Star Wars: The Great War

by ShootingStar25

Chapter 63: Suited Complications

It was another lovely day in the Kingdom of Equis and the planet itself. A girl was shown as she was in a sewing room putting the finishing touches on her sketch design. The fashionista admired it proudly. A small feline was nearby as she lounged snootily on one of the mannequins.

"Oh, Opalescence," said Rarity excitedly as she studied her completed sketch, "Can't you just picture it? Moi, stepping out in a stunning new gown at the Gala!" Opal said nothing but gave a sleepy meow.

"Why, yes! I did make it myself," said Rarity, taking Opal meowing as talking, "Thank you so much for asking."

Rarity then pulled off a piece of cloth, which was what Opal was sitting on, and it sent the cat to the floor. Unlike other cats, Opal plopped on her stomach before getting quickly back on her feet and walking away. As Rarity continued working at her sewing machine, Opal sat nearby, giving a low, annoyed growl.

"Oh, Opal, of course, you can help me. Thank you," replied Rarity by sticking a sewing pin cushion inside Opal's mouth. The white-furred kitty just meowed with the pin cushion inside her mouth again.

"What's that?" asked Rarity, "You want to help me more? Oh, aren't you the sweetest thing?" The teen then gave Opal several different items to hold. The poor kitty was now balancing on a single hind leg to keep her balance as Rarity continued to work.

"Careful now. Don't move. This shouldn't take long at all," said Rarity. Opal rolled her eyes twice, giving a low growl as she struggled to keep her balance. Once Rarity finished with the thread, she relieved Opal of her awkward situation.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Now, who could that be?" asked Rarity as the boutique wasn't open for business that day. She was surprised to see Storm standing outside with some boxes.

"Hey, Rarity," said Storm, "I remembered last night you said that you were running short on some fabrics and other things, so... I took a horse ride to nearby cities and towns and got you some things. I wrote the names of what colors and materials were called on my checklist here, so..." Rarity gasped at all the materials in excitement.

"Oooo! Storm, you're a lifesaver!" exclaimed Rarity, "This puts me ahead of schedule for my latest design! And there's plenty of material for future projects. Oh, how can I ever thank you, darling?"

"No need, Rarity," said Storm kindly, "I was glad I could offer you some generosity for a change. Besides, I've wanted to see how you're handling this place?"

To backtrack a bit, Storm invited Rarity to come to Twilight's homeworld because he wanted to help the fashionista expand her business. He told the girl on the message he sent that there was a ton of land in Twilight's kingdom that could potentially help her spread her business to this part of the galaxy. The girl accepted, after the day Twilight gave her the tour of her home; she spent the following days searching for a place.

They eventually settled on a place where an old building was boarded up. With some help from Twilight, Rarity could buy the space and have the royal engineers renovate the place so that it became a boutique that looked like a Carousel. Storm found it a weird choice for the building to look like, but Rarity said it was to draw interest and stand out as a way to bring in business. From there, business was good. Many townspeople entered Rarity's place as the girl could share her interests and talents with the people.

During that same time, while Rarity was making a sale. She had to go to the back to collect some fabric as she came across something. A cat was curled up in them when she reached for some cloth. Unlike what she looked like now, Opal was full of mud and had her fur all messed up. The girl saw the cat as it screeched, climbed to a shelf, and hissed at the teen. Rarity did her best to tell the feline that she wouldn't harm her.

She extended her hand as Opal jumped down and sniffed. Soon the feline made contact with Rarity's hand as it rubbed against it and purred. From there, Rarity named the feline and took her in. She gave her a warm bath while fixing its appearance and putting a bow in its fur.

Back to the present time...

Storm was now unloading the stuff and putting away the materials that he got Rarity. He then left the teen as he went about his day. Rarity then approached the materials as she examined them and was surprised.

My goodness... I never knew that Storm had fine taste in couture. Then again, he is a Jedi. And I suppose they had to have a keen eye for details. Still, he went out of his way to get all this for me. He's very thoughtful. I know I told him that I would get over it since... he has someone else who he's interested in. But... I still... want...

---

"So, you want me to... what, exactly?" said the Jedi Knight to his purple companion.

"Well, as you know, the Gala is coming up soon. Which means I need a dress, and I just so happen to have an old one my grandmother gave me. So... I was hoping you could give me your opinion on my dress for the Gala?" she asked, smiling sheepishly.

Storm sighed slightly but nodded, "Lead the way, Sparky."

The pair soon made it to the princess' room.

"Alright, just wait here while I go grab it, okay?" she asked, already stepping through the door, not bothering to wait for him to answer. He rolled his eyes at her behavior but nodded otherwise, if only for himself.

He took a moment to look around, taking in every little detail of the hallway to see if anything had changed from his last visit.

"NOOO!"

The sudden shout caught him off guard, but he immediately shook it off before bolting through the door. It took him less than a second to pinpoint the scream's source and prepare himself for a confrontation. He scanned the room immediately, taking in every detail. He found Twilight hunched over a small box, looking distraught, and he calmed down, not detecting any immediate threats.

What the hell?!!

Okay, perhaps he wasn't as calm as he thought. He stomped over to the doubled-over girl, scanning her for abnormalities, when she turned to face him, pouting and watery-eyed.

"My old dress..." she muttered, holding out an old red and orange blouse. He frowned, looking it over, before spotting the issue.

One of the buttons on the front was torn, only hanging on by the barest thread. He sighed, irritated.

"That's it?" Storm asked, "That's what the screaming was for?"

Twilight frowned, "I liked this dress," she defended, pouting slightly, "My grandmother gave me this. I always took good care of it... how'd it get torn like this?" she continued, under her breath. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Just fix it, dammit."

"I don't want to rip it accidentally!" she protested.

Storm chuckled, "Gee, shame you don't have servants who can fix it for you or know anybody who knows how to work with clothing, like, I don't know... Rarity." he stated flatly.

Twilight blinked before clapping a hand against her head, "Right. Of course. Still kinda new to this whole 'friend' thing," she admitted with a sheepish laugh, "Alright, let's head to Rarity's then!"

The trip wasn't long, only about ten minutes at most with their pace. They soon arrived at the Carousel Boutique, with Twilight entering before him.

"Rarity!" Twilight called, looking around, before frowning, "Hmm, she's not here. Come on, she might be up in her sewing room," she added, marching along without waiting for his answer.

Heading up the stairs and locating the room she was in wasn't difficult, as Storm could faintly hear the sound of straining fabric from behind one of the doors.

"Here it is," he muttered before gently pushing through the door, not wanting to startle the girl if she was actively handling a needle. "Rarity? You busy?" he asked, glancing around the room.

It was surprisingly messy, especially considering he thought she was the clean type of girl. It was a simple circular room, with pink walls and a rug of the same color. He could see multiple shelves containing a variety of fabrics of all different colors and shades. On another shelf were dozens of different threads and cloths, with several mannequins standing in front of it, each sporting a hat and, what he presumed were, half-finished dresses.

They spoke highly of her skill since Storm was certain those "half-finished" dresses would sell just as well as a fully completed dress from another maker.

"Storm!" Twilight hissed, "Can't you see she's concentrating?!" Storm just stared at her for a moment before directing his gaze to the fashionista, who was currently trying, and failing, to ignore them as she carefully stitched a few pieces of fabric together.

"She already knows we're here; no point in just waiting around and making things harder for her," he argued easily, venturing further into the room. Rarity sighed.

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face them, "How can I help you two?"

...

Why was she wearing glasses? Indeed, there was a single pair of red-framed glasses sitting on her nose; something Storm was certain she didn't actually need.

"Sorry to bother you, Rarity," Twilight began, fishing around in her bag, unwittingly breaking Storm from his thoughts, "I just need a quick favor," she pulled out the red dress from earlier, gently setting it down on the nearby workbench, "Do you think you could fix a button for me real quick? It's for my Gala dress!" she finished excitedly.

Rarity, listening patiently, let her jaw drop slightly at Twilight's declaration.

"D-dress?" she asked, glancing at the red... thing lying on her desk, "This?" she clarified, Twilight's nodding doing nothing to assuage her worry, "Oh, no, no, no! You can't wear... this to the Gala!" she protested, shooting a mildly disgusted look at the atrocity, "No! You need a brand new dress for the Gala!" she said. An idea suddenly struck her, "And I'd love to make it!"

"W-well, that's a wonderful offer, Rarity," Twilight said, "But I can't let you do that! I-it would be way too much work! Besides, I'm perfectly fine with the dress my grandmother gave me," Rarity smiled gently but shook her head.

"Nonsense! It would be my absolute pleasure! I insist!" she added, seeing Twilight's continued resistance, "Ah! And I won't be taking no for an answer!"

"Well, ain't she persistent," said Storm to himself at Rarity's attitude.

"W-well... thank you, Rarity," Twilight said sincerely, "I really appreciate your generosity. Knowing your handiwork, I'm sure it'll be wonderful!"

Rarity smiled brightly at Twilight's enthusiasm before her gaze slid to Storm.

"What about you, dear?" she asked, "I imagine you already got an outfit picked out?" she inquired.

"What?! NO!" said Storm. "I don't have an outfit. To be honest, I'm probably not gonna go."

"WHAT!!!" shouted both girls as they stared at the boy.

"What's the big deal? I mean, I can understand you girls going. Me, I'm a Jedi. I don't think I belong in these types of events. Plus, they aren't really my cup of tea. Now, if you're asking me to command troops or fight against battle droids, count me in." stated Storm. "Besides, you girls can have fun without me."

"That's not true. I want you there," spoke Twilight softly as she wanted Storm to attend the Gala.

"What was that, Sparky?"

"Nothing!" said Twilight as she quickly got rid of her thoughts while turning red.

"You must reconsider, Storm. I'm sure the Gala might be more fun than you're making it out to be," stated Rarity.

"Yeah, that'll happen," responded the boy.

"But that also means that formal attire is a must! I'll make you something dear, I insist!" stated the fashionista.

Before Storm could argue with Rarity, the trio heard something.

"LOOK OUT BELOOOOWWWW!"

Storm grabbed both surprised girls and moved the three of them back a few steps, just in time too, as Rainbow came barreling straight through the ceiling, bouncing against the ground, and landing in the nearby line of mannequins, knocking them all down.

"Agh..." she groaned, before sitting up, covered in fabrics, "Ow... hehe," she laughed, "sorry about that. New trick, didn't quite work out," she explained as outside the horse she was riding gave a neigh before trotting off. Storm sighed irritably from beside Rarity, who was busy rubbing her chin with a thoughtful look on her face. Suddenly, she gasped.

"IDEAAAA!~" she sang, "I'll make you a dress for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash!" she giggled. Rainbow looked around for a moment.

"Outfit for the what now?" Rainbow asked, puzzled, not knowing what was going on.

"I'll make you an outfit, and you and you, all of you!" she continued, ignoring Rainbow, "Oh! And I certainly can't forget Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie! And once I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!" she rambled, holding her hands to her cheeks in excitement.

"That's a wonderful idea!" agreed Twilight.

"Yeah, I ain't doing that shit either! As for the design, as I said. If you think you can handle it." Storm continued. She either could, or she couldn't. Though, considering his own track record, he wasn't about to stop her.

"Oh, well, it'll be a bit of work, definitely," she said, waving off their concern, "But it'll be a wonderful boost for my business! Plus? FUN!" she chirped, already grabbing fabrics around the room, a few stopping by the other occupants, likely comparing colors.

"It's settled!~ We'll have a fashion show starring US!" she yelled, getting Twilight and Dash to cheer. Storm shook his head.

"Don't get too excited, not yet," he advised, "You still have to make a unique, stunning outfit for seven different people, all with different likes and dislikes, not to mention vastly different personalities, which your designs will have to match," he said, "Also I ain't doing no shitting ass fashion show. I won't try to discourage you; by the moon, I can't count how many times I've done the same, but... try not to overwork yourself," Rarity laughed.

"Oh, Storm," she said, "You make it sound as if it's going to be hard!"

"Yeah, everybody get ready," said the boy to the fourth wall in a deadpanned tone as he could already see how this would go.

Soon everybody left as Rarity got to work. As Storm walked away from the boutique, he began to form some thoughts. One that he was genuinely excited that a dressmaker of Rarity's natural talent was going to be making him a suit. He knew the girl's work firsthand when they had to go undercover in the restaurant where Padme met Clovis to see if he was in league with the Separatists. He saw just how much Rarity adored making outfits and how much life she was able to put into them.

Over his years of life, he'd never really interacted with people of similar talents in the making arts. Ever since being a Jedi and going out on missions, he'd met and interacted with Pinkie and Rarity, a pair of people who had real talent and ability in making things that made his skills look mediocre in comparison.

Though it wasn't a surprise, aside from fighting and being a Jedi, his skills in just about everything was more passing hobbies he'd either needed at one point or decided to develop just in case. So comparing them to people who'd worked and developed those skills for their entire lives wasn't really a fair comparison.

A jack-of-all-trades was what he needed to be. Fighting was the only thing he was really good at. It was... depressing at times to think about it like that.

...

Getting back on track, he was looking forward to whatever Rarity ended up making for him. It would also work to let him know what the girl knew of him. It would let him know exactly how he's been portraying himself to those girls, so he could keep it constant.

So, it was with intrepid anticipation that he walked towards Carousel Boutique several days after her declaration.

---

Storm was shown walking to the building. After getting his morning exercises with Twilight and helping some of the castle staff with getting the preparations for the Gala coming up soon, the boy got the message from Rarity that she had finished the outfits she'd been working on the past days and asked her friends to stop by. He arrived at the place as he gently crept inside, his ears on the lookout.

"...."

His ears perked up at the faint humming from upstairs. It was coming from her sewing room, which he supposed he should've expected. Jogging up the stairs, he arrived outside the door moments later, and he couldn't help but overhear Rarity singing to herself.

The Jedi Knight nodded his head along with the tune for a moment before it abruptly stopped. He did admit that Rarity had a lovely singing voice.

"Aha!~ Perfect! And before tomorrow's fashion show to boot!" he heard Rarity squeal. Figuring that he might as well, Storm pushed his way into the room.

"Do you sing while working often?" he asked cheekily, startling the girl. Rarity quickly dragged a nearby blanket and deposited it over the mannequin, where his suit supposedly lay.

"Storm!" she snapped, whirling around, holding a hand to her heart, "Please, don't sneak up on somebody like that!" He chuckled, holding his hands up. "How do you get in without me hearing the door open?"

"I'm a Jedi, Rarity. Plus, use the Force to cloak ourselves. Being able to manipulate light and sound waves to render a practitioner virtually invisible to the naked eye. Sort in a way, we can camouflage ourselves if we don't want to try too much attention in a crowded place." stated Storm.

"Huh? I-- I never knew you could do that," said the teen as she learned more about the boy and his powers.

"But still, you have a nice voice. Do you sing often?" he asked. Rarity took a few calming breaths before smiling.

"No, but I have been thinking of performing," she admitted, glancing at the nearby clock, "Now, if I recall, I asked you and the girls to come by ten minutes from now," she said, shooting him a scanning look, "So what brings you by so early, Storm?" he just shrugged.

"I had nothing else to do. And... I'm kind of anxious to see what you've made me," he admitted, before frowning, "Which reminds me, how much do I owe you?" he asked. Rarity simply waved her hand, causing him to blink.

"Nothing at all, darling!" she said, smiling brightly, "You're a dear friend, so it's on the house. Besides," she began conspiratorially, "it'll be a wonderful advertisement during the Gala. Imagine, six beautiful girls wearing dresses of my design, and a boy such as yourself modeling one of my suits!" she giggled, "Oh it'll be marvelous!"

Storm chuckled, "I see. Rather smart. You help your... friends, and they help you just by wearing them. And that's not including tomorrow's fashion show. Your ambition knows no bounds."

She smiled at him, putting her glasses onto the nearby stand. The action seemed to spark a cascade of movement from all around the room, dozens of different utensils, fabrics, and just about everything that had, at one point, been moved from its original position flew around the room, settling gently into their designated places, as if they'd never moved at all. It spoke greatly about how much time the girl spent in this room if she could reorganize every single item in the entire room by memory alone.

"Wow, you're just as organized as Twilight is," said Storm as he was amazed to see this side of the fashionista.

"Well, thanks for the kind words, Storm," said the girl as she looked at the boy. And there it was again; despite what she told him during that small moment in the back of her shop on Coruscant, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Well, no point in dilly-dallying!~" she sang as she asked Storm for some assistance.

Six mannequins arranged themselves in the air behind her just as she began jogging out the door behind him, the mannequins following along like a parade with the boy at the end.

Storm was slightly surprised to find Fluttershy and Applejack already waiting for them downstairs.

"Oh my! It seems Storm wasn't the only person who was feeling excited!" Rarity teased the two as she set up the mannequins, which remained hidden from view. Applejack gave a sheepish laugh.

"Yeah, well, Big Mac didn't want me to be late, so he sent me off a bit early," she said, "And it was mighty kind ya to go outta yer way ta make us all a bunch of dresses. I hope it wasn't too much?" she asked, worried. Rarity shook her head.

"Not all, dear!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Fluttershy's quiet voice chimed in, "I would've felt awful if you overworked yourself because of us," Rarity gave the shy teen a gentle smile.

"It's no worry, dear. You're all my best friends. Even Storm," she added slyly, much to the Jedi Knight's chagrin, "And even if I had overworked myself, it would be all worth it to see how much you all adore the outfits I made for you!"

As if on cue, the front door opened, accompanied by the loathsome bell, and Pinkie, Twilight, and Dash walked in.

"Ooh! You're all here!" Rarity gushed, almost scrambling over to the mannequins, "I can't wait to see your faces when you lay your eyes on these!"

"I'm sure they'll be wonderful, Rarity!" said Twilight.

"Oh! Line up everybody, come along, line up!" the white girl ordered, almost bouncing in her place.

"Well, the whole gang's here. Time to see these outfits," muttered the boy as he leaned against the wall. The girls all stood in a line as Rarity stood before them.

Rarity took a moment to move around the mannequins, likely lining them up with their new owners, "All right! Feast your eyes on... THESE!" she shouted as she threw off all the tarps at once.

The girls, and even Storm, all gasped in unison at sight.

These are your new outfits, everybody!" Rarity began excitedly.

The Jedi Knight thought they were magnificent, absolutely perfect in every way!

"What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, huh!?" said Rarity, showcasing each dress as she talked about them.

Applejack's dress had been transformed. It now bore a modified stetson with apple appliques, a green collar held together by an apple button, and a set of green apple boots with apple decals with some lacing. A single brown saddle rested on her back, with a train of green fabric trailing to the floor, ending with a set of brown tassels.

"Oh, and Twilight, I made this dress just for you, and I designed every outfit to perfectly represent each one's unique personality!"

Twilight's dress was a shade of royal blue, a few shades lighter than her hair, with a much lighter blue saddle with a swirl of stars separating the front and back halves. A single blue star pin sat comfortably behind the mannequin's ear, with a similar star button connecting the ends of a collar that popped out. The large back end of the dress puffed outward, with the bottom edge coated with brilliant stars. The design was finished off with a set of starry blue shoes.

"It took me hours to get the colors right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I think it came out perfectly! It's simply beautiful, don't you think?" pointed out the fashionista.

It had a set of golden leaves as the headpiece, where a grape necklace wrapped snugly around her neck. A set of gold wrappings around the wrist and on the footwear served like shoes. It also had a large rainbow train at the end that dragged lightly across the ground, yet its cloud trim remained perfectly white.

"Oh, and I just know you'll love this one, Fluttershy. It just sings spring!" stated Rarity.

A large blue butterfly pin at the top, with a similar button on the chest. A set of light green shoes with a pair of decorative vines that rested at the bottom and the long green train at the back was decorated with flowers of various colors, matching the shy girl's love of nature perfectly.

"And Pinkie Pie, look! Pink! Your favorite!" exclaimed the teen.

Pinkie's was pink and puffy, just like the girl it was made for. A white and blue cap rested atop the head, decorated with a pink bow. A second bow connected the white and blue striped saddle on the back to a white skirt with designs of lollipops and candy corn on the edges. Underneath the skirt, a poofy pink train trailed outwards, ended by a long blue ribbon clipped on by a set of light pink bows. Simple pink shoes, with white and blue striped ribbons, sat on the front.

Rarity then turned to look at Storm.

"And Storm... Dark and mysterious, with a wonderful air of maturity! I tell you, you'll have to fend the girls off with your lightsaber!"

The girl then revealed the Jedi's outfit. Sitting at the head was an onyx fedora with a crimson band wrapped around it, holding in a single black feather. A black jacket of a similar shade wrapped around the torso, with a pair of long sleeves going down the front legs. A blood-red undershirt could be seen visibly from the front and peeking out slightly from the sleeves. A single black-tie clipped the neckline together.

Woah. Rarity... it's perfect! thought the boy.

"Well?! What do you think?! Aren't they all amazing?!" asked Rarity as she smiled widely at them. The girl was very impressed with her own work.

"Damn!" said Storm as he let out a whistle. "I knew you had talent, Rarity, but this is simply beyond my expectations. It's perfect," he commented, idly walking around the mannequin wearing his suit, looking at it from as many angles as he could.

"I'm so glad you think so!" Rarity gushed, moving over to him, "Admittedly, your outfit was the first one I did and took the longest to make," she said, "I just could not figure out what design I should use!" she added as she showed a few papers on a nearby table, each one sporting a half-finished sketch of what must've been the first stages of his new suit.

"But eventually, I remembered the first time we met," she giggled at the memory, "I distinctly remember the feeling you gave off. You were so calm, but also a bit cold. It was like looking at the main character of one of my mystery novels!" she gushed, "I think I captured that perfectly as well!"

The girl was now staring at the Jedi with a smile. She quickly put that to the side as she looked at the girls.

"What about all of you? Don't you just love them?!"

In Storm's head, he thought they did love them. But yet, nobody was talking. Instead, it was a long silence, with the girls constantly sending each other unsure glances as if they were all of one mind.

"W-wow... they're... um..." began Twilight.

"Yeah! They're..." added Rainbow slowly.

"They sure are, uh... somethin'?" replied Applejack.

"Yes! Something!" agreed the princess.

"Yeah! I love... something?" Pinkie cut in, "Something is my favorite!" she added with a strained smile, something Storm didn't know Pinkie could pull off.

"Yes, they're... nice," said Fluttershy plainly, but her tone had no joy.

Based on the girls' tone, it almost sounded like they were trying to say no.

"But, what's the matter?" Rarity asked, "Don't you like them?"

"They're certainly nice," said Twilight slowly.

"An' we're plum grateful fer all yer hard work, but..." added Applejack. By now, even Rarity was feeling upset. No amount of sugarcoating could hide what they were really saying at this point.

"Mine's just not as cool as I was imagining," said Dash in a deadpanned tone, finally giving a straight answer, although the others looked offended, "What?" she defended, "She asked!"

"What Rainbow means, Rarity," Twilight began diplomatically, "is that they're just not what we all had in mind," she said, which was met with tentative agreement from the other girls.

"I'm sorry, but you got to be shitting me, right!" growled Storm, staring towards the group, "It almost sounds like you're all throwing her hard work down the-!"

"It's okay," Rarity said, cutting Storm's tirade off early, "Not a problem. There's plenty more where that came from," she added sadly before forcibly cheering herself up.

"Please tell me you're joking?" said Storm.

"I'm not," said Rarity with a serious response.

"You can't be serious!" said the Jedi Knight, only for the fashionista to shake her head.

"It's fine; they were only a first draft anyways!" she lied before turning to the girls, "You're my best friends, and I want you all to be one-hundred-and-ten percent satisfied!"

Storm frowned before walking over to the girl and grabbing her hand. Rarity did turn a bit red at the contact made by the Jedi.

"Give us a moment," he ordered before gently dragging her to the far side of the room. He turned to her sharply, "What the fuck are you doing?!" he whispered harshly, "You and I both know those dresses are perfect for them!" Rarity shook her head.

"I'm aware, dear," she whispered, looking down, "But you know what they say... the customer is always right."

"Not right now; they're not!"

"Storm," Rarity began, looking stern, "I appreciate your worry, truly, but if they aren't satisfied with the dresses I made, then I'll just try again!" she stated firmly, before bitterly adding under her breath, "Though it'll be a lot of work. I barely have any time left until the show."

Storm just frowned at that. He didn't understand what was going through the girl's head. It was as clear to her as it was to him that the other five were just idiots. Those dresses were perfectly fine. And even if they weren't, they were still gifts. Gifts that were handmade by their friend, and here they were, all but spitting on her hard work with nary a regret!

So... why wasn't she angry? Why wasn't she disagreeing with everything they were saying? It must be a girl thing. As a boy, that was not something he could understand.

So why did this bother him so much? So what if this girl had wasted away several days, painstakingly stitching together every last piece of fabric for six different outfits, without even asking for any sort of monetary compensation, only to have all of that brutally stepped on and disregarded as if it was nothing, only for the ones responsible to somehow haggle five brand new outfits out of the girl, who now had even less time to make them all?!

Storm respected Rarity. Perhaps even considered her a hesitant friend, not that he'd ever admit it. That was why this was bothering him so much.

"Not to worry, girls, I'll redo them!" Rarity exclaimed, bringing Storm out of his thoughts.

"Oh, Rarity. You don't have to do that; they're fine," Fluttershy weakly protested.

"No, no!" the fashionista continued, undeterred even while slowly taking down the dresses, "I want them to be better than 'fine'! I want you all to think they're perfect!"

"Are you sure?" Applejack asked skeptically, "I mean, we wouldn't want ta impose."

"You already are," Storm muttered, but his statement went unheard.

"Oh, it's no imposition," Rarity laughed, though it was obviously false, "Really, I insist," she added flatly, giving her friends a faux smile.

It seemed good enough to fool the apparently dense girls they began filing out of the room, each wearing a semi-content grin.

"Well, in that case, thank you again, Rarity!" Twilight announced, smiling brightly. Rarity laughed at her thanks, though the laughter quickly died after they left, leaving herself and Storm alone.

They were silent for a moment before Rarity turned to Storm, looking lost.

"What did I get myself into?" she asked.

The Jedi didn't know how to answer that.

Rarity rushed back upstairs into her sewing room, looking distraught as she flailed around, already beginning to sew together who knows what, if the sounds Storm was hearing was right. The boy peaked in as he could already see the girl's hair getting frazzled. The lovely curls were becoming a mess as that alone got the Jedi to feel for the fashionista. He contemplated going to the girl and seeing if he could be somewhat supportive, but based on how focused she was; he decided to let her be.

The boy used his Force powers to close the door quietly as he let out a disgruntled sigh. He couldn't understand the girls. Rainbow, he could understand, but Fluttershy at the very least?

How did none of those girls understand how badly their words and thoughts hurt the high-society girl?

Then again, didn't Rarity put up a tough façade? Doesn't she always hold herself up high, like the very people she hoped to be?

Like so many before her, he supposed that façade hid a soft, feeble shell that could only just withstand life's turmoils. A tough exterior with a soft, squishy inside.

A mask to hide the pain.

Storm began to wonder. Was he the same? Did he have a hard mask that he wore without realizing it? The Jedi Knight let out a sigh. There was no point in getting all philosophical now. As much as she pretended otherwise, that girl would not be able to finish all five dresses in a single day.

Six. Six dresses, he reminded himself. After all, wasn't she a part of this whole "fashion show" as well?

"Speaking of which, where is her dress?" wondered Storm. He would have thought she'd put that as a priority. In fact... hadn't she been working on something when he and Twilight had come by with the torn button?

The boy immediately looked around the room, hunting for that familiar hint of color. He found it a minute later, tucked away in the far corner of the room. A single mannequin, with a single piece of magenta fabric laying on its back, an entire box of fabric of the same color, and dozens of other decorative appliques that would be applied to whatever Rarity had been trying to make. But what he was hunting for sat right next to it, forgotten on a desk in place of Rarity's new project.

A single sketch, not even in color. It depicted a single individual wearing a dress that could only belong to royalty. While it lacked color, that nearby fabric clarified what it was meant to look like. A single tiara sat on the head, likely adorned by rubies if the fabric was any indication. Around the person's neck was a diamond necklace. It was held together in the front by a single, likely golden, button, and the shirt piece wrapped snugly around the person's torso, coming out into large ruffles that puffed outward at the sleeves and neckline. The dress itself cascaded backward in waves of fabric folded over itself, lined intricately with ribbons and gems set into the fabric itself.

It was beautiful, even if it was nothing but a mere sketch that lacked the majesty it would likely have in reality. But it would never see the light of day as it was. With the foolhardy decisions of those five taking priority in Rarity's mind, this dress would be left behind to gather dust.

This girl made six outfits, five of which were harshly rejected, and she had made them all free of charge.

"Rarity is showing some serious generosity. And the girls don't see it," stated Storm. "If only there were a way..."

The boy was now looking at the sketch as an idea went off in his head. He then grabbed the sketch as he had a wicked smile appeared on his face. The boy then left as he had to meet with someone who could give him some aid. It didn't take long as he found the person he was looking for as she was in the castle.

"Yes?" said Coco as the teen saw the Jedi Knight approach her.

"I need some pointers," was all Storm said.

---

Twilight was all giddy. Like she had just received a new book from her parents. While yesterday hadn't been the best of days, it seemed that Rarity hadn't taken their denial to heart. That alone made Twilight's heart feel lighter. She'd admit. The first dresses Rarity made for them were pretty, but she wasn't satisfied with hers.

The dress Rarity made had been made for a person who was much, much better looking than her, in Twilight's mind. She didn't deserve a dress like that. She wasn't some modelesque girl like Fluttershy or Rarity. She wasn't an athlete like Applejack or Rainbow. She wasn't even as curvy as Pinkie. No, all she had was her intelligence. Her dress had to reflect that.

"Alright, you girls can open your eyes now," said Rarity.

Twilight opened her eyes and brightened immediately.

"Wow!"

"It's amazing!"

"Awesome!"

"The best duds I ever did see!"

"It's exactly what I asked for!" said the five girls in unison.

"Oh, thank you, Rarity!" Twilight gushed, looking at the oddly tired-looking girl, "They're absolutely perfect!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie gushed, "I can't wait for everybody in town to see them either!" Rarity smiled at the excitable teen, although it looked strained for some reason.

The girls were admiring their new dresses. Soon Twilight looked around as she noticed someone.

"Where's Storm?" asked the princess, "The fashion show is in ten minutes; isn't he coming to see our dresses?"

"I thought he was with you," said Rarity as she had been locked in her sewing room for all of yesterday and most of today, working on the dresses.

"Well, after yesterday, he said he would be busy today. The only thing he said when I tried to press for some answers was that he was working on something and wasn't going to make it for the fashion show." stated the princess.

Twilight frowned a little. It was a shame that Storm wouldn't be able to see her new dress just yet, but if he was really working on something...

The front door suddenly burst open, allowing a heavily panting Spike to stumble into the room.

"Girls! Girls! You won't believe who I just saw in Townsquare!"

"Who was it, Spike?" asked the elder sibling.

"Have any of you ever heard of Hoity Toity?"

"The bigwig fashion hotshot in Canterlot?" stated the princess to her little brother.

"Canterlot?" said all the girls minus Aj.

"One of the most populated places and cities on this planet. You're find everything there from big-shot restaurants to famous establishments, to even the local park. Also, one of the places the royal family tends to visit." Applejack said as she knew how much influence Twilight's family had in Canterlot and the entire planet of Equis.

"Gees, you really are the princess. Everybody on this planet obeys you and your bloodline," said Rainbow to Twilight as the girl smiled embarrassingly at hearing how the entire planet of Equis revolved around her and her royal heritage.

"Anyways, Hoity Toity is one of the biggest fashion critics in all of Equis! And he's currently in town! Apparently, he's here to try and find a new model. But not only that but he's heard about your fashion show! Well, maybe I told him about it, but still!" insisted Spike, "He's coming here to watch! Isn't that amazing?!"

"It sure is Spike!" Applejack agreed to look back at Rarity, "If you can sell a bunch'a yer new dresses ta this guy, yer business would be boomin'!"

Rarity smiled, though Twilight couldn't help but feel like it was more of a grimace for some reason.

"Hoity Toity..." she breathed, "He's... he's coming here... to see... these dresses?" she asked; Spike nodded.

"Yep! Get ready for all your dreams to come true!"

Was it just Twilight, or did it look like Rarity's eye was twitching?

---

A soft sigh escaped the lips of the room's sole occupant. It had taken all day to prepare this. His hands were a little sore from the constant maneuvering of the needle. He was glad his job didn't involve doing this very often; his hands might not be able to take it.

His respect for tailors had risen dramatically in the process as well. But now, it was done. It might not be exactly what Rarity had imagined, but he liked to think he'd gotten decently close. Even if she didn't like it, she at least couldn't deny the effort in making this rather complicated dress in only fourteen hours. Granted, this would come from a girl who could make six in only two days. And then another five in less than one.

...

Maybe she could deny his efforts...

Oh well, he rarely ever sewed anyways. This was still pretty damn good by those standards. Now all he had to do was get this damned thing over to Carousel Boutique without anybody seeing the dress underneath the tarp.

No no. The first girl to lay eyes on this was going to be Rarity. No exceptions. It shouldn't be too hard, all things considered. It's not like he'd have to deal with a group of annoying people bugging him all the way to Rarity's, right?

...

Well... he only partially jinxed himself. He wasn't dealing with a group of annoying people who were pestering him every step of the way there. Instead, he was dealing with one annoying person who was nagging him all the way to the Boutique. He was an annoying little bastard. Looked the part too.

He had a dark gray coat that was immaculately trimmed and brushed, a clear indicator of the kind of lifestyle he had to live. Coupled with his light blue and white pompadour. He even wore what appeared to be a pair of sleeves on the ends of his arms, as well as a bright white collar around his neck and a pair of purple designer sunglasses. From his look, he obviously didn't exercise much, if at all. Though he likely did eat rather healthy, if his thin body frame revealed anything.

The moron had been following the Jedi around since spotting him entering town, going on about how he was "The One" and that he could be the "Next Big Thing" in fashion. Storm wasn't a dumbass. He knew that this nuisance was the famous fashion critic, Hoity Toity, a man whose popularity was on par with that of famous photographer Photo Finish. These are just a few names Twilight told him about when he first visited her home planet.

"Ah, ah, ah! I know you're just playing hard to get Mr. Storm!" Toity proclaimed haughtily, "But know that I'll get you yet!" Storm growled.

"Keep dreaming!" said Storm as he waved his hand in front of him.

"Well, I must be off. I've been informed that there's a fashion show later tonight featuring an up-and-coming designer, and I'd like to give it a go." said the man as the Jedi's trick worked as he forgot about what he wanted to say to the boy.

"Thank god for the Jedi mind trick," said Storm as he was glad his power worked on someone like the man. He then remembered what Hoity Toity said as he sighed. "Rarity better like what I did for her."

Soon it was time. Everything was set up. Lights, a walkway leading to a stage, and even curtains were hung to hide the models before they walked out. All of it was connected to the Boutique's front door, just waiting to be used. A crowd had already begun forming, and Storm could easily spot Toity's large mane-do from where he stood to the side. Honestly, the boy never really understood the fuss. He was a man who either praised or insulted models and what they wore.

Didn't everyone do that?

What made critics like him so special?

Regardless, the Jedi marched onward towards the Boutique, not paying any mind to the people he moved past, each asking what was under the tarp he was lifting using his powers. His eyes flickered to the runway, spotting a familiar head of purple hair poking its way from behind the curtains.

"Rarity!" he called, startling the girl, given how she jumped. She turned, searching for the source of his voice before her eyes locked onto him and brightened.

"Storm!" she squealed, now beckoning him up to her, "Come, come!" she said before darting back behind the curtains.

He followed the panicked teen into the Boutique, where he found her pacing back and forth, her hair looking frayed. She glanced up when he entered, not bothering to question the tarp he was carrying.

"Thank goodness you're here! Those dresses are absolutely terrible! My career is going to be ruined if they go out there tonight!" she screeched, her pacing speeding up, "Nobody in all of Equis will want to buy my dresses!" she stopped, abruptly turning to face him, "But with you, at least, my business might not go under quite yet!" she said, her voice pitching, "I might have to stop making dresses entirely. Still, at least I'll be able to continue making suits! Haha!" she laughed, before leaning close to the ground, a haunted look crossing her face, "I'm doomed."

"I meant what I said, Rarity. I ain't doing no fashion show!" stated Storm.

"But you must!! I will not take NO for an answer!" shouted the girl as she pressed her forehead against Storm's to show how serious and insane she was.

"I'm not doing it!" said Storm as he waved his hand again.

As on command, Rarity backed off and let go of the boy.

"Very well, I respect your decision and won't pressure you if you don't want to," said the fashionista as she was under the influence of the boy's power since her mind was scrambled from all the stress she was under.

Storm grimaced. He couldn't really imagine what was going through the girl's mind right now. But based on, how easily he was able to use his mind trick on her showed just how devasted she currently was.

"Now, Rares. I might have a way to help you. But first, I need you to be straight with me? How bad are those dresses?" asked Storm.

"Worse," she muttered.

"Oh, boy," said Storm letting out a sigh as he could already imagine how they looked. "This changes things. I was perfectly fine just letting this whole thing crash and burn earlier; after all, the chances of this little show going past the town's borders were practically nil. Now, this is serious," he stopped, trailing off.

"What am I going to do?!!" said Rarity as she began to pull her hair and nibble on it.

"Alright, Storm... time to play the hero... again," muttered the Jedi Knight.

"Is it straight?"

"Mhm! It looks wonderful, Fluttershy. I'm sure everybody will love it!" replied the princess.

Twilight smiled at her shy friend as she carefully readjusted her gown. Dark purple, with about a dozen separate constellations and their representations. Coupled with the starry headband, she thought it looked... well, she supposed with was a bit odd, but she liked it as it was.

Fluttershy's cute little nest and flower necklace fit together, and it was made even better with her long green gown.

"Yeah, Fluttershy, you look fine," Rainbow said, "But look at me! I'm awesome!"

Indeed, it looked more like a rainbow-themed suit of armor than anything else.

"Yeah, yeah. Ya always think yer awesome," Applejack snarked from by the door. She adjusted her tall red hat and even messed with the overalls she wore over her yellow and green striped dress. How she even managed with those galoshes was lost on Twilight.

"Well, she's right, isn't she?" Pinkie asked innocently, bouncing on her feet in time with the balloons tied to the tail end of the dress. Even Twilight would admit that the balloons and cupcake hat were a bit unusual, but they at least worked with the green shirt and blue tutu she wore.

"Ya really shouldn't agree with everythin' she says, Pinkie," Applejack deadpanned, "Her ego's big enough as is. Honestly, I'm jus' surprised it ain't keepin' her on the ground," she said.

Twilight sighed and shook her head, but she smiled all the same. These were her friends. She wouldn't trade them for the world. The sound of the door opening broke through the semi-silence, causing the five girls to turn.

Rather than Rarity, or even Spike, a familiar boy stood in the doorway instead, with Rarity standing nervously behind him.

"Storm!" came a shout, followed by the pink girl it had come from, "Did you come here to look at our dresses?! Aren't they super?!" she asked excitedly.

Brown eyes gave her a once over before their owner scowled.

"By and far," he began, his deep, deep tones laced with an unusual hint of venom, "those are the ugliest things I've ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on."

Rarity wasn't sure what she was expecting. She envisioned Storm being a rather kind person, even if he hid it behind a stern exterior. So, perhaps she had been anticipating him taking a stern, logical approach when addressing the issue with her friends. Maybe some of her thought he'd be a little understanding, given how generally nice he was towards them.

But this?

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me," he repeated, strutting past Pinkie without issue, "Those things are the ugliest dresses I've ever seen," he snarled before he waved a hand around, "I mean, look at you!" he turned and flicked the cupcake on Pinkie's head, "A cupcake? Balloons?" he sneered, "Please. The fact that any of you think these things are good is nothing more than your inexperience talking," he added.

"Wha-? Hey! Rarity worked real hard on all this, ya can't jus-!"

"I 'can't just' what, exactly?" he interrupted, rounding on the country gal, stalking towards her in a manner eerily similar to a predator, "'Insult her designs'? Is that what you were going to say? Because if so, you've already done that," he snapped, before taking a large step forward, stomping harshly on Applejack's galoshes, startling the girl into backing up, causing the footwear to slip off, "Galoshes?" he asked, before kicking it away with a scowl, "Practical, sure, but this is a fashion show, you idiot!" he growled, causing her to gasp, "You don't know the first thing about fashion, something I'm certain you're freely willing to admit, right?" he asked, before taking another step forward, forcing himself in her face when she didn't answer immediately, "Right?" it took a moment. Still, she finally nodded, which caused him to back away.

This was not what she was expecting at all.

"And you," he snapped, whirling to face Fluttershy, who cowered as he approached, "A bird's nest?" he asked, before forcefully pulling her closer, "And what's this around your neck? A flower? Pathetic," she whimpered as he let go, "Just look at you. You look like you walked into the Everfree forest and came out like that," he muttered, then turned to the other girl in the room, "And don't even get me started on what you are wearing," he snarled, advancing towards Rainbow, "What the hell is that even supposed to be? An awful dress? Or shoddy armor?"

"It's supposed to be cool, like me!" Rainbow answered, glaring at him, her eyes narrowing further when he laughed,

"Cool?" he asked, "Ha! You look like a little girl who's trying to play pretend! You might not look out of place in the Royal Guard, but here, when everyone knows you're just a little stuntman? Please! Are you really willing to let this image of a little girl playing dress-up muck your so-called 'reputation'?" He narrowed his eyes at the teen, who shrunk away from his fierce gaze before he finally turned to the last girl.

Brown met amethyst as the pair stared at one another. For Storm, it pained him what he was about to say to his partner. It truly pained him that he had to talk to the princess like this, but... it had to be done. He took a deep breath before gaining the courage to speak with the girl he'd spent the most time with.

"And then there's you," he stated, striding forcefully over to Twilight, "Really?" he asked, giving the stars on her headband a little swat, causing them to swing around, "This is what you wanted?" he asked, taking a firm step forward, forcing Twilight to take one back. He continued doing this, even as he spoke, "You denied the first dress, like the rest of these fools, for this? In what backward reality do you have to live in to think that this is better?" he asked before stopping, and gestured with his hand to the left toward a mirror he'd corralled Twilight next to, "Take a good long look at yourselves. All of you," he ordered, idly moving over to the nearby window, "And I want you to ask yourselves: 'Is this what I want all of them to see?'," he said, ripping the curtains away, revealing the by-now massive crowd all eagerly waiting down below.

He strode through the room, not bothering to glance at any of the now sheepish-looking girls, whose gazes were too busy roaming over their dresses to look at him anyway. He stopped next to the folding curtain on the other side of the room before giving it a vicious kick, causing it to fold and crash lightly into the far wall. The first dresses Rarity had made sat where the curtain had laid, as pristine as they had been the first time they saw them. Storm turned towards the girls, looking resolute.

"I expect you to make the right decision," he stated before finally walking back to the door, where he passed Rarity, "C'mon. You still need to get ready."

Well, that was harder than he'd thought it would be.

"Storm, dear, was all that necessary?" Rarity asked. He supposed it was an example of her character that she'd worry about her friends more than the potential career-ruining catastrophe standing outside.

"Yes," he stated simply, "But there's no point in arguing about it. You need to put on your dress," he said.

"My dress?" he heard her ask before she gasped, "MY DRESS! I never got around to making mine!" she shrieked, "Goodness, I was so focused on making those fashion disasters that I completely forgot about my own ensemble!" Storm fidgeted slightly.

"Uh... yeah. You forgot about it. I... didn't."

"What?" she asked, looking at him curiously. Storm marched over to his still-covered project and sighed before tugging the sheet off the mannequin.

Rarity gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She stared at the dress-no-the masterpiece before her. It was just like the dress she'd intended to make! Down to the last detail, even! The Jedi Knight had spent an entire day of his own life, even forgoing his training as a Jedi, just to make this for her! For HER!

Rarity couldn't hold in the squeal of excitement, though she'd later deny ever making such an unladylike sound. She immediately turned to the slightly nervous boy and all but launched herself at him, wrapping him up in her arms in a hug that could put Pinkie to shame.

"H-hey! No hugging!" shouted Storm.

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou soooo much!" the girl gushed, excitedly rubbing her cheek against his, "I can't believe you'd do this for little old me!"

"D-don't go getting the wrong idea!" Storm stuttered, turning red at the unexpected affection, "I just don't like owing a-anybody! Now get the hell off of me!"

"Aww~ Is wittle Storm embarwassed?~" she teased, only for the reddened Jedi Knight to use his Force powers to pull out of the hug and all but jump away from her. His reaction only made her giggle, but she decided to relent. "Thank you, Storm," she said sincerely, smiling gently. The boy narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, keeping watch for any sudden movement where he might have to use his Force abilities. Upon finding none, he nodded, relaxing.

"It's fine. Like I said, don't go getting the wrong idea. I did it because I felt like it, that's all," he repeated, looking away from her, steadfastly ignoring the twinge of heat he could feel on his cheeks.

"Oh~?" Rarity began, her tone lightening, "I thought it was because you didn't want to owe me anything?"

"That's what I said," stated the boy as he shoved his hands into his pockets and left.

Rarity just laughed at his disgruntled expression.

---

"Dammit, how long are those girls going to take?" Storm growled, pacing impatiently around the perimeter of the room.

"Now, now," Rarity tried gently, carefully straightening her tiara, "I'm sure the girls are almost ready," she continued calmly.

Of course, calm as she might seem, Rarity was likely the most nervous about the whole thing, unsurprisingly. After all, this was her business on the line. Still, the wait was a good sign, at least. It meant that the girls were still putting on their dresses, and, considering that they'd already been dressed when Storm scolded them earlier, it was likely that they did make the right choice in putting on their old dresses.

Almost on cue, Storm heard the sound of a door opening from upstairs, causing him to pause in his pacing and look up, the sudden movement catching Rarity's eye as well. One by one, the sound of many feet on wood echoed through the shop as the girls finally ventured out of that damned room.

"Took you lot long... enough..." he trailed off as the girls finally came into view.

Damn. If he thought Rarity had done a good job before... But yes, they were perfect. Every last detail on each dress complimented the girl wearing it in the most subtle ways, but it made the image so much different. Though there were some differences altogether. For starters, Applejack had opted to braid her hair, Dash had tied her hair into a ponytail similar to Applejack's, and Fluttershy seemed to have curled her mane and woven some flowers into her hair. Even Rarity had changed the design a little, having put in, what was likely false, piercings in her ears, a sight that made the ear-conscious boy shiver.

"Wow," Storm breathed, "You all look grand," he admitted, his eyes roaming over each girl appreciatively, though it lingered on Twilight the longest.

She was blushing quite heavily, looking downward at the floor, even as she gently traced circles with her right foot.

"You alright there, Sparky?" he asked, frowning slightly. She looked up, startled, before her face flushed a deeper red.

"Oh! N-no- I mean, yes! I'm fine," she stuttered before suddenly taking a deep breath and letting it out, "Yes," she repeated, "I'm fine," she looked up at him, "And..." she fidgeted, "you were right."

"Yeah," Applejack cut in, "It took us a bit, but we figured you were right. I mean, galoshes? What was I thinkin'?" she asked, laughing good-naturedly.

"Yeah!" Pinkie interjected, "Cupcakes are super for eating! Not so much for wearing," she said, adding that last part dejectedly.

"Eh, I still think mine was pretty cool," Dash shrugged as she got glares from everybody. "What?" stated the teen.

"We're sorry for making you go through all that trouble, Rarity," Fluttershy whimpered, "I just feel awful thinking about it."

"Girls!" Rarity cried, smiling brightly, before rushing forward and practically dragging the five of them, six since Storm somehow got included, into a large group hug.

"No hugging!!!" yelled Storm as he had enough of that with Twilight doing it, but all five girls were too much for him.

The Jedi Knight had to use his Force powers again to shove them apart and give him some personal space. The boy grumbled as he left with the girls giggling at how he was acting.

"He'll get used to it!" said all six girls in unison.

Storm soon made it to the side of the stage as he put his hand out and began to adjust a spotlight to shine down on Spike. The small prince was shown with a microphone in his hand as he walked out on stage with the citizens seeing the small boy.

"HELLO EVERYONE!!" came the amplified voice of the young prince.

"Oh! The show's starting!" Rarity squealed, "Everybody! To your places!"

"SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MANKIND... THE ELITE OF EQUIS HAS SEARCHED TIRELESSLY FOR FASHIONS THAT TRULY EXPRESS THE VERY ESSENCE OF THEIR SOUL!!"

"Laying it on a bit thick, isn't he?" whispered Storm to Twilight.

"Shhhh!!" said Rarity.

"PATIENTLY WAITING DECADES, NO, CENTURIES FOR THE PERFECT GOWN!!"

"Well, maybe," said Twilight as she smiled while looking at Storm as the pair stared into each other's eyes once more.

"SHHHHH!!!" said Rarity to the pair, this time giving them a look.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh," stated Storm. "Women, am I right?" said the Jedi Knight to the fourth wall.

"TODAY, AT LONG LAST, EQUIS, YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BREATHTAKING DESIGNS OF... RARITY!!!"

The curtains practically shot open, the light blinding Storm for a moment. Thankfully, Twilight and her friends had already begun trailing onto the stage. First went Twilight, followed by Applejack, Fluttershy, Dash, and Pinkie. Rarity stood back as, apparently, she was to be the last one, given that she was the designer.

"SAY HELLO TO OUR MODELS!!" Spike called, "FIRST UP, NONE OTHER THAN THE PRINCESS OF EQUIS, PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE! APPLEJACK! FLUTTERSHY! RAINBOW DASH! PINKIE PIE!!"

The five of them marched onto the large found platform at the end of the runway, but there was still a single space between Fluttershy and Twilight.

"AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THE DESIGNER OF THESE LOVELY DRESSES, RARITY HERSELF!" Spike called again, Rarity appearing back at the curtains with a flourish of her hair. She practically glided onto the runway, looking as confident as ever, until she slid into the space between her friends. Now completely filled, the platform began slowly spinning around, giving the crowd a better look at the six girls on stage.

"Oh my, those dresses are marvelous!" Hoity Toity's posh voice cut through the crowd's cheerful murmuring, "These are by far the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen! Oh, and let's not forget that amazing suit! I dare say everybody in all of Canterlot will want one!"

Storm gave a hidden smirk when he noticed Rarity struggling not to tear up in the corner of his eye. This was a job well done, it seemed.

---

It was now later as Twilight was in the castle library. The girl was writing something in her journal as she had a lamp nearby to give her some visibility. Soon the sound of the door opening was heard as the princess looked. It was none other than Storm as he had been meaning to talk with his partner about what went down with the fashion show earlier.

"Hey, Sparky."

"Hey, Storm."

"So, listen about what happened earlier?" said the boy as he grabbed a chair and sat a few meters across from Twilight. The princess turned her chair using her powers while still seated as she crossed her legs and looked at her partner.

"I don't... I don't want you to think that I was angry with you. I just... I just had to get you, girls, to see clearly. You know by now that when I speak my mind, I don't sugarcoat shit. I speak what's on my mind, I blur the lines of reality at times, but I'm just saying what I feel."

"I know. And I also know that when you're straight with someone, you can... be ruthless sometimes," said Twilight.

"Yeah... so, look. I'm sorry that I had that outburst at you. Don't want you to think I was giving you a lecture or anything. I was just looking out for you. So, maybe that's good enough that you won't tell your father that I talked back to a princess. That way, I don't have to be executed." said Storm with a smile at those last two sentences.

Twilight giggled at how fearful her partner was that she might inform her father. "Don't worry, I won't."

"Oh, thank god," said the Jedi Knight as he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Though if I really wanted you to be executed. All I would have to do is snap my fingers," said Twilight uncrossing her legs as she snapped and then put her elbow on her leg while looking at her partner.

"Oh, shit," said Storm as he was now back to being scared for his life.

"So, don't get on my bad side or my nerves."

"Doesn't that already happen?" said Storm.

"Yup, and yet, I haven't given the order," smiled Twilight. "Maybe you're just a lucky Jedi, or perhaps, I'm waiting for the right moment."

"Which one is it?" asked the boy.

"You'll just have to stick close by and find out," said Twilight with a slight flirtiness in her voice. "By the way, I'm amazed at the dress you made. Rarity surely was surprised that you created it. I didn't know you had that talent."

"I... I just did something to repay her for making my suit. Plus, I had Coco guide me through the basics of sewing. I think I did pretty well for someone without background knowledge in sewing. Plus, there's nothing wrong with a boy being able to fix his own torn buttons and holes in clothing. Or being able to use a sewing machine." said Storm.

"No, there's not. In fact, in some girls' eyes, it's rather attractive," said Twilight.

The pair couldn't help but smile and chuckle as they stared at one another. The Jedi Knights enjoyed each other's company, even if it was for small talk. The princess then turned to look at her notebook as Storm got up and stood over the girl with his hands on the chair.

"So, what were you writing when I came in?" asked Storm as Twilight closed her journal.

"Just writing down my report for Celestia when we return. Telling her about the lesson I learned today. If you try to please everybody, you often end up pleasing nobody, especially yourself. And I learned this: when somebody offers to do you a favor, like making you a beautiful dress, you shouldn't be overly critical of something generously given to you. In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Or, when someone is given a blessing, one shouldn't take advantage of it... or try to modify it either," said Storm.

"That works too," smiled Twilight as she got up and the pair exited the library.

The door closed behind them as they were about to part ways to their rooms. Before the boy left, Twilight got his attention as she wanted to ask him something.

"Hey, Storm? Can I ask you something? If you were to describe one word that fits me? What would you say?"

"What the hell, Sparky? Where's this coming from?" asked the boy, as this was out of left field given the Jedi Code of Conduct they had to follow.

"Just... if someone asked you what they thought of me? The princess of Equis? What would you say to that person?" said Twilight as she wanted something to calm her worries about the burden on her shoulders.

Storm didn't say anything as he sighed and walked. He made it to the end of the hallway, and when he was about to turn the corner, he stopped. He then looked back at the princess as she was standing there, waiting for an answer.

"Perfect. You are and always will be... perfect," stated the boy as he made a small smile appear on his face and left.

He disappeared around the corner as Twilight was shown. She was standing there as she clutched her notebook to her chest as it showed her lower face as a smile appeared that was the happiest she'd been in her life.

Comments

[Postwarmonkey50]

Wow, for some reason I felt like rewatching that one MLP episode Suited for success.

And holy cow, I had no idea Storm had that much of a fashion sense or talent.
If a Jedi doesn't work out for him, he'll definitely have a backup job.

All and all, great job.

[ShootingStar25]

11299753
He said so himself, he's a jack of all trades.

[Postwarmonkey50]

11299754
I can imagine

[nightshroud96]

The outfits Rarity made for Storm and the girls were great.
Wished she made one for Spike too so he is part of that bond..

A bit surprised that Spike was the announcer for the showcase there.
That was pretty cool