• Published 28th May 2016
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Hùndùn - LoZLttP13



A powerful young Sorceress, her faithful apprentice, and her five new friends are tasked with preventing the return of the all-powerful God of Chaos.

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I-XIX. Fluttershy and Rarity

As Rarity rhythmically pressed the pedal beneath her foot and worked her sewing machine, stitching another dress for Fluttershy together, her brow was furrowed with concern; her boutique had enjoyed a small but significant increase in sales since Fluttershy had started modeling, but she noticed that Fluttershy seemed to be in a near-constant state of tension and anxiety whenever they saw each other.

Rarity had asked Fluttershy several times if she was absolutely sure that she was fine, but every time Fluttershy had insisted that she was okay and that there was no need for Rarity to worry.

Rarity was trying to design some new dresses that would be better suited for another model than for Fluttershy, but the constant high demand for ensembles for Fluttershy from Photo Finish caused her to work on them only a little on the side. Every day she worried about her friend and how terrifying this must be for her, and wondered if she should tell her that she could stop, but Fluttershy's insistence that all was well caused her to conclude that Fluttershy really did like modeling, but was just getting used to it.

Sighing, Rarity made the finishing touches in the dress's embroidery, then held it up to examine it. This dress was golden, and was embroidered with copper-colored leafy vines and decorative flourishes. It was a shoulderless, long-skirted ball gown, designed to emphasize Fluttershy's feminine elegance and grace. It was a somewhat strange ensemble to showcase on a runway, but Rarity thought it would be sexy and glamorous enough for Fluttershy to pull off.

Satisfied, Rarity inserted a clothes hanger in the gown's collar and hung it alongside the other ensembles she'd designed and tailored for Fluttershy. She then looked up at the clock hanging on her wall, and saw that it was ten to eleven. It was just about time for her to go to her spa trip with Fluttershy and Twilight.

Picking up her purse, Rarity strolled out of her shop and began making her way to Aloe and Lotus's.


Fluttershy was blushing intensely as she sat naked on a wooden stool, being groomed by Photo Finish's entourage. Several little Human women and one Elf man were scanning over her body with tweezers in their hands, searching for any hairs they'd missed during the waxing.

There were several other girls in the large, brightly-lit dressing room who were also receiving grooming while completely nude, which caused Fluttershy to be even more deeply embarrassed and uncomfortable. She was reminded of the unwelcome and painful memory of gym class at Asgard, where she would always stand alone in a corner of the showers so as to draw as little attention as possible from the other girls, who would often accuse her of trying to grope them and do other perverse acts while bullying her with deliberate tripping and slurs such as "dyke," "lesbo," and "she-fag."

"Done!" one of the Human attendants shouted, startling Fluttershy and drawing the attention of Photo Finish, who was observing another model being fit into a dress.

Photo turned to look at Fluttershy, then stepped towards her, carefully studying her. Fluttershy looked away and flushed embarrassedly, causing Photo to smile. "Ah! Zis is simply adorable!" she cried. "With just a bit of practice on a runway, you vill soon be ready to be ze main event of a fashion showcase!"

Photo then barked, "Flash! Ze dress!"

Flash immediately emerged from behind a clothes rack with a green dress with a high, white collar, then gave it to Fluttershy, whoo immediately put it on as quickly as she could. Photo then shouted, "Now, her hair!"

Photo's entourage immediately began doing Fluttershy's hair up into an elaborate, partialy-braided bun, and once they were finished Photo shouted, "Now, her makeup!"

Photo's entourage broke out their makeup kits and powdered, creamed, and painted Fluttershy's face, which took less than a minute due to the aid of the Elf man's magic and their well-practiced hands.

Once Fluttershy's makeup was on, Photo gazed and hummed thoughtfully at her for a moment before saying, "Too much blush."

One of the Human women produced a damp handkerchief from her pocket and quickly wiped the blush from Fluttershy's cheeks, dried them with another handkerchief, then applied a smaller amount of blush to them.

"Not enough," Photo said.

The assistant put a small amount of more blush on Fluttershy's cheeks, then Photo said, "Slightly too much."

The blush was again wiped away, and by this point Fluttershy's cheeks were getting sore. Some more was applied with great care, causing Photo to nod approvingly and say, "Zat vill do."

However, some of the powder went up Fluttershy's nose, causing her to begin gasping, "Aah... Aah...!"

She then made a small, quiet, "Choo!"

Photo grinned and placed her hand over her chest, crying, "Oh, even her schneezes are graceful! Truly, fortune has granted us a once-in-a-lifetime model!"

The assistants all nodded and agreed with, "Mm-hmm."

"Right! Ve are ready now!" Photo shouted, causing Fluttershy to jump. No matter how long she was around it, Fluttershy could still not get used to her photographer's sudden outbursts....

All of the models lined up based on their assigned positions in the show's lineup, and Fluttershy slowly made her way to the back of the line. She nervously touched her fingers together as a male announcer cried from beyond the curtain, "Ladies and gentlemen! It is my tremendous honor to introduce Grand Finale's summer line, brought all the way from Athens to showcase here in Olympus!"

There was cheering from a massive crowd beyond the curtain, then the announcer cried, "Now, without further ado- we begin!"

There was a round of tremendous applause, then the girl in the front of the line of models stepped through the curtain as the announcer said, "First, we have Cherry Eclair, the lovely Athenian model who starred on the cover of Athens Vogue's seventy-fifth anniversary issue last year, showcasing Finale's long-anticipated Maiden of the Fortress of Lilies ensemble!"

There was tremendous applause, then the announcer said as the next girl stepped through, "Next we have the up-and-coming Daisy Petal! This lovely lady is a farm girl from Arcadia who made her debut only a few months ago...."

The show went on and on, and Fluttershy felt that it was by far the longest ten minutes she'd ever sat through. When she was only two places away from her own turn, Photo Finish noticed that she was trembling and said, "Are you nervous, Flootershy?"

"Um... yes...." Fluttershy whispered as her face turned scarlet.

Photo gave her a kind smile and said, "Don't worry; you'll be fine. You only have thousands of Beings who will be watching and silently judging you every second you're out there."

Photo chuckled, and Fluttershy swallowed and whimpered. That was far less comforting than Photo seemed to think it should be.

"Ah!" Photo cried. "You're on now, girl! Go, go!"

Fluttershy swallowed again, then hesitantly made her way through the deep purple curtains as Photo cried after her, "Just be sure to smile and remember your poses!"

Fluttershy was greeted by the sight of a brightly-lit runway surrounded by thousands of standing Beings, many of whom audibly gasped upon seeing her. Fluttershy's entire face burned as she slowly walked forward, trying not to meet any of their gazes.

The announcer shouted as she strode to the catwalk's end, "And we introduce Fluttershy, a brand-new talent from the small Equestrian town of Avalon, not hours away from our own Olympus!"

The crowd cheered far more loudly than they ever had until that point, and the announcer continued as a small smile formed over Fluttershy's lips, "It's this little lady's first time on a runway, and she is also showcasing the Sunlight and Spring ensemble of another up-and-coming talent: Grand Finale's own Apprentice of Magic, Rarity of Athens!"

Fluttershy struck a flirtatiously coy pose, and the crowd again roared their approval. She was able to maintain her smile for a few seconds before a camera flashed brightly in her eyes, causing her to cringe.

The crowd didn't seem to care. "Oh, she's so cute!" she heard a teenaged girl shout.

There was more applause, and Fluttershy heard a handful of catcalls and whistles directed at her. She struck a couple more poses, looking a touch distressed in each of them, then walked back off of the runway.

Once she was behind the curtains again, Fluttershy went to a chair and collapsed in it, exhaustedly and quickly breathing.

"Oh, zat was magnificent!" Photo cried. "Eet was a bit rough, but so full of charm! You can truly do no wrong, Flootershy!"

Fluttershy nodded, but didn't reply; she was just glad it was all over.

There was a knock at the door, and one of Photo's assistants answered it. Beyond stood an older man in a fine silver tailcoat, a white powdered wig, and a small pair of round, golden spectacles, who said, "Where is that Angel girl- um... Fluttershy, is it?"

"She is here," Photo replied, gesturing to Fluttershy.

"I am Hoity Toity, miss," the man said, stepping forward and offering his hand to Fluttershy. "I am a columnist at the Olympian Vogue. Might I ask you a few questions?"

"Um- actually..." Fluttershy replied, nervously looking away and touching her fingers together, "I had plans with my friends right after the show's over..."

"Oh, it won't take any time at all," Hoity replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I ask for only ten minutes of your time."

"Oh. Well... okay," Fluttershy said, smiling politely.

"Thank you, miss," Hoity said as he took a seat across from her. "Now, what caused you to grow an interest in modeling?" he asked, producing a pen and pad from inside his pocket.

"Um... well...." Fluttershy said, looking down, "I'm just helping a friend. It started when my friend Rarity told me she needed someone to model her dresses...."


Rarity frowned at the doorway as she impatiently drummed her fingers on the tiled floors beneath her arms. She was sitting in a hot tub with Twilight, who was relaxedly lying against the wall beside her.

"It's been an hour," Rarity said, and Twilight opened her eyes and turned to her. "Fluttershy's still not here," Rarity added.

"Maybe there's a really long line at the Olympus train station," Twilight suggested.

Rarity sighed. "Well, she'd better come soon," she muttered. She lifted her leg up and stuck her foot out of the water, crying, "Look, my toes are all pruney!" as she wiggled them.

As Rarity lowered her leg back down, she continued, "Ever since Fluttershy started modeling for me, I haven't had as much time with her as I used to. Every time I've asked her if she wanted to come to my house for tea, she's always had to decline because she had another shoot with Photo scheduled then!"

"Why don't you tell her that she can stop?" Twilight said.

Rarity turned anxiously to Twilight and replied, "Because she insists on doing it! I've told her I can use someone else, but she always asks me if I want to use them more than her, and I can't lie to her! Fluttershy is the most perfect model I've ever had!"

"Well, maybe you should start getting used to it, Rarity," Twilight said. "After all, if Fluttershy wants to do this, it's our duty as her friends to support her."

Rarity sighed. "Yes, I suppose...." she muttered. She then stood up and walked towards the locker rooms, saying, "Well, I'm going home. Say hi to Fluttershy if she does come, for me."

"Will do," Twilight replied. "Bye, Rarity!"

Rarity gave an offhanded wave back, then disappeared behind the door.

Twilight leaned back and lounged in the tub a bit longer. After a few minutes, however, Fluttershy burst in through the chamber's main entrance, shouting, "I'm so sorry I'm so late, girls! I-"

However, she slid to a stop and fell silent upon seeing that Twilight was alone, and that Rarity had gone. "Where's Rarity?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"She went home," Twilight replied.

Fluttershy stood still for a moment, then sat on the ground, groaning and wiping her forehead.

"What kept you?" Twilight said.

"I had an interview with a fashion critic," Fluttershy replied. "He insisted that it would be just ten minutes, but it went on for forty-five minutes...."

"Are you alright, Fluttershy?" Twilight said concernedly. "You seem tired."

"I am," Fluttershy replied. "It was exhausting."

"Did you have fun, though?" Twilight said.

Fluttershy was silent for a moment, then turned to Twilight and asked, "Can you keep a secret?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Do you Pinkie promise?" Fluttershy said.

Twilight nodded, then recited as she mimed the obligatory motions, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Fluttershy smiled back, but it quickly faded away again as she wearily buried her face in her knees. "I hate being a model...." she said.

Twilight blinked. "What?"

"I hate being a model!" Fluttershy repeated. "It's so scary, and embarrassing, and having all of those Beings staring at me and judging me.... It's just so... so... awful!"

Fluttershy sighed, then Twilight said anxiously, "Then why don't you quit and tell Rarity you won't do it anymore, Fluttershy? You're obviously really unhappy with this."

"But I can't!" Fluttershy cried. "Rarity needs me!"

"She can get another model!" Twilight said exasperatedly.

"I know, but I want to help her! Me modeling for her is really helping her sell her dresses, and it'll help her achieve her dreams!"

"But what about you, Fluttershy?" Twilight said. "This is obviously really hard on you!"

"I can deal with it, though," Fluttershy said. "Anything's worth helping my friends."

"But Fluttershy, you're our friend! Aren't we allowed to care about you?"

"I need to get over my fears," Fluttershy said, frowning. "I can't just live like this forever...."

"Even if that's true, couldn't it be that it's unhealthy to try and do it like this?"

"It's unhealthy for me to be so frightened all the time," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight sighed, then said, "Look, Fluttershy- just tell Rarity. I'm sure she'll understand."

"No! I can't!" Fluttershy cried. "I can't let her down like that...."

Twilight sighed. "Fine...."

"Please don't tell Rarity, either!" Fluttershy cried.

Twilight shook her head. "I won't; I promise," she muttered.

Both of them were silent for a few moments, then Twilight sighed again and stood up, saying, "I'll go get dressed, then I'll walk you home, alright?"

Fluttershy nodded. Twilight gave her a kind smile, then went into the locker room, where she retrieved her sneakers, t-shirt, and short shorts.

After Twilight came back out in her street clothes, she noticed that Fluttershy was wearing a large, floppy hat and was putting on a pair of sunglasses. "What are those for?" Twilight said curiously.

"It's so no one will recognize me," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight raised a brow, but shrugged and muttered, "Alright...."

The girls walked out of the spa together, and began traveling down the streets to Fluttershy's cottage. However, as they were walking, they passed by a large, middle aged old lady who gasped upon seeing Fluttershy and said, "Oh, goodness, have I seen you somewhere before, dear?"

Fluttershy lowered her head and tried to walk quickly away, but another woman cried, "Yes, that's the girl from the magazine!"

Beings all around the street were turning to Fluttershy now, and several of them began muttering excitedly, "Is that Fluttershy...?"

Twilight and Fluttershy found themselves beginning to be encircled, and Fluttershy began trembling as she removed her sunglasses. "Oh, shit," she said softly.

She then turned to Twilight and cried, "Run, Twilight!!"

Twilight nodded, then she and Fluttershy broke into a sprint, followed closely by a small mob composed of those who had recognized Fluttershy.

The run was long and exhausting, with many sharp turns and close dodges away from other pedestrians, but soon enough Twilight and Fluttershy reached Fluttershy's little yellow cottage on the outskirts of the town. They hurried inside, slammed the door closed, then barred and locked it shut just moments before the mob arrived at the door and began pounding on it.

"Go away!" Twilight shouted between her winded gasps, but the crowd continued to shout and pound on Fluttershy's door.

Her eyes and Marks glowing with violet Ether for a moment, Twilight stepped forward and thrust her hands outward, conjuring a spherical etherial barrier that grew outwards in all directions. She heard several members of the crowd fall over outside, then she shouted, "LEAVE, NOW!!" in barely-contained fury.

Hearing indistinct muttering outside, Twilight and Fluttershy heard the crowd slowly and grudgingly disperse until they were alone again. Fluttershy sighed relievedly, but Twilight said flatly to her, "Fluttershy, you should really talk to Rarity."


Rarity was glaring at a magazine laying across her desk. It was open to a column opposite a full-page color photo of Fluttershy posing on the runway at her first show at Olympus. The author of the column was listed as Hoity Toity, who had written a thorough critique of the fashion show and the dresses and models showcased in it. He had commented that it was an excellent showcase, though not Finale's best by a long shot, but Rarity was interested only in the excerpt on Fluttershy:

"...before a young Angel by the name of Fluttershy came down the catwalk. Fluttershy was of particular interest to me; the announcer said that she was from Avalon, and she certainly seemed it; she didn't carry herself like a city girl. In fact, she gave what was in some ways a terrible and obviously awkward first performance, but I found myself oddly enchanted by it. Though she was clearly very frightened of her first walk down a runway, she had a certain endearing charm that rendered her an entertaining joy to watch nonetheless. In addition, she was an obvious audience favorite, receiving more enthusiastic applause than even Cherry Eclair herself received! Perhaps the prettiest girl on that stage, certainly the most fascinating, Fluttershy is most definitively a model to keep an eye on."

Rarity was practically fuming with anger. Not even a word about Fluttershy's dress, which Photo had proclaimed brought out her inner grace and beauty! Sure, Hoity Toity's specialty was critiquing models, but he almost always also had a comment regarding their ensembles, as well. That Rarity's hadn't received one was a deep and profound insult.

Rarity disgustedly tossed the magazine aside. She knew that Fluttershy's interview with Hoity was transcribed on the next page, but she felt as though she'd rather do anything other than read it at the moment. "Hmph!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

A few moments later, the bell to the door of Rarity's boutique rang, and she heard a young woman call out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Rarity smiled, glad to occupy her mind with something else. She folded her spectacles and stood up, turning to see that there were two Human girls standing in her shop's doorway.

"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!" Rarity said. "Now, how may I assist you?"

"We saw some photos of Fluttershy in your window," one of the girls said. "Do you happen to know her?"

"Why, yes!" Rarity said, making a half-forced smile. "I'm her designer!"

"Really? Who are you?" the other girl said.

Rarity's smile faded slightly. She tossed her hair as she said, "Rarity, of course!"

"Never heard of you," the first girl said.

It took every ounce of Rarity's willpower not to shoot a death glare at them. "Do you... *ahem,* need something?" she said sweetly.

"Do you think you could point us in the direction of Fluttershy?" one of the girls said.

Rarity sighed. "She's probably at a shoot," she said wearily, allowing her smile to disappear completely, to be replaced by a contemptuous scowl. "To advertise my dresses."

The girls nodded, then turned back out and exited the boutique, ignoring Rarity.

Rarity sat back at her desk, screamed into her hands, then shouted, "Fluttershy has legions of fans! I'm the one who should be mobbed by strangers wherever I go!"

Rarity pouted and huffed again, then stood up. Her white, Persian cat Opal rubbed up against her legs, to which Rarity pet her and said, "I'm going to see Twilight, darling. I'll be right back."

Rarity exited the shop, then walked to the Golden Oak Library, where she knocked on the front door. It was promptly answered by Spike, who blushed and smiled nervously upon seeing her. "Oh... uh.... Hi, Rarity!" he said.

"Hello, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity replied, smiling warmly. "Is Twilight home?"

"Yeah," Spike said, stepping back. He turned to the library's writing-desk and said to Twilight as Rarity entered, "Hey, Twi, Rarity's here to see you."

Twilight folded her glasses and stood up, turning and smiling at Rarity. "Hi, Rarity," she said pleasantly.

"Hello, Twilight," Rarity replied.

"Do you need something?" Twilight said.

Rarity nodded. "I need someone to talk to, I think," she said.

"Alright," Twilight said. "Talk away."

Rarity sighed, then began, "About Fluttershy...."

"Yes?" Twilight said, perking up interestedly.

Rarity continued, "She's been gone all the time, doing modeling for Photo Finish, and she's gotten a lot of fans."

"I've noticed that," Twilight said.

"But nobody seems to notice her dresses!" Rarity cried distressedly. "All I've ever heard is how gorgeous and adorable she is! I mean, my ensembles are the entire reason that she began modeling! And now she's the star!"

Rarity folded her arms and glared downwards as she added, "Well, I think that star should burn out!"

"Rarity!" Twilight cried distressedly. "How could you say that?! Fluttershy's your friend!"

"I know!" Rarity said. "But... Oh! I must confess! I've grown... quite jealous of her, if I'm being honest."

Twilight gasped. "You are?" she said surprisedly, a smile slowly spreading over her face.

Rarity sighed, nodded, and said, "Yes, and I would love to stop using her as a model. But she seems to enjoy it so much, and I could never ask her to stop just because I want the attention she's getting."

"Well, now that you mention it," Twilight said, "Fluttershy told me the other day-"

"TWILIGHT!!" a voice barked, causing Rarity, Spike, and Twilight to all jump and yelp in fright. They turned to the door, and saw that Pinkie was standing in the frame, holing a book and glaring at Twilight. "You Pinkie Promised, Twilight!" she shouted. "And breaking a promise is the quickest way to break trust and lose a friend foreveeeer!"

"What are you doing here, Pinkie?" Twilight cried distressedly.

Pinkie immediately snapped out of her cold glare back to her cheerful smile, replying, "I came to return this book!"

She skipped forward and gave it to Twilight, who saw that it was a how-to-draw-manga book. Pinkie then skipped back out, singing, "I'll see you later!"

However, she cast one more glare at them, growling as she pointed at them, "Remember: never break a Pinkie Promise!" She then slunk away, eerily wailing, "Foreveeeeeer!"

Twilight blinked, sighed, and set the book aside. "Fine," she muttered. She then grabbed Rarity's arm and said, "Then come with me."

"What- why?!" Rarity cried distressedly.

"We're going to see Fluttershy," Twilight replied.

"What?!" Rarity shouted. "I don't want her to know-"

"Trust me," Twilight said. "You two should really talk to each other."

Rarity blinked in confusion, but nodded before saying, "Just promise me you won't tell her-"

"I won't," Twilight said. "Come on, though."

Taking a deep breath, Rarity followed Twilight out of the library and down the streets to Fluttershy's cottage, where Twilight smartly knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Fluttershy's soft voice called from inside, and a few moments later she opened the door. When she saw that it was Rarity and Twilight, she said worriedly, "Oh...! Um... hey, girls! Are you...? Uh...."

Twilight leaned against the doorframe, then nodded towards Fluttershy while looking at Rarity. "Tell her," she said.

Rarity gaped at Twilight incredulously, beginning, "But, Twilight-!"

"Trust. Me." Twilight said. She nodded at Fluttershy again, saying exasperatedly, "Just do it."

Rarity gazed nervously at Fluttershy for a moment, then said, "Twilight, dear, I can't-"

"Oh, come on!" Twilight screamed frustratedly. "Fluttershy, Rarity doesn't-"

"FOREVEEEEER!"

Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy looked astonishedly out of the door, where they saw Pinkie standing on the sidewalk, carrying Gummy in his tank.

"Pinkie!" Twilight said. "Why are you-?"

"I'm here to have Fluttershy check up on Gummy," Pinkie replied, beaming cheerfully. She handed the tank to Fluttershy, then waved and cried, "Bye, girls!"

Pinkie then conjured an apple into her hand and bit into it as she hummingly skipped away.

Twilight sighed, then said, "Fine. Rarity, you tell her. I promise, it will not be as bad as you think."

Rarity blinked, then sighed. Fluttershy was staring at her and intensely blushing.

"Fluttershy, I have something to confess," Rarity said.

Fluttershy swallowed, nodded, and tremblingly whispered, "What... what is it, Rarity?"

After a few more moments, Rarity took a deep breath, then suddenly shouted, "I'm jealous!"

Fluttershy blinked confusedly. "Huh?" she said.

"I'm jealous! Of you!" Rarity cried. "I mean, you are getting all the attention, while all of my dresses don't even get noticed!"

Rarity groaned and covered her eyes as she said, "I know how selfish that is of me, and I know how much this means to you-"

"How much what means to me?" Fluttershy interrupted her. "Modeling?"

Rarity seemed slightly puzzled, but nodded.

Fluttershy grinned. "Oh, Rarity, I hate modeling!" she said.

Rarity's jaw dropped. "R-really?!" she said.

Fluttershy cheerfully nodded. "I was only doing it because I thought you wanted me to!" she said. "If you really want me to stop, I'm more than happy to!"

Rarity grinned back, then she said, "Well, as long as you don't actually enjoy doing it, I won't make dresses for you to model anymore, then!"

Rarity and Fluttershy laughed together, and Twilight sighed relievedly. "Finally...." she muttered.


When Rarity and Fluttershy told Photo about the end of Fluttershy's modeling career, she was disappointed, but understanding. She wished them both the best of luck in their future endeavors, then returned to her own home with Flash and their assistants.

That night, Rarity curled up in her bed with the edition of Olympian Vogue she had cast aside earlier. Fluttershy had recommended that she read her interview with Hoity Toity, and so she did so.

Near the end, Rarity gasped in surprise at the last exchange she read.

"Q: So, this Rarity, did she design all of your dresses?

A: Mm-hmm.

Q: They are all so magnificent! They are nearly as good as Finale's! He surely chose a fine apprentice....

A: I agree.

Q: I hardly notice them, but that's what makes them so great! They bring out your grace and beauty so well, without intruding or distracting from them....

A: (Laughs) Yes, she and my photographer have both said the exact same thing to me.

Q: So, you say that you are doing this mostly for her sake?

A: Oh, yes. I mean, I'm not really that special-

Q: Oh, come now, you were all anyone talked about!

A: Yes, but that wasn't because of me. It was because of Rarity. I wouldn't do any of this at all, except that she's an amazing friend. She sees the beauty and potential in everything, and if you saw any in me, it was because of her. I owe everything to her, really, because she helped me see and realize what I can be."

Rarity wiped a tear away from her cheek, smiled down at the transcript for a moment, then set the magazine on her nightstand and turned the lights in her lamp off.