Life Woven in Charmeuse

by KiroTalon

Threading the Heddles: Next Time

"As you can see by this example, we can use the Glimmer-Sparkle equation to calculate the arcs required for, in this case, a basic mending spell when used to repair an item both in the area of arc-influence and in absolute ownership of an entity determined to be sociologically significant to the caster." Moondancer's magical aura swirled around the dowel she was using to indicate individual elements of the diagram projected at the front of the lecture hall. "So we plug in the arc-moment here, the arc-sustain here, measure and input the estimated total area of cast here, then..." She trailed off as she heard a distinctly attention-grabbing cough from the gallery and turned to cast a curious glance at her class. A white-maned mare with a royal blue coat had one hoof in the air and a miffed expression on her face. Moondancer raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, Miss Trill?"

Songbird Trill lowered her hoof. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but...class was supposed to be over ten minutes ago."

Moondancer blinked and looked up at the clock above the screen. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She quickly dropped the dowel and snatched her notepad from the lectern. "Um...right, please read chapter fifty-eight and answer the first ten questions plus the writing prompt for next time." She raised her voice over the sudden din of students collecting their things and getting to their hooves. "Remember we have an exam in two weeks, you have the study guide, but I'm always available to answer questions or provide additional study group sessions, and my office hours are the same as...on...the...syllabus." Her voice slowly faded along with her smile as the class filed out, largely ignoring her and striking up their own conversations. A few moments later, she was alone.

The unicorn sighed and started to collect her things. It really wasn't like her to lose track of time so completely. Normally she prided herself on planning and executing her lectures down to the minute, even taking into account several pauses for questions or comments. Of course, normally she didn't have anything else to worry about. Today was exceptional.

The note had appeared with a very quiet pop halfway through the lecture. That alone was odd, as most ponies who would be capable of sending her a direct message knew better than to do so during her classes. Typically she would give her correspondents the department's contact information, and simply retrieve her messages as she found time. To be interrupted like this suggested an extreme emergency, and she had naturally excused herself to read it immediately. Her relief at the relatively banal content and the resulting irritation were immediately supplanted by a wave of panic at realizing who the author was.

The whole episode had thrown her completely off her stride, and the rest of the class meeting had vacillated between being asked to repeat herself as she spoke too quickly and staring blankly at her students while she waited entirely too long for questions. She'd even finished the day's original lesson fifteen minutes early, and in her scramble to fill the time, she'd started a new lesson, only to find herself losing track of time in the opposite direction. In short, it had been a disaster, and she knew it would be the talk of the campus.

She paused in her shamefaced tidying as her eyes came back to the note. Hesitating, she unfurled the tightly rolled scroll and reread the body:

Chère Moondancer,

Our recent lunch meeting was the absolute highlight of my week, and I simply cannot wait to relive the experience! Please respond to this note at your earliest convenience and let Shinel know if any of the following dates will be agreeable to your schedule...

The neat, perfectly spaced and beautifully penned script was then broken into a series of carefully transcribed dates and times, some in the afternoon, some in the evening, before returning to the prose.

I do apologize for the infrequency and awkwardness of the available options, but my schedule is simply atrocious this time of year. If you cannot accept any of these invitations, please respond with a list of your own, and I will find space in my calendar for you instead!

I await your response with the utmost of anticipation.

Bien à vous,
Rarity

The valediction included the Trediamanti logo in lieu of the 'R' in 'Rarity', and the leg of the logo underlined the rest of the name. It seemed the unicorn signed her letters with the same flair as her autographs. Even with a moment to think and process what she was holding, however, Moondancer couldn't help the flash of anxiety that reading it engendered. The last note she'd received had obviously been in Shinel's hoof, and not Rarity's. It made sense that somepony as busy as Rarity would not have time to write her own letters, but for some reason she'd made a special effort in this case. A cursory enchantment-sensing spell told Moondancer that it wasn't a form letter, either. She really had sat down and put quill to page.

Somehow, this made everything worse. Rarity was putting an awful lot of time and energy into an extremely fledgling friendship with somepony who didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to making and keeping friends. Of course she was desperately excited for any opportunity to spend time with her idol, but she couldn't ignore the nagging sense that it was a massive waste of Rarity's time. What could somepony already so accomplished and beloved possibly gain from associating with a social misfit like her?

Even as the self-imposed gloom weighed heavily on her ego, Moondancer skimmed the available appointments and mentally compared them to her own calendar. All the afternoon openings were out, as she taught a wide variety of classes during the midday hours. Most of the evenings were available, however, and she almost picked the soonest one out of pure enthusiasm before realizing the sycophantic message that might send. It wouldn't do for Rarity to think she was so infatuated and otherwise boring that she would immediately jump at whatever social engagement she could get. The fact that both were true was still no reason to let Rarity in on the secret.

Instead, she picked the second time slot--a touch earlier in the evening, but still late enough to fit her schedule--and, using the seal imprinted at the bottom of the note as a focus, sent her reply. She had barely managed to finish packing her supplies when another scroll appeared and settled onto the lectern. Convinced it had to be a form letter confirming receipt of her note, she almost ignored it, but when she realized it was precisely the same style as the first, she curiously opened it and scanned the contents.

Chère Moondancer,

How marvelous! I confess I rather hoped you'd find a sooner engagement more agreeable than a later one. However, that particular date does present a small...issue.

You see, that appointment represents a small window in my day, small enough, indeed, to render it quite impossible for me to escape any earlier to meet you at a restaurant. As a result, we will simply have to make do with the Carousel Bistro here at the boutique. I know it's hardly three-hoof fare, but I assure you it's quite delectable all the same!

If you are still willing, I shall have Shinel meet you in the foyer and we will make the best of the time we have available to us!

À bientôt,
Rarity

Moondancer almost laughed at the implication that she would refuse the date simply because it would be at one location over another, but she responded in the affirmative regardless. Then she finished collecting her things and trotted out of the lecture hall on hooves a touch lighter than they had been just ten minutes ago. She wanted to see me as soon as possible! Rarity is excited to see me!

---

Moondancer had never met Princess Celestia in pony, at least not in anything but the most formal of settings, but if Twilight Sparkle's candid letters were to be believed, the magnificent and benevolent ruler of Equestria had something of a playful streak. Previously, Moondancer hadn't been sure what to make of Twilight's assertions, but over the next few days, she started to suspect that the princess knew what was going on, and had slowed the passage of time specifically to tease her. Moondancer caught herself counting down the hours, losing herself in wonder at what she and Rarity would talk about, marveling at her impossibly good fortune, and generally just struggling to find ways to fill the impossibly long days.

Finally, the clock struck five on the day of the date, and Moondancer immediately turned to her class with a barely contained grin. "Well, I think we've covered enough for the day. I know it's early, but I'm going to go ahead and call it a day." The sentiment was so out of the ordinary for Professor Moondancer that no one moved for several seconds, instead casting confused glances at one another to see if there was some hint or message being missed. Moondancer chuckled. "I mean it. Life's too short to spend all of it sitting in class. Go on, have some fun. We're ahead of schedule anyway."

A bemused murmur drifted through the hall as the class collected their things and filed out. For once, Moondancer was hot on their hooves. Rarity's suggested meeting time was six, but Moondancer knew that if her schedule was as packed as she implied, the earlier she arrived, the more of her limited time they could share. Plus, she smirked coyly to herself, if Rarity could show up early to lunch out of excitement, then she could return the favor for dinner.

The unicorn made a brief detour to her office to drop off her teaching materials and retrieve a small satin-wrapped box from a desk drawer. She'd dithered over the purchase for several minutes when she'd spotted the little sapphire brooch in the jeweler's window display the day before, but eventually chose to throw caution to the wind and get it. Rarity was famous for her weakness for gemstones of almost any variety, but Moondancer knew her heart was softest for sapphires. "What other stone could possibly bring out my eyes so purely as they?" she'd once gushed in an article discussing the cyclical rise and fall of gemstone popularity in fashion.

Moondancer unwrapped the box and examined the brooch inside again. One flash of the sunlight across the face of the stone proved Rarity's assertion true, and Moondancer's heart unexpectedly quivered at the memory of Rarity's sparkling irises, dancing playfully as she teased her nervous date. The reaction sparked a little flame of panic in Moondancer's stomach. On second thought, was this even something Rarity would wear? It was certainly nice enough for somepony like Moondancer, but Rarity was regularly spotted out on the town wearing necklaces, earrings, tailrings, and coronetlets studded with an almost absurd variety and number of gems and jewels. She hardly seemed the type to add one little brooch to her ensemble, especially considering the care with which she typically constructed her outfits.

Stupid, stupid, Moondancer chided herself as she rewrapped the box and stuck it back in the drawer, slamming it closed. Then, after a beat, she sighed and opened the drawer again, retrieving the box and sticking it angrily into her saddlebag. She'd gotten it for Rarity, she was going to give it to Rarity. At the very least, she could stick it in a trunk of similar useless baubles as part of her doubtless substantial collection.

Loath to waste any more time pandering to her insecurities, Moondancer stomped out of the university building and started making her way downtown to Saddle Row. She did not often make her way this far into the city center. As a professor at the university, she was far from destitute, but wealth in Canterlot had a different shade than elsewhere in Equestria. Even the smallest, most modest homes and apartments were phenomenally expensive, and some of the most ostentatious abodes couldn't be purchased at all, but were only available to specific ponies, either by virtue of their standing in the peerage or their general economic or diplomatic worth.

Moondancer--an esteemed but plebeian educator--lived within the scope of the university's holdings, which provided her a home free of charge and discounted living essentials for purchase on campus. This made it relatively trivial to live comfortably in the most affluent city in Equestria, but it didn't give her much overhead to spend on luxuries, and certainly not at Canterlot prices. As a result, she had little reason to travel to Saddle Row, the pristine little lane that snaked around the city's side of the castle gardens, where even glancing in the shop windows would cause bits to evaporate from her coin purse. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the occasional stroll down the thoroughfare, often joining her friends for a bit of frivolous window shopping. She simply had never stepped hoof inside any of the shops, let alone even contemplated opening her purse there.

Today, however, she clopped across the flagstones with purpose, the route to Canterlot Carousel well worn into her memory. The Carousel was one of the shops Moondancer and her friends made a special effort to visit when they spent the afternoon on Saddle Row. While they may not have appreciated the more granular aspects of what made Rarity's designs so enchanting, her friends could at least appreciate the beauty of the garments, and they would join Moondancer in wide-eyed wonder at the vast array of clothes on display. Designs never stayed in the window for more than a week, so they were always greeted with a parade of new items to wistfully pine for. This afternoon was no exception. Moondancer slowed as the boutique came into view, her eyes sliding appreciatively from one glittering masterpiece to the next, and practically salivated at the beauty sewn into every inch. Gems, flawlessly cut and delicately applied, glinted and flashed at her as she walked by, coyly tempting her to simply check the price tag, just in case she could maybe afford the garment. Waves of silk and satin cascaded down the ponnequins' bodies, looking like nothing so much as dunes of richly hued sand laid out by a gentle tide over centuries.

For once, Moondancer didn't stop and stare at the clothes on offer. She had cause to actually go inside the boutique for once, and she walked purposefully into the vast, magnificently appointed lobby of the building. Shinel was already there, talking to another sharply dressed young stallion, who had a quill and scroll in his magic and was feverishly scribbling.

"...to push the interview back to tomorrow morning, no later than seven. Clotheshorse also needs the newest photo sets of the Summer collection--last year, not this one--and the Fall collection--two years ago--by midnight tonight. Let Hoity Toity know that we're still interested in his offer for next season, but that we're still going over the financials to make sure it's feasible. Tell Prim Hemline that Miss Rarity needs her revised designs by next week, or we're cutting her out of the collection, and remind Silken Sash that we're still waiting on her last entry." The stallion's face was almost bored as he rattled off orders, his voice clear even as he spoke with such speed that Moondancer wasn't sure how the hapless scribe was keeping pace. "Also go down to shipping and make sure the Mount Aris delivery got off okay, and remind Porter that the paperwork is still not optional." A tiny hint of emotion seeped into the stallion's voice at this last order, but his expression remained passive and confident. "Then come back and find me again, because we need to verify travel plans for next week's tour; I still haven't gotten confirmation from Buckboard that he'll have a carriage available for us when we get there." His demure gaze shifted just enough to see Moondancer enter the lobby, and his face suddenly split into a warm smile. "Moondancer!" he said, his voice losing its hardened edge as he wordlessly dismissed the other unicorn and trotted over to meet her. "So glad you could make it."

Moondancer smiled at him, pleasantly surprised by the sincerity of his tone. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I know I'm a little early, though," she said, pursing her lips. "I hope that's not a problem."

Shinel shook his head. "Not in the least. Miss Rarity won't be ready for a little while yet, but she won't mind if you wait in the apartment." He turned and started to walk away without further preamble.

Moondancer blinked and started after him. "The apartment?" she asked. "There's an apartment here?"

Shinel chuckled. "Miss Rarity makes it a point to have a small living area furnished for her to occupy in all of her large boutiques, so she has somewhere to stay when she's in town for shows or meetings." He smiled over his shoulder. "It keeps local hoteliers from having to fight over her business or try to meet her admittedly exacting standards."

Moondancer nodded, comprehending. "Right, and I imagine it probably has a bit of a nostalgic feel, since her first shop in Ponyville has a living area upstairs."

Shinel nodded. "Exactly." He led her through the entryway at the back of the lobby and into the boutique proper. Inside, several visibly affluent ponies were milling about the ponnequins, casting an appreciative eye over the garments and chatting quietly. Strains of classical music drifted from the strings of a live quartet, and a couple of tailor ponies were in the process of measuring and sizing some of the patrons. Here and there, waiters weaved around the floor carrying trays of apéritifs and hors d'oeuvres, silent and insubstantial as ghosts until the precise moment somepony found themselves parched or peckish.

The while experience seemed alien to Moondancer, who was used to shopping for her clothes from racks filled with hangers while she tried to ignore blaring muzak. Shopping here must have felt more like choosing a future mate than buying an outfit for a party. The unicorn resisted the reflex to gawk at the scene.

Shinel must have noticed her efforts, because he smirked at her. "Not quite like the typical prêt-à-porter experience, is it?"

Moondancer shook her head. "Not even a little bit. It's like we're not even in the same world."

Shinel chuckled. "That's the point. We're not just selling clothes or fashion, we're selling a lifestyle. An experience. In some cases, an identity." He cast a fond glance over the displays. "And Miss Rarity has the keenest eye for how to emphasize the best parts of somepony's identity."

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. "How could she do that if they buy these clothes without ever meeting with her?"

"Oh, no," Shinel laughed. "Nopony buys these clothes. At least not here. No, these are just designs. Blueprints. It's all part of her resume, her reputation. Ponies come here to get an idea of what she can do, and then, if they're still interested, they'll set up an appointment with her, and if she likes them, she'll design for them."

"If she likes them?"

Shinel nodded. "She won't design for somepony she doesn't like. It would tarnish her reputation to have somepony she doesn't respect or trust be seen wearing her designer label."

"The Rarest of the Rare," Moondancer murmured. Rarity's most exclusive designs were hoof-designed and stitched by the unicorn herself, and unique as a result. They were appropriately labeled the Rarest of the Rare line, and owning just one such garment was considered one of the most distinct shows of affluence and influence possible. Princess Celestia herself only had three. Somehow it had never occurred to Moondancer that each design was specifically tailored to the owner, although in retrospect, the perfection with which the clothes matched and accentuated the wearer's frame and coloration should have been a clue. She had assumed that Rarity just designed and sewed however and whenever she wanted, and then sold the end result. If owning such a piece implied that Rarity considered them to be worth her time and effort, Moondancer would have to reconsider her opinions on some of the more famous wearers of the brand. "I know nopony ever resells those designs, but could they if they wanted to?"

Shinel shook his head. "Part of the agreement. You aren't just buying the outfit, you're buying the right to wear it. Obviously that doesn't apply to the clothes sold in larger quantities, but the Rarest of the Rare is more than just a dress. It's a statement. It's Rarity's tacit endorsement of who you are and what you do. If she wants, she can revoke that endorsement by requesting you return the dress. For a refund, of course, but it's not the money that would hurt her the most, it's the betrayal."

There was a slightly awkward beat in the conversation, as though Shinel was waiting for Moondancer to ask the question he knew she wanted to. "So..." she ventured.

Shinel smiled. "No, not yet. Fortunately, Miss Rarity is a pretty good judge of character."

Moondancer nodded. "I'm not surprised. I don't ever really see or hear about her associating with unsavory types." She paused. "Well, except for Discord, but..."

Shinel laughed. "Yes, well, Discord is a special case, I suppose. Being Miss Fluttershy's best friend does seem to afford him some esteem by proxy." The pair come upon a small, almost invisible door set in the back wall of the boutique, which glowed momentarily as Shinel pulled it open and stepped back. "After you."

Behind the door, a narrow but well-lit staircase curved up and around the corner, and the two ponies made their way to the second landing, where they were met with another, larger door with a small magical focus etched into the wall above it. Shinel's magic shone around the focus for a moment. A series of clunks resonated through the door, and he pushed it open as well.

The apartment behind the door was nothing like Moondancer had expected. She had assumed there would be marble floors, expensive sculptures and paintings, designer furniture and crystal chandeliers. Instead, she found her hooves crossing from chocolate colored carpet to warm mahogany flooring. The walls were adorned not with rare artwork, but framed photos of Rarity and her friends, dozens of them, often clad in clothing clearly crafted in her own hoof. The open floor plan had wide doors leading off the main hallway into an economically appointed kitchen paired with a cozy dining nook, a spartan office with a desk strewn with stacks of paper and designs, and a small library stocked almost entirely with books of fashion collections. At the end of the hallway was another door leading to what appeared to be a den, and echoing down the hall from the den was the odd sound of ringing metal on metal and incomprehensible shouts. Puzzled, Moondancer glanced at Shinel, but the assistant was unperturbed, and simply led her towards the sound.

Moondancer entered the den at his side, and came across a sight she wouldn't have believed if somepony else had described it to her. Two ponies--one immediately identifiable as Rarity from the tight bundle of indigo hair whipping around her neck and withers--were facing one another in the center of the room, standing in a long rectangle of white tape stuck to the floor. They were both clad in heavy white jumpsuits that covered every inch of their body from their jawline to just above the floor. Rarity's tail and mane were carefully woven into heavy braids, while the other pony's hair was all cropped short. Most notably, however, both ponies wore heavy wire mesh masks that covered their faces, ears, and necks to protect them from the other bizarre element of the scene: the swords. Hovering between the ponies were a pair of long, thin swords gripped in their respective magical auras. The weapons look like duelers blades, with short hilts and bell-shaped guards, and at the moment were each pointed at the opposing dueler.

A moment after Moondancer entered the room, she heard Rarity's mellifluous trill, oddly sharp, say, "En garde!"

The other pony nodded and replied, "Prêts?"

Rarity nodded back and said, "Allez!"

The next five seconds were a blur of motion Moondancer couldn't hope to follow. The swords flashed and sliced through the air, clashing once, then again. The two ponies dodged nimbly forward and backwards in a frantic ballet of combat, their hooves only momentarily touching the ground with each step. Suddenly, Rarity lunged forward, slashing her sword in a short, sharp arc and diving towards her opponent. There was an exchange of contact, a staccato of metallic cracks, and as soon as it had begun, the duel ended. The white fringe of Rarity's mask had turned red and emitted a short buzzing sound. The unicorn removed her mask and stared at it with disgust. "What?" She glared at her opponent. "I'm certain I struck you first!"

The other pony removed his mask as well, revealing a sharply lined silver face with a thin-lipped muzzle and a sour expression. "Non, you hesitated." His accent was distinctly Prench, but he spoke eloquently. "You are still too reckless. Your flèche was fine, but you are too quick to react. You cannot let the appel distract you."

Rarity grumbled her frustration. "Well, did I touch, at least?"

The other pony gave her a wan smile. "Almost."

Rarity gave a short cry of exasperation before turning around. Her face immediately lit up when she noticed Moondancer standing in the doorway. "Moondancer, darling!" She made as if to come and embrace her guest, but stopped short with a sheepish smile. "I apologize, but I shouldn't come any closer. I've been...exerting myself rather a lot, and I fear I must smell quite the fright."

Moondancer couldn't say anything. Rarity looked, if possible, even more beautiful and alluring than she usually did. Her mane, pulled back and tightly braided, shone as brightly as the steel of her sword. Her face, glistening with a sheen of perspiration and framed by a few wayward strands of mane that had come free of the braid, was flushed and alive, her eyes sharp and focused and her nostrils flaring as she panted. Moondancer couldn't stop her eyes sliding down to the unicorn's body, where the tight white uniform clung to her chest, heaving with exertion, and her tail, braided like her mane, was held in a high arc to protect it from dragging on the ground.

At Rarity's apology, Moondancer's imagination thrust another element into the image, and even though she couldn't actually smell the unicorn from where she stood, she couldn't help but wonder at her scent. She couldn't imagine somepony as enchanting and gorgeous as Rarity could possibly stink, no matter how much she sweated. She probably smelled like she looked: intense, powerful...fierce. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart suddenly started to pound, and she forced herself to break the silence and regain her composure. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine." Relieved to hear only the barest hint of a tremor in her voice, she continued, "How come I didn't know you fenced?"

Rarity smiled coyly. "A girl must have some secrets, no?" She turned to her dueling partner. "I apologize, Salle, but I must cut our assault short tonight. As you can see, I have a guest."

The silver stallion minutely raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, that is of course your prerogative. I will still require--"

Rarity nodded and waved a hoof at him, floating her sword up and onto a display rack on the wall. "Of course, Salle. I would never request your time without fair compensation." She began to pull the tape up from the floor.

Salle nodded and swiftly stripped off his uniform, revealing a svelte frame and long, thin legs. "Very well. Shinel, you will be in touch?"

Shinel nodded and stepped aside as the stallion trotted out of the den. "I will. Good evening, monsieur." He turned back to Rarity. "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Rarity, but I figured you'd probably want Miss Moondancer to wait here in the apartment."

"And you were quite right, Shinel," Rarity said, stepping out of her fencing gear and balling it up in her magic. "Thank you for bringing her up."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

She glanced at the crumpled wad in her aura. "Well, I don't suppose you're passing by the laundry any time soon, are you?"

Shinel shrugged and took the clothes from her. "It's on my way."

"You're an absolute gem, Shinel." Rarity beamed at him, and he smiled as he gave her a curt bow and left. She turned back to Moondancer. "Well, you are early, aren't you?"

Moondancer shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "In the words of the world's greatest fashion designer, 'I simply could not wait another moment.'" She grinned. "Although if I'd known I could watch you crossing swords with somepony, I would've been here a lot sooner."

Rarity laughed, sending a thrill through Moondancer's stomach. "Oh, darling, it's hardly as exciting as all that. Simply a hobby of mine. A guilty pleasure I picked up a few years ago during a conference in Prance."

"Why guilty?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "Well, it would hardly do for ponies to see me as the athletic type, would it?"

Moondancer cocked her head curiously. "I don't see why not. I think you looked positively captivating."

The unicorn's eyes widened, and her cheeks colored. Moondancer immediately regretted her choice of words and stammered, "I mean, you really can pull off any look. Like...even in a plain white one-piece, you were gorgeous. Just...your face and your hair and...and..."

Rarity cleared her throat and soothed, "Moondancer, it's fine. I know what you meant, I'm simply surprised to hear it." She smiled. "I admit, I can't imagine how you could think that with my hair bound up and my face all sweaty that I could possibly look anything but ghastly, but..."

Moondancer nodded, her cheeks coloring. "I do. You really do look radiant in just about anything."

Rarity smirked. "You aren't just saying that because you're afraid I'll get mad at you, are you?" she teased.

Moondancer grinned. "No, I learned my lesson. Well," she amended, "I'm learning it, anyway."

"Baby steps, I suppose," Rarity said, pulling the ties out of her mane and tail and shaking out the braids. "I hope you don't mind if I take a quick shower before we go to dinner. I really do smell just appalling."

I doubt it, Moondancer thought, but she simply shook her head. "Not at all. Do you want me to wait in here, or...?"

Rarity shrugged. "I don't see any need for that. I shan't be long, and we can discuss our plans for the evening while I freshen up."

"Oh, okay," Moondancer murmured, oddly unnerved by the idea. It was one thing to catch somepony engaging in a hobby they preferred to keep a secret, but it was something else altogether to watch them bathe, especially in their own bathroom. That sort of intimacy was normally reserved for close friends and family members. She wondered if Rarity considered her the former already, but immediately dismissed the idea. She probably just wanted to save time, and had learned to forgo normal social mores like privacy and physical shyness.

She followed the unicorn through the bedroom into her washroom, where Rarity turned on and then entered a rain-style shower. She was talking before the water hit her. "So, as I mentioned in my note, we'll have to keep this visit unfortunately short. I can only spare an hour or so, as I must meet with Coco Pommel later tonight to discuss the quarterly sales figures for the Manehattan boutique."

Moondancer tilted her head curiously. "Don't you have accountants to do that for you?"

Rarity nodded and stuck her head under the running water, letting it hit her in the face and sluice down her neck and back. "I do, but they can only report on the numbers. I always like to have a sense of the flow and the feel of the store, whether the patrons are enjoying themselves, whether the designs are still impressing, and basically whether she thinks something needs to change." She turned her back to the shower head and lifted her tail so the water filtered through it as well.

Moondancer watched the water flowing down through Rarity's hair, relaxing the curls imposed by the braids and leaving it in long, sleek sheaves of purple even darker than her normal color. Her mane framed her face in dark curtains, and her tail hung in a thick, limp bunch that glistened in stark contrast to her ivory coat and drew Moondancer's gaze inexorably to her haunches. The hair there clung to her skin, outlining and highlighting the soft, supple shape of her rear end, the gentle curve firm but not muscular, an effect Rarity must have cultivated with great effort. Moondancer could see the muscles shifting beneath the flesh, but only barely, and it only served to accentuate the white unicorn's svelte femininity. A stab of desire, unmistakable in its source, lanced through her.

It was almost immediately replaced by a surge of guilt and panic. Moondancer was no stranger to crushes, but the target was supposed to be somepony aloof and practically intangible. Movie stars, princesses, Wonderbolts and the like. Not somepony she could literally have reached out and touched if she threw caution to the wind and let her gut take the lead. It was all well and good to crush on somepony so far away, because it meant the crush could be nurtured and ridden out, gossiped and laughed about with friends, comfortably impossible to act on. But this...this sudden surge of fascination and desire, this knot in her stomach that only tightened as Rarity slowly turned in the cascading water, letting rivulets run down the curve of her haunches and flow down to drip off her taut, perfect torso...what could she do with this? This was the dictionary definition of unrequitable affection. Rarity was so far out of her league that Moondancer was still thrown off every time Rarity actually remembered her name. And yet Moondancer found herself repeatedly biting back compliments and flirty little quips that got all the way to her mouth before she caught them, horrified at what she'd almost said. Not only was Rarity sure to be uninterested, she might even find the innuendo laughable, or offensive. In either case, Moondancer was sure to fall out of her good graces the instant the words left her mouth. Terrified of saying any of the insane things coming to mind, Moondancer picked her next words as carefully as she could. "That makes sense. You trust her to run the boutique well, then?"

Rarity nodded, her sodden mane swinging lazily against her forelegs. "As well as I might. She really does have a knack for helping ponies enjoy their shopping experience and finding the right clothes for whatever they need. Of course, she's an exquisite designer to boot." The shampoo bottle jumped off the shelf of its own accord and swiftly deposited a line of product down the length of Rarity's back. The unicorn retrieved several loofahs and began scrubbing herself in earnest, quickly disappearing beneath a layer of suds. "I've been quite fortunate in all my managerial hires so far. Sassy Saddles was a little bit of a project, I guess, but she really is quite the talent, once she got out of her own way." The unicorn tittered softly and looked at Moondancer. "I must look quite the sight."

Moondancer giggled. She really did look ridiculous. Where there had once been a painfully beautiful and alluring ivory unicorn now stood an awkwardly lumpy four-legged mess of pink bubbles. The suds were easily a hoof thick all across her fur. She looked like a foal's sculpture. The ponies shared a laugh before Rarity stepped back under the water and slowly reappeared, her grinning face emerging from the cocoon. Moondancer's breath caught again, but this time she was ready for it, and she simply rode the surge of warmth that Rarity's coquettish smile and perfect form elicited. Rarity finished rinsing herself and shut off the water, grabbing a thick, fluffy towel and giving herself a thorough rub down. "I am sorry that you have to see me au naturel, as it were."

Moondancer blinked. "What do you mean?"

Rarity hung the towel back on the rack, her mane still hanging limp in front of her face, revealing only the tip of her muzzle. "Why, without my maquillage, of course." When Moondancer didn't react, she clarified, "My makeup, darling."

"Oh. Oh!" Moondancer scoffed. "Why should you apologize for that?"

Rarity's muzzle smirked through her mane. "One should always look their best for their fans."

"I thought were were friends, not just celebrity and fan," Moondancer teased.

Rarity laughed. "True. Still, I do feel bad when somepony has to see me at less than my best."

"What do you mean? You don't have to look your best for anypony. I mean, if you want to, that's great, but you don't owe it to anyone."

The smirk faded to a sad smile. "I wish that were true, darling. The fact is, ponies expect me to be beautiful. My fans expect me to be beautiful, as is their right. My beauty got me where I am today, and I can't abandon that. It's not fair to them." Rarity's magic pulled her mane away from her face, revealing lighter-than-normal cheeks and unshadowed eyelids. Her eyes were less striking without the liner, her lips less lustrous and paler. Her mane hung in heavy, lifeless bunches.

Moondancer shook her head. "If they expect you to be beautiful, then they'd get it." She smiled. "You're absolutely radiant, just as you are."

Rarity's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked away, her cheeks coloring and her eyes shimmering with tears as the small smile morphed from sad to flustered. "I thought we talked about this. You don't have to flatter me to be my friend."

"I know," Moondancer said, suddenly courageous. She stepped forward and put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder, drawing the unicorn's gaze back to her face. "I have to flatter you because you deserve to hear the truth. And the truth is that nopony compares to you, no matter what you do to your looks."

There was a long silence as the two mares stared into one another's eyes, each attempting to read the other's mind and find the truth behind their words. Eventually, Rarity's eyelids fell and she looked away, the smile sad once again. "You're too kind, Moondancer. Now, if you give me just a moment to put myself together, we have a reservation to make."

Moondancer watched as the unicorn picked up all her accoutrements at once and began expertly applying foundation, eye shadow, lip gloss, and a carefully sequenced series of hair products. Her heart ached for the celebrity as she suddenly realized she was seeing the first ragged edges of what that word truly meant, and the toll such a life could take.

Comments

[PonyFan4927]

Oh, ow. From lighthearted at the beginning to bitter at the end, this was a beautiful chapter. Wonder how long it will take Rarity to realize Moondancer has feelings for her? (Unless Moondancer's mouth runs away with her first.)

[Lore Horse]

8741823
So true, this story has had a few ups and downs even with this being the third chapter. However I am hoping that Rarity discovers the infatuation rather than Moondancer admitting it, that would make whatever comes after have much more of an impact. Moondancer has a fragile self-esteem as is and having Rarity confront her bringing up the possibility that Moondancer is using her for popularity which strike up a dramatic scene. I can't wait for the next chapter.