A Penny for your thought

by Damaged

96 - Decision - pt2

"No." Celestia's word shocked Penny, she thought for sure the alicorn would agree but, as the lunar pony raised a hoof and opened her mouth Celestia cut her off. "Let me continue. No, for now. Genevieve, you are a wonderful pony, already. Your shape is never going to limit who you are. But let's not jump into this. You are to think about this for a year and a day, if you are still of this mind then I will make you anew."

Penny thought about it and could certainly see the logic in it, a year wasn't much time anyway, excluding cataclysmic events, but like those happened often…

The fairness of the decision, of the choice being out of her hands for now, reassured Genevieve. "I should have known, Celestia, the great and fair. Thank you." She smiled up at the alicorn and got a smile back. "But if I become pregnant in the meantime…"

"Then I will step in and you can have your choice early. I do not like the idea of a human having to birth a foal." Celestia looked a little uncomfortable at the thought. Her magic built as a brief flash of golden light revealed a simple necklace, a tiny, teardrop-shaped pearl its only decoration. "Take this, wear it always. When the gem shines, you are to come to me."

"This… this will tell me when I am pregnant?" Jenny took the offered necklace and put it on with shaking hands. The gem did not light up.

"It will, the pony that made this, sadly, never made any notes about the construction of it." Celestia gave a sigh at the idea that the knowledge of the creation of a useful thing was lost.

"I will take the best of care of it." Jenny looked down at it. A brief idea, a bad idea, floated through her head, what if she made a point of getting pregnant, what if she waited for her next cycle, when she would be most fertile, and spent all that time with Sablee? The idea was a horrible one and she crushed it. It was neither a befitting thought for pony or human, and certainly wouldn't befit a mother. "Oh, I guess we can test it though…"

Penny giggled when Jenny lifted the necklace off and put it around her own neck, it lit up with a pink glow. "A filly, as you already know." Celestia stepped up and brushed Penny's baby-bump with a wing. "You are growing with her, Penny Farthing, have you considered a name?"

The unicorn had not, and blinked in confusion. It got a laugh from both the other mares.

---

"Darling, this look… it won't do!" Rarity's store wasn't as packed as Penny remembered from the show, but it was a relief that Rarity herself was there and not slaving away making duplicate outfits for the social wannabes.

The unicorn's magic reached for the blanket wrapped around Jenny and pulled.

Bathhouses were one thing, a high-class store in Canterlot was a whole different place to be naked in. "I… err…" Jenny, however, was the only one making a fuss about her nakedness.

"Well, lets get you measured!" Rarity produced a tape and a pad and pencil.

"Just relax," Penny whispered to Jen, "nopony cares."

Genevieve did manage to relax enough to let Rarity take her measurements. Although the white unicorn had made a lot of clothes, human attire was not something she had produced, she certainly seemed to understand where key measurements needed to be taken.

"Walk for me dear, I need to see your body move." Rarity was studying Jen closely, which didn't help with the girl's near-panic. Jenny took a step, then another. "No, relax and walk."

"You try doing that naked…" Genevieve's words surprised Rarity and the unicorn looked at a loss for how to handle this.

"Nopony but those here can see you, I am the closest thing to a male of any species here and I am about as far from that as I could get." Penny reached a hoof up to rub the woman's shoulders, the act reminding her of what Jen did to relax. Giving an ever-suffering sigh, Penny used her magic to grasp Genevieve's hand and set it down in her mane, it immediately started to move. "Okay, I will walk beside you, you have to keep up, okay?"

Jen nodded and moved when Penny did, her steps unsure at first but her friend being with her helped.

"You need support, those will chafe, right?" Rarity gestured to Jen's chest, getting a blush and a nod. "I will come up with something, probably need magic in that. Dresses will be easiest to have you in, you don't mind wearing dresses? Most humans I see are in tighter clothing."

"Pants are… well, easier to wear, but dresses will be fine." Genevieve was gaining confidence. "Also some… panties… uh, tight little things to go around here. I don't have a tail to keep private things private."

Rarity blushed, realizing suddenly why the woman was so embarrassed. "Oh darling, I am so sorry, I get so carried away with fashion sometimes… lets get something quick made for you."

The fashionista was true to her word, the simple panties and long-shirt were just the things to help Jenny get covered and be able to relax. Rarity didn't look super pleased with the garments but her time not focusing on Jen had meant the woman had relaxed enough that Rarity got to see her move properly, notes had been taken. "There now, I think I have the things I need. You will be in town for a while, yes?"

"I live here… oh, I need to tell my boss…" Jenny looked startled and almost panicked until her hand was shoved into a soft mane again. She looked to Penny. "I know how much that bugs you, I appreciate the effort." Instead of rubbing her digits through the soft dark mane, Genevieve leaned down and hugged Penny tightly.

"For a friend? Worth it." Penny meant it, wrapping her forelegs tight around Jenny and squeezing. "What about a belt? Cinch the shirt in and it would look reasonably fine." Penny was only barely learning fashion. Rarity, was a master.

"No no no, that won't do at all, I will have something for you to wear for today at least." Though the white unicorn was talking to them, her magic was sewing and stitching, slicing some fabric with scissors and, in general, doing amazing things.

The moment Rarity was caught up in the hug her work stopped though and she hugged the two back. "Thank you, Rarity. You are the best." Jen beamed at the mare.

---

Pretty Cart heard the door and trotted along to answer it. "Coming!" She half sang the greeting, her mood was high. Her little filly was getting married to two lovely mares who, to her delight, turned out to be ponies worth counting as friends. She opened the door and her heart stopped. The white unicorn standing there, wearing the most wonderfully fashion-forward dress and hat, with purple mane and tail that looked positively gorgeous, was well known to her.

Rarity watched as the mare who answered the door began to faint clear away. "Oh dear!" Her time spent on adventures with Twilight had taught Rarity nothing if not how to react quickly. She caught the unicorn in her magic and lifted her into the house.

Pausing a moment, the seamstress took in the very tastefully decorated home. Things were perfectly placed, and more they were real quality items. Rarity deposited the mare, gently, on a beautiful fainting couch that she herself would adore to own. "I completely didn't think to bring smelling salts, oh it would have to be the one time I didn't…" As the unicorn was talking she spotted movement and beamed. "Are you alright darling? You seemed to have an attack of the vapors."

Pretty's eyes slowly opened. She must have been having a delusion, Rarity, the rising star fashion designer and Element of Harmony, surely wasn't at her front door. Her eyes spotted who was leaning over her and she started to feel her eyelashes flutter.

"Please relax, are you fine dear? Do you need a doctor?"

She had to fight the darkness welling up. With pure willpower Pretty managed to shift and gain her hooves. It was okay, she would be fine. No she wouldn't. Rarity was right here in her sitting room! "Excuse me, I don't normally do that."

"Water under the bridge, I find a good faint clears the mind wonderfully." Rarity was looking around the room but her eyes came back to the fainting couch. "This is simply stunning, where did you find this little thing?"

Pretty blushed. "My… my husband made it for me, for our tenth anniversary."

"Oh well that ruins that plan." Rarity wilted a touch. "I was all set to make an offer or try and track down another one, it would be crass of me to inquire now."

It was an urge, Pretty felt the desire to just offer it to the mare, but she couldn't. For one, it was something so very special to her she wouldn't give it to Princess Celestia herself if she asked for it. And for two she swore she could feel her husband's hooves in every line, every curve. "Thank you, I could never part with it." The idea did brew, however, to cajole her mate into making a second one.

"I don't suppose you have any tea? I spent all morning working on a fashion emergency." Rarity batted her eyelashes in a hopeful manner.

"Where are my manners? I am sorry, of course there will be some tea. Would you like to take it in the sun room?" Pretty was completely off balance, not only had she fainted and missed their proper introductions, but now it seemed she had forgotten all propriety and had failed to act the good host. "My name is Pretty, Pretty Cart."

"Rarity." They both raised dainty hooves and gave them the slightest of clops. "I had recognized you from your daughter, she is such a delight. It was a blow I couldn't be the one to make her dress for the wedding, but I understand they were already sourced." Rarity knew just who to blame that little thing on, she would have words with Discord, if she could ever get some time alone with him, not that she really wanted such.

Pretty led the way through to the sun room. It was more than just a title, it was a theme. Pretty had modeled the décor on one of Celestia's own sitting rooms, she hadn't been able to get quite the same furniture, but it was as close as a mare without a few thousand years of time on her hooves could get.

"This… this is fabulous." Rarity was stunned, her hoof lifted to run carefully over each and every surface, almost in reverence. "My dear, how… no, I cannot even express it, I am speechless."

It was impossible not to blush at the praise, although for being 'speechless', Pretty noted that Rarity said a lot. The tea set that glided in gently set down on the table. As the two mares sat down in comfortable and well-polished chairs, they heard the front door open and close.

"Pretty, you home, love?" The changeling drone that stepped into the room still wore his business attire; a fine vest and jacket. "Company?"

Rarity managed a moment of surprise at the familiarity of the changeling. He was acting like the mare's husband, but by all that she had seen, they would have been together for many years… over ten if the fainting couch was brand new… it wasn't.

"Dray, allow me the pleasure of introducing Rarity, she is visiting to…" Pretty stumbled in her introduction, realizing that that part of the conversation hadn't come up yet.

"Apologize, for myself and my friends. We simply can't make it to your daughter's wedding." Rarity was filled with curiosity, there was a story here and she wanted it.

Pretty's face fell at the words, so much so that the stallion moved up and gave her a hug, the kind of hug that a stallion gives to support his wife through a problem. "It will be okay dear, I am sure they can come up with at least a bridesmaid each." Dray comforted his wife and Rarity almost trembled with the need to ask what all this was.

"Is something wrong?" Pretty had noticed her guest seemed a little off-balance.

Rarity knew what was coming. She took a deep breath. "Please forgive me the horrible crassness of it, but I simply have to ask-"

Dray chuckled and cut the mare off. "It is a good story, there is a happy ending to it so I see no reason not to tell it, right dear?" Pretty nodded, more than happy to share their history. "It started with two very lonely ponies..."

Author's Note:

That ended up going a whole different way than I thought it would. I will explain my process.

I will be writing along, and, as an example, I got to Stick and Pretty having a conversation, with Pretty explaining how she got a letter from the mane 6 explaining that they couldn't make the wedding. You know what I do when I reach such a line? I deleted it.

Then I deleted back to the start of that section (the linebreak), and instead wrote about that scene. Show, don't tell. Distilled down and drunk in one heady shot.

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Comments

[tsaukpaetra]

Ha, Rarity is all, "you seem way familiar with each other to have met from Fast's hive..." and then were like, "eenope!"
Keep going! ;)

[harts fire]

vary good chapter.

[Boulder]

I agree with your choice of telling this, as Rarity would put it a letter would seem crass, personal touch is much better. I don't understand why there aren't more likes for this story?

[No one is home]

Fun little Rarirty chapter. The decision is made. I like the year and a day waiting period.

[Daremo]

produced she certainly - produced, she certainly

human attire was not something she had not produced

So she has produced human clothing before?

No she wouldn't Rarity - No she wouldn't. Rarity
and failed to act - and had failed to act
manners, I am sorry - manners? I am sorry
The teas set - The tea set
had seen they would - had seen, they would
*****
I'd been hoping to see Pretty Cart meeting Rarity since the story revealed that she holds Rarity in high esteem. I am not disappointed, this was cute and humorous to read.

Poor Jenny, even as a male I can identify with her body modesty. I hated locker rooms back in high school.

When the gem shines, you are to come to me.

Not 'if', but 'when'? I think Genevieve's fate is sealed.

[Damaged]

7069970 Of course "when", Celestia isn't stupid or blind, and she certainly has ponies keeping an eye out, particularly at her own school! Jenny is learning, she doesn't have a bad self-image, but it is still quite a shock when everypony seems to consider no-clothes perfectly fine street attire.

[Daremo]

7069985 Weather permitting, of course. Ah, the benefits of fur and a tail.

And I'm caught up on my backlog of proofreading!

[Istaran]

I am amused by the literalness of the 'fashion emergency'

[Cursed Quill]

and element of harmony

Element of Harmony

[Chrome Masquerade]

It was an urge, Pretty felt the desire to just offer it to the mare, but she couldn't. For one, it was something so very special to her she wouldn't give it to Princess Celestia herself if she asked for it. And for two she swore she could feel her husband's hooves in every line, every curve. "Thank you, I could never part with it." The idea did brew, however, to cajole her mate into making a second one.

This is a testament to Rarity's charisma score.