The Cutie Mark Mares

by deadpansnarker

Chapter 4: A Distracted Designer

Generally, Ponyville wasn’t much of a town for gossip. Everypony just minded their own business, conversed politely with each other as they passed in the street and focused solely on their individual chores without getting involved in the messy affairs of others (especially strangers).

This is why the three ‘new’ mares in town didn’t provoke much of a reaction as they trotted to Carousel Boutique with Twilight and the others, although if the busy residents had tried looking closer their unmistakable Cutie Marks might’ve caused more of a kerfuffle.

As things stood though, the journey to Rarity’s place was a quiet one, apart from an odd feeling from Scootaloo that the little entourage was being followed…

“It’s okay, I get that feeling a lot too.” Fluttershy had attempted to settle her fellow pegasus down. “Why just the other day, I thought a wyvern was circling my cottage, waiting to gobble up all my animals the moment they came outside for a picnic!”

“R-Really?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, her attention taken away for a second from the mysterious shadow she occasionally spotted in her peripheral vision. “What happened next?”

“Huh? Well, we enjoyed a delicious, nutritious meal to suit all palettes, of course!” Fluttershy smiled at the memory, before realising she might’ve got the wrong end of the stick. “Oh, you mean with the ‘wyvern’. It was just Derpy Hooves, trying to find a place to land and deliver my mail. In the end, I had to help her off my roof when she got caught in the chimney, but that’s another story.”

“Aww, I thought it would have a more exciting ending than that.” Scootaloo frowned, cross that her excitement level had been raised for nothing. “It has reminded me of something important though, that I want to check as soon as I feel brave enough.”

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to be mildly intrigued by her walking buddy’s statement. In her own nonchalant way. “Ok then. You can tell me about it, if you want to.”

“As I’m sure you know, I’ve never been able to fly.” Scootaloo once dreaded saying those words, but years of acceptance and maturity had resulted in her barely blinking when she spoke on the subject now. “...Which is cool! I’ve got so much more going for me than that, like my scooter tricks and daredevil stuff. But to be completely sure I won’t ever be able to take off, now might be the right time to try again. I-If it doesn’t work out for me, at least I’ll know not to get my confidence up for the future…”

An expression somewhere between hope and trepidation lingered on Scootaloo’s face, and a visibly moved Fluttershy wanted to say something meaningful, to put all her fellow pegasi’s dreams and fears into perspective…

But it was a bit too late. They’d just arrived at their destination.

“Now everypony, you have to be careful with how the news is broken to Rarity. You know how… emotional she can be.” Twilight turned briefly to address her friends, soon after ringing the doorbell. “It might be better to wait until we’ve all sat down, then maybe if she does feel faint she’ll be easier to attend to. Also…”

Alas, whatever Twilight had to add to her statement would have to wait, because the entrance to the boutique suddenly burst open to reveal a very stressed and harried Rarity. She had a big diagram tucked under her left forehoof, her mouth was full of dressing pins and sleep was a thing of the past judging by her bloodshot eyes.

“Yes, yes? Oh, it’s you Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy. With a few new faces, I see. Isn’t Pinkie the one to talk to about arranging a party for new arrivals? Well, I suppose you all came here for a reason. Come in, come in. Just be careful where you sit, because Fancy Pants is coming to collect his new design tonight, and the slightest tear or crease could result in absolute disaster! In fact, you couldn’t have come at a worse time. I’m just putting the finishing touches to it now! If you simply must enter, I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your visit brief…”

“E-Erm. Alright then. This shouldn’t take too long…” Twilight grimaced as the clearly overworked mare left the door open so she and her group could go in. The fashionista sounded remarkably coherent considering her mouth full of metal, but barely glanced at her guests before hurrying back to desperately hit that crucial deadline.

“Good, good. Marvellous. So glad to hear you’re doing well. Looking forward to taking the throne in a few short weeks, are you? I don’t care what anypony says, you’re ready!” Rarity was still caught up in her own little world, and studied two opposing options relating to her latest project carefully. “What do you think for the cuffs, dear? Ruffles, or plain?”

Twilight had come today to be the bearer of bad news and offer a hoof to cry on if necessary, not to proffer her own limited knowledge on upmarket clothes. “W-What? Well, the ruffles I suppose. But back to why I came here in the first place…”

“Hmm, you’re showing your inexperience there I’m afraid, darling. I think you’ll find it’s ‘ruffles for truffles’, which means a formal dinner. Not what this outfit is designed for at all! Clearly it was made for the dance hall, so I think we’ll go with plain. Thanks for your input anyway, sweetie!”

“Then why did you ask me to… wait, ‘Sweetie’! Yes, that’s who we came to talk to you about! If you can just spare a second to listen…”

“Sweetie, did you say? Oh, you ought to hear what that naughty sister of mine got up to as soon as my back was turned! She completely disregarded my strict instructions not to leave, and went off anyway! Probably with her friends to that fair she wouldn’t stop talking about, way out of town. Mark my words Twilight, they’ll be fireworks here tonight as soon as she returns...!”

“Huh? Aargh! We’ll be going round in circles like this for hours if we’re not careful, and I still have Scootaloo’s relatives to inform. Sweetie Belle, could you come here for a moment please? Perhaps it would be an idea to actually show your sister…”

“If you’re not doing anything right now Twilight, could you perhaps lend me a hoof with straightening out this cloth so I can make some minor adjustments?” Rarity was fully absorbed in her crucial task now, and anything else (including her visitors) could be considered just an afterthought. “I would ask my absent sibling, but she’s not here right now. I believe I might have mentioned that?”

“Yes, you may have broached the subject at some point.” Twilight rolled her eyes impatiently at the distracted designer, whilst ushering a hesitant Sweetie Belle forward with her wing. “Tell you what: one of my ‘guests’ has some experience in the fashion industry. Maybe she’d be a better choice for…”

“Really, darling? Why, that’s just perfect! It was kismet you knocked on my door a few minutes ago in my hour of need! Or rang, I don’t really remember which.” Rarity paused her measuring for a moment to ponder, before shrugging her shoulders and returning to work. “Never mind. You brought them here, and that’s what counts. Sit down right here, dear. Hold the hem and neckline together as one… that’s it… now. Don’t. Move. A. Muscle.”

If Sweetie Belle had already been nervous about telling Rarity about her unwelcome growth spurt, now she was positively dreading it. But to her immense credit, she was as still as a Gummy in following her sister’s orders, and it wasn’t long until the fashionista was lauding over her own genius once more.

“Finished!” She proudly stated, another sartorial masterpiece in the bag. “If Fancy Pants doesn’t fall head-over-hooves for this inspiring creation later on, I’ll eat his…pants! Or something like that. I really don’t know what I meant by that, darling. But what I do know is I couldn’t have done it without you! What’s your name, dear? If you’re planning a career in high fashion, you’re talking to the right mare. Just ask Sassy Saddles and Coco Pommel about everything I did for them…”

A million and one possible responses entered Sweetie’s head just then. She could’ve told Rarity the reason she was so good at straightening the fabric was because she’d done it a million times already while assisting her sister. She might’ve restated her determination to be a singer, against regular pressure from her unicorn sibling to take a position as her next apprentice.

She didn’t say either of those things, or any of the other countless possibilities milling around in her head. Instead, the only three words that left the now trembling mare’s lips were…

“I-I’m S-Sweetie B-Belle.”

“Pffff! Don’t be so ridiculous, dear! My Sweetie is about a fifth your size, and you don’t sound similar at all!” Obviously thinking this was some kind of bizarre joke, Rarity chortled slightly as she levitated her spectacle up to her eyes. “I’m afraid after working on an important order such as this since the wee hours my vision isn't exactly twenty/twenty, but let’s get a good look at you. Well, I must admit there are some minor similarities. Your mane, your tail, your coat… all would be a perfect match for my sister’s if you were just a little younger. Wouldn’t it be funny if your Cutie Mark w-was…!”

As soon as Rarity spotted that inimitable shield with the three colours and song note, a slight gasp could be heard escaping from her lips. This shock sensation was only further heightened by closer examination of the two other ‘new’ arrivals, who also resembled Sweetie’s constant companions with special symbols that they’d all earned simultaneously.

“I-It’s not possible! I-It can’t be true!”

Oh, but it was. If any further confirmation was needed regarding the identity of the now grown-up Sweetie Belle, who should come by just then but Opal. The fact the usually stoic cat purred and rubbed herself freely against the strange unicorn’s hooves may not have meant much to most present, but for Rarity it was the final conclusive evidence.

“O-Opalescence is never that friendly with anypony she’s met for the first time! U-U-Unless…”

And that was it. The overwhelmed fashionista’s already scant limit for shock value had been well and truly broken, and she fainted dead away.

Some would say it was bound to happen in the end. The problem was reviving her, when she was fresh out of smelling salts.

Oops.

Author's Note:

Another chapter done. Hope you're enjoying the story so far, and there's much more to come soon. Until next time then.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I think Rarity took the news pretty good, all things considered.

[Yoshifan30]

She took it very well

[Foxhelm]

Well... that could have gone worse...

[StarzGecko]

Welp, back to the mirror pool and see the next Rarity doesn’t break... also where’s the shovel

[deadpansnarker]

10332680
Yep. They didn't even need to use a respirator this time!

10332939
Alas, if only the Press had a conscience...

10333054
It's not over yet. Wait 'til she wakes up...

10333181
Now you're over-exaggerating a bit.

[DefiantPosition]

I never even contemplated the possibility of what would happen if the cmc'c didn't change back but this sounds about right. I wonder what Rainbow Dash's reaction will be?

[DawnOfsnow]

I’m really enjoying this! I liked how you portrayed a Rarity in this chapter as well, especially how she was forgetful and sputtering nonsense as a result of sleep deprivation ooh, ooh! And the comforting moment with Fluttershy and Scoot was very nice too, and something you don’t see often. I’m excited to see where this goes