The Twilight Zone

by Bad Horse

14. Self-Image (Twilight, Rarity)

The curtains fluttered for several more seconds like startled doves, then settled, and Carousel Boutique was utterly silent. Dust motes still danced crazy spirals in the beam of sunlight shining in through the southern window. Two unicorn mares lay stunned on the floor, one white and slender, with indigo mane and tail; the other, lilac with navy blue.

They rose unsteadily. After their legs stopped shaking, they looked across the room at each other, shook their heads clear, blinked, and looked again, eyes wide, jaws hanging dumbly.

The white mare turned and cautiously approached the enormous mirror dominating one side of the room. Miraculously, it was still intact.

She tilted her head slowly to the left, then to the right. As she studied herself, her slumped shoulders rolled back, pushing her chest out and straightening her neck.

She tossed her head, and sunlight glinted off the royal purple coils of her mane, which each bounced gaily once or twice before falling back into its own perfect place. Her fur glistened like freshly-fallen snow in the sunlight.

She leaned forward and twisted her head coyly toward the mirror. Then she stretched her neck up and tilted her head toward the ceiling, batted her long, dark eyelashes, and raised one eyebrow in a coquettish smirk at the image facing her.

“Twilight!”

The white mare twitched, and jerked her head back to look over her shoulders.

“Hurry up and undo whatever you did before somepony walks in and sees you!” the other mare snorted. “You’re making my body look ridiculous!”

“Heh. Sorry, Rarity!” The white mare grinned apologetically, and her shoulders fell back into a slouch.

She took one last look into the mirror.

Comments

[GroaningGreyAgony]

Remember, Twilight, it's what's inside that important.

[FanOfMostEverything]

It's not worth it, Twilight. The hours needed to maintain that kind of look could be far better spent.

A short but effective piece. Nicely done. I look forward to more.

[Southpaw]

Oh my, that was brilliant. I loved this and it really made me laugh! Your buildup and reveal was surprising and hilarious and exactly how I imagine her self-image to be, as terribly wrong as it is and how 'human' it might be.

[Jahoosaphat]

It took me two reads for my brain to fully comprehend what happened.

[Lag Incarnate]

Silleh Twalaht

[toafan]

I'm almost surprised I didn't call that as soon as I noticed you deliberately weren't using names. Though you did have me questioning my sense of "indigo" for a moment there.

4374413
Mmm...
Based on little context clues here (and going ahead and blatantly treating this as if it were canon), I'm going to argue that Twi could get a huge +n to her self-estem from a fairly small +m to her appearance. I mean, you're right about hours, but wearing things you find comfortable and think look good feels great, and I expect that will generalize.

[MrNumbers]

Just remember Twilight: You're jealous of how she makes her outside because she's jealous of what you've got inside. [Citation: Cold In Gardez]

[Sozmioi]

Ah, body-swaps. My favorite!

[Mad Maudlin]

Twilight just remember these words of wisdom: "It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again".

Also, you magically shapeshift. An ass you bounce rocks off of is one incantation away.

[PaladinOfChaos]

I think I've read over these oneshots three times now

[yamgoth]

4811199
Teh heh! I was merely joking for comedic effect; of course I know what onomatopoeia is ^.^ The cat nyans, much as the platypus krrks, which might be the same sound as a back a long while after it's smacked.

There is also the basement dweller with their Rainbow Dashy dakimakura that... it rhymes with flap like when a Wingull takes off or tap[/], like when penguins dance.

Not entirely sure if SS&E's f'naaaaaaaaaaa is onomatopoeia.

It might be some sort of (mocking) mating call.

Angela Anaconda, a cartoon where the titular character spams alliteration, was to poke fun at how the words of "alliteration" and "onomatopoeia" can be confused with each other. Well, at least I confuse them sometimes. They kinda sound the same ^_^

[Brony Soprano]

No. 7 scared me a bit, as it played on the idea of Pinkie Pie as a cheery-eyed psychopath.

[Kevin Lee]

"Submitted for your approval...a brief moment of reflection...between scenes of action...in the Twilight Zone "

"Seriously, Twilight! Just please undo this spell before I figure out how you always manage to frazzle your mane! "

[Mike the Red]

I like this one -- and would like to see a story involving a body swap of Twilight and Rarity (or I might write one myself...)