• Published 13th Jun 2013
  • 919 Views, 34 Comments

Rarity's Dilemma - Twi-Guy



Everypony knows that Rarity is the spirit of generosity. Everypony knows that Rarity is also a fashion designer. What everypony doesn’t know however, is that in a world where clothes are viewed as “unnecessary, and a waste of time and mo

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The spa

Rarity burst through the front door of Carousel Boutique, turned and immediately locked it. With a girlish squee, she closed the curtains, casting the first floor in a deep purple hue. She glanced at the clock and her scheduling book to make sure she had a decent block of free time ahead. Satisfied, she took a quick breath and cast the focusing spell Twilight taught her. Her eyes closed, then tightened as her brow began to sweat. The magic began to release from her horn, working it’s way around Rarity’s body. Swirls of blue and white energy intertwined and surrounded Rarity. Once the two tails met she worked the magic to form a ball around herself. The magic entered Rarity’s body and slowed her physically and transferred the energy to her mind.

Time seemed to speed up and slow simultaneously as Rarity felt her body slowly weakening. She allowed the familiar sensations tingle up her spine as she layed back on her sofa and closed her eyes as the world around her slowly turned black.

Rarity awoke some hours later, letting the magic leave her. After a moment of deep breathing she opened her eyes with a snap. Her horn sparked and various fabric supplies filled the air. They moved about like angry hornets, obeying Rarity’s every command quickly and precisely. Standing in the eye of the storm, Rarity laughed out loud and ignored the slight twitch in her eye as she directed the fabrics as if they were grand avalanches. Cloths cascaded from the shelves and were funneled towards the sewing machines which spat used spools about the room. Scissors moved with such speed and grace that they created a little song as the air resonated with their movements. The accenting fabric was simultaneously situated on the drawing board, letting the various markers forever stain the rich fabric.

Rarity sat with bloodshot eyes and veins throbbing in the middle of the chaos. Her mane looked disheveled from the amount of heat and static her magic was generating. Her eyes constantly twitched and her pupils began to shrink ever so slightly. Rarity paused for a moment and double checked all of her measurements, talking to herself as she did so in hushed whispers. Satisfied with her work so far she wasted no time and brought in the manikins. The various pieces of cut cloth descended upon them before they came to rest on the floor.

The needles weaved the thread through the cloth effortlessly and relentlessly, bringing together Rarity’s latest masterpiece. The tiniest bead of sweat began to form on her brow but she ignored it, laughing out loud as she crafted four sets of custom made working clothes. Time was meaningless to her, the only thing that mattered were the clothes and her desperate desire to finish them.

The creations slowly began to bear fruit as Rarity stitched the fabric together. AppleJack’s work clothes were the first to be finished and featured long denim legs with special hoof shoes. Big Mac’s were designed with a strong yet light fabric that would whisk away sweat and allowed for extra padding in key places. Granny Smith’s didn’t really have anything special, but Rarity supposed it was the thought that counted more than anything and that made her clothes special. Sweetie Belle’s was a combination between AJ’s and Big Mac’s except instead of extra padding Rarity added a small backpack that could hold water to help keep the little filly cool while working. Rarity paused and took a step back to admire her work and was pleased with how practical she made everything. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind made left her thinking that something was missing. She pondered it for a moment and suddenly she knew what was missing. In a burst of creativity she levitated two bow ties and a matching bandana. She placed the bow ties on the two mare’s outfits and let the bandana hang from the neck of Mac’s. She took a quick look and decided that, while the outfits were not properly fitted, they were finished to her satisfaction.

The bulk of her work completed, Rarity released the magic that allowed her to focus. Nothing seemed to happen at first but slowly a bluish aura started to leave her body like so much excess heat. The magic only left her for a few seconds but the effect was immediately noticeable. Her once crisp eyes had a dull and lazy look about them and her mane was noticeably frazzled. It didn’t take long to notice that she had lost several pounds in the process and her rib cage was slightly more noticeable than before. The next thing she noticed was a peculiar smell, one that she knew of but one that never came from her. It almost smelled like... hard work. Upon this realization there was only one logical conclusion that was as inevitable as it was unavoidable, it was time for a spa date.

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Fluttershy was outside enjoying the sunshine and wonderful sounds of nature in her modest garden. She hummed to herself while she collected some herbs that she planned on using for her dinner. Her hooves lightly caressed the leaves and she inhaled the sweet scents left behind. As Fluttershy worked her way through the garden she paused every once in awhile to pull out the stray weeds which seemed to spread like wildfire. Taking extra care she dug her hooves into the soft, cool soil and gently dug the roots from the nurturing earth. She placed them into her saddlebag and yawned. She glanced up at the sun to get a rough estimate of the time and turned back to her garden with a sense of tranquility. She wiped the small amount of sweat from her brow and continued her work, pausing every few minutes to sample some of the delicious berries growing nearby.

Fluttershy picked several berries and savored their flavor as she worked them over in her mouth. A soft pat on her hind leg startled her a bit as her cheeks turned to a delightful shade of rose.

“Oh, Angel, you startled me. I’m sorry that I didn’t brush your coat like I promised, but now isn't a good time.”

Angel tapped Fluttershy again while making some distinctly feminine motions with his hips and pointed towards the front gate. Fluttershy just looked at him, trying for the life of her to understand what got into that rabbit. Seeing that he clearly wasn’t getting through to her, Angel tried again only this time he ruffled his coat and started digging up the entire garden, pausing every so often when he dug up a large rock. He hugged it and let his eyes light up dramatically as he gave it a kiss. He then pointed urgently towards the front gate. Fluttershy only stared at him, completely at a loss as to what kind of illness angel could possibly have, let alone what kind of medication could treat it.

“Ok Angel, that’s a very nice game you made but I think it’s time to go inside and take a nap.”

Angel face pawed and decided to take a more direct route and started pushing Fluttershy to the front gate.

“Now now Angel, I understand you need your exercise but I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Why don’t you try pushing one of your rocks instead?”

Fluttershy moved the leg Angel was pushing on and immediately he face planted into the dirt. He bounced back up and dusted himself off and jumped on top of Fluttershy’s head. He grabbed at her hair, taking two large strands and jerked them towards the front gate. Fluttershy’s front hoofs obeyed and moved in sync with Angel’s commands. Fluttershy tried to get her legs back under her but they wouldn’t stay still. She swayed and tumbled towards the gate while making a pretty good impression of a drunken sailor. Angel sighed in relief as Fluttershy saw what he had been so desperately trying to communicate. He hopped off Fluttershy’s head, gave a quick salute and scurried off into the bushes, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Fluttershy in his wake.

She quickly regained her composure as a slightly unsightly Rarity urgently approached her.

“Fluttershy, good news. I Finally finished AppleJack’s work clothes hehe, and it only took four hours. A new personal best.”

“Oh, well I see...”

“You wouldn’t believe how quickly it all happened. Why just over two hours ago I came out of the trance spell Twilight taught me and”

“What’s a trance spell?”

“everything simply flashed before my eyes. I knew exactly what to do and it flowed so smoothly. You do understand my limits with magic? I was able to”

“Well, sort of but not really.”

“effectively double the amount of things I could levitate and”

“Um... Rarity?

“the precision of the stitches were just so easy it’s like”

“you look a little... off today. Are you alright?”

“I wasn’t even trying. Oh, what was that? Yes I do seem rather down in the dumps. Nothing a quick spa date couldn’t fix, right?

“Oh, well... you see... now isn’t”

“Please?”

“exactly the best time. I have a lot”

“Pretty please?”

“of food to prepare for dinner tonight and I”

“Please please please pleeaassseee?”

“just don’t think I have the time right now.”

Rarity gave Fluttershy a convincing puppy dog stare knowing that it was only a matter of time before a Fluttershy would give in. She held the stare for a few seconds and gauged her resistance and seeing weakness, she intensified her efforts substantially. Another few seconds and she would all but have Fluttershy in her hoof. Putting on the final show was all too easy. All she had to do was quiver her lip a bit and widen her eyes as large as possible and three, two, one...

“Oh, alright. I go to the spa with you. I do feel a little dirty after working in the garden.”

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“Fluttershy, you simply must try this massage. It’s simply divine.”

“Oh, well... I would love to. It’s just that I don’t have the bits for something like that right now.”

“Nonsense darling, I have more than enough bits for both of us.”

“Well, if you’re sure you can afford it then I would be happy to try a massage.”

Fluttershy smiled as she relaxed on the couch and gave a small sigh of pleasure as Lotus’s hoofs worked around her wings. She was soo caught up in the massage that it took her a moment to realize Rarity had been talking to her the last few minutes.

“and then Sweetie Belle managed to cover her entire room in glitter.”

“Oh, that sounds messy. I remember this one time that Angel-”

“Then her friends came over and somehow Applejack convinced me it was a good idea to go to the farm. I can’t even mention how dirty I felt and my hoofs were completely ruined.”

“But you hate physical labor. How did you manage to get through it?”

“Well, I used magic to help speed things along.”

“Oh, my. You do know that’s bad for the trees, right?”

“Well... yes, but my hoofs were practically bleeding. Surely you understand?”

Fluttershy looked at Rarity’s hoofs and rolled her eyes slightly. “Of course I understand, but you should have just told Applejack. I’m sure she would have found something else for you to do.”

Aloe and Lotus were putting the finishing touches on the massages while Quake began setting up the hoof soaks. Aloe and Lotus finished the massages and guided Rarity and Fluttershy towards the shelf which held the various treatments for the soak. Rarity simply walked past without giving the shelf a first glance and simply said “The usual.” Aloe was in the process of mixing the various salts and oils for Rarity when she noticed Fluttershy staring meekly at the shelf. She paused and looked up a Fluttershy and offered her a friendly smile but went back to her work when she saw Fluttershy look away and hide herself in her mane. Fluttershy looked back at the various bottles when she felt Aloe was concentrating on the salts. A moment later, Lotus approached Fluttershy and was about to tell her the hoof bath was ready but paused when she saw the perplexed look on her face.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

“Oh, well... I was uh, just looking... and I think I will just skip this part... if that’s ok with you?”

“It’s not a problem at all, but if you change your mind just let one of us know ok?”

“Oh nonsense,” Rarity called from the other room. “Fluttershy, you must try the bath salts. They are utterly magnificent. Lotus, could you be a dear and put whatever Fluttershy selects on my tab?”

“If that is your desire, then it shall be done.” Lotus then turned to Fluttershy and indicated the shelf of luxurious hoof treatments. “Have you made a decision, or should I come back in a few minutes?”

Fluttershy hadn’t made a decision. In fact, she didn’t even know how to pronounce half of the words she was reading. But she didn’t want to fall too far behind Rarity and so she simply pointed to a random bottle that she hoped wasn’t the most expensive and watched as Lotus pulled it from the shelf.

“If you would kindly follow me, Aloe will prepare your selection while I prepare your hoofs. This way please.” Fluttershy followed without making a sound and was escorted into the next room where Quake was working on Rarity’s hoofs. Lotus indicated where she would like Fluttershy to sit and began to lightly file away the calloused skin.

“Thank you Rarity, I wasn’t expecting to get to try the bath salts. I hope I didn’t put you too far back with my choices.”

“Not at all dear. But where were we?”

“Something about your hoofs?”

“Oh right. Well naturally Applejack caught me using magic and I felt awful so I decided to make her entire family a brand new set of work clothes, as an offer of forgiveness. In fact, I was planning on making the delivery right after the spa treatment. Would you like to come with? I can’t wait to see the surprised look on their faces when I show up with my latest creations.”

“Well, I don’t think I can. I was planning a special dinner tonight and it needs a lot of time to properly cook. I just don’t think I’ll have enough time to do both today. You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course I understand. I dabble a bit in cooking myself and there are countless stories I could tell you where my impatience got the better of me.”

Quake and Lotus finished the final touches on their hoofacures and without so much as interrupting the conversation they made it clear that the hoof soaks were ready. Rarity took the lead and Fluttershy followed behind her. Quake indicated which tub belonged to who while Lotus made her way to the front of the shop. Quake disappeared behind one of the many curtains when she saw that the two guests were enjoying their soaks.

“Oh, well... I’m glad you understand. I was wondering how the dress is going. You know, the one I modeled for you.”

“Well, it’s sitting in front of the store, but nopony has seemed overly interested in it yet. That is understandable because it’s only been a few days and I have been a little busy with Sweetie Belle and making the Apple’s work clothes. Perhaps it is time to start marketing to other towns.”

“It’s ok Rarity, I was only curious.”

“Nonsense. You have the right to know how the sales are going. I admit, they are rather slow at the moment, but nothing a quick advertisment can’t fix.”

“You don’t have to do all of that for me. Whatever you want to do is fine.”

“Oh but I must, otherwise I couldn’t enjoy the simple pleasures in life.” (zoom out for luxurious spa, complete with golden toilet ^^)

“Well, if you say so.”

The girls enjoyed a moment of silence. Rarity sighed contently and let her mind wander through some possible dress designs while Fluttershy began to melt into her spa. Her eyes started to get heavy and she snapped awake several times before she stopped worrying about it and let her body slowly find the bottom of the tub. Rarity was about to tell Fluttershy about an adorable thing Spike had done for her but stopped and smiled gently when she saw how relaxed her friend was.

She couldn’t help but giggle when she heard a soft purring coming from Fluttershy. For the first time during the spa date, Rarity decided to take Fluttershy’s lead and found the bottom of the bath. Rarity caressed her cheek against the edge of the tub and let out a soft moan of pleasure. She let her eyes go out of focus and simply enjoyed the faint sounds of trickling water and wind chimes. Rarity could feel her eyes getting heavy, and she didn’t try to fight it, instead she gave herself fully to the bliss and reveled in it.

Rarity was soo relaxed that she didn’t notice when Aloe came in to check on them. Aloe smiled softly to herself, slowly made her way back to the front, and started to ring up the sales on their bit processor. The sounds of the buttons clicking was relaxing in it’s own way and Aloe found a small measure of contentment as she watched the numbers climb. The climax of course was the glorious ring, loud, clear, and it always brought a smile to Aloe’s face. She double checked to make sure everything was correct, paused for dramatic effect, and pulled the handle. The ring resonated throughout the store like it normally did, but for some reason it always seemed sweeter when Rarity’s name was on the bottom of the parchment. She took the papers in her mouth, and with a slight spring in her step, went to go wake Rarity and Fluttershy from their unexpected naps.

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Rarity could literally feel her mind start to slow down and gradually shut down. She decided to turn it into a game, trying to see how close she could come to sleep while still being awake. She was getting quite good at it, allowing her senses to shut down one by one. Rarity was in the middle of a particularly challenging balance between consciousness and sleep when she heard a loud but short ding echoing throughout the whole store. The sound snapped her awake instantly. Her eyes shot wide open and her pupils shrank slightly as her pupils dilated. Rarity jerked her head towards the sound and she blushed slightly at Aloe. Rarity saw the papers in her mouth and knew that her spa date was over. She gave a small signal to Aloe to let her know that she would be along shortly then turned her attention towards Fluttershy.

Rarity rubbed the base of her wings in a pattern that she knew was relaxing. A soft sigh escaped from her lips and her back arched and tensed up as if begging for more. Rarity gave a steadfast sigh and began rubbing harder, digging her hooves into Fluttershy’s muscles in a more determined effort to gently wake her friend. Fluttershy woke with eyes half open and managed a quick “Oh, my...” before her head settled back into it’s original position. Rarity slowed down when she saw that Fluttershy was awake and stopped when she put her head back down.

“Ohh Aloe, please don’t stop.”

“It’s me Fluttershy.”

“Hmmm...”

“Rarity?”

“OH Goodness! Rarity, what are you doing?”

“Trying to wake you up. It seems that you fell asleep in the hoofacure tub.”

Fluttershy gave a slight blush and tried to hide herself in her mane. “I did?”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about darling. I fell asleep too. But, Aloe did come in to give us the bill.”

Fluttershy glanced out the window and checked the time based on the angle of the sun. “I suppose it is getting late.”

“Shall we go?”

“After you.”

The two got up and dried off while laughing at how shriveled their skin looked. Rarity grabbed a towel with her magic and helped Fluttershy with the difficult spots and Fluttershy returned the favor. They deposited their towels in the appropriate bin and helped themselves to the complimentary soaps on their way out. They both trotted towards Aloe who was eagerly awaiting them behind the register. Fluttershy put a small pile of bits on the counter and felt a tad guilty for accepting so many extra treatments from Rarity as she watched her empty her bit pouch and write a check for the rest of the bill. The two then made their way outside and felt the warm glow of the sun on their thoroughly refreshed coats.

“It was good catching up with you Rarity, we really should do this more often.”

“I wish I could, but work has kept me pretty busy lately. Which reminds me, I still need to deliver Applejack’s work clothes.”

“Oh, well don’t let me keep you. Thank you for the spa date... it was nice.”

“You’re very welcome dear, think nothing of it. But I really must be going.”

“Of course. See you later.”

“Ta Ta darling.”

Author's Note:

I would like to think that my writing is improving overall but one thing that still bothers me is the seemingly flat way the characters talk when they go their separate ways. Probably just a by product of my own social awkwardness... oh well. I hope you are enjoying the story.