One Dress: For the Love of Girly and Cute

by Wiz Ahmad

The New Dress and the Dance

Smolder sat in class again, her mind preoccupied – but this time in a different way. Instead of worrying about being found about, she was joyful and excited about something, albeit still secretive. Rarity had willingly brought Smolder to Carousel Boutique the day prior and gathered all the nitty-gritty details on what she wanted in the dress.

For Smolder it seemed a rather intimidating task, but, given her experience, Rarity knew it would be a piece of cake. It would take time though. Rarity had sketched out the design and given the little dragon a copy – and she was thrilled. So thrilled, that Rarity had to usher her outside before she charred anything around her to ashes from a sudden breath.

“When is the school dance?” Smolder inquired, as she and Sandbar walked down the aisle to the gym.

“You’ve asked that question five times already,” Sandbar muttered annoyingly. “Is it really that important to you?”

Smolder nodded, with a slight smirk that said the other half of it.

“Yeah, I see what you’re hinting at,” Sandbar replied with a smile. “Remember, it’s on the evening of the last day of school next week. I’m sure Rarity can finish up your…”

Realizing the environment they were in, Sandbar lowered his voice and leaned in to Smolder’s ear. “…dress in that time.”

I sure hope so, Smolder thought, her eyes suddenly getting a little dreamy.

And so, at precisely ten minutes past six o’clock in the afternoon, just as homework was finished in the library, a note fell seemingly out of nowhere into Smolder’s lap.

All done. Meet me at the boutique. Be quick, it’s only an hour until the dance.

“Uh…gotta go, see you at the dance!” Smolder stuttered quickly, and dashed out of the library, leaving her friends with a quizzical expression. All, that is, except Gallus.

---

Standing in front of the boutique door, Smolder sighed, trying to erase the last bits of fear and worry from her mind. With a nod of determination, she raised a fist and gently rapped three times.

“Hello?” a soft voice came from inside. The door opened slightly, and the beautiful, curious face of Rarity peeked through.

“Oh, um, h-hi, Rarity,” Smolder said sheepishly. “I got this note, and – ”

“Yes, yes, dear,” Rarity interrupted, a sly smile on her face. “Who do you think sent it? Please, do come in! I have plenty of great things to show you.”

Smolder’s heart skipped a beat, and she eagerly entered, looking for anything relevant. However, it looked relatively dark inside. Stepping forward, she caught sight of something straight ahead.

“Ta-ta!” Rarity exclaimed, switching on all the lights to reveal a well-made dress on a hanger. Smolder’s jaw literally fell to the floor as her eyes gazed in shock at what lay before her. It was a princess-style dress with a white peter pan collar and satin puff sleeves, a smooth blue bodice with lace-edging and rhinestones on the sides, and a. A white rounded train of fabric that split at the front and curved around the back stood out from below the bodice; the main skirt had a rich, bold bluish-pink color with small folds, two thicker outer layers of beautiful bluish-pink, and four white petticoat underlayers. A built-in sash rounded it off, with a small zipper at the back.

“I…” Smolder began, unable to say or process anything.

“Do you like it?” Rarity asked with a concerning smile, like a proud mom who just bought their little filly a gift.

“It’s… it is absolutely amazing, Rarity,” Smolder replied, barely whispering as she peered over it from top to bottom. “And you’re my teacher… and you made it… for me…”

Unable to take it all in, tears started spilling out of Smolder’s eyes as she rushed into Rarity’s arms and gave her a big warm hug.

“I… don’t do this much, but this is reserved for you. Th-thank you Rarity. It’s not often that anyone does something like this for me.”

“You’re most welcome, darling,” Rarity replied, her eyes softening as she wrapped a hoof around the grateful, tearful dragon. “Now, let’s see it on the body of the one it was made for!”

Rarity gently slid the dress off the mannequin and dropped the garment into Smolder’s hands. The feel of the fabric on her dragon palms was incredible, smooth and inviting, like the cool breeze of a spring day.

“I can’t believe this was made for me…”

“Oh, you can!” Rarity exclaimed with pride, then pointed to the dressing room. “Now head in there and see how it fits! Don’t worry, I’ll close the curtain to give you all the privacy you need, okay?”

In the small room, Smolder’s heart sped up, and her mind struggled to contain itself inside her little skull. She was now going to put on a dress for the first time in months since her adventure under the school grounds. All what she’d done since that fateful evening of coming out to her friends had been leading up to this.
As her body froze, the words of Gallus rang in the back of her head, like a lost soul staring up into the heavens for guidance and motivation.

“What’s there to hide when those you are hiding from mean no harm or embarrassment? Be happy and proud for who you are and what you love, regardless of it being visible to others or not.”

A true dragon is brave and strong in all situations… she reminded herself. With a sigh of acceptance, she set the dress down and stepped into it, gripping the rear of the bodice and pulling it up over her body, letting the soft, sleek material caress her hard yet flexible scales. Folding her wings tightly, she slid her arms through the puffy sleeves, feeling their elastic ends gently hold her upper arms in a dainty manner. Reaching behind her, she felt for the zipper, but alas could not reach it.

“Um… a little help, Miss Rarity?” she asked softly, a hint of timidness still in her voice.

“What is it, dear?” Rarity inquired as she poked her head through the curtain, then noticed the rear of the dress’s bodice sticking out like flaps, and the untied sash. “Oh, you can’t reach those. It’s okay, I’ll handle it for you.”

With the precision of her dress-making magic, Rarity slid up the zipper and tied a neat little bow in the sash. “Wait here for a moment,” she ordered, before dashing off.

Smolder stood as still as a rock, unsure what to do next. Moments later, Rarity returned with a pair of long pink satin gloves, and a headband that had two pretty flowers and a small pink heart-shaped gem on it.

“To complete your look, dear,” Rarity explained, gently sliding them into place on her hands and head.

Out of nowhere, a mirror slid in front of her, taking Smolder aback with shock as her jaw dropped yet again. Standing before her wasn’t just an average dragon, it was a pretty, charming, and well-dressed dragon.

“Well… how do you look?” Rarity inquired, gently pushing the astonished dragon’s jaw back up, closing her mouth and thereby allowing her to think more constructively.

“Well…I can say I look amazing. A little funny, but great.”

“Funny?” Rarity giggled, as she stood off to the side with a concerned smile and a slightly tilted head. “Nonsense. You look stunning! The epitome of beauty and finesse that no other dragon can even dream of possessing! Yet inside, you’re still the same dragon as before, and always will be. Now, how do you feel?”

“I…” Smolder fiddled with her fingers, the crimson color spreading through her cheeks. “I feel different, that’s for sure. I mean, I’ve looked in mirrors before, but I don’t think I’ve managed to use them in such a way to view inside of me. For who I really am in relation to what I love and enjoy.”

Feeling more content, Smolder brushed her glove-covered hands over each other, before stepping back a little, then forwards, and even sideways a little. It wasn’t much movement overall, but it was enough to send a surge of confidence and joy within her heart – the same feeling that she had when in that room under the School of Friendship. And now being able to actually see what she looked like as she rekindled that feeling of feminine bliss only amplified it all.

“Different is great, but what else flows through you?” Rarity asked with an inquisitive smile.
“I feel empowered that I can express who I am and what I love, with much less worry about the perception of others,” Smolder replied, taking two big steps back and standing off to the side. “I believe if I concentrate on just myself and my internal will, then entering the school dance hall and rocking it out should be a flaming breeze.”

“Then let’s head there now before we miss it!” Rarity exclaimed excitedly, putting her own dress on and dashing out with a beckoning gesture.

Still glancing at the mirror, Smolder whirled around, feeling the soft white petticoats dance and brush against her scaly dragon legs like a summer breeze. Yes, she was definitely ready. With the thrill and excitement welling up in her fiery dragon heart, she walked out the door of the Carousel Boutique, shut it, and eagerly ran after Rarity.

Minutes later, they arrived at the school grounds, the sound of Spike and Vinyl Scratch’s tunes filling the air. A few ponies were lined up in their attire, ready to join the dance hall. Suddenly Smolder’s eager smile turned upside down, and her arms crossed nervously.

“I know,” Rarity whispered, as they joined the queue. “You were alone before, and now you’re in front of a lot of ponies. But remember, does their perspective really matter? It’s how you feel inside. You’re sure of yourself, but not so sure about what you display yourself as. It’s perfectly fine to have these doubts. From all the fiery determination you had before comes a sudden sense of reality. But that reality shouldn’t waiver from the original goal. Prove yourself! Show the world what you love and own yourself!”

“I can prove it…” Smolder whispered, trying to reignite the spark she had inside of her many hours before. The queue shortened until no one was left. Inside, the faint voice of Silverstream could be heard.

“Where’s Smolder? I haven’t seen her since…”

This was it. The one chance to be shameless about enjoying the feminine and cutesy side of life.

“Hi Silverstream!” Smolder called with a proud smile, stepping into the hall, strutting with a high air of confidence. “I have arrived, looking and feeling as I should be.”

“Woah, Smolder, I never thought I’d see you wearing a dress,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a surprised gasp. “But if it fits you, then awesome! Let’s dance!”

Spike started the next tune, and everyone began dancing in different styles. Gallus broke it down with a handplant and a twirl, and Yona shuffled happily. Feeling a little alone, Smolder just tapped her feet on the floor and hopped from left to right, before Ocellus suddenly flew down in front of her with a smile and an outstretched hoof.

“Um, together? I learned a new style I can teach you.”

Smolder held out her hand with a smile and a confirmative nod. “As you wish, Ocellus. After you.”

The two held hand and hoof together, shuffling their front foot backward and smoothly sliding sideways, then wiggling their front legs. Getting the flow of it, Smolder turned and crouched a little, spreading her arms out and shaking them a little, before jumping forward and sliding sideways again with shoulder shrugs and foot taps. Soon she was kicking her back foot out and pulling it in, suddenly extending her hand out, and pulling it close to her chest.

As the music got more exciting, Ocellus then spread her legs and jumped straight up and down, hard, her arms straight as a windowsill, before turning sideways again and doing a leg shuffle. Adapting it to her own body, Smolder took it up a notch, making one arm copy the other – left, right, turning her body at 45 degrees, reaching to the sky and the ground, all the while her petticoats billowing and flying like splashing water.

Then came the “breakdown”, with widely spread legs and reaching behind and in front, with smooth, fluid motions of her hips. Slowing it down, Smolder proceeded to calmly walk with in-out arm pumping movements, before jumping onto a table and back down onto the floor, repeating the movements from before as the chorus looped, not a care in the world for who was watching or talking about her or her dancing. Her energy was so contagious, Pinkie soon joined in as the song began to approach the ending with a brief reiteration of the chorus.

“I didn’t know you could dance so well!” Silverstream exclaimed. “And in a dress like that, too!”

“Power is not in my fiery breath, but in the fiery willpower of my heart and mind,” Smolder replied confidently under pants and a long sigh of exasperation, standing up straight to give a slight wink at Rarity, who was standing in a corner with Spike.

Then the most unexpected requests were asked – by the other pony students, of all creatures.

“Could you wear this dress more often?”
“I love how it looks!”
“And can you dance at each school event please! I love it!”

“We all love it!” Pinkie added.

Smolder took a few steps back until she was facing every creature, before giving a short speech.

“Thanks for accepting me into the dance hall, and I’m happy you enjoyed my dance. Everyone knows dragons as a certain way, but I’m here as a living, breathing example that that isn’t always the case, and that we all can be happy and unique in our own ways, even if it goes against what is typically perceived of us. It’s important to be happy and proud for who you are and what you love, regardless of it being visible to others or not. Regardless of their perception. Always assume the positive. If you’re comfortable with this, I’ll come and dance here in my dress every time the school holds a dance event. Maybe I’ll even hold a tea party as well. We can all come and chat together over some warm tea, eh? And to Rarity and Gallus, thank you.”

Twilight Sparkle’s smile beamed as everyone cheered. It looked like some special dragon was going to receive a friendship trophy.

Author's Note:

Finally got this done. With more things happening in my life, I really don't have time to write stories anymore. And I have a serious lack of time, mental drive, and hardcore motivation. As any keen eye can detect, I rushed this a bit.

Quick shoutout to Nittany Discord for inspiring me to write this story, and LightningSword for his amazing story, I Feel Beautiful, which helped me a ton.

P.S.: Smolder and Ocellus's dance is from this video:

Comments

[OmniFox]

What's the point of that Romance Tag?

[Wiz Ahmad]

9873171
Good point. Removed.

[Yoshifan30]

Unable to take it all in, tears started spilling out of Smolder’s eyes as she rushed into Rarity’s arms and gave her a big warm hug.

Omg that gave me such an aww 🥰🥰

[Yoshifan30]

“Thanks for accepting me into the dance hall, and I’m happy you enjoyed my dance. Everyone knows dragons as a certain way, but I’m here as a living, breathing example that that isn’t always the case, and that we all can be happy and unique in our own ways, even if it goes against what is typically perceived of us. It’s important to be happy and proud for who you are and what you love, regardless of it being visible to others or not. Regardless of their perception. Always assume the positive. If you’re comfortable with this, I’ll come and dance here in my dress every time the school holds a dance event. Maybe I’ll even hold a tea party as well. We can all come and chat together over some warm tea, eh? And to Rarity and Gallus, thank you.”

Thats a pretty good lesson I like that