Date
The door creaked open. Pinkie and Octavia turned their heads and saw their sister trotting to her bed and dropping her saddlebags on it without saying a word. “Hello.” she quietly said after a few seconds, her mind clearly somewhere else.
Octavia leaned on her cello and smiled. “Hello Limestone. Where were you?”
“Oh, I just wanted to take a walk.” replied Limestone, picking up her brush and proceeding to comb her mane, even though she had done it right after waking up, just a few hours ago.
“You’re back on time for lunch!” chirped Pinkie Pie, rolling on her back to face her sister, with her usual large smile. “Mom is making stew and carrots!”
“Yes, she told me we would have lunch shortly.” replied Limestone with her eyes closed. Octavia looked at Pinkie, wondering how right would her little sister be about her twin’s fetish. “What have you been up to?”
“I was telling Pinkie about my cello.” replied Octavia as she put her beloved instrument inside its case. Limestone opened her eyes and gave her sister a questioning look. “I’ve had a few cellos during my career, too many for my taste, and there is a story behind all of them.” she explained with a small smile.
“Vinyl broke one of them! She literally dropped the bass!” said Pinkie with a giggle. “Did you do something interesting, sis?”
“No, not really.” she replied. After a pause, she tilted her head and added. “Well, Steel invited me for dinner tomorrow.”
The gray pony gave a startled bounce when two very loud and simultaneous ‘WHAT?!’ boomed inside the room. She looked to her sisters, eyes wide open and the brush stuck on her mane. “What? What did I say?”
“Steel asked you out?” asked Octavia, who suddenly was much closer than a second ago. “Flint ‘n’ Steel?”
“Uh…no?” mumbled Limestone, confused. “He didn’t say anything of that; he just wanted to have dinner.”
“Then he is!” gasped Pinkie Pie. Limestone turned around and saw her little sister behind her, looming over her with a smile so unnaturally big that the gray pony leaned back, feeling very uncomfortable by her twisted grimace.
“No!” replied Limestone, frowning a bit. “He asked me for dinner, not a date!”
“Oh, sister.” said Octavia, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “You are so naïve. Now, do you know what a date calls for?”
“Uh…it’s not a date.”
Octavia gave her mane a shake. “Answer the question.”
“I…don’t know?”
“A makeover!” said Octavia, chapping her hooves together and barely able to contain her excitement.
***
“Please remind me why we are here.” repeated Limestone for the ninth time since they had left their house.
“Octavia told you two lines ago, silly.” replied Pinkie as she bounced next to her. “A makeover! Which, by the way, it’s a very funny word. I wonder who came up with it.”
“I don’t see why I need a makeover. As soon as we finished lunch, you dragged me here.” grumbled Limestone. That wasn’t even an exaggeration. The instant the gray pony had left her dished on the sink, Octavia had grabbed her hoof and forcedly pulled her towards Gravelpit, with Pinkie bouncing along. “Can’t we do this later? Or, not at all?”
“Of course not.” replied Octavia, gently but firmly. “You must be dashing for your date.”
Limestone huffed. “Again with that. I don’t know what gave you that idea, but I am not dating Steel.” she said with a hint of annoyance.
“Fine, then. You must be dashing for your dinner.” conceded Octavia with an eye roll that Limestone didn’t see. “Still, this is happening.”
“Oh, oh!” Pinkie waved a hoof towards the inn where Vinyl and Octavia was staying. “Can Vinyl tag along?”
The light gray mare let out a relieved sigh. “Yes, please. Maybe she will be able to put some sense into you.” she muttered under her breath.
Octavia gave Pinkie a nod. “Great idea. She’d probably be composing. Go get her, Pinkie. I’ll stay here to make sure Limestone doesn’t run away.” The other mare huffed as an answer.
A few minutes later, two mares emerged from the inn. The first was Pinkie, hopping as usual, but the second wasn’t Vinyl. At least, Limestone didn’t recognize her until she stood in front of her and greeted her with a smile. “W-what?” she stammered. “But-your mane is blue!”
“Ah, yeah.” Vinyl gave her head a shake and smiled smugly. Her messy mane radiated around her head like a cobalt explosion. “I decided to change my look a bit, coz’ nopony is gonna recognize me here.”
One of Limestone’s eyes twitched at her accent, which was missing the time she had dinner with her family. She’s not the same pony. She can’t be.
“Oh, almost forgot.” Vinyl pulled out a box from her saddlebags and extracted a pair of purple shades, which she propped on her muzzle. “There! My look is now complete.” she tilted her head forward and looked at Limestone over her glasses. “Whaddaya think, huh?”
She absolutely is not!
“You can’t be Vinyl.”
The white mare let out a chuckle. “Aha, yeah. Works perfectly. And my brother says I don’t look that different at all.” She walked to Limestone and draped a foreleg over her shoulder. “So, Pinkie told me you have a date.” she said, poking her chest.
“I am just having dinner with a stallion!” fumed Limetsone.
“Sure.” replied Vinyl, nodding. “And, let me guess, he is having you for dessert.”
Limestone’s jaw dropped and she turned a deep shade of crimsom.
***
“It’s been too long!” commented Octavia as the four ponies walked through the streets of Gravelpit. “I barely recognize any store. Everything is in a different place now. For example, I think that used to be a boutique, but now they sell hardware.” she nodded towards the building where she was intending to go. Of course, seeing the purpose of the shop was so different now, the walk had been completely pointless.
“It’s so much easier in Ponyville.” said Pinkie. “You just have to ask anypony where is the Carousel Boutique, and they will tell you. Or, you can just look around, because it actually looks like a carousel. It’s funny how many building in Ponyville have odd shapes!”
“I think Pinkie is right and we should ask somepony.” muttered Vinyl.
“You don’t know any place? You’ve spent in town more time than I.” asked Octavia, looking to her marefriend.
“Nah. I haven’t been buying clothes, y’know?” she replied, shrugging.
Octavia conceded her point with a tilt of her head and trotted forwards to ask a mare that was taking a walk with her foal. After a few questions, the gray pony gave the rest of the group a nod and directed them to the right location, with Limestone lagging behind them.
The shop had a large window that allowed the ponies to see the rows of mannequins and hangers filled with clothes and dresses. If they had happened to walk by, they would have immediately recognized it as a clothing store, if it wasn’t because it was located in a rather untraveled street. However, the mare had enthusiastically recommended the place and Octavia though they wouldn’t lose anything by taking a look.
The four mares crossed the door and entered the sea of clothes, though Pinkie fell behind to poke the small bell that hung over the frame. Octavia almost immediately slided between the racks, carefully studying each piece of clothing, in search of something good for her sister. After a moment of hesitation, Vinyl followed her, well aware that her usefulness would be more humble. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn a dress that Octavia had not chosen. Limestone let out a sigh and surveyed the clothing, not really paying any attention.
Lastly, Pinkie decided to find the owner or manager of the store. The absence of a shopkeeper was very odd, and the bubblegun mare wondered if maybe they were playing hide and seek. After a brief search through the racks, Pinkie concluded they were alone in the shop, and there were no backdoors. Weird.
“Hellooooo.” she called out, putting her hooves around her mouth. “Is anypony here?” Pinkie gave a bounce and swirled around mid-air when she heard a soft ‘thudd’ right behind her. There stood a pale yellow pegasus with pink mane. At first, she reminded her of her friends Fluttershy, but this pony was completely different.
Her mane was a very dark shade of pink, almost purple; and she was clearly older, perhaps around forty or fifty. She was wearing a delicate but simple vest and a silver chain around her neck. That enough set her far apart enough from Fluttershy, but her eyes were the biggest difference.
The stare of this mare was inquisitive and intelligent, taking apart every detail of Pinkie Pie with a single glance and giving her a rather dull glare with, perhaps, the smallest hint of hostility, as if she didn’t want to be disturbed.
“Guten tag.” she said with a slight tone of impatience. “What brings you here?”
Pinkie was taken aback a bit by her stare, and she didn’t answer right the way. Instead, it was Octavia the first one to reply to the pegasus. “Oh, hello.” she said, smiling. The yellow pony turned her glance to her and Pinkie could see her eyes smiled while her mouth stayed the same. “We are looking for a dress for Limestone, my sister.” she explained, pointing with a hoof to the gray pony, who gave a nervous wave.
The pegasus turned around and studied Limestone for a moment, before trotting towards her and offering a hoof to shake. After a moment of hesitation, the gray earth pony responded to the gesture. “Pleased to meet you. Mein name is Kitzelt, but you can call me Swift Needle.” She spoke with a very thick accent, that Pinkie had heard somewhere else.
“Uh…hi” responded Limestone, feeling very small and naked under the stare of that pony. The way she was looking at her made her uncomfortable. Especially when she started to circle around her, like the ravens around the carrion.
That is not a very nice comparison. though Limestone, praying that the pegasus wasn’t somehow able to read her mind too.
Vinyl Scratch emerged from the racks of dresses and saw Needle stopping in front of Limestone again and making a pause before speaking. “Ja. You’ll be good to work with. Now, vhat do you need, mein Liebe?” she gently asked.
“I…I…” muttered Limestone, looking at the other mare with uncertainty. Her sudden change of mood was…strange, to say the least.
“She needs something to wear for a date.” replied Octavia.
“It’s not a date!” hissed her twin. Seeing the smile on the face of her two sisters, Limestone scrunched her nose, sat on the floor and crossed her forelegs.
“Is there anything wrong, mein Liebe?” asked Swift Needle.
“They are getting annoying.” grumbled Limestone under her breath. “They keep saying I’m going on a date, when I’m clearly not.”
The seamstress raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. After a pause, she turned around and cleared her throat. “Ordnung! I want everypony that is not going to have a dress out of here!” she commanded. “I need a silent, calm ambient to work well, and I don’t think that is going to be possible with all of you here.”
“Aww…Can’t we stay, pretty please?” requested Pinkie, giving Swift Needle her best puppy eyes.
“Are you going to be quiet?”
“Uh….well…” Pinkie Pie rubbed the back of her neck and looked away.
“I thought so. In that case, nein.” Needle offered them a small smile. “Don’t worry, though. You’re leaving her in good hands.”
“Alright, we will leave you to work in peace.” replied Octavia, smiling as well. “And don’t let her worry about the price. It’s a present.” Needle nodded as an answer.
Octavia, Vinyl and Pinkie turned around and walked to the door, but the latter stopped and looked back at the pegasus. “Say, what’s the meaning of your mark? I’ve never seen one like that!”
“I bet you haven’t.” replied Swift, looking at the mark that decorated her flank: Four vertical feathers with a fifth, shorter one on a side. “It’s a rather uncommon talent.” The pegasus extended her right wing. The limb gave a twitch and a sickening snap, and the joints folded in an unnatural position, as if somepony had bent her wings to the opposite direction. Her five flight feathers bent in three different places, as if they were fingers. Swift Needle gave Pinkie a smile, who was staring at her in awe.
“That’s so cool!” she cheered “Is that why your actual name means ‘tickles’?”
“Ja, that is why.” replied Needle with a pleased smile. “I didn’t expect you to know that word!”
“Heh, I’m full of surprises.” replied Pinkie, shrugging. “Well, see you! Bye, Limestone! Have fun!” she chirped before disappearing through the door.
Swift Needle let out a chuckle and shook her head. “She reminds me to mein little sister.” she muttered under her breath, before turning back to Limestone. “Now, back to you, mein Liebe!”
Limestone didn’t say anything. She was pale, staring at the unnaturally-bent limbs of Swift Needle and her unnaturally-bending feathers.
***
“I think we should have stayed.”
“I’d like to argue with that, but I really can’t.” replied Octavia, looking to her marefriend as she walked. “But Swift Needle wanted us to let her work in peace, and I think we should respect that.”
Vinyl huffed. “If at least she had told us when she would be done…”
“You can’t ask her to know when she’s going to finish.” said Octavia, smiling as she added. “You wouldn’t be able to know how long a new composition is going to take, right?”
“…I guess you have a point.” muttered Vinyl. “It’s just that I’m bored, sue me.”
Octavia let out a sigh. “I’m in the same situation. I’m really not used to this…this…”
“Boredom?” suggested Vinyl.
“Not quite, but yes. I’m used to Canterlot, where is always happening something, or you always have somewhere to go. Here? Not so much.”
“I think you’d like Ponyville!” interjected Pinkie Pie, who had been hopping along the other two ponies since they had left the boutique. Vinyl was certain that, if she tried to hop for so long, her legs would give up after the first minute. “There’s always something happening, but ponies are not snippy and boring like in Canterlot.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Octavia, frowning at her sister. “You don’t live in Canterlot.”
“But it is like I say, right?”
“It…is. To a certain point.” admitted the dark gray mare. “But for the most, ponies are just as nice and friendly as anywhere else.”
“Just take me and Octi as an example.” said Vinyl with a smile. “I think maybe you ran into the wrong ponies.”
“How do you mean?” asked Pinkie.
“How many times have you been in Canterlot, actually talking to ponies?” asked Vinyl.
“Oh! Many, many times! I’m always talking to ponies when I’m in Canterlot. Well, I’m always talking anyways, but in there is usually just by best friends, because I don’t know anypony else-”
“And in Ponyville?” interrupted Vinyl.
“In Ponyville? I talk to everypony!”
“Ah, that’s what I thought.” pointed Vinyl. “You’ve never really chatted with a Canterlot pony, have you? Apart from us, of course. Just, in some social event, having a simple, calm chat.”
Pinkie paused and actually thought about the question. Not counting Vinyl, Octavia or Limestone, when had she talked to a pony from Canterlot? When had she tried to befriend one of them? “I suppose just in the Gala.”
“And?”
Pinkie shrugged. “They were boring. All they spoke about was money, dresses, how bad other ponies were compared to them and that kind of stuff. It felt like they cared more for what other though of them than anything else!”
Octavia let out a sad sigh. “The Canterlot nobility is like that. They are in a very comfortable position, and all they have to do is try to reach a little bit higher in society. Most of them are so fake. Fake words, fake smile, fake love.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Fine, maybe some ponies in Canterlot are like that, but not all of them, I can promise. And not all nobles of course. Usually those of lesser families are quite nice, ‘coz they don’t really see the point of trying to reach higher.”
“What are lesser families?” asked Pinkie Pie, crooking an eyebrow.
“They are noble families that are not powerful anymore. Or they never had power to begin with.” replied Octavia, looking to her sister. “Families such as the Oblivion, Oranges, Heartstrings, Blazing, to name a few; have actual jobs and don’t care for their titles.”
Pinkie actually paused at that. “Hearthstrings?”
“Yes, they are a family of musicians.” explained Vinyl. “I know a few of them. They have this very weird hand-shaped magic.”
“Lyra Heartstrings is a noble?” questioned Pinkie.
“Wait, you know Lyra?”
“Of course! She lives in Ponyville!” chirped Pinkie. “She plays the lyre all day long, and she’s really good at it!”
“Damn she is!” grinned Vinyl. “I know her from the academy. How is she doing?”
“She’s all good. She lives in the centre of the town with her roommate-slash-marefriend, depends on how you want to see it.”
A few minutes later, the three mares were locked in an excited conversation, each sharing their own stories and listening to those of the other’s. At some point during their walk, the three mares had decided to take a sit on a bench and continue chatting. Vinyl almost fell asleep in Octavia’s arms when the gray mare was telling one of her anecdotes, her soft voice soothing her. She only roused when Octavia looked at the large clock of the town and saw that almost two hours had passed. They gray mare got up without warning, causing the unicorn to slam her head against the wood.
“Oh my, I am so sorry!” Octavia apologized, while the other mare rubbed the back of her head. “But we should go back to the boutique. I am sure Swift Needle is done with Limestone.”
“Can we have something to eat after picking her up?” suggested Vinyl.
“Sure.” nodded Octavia. “Now, let us go.”
A few minutes later, the three mares were back to the doors of the store. Oddly enough, the curtains were draped and darkness filled the place. Suppressing the urge to gulp, Octavia opened the door and peeked inside. “Hello?” she muttered, scanning the dim-lighted room.
“Yes, come inside, mein Liebe.” replied a voice from the ceiling. “Give me a second; I’ll turn on the lights for you.”
There was the faint sound of hooves over stone, the snap of switch, and a dozen lights blossomed on the chandeliers of the store. There, peeking through the one on the centre of the ceiling was Swift Needle. “Ah, it is you. Come up, schnell. You’ll find the stairs on the back of the store.” Without waiting for an answer, the pegasus disappeared from their view.
The three ponies shared a look and got inside, crossing the room full of mannequins and hangers. Vinyl paused a moment to inspect the lights. On the tip of each chandelier, a small glass globe contained a tiny flame that flickered. Gas illumination, she mouthed in amazement.
The stairs were hidden behind a false wall, and they were now uncovered. Octavia and Pinkie reached the top floor, shortly followed by Vinyl. They made a pause to take in what seemed to be to be Swift’s home. They were in what obviously was a sitting room, with a sofa at the back, a table surrounded by four chairs in the centre, and the walls covered in paintings and shelves full of books. The hole on the floor that connected with the store, however, was rather unusual, and made the room feel smaller than it actually was. In the back there were two doors, one leading to a kitchen and the other most likely to a bedroom.
Sitting on the chairs were Swift Needle herself and Limestone. On the table sat two teacups and a tray with a few pastries and crumbles. Pinkie had to double take, because gone was the stern expression of the pegasus. Instead, she wore a very satisfied smile.
“You were taking very long, so I decided to invite her for a tea.” explained Swift Needle. “I finished with her an hour ago!”
“Yes, we are sorry.” said Octavia with a sheepish smile. “We started talking, and time flew by. I should have paid more attention. After all, making a concept and maybe a quick sketch wouldn’t have taken you too long.”
The seamstress crooked an eyebrow. “Who had said anything about a sketch, mein Liebe?” she grunted with a small smile. “You came here for a dress, and by my mane I’ve made you a dress. I am not called Swift Needle for nothing!” she got up from her chair with a jump and pointed her hoof to Limestone. “You, Kalkstein! Go downstairs and put it on so your sisters can see it. Schnell!”
The gray mare nodded and did as she had been told. As the clops of her hoofs faded into the bottom floor, the pegasus took a sip of her tea and let out a pleased sigh. “I decided to go with something simple. It may not be my talent, but I can give a pony a look and know what they need to be dashing, and Limestone doesn’t need something over the top or flashy to look absolutely amazing. She is a simple mare, and I gave her a simple dress to go with her. You’ll see.”
Swift made a pause to finish the last of her tea and give the three ponies a look. All of sudden, her contemplative mood disappeared. “Oh, but where are my manners. Take a sit!” she ordered, pointing the three empty chairs. “Would you like some tea?” She waited until the other three ponies had complied and served two cups, which she put in front of Octavia and Pinkie Pie. “Would you like something else, mein Liebe? No? Alright, where was I? Oh yes, the dress. There is another reason I decided to go for simple. From what I understand, this is going to be a first date, ja? So, while she will want to go somewhat more elegant, she should save something better for the really special occasions, am I right? Besides, it’s not like a lot of ponies in this place understand a lot of haute couture.” she finished, almost as if she was lamenting living in Gravelpit.
“You don’t sound very happy about living here.” commented Pinkie, gaining a look from her sister because of her lack of tact.
Swift Needle let out a long sigh. “My career was over the moment I put a hoof in this town, and I knew it. There is no way of going back now.”
“Go back to what?” cautiously asked Octavia. She was very curious herself, but didn’t want to be too insistent. At the same time, however, the pegasus didn’t seem to have any problem on talking to them.
She replied with a small, sad smile. “Many years ago, I was a professional designed in Canterlot.”
“That reminds me of something I wanted to ask you.” said Vinyl, carefully depositing her shades on the table. “Are you related in any way to Photo Finish?”
The simple mention of the name made Swift’s face twist in disgust. “Ugh. Don’t mention that verasbscheuung in front of me.” she said flatly. She took a moment to refill her cup and empty it in a single gulp. “Photo Finish was one of my colleagues, and the one that eventually caused my fall in the world of fashion. While I preferred to give each pony what they needed to look good, she just made them look catchy. It’s not the same, oh no. I can make you attractive, enhancing those qualities that made you already interesting enough, and making you the pony. Photo Finish? If I had to use a single word to describe her, it would be flamboyant. She doesn’t make you look better, just striking, showy and gaudy! But those featherheads don’t know the difference. For them, being the centre of attention if all that matters. If you have to rub your face in pink makeup to get it, then you do it.”
The waterfall of word stopped when Swift tried to take a sip of her empty cup, and realized that the other three ponies were awkwardly looking at her. She let out a sigh and rubbed eyes. “I apologize about that.” she whispered. “Photo is not a bad pony, but she sometimes doesn’t see what her actions may imply to others. Her rise caused my fall, even if that was never her intention.” She let out a long sigh and leaned back on her chair. For a moment, the pegasus was the vivid image of defeat. It didn’t last long, however, as she suddenly hopped from her chair and trotted to the hole. “Verdammt! What is taking her so long?” she wondered out loud, before diving through the floor.
The three ponies shared a look, and Vinyl and Pinkie shrugged at the same time. “Well that was interesting.” muttered the unicorn, not really sure what to make of Swift’s sudden outburst and her mood swings.
“The world of fashion is a cruel one.” added Octavia with a shake of her head. “Much more than many would imagine.”
Pinkie Pie though of the problems Rarity had in Manehatten, how close she had been of losing the competition because of that meany-pants pony. And how difficult it had been for her to cope with Photo Finish choosing Fluttershy over her. And how Twilight lost Spike’s trust by telling everypony of his crush on Rarity. Come to think of it, did Spike ever know what Twilight had done?
Pinkie’s train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of hooves on the stairs. Swift Needle came first, cleared her throat and pointed to the door. “Dear ladies. For your consideration, I present you mein demütig kreation.”
A second later, Limestone came to their view, with an expression of uncertainty on her face. She took a couple of steps and turned to the side, to allow the three mares to see what she was wearing. It was a dark gray sleeveless dress with a low neck, that ended right before her gaskin. Her barrel was wrapped on a golden sash that matched the color of her eyes, and the neck was decorated with a band of the same hue. Like Swift had said, it was a simple yet flattering piece. Finally, her mane was done to a side and made into a braid.
Pinkie was the first to break the silence. “Ohmygosh! You look great!”
“Totally!” added Vinyl, letting out a whistle of appreciation. When Octavia raised an eyebrow at her, the unicorn quickly amended. “Not as good as Octavia here, but good enough.”
The gray mare let out a chuckle and shook her head. “I must agree, you look really good. An impressive work, Swift Needle, especially in such a short time.”
The pegasus gave her mane a toss and grinned. “Thank you, mein Liebe. I am very glad to see you are satisfied.” She gave Limestone a long look. “And I am satisfied myself. I think it fits you perfectly.”
Limestone let out a sigh. “I want this to be clear: I really like it, but I am only going to keep it so you two shut up.” she said, pointing to her two sisters.
“We would gladly pay double, if it means you are successful in your date with Flint ‘n’ Steel.” cooed Octavia.
“IT’S NOT A DATE!”
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Really excited to see how her "date" goes!
when was that?
11362846 Green Isn't Your Color! From the first season.
I was worried I had made that up! I had to look through the wiki. This is where Pinkie's infamous 'FOREVERRRR' comes from.