Broken: Charity

by Knackerman

Is Sexy

She worked in darkness, the heat, oppressive and suffocating. Sweat dripped from her curling mane and glistened on her brow, flushed from exertion. Never had she worked so hard, but then never had she been driven to such extremes. Her clients, the unappreciative louts, came and went at all hours of the day even when she was supposed to be resting. The needy curs just couldn’t seem to get enough of her. They worked her until her hooves and flanks were sore. How could she have fallen so low? Mere days before, ‘Rarity’ had been a name synonymous with Fashion and Grace. Now, with the chatter of a myriad Babylonian tongues in her ear, she was reduced to a nobody in a dimly lit tent in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, to be sure, she needed the work desperately. But when she went to Fleur she had no idea what she could possibly say. “Oh, you know all this work I’ve been doing for the less fortunate? Well it appears I neglected to pay my bills and now a very serious pony named Filthy Rich back home in Ponyville is going to take my home and livelihood away from me if I don’t pay him last months rent along with this months, and nexts in advance! Do you think you could let me borrow just a teensy bit of money to cover that along with all my personal expenses I’ve already incurred while your guest?” It was simply unthinkable! So instead she’d tried her best to be discrete. She’d asked Fleur if there was any other work she might do that might be more...lucrative. To her credit, the super model had given Rarity a knowing look that said instantly she understood the situation. “Why of course Mademoiselle,” she had said, “I have just the job in mind.”

If Rarity had known then what Fleur’s idea of a ‘job’ was, though the thought was uncharacteristically unkind, she may well have spit in the elegant unicorn’s flawless face.
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There was a knock at Twilight’s front door. This was somewhat odd as Twilight was not expecting any of her friend’s today and she wasn’t expecting any packages. The library was closed today for re-shelving, so there shouldn’t be anypony dropping by for a book. Curious, Twilight pulled herself away from the wonderfully distracting past-time of book arraigning to see who it could possibly be. As she opened the door with a long creak and poked her head out, there was nopony. “Hello?” she said, looking left and right, but there was nopony around as far as she could see. Shrugging, she closed the door and turned to go back to her task. She nearly trampled over Sweetie Belle.

“Wow, Twilight, you can jump really high, huh?” Rarity’s little sister smile literally beamed up at Twilight who found herself inexplicably on top of one of the bookcases. She hadn't heard the filly come in.

She wasn’t entirely sure how she’d gotten up there, but as her heart slowed to a more natural rhythm, she managed to get her breathing under control enough to ask. “Sweetie Belle!? Where in Equestria did you come from!?”

The diminutive unicorn filly gave a little bounce as she replied, “From outside of course! You opened the door and let me in.” As Twilight worked her way as carefully as possible down to the floor, Sweetie Belle continued. “I stopped by because I wanted to ask you something. Have you heard anything from my big sister?”

“Isn’t she on vacation?” asked Twilight, “I think I received a post card from her a little while ago.”

“Yes, but she’s been gone forever and ever!" Squeaked Sweetie Belle, "She was supposed to be back weeks ago! But nopony’s seen or heard from her. My mom and dad are getting a little worried about her because they heard down at the mayor’s office that if Rarity doesn’t come back soon, they’re going to have to foreclose on Carousel Boutique! I just know something must have happened to her... That shop means too much to her to just let it go like that!”

The little pony seemed to be on the verge of tears. Twilight did what she could to soothe her, “I’m sure that Rarity is fine. She’s probably just having so much fun that she’s spending a few extra days in Canterlot. I imagine she’ll be home very...wait...did you say the mayor was going to foreclose on Rarity’s shop!?”

“Uh-huh...on account that Diamond Tiara's dad wants to convert it into a new MegaMare Mart!” The little filly was hopping mad! Twilight had no way of knowing how much Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had teased her about her sisters impending misfortune, but it was clear she was very upset. This would probably call for more than a few soothing words.

“I...I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything from her. Since she’s not staying at Celestia’s palace this time I’m not even sure how to get in contact with her. She left for Canterlot so suddenly I didn’t even get the chance to ask her anything about her plans.” Twilight screwed up her face in thought. “I suppose I could ask a few of my old acquaintances from school to keep an eye out for her, but I don’t know if Rarity would find much interesting in Canterlot’s Higher Learning Quarter. Though personally I have a hard time keeping myself away.” She said with a vague smile, remembering the shelves of books back in Canterlot, that reached nearly three stories high.

“But Twilight, you used to live in Canterlot! I bet ya if we went there we could find Rarity in no time at all!”

Twilight blinked at the filly, “Just... leave for Canterlot like that? But I have so much work I have to do here! I have to reorganize the entire library.” Celestia’s favorite student narrowed her eyes, “And what do you mean ‘we’? Even if I did go, I doubt your parents would let you come with me. Don’t you have school?”

Sweetie Belle jumped and twirled, “Nope, it’s spring break! And as for my parents, they’re already looking for Rarity in Canterlot! I’ve been staying over with Applebloom...I...kind of got in trouble for peeking in on Big Macintosh.” Sweetie Belle blushed slightly as she mentioned this. “So if you took me with you, I’m sure they’d be grateful. Besides...I miss my mom and dad almost as much as I miss Rarity!”

This sounded like a complicated situation. Twilight didn’t really want the responsibility for looking after Sweetie Belle, but on the other hoof, she knew what it would mean if Rarity lost her shop and doubted she could convince Sweetie Belle to stay behind. It wasn’t just Rarity's home, but her career, her life-long dream! Her little sister couldn’t just sit idly by and watch that be taken away from her and neither could Twilight Sparkle. It would’ve taken any other pony longer, but Twilight was a quick thinker.

“Pack your bags Sweetie Belle! We’re going to Canterlot to find Rarity and bring her home in time to save Carousel Boutique!” Sweetie Belle literally leapt for joy! Twilight simply hoped she knew what she was getting into.

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The trip to Canterlot wasn’t a very long one by train. Twilight read most of the way while Spike and Sweetie Belle entertained each other. It was nice for Spike to have a companion closer to his own age for once. Naturally he had insisted on coming along when he heard Rarity might be in trouble, but he usually hated long trips and spent most of them napping or pestering Twilight to play games like eye spy, which was almost impossible to play while most of what you could see out the window was hurtling by in a steady blur. It would’ve been peaceful if it weren’t for this nagging feeling that there was more going on here than met the eye.

Things had been so odd in Ponyville lately. It seemed that emotions were running high and everypony had this sense of quiet desperation. Part of it, she knew, was the fact that the holidays were well and truly over and that had more than one pony down in the dumps. But that wasn’t all there was to it. There was an almost menacing sense that there was something out to get everypony, but whatever this nameless something was, it was keeping well to the shadows, just beyond their reach. Twilight was not a pony given to hate, but if there was one thing that she highly disliked it was the unknown, the unexplained bothered her deeply. That was part of why she had become Celestia’s student in the first place. There was a part of her that just had to know, no matter what that meant, everything that there was to know. It was a silly, fruitless endeavor and as she had gotten older she’d realized it would be impossible.That didn’t stop her from trying.

Before she’d even gotten halfway through her book, a Treatise on the Harmony of Nature, she found that the train was pulling into Canterlot station. It hadn’t been that long since she’d been here, though the last time had been with her friends, rather than looking for them. Even though this was her hometown she always had a tickling little thrill of excitement when she looked out over the tall buildings and the busy streets. Not really one for crowds, it was odd how much time Twilight used to spend just pony watching, observing the life of the city as it would go by.Though that was probably, at least in part, due to Twilight’s feelings of separation and being something of an outsider. She’d always been an observer, rarely a participant, in day to day life in Canterlot. It amazed her when she stopped to think about it. Not that long ago the only people close to her had been Spike and Celestia, a dragon and a princess. She would’ve laughed at how odd that was, but now wasn’t the time to be laughing at herself. Gathering up Spike and Sweetie Belle, the trio set off into downtown Canterlot, full of hope.

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Hope quickly subsided into optimism, and slid further toward frustration as the day grew older. The sun was already slipping behind the tall buildings, bringing an unnaturally early twilight to the streets below, when the trio began to run out of leads. They had started by asking around at the various inns and hotels. The few that were willing to share any information about their guests flatly denied ever having seen Rarity. They had tried the various dress and fabric shops next, but they were of no further help than the innkeepers.

There had been one sparkling moment when Twilight had thought they had a breakthrough. One of the tellers at Canterlot’s most prestigious shops did indeed remember seeing Rarity, but it was literally weeks ago, and she had no idea where Rarity had gone after making her purchases. After that, they’d taken to showing Rarity’s picture to likely ponies they met on the street. It seemed no one had ever seen or even heard of Rarity. The trail was cold.

“Twilight...” Sweetie Belle began with a slight whine in her voice, “My hooves are getting really tired. Can we stop and get something to eat soon?”

“Yeah, Twilight,” chimed in Spike, “We haven’t eaten since that snack on the train. I’m starving!”

Truth be told, Twilight was feeling peckish herself. Actually she was ravenous, her stomach growling every few steps, a constant reminder of how much energy she had spent in her thus far fruitless search for her friend. “Now now, we only have a few more shops to visit and then we’ll worry about finding something to eat.” Even as she said it, she wished that she didn’t have to be the responsible party. She’d really like to drop everything for a bite, but then she might miss that one pony who knew where to find Rarity.

“Is that...Twilight Sparkle!?” Came a voice suddenly from out of the crowd of ponies milling about in the early evening glow. “Long time no see!” A pony trotted cheerfully over to the trio of amateur investigators and whipped her mane in greeting. She was a white unicorn with vibrant blue eyes. For a moment, Twilight almost mistook her for Rarity in the fading sunlight, but then she noticed that her mane was a dark burgundy red, styled differently, and that the mare’s cutie mark was a silver moon surrounded by a smattering of stars. It took longer than it should have, but a name came to her and she smiled nervously back in greeting.

“Moondancer! Oh wow, I haven’t seen you since...I don’t even remember when!” Moondancer had been one of the ponies that Twilight had grown up with in Canterlot. They’d known each other since magic kindergarten.

“I guess it really has been a long time then,” the unicorn from Twilight’s past smiled mischievously, “Is this little filly yours then?” Twilight wrinkled her brow in perplexity until she realized that Moondancer was gesturing at Sweetie Belle. She must have read the sudden flash of panic on Twilight’s face because she burst out laughing, “I’m just joking with you Twilight! I couldn’t imagine you having a filly of your own, and even if you did, it might have been a long time since we last met but she’s too old to be yours! I bet you’re about old enough to get your cutie mark, huh kiddo?”

Sweetie Belle perked up at this acknowledgement of her maturity and gave one of her brightest smiles. “That’s right! Any day now my friends and I will find that special something that we’re great at!”

A wistful smile crossed Moondancer’s lips, “Well you keep right at it kid. You know Twilight was one of the last ponies in our class to get her cutie mark.” The memory seemed to brighten the unicorns smile as she turned back to Twilight. “Hah, I remember when you turned your parents into plants and tore off the roof of the test building! Do you still have that baby dragon following you around?” As if on cue, Spike stepped from behind Sweetie Belle and waved, a sheepish grin on his face. “There’s my little Spike! You haven’t changed at all!” She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Spike blushed almost as violently as he ever had when Rairty had made the same gesture. Of course, Twilight had known about his crush on Moondancer, but had figured the baby dragon had moved on.

Clearing her throat, Twilight used a teensy bit of magic to tug on Spike’s tail to separate the two. “It was really nice seeing you Moondancer, but we’re actually in a bit of a hurry. Maybe we can catch up later before we head back to Ponyville.”

“Ponyville!? Is that where you’ve been this whole time? That little village in the valley?” Moondancer looked incredulous. “Here I’d thought that Celestia’s pet had gone off to some fantastic magical kingdom to further her studies! Not...Ponyville.” She laughed as if it were the most hilarious joke in the world.

Twilight felt a little irritated by Moondancer’s tone. This was how it always used to start. It would be all smiles and friendliness and then the questions would begin. What was it like being Celestia’s student, what projects was she working on right now, didn’t she find all of this studying absolutely boring?! Moondancer was a bright pony and a powerful practitioner of magic in her own right, but she and Twilight were like oil and water. “Well if you must know, Sweeite Belle here is from Ponyville, and we’re only here in Canterlot looking for her sister, my friend Rarity. She’s a very popular dressmaker from Ponyville, maybe you’ve seen her around?” Twilight held a glossy glamour shot of Rarity out for Moondancer to see.

At first she stared at it blankly...then she narrowed her eyes as if she were studying the picture in great detail. “She’s from Ponyville you say? Surely you must be mistaken.” Moondancer shook her head, “No, she must be somepony else. I’m sure she’s merely a follower of trends. It couldn’t possibly be the same pony.” She tore her eyes away from the picture and smiled politely. “I'm sorry you’re in a rush Twilight. Good luck finding your friend!” Moondancer moved to leave but Spike wisely blocked her path.

“Wait just a second now, it looked like you recognized her. Do you know Rarity?”

“Have you seen my big sister!?” Sweetie Belle squeaked hopefully. Moondancer looked apprehensive, but as she looked into the little filly’s big green eyes, she relented.

“Well... Maybe. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but she does look similar to a very important pony who had been all over Canterlot’s high society. As you know my parents are fairly rich, but I think even they only heard snatches of gossip about Mademoiselle Rareté.” Twilight and her companions looked at each other at the mention of the strange name that was so similar to their own Rarity’s. “She is said to be a fabulously wealthy pony, loved by the poor, who uses her skill and connections to create beautiful cloths for the wealthy. She then takes the money she makes and donates it all to the less fortunate! She just sort of...appeared one day and was the talk of the town for weeks.”

“Do you know where we might find her?” Asked Twilight.

“Not really. As I mentioned, even when she was around, it was as if she came out of nowhere. That’s exactly where she’s returned to. She’s been out of the spotlight for a few weeks now and that’s absolutely ages when it comes to high society. Nearly everypoony is talking about some new invention or other now. That’s life in the big city I’m afraid, you get your fifteen minutes of fame, and then you’re done.”

“Is there nothing that you could tell us that might help us find her? Nothing at all?” Asked Spike, a pleading look on his face.

Moondancer seemed to give the matter a lot of thought. The last rays of sunlight had faded away entirely now. The moon glowed high above their heads, a bright crescent, but it’s silvery light never reached them. The lights of the city were already blazing bright making the evening a second day. “Oh! You could try to get in contact with the pony who modeled for Mademoiselle Rareté! Fleur de Lis is a very important pony, but if anypony would know what happened to your friend, she might. Just don’t be disappointed if Rareté does not turn out to be your Rarity. I can’t imagine Fleur working with a pony from Ponyville! No offense.” This last part was to Sweetie Belle. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a night class to teach! Hope to see you again later Twilight!” And with that, Moondancer vanished in a puff of scarlet smoke.

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After a brief break to grab a little supper from one of the many street vendors that roamed Canterlot in the evening, the trio set off to follow the new lead that Moondancer had provided them. It was a matter of only a few moments to get in contact with the Palace staff and find out Fleur’s current residence. She was staying in a small studio over a cafe up town. Though small, the flat was in an opulent neighborhood. Spike and Sweetie Belle found themselves dazzled by the tall buildings, glowing with magic and fire in the heart of the night, as though it were Hearth's Warming Eve all over again. Even Twilight found herself dazzled, she’d never really had a reason to visit this part of the city before. They were very close to the entertainment district and light up balloons and pegasus trailing streamers of colored lightning left glowing after images hanging in the sky, like a pony made version of the northern lights.

It took longer than Twilight had thought it would to find the entrance to the apartments above the little coffee house. They had to ride a rickety elevator powered by an old ‘lighter than air spell’ that juddered and shook as it struggled to lift even the relatively light load of Sweetie, Spike, and Twilight. It was still fairly early when they found Fleur’s door. They rang the bell, knocked, and waited. Nothing happened. They tried knocking again and calling through the door. No response at all.

As it happened, a door at the end of the hall opened and a grey earth pony with a dark grey mane cut stylishly short stepped out onto the landing. “If you’re looking for the beauty queen, I wouldn’t waste my time.” She said in a painfully quiet voice, almost a whisper. “She keeps this address to have somewhere for her fan mail to pile up. I’m afraid if you’ve got a crush on her you’re going to have to get in line.”

Twilight blushed fiercely at the implication as Sweetie Belle chimed up, “I thought Fleur was a mare. Why would Twilight have a crush on her?”

The grey pony smiled, not unkindly, and played with the collar around her throat. “This is the big city sweety. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.” Twilight was almost choking on her indignation and it seemed this filly was enjoying it. But before she let the unicorn vent her outrage, she added, “I normally keep to myself, but I can see you’re not one of her usual fans. If you’re looking for Fleur, you should try Fancy Pants Manor up on the hill. She’s been burning the midnight oil up there for the past few nights. Not that that’s any surprise.” With a little flip of her sparse mane, the mare opened a door that looked as though it should be another apartment, that was instead a stairwell, and descended before another word could be uttered.

“What was that all about?” asked Spike. The entire affair had gone over the baby dragons head.

“Nevermind,” said Twilight, still blushing, trying to put the encounter behind her as quickly as possible. “We have a mansion to find.”
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Unicorns floated wild eyed and panicked as a magical force far more powerful than their own lifted them high into the air. The bouncers had only told the little filly that Fleur wasn’t seeing any admirers that day. They had absolutely no idea what had caused the purple mare to lose it, but they had figured she wouldn’t be any trouble. They smiled sheepishly as Fleur de Lis, in business suit and her spectacles, marched primly out on the veranda to see what the commotion was about. Potted plants and small ornamental statues supported by the angry unicorns magic streamed around them as they quickly explained the situation.

“Oh my! Please, please you must forgive them Mademoiselle Twilight!” Shouted Fleur over the roar of raw magic, “They knew not to whom they were speaking!”

The blind anger born from Twilight’s frustration and embarrassment ebbed away somewhat. “You know me?” Her anger subsided just enough for her to realize she was holding four very large stallions in the air. She quickly, but gently, set them back on the ground and quieted the background magic her outburst had unleashed with a few calming thoughts, easing the magical wind down from a roar to a whisper.

“But of course! Who in Canterlot has not heard of Princess Celestia’s most brilliant étudiant?” Fleur shoo'd away the useless bodyguards with a gesture and the four gladly dispersed. Sweetie Belle and Spike emerged from the cover of an ornamental bush. Twilight didn’t often get angry, but when she did, it was awfully scary. “I assume you three are here on business from the Palace, oui?”

“No actually. We were hoping you could help us find a pony who’s a friend of ours.” Twilight smoothed down her mane with her hooves and coughed, embarrassed at her outburst and a little unnerved at Fleur’s beauty. “I’m so, so, so sorry about any damage I might have caused. I’ll be happy to pay for any repairs...” The supermodel pony looked out over the lawn, now strewn with stones and branches, small statues and potted plants out of place but undamaged.

“I’m sure that will not be necessary. Now, who, might I ask, is this friend of yours?”

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She was bleeding. The last client had been in a hurry and she had rushed to try and accommodate him. The blood staining her white fur red was the price she had paid to do so. Though it was already the middle of the night, her clients never seemed to sleep, and there was another show scheduled mere moments from now. She did what she could to staunch the bleeding. She wasn’t about to let a few red drops of liquid ruin all her hard work, even if she disdained what she was doing herself. She was a professional and she had her pride, even if it was incredibly hard to maintain in her current surroundings.

The last pony she’d ever expected to see came in through the tent flap just as she was dabbing up the last traces of blood. Her voice caught in her throat, her eyes going wide. “T...Twilight...? What in Equestria are you doing here!?” She quickly wrapped a cloak around herself to hide her shame.

“Rarity, I...we’ve been looking for you.” That was when Rarity heard the last voice she had ever hoped to hear in this place. “Hey Rarity!” It was Sweetie Belle, and her innocent voice opened a pit in her stomach as she whirled to behold her little sister standing at the tents entrance, alongside Twilight and Spike. “We’ve really missed you sis! What are you doing here?”

Her shame forgotten, Rarity leaped to her hooves, anger erupting from her eyes as she strode to Twilight and pulled her friend inside. She whispered harshly into Twilight’s ear,"Just what do you think you’re doing bringing my little sister to a place like this!” She didn’t wait for a response. “Of all the stupid, irresponsible things you’ve ever done Twilight, this is really just too much! How am I supposed to explain this to my parents now! I’ll never be able to set foot in Ponyville again thanks to you!”

The hurt showed in Twilight’s eyes, “I’m sorry Rarity, but I had to bring her. There’s something you have to know about Carousel Boutique!”

“What?” hissed Rarity, “That I’m going to lose it to that money grubbing skinflint Filthy Rich if I don’t pay him more bits than I’ve ever seen in one place by the end of the month!? Oh believe me Twilight, I’m already well aware of what’s going on with Carousel Boutique. Why do you think I’m here!? Do you really think I’d be doing this if I thought I had a choice!” “No, that’s not it Rarity, you have to listen, this is very important!”

“I don’t want to hear your lectures Twilight, I really don’t! I’m fully aware of how very badly I’ve screwed up and I’m going to take care of it! I’m a big girl, Twilight, and I can clean up my own messes!”

“Uh...Rarity.” Spike had somehow managed to squeeze himself between the two unicorns without either noticing. “I don’t mean to be rude...but what are you wearing?”

Without warning, Rarity burst into tears. She whipped the cloak away, revealing the costume of black lace and blue and purple pinstripes and checks beneath her robe. It was a bit avant-garde, but it was clear from the make up now rushing down her face with her tears, Rarity was meant to be some kind of clown. “I’m so pathetic! I just wanted to make a little money, is that so wrong!? But they keep asking more and more of me! I thought I could stitch a few of their outfits up for them, but then they wanted me to come up with new designs and before I knew what was happening they had me redesigning the entire ensemble! Now they’ve got me in one of these.. These atrocities they forced me to make, and I’m supposed to perform tonight!”

Sweetie Belle came over and gave her sister a little hug. “It’s okay sis! I always thought it would be a lot of fun to perform in a circus! I bet you’ll do fine out there!”

“The Circe de Celestia is one of the longest running and most popular performance troupes in Canterlot Rarity.” Said Twilight, “There’s no reason to be ashamed of working with them.”

“You... You really think so?” Rarity said, pouting, her makeup now completely ruined.

“Of course...but I think there’s been a misunderstanding here. Rarity, I thought everypony knew, the Circe de Celestia is a none profit troupe! All of their money goes to charity. They rely on wealthy patrons for new outfits and set pieces. They’re not going to pay you for any of the work you’ve done.” “THEY WHAT!?” Rarity’s scream echoed out of her tent and could be heard all the way to the big top.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you! Fleur made a mistake when you asked her if there was any other work you could be doing. Her cousin runs the Circe de Celestia and is often complaining that he can’t find any seamstresses willing to work pro bono. She thought you were asking if there was any more charity work you could be doing.” The look on Twilight's face was one of mixed pity and concern.

Rarity had completely frozen up, she was so shocked. All the hard work she had done, all that time, wasted! Her reputation very likely ruined and all for nothing! Not even for the monetary gain she had thought she had sold her values for. All this time she was meant to be working towards fixing her problems and now...no what was she supposed to do? She raised one hoof to her forehead, the one she had accidentally pricked with a needle in her haste to fix one of the performers seams earlier, and fainted.

Comments

[Ecstatic]

“Here I’d thought that Celestia’s pet had gone off to some fantastic magical kingdom to further her studies! Not...Ponyville.” She laughed as if it were the most hilarious joke in the world.

"Not... Ponyville."

it was odd how much time Twilight used to spend just pony watching, observing the life of the city as it would go by.Though that was probably,

"by. Thought", also Twilight-Stalker.

Now, with the chatter of a myriad Babylonian tongues in her ear, she was reduced to a nobody in a dimly lit tent in the middle of nowhere.

"Tongues" should not be plural if you want "a" before myriad, and "a" shouldn't be there if you want "tongues" to be plural. Also, so far in the story, you always used "everypony" or "anypony", transitioning from "nopony" to "nobody" is a speed bump.

“Well if you must know, Sweeite Belle here is from Ponyville, and we’re only here in Canterlot looking for her sister, my friend Rarity. She’s a very popular dressmaker from Ponyville, maybe you’ve seen her around?” Twilight held a glossy glamour shot of Rarity out for Moondancer to see.

Sweetie Belle.

At first she stared at it blankly...then she narrowed her eyes as if she were studying the picture in great detail. “She’s from Ponyville you say? Surely you must be mistaken.”

"... Then"

“She is said to be a fabulously wealthy pony, loved by the poor, who uses her skill and connections to create beautiful cloths for the wealthy. She then takes the money she makes and donates it all to the less fortunate! She just sort of...appeared one day and was the talk of the town for weeks.”

Clothes, "... Appeared"

Spike and Sweetie Belle found themselves dazzled by the tall buildings, glowing with magic and fire in the heart of the night, as though it were Hearths Warming Eve all over again.

Hearth's Warming Eve.

The grey pony smiled, not unkindly, and played with the collar around her throat. “This is the big city sweety. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.”

Sweety looks odd here, it's grammatically correct according to Webster, but still.

She whispered harshly into Twilight’s ear,"Just what do you think you’re doing bringing my little sister to a place like this!”

There needs to be a space after "Twilight's ear," before Rarity starts talking, also: at this point I was still thinking Rarity was a prostitute.

“Uh...Rarity.” Spike had somehow managed to squeeze himself between the two unicorns without either noticing. “I don’t mean to be rude...but what are you wearing?”

Space after each individual or set of periods, "Uh... Rarity." and "rude... But"
Also, manure hits aerosol dispersal device.

“Of course...but I think there’s been a misunderstanding here. Rarity, I thought everypony knew, the Circe de Celestia is a none profit troupe! All of their money goes to charity. They rely on wealthy patrons for new outfits and set pieces. They’re not going to pay you for any of the work you’ve done.” “THEY WHAT!?” Rarity’s scream echoed out of her tent and could be heard all the way to the big top.

not-for-profit is more commonly used, but yours isn't wrong. Spaces after each individual or set of periods: "Of course... But"
When Rarity screams, it is a question first and an exclamation second: "THEY WHAT?!"

All this time she was meant to be working towards fixing her problems and now...no what was she supposed to do?

Space after the set of periods. "and now... No what".

[OmniFox]

TAKE COVER!!!!!