The Little Pony Legend: A Kingdom of Friendship

by MaggiesHeartLove

Canterlot Boutique

Author's Note:

For those who are wondering why the format here is different, that's because I have decided to update my other chapters this way. It's much easier than having to make a simple space bar every single time I have to update a chapter, because needing to go through all it to make sure I get every change right is time consuming as it is. This way, it's less. Please let me know what you think and hope it was readable enough. Thank you again, and sorry for the hiatus.

*(~)*

Proverbs 3:5-8~

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones."

*(~)*

Canterlot Boutique

It was yet another busy day at Carousel Boutique, and the always beautiful Rarity was busy with her work as usual. She levitated a few swatches from the shelf to start working on a new outfit she had planed until her eyes darted upwards at the clock. Immediately, she smiled and dropped the swatches and dashed towards the window with a wide smile on her face. Her spirits dropped once she realized nopony was there. She looked back up at the clock, already showcasing it was nine. He should have been here by now. Sighing sadly she got back into her work. Sowing away she heard a bell ringing, once again, making her gasp with excitement.

"Was that the Pony Post?!" she asked, turning her head to see…her cat playing with one of her mouse toys, with a ringing bell collar. Rarity groaned in disappointment, "Oh, it's just you, Opal."

The cat, Opalescence, meowed in annoyance as she took her toy into her mouth and walked to the corner to continue her play. The wait was already getting to the poor pony waterbender.

"Ohhh… Every other day he's here like clockwork! Not today! What could possibly be holding him up?!"

To her unexpected surprise, a certain hyperactive pink pony appeared on the window, her face plastered on it with her signature warm and happy smile.

"Strawberry cinnamon cilantro salutations!" she greeted before zipping out of view.

"What?"

"What indeed."

Rarity was startled when both the pink pony and a young airbender girl appeared before her. It was Pinkie Pie and Ikki, who carried a tray of strange looking baked goods.

"I bet you're wondering what warrants such a welcome!" Pinkie asked, "Well, that welcome is warranted by a pony who just taught Ikki to whisk up a warm batch of strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcakes!"

"My own recipe!" Ikki said with glee before taking a bite of it. Surprisingly, she liked the taste. Rarity cringed when Pinkie Pie tossed one of the cupcakes into her mouth into a loud chomp.

"That strangely sickening flavor combination doesn't sound as bad as it tastes." said Pinkie, however her lowered ears, increased irises and bloated cheeks, still holding the cupcake in her mouth, would have said otherwise. She gulped and stuck out her tongue, which was already covered in green flakes and her hair was partly delated. "And yet, I can't stop eating them!" she said with a wide smile. At times, there was really no understanding that pony.

"So we came here to offer you some!" Ikki offered the unicorn a cupcake, but Rarity was not about to let her insides get turned inside out.

"Thank you very much, Ikki but I've already had a large breakfast so, polite pass."

"Oh, I almost forgot! I have this letter for you, Rarity!" Ikki took out an envelop she had in her pocket, "The post pony was going to deliver it, but after a strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcake, he was feeling kinda queasy. And since we were heading over anyway, I figured I could do it for him! Here you go!"

Excitedly, Rarity took the envelop and started ripping it apart, not waiting another second. Once the paper was unfolded she mumbled the written words to herself while both Ikki and Pinkie continued eating the cupcakes. Once Rarity was done reading she let out an excitable gasp/shriek and giggled with glee.

"What's it say?" Pinkie asked with her mouth full.

"I got it!"

Pinkie Pie and Ikki started cheering happily at the news, doing a summersault, "Woo-hoo! Got what?"

"Oh, I have been holding out for the perfect location, and it finally became available! So now I can fulfill my dream of opening a boutique in Canterlot!"

This made the two girls even more excited. Ikki hugged Rarity while Pinkie Pie hoped around the shop. "Whoo! I'm so excited, I think I'm gonna lose my cupcakes!" she stopped in midair, feeling queazy, and zipped away to vomit in the bathroom, leaving Rarity to giggle and gallop in place.

This was the moment she had been working for so long. And now her dreams were finally coming true.

(~)

The train stopped at Canterlot train station and Team Avatar, along with the airbender children and Spike, exited the moving machine. Bolin was practically jumping once they arrived.

"This is so exciting! To think, our little Rare-Rare's finally making her dreams come true! They grow up so fast!" he wiped away a single happy tear.

"I'm not surprised." said Asami, "Rarity's such a savvy businesspony. Using the huge bonus she earned making the costumes for Sapphire Shores' Equestria-wide tour to open this second boutique was pure genius!"

"That's my girl!" Korra said, beaming with pride, "When she wants something she goes for it."

"She gets that from you." Mako stated with a smirk, making her smile in return.

"I can't wait to see how her new store looks like." said Jinora, already fantasizing what the place will appear to be. She didn't have to wait so long for in only a short amount of time, they arrived. The boutique was much bigger than the one Rarity had back in Ponyville. The exterior was painted in bright vibrant colors of violet, purple and magenta, along with crystal clear windows adorned with golden edges and a heart at the center of the entrance door. Inside, the place was even more spectacular. It was a two stories store complete with a spiral staircase towards the upper ring of the shop, and cloths as far as the eye could see. The place was decorated with silk hanging from the walls and several balloons for the grand opening. A table rested on the ground floor with all sorts of treats and snacks for the costumers and friends. One room was served especially for Rarity's work space. All of her friends were left in awe at how amazingly detailed, professional, not to mention beautiful, the place looked.

"I take it from your reaction that you like the boutique?" Rarity asked with a knowing smile.

"It's lovely." Fluttershy said, her eyes gleaming.

"It's more beautiful than I imagined!" Jinora said while clapping her hands close to her heart.

Applejack herself was proud to see just how much dedication was put into this place, "Gosh, Rarity. I know hard work when I see it, and it looks like you worked your hooves to the nub!"

"I don't know." Pinkie said, inspecting Rarity's hooves, "Those hooves don't look nubby. They look scrubbied and buffied and pedied!"

"Well, despite my 'nubby scrubby buffy pony pedi, I actually have been working very hard!" Rarity explained, "However, I never could have gotten the boutique ready for the grand opening without the help of my new manager Sassy Saddles!"

Everyone turned to see another unicorn enter the room. Unlike the other mares, her body proportions were much taller and thiner, similar to that of Princess Cadance. Her coat was of pale light cerulean with bright orange eyes, brilliant vermilion mane with light amber stripes with a gradient of moderate fuchsia. She dawned moderate bleu eyeshadow. She wore a dark purple dress with petal like sleeves and shirt with golden circles around the petals and a golden saddle-like accessory on her back. Her long blue horn was glowing in a bright amber aura, levitating a clipboard. She lowered it down and her eyes widened when she spotted who else was in the store. She smiled, she was indeed a very lovely unicorn pony.

"Bust my buttons, Rarity! Team Avatar in the flesh!"

The friends happily greeted the nice unicorn with smiles and waves. "I knew I needed a manager for Canterlot Carousel," Rarity explained, "so when Sassy showed me her resumé and I saw that she worked in all of the finest boutiques in Canterlot, I hired her right on the spot!"

Sassy Saddles levitated a long folded paper in front of everyone, "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!" the unicorn's excitement was a clear sign she was just as dedicated and passionate as Rarity was in getting this shop up and running.

"Wow, Sassy. Your attention to detail is truly impressive." Twilight complimented.

"And you have pretty hair!" Ikki complimented.

"Why, thank you little one." Sassy said with a slight blush before unfolding part of the paper, showcasing an image of the boutique with a pin over the image, "I've already put a pin in the first piece of the pattern – Beautify the Boutique! But next was the very crucial pattern piece – Marketing to the Mares!" she unfolded the paper more, showcasing an image of a megaphone and various ponies listening with great smiles.

"Wow." Mako said, quite impressed, "That is impressive."

"Turns out that everypony here loves royalty!"

Rarity continued to explain, "And with my Four Nations collection already a huge success back in Ponyville, I also created a collection that beautifully revolves around the royal element of Canterlot!"

Sassy Saddles approached the pony and human alicorns, "And it just so happens there's, not one, but two hot new princesses in Equestria!"

"In every poll Sassy Saddles took, you two were the most popular princesses!" Rarity said, "Coincidentally, one of my gowns is inspired by the window in Canterlot Castle commemorating both Twilight's coronation and Harmonic Convergence!"

Sassy stood on the stage, removing the curtains to reveal a stunning one of a kind gown. The skirt was divided into three pieces, the above one was aquamarine, the lower half was ocean blue, slightly transparent, and the lower half was purple, fully transparent. Each piece was decorated with patters that both consisted of star constellations and the form of a stain glass window. Two fake white wings adorned the back and the corset was crystal-like in design, with designs similar to that of the skirt, giving it a stain glass/star-like image. It revealed the shoulders and diamond-like sleeves wrapped around the arms in an elegant and stylish way. One was made for a pony while the other was made for a human, minus the fake wings on the back. While the design did depict a glass-like appearance, the colors were reminiscent of the blue, green and purple skies that occurred during that one cosmic event that changed everything. Everyone was astonished by the beauty of the designs.

"While I've always prided myself on paying attention to detail, I've taken my latest collection to a whole new level with "Rarity's Rules of TLC"!"

Pinkie Pie appeared ridding on a design dummy, which was wearing an unfinished piece on it, "Judging by this baby, TLC stands for Tasty Liquorice Candy!" she slid down, causing the clue skirt to fall off and land on her head. Korra took the skirt off of the pony and placed it back in its proper place on the unfinished work.

"I'm pretty sure that's not it, Pinkie." the Avatar said sweetly.

"TLC stands for 'Time, Love, and Couture'." Rarity explained before placing the dummy back into her work room and closing the door to avoid any more distractions, "And while I do agree that these dresses have potential, I've not had enough time to give them enough love to become couture. But the rest of the gowns in tonight's line have met Rarity's Rules and are ready to be presented!"

Sassy Saddles's horn glowed while she rose up her pattern, "My marketing research also confirmed that customers that viewed somebody famous wearing a gown wish to own that gown for themselves." unfolding the paper, showed an image of Rarity with a star behind her, "I call this piece of the pattern Celebrity Status!"

Rarity's ears lowered shyly as she tried to ask the two princesses, "So, I was hoping if you girls might possibly wear these tonight?"

The two princesses didn't even need to think twice before Korra answered, "If wearing those dresses helps your boutique in any way, then I say stick a pin in it!" using her magic, she levitated a pin and stuck it into the image Sassy just showed. The unicorn herself smiled happily at their response.

"Alright, everybody! Let's set the stage! It's time to open up shop!"

Rarity still couldn't believe it, this had been her lifelong dream for so long, and now it was coming true at long last. She smiled gratefully at her loving friends and family, "You all have no idea how much it means to me to have you all here. Ever since I was a little filly, all I've ever wanted was to own a boutique here in Canterlot. Somebody pinch me! I'm about to open the doors to that very boutique!"

Rarity received a surprise bare hug from Bolin, "We're so proud of you!" he lowered her down and fixed her mane before she got ready to greet her costumers. This was it, the moment of truth. Korra felt the immense sisterly pride come over her, her little Rarity was making her mark.

The doors opened and Rarity opened her mouth to greet her new clients...

"Welcome to the grand opening of Canterlot Carousel!"

The crowd cheered…but not for Rarity. At the very last moment, she was literally overshadowed when Sassy Saddles stood in front of her, blocking her from view to welcome everyone. This was suppose to be her big moment and her manager just took it right from under her. The white unicorn was…well, shocked to say the least, not to mention disappointed. Her friends shared the same reaction. This was not what she was expecting.

None the less, Sassy's impression did get the ball rolling. One by one, she greeted the costumers that entered the store, "Oh, hello! Oh, nice to see you! Welcome, welcome! Oh, I'm so happy to see you…"

"That Sassy totally stepped on your hooves, Rarity." Applejack said, voicing out Korra's very thoughts.

"Oh, no!" Meelo exclaimed, "Did she mess up that nice pony pedi?!" he inspected Rarity's hooves, while she was still in a state of shock, and sighed once he knew all was fine with her hooves, "Okay. Phew!"

Rarity finally came to her senses and tried to make the most of the situation, "Oh, I don't think she meant to. Besides, as my manager it is her job to help make a good first impression. She was only doing her job is all."

Speak of the hydra, Sassy approached her boss, "Rarity, are you ready to reveal the collection?"

Flash Sentry narrowed his eyes at her while speaking to Rainbow Dash under his breath, "Is she sure she doesn't want do it herself?"

Rainbow Dash snorted bitterly under her breath, "Yeah."

"Yes, I am." Rarity responded.

"We'll go get ready." said Twilight, "Come on, Korra." the two walked up the stairs towards the dressing room to help each other get ready for the show.

Rarity took in a deep breath before feeling Korra's hand on her head, "You're going to be great." she said before kissing her forehead for good luck. A common gesture between sisters they always did. Rarity was already feeling confident once she cleared her throat to get everypony's attention and took center stage.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! I am designer and couturier Rarity, I'd like to welcome you – again" she laughed nervously, "– to the grand opening of Canterlot Carousel, and I'm thrilled that you are here to see my newest collection inspired by this regal city!"

The curtain opened behind her to reveal four original gowns on display. Oohs bursted out from the crowd and several unicorns levitated their cameras to snap pictures. Sassy Saddles smiled in satisfaction, things were looking good. However, they could be better. As they say, go big or go home.

Rarity was surprise, again, when BGM music started to play and she saw each of her gowns being levitated and danced in a circle above the crowd, wowing them even more. She saw Sassy's horn glow, now knowing it was her doing. This really wasn't what she had planed for her presentation. The music certainly wasn't her choice to begin with, and she didn't even ask Sassy to make her fashion dummies dance for the audience. She walked down the small stairs of the stage to speak with her manager before she was stopped by a male unicorn pony with a dark aqua coat and three stars for a cutie mark and gray colored mane and tail, wearing a pair of stylish sunglasses and a red bandana.

"Rarity, I'm—"

"Fashion Plate of Cosmare magazine!" she concluded with excitement, "I'm so honored that Cosmare was able 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! Now tell me all about your latest collection!"

"Oh, uh, it's called "Rarity's Royal Regalia"."

Fashion Plate gasped with delight and his photographers took more pictures, "Royally radiant!"

"My favorite part of being a designer is finding my inspiration, and that really wasn't difficult when it came to Canterlot." while Rarity explained, Sassy Saddles was working her magic…again. She lowered down an image of Canterlot city behind the unicorn, much to her surprise but went along with it as she continued to explain her design methods to the audience.

"Everywhere I looked, the royal city just spoke to me! I call it "In-spire-ation"." she said as one of her gowns lowered down from above.

The gown was a lilac color, decorated with stars and a headpiece that resembled the spiraled gold and purple rooftops of Canterlot castle. The gown was captivating on its own it made the crowd ooh with delight. Fashion Plate could not wipe off the smile on his face as his followers took millions of pictures by the minute.

"Genius! Simply genius!"

Sassy made another poster appear behind Rarity, one that depicted a pond of lilies. Once again, this was not what Rarity had planed, but went on with it.

"I spent hours by the lily pond on the castle grounds, which inspired this gown – "Water Filly"!"

Another gown appeared, one with a long sleeved blue shirt, decorated with bubbles, leaves and red stones, the skirt looked like the leaves of the water lilies she had just described.

"Oh, the whimsy!" said Fashion Plate.

"Watching Celestia raise the sun each morning literally lit up my day…" a literal ray of sunshine appeared behind her before her gown appeared before the audience, "This is "Tripping the Light"."

The gown was inspired by Celestia herself, it consisted of blue, white, yellow and fuchsia colors. The skirt was blue and long with cloud-like hem at the edges, and a slightly ruffled light green skirt above with purple rims, a purple belt and a blue top with a sun-shape broach and wing-like collar with wing-like shoes to match.

"Fantastic!"

The lights dimmed and Rarity giggled, this showcase wasn't so bad after all. "And of course, Luna raising the moon guided me to sleep. I call this "Over the Moon"!" the stage was now decorated with stars hanging from the ceiling and a crescent moon, where her Luna-inspired gown stood. It's color matched the moon princess perfectly, the top was dark purple with a crescent moon at the center and a pearled collar and a purple bow. The belt was made of pearls and the skirt was long, fluid and slightly transparent with sparkles and blue stones at the bottom, making it shimmer and shine.

"Well, I certainly am!" Fashion Plate smiled with such delight.

"And for our finale, I have something very special. As many of you might know, I played a role during the epic battle of good vs. evil in the historic event of Harmonic Convergence. Regardless of the situation, the skies lit up in such an enchanting display of color I will never forget! While looking back at the stained glass windows at Canterlot castle, commemorating the event, as well as the coronations of both Princess Twilight and Princess Korra, I became inspired to make these two gowns… I call this "The Reigns in Stain"!"

"Because the dresses are inspired by the—"

"—stained glass window of two reigning princesses!" Rarity and Fashion Plate finished at the same time, equally enthusiastic.

"Yes!"

Sassy Saddles cleared her throat, getting her boss's attention, "Oh, well, I think "The Reigns in Stain" is too difficult to explain! Especially for the signature piece of a collection?"

"But I rather like the—" Rarity was interrupted before she could continue.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, I, Sassy Saddles, am pleased to introduce the grand finale of the grand opening of Rarity's Royal Regalia – the "Princess Dresses"!

The spotlight shone up high on the staircase, showcasing both Twilight and Korra wearing the new gowns of Rarity's designs. The princesses made the outfits even more beautiful than before. The crowd gasped in awe at the beauty and incredible detail of the gowns.

Fashion Plate gasped in wonder, "Success!"

The crowd continued oohing and chattering as Korra and Twilight descended the stairs, smiling and waving at the crowd. Flash and Mako whistled and cheered for their ladies only to receive some looks from their friends. "What?"

After everything that happened, the gowns were a real success. Everypony loved Rarity's works, this was exactly what she'd been hoping for. She never felt prouder.

Once the princesses reached the end of the stairs, Sassy Saddles addressed to the crowd while levitating her clipboard. "Everypony, please follow me and you can all place your orders for the Princess Dress!"

It didn't take long for a line to already form around Sassy, while Korra and Twilight's gown shimmered underneath the spotlight. Fashion Plate smiled at the fashion designer, "Rarity, I want to be the first pony to congratulate you! The Princess Dress has just guaranteed Canterlot Carousel's success!"

The unicorn walked off of the stage, only to be met with numerous congrats from her friends and group hugs. Korra was the last to hug her. "I knew you'd knock em dead!" she said proudly.

"Yeah! Your Royal Regalia is amazing!" Twilight agreed, "And everypony seemed to love the "Reigns in Stain" dress!"

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise, "You're…you're actually calling it that?"

"Well, it was your idea."

Rarity smiled in gratitude. Her friends always appreciated her work no matter what.

"Marvelous show, Rarity!" Sassy said with a happy cheer as she approached the group, levitating a tall stack of paper. "You now have one hundred orders for your signature gown!"

Rarity's jaw nearly dropped to the floor and stammered her words in shock, "One hundred orders?! All at one time?!"

"According to my pattern, the next piece is The Success of the Signature Dress, so I do not see the problem!"

Sassy may not have see any problem, but Rarity was certainly seeing one coming if this prissy unicorn didn't stop butting her nose into everything and making most of the decisions that should have been Rarity's from the start. Her anger was slowly boiling upwards, it was evident in her eye twitch and narrowed eyes that could burn a hole into anything if her element were fire.

The others could see this coming, but knew she would take it easy. At this point, either Korra, or Mako, or Rainbow, or even Twilight would have stepped up to say something in her defense, but they weren't reckless teens anymore and they knew Rarity could handle her own battles.

"Cupcake?" Thankfully, Pinkie Pie eased up the tension in the air. Meelo was already stuffing his face with the pastries while the others took one for themselves.

Rarity knew they believed she could handle this, they had more faith in her than most believed. She cleared her throat before speaking to her manager, "First of all, Sassy Saddles, I would have appreciated getting to name the final gown from my collection myself."

Sassy released a short laugh before replying, "My research shows that your "Reigns in Stain" name was a play on words that was both very confusing and quite unappealing."

Korra clenched her fists, keeping her back turned away from the unicorn, trying to keep her temper in check. To calm her down, Mako placed a blueberry muffin on her hand, to which calmed her right down. He knew blueberries were her favorites.

Rarity released a disgruntled laugh, "While I see your point, we should have discussed it prior to the grand opening, Sassy."

"My only goal is for Canterlot Carousel to succeed." Sassy said sincerely, "That's why I changed the name, and that is why I took all those orders for the Princess Dress."

"But… But receiving orders for one hundred dresses in one day, i--it's just too much too soon!"

"Are you actually saying we should... cancel these orders?!"

"Wha… But…" Rarity stammered before coming to a conclusion, "Uh, n-no, Sassy. Promises were made, and I shall sew my very best to provide each and every pony a Princess Dress full of TLC."

"Oh, thank you, Rarity, thank you!" Sassy hugged her boss before getting back to organizing the orders.

Rarity sighed. The boutique was a success indeed, but already she was feeling the pressure of the business. She expected as much, but not as quickly as this. She once again felt the gentle touch of her human counterpart on her head.

"If you need any help, just say the word." Korra said with complete confidence.

"Yeah, we're her for you." Asami said in agreement.

Rarity smiled at their selflessness, "Thank you all, so much. But, the things is… I think I should try to do this myself. Nothing personal it's just that--"

"We get it." Korra concluded with a smile, "There comes a time where everybody needs to do things on their own. This is your business now, so you make the call."

All of her friends nodded in agreement, giving her nods and winks of encouragement. The unicorn could already feel her stress levels diminishing.

How did she become so blessed to have such wonderfully wonderful friends like them.

The sincere moment was a tad ruined when Meelo suddenly rubbed his now swollen stomach. "I think I had too much cakes…" he covered his mouth, already feeling nauseous.

(~)

The group said their goodbyes to the unicorn who waved. As much as they would have loved to help her make the orders, Rarity wanted to showcase not only to them but to herself that she could do this on her own. The moment she knew she couldn't do no more she would give them a call, but for now, this was her chance.

"Oh, satin and silk, Rarity, are you sure you don't want your friends to help you make the dresses?" Sassy asked.

"No, Sassy. These orders are my responsibility. All I have to do is stick to my plan so I can deliver each and every Princess Dress in keeping with my Rules of Rarity!"

The unicorn quickly got to work, as always, she did so with passion, love, time and couture. This was what she loved to do the most. This was her passion, her calling, her destiny. She made dresses for ponies, dresses that inspire and make each pony who wore them shine like the star she knew they were.

The rules of Rarity guarantee quality

This I can assure

For each and every dress

I vow to give finesse

With time, love, and couture

As she worked, she kept her vision clear. The vision was the ideal image of her favorite part of her job. The part she loved the most. She couldn't wait to make her costumers feel special, unique. A rarity.

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 went by and making the orders was actually loads of fun. One day, two new costumers entered the building. Rarity was more than eager to attend to them, but Sassy believed she needed to focus on her work instead while she attended to the costumers. Disappointed at first but then she smiled, at least they could see more of her designs to see what other cloths they would like to order. Her disappointment returned when Sassy removed all of her original designs, leaving only the Princess Dress on display and nothing more. Suddenly, that stunning dress worn by her friends was slowly loosing its luster.

The more she made them, the less their gems shinned, the more the colors seems to grow duller and duller. It wasn't original anymore, it was so…so overdone, like a beautiful song that kept replaying and replaying to no end until hearing it no longer brought joy but anger and wishing for earplugs.

Before long, almost everypony in Canterlot was wearing the Princess Dress. Everywhere she went, she saw the dress. It wasn't as thrilling or satisfying as she thought.

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!

The poor unicorn sighed in distress until she noticed two more ponies enter the store. A male and female…the female had a horn and wings. Immediately, Rarity sprung up, happy to see her friends.

"Twilight! Flash! What brings you both here?"

"We wanted to come and see how business was going." said Twilight while levitating a three bowls of sparkling gemstones. "We found these gems in a store and thought you'd like them for your next design." the princess handed her friend the bowls and then took a look at the dresses on display. She was rather surprised to find they were all the exact same dress she and Korra wore. Somehow, they didn't look as lovely as they once did before.

"I see the Princess Dress is a big hit." said Flash, doing his best to sound happy, though even he too was already getting bored of the outfit. Having seen it, literally, twenty times on the way there.

"Thanks." Rarity said, trying her best not to let her disappointment show, "I really appreciate the visit." she heard her manager clear her throat to get her attention and pointed her hoof towards the clock on the wall. "I should get back to work. Thanks again for the gems."

"It was great seeing you, Rarity." Twilight said before she and the stallion left the store.

Rarity was all alone once again. She was so exhausted she rested her head onto the table near the bowls of gems her friends so generously gave her. Then, the light from the window began to shine through, hitting the gems and spreading their colors against the gown of the Princess Dress she was currently working on. Something ignited within her. It was something she hadn't felt in a really long time. She smiled.

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

This was it! Her inspiration had come once again. She began taking the gems Twilight and Flash gave her and started sowing them onto the Princess Dress, giving it more color and life like it hadn't had in so long.

The rules of Rarity, extra TLC

This feels more sublime

Soon now, they will see how good these can be

With a little extra shine

The rules of Rarity guarantee quality

All can see it's true

These new gems add such flair

Their beauty can't compare

This old style suddenly gleams anew

(~)

The following day, a unicorn with a pale pinkish/red coat with chili peppers for a cutie mark, red and pink hair and rose colored eyes entered the boutique. The bell ringing got Rarity's attention, who was adding the finishing touches to the dress.

"Is that the customer who ordered this Princess Dress?" she asked Sassy, who took a moment to look away from her clipboard to see the costumer anxiously waiting to be attended.

"I'll take care of her." said Sassy, "You keep working."

"Uh, actually, I'd love to see her reaction to this particular dress."

Sassy gestured to the stack of papers on the counter. One box was marked for each orders, while the other was marked for the orders that were done. "Paisley and poplin, Rarity, look at all the orders you still have to finish, and you want to take a break? Now?"

"Well, it's just I made some really lovely changes to this dress—"

"You did what?!" Sassy studied the dress, seeing that indeed Rarity had added new gemstones to the gown. While they were indeed lovely, they were not as they use to be. "But every Princess Dress is supposed to be exactly the same!"

"Yes yes I know, but these gems just spoke to me, and—"

"Fine. Go see her reaction." Sassy knew, due to experience, that this was not going to end well. After all, if you did not give the costumer what you wanted then the product won't sell. It's all about the sales, what sells and what captures ponies' eyes. That's how business worked.

But Rarity had a gut feeling this was the best choice. Who wouldn't love the new gems she added? She was certain this costumer would love her one of a kind Princess Dress. Who doesn't want to feel unique? She approached the costumer, levitating the gown.

"Hello, and welcome to Canterlot Carousel! I am so pleased to present to you your—"

"Princess Dress!" the pony exclaimed happily, "Finally! I've been simply desperate to get this ever since I saw the Princesses wearing it at your—" once she took the dress with her own magic, she noticed something was off, "…Wait a minute. There's something different."

"Well as an artiste, I did take the liberty to change a few minor details." she said proudly. However, the costumer did not look amused. Not one bit. This worried Rarity. "I, eheh, I saw these gems glistening in the light, and they just spoke to me. Aren't they lovely? And so unique!"

The unicorn sighed impatiently, "They're… fine. But they're not what I ordered, are they?"

"Uh, no. No, they're not." this wasn't going as Rarity had hoped.

"I want the dress to be exactly like the one Princess Twilight wore. Understand?"

"Yes… Y-Yes, of course." with lowered ears, and a broken heart, Rarity took the dress back and passed Sassy as she walked back into her workplace. Her manager hatted to say 'i told you so', but she did.

Maybe Sassy was right, maybe this was just how the fashion world really operated. Maybe Rarity had been far too idealistic in the past. Owning a business meant you had to make sacrifices.

Even if that sacrifice meant your originality as well…

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

(~)

Finally, she was done with the orders. She sowed the last skirt of the Princess Dress. She had never been so happy to be done with a fashion line in her entire life. Once she finished she opened up a drawer, pulling out a book she had with her since the grand opening. Opening the pages she felt an immediate wave of relief sweep her up. The images were more than enough to remind her of what she stood for. If only everypony else could know as well. Sadly, that moment was ruined when her manager walked in with her clipboard again, smiling with happiness.

"Raving rick-rack, Rarity! You made two hundred Princess Dresses!"

"Yes. Isn't it spectacular?" The poor unicorn reverted back to her deadpan state. Her mane was a mess, her eyes looked exhausted, nearly faded, having lost their naturally beautiful sparkle.

"And I have a special surprise for you! The latest issue of Cosmare magazine just hit the stands!" Sassy levitated a magazine in front of Rarity, which had a picture of herself on the cover. Naturally, she would have been excited…but now, she just couldn't show any enthusiasm whatsoever.

"Canterlot's newest rising star"?" she read the word out loud in a deadpan state.

"And in the hour since the magazine's come out, we've gotten another hundred new orders for the Princess Dress!"

To Rarity's horror, a large stack of papers landed onto the 'waiting' stack on the table. Just looking at them made Rarity feel like she would faint.

"One… hundred more... Princess Dresses?!" she placed her book on her table, gently caressing the cover with her hoof, her eyes becoming teary, "I'm the Cosmare cover pony... I have the most successful shop in Canterlot... I've gotten everything I ever wanted... but I'm miserable!"

Sassy laughed at the idea, "How could you possibly be miserable? My pattern is perfect!" her long pattern hung on the wall, with a pin on each and every picture of her plan, having been completed with flying colors, "Cosmare Cover Pony – done! You have your signature gown, the Princess Dress of Success!"

"I don't want to make another hundred Princess Dresses!"

"I have a piece for that!" Sassy placed the final pin on the final picture of her patter, "Assemble the Assembly Line! You'll never have to sew again!"

"What?! No!" this was going too far. It was bad enough she had to sow the exact same dress over, and over and over again, now she would never get to even sow a stitch ever again?! How was she suppose to feel like a designer is she couldn't even design anymore?

"Yes! Then the Canterlot Carousel never closes! And Sassy Saddles' boutique succeeds!"

That was the last, and final straw. Rarity's patience had run out. The water bottles that rested on the corner of the room began to shake, the water inside them bubbled and boiled as if fighting to come out. In one single cry, Rarity stomped her hooves onto the floor

"Stooooooooooooooooppp!"

Like an explosion, the water bursted out of the bottles, getting every single Princess Dress soaked and wet to the bone, including Sassy herself. Even Rarity was wet, but she could care less of her now wet mane, she didn't even care about the water around her work place since she could always bend it right off and be dry in minutes, but now, now she was far too angry with her manager to even care about how she looked.

"This is not your boutique! And if this is what success in Canterlot looks like, I want no part of it!" the unicorn gained up on her manager, Sassy had never felt more terrified in her life. "Now, make up flyers for a going-out-of-business sale! I'm closing Canterlot Carousel!"

With a flip of her wet mane, Rarity walked out of the room, leaving Sassy to gasp in horror and beg her boss to reconsider. "What?! No! Oh, you can't, Rarity! I-I've worked too hard to make this a success! I can't be a part of another failed boutique!"

Shaking the water off of her body, Rarity got busy removing every last bit of the Princess Dress from her store. She would rather face a million bad mane days than see that horrid thing again.

Once the store was completely clean of the dress, she took out all of her original designer gowns. The ones that were suppose to have been on display long beforehand. It was like having her children return home. She not only had her Canterlot cloths back, but the ones inspired by her time in the human world as well.

Sassy didn't know what else to do other than watch in dismay while her boss was throwing her entire hard work down the drain. But Rarity was as happy as could be as he hung her gowns onto the racks.

"Oh, don't you look lovely? Nice to see you out here again." she readied herself to open the doors and looked up towards the staircase, seeing Sassy completely distraught. "Seems Sassy Saddles isn't rushing to open the door this time. Hm." she should have expected, but in her heart she knew this was the best. The moment she opened the door Rarity smiled, but it wasn't a smile of disappointment, it was one of pure relief.

"Welcome to the going-out-of-business sale of Canterlot Carousel."

To her surprise, a heard of female ponies galloped into the store. In just a few short seconds the entire store was packed. She smiled like she hadn't smiled in a long while.

One pony with a nasal voice walked up to her and asked, "Hey, is this Princess Dress on sale?" she levitated a magazine with the said dress on the cover.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, the Princess Dress has been discontinued. But there are plenty of other lovely dresses on sale today."

A goth-looking unicorn, speaking in a very flat speech pattern, was entranced with the Luna inspired gown. Or, as 'entranced' as a goth pony could showcase.

"Whoa. This dress completely speaks to my soul. Can I try it on?"

"Certainly." Rarity levitated her the dress for her to put on, "The dressing area is right back there."

Another pony was completely excited for the Celestia inspired dress. "This is the most amazing of amazing dresses! Just looking at it brightens my day!"

Rarity levitated the dress off the display and gave it to the happy sunny pony, "And I'm sure you'll feel even brighter once you try it on!"

A unicorn with an architecture cutie mark walked up to Rarity, showcasing a magazine page, "Do you still have this In-spire-ation dress that's in the new issue of Cosmare?"

"Oh, yes, I do. It's-It's right here."

The pony smiled with glee at the sight of the gown, "Bats in the belfry! I have to try it on!"

The goth pony looked at herself in the mirror, speaking flatly but smiling in satisfaction, "Whoa. This dress makes me feel like a princess."

The sunny pony, now wearing the Celestia inspired dress, appeared next to the goth pony, embracing her in a hug while admiring her own gown in the mirror. "And this dress makes me feel like a princess!"

From above, Sassy observed everything. She was truly astonished by the way each and every pony found a dress that was unique for them. And they loved it? This was so incredibly strange and new to her. How could anypony like a dress if it wasn't endorsed or like anypony else's gorgeous gown. Wasn't every pony suppose to like the same thing because if not then it wouldn't be successful?

One posh pony unicorn spoke with Rarity over one dress, "This gown is quite beautiful, but it totally clashes with my complexion."

Rarity pondered for a moment, "Hmmm. Perhaps you'd be even more taken with this one." she pulled an in-progress dress, the one Pinkie Pie accidentally tore off the skirt before the opening of the shop, "It was inspired by the fountain in the Canterlot Castle garden. I call it the "Fountain of Truth"!"

"It's exactly what I've been dreaming of!" The pony exclaimed happily.

"Oh! Well, then I'll finish it, and the gown shall be yours!"

The pony smiled in gratitude and Rarity took a moment to really look around, observing each and every single pony find a dress she loved, helping her find the right one, seeing her smile, her joy, her beauty from within shine though. It reminded her of why she became a designer in the first place. Why she did all of this to begin with. She created not because she wanted fame and money…she wanted to show how much she loved and cared for her friends and costumers. To her, there was beauty in everybody and everypony. That was what thrived her to become better, to be where she was today.

"How can I have forgotten? This is what I've been dreaming about!"

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!

"Attention, everypony! Canterlot Carousel will not be closing!"

Every pony cheered happily at the news. This place was just too wonderful to never see again.

"But this stuff's still on sale, right?" the goth pony asked.

Rarity giggled, "Yes, yes, of course."

Sassy walked down the stairs, still feeling confused. "I don't understand. They all love the gowns even though they're not the princess dress. They weren't endorsed or even promoted in any way. How are they such a success?"

Rarity did not show any animosity towards this pony. She knew exactly where she was coming from. She smiled as she led her back to her work place. "Come. I think it's time you discovered the secret to my success."

Rarity levitated the book she was reading beforehand and showed it to Sassy. She arched an eyebrow as she gazed at the images. "But, these are all just photographs of you and your friends.

Indeed, every page she turned there was another picture of her and her friends. There were pictures from Ponyville and Republic City. There were pictures of Rarity with the Mane Six, ones with her and Korra, Mako giving her a piggy back ride, Bolin and Pabu looking adorable, Asami and Flash Sentry making goofy faces at the camera, Pinkie Pie dancing with the airbender children, Spike with Naga and the dragon spirit trio. They all looked so happy and content.

"Exactly. You know Sassy, you remind me a lot of myself and how I first started out. But in times when I thought I would lose my touch, my family reminded why I do what I love. They're each special, unique and beautiful in their own ways and I do my very best to incorporate that same individuality into each and every single one of my works. I always want to make them feel special just as they make me feel special every single day. They're my true inspiration and our friendship is the best work of art I could ask for."

This story brought tears to Sassy's eyes. Suddenly, she could see things clearly for the first time. "Oh, Rarity, I'm so sorry. I focused on that one dress, and the rest of Rarity's Royal Regalia paid the price."

"Well, so did the Princess Dress. The more I sold the more each dress lost its time, love, and couture, becoming terrible, lackluster, and common."

"I think I finally understand the Rules of Rarity…" the unicorn lowered her head in shame as she started to walk out, "and will apply them at my next job."

"I beg your pardon?" Rarity said, making her manager stop in her tracks, "The Rules of Rarity are only to be applied at Canterlot Carousel! Which is why you must continue to manage the boutique while I'm in Ponyville."

"Ponyville?"

"Well, yes, I'll come to Canterlot with new designs and to see the customers of course, but Ponyville was always going to be my home base."

Sassy gasped with joy, "Bobbins and bodkins, Rarity! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! And I promise to run everything following your rules."

"I would expect nothing less." Rarity hugged her manager, forgiving her for her misguidance. She knew she would be a wonderful manager. And a wonderful new friend.

"Oh, my gosh, a sale!" an incredibly large pony entered the store, "Do you have the Princess Dress?!"

"No!" the two unicorns responded in unison before laughing. The large pony simply shrugged.

"By the way, how much did we make out of the hundred princess dress orders?" Rarity asked.

"About two hundred bits, and counting by the sales here, I'd say you'd reach up to two hundred and five." she saw more ponies buying the dresses, "Make that seven."

"Good, I'm going to have to save them all up starting right now."

"For what?"

"Well, I wasn't planing on stopping just here in Canterlot."

(~)

A few weeks later, Rarity, in her anthro form, took in a deep breath before feeling Korra place her hand on her shoulder.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

She opened the doors, seeing a whole crowd of happy, excited city folks at her front door. The unicorn smiled with happiness as she spread open her arms.

"Welcome one and all to the "Four Nations Boutique!"….*wink*