Gift Givers

by Art Inspired

Part Three: In good Time

Maud wasn’t the only pony experiencing a troublesome time. Rarity, the pony that had been on Maud’s mind as of late was just getting up and out of bed for the day. A couple of nights had already gone by since Maud had sent her the gift, but still, Rarity hadn’t received it. Not to say that she was expecting anything of course. Not yet, anyways, especially considering she hadn’t even finished a particular dress she was commissioned to make. Now, had the dress already been delivered by this day, she might not have been so surprised when Maud’s package showed up at her doorstep.

Of all ponies, the dress was for Fleur De Lis, so naturally, it had already taken Rarity several days to complete. She was only just now nearing the end of her task. “Now all it needs is… something... But what?” Rarity said this while observing her magnificently pink and white masterpiece sitting before her on one of her pony mannequins. “Hmm… Perhaps something more of a bit brighter hue.”

She yawned, and blinked away little bits of lingering sleepiness from her tired eyes. Then, she heard a knock at the door. With the boutique not yet opened for business just yet, Rarity began wondering who could have been there so early. She answered, it only being Pinkie Pie, so Rarity greeted her promptly, and showed her in. “It’s so nice to see you,” Rarity said to the mare. “I’ve been a bit busy as I’m sure you can tell.”

Coming up to the dress, Pinkie said, “It’s been a few days since anypony’s really seen you. We wanted to make sure you were okay, but I can see why you’ve been hiding yourself away from all of us.”

Rarity nodded, and gave Pinkie a worried look. “This is one of the most profitable designs I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. Sorry for letting it distract me from you and the others… Please, let Twilight know I’ll be finished with this soon, and that afterwards, I'll come pay her a visit.”

Pinkie asked, “Why didn’t anypony know you were busy with something like this?”

At that, Rarity stated a simple fact. “It’s what I do. Pinkie, darling, I’d expect ponies to see me walking around Ponyville here or there collecting my supplies, and just… be able to add two and two together.”

Pinkie giggled, and spoke openly like her usual self. “Guess we just didn’t realize it. So, who’s the dress for?”

Rarity smiled, and gave Pinkie a clue. “It’s somepony of great importance.”

“Oooh, is it Princess Celestia? No, Sapphire Shores!”

“It’s for Fleur De Lis.”

Pinkie’s eyes grew wide. “Woah! Get out!”

“Yes,” Rarity joyfully said followed by one of her even more excited squeals. “She actually came to me, asking if I’d do it for her, and naturally, I accepted!”

“But,” Pinkie said. “I hate to say it... You know it’s taken up a lot of your free time.”

Rarity nodded in compliance. “That’s why I’m going to finish this today, have it sent, and then I’ll have all the time in the world to be with you girls again…”

Pinkie merely watched as Rarity began once again at her work. Several additions and subtractions would take place before Rarity would finish, but in good time, she’d have this done and over with. While the last pieces of jewelry were placed accordingly, Rarity huffed. “There we go!”

She backed away, a shimmer in her eye. “How does it look?” she asked Pinkie who had stuck around long enough to see the finished project.

She predictably answered, “It looks absolutely amazing Rarity!”

Around that time, it happened. Maud’s gift had justly arrived, and there came another knocking on the door. Rarity, now having plenty of time on her hooves quickly trotted over. Derpy stood there at the entrance, a clipboard hanging out of her mouth and being presented to whomever might’ve answered the door. Rarity, about as surprised as she could’ve been asked the mail pony, “Err… Derpy? Why must I sign that?”

Derpy took the clipboard out of her mouth with a hoof, and answered rather plainly, “Got a package for you. No letters today.”

“Oh… Well, alright then. Where exactly?”

As she signed away, Derpy got the small, white box out only to give it to its new owner. After that, she was off, and Rarity came back inside. “Who’s it from???” Pinkie asked with a bit more excitement in her voice than what Rarity thought necessary. Still, she tolerated her friend, and looked down at what she had in her hooves to find out its origins.

“It say it… comes from the Pie family rock farm.” If Pinkie’s eyes weren’t wide before, they sure were now. Rarity continued to ask, “What would your relatives be sending me?”

Nervously, she opened it up, only to behold possibly the most perfect diamond she’d ever laid her eyes upon. Immediately, she was mesmerized by its shape and shine. It could be used for a bow she'd been working on, or one of her other personal dresses. Or, perhaps it would adorn her dresser for her to admire anytime she were home. The question still remained, though, why this was sent to her in the first place. She removed her gift with her magic, and looked at the bottom of the box. Then, she pulled out the note, and said, “To Rarity… From Maud.”

Pinkie now wore possibly the most astonished face she’d ever made. “My sister?!”

“Apparently so…” After reading the rest of the note aloud, she sat that down on a nearby table along with her new diamond, and held her mouth with a hoof. She even went a little limp. “Oh… Oh…”

Pinkie could tell that Rarity was more than just touched by this, but that didn’t stop Pinkie from asking, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Pinkie… I’m fine.” Rarity’s voice was low, and her eyes stayed fixed on the diamond. “It’s just… How thoughtful of her. I simply must return the favor!”

“Huh?” Pinkie asked, watching Rarity’s movements closely. She walked over to one of her dressers, but then stopped.

“No, no… Maud wouldn’t be near as impressed or excited about getting a dress… To send something roughly around the same value as the diamond she sent me would be rather uninspired, wouldn’t you agree? Pinkie?”

Rarity looked over to her guest who stared back. “Well…” Pinkie began. “She likes rocks. You know that!”

Before headed for her make-up table to look for a gift only to turn away from it on second though, Rarity cooed, “You don’t say?”

Pinkie continued talking while Rarity spun herself around the room. “Yep! She especially loves rare rocks that you can’t find just anywhere.”

Rarity considered she hadn’t any better ideas for a gift, so she entertained Pinkie’s developing suggestion by simply asking, “Like?”

“Well, she has a collection already. Like sapphite which is a magical and chemically altered rock fusing sapphire and regular old granite together. And then there’s-”

Rarity kindly interrupted her friend with a hoof, and said, “Yes, I see what you mean… Hmm… I suppose I could order something like that for her.”

Pinkie hoofed that thought away, chortling while she did, and then she pulled something out of her frizzy mane. “Just send her this. I had been saving it for her anyways, but I think it’ll be more special if she gets it from you.”

Rarity couldn’t tell what it was exactly, but what she did see was possibly the most crimson red color she’d ever seen in her life. After a moment had gone by, with growing curiosity, Rarity observed the hooves that held it, and didn’t even look away when she ask, “What is it?”

Pinkie answered simply as ever, and with a smile, “Ambove…”

Now seeing blotches of yellow, Rarity blinked. “Which is…?”

“It’s basically a different kind of amber." Shrugging, Pinkie commented, "It’s not really all that valuable enough to be considered a jewel. It's weird, but anyways, it’s so red that ponies from a long time ago thought it was actually made with pure love.” She giggled some more before stating, “But that’s ridiculous. Although, recently ponies like the Pie family give these kind of rocks to someone because they love them.”

Rarity blinked again, and said, “Err… Maud and I don’t like each other in that way, Pinkie.”

Pinkie nodded with a sarcastic attitude. “Well, duh! You’d be sending it to her because you love her like a sister. Right?”

Rarity looked away. For some reason, she felt unsure of herself, and said, “I suppose…” Then, she looked at the diamond, all her thoughts returning slowly to when she last saw Maud in Manehatten. “We sure did have a nice time together, despite the negatives that happened.”

She then made eye contact with Pinkie, who asked, “Well?” Presenting the gift, Pinkie waited for Rarity to take it from her. Slowly, the unicorn encompassed the object in her aura. It floated ever slowly up to her, until it was nearly touching her white muzzle. Shaped like a heart, and with tiny, yellow dots visible here and there, the rock seemed more like a crystal to Rarity if anything, but when she felt it, the surface was anything but smooth. It was surprisingly jagged, and for as small as it was, Rarity might’ve thought it to be of a higher value had she seen it anywhere else.

“Are you sure?” Rarity asked Pinkie.

In reply, Pinkie simply said, “By all means you can have it, Rarity! I know how much it would mean to you.”

They hugged briefly thereafter, more brief than both of them would’ve enjoyed. After that, the two mares spent some extra time together by packaging up the ambove for Rarity and the dress for Fleur De Lis, and then having them sent on their way. For the next few days, Rarity would make sure to spent plenty of time with her friends. However, she would be unable to take her mind off of Maud during all that time, and later on as well.

Comments

[meerkat8472]

...And later, Maud receives a beautiful dress and Fluer receives a rock.

Anyway, you know that a moon is a month right? That's a slow postal service.

[Art Inspired]

7793314 I did, but I guess I forgot. Knew I should've just used nights.

[ChaseArni]

Phew. I was worried at the start that Rarity would hastily use the diamond for the "something missing" in her dress. Possibly missing the note entirely or until the dress was sent off.

[proto20]

Rarity blinked again, and said, “Err… Maud and I don’t like each other in that way, Pinkie.”

Uh oh

Pinkie nodded with a sarcastic attitude. “Well, duh! You’d be sending it to her because you love her like a sister. Right?”

Godammit Pinkie.

[Vaguely Demented]

An interesting bit of leading. I started worried that she would thoughtlessly use the diamond for the dress, and end worried about the aftermath of the inevitable misunderstanding that is going to take place.