep working on the dresses." Rarity plucked up courage "Uh, actually, I'd love to see her reaction to this particular dress." "Paisley and poplin, Rarity, look at all the orders you still have to finish, and you want to take a break? Now?" Sassy Saddles remarked "You're behind as it is, and I'm certainly no sewer," then a thought came to her "What are you up to, Rarity?" "Well, it's just that I made some really lovely changes to this dress—" Rarity began. Sassy's eyes briefly widened to the size of dinner plates in surprise "You did what?!" she remarked. "I know it's a big change in comparison to just swapping around the gem stones locations with every dress," Rarity replied "But I was getting bored of each dress ultimately being the same. That's not what I intended." Sassy's surprised state quickly became replaced by one of panic. "But every Princess Dress was supposed to be exactly the same! That's what I advertised in the catalogue!" Now it was Rarity's turn to act surprised "Sassy, that was never supposed to be a thing! Each dress was supposed to be different!" "Well, it's too late now, I'm afraid," Sassy said angrily "Even if I start advertising this 'fact', most ponies will have already been expecting a Princess Dress just like the one they saw Princess Twilight wearing. We're going to be flooded with letters demanding a refund and a new dress, a mistake that will cost us millions!" "Relax, Sassy," Rarity reassured her "I don't think anypony will mind it, or at least I'm sure most ponies won't mind it. These gems just spoke to me." Sassy wasn't convinced "You think so?" she said with a slight growl "Fine then. Go see her reaction for all I care. And if I'm wrong, feel free to rub it in my face about how I was wrong! Just don't come crying to me if it turns out I'm right!" "I think I will!" Rarity said with a hmph, and stormed out of the workshop with the Princess Dress in tow. She made sure to take some deep breaths and put on a sincere smile for the customer though. "Hello, and welcome to Canterlot Carousel!" she said to a unicorn mare who had a pinkish white coat, a two tone pinkish-red mane and tail, and a cutie mark depicting two strawberries. "I am so pleased to present to you your—" Rarity went on, but was cut off when the mare snatched up the dress with her magic. "Princess Dress! Finally!" The mare remarked eagerly "Everypony's been simply gushing about getting this ever since they saw Princess Twilight wearing it on your—", then the mare noticed the gems on the dress were a different color from how they had been depicted on the cover of the catalogue "Wait a minute. There's something different about this one." she said with a hint of anger. Rarity gulped, but tried her best to reman confident "Well as an artist, I did take the liberty to change a few minor details," she confessed "I saw these gems glistening in the light, and they just spoke to me. Aren't they lovely? And so unique! Every dress has always been a little bit different, but this one is part of a 'limited edition'." The mare sighed, and frowned "Well, they are unique, but they're not what I ordered! I was expecting a dress just like the one Princess Twilight was wearing. Otherwise, I'll be sure to tell everypony just what kind of second rate shop this is! Understand?" Rarity's heart sank, Sassy Saddles had been right after all. "Y-Yes, of course," she told the mare, as she admitted defeat "I'll get right on it. This dress won't cost you a thing." Upon returning to her workshop, Rarity didn't bother to look at Sassy Saddles. She simply set to work on undoing her "mistake" and sewing the correct dress for her customer. Determined to avoid any future "mistakes" Rarity gave up trying to make her vision work, and made every dress exactly as Sassy Saddles wanted it. But now her passion for dress making had left her, and on many days you could hear in her workshop singing unhappily to herself: The rules of Rarity Once stood for something But now it feels just like some factory Now every dress I make With every flaw and mistake Oh, how it makes my heart My heart just break. The days passed slowly, as Rarity unhappily occupied herself with making Princess Dress after Princess Dress. Nopony seemed interested in any of the other dresses anymore, at least that's how it seemed to Rarity. At long last, just when Rarity thought she could take no more, she was able to put the finishing touches on the last of the Princess Dresses. All the orders were complete. That was when Sassy Saddles came trotting into Rarity's workshop, in contrast to her business partner, Sassy Saddles was incredibly cheerful and upbeat. "Well, bless my bowties, Rarity!" Sassy Saddles exclaimed, upon seeing Rarity's work "You've managed to complete all two hundred orders for the Princess Dress, and sooner than I expected!" "Yes, it's not like I had anything better to do with my time." Rarity glumly remarked. Sassy Saddles quickly took notice of Rarity's depressed state of mind, and with a smile she said to her "Cheer up, I have a special surprise for you! I know you're going to love it! You remember Fashion Plate, right?" "The photographer from Cosmare? Of course I do, he has a presence that's hard to forget." Rarity replied. Sassy Saddles smiled "Well, he finally got around to putting the finshing touches on the exlcusive story covering Canterlot Carousel's grand opening. You're headlining news for the latest issue of Cosmare, which just hit the stands a short time ago." Rarity read the title printed on the magazine cover "'Canterlot's newest rising star'?" Sassy Saddles nodded "And thanks to that magazine, we've already got orders for one hundred more princess dresses. There are a few orders for some of the other dresses, but I'm afraid we might have to discontinue them at this rate. They just aren't selling." Rarity looked at the order forms, the stack of already completed princess dresses, and the magazine cover that Sassy Saddles was holding. Then, she weakly muttered to herself "I'm on the cover of Cosmare... I run one of the most popular and successful dress shops in all of Canterlot... I've gotten everything I could've ever wanted.. and yet I feel miserable!" Sassy Saddles scoffed Rarity's remark "How could you possibly be miserable? My pattern is perfect! Thanks to me, Canterlot Carousel's clinetle is growing at an explosive rate. It won't be long before we have the entire city flocking to us for dresses! Cosmare Cover Pony – done, and in record time! We have our signature gown, the Princess Dress of Success!" "But I don't want to make another hundred Princess Dresses!" Rarity protested "In fact, I never want to see another Princess Dress as long as I live!" "That's why I have a piece for that!" Sassy Saddles explained, unfolding the pattern "Assemble the Assembly Line! You'll never have to sew again, won't that be nice?" Rarity was shocked at such a statement "What?! No!" she protested "You're treating this place as if it were a factory! You can't run dresses through an assembly line, it doesn't work like that!" "Oh, but it will!" Sassy Saddles insisted "With it in place, we can keep cranking out Princess Dresses forever, and every so often we can swap the gems around to make it new! Canterlot Carousel will never close! Sassy Saddles will finally have a successful boutique!" "That is it! This has gone far enough!" Rarity shouted angrily to Sassy "You are forgetting, that this is not your boutique! I hired you to help me manage it, not to take complete charge of everything! But if this is what success in Canterlot requires, then I want no part of it! By the power invested in me as the owner of this shop, I'm offically closing down Canterlot Carousel, whether you like it or not! Now, make up flyers for a going-out-of-business sale!" And with that, Rarity stormed out of her workshop, snatching up Sassy Saddles' pattern and ripping it apart for good measure. Sassy Saddles was horrified, and began to protest "No! You can't do this, Rarity! I-I've worked too hard to make this a success! I can't be a part of another failed boutique! Please, I'll do anything, but don't close Canterlot Carousel!" But her plea fell on deaf ears, as Rarity slammed the workshop door shut. "You can just stay in there until I figure out what to do with you. Be thankful I haven't decided to already fire you!" Rarity called from the other side of the door. She then trotted over to the closet that she had seen Sassy stuff the other dresses from the 'Royal Regalia' in when she had decided they weren't worth displaying. Fortunately, they were all still in good shape. "Oh, don't you look lovely?" Rarity said to one of the dresses, as she moved it onto the display stand and put the Princess Dress away "Nice to see you out here again." Once Rarity had finished moving the remaining dresses from her collection into the places where she felt they would be best noticed, she looked out the window, and saw that a crowd had already gathered for the closing down sale. With a sigh, Rarity reluctantly went over to the door, opened it and said to the customers "Welcome to the going-out-of-business sale of Canterlot Carousel." Despite the fact that the shop would close soon (or perhaps because of that fact) the crowd of ponies wasted no time as they dashed into the shop and began to look around. Immediately, they were surprised by the variety of dresses offered to them. "Hey, is this Princess Dress on sale?" one mare asked Rarity. Rarity immediately shook her head "Oh, no, I'm teribbly sorry, the Princess Dress has been offically discontinued. But there are plenty of other lovely dresses on sale today. Feel free to have a look around." "Whoa. This dress completely speaks to my soul," said a blueish-gray coated unicorn mare with a midnight blue mane and tail styled into one long curl on her left side, green eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a purple heart. Her attention had been captured by the dress inspired by Princess Luna "Can I try it on?" she asked Rarity. "But of course," Rarity replied with a smile "The dressing room is right back there." Meanwhile, a peach coated unicorn mare with a bright yellow mane and tail loosely trimmed, bright orange eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a star with a few rays bouncing off it, looked at the dress inspired by Princess Celestia and cheerfully exclaimed "Oh my gosh! This is the most amazing of amazing dresses! Just looking at it brightens my day! I have got to try it on!" "By all means, do so." Rarity said cheerfully. Just seconds later, a white coated unicorn mare with purple eyes hidden behind a pair of blue glasses, a two-tone light pink mane styled into a series of waves, and a cutie mark depicting a stool with an arrow through it asked Rarity "Do you still have this In-spire-ation dress that's in the new issue of Cosmare? Everyone told me you stopped making it." "Well, lucky for you that is not the case," Rarity said proudly "We still have a few left." "Bats in the belfry! I have to try it on!" the mare exclaimed, as she picked up the dress with her magic. The dressing room soon had a long line of ponies waiting eagerly to try on the various dresses from "Rarity's Royal Regalia", and Rarity had more customers than she knew what to do with. "How can I have forgotten?" Rarity said to herself, as she felt her passion return "This is what I've been dreaming about!" And she began to sing to herself: My favorite moment's when a pony sees it That special gown that she just adores That pony's now in style My hard work's all worthwhile Oh, yes, it makes my heart My heart just soar! Now feeling geuinely happy for the first time in what felt like forever, Rarity cleared her throat and declared proudly "Attention, everyone! It is my great pleasure to announce that Canterlot Carousel will not be closing after all!" The crowd cheered wildly at such a statement, before the blueish-gray coated mare from earlier asked flataly "But this stuff's still on sale, right?" "Yes, yes, of course." Rarity giggled. Then a thought came to her "I may have been a bit too hard on Sassy Saddles. At the least, I should go let her ot now, and see if she's learned her lesson." Rarity trotted over to her workshop, and slowly opened the door. There stood Sassy Saddles, looking rather glum. All the princess dresses had been tossed into the trash, alongside Sassy's torn up pattern. "Oh, Rarity, I'm so sorry," Sassy Saddles apologized, practically throwing herself at Rarity's legs "Really, I am. I focused on that one dress, and the rest of 'Rarity's Royal Regalia' paid the price for it." "So did the Princess Dress," Rarity said flatly "The more I sold, the more each dress lost its time, love, and couture, becoming terrible, lackluster, and common." "Please, Rarity, give me a chance to redeem myself," Sassy Saddles pleaded "I want to make up for almost ruining your dream. I never intended for any of this to happen, honest." "Well, why don't you go help that mare over there?" Rarity suggested, pointing a hoof towards a sea-green coated unicorn mare with violet eyes, an orange mane and tail with an orange-ish red skunk stripe, and a cutie mark depicting a small mirror and make-up locket. "But, I've never done anything without a pattern before." Sassy protested. "Then think of this as a chance to learn how to do without it," Rarity replied firmly "Patterns aren't everything, not even in business." And she shoved Sassy Saddles towards the customer before Sassy could get out a word in protest. "Oh, finally," the mare said to Sassy "I've been looking through all the dresses in this rack, and they're all lovely. But none of them speak to me. Are there any other dresses I could maybe have a look at?" "Perhaps you would be interested in a Princess Dress?" Sassy Saddles suggested, pulling out the one from the closet "This is the only one left, but it's still on sale. I'd take it if I were you, it's practically a steal!" The mare looked at the Princess Dress, and immediately pushed it aside "It totally clashes with my complexion," she protested, then her eyes beheld a dress resting in Rarity's workshop. The incomplete dress that Rarity had never gotten around to working on "Ooh! What about that one?!" the mare asked Sassy " It's exactly what I've been dreaming of!" "Are you sure you want that?" Sassy asked "It's not complete." "I don't care, it completely speaks to me!" the mare insisted "I want it, and I won't take no for an answer!" "Then, I guess it's all yours," Sassy replied "I'll have Rarity finish it for you, and send it to your doorstep when it's finished." "Does it have a name?" the mare asked Sassy. Sassy paused for a moment, as she struggled to recall where Rarity had said the inspiration for the dress had come from. Then, she told the mare "It's called 'The Fountain of Truth'! And it won't cost you a bit!" "Oh, thank you! Thank you SO much!" the mare replied, and trotted happily away. Rarity smiled, she had oberseved the whole thing from a distance. "You did well, Sassy. I couldn't have done a better job myself." "I think I finally understand the Rules of Rarity..." Sassy Saddles said, before she frowned and reluctantly added "and will apply them at my next job, assuming I find one. Feel free to mention how horrible I was, I deserve no less after what I did." "I beg your pardon?" Rarity asked "You may have made some mistakes, but I did too. We should've both communicated more clearly about what we wanted, and come to an agreement about who was to do what, and how it would be done." "But, I'm the one who ruined everything. I'm the one who got so swept up in my pattern, that I failed to realize I was ruining your artistic vision in the name of success." Sassy protested. "The whole point of opening this shop in Canterlot, and hiring you to manage it, was to test my Rules of Rarity and see if my vision could work with other ponies and in other locations," Rarity explained "I am happy to report that, despite a few bumps in the road, the test is a success. The Rules of Rarity are only to be applied at Carousel Boutique, Canterlot Carousel, and any expansions. Which is why you must continue to manage the boutique while I'm in Ponyville." "Ponyville?" Sassy Saddles asked. Rarity nodded "It was never my intent to stay in Canterlot, Ponyville will always be my home based no matter what. I'll still come to Canterlot with new designs and to see the customers of course. The entire reason why I waited so long to open a second boutique, was because I was waiting until I had found a suitable business partner. And in you, I have found just that." Sassy Saddles could hardly contain her excitement. "Bobbins and bodkins, Rarity! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she proceeded to grab Rarity, and shake her vigorously. When at last, Sassy had calmed down, she said to Rarity "And I promise to run everything following your rules, you have my word on that." "I would expect nothing less." Rarity said with a smile. Just then, a massive unicorn mare came trotting into the boutique. "Oh, my gosh, a sale!" she remarked "Do you have the Princess Dress by any chance?!" Rarity and Sassy were both silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. They had never seen anypony quite so heavy (even Bulk Biceps never looked as fat as the mare wandering around the boutique). Then, they both said at the same time "No!", before they found themselves unable to keep from laughing. Rarity still speaks quite highly of Sassy, who continues to run Canterlot Carousel according to The Rules of Rarity. Every so often, Rarity comes to Canterlot to help Sassy out, and it was during one of these visits that Rarity found herself having to defend Rainbow Dash's reputation with The Wonderbolts when she was accused of a crime she didn't commit. But that's another story.