It's just Baldness

by Charlie_K

Twenty One

There was something out of place that was throwing off the organization and orderly mess of Rarity's inspiration room, and she knew it. In fact she knew it very, very well. She could feel it right down in her bones, as the out of place aspect was practically projecting interference rays into her mind, rendering her unable to concentrate or create.

But so help her, she didn't know just what it was that was currently out of place, and throwing her out of sorts. Knowing it existed, and knowing what existed, were two entirely different things, and were sorely incompatible at the moment.

Was it the thread? Had somepony snuck in and rearranged her spools when she wasn't looking? Were the hues of blue no longer in their proper order?

Her eyes carefully swiveled to the left, and then methodically to the right, and then finally back to the center as she slowly scanned the spools, giving each and every one of them the care and attention they so richly deserved from the service they provided her.

Whatever the disturbance she was, she was certain it didn't lay with the thread; not in the spools at least. Perhaps the problem was in the bobbins? Or maybe with the bolts of fabric themselves?

"So help me, my dear little nuisance, I will find you. And then once I do, I swear that I will end you..." she growled in a velvety smooth, annoyed tone of voice as she stood up straighter.

"Might I be of assistance?"

The voice from behind was certainly unexpected, especially considering who it belonged to.

Immediately she spun around and caught sight of Princess Luna leaning against the doorway as she looked back at her, all the while wearing a friendly smile. And just as immediately her mood improved, as the presence of said princess assured her that this was but a bothersome dream she was presently stuck in.

"Your highness! To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" she asked.

"I sensed the forming of a nightmare in the vicinity. And when I followed the disturbance, I traced it back to you," Luna explained as she stepped into the room. "I figured I would step in and intervene in a preemptive manner, if there are no objections."

"Objections? Oh, goodness no!" Rarity replied and quickly shook her head. It would be positively rude to send her away when she was looking to help. "Honestly, I'd appreciate all the help I can get right now. I've spent what feels like the last hour, searching for something that feels out of place. And quite frankly it's interfering with what could potentially be an otherwise pleasant dreams. Possibly even a source of inspiration for future works in the waking world. One simply never knows when or where it will strike them."

"Of course," Luna replied ad she stepped closer. "Before we begin, however, I must ask you a question. Your present circumstances as they apply to yourself specifically; do you consider them to be a dream, or a nightmare?"

Rarity blinked in response. "I'm... sorry? I don't believe I understand the question."

Luna said nothing in response, opting instead to simply conjure a medium-sized wall mirror, and held it out to her.

Rarity looked in the mirror in confusion, and immediately went wide-eyed while her pupils simultaneously dilated to near pinpoints at the sight; she was utterly devoid of her magnificent white coat, and her luxurious deep purple mane, leaving nothing but her bare pink skin behind.

She was utterly and completely bald!

Just as immediately, she shrieked in terror and shrunk back to the furthest away corner of the room, frantically trying to summon the loose fabric about the room to drape over herself in an effort to hide from view; both that of Luna's and her own.

"Nightmare it is then," Luna surmised, before discarding the mirror once its purpose was served.

She tapped her hoof once against the room's floor, sending out a pulse like a ripple spreading across the surface of the pond. An instant after contact was made, Rarity's visage was restored to what it normally was, much to the latter's relief.

Once certain she had her coat back on, and was once again decent, Rarity allowed herself to slump to the ground in a sitting position and drop the fabric she'd desperately surrounded herself with.

"Thank you, Darling, I appreciate that so much," she breathed in a relieved sigh. "What a truly frightening development to experience!"

"Yes, I apologize for that. I would have intervened much sooner, but I first needed to verify the matter," Luna stated. "I must admit, the developments with Twilight Sparkle have made the job somewhat more complicated as a result when it comes to this particular subject."

Rarity nodded in understanding, unable to argue against that particular point of fact, as it was simply the truth of the matter. Twilight and her being a nudist did make things more difficult in comparison to how things had been previously. But that simply went along with having friends who maintained their own unique interests; hardly something worth ending a friendship over, just something to be mindful of.

"It does a bit, yes," she replied, suppressing the urge to let out a very un-ladylike sigh. "Honestly, I've been afraid of finding myself in a situation like this for some time now."

"Like this?" Luna asked.

"Yes, like this. Finding myself trapped in a nightmare where I've been completely stripped of my fur, being confronted by you face-to-face, having to explain myself to you, and quite possibly outing a friend and her unique tastes in the process," Rarity explained. "It was such a relief to me when Twilight told us that you were in the know, and supportive of her."

Had Twilight not possessed the good sense -to say nothing of the common decency- to inform their little group of such a development, this could've been a very bad situation she currently found herself in. But fortunately that wasn't the case. And rather than being a potentially catastrophic development, this was merely an embarrassing moment worth forgetting.

"Oh. Yes, I can certainly understand that sort of worry," Luna replied and nodded in agreement. "Twilight sparkle is quite fortunate to have you on her side. Keeping a secret for a friend when it causes stress is not the easiest thing in the world to do."

"No, it certainly isn't," Rarity agreed, "but, what're friends for, if not helping when times are tough?"

"A fair question. One for which I do not have the answer," Luna admitted, before shrugging dismissively. "Would you mind if I asked a question in turn?"

"Not at all, feel free to ask."

"How are you holding up in all of this, with everything that has been going on recently?"

Rarity blinked, caught a bit off guard by the question. The way the discussion had been going, she'd honestly expected something relating to Twilight, not herself. But she certainly wouldn't object to the difference in subject.

"Honestly? Not as well as I'd like to, I'm afraid," she sighed and sat on her haunches. "It's all a rather long and self-centered story; you wouldn't really be interested in hearing it."

"I have the time if you are willing to share," Luna assured her, "and I am willing to listen to what you may have to say. What are friends for, if not helping when times are tough?"

She honestly hadn't expected that to be thrown back at her, and certainly not with such a short turnaround. And yet here she was, and yet it had been.

"Very well then. Just don't say I didn't warn you..."

---

The surroundings had been swapped out for something more comfortable than the work room, even if it was just the shop's foyer, accompanied by a pair of incredibly comfortable chaise lounges turned to face each other, and a rather enjoyable blend of tea and cookies to satisfy the mind's desire for refreshments.

Luna reclined and listened patiently as Rarity readily accepted the offer to unburden herself to somepony who would listen to what she had to say, and not judge her for saying it.

She listened silently, her expression neutral yet supportive as Rarity spoke, while said unicorn was doing her best to balance both an honest explanation of things as she saw them, and trying not to sound too much like she was whining in a self-absorbed fashion about problems she thought were greater than those of anypony else.

Commendable in her opinion, but entirely unnecessary as far as she was concerned.

As best she could tell, based on what she was hearing, Rarity's problems largely stemmed from the fashionista taking on far too many responsibilities -far more than anypony could reasonably ask her to manage- and was slowly being crushed under the increasing weight of all of them piling up, even if she didn't realize it. Or worse, she did realize the fact, but was denying it actually was fact even to herself, and refusing to acknowledge it as being the truth.

There was the amount of support she was providing Twilight in her endeavors, which was significant in itself since it was support relating to a topic she didn't particularly care for. There was Applejack and her uncertainties of whether or not they were doing the right thing in their support, right along with her own burgeoning curiosity on the subject. There was Pinkie and the matter of her traumas, a matter she took great displeasure in at hearing of such. Their group in general, all-encompassing terms. And then there were the matters of her own duties and responsibilities to both business and family, that had to be tended to on top of everything else she had saddled herself with.

That last one had been a topic mentioned only in passing, but she knew it was still a significant aspect. Being the guardian of dreams, one would be hard pressed to get anything past her.

Honestly, it was borderline miraculous she was holding up as well as she presently was. A single pony could only serve as a linchpin for so long, before the strain became too much for that. Her sister knew that fact quite well. As did the palace staff.

"That is certainly quite the story," she commented once the tale had drawn to a close, and she was certain she had all the pertinent information. "I commend you for your dedication to your friends. I cannot imagine how difficult this is all proving to be."

"Far less than governing an entire country, I would imagine," Rarity quipped.

"Touche," Luna found herself quietly replying almost reflexively.

"I'll admit, it does get to be a bit of a hoofful at times," Rarity continued without missing a beat. "There are days I wish that I'd never gotten involved, never learned the truth of what was going on around me, and could remain blissfully ignorant of it all. And then there are days where all the difficulty just seems worth it, when I see just how happy Twilight is, being able to freely exercise an interest of hers without the fear of being judged by her friends. It's the little details that would go unnoticed to others."

"Such as?" Luna asked curiously.

"The look in her eyes when one of us comes over and she doesn't have to cover herself up like she's doing something wrong. How relaxed her posture is when she's doing something as simple as standing around in her bare skin. This cute little smile that plays across her lips without her even realizing it..." Rarity trailed off, a rather content look crossing her features as she sort of stared off into the distance, not particularly focused on anything.

"Er, y-yes," Luna replied and cleared her throat, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable, as if she was prying a little too deep into a subject she didn't need to broach. Time for a change of subject. Or approach. Or anything really, lest she wind up starting something that couldn't -and maybe shouldn't- be finished here and now. "And Twilight Sparkle's... interests, are not something you would care to partake in yourself?"

Rarity shook her head in response, the content look she was wearing slowly melting away into one more appropriate for business matters as she returned her attention back forward.

"I can't say that they are. I'll partake in a collective fashion by being there for them, lending my support when it may be needed, and listening to whatever they might have to say. But to go further than that, it simply isn't something I have any interest in doing myself. I won't begrudge them going without their fur, but I prefer to keep mine on," she explained. After a brief pause, she continued. "Although... I will -reluctantly- admit that I'm curious whether or not Twilight's theory is correct, about a pony's coat being more luxurious after its regrowth. Curious enough that I'm contemplating whether or not it's even worth considering."

"She is correct. It is indeed the case," Luna stated simply and nodded.

Now it was Rarity's turn to be surprised at what she'd just heard. "I... beg your pardon? It is? Does that mean that you've, er... gone without as well?"

Again, Luna nodded. "I have. Within the privacy of my quarters. I wished to learn more about it for myself after my own discovery, and it seemed the most logical approach to accomplishing such. The difference in our respective work schedules makes face-to-face discussion difficult, and I do not have the benefit of proximity that you and the others do. And she is not the only one who dreams in Equestria, so I cannot make talking with her a nightly thing."

"Y-yes, I can certainly see how that could be a problem," Rarity replied and absently nodded. "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. I must say that's certainly not something I was expecting to hear."

"It is quite understandable. News of that sort is certainly not an everyday thing," Luna replied, before shrugging dismissively and letting out a brief sigh. "I cannot say it is something I particularly care for myself. I have tried it several times, I am trying to keep an open mind about it, but I have yet to find what Twilight Sparkle considers so worthwhile about it. I feel weird, I look wrong, and I am constantly feeling on edge and even downright scandalous until my fur comes back in."

Rarity nodded, easily able to understand those points.

To her credit, Twilight had done a wonderful job of taking a controversial subject that simply wasn't talked about in polite society, and making it seem rather innocuous, and even downright mundane with how she conducted herself while doing it. In her own case, she no longer felt the need to blush or even look away when her friend was bald. But then again she'd benefited from far greater exposure/experience on the subject, so it was possible she was a bit biased on the matter.

"Applejack told me she felt the same way when she first tried it. But Twilight and Rainbow Dash being in the same state helped her feel more at ease, and open to the idea of trying it again in the future," she explained. "I think it's a social thing of sorts; something that has to be done with others to get the proper experience."

Luna's response, while audible, was just barely so. It sounded along the lines of a mumbling of having to take it under advisement/consideration. But for Rarity that was neither here nor there, as it was really none of her business.

"Would you care to see for yourself?"

Rarity blinked in response, confused. "Pardon?"

"My furless state. As an apology for not intervening sooner in addressing your own nightmare," Luna explained.

"Oh dear," Rarity sighed, "you really don't have to do that. You don't need to apologize, Princess, these are trying times for everypony. Beyond that, it would be rather rude of me to go about asking you to show yourself in a state you're not comfortable with. But at the same time, I'm not asking, and you're volunteering this information of your own volition. In which case it may be equally rude -if not ruder- to turn down such an offer. I would say... do whatever you're most comfortable with, and willing to do because it's what you feel like doing."

The look on Luna's face suggested she was conflicted right now with what she'd heard, and was trying to determine exactly what it was she wanted to do.

Finally, she slowly climbed up from her couch, stood up, took a breath, and tapped her right hoof against the floor.

"Oh my..."

In a flash, all trace of Luna's fur and feathers had vanished, along with all traces of her regalia. Leaving behind a very pink-skinned alicorn with only the dark blue of her horn and hooves remaining.

She had thought seeing her friends in such a state would've better prepared her for this, but she was quickly learning how wrong she'd been on that.

"May I impose on you for just one moment, Rarity?" Luna asked, her voice uneasy as she spoke.

"Of course," Rarity replied without hesitation.

"You have far more experience with this subject than I do. Do I look as ridiculous as I feel without my fur on?"

This definitely wasn't the sort of question Rarity expected to be presented with. And yet she had been presented with it regardless. And now that she had been presented with the question, it would be quite rude not to respond. Once she figured out just how to respond.

Slowly, she climbed down from her couch and stepped forward to take a closer look; from a still-polite distance of course.

The most striking aspect to her, other than who it presently was, was the almost total lack of any mottling to be found on Luna. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack all had their own varying degrees of dark patches gracing their skin from the amount of time they spent out in the sun. She wasn't certain why, but she'd simply taken it for granted from her own limited experience that everypony would be the same way. But now she could see that assumption was quite wrong.

In hind sight, being a night pony like she was, it would probably make sense that Luna wouldn't have as much mottling as other might.

"I can't presume to speak on how you may feel, Princess. But I can assure you, you look just fine," Rarity stated, doing her best to project an air of professionalism as she kept her focus on Luna's eyes rather than anywhere else. The fact said Princess was clearly uncomfortable -even borderline bashful- in her current state, simply demanded professionalism of the highest caliber.

It was... so very strange, to see one of the most powerful ponies in the kingdom appearing so vulnerable right now, and to her no less. Which made the need for professionalism so much more pressing as a result.

"You think so?" Luna asked uncertainly as she glanced back down at herself. "I do not look misshapen like this? I do not need to put on some weight, like my sister? I do not need to lose some weight, like our niece?"

"You look fine," Rarity repeated herself, a bit firmer this time and shook her head. She briefly wondered if offering a hug would be reassuring, or overstepping her boundaries. With Twilight it was one thing, but this most certainly wasn't Twilight.

"I appreciate that, I just wish I could feel it for myself," Luna replied and tapped her right hoof against the ground, immediately returning to her previous, regal state. "There are times I will observe myself in the mirror when I am doing this, and I swear I look like Sister's Philomina when she's due for a regeneration."

The urge to giggle at such a silly comparison was certainly there on Rarity's part. But she bit back the urge and suppressed it, knowing it was uncalled for. As uncomfortable as Luna was right now, there was no excuse for doing something that would make her feel even worse.

She briefly considered sharing how, the first time she saw Twilight without her fur, she immediately thought of a plucked chicken. But that might be equally uncalled for.

"Well, Princess, this might be a matter where you'll just have to set time aside, and meet with Twilight face-to-face for an in-depth discussion. She's more or less the expert on nudism in Equestria. She may be able to help you understand more than I can."

"I suppose that may ultimately be the case," Luna replied and sighed/huffed. "Thank you for allowing me to voice my concerns. Usually it is the other way around."

"And thank you for the same," Rarity replied. "It was quite refreshing, being able to talk so freely with somepony who's so understanding on the matter."

"Er, yes, about that," Luna continued, "if I may ask. If you do not actually share Twilight Sparkle's interests, why do you so readily support them?"

"I suppose that is a worthwhile question to be asking," Rarity replied and sat down on the sofa once again. "Twilight's interests in this case are very much a niche matter, unlikely to be shared by anypony else in Equestria. Much like the notion of clothing intended for the everyday, rather than reserved for special occasions. I suppose you could say I see a bit of myself in what she's doing, and I remember just how harrowing it was for me when I was getting started out in my business. I know just how important and valuable it can be to have somepony in your corner that supports you, even when others don't. I may not particularly care for the exposed skin route, but that's not really important right now."

"And if you were given the option to wash your hooves of the matter, and simply walk away from it all?" Luna asked.

Rarity huffed in response. "If that were to ever happen, I would take a vacation from it all! I'd spend two weeks away from them, and throw myself into matters of my work and family, with all the ferocity and focus of a dragon accumulating their horde! Then I would take the next three days to frequent Ponyville's spa, and order every service package they offer on the menu, to be pampered to my heart's content!" she stated, before finally sighing. "And then after that... I'd come right back to the others and catch up on whatever may've transpired while I was away. I may not like what they do, but I do care about what they do. Strange as it might sound, I really don't want to separate myself from them. I'm quite happy that they're happy, and I enjoy being present for that happiness as it unfolds."

"Even though you are the one apparently giving all of the support in this, and receiving none in turn?" Luna asked.

The frown on Rarity's face was slight, but it was still there as she shook her head.

"I'm quite certain the others would lend me their support at a moment's notice if I asked for their help. I have no doubt of that in my mind that they would," she explained in a tone that was as soft as velvet, yet carried all the firmness of a bar of steel.

"As long as you are certain of that," Luna replied, sensing that she was approaching a subject best left alone. "You are a good friend to the others, Rarity. But do not forget to consider yourself and your own well being just as you would theirs. Burnout is very much a real thing, and consume anypony, regardless of how much they may care for what they do."

Rarity simply nodded in response, having nothing to add in either acknowledgement or denial. She knew Luna was right, so there was really no point in attempting further discussion on the matter. Although basic politeness was always appropriate.

"Thank you for your concern. I do appreciate that."

"If that is all, I will be taking my leave now; there are other dreams that must be tended to, and guidance that must be provided," Luna explained as she stood up. "I suppose I should also give serious consideration to meeting with Twilight Sparkle face-to-face. I am going to have to determine if this is truly for me, or if I am going to follow your route of support in a hooves-off manner. If nothing else I can inform her of my own discoveries. The regrowth spell works best when cast in conjunction with a basic analgesic spell to numb the skin, rendering the entire process far less annoying to experience."

"Oh? Oh well now! That's most certainly a worthwhile piece of information to have," Rarity stated at hear. "I imagine she'll be thrilled to find out."

"I suspect she will. A good night to you, Rarity," Luna said as she made ready to take her leave, but then paused. "Um, one more thing before I leave, if I may? Just between the two of us... I believe you make the look work far better than I do."

The admission had come so far out of the blue, and followed by such an immediate departure before clarity could be sought, Rarity wasn't entirely certain she'd heard right. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard?

"Oh my!"

The thought of it being a possibility was making her cheeks feel hot right now, leaving her fairly certain she was blushing right through her fur.

"Well now, I certainly didn't anticipate this sort of development occurring," she said to herself as she tried to figure out what to think now. "Whatever have I managed to go and get myself involved in now?"

Comments

[pony-yo]

[Cross Lament]

I'm a bit surprised that Luna doesn't have dark skin under her pony-fuzz.

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

It's been a while so let me see if I have things right
Twilight: okay
RD: okay
AJ: unsure but not against
Rarity: supportive but not interested
Pinkie: Not Okay and please don't ever mention it around me
Fluttershy:unknown
Scootaloo: unknown
AB: same as sister
SB: same as Pinkie but to a lesser degree
Luna: same as Rarity
Celestia: unknown

---

I think that's everyone that matters in this AU.
And please don't hesitate to correct me if I missed anything or got something wrong.