Where My Heart Lives

by D4ftP0ny

Scratching the Surface

Anypony who runs a successful business will tell you that their clients/guests/customers/etc. are the cornerstone of whatever their business happens to be. Every business depends on other ponies to purchase their goods or services – from hotels to furniture stores to mane salons to dressmaking shops – and the ponies who run such businesses know that it is ultimately their customers who allow them to be successful in the first place. It is also a well-known fact among such businessponies that to make a good impression on their clients/guests/customers/etc. they must sometimes go an extra mile – sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes not – to make their business stand out from the myriad of competitors in the world and ensure that their current clients come back to them again.

It was a dance that Rarity knew intimately and one that she had worked hard to master as her career had advanced. The delicate, poignant melding of a client’s wishes with the designer’s vision, the rigid yet supple steps of ensuring that everything went to schedule while still knowing where there was room to improvise – it was a complex dance, to be certain, but the unicorn had begun to believe that she had all but mastered it. If a client was being too demanding, she knew whether she should draw a line in the sand or concede a few steps and, if a client was being too indecisive about something, she knew when to let them be and when to be bold and forthright. It was an ever-changing enigma that Rarity thrived on and, through her constant trials and tribulations with the ponies she worked with, she was always confident that she could handle any situation correctly.

Some clients, however, break the mold of my decision-making process entirely, she thought with a sigh. The mare sat back on her stool and placed her hooves onto the desk behind which she sat, her eyes darting to the clock above her door again as her lips pressed together into a flat line. Her right hoof tapped sharply on the top of the desk, its rhythm contrasting discordantly with the clock’s perfectly rhythmic ticking as the unicorn stared out the front windows of her shop into the deepening twilight over Canterlot. It had been almost six hours since she had come back from her lunch with Octavia, full of delicious food and bubbling excitement, and the unicorn had expected the wonderful experience to keep her mood chipper and lively through the rest of the day. That had been, as it turned out, far too much to ask even for a lunch as amazing as hers had been.

This was the absolute last client that she had scheduled for a second fitting and the fact that this mare had been one of Rarity’s first clients when she’d opened shop three weeks ago and still had not come back for her second fitting said more about her than Rarity ever would. Rarity had attempted to contact her via letter when she had missed her first appointment, but the letter had gone unanswered. Then the unicorn had hired a messenger to find her wayward client and, even though the messenger claimed to be the best in the city, it had taken him almost three days to find her and deliver a new fitting date. That date was today and, even though Rarity had scheduled this last client’s appointment as far back into the day as she could, it still seemed as though this second fitting was not high on her list of priorities. Honestly, this is getting ridiculous and I’m running out of polite ways to confront her about it.

The client in question was a pony whom Rarity knew personally and, as with her friends and their Gala dresses two years ago, Rarity felt that this client was becoming a tax upon her will that she could not afford to have. Unlike her friends, however, this pony was not inundating Rarity with requests to change things with her dress. If that’s what she was doing, I could handle it, Rarity thought with a soft snort. With another shake of her head, the designer turned away from the gathering night outside and swiveled on her stool, allowing the rotating seat to swing her around in a half-circle that moved her from her desk to her sewing machine in one smooth motion. I’m used to clients trying to give me too much input in their dresses, but what does one do when a client expresses almost no interest in the very dress that she has ordered? The unicorn’s horn lit up brightly and, with a twitch of her head, Rarity brought one of her ponyquins closer to her, its base scraping softly across the floor as it half-floated towards the unicorn. I swear that Rainbow gave me more help on HER dress than this mare has! She thought as she settled the half-dressed ponyquin next to her sewing machine. It had been almost two hours since the other mare had been scheduled to arrive and since then, Rarity had busied herself with small tasks around her shop. Those tasks, however, had been finished quickly and efficiently due to the complete and total lack of interruptions. So, after waiting for twenty minutes with her hooves tapping idly on her desk, Rarity had finally decided that she had waited long enough. Yet another mark against her, I’m afraid. I suppose I’ll simply have to cancel her order.

The sparkling aura of Rarity’s magic shifted from the ponyquin itself to the clothing that lay draped across its back and, with practiced delicacy, the unicorn lifted her unfinished design from the model, ensuring that every trailing piece of fabric had cleared the smooth white surface of the ponyquin until the dress hovered in midair next to the sewing machine. Well, at least I can get a bit more done on this dress, Rarity thought as she lifted her glasses from the desk and slid them onto her nose. She squinted discerningly at the seams she had done up before lunch, her mind leaping at the chance to be busy with something, anything to forget the botched appointment. Yet, even as she prepared to busy herself with another dress, she could not keep from glancing across her shop to another dress on a ponyquin, a dress that had been set over by her tri-fold mirror for the express purpose of being shown off. Oh well… I suppose not EVERY dress I design is destined for greatness… Rarity lamented with a sigh as she threaded her sewing machine.

She had just fitted the next pieces of the dress together and placed them onto her sewing machine when she heard a loud thump against her door, followed immediately by the tell-tale jingle of the bell above it. Rarity’s ears twitched violently as she sat up straight, her glasses sliding down her nose slightly. It can’t be… she thought incredulously. She shifted in her chair to spin around, but even before the bell had ceased ringing over her door, a brash tenor voice washed over her shop like a swirling whirlwind of hip coolness.

“Yo, Rarity – I’m really, REALLY sorry I’m so late. I got hung up on some stuff and I… I’m really sorry.”

Rarity’s lips quirked into a wry smile and she couldn’t help but chuckle breathily to herself. Ah, so the wayward filly arrives after all, she thought. A bright feeling of relief and happiness welled up inside her at the thought of her friend actually getting to wear the dress Rarity had made for her, but before it grew too bright to hide, the unicorn quickly forced her eyebrows into a frown. That filly… I can’t believe that she’s showing up NOW! Now! Hours after her appointment! Rarity’s muzzle scrunched in indignation as she sat up straight on her stool, her curled mane bobbing as she did so. Oh, she’d better have the excuse of the century for making me wait like this! With a vexed sigh, Rarity twisted her torso and pushed off of her sewing machine with her hooves to spin herself back around to her desk. Her momentum was light enough that simply using the friction of her hooves on the desktop allowed her to slow and stop in perfect alignment with the desk and the rest of the room, giving her an image that she hoped would not be unlike a villain in one of those adventure stories Twilight and Rainbow liked so much. Slowly, she lifted her eyes from the top of her desk, raising her head higher and higher until her eyes alit on the object of all of her recent worry and anxiety, the reason she had finished all of her small tasks around her shop, and the one pony that she had not expected to see that evening: her missing client, the ever popular, and sometimes forgetful, unicorn named Vinyl Scratch.

The other unicorn shifted uncomfortably beneath Rarity’s gaze and even though the white mare wore large sunglasses that hid her eyes from Rarity’s view, they did nothing to hide the very visible discomfort that the rest of her displayed. Rarity’s eyes narrowed at her guest as words began to pile up behind her teeth, begging to be let loose upon their hapless victim, but instead of leaping into the myriad of undoubtedly irritated-sounding questions that she had for Vinyl she held her tongue. I think I deserve to know what happened in the past week that was so dreadfully important that I couldn’t be informed about a change in our schedule, Rarity thought as she sat back and crossed her hooves over her chest, her face an impassive mask as she watched Vinyl. But I don’t want to sound TOO cross with her. She IS my friend, after all, and ill-said words can end friendships faster than Rainbow can finish a mug of cider.

Rarity and Vinyl had known each other for quite some time as professionals, but had only recently become close enough to be called friends. The designer had hired the DJ two years ago for the ill-fated fashion show that she and her friends had put on after Rarity had finished their Gala dresses and, even though that particular show had ended in disaster, Rarity had received various compliments about the DJ. Not being one to ignore such comments, Rarity had kept in contact with Vinyl on a professional level, knowing that one day she may have need of her talents and it was a good thing she had because it was through Rarity that Pinkie Pie had been able to hire Vinyl Scratch as the DJ for Princess Cadence’s wedding. That night, at the Princess’s reception, Rarity and Vinyl had talked at length and by the time the evening had drawn to a close, the two unicorns had become friends beyond the professional. Rarity frowned slightly. Unfortunately, that makes situations like this even harder, she reflected as the seconds of silence ticked by. New friendships were delicate and had to be nurtured for quite some time before they could become resilient and strong and Rarity knew that mishandling this very kind of situation could and would kill a fledgling friendship in a heartbeat.

As Rarity’s inner monologue tried to find the most tactful way to broach the subject of her disappointment to Vinyl, the quiet moment between the two mares slowly became two and, as it stretched onwards, she watched Vinyl’s ears twitch violently, straighten back up for a heartbeat, then slowly droop down, down, and down until they settled flat against her jaggedly cut, dual-toned blue mane. The DJ’s shoulders quickly followed suit, slowly sagging beneath the daunting weight of Rarity’s stare until she made a defeated noise in her throat and took the decision away from the designer.

“Geez Rarity, I said I was sorry,” she murmured. Her tail flicked in agitation, the vibrant electric blue shimmering against the deeper natural blue in her tail like sunbeams lancing through a tropical sea. “You don’t have to give me the silent treatment.” Vinyl shifted on her hooves again and Rarity couldn’t help but smile to herself. Well, well, the DJ pony can’t stand silence. I’ll have to remember that. From the back of Rarity’s mind came the thought that she should remain silent and see just how long she could keep it up, but, even as she thought it, she dismissed it. No, Rarity, that would be terribly mean to Vinyl. It’s clear that she doesn’t like silence and pressing it further would do just as much damage to her as angry words would. Despite her summations, Rarity’s lips curved into a small, secret smile as she watched Vinyl’s muzzle scrunch into a frown. Although I have to admit that letting the silence do my talking for me is much, much easier. With a gentle sigh, Rarity uncrossed her hooves from her chest and pressed them firmly against her desktop.

“Vinyl, what am I going to do with you?” She asked her voice light, but focused. “We set the date for your second fitting for a week ago, giving you a week to ensure that your schedule stayed open for that day or at least to give you ample time to cancel and reschedule.” Rarity shook her head gently. “Yet, even with that amount of time, I didn’t receive a cancellation. You just didn’t show up! And THEN I had to send a messenger to find you and it took him three days to get my message to you! What in Equestria HAPPENED to you?” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “I was getting worried about you, you know…”

“Well,” Vinyl sighed loudly and raised her right front hoof to rub the back of her neck, “it’s kind of a long, complicated story, but the short version is that I took what should have been an easy gig the night before our appointment and, let’s just say, it got messy real quick.” She gave her head a shake. “But yeah, I’m really, really sorry I didn’t get in touch with you, Rarity. Can… can we set up a new appointment or am I totally screwed?” She chuckled as she finished her sentence, but Rarity could hear the disappointment in Vinyl’s attempted levity. The designer watched her visitor closely for a moment before giving her head a gentle shake.

“I’m sorry, Vinyl,” she whispered, “but we’re not going to be setting up a new appointment.” Vinyl’s ears flattened against her head even farther, if that was possible, and she sighed in loud disappointment.

“Oh, well, y’know, I understand,” she said, her voice tight. “It was a really crazy thing and I know you’re busy, so–,” She started to turn towards the door, her hooves dragging across the tile of the floor like they were made of lead, but before she could move more than an inch, Rarity’s hoof shot up and forestalled her verbally and physically. The designer gave her friend a warm smile and set her hoof back down to the desk.

“We’re not going to set up a new appointment,” she reiterated a bit louder, “because we’re going to do your second fitting right here, right now.”

“What… really?!” Vinyl’s ears shot straight up and her entire being seemed to grow before Rarity’s eyes as hope returned to her face. “You’re not just messing with me, are you? You’ll… you’ll really do that for me?” Rarity laughed lightly as she hopped down from her stool and hurried to Vinyl, her smile broad and her eyes bright.

“Of course I will, Vinyl. What kind of dressmaker would I be if I turned away one of my clients because of unforeseen circumstances?” Her smile warmed as she extended a hoof and placed it gently onto Vinyl’s shoulder. “And what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t give a friend a little bit of extra grace, hmm?” The DJ’s face broke into a broad smile and, to Rarity’s surprise, the DJ leaped forward and hugged her firmly.

“Rarity, you’re the best! Seriously, I don’t know what I would have done if I had to miss out on getting this dress!” Rarity giggled at her friend’s enthusiasm and, after a moment, the other unicorn dropped back to her hooves. “So, let’s get started! I’m itchin’ to see this dress!” Rarity nodded eagerly.

“Yes, let’s do get on with it – I’m eager to see what you think! But I do have one stipulation, Vinyl.” The other mare arched an eyebrow from behind her shades, and Rarity gave her a wink. “You have to tell me ALL about what happened at this show of yours that led to you cancelling our appointment.”

Vinyl snorted and chuckled darkly. “Are you sure you wanna know, Rares? It was pretty nuts…”

“Please, Vinyl – if it was exciting I want to hear every last detail!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“…and so, after being in the protective custody of the Canterlot Royal Guards for three more days, I was released and Big Tony, the underworld hard apple cider kingpin, was found guilty on all charges. They took him off to jail and Princess Celestia herself personally thanked me for my part in bringing down Big Tony’s smuggling ring. I literally JUST got finished visiting her and Princess Luna at the Castle and was on my way home when I remembered our appointment.” Vinyl Scratch nodded once, the jagged edges of her mane bouncing decisively as she grinned at Rarity’s reflection in the mirror. “And that’s why I missed our last appointment and was late today.”

Rarity stared back at her friend, her mouth hanging open and her horn still holding the needle and thread against the hem where she had been tacking it in place – the same spot she had been tacking ten minutes ago when Vinyl’s story had reached its climax. It had been such an incredible tale of luck, bravery, and sheer nerve that Rarity had found her work slowly coming to a halt as she’d listened intently to her friend’s every word.

As the tale came to a close, however, Rarity couldn’t stop her mouth from closing into a small, dubious smile as she let out a breathy chuckle and allowed her magic to resume her needlework. “Well, that’s certainly a tale to be told, Vinyl,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice light and easy. “Although you have to admit that it’s a tad unbelievable.”

“Yeah, you’re totally right,” agreed Vinyl as she shifted from her left hooves to her right. “I’ll tell ya, if I hadn’t been right in the middle of it, I wouldn’t have believed it myself!” She chuckled and shook her head again before the reflection of her circular sunglasses turned towards Rarity. “So how’s it going down there? Almost done?” Rarity’s smile quirked slightly as the needle and thread moved a few inches to Rarity’s right and slid through the fabric once again. She’s not even trying to hide her impatience. It’s almost refreshing not to have to guess what a client is thinking.

“I’m almost there, darling,” murmured Rarity, her eyes trained on the needle and thread. “Just have patience, my dear, and I’ll have you done momentarily.”

“All right, cool.” Vinyl flexed her left rear leg and winced. “My leg hasn’t really recovered from the jump over that fence yet and I’m ready to get off of it.”

This time Rarity couldn’t help but roll her eyes silently at her friend, her lips curving into a knowing smile. I swear, she could have just told me that she forgot, she thought. Or even that she “partied” so hard that she lost track of what day it was. Those things I’d believe much more readily than this whole “I broke up a smuggling ring” story. Honestly, who comes up with that? She pulled the needle through the fabric and knotted it as an image of Rainbow Dash’s face flitted through her mind. Her smile grew minutely as she pulled the thread tight. Well, all right – SHE might. Rainbow Dash and Vinyl have a great deal more in common than I first thought, it seems. She pulled the needle with her magic, drawing the string taut against the knot she had just tied in it. With deftness that came from years of being a professional seamstress, Rarity leaned forward, touched her teeth to the thin thread, and with a perfectly measured twist of her head she snipped the filament off neatly.

“There,” she said, rising to her hooves next to Vinyl and taking a few steps away. “What do you think of that? I raised the hemline to where it should be, but if there are any places you would like me to take in or change, please let me know.” The DJ nodded and turned to view herself in the mirror, but before she could start examining it in-depth, Rarity held out a hoof. “And Vinyl, please – take off those sunglasses so I can see if the magenta I used is at least close to your eye color.” And I’ll be sent to the moon before I let one of MY dresses be worn with sunglasses as an accessory, she thought vehemently. The other unicorn turned to face Rarity, her expression impassive and unreadable behind her large, opaque lenses.

“Why? I’m gonna wear my shades with the dress, so it’s no big deal,” she said with a shrug. “Besides, it looks awesome either way, right?”

Rarity’s left eye twitched violently as her worst fears blossomed in her chest, but even as she opened her mouth to say something, anything to dissuade her friend from following through with her dubious and downright distasteful plan, Vinyl’s façade cracked and she let out a loud, genuine laugh.

“THERE’s that face!” she snickered, pointing at Rarity with a bright grin. “Aw, come on, Rarity, you know I’m just kidding – I would never wear my shades with a dress like this.” She paused and tapped her chin with a hoof as Rarity’s heart thudded anxiously in her ears. “Well, okay, I totally would, but not a dress YOU made for me. I know how much you care about this stuff, so I’ll ditch my shades.”

I swear this mare wants to give me a heart attack, Rarity thought as she struggled to smile in a way that didn’t make her look sick to her stomach. “Well, thank you for your consideration, Vinyl,” she said as she tried to catch her breath. “I… I’m glad that you’re willing to have some class for my sake, at least.” The DJ laughed again and the happy sound filled the room like a ray of sunlight, chasing the shadowy tendrils of shock away from the designer and lightening her heart.

“Class isn’t something I usually worry about, Rares,” Vinyl admitted as she removed her glasses, “but for you I’ll make an exception.” The DJ tossed the round sunglasses onto a table nearby and turned her brilliant magenta eyes on Rarity with a knowing wink. “There, is that better?”

“Much,” said Rarity with a smirk. Despite Vinyl’s banter and sometimes confusing mannerisms, the warmth that Rarity had felt earlier in the day was slowly returning to whisk away the clinging chill that the disappointment prior to Vinyl’s visit had left behind. Rarity gave Vinyl a broad smile and, once again, couldn’t help but feel completely comfortable around her, as if they had been best friends for years instead of casual friends for less than two months. “You have such beautiful eyes, Vinyl! I’ll never know why you hide them behind those obtrusive sunglasses of yours.” Vinyl made a face and shuddered in exaggerated fashion before turning back to the mirror.

“That’s why I wear the glasses, Rarity,” she said with a grin. “To keep adoring fanmares like you from totally losing control of yourselves and trying to get with me only to have your hearts broken. It’s for your own good, really.” Rarity arched an eyebrow at Vinyl for a moment then let out a soft snort as she rolled her eyes.

“Well, of course. How thoughtfully considerate of you, Vinyl,” she said, her lips curling into a wry smile. Dear Celestia, she and Rainbow really ARE cut from the same cloth, aren’t they? She chuckled silently before clearing her throat and turning to face her client more directly. “Now tell me – what do you think? I did my best to ensure that your dress would look every bit as hip and edgy as you do.” Vinyl smiled broadly as she turned back to the mirrors before her and, as she examined the dress, Rarity took a moment to stand back and admire her handiwork.

The dress was one of Rarity’s simpler designs, but just like the mare standing before her, the uniqueness of the dress was in the details and not the overall construction. The white dress had a tight bodice with a low sweetheart neckline that curved down along Vinyl’s chest before rising and encircling her body leaving her shoulders and neck bare. The dress was divided in the middle by a wide sash of black and magenta that tied into a large bow atop Vinyl’s back and, as it moved towards the DJ’s flank, it flared into a wide, bouncy skirt that owed its body to transparent dual-toned crinoline that stuck out jaggedly from beneath it. The dual colors of the crinoline matched those in Vinyl’s mane and tail and the magenta that accented her black sash, the black shoes she wore on her front hooves, and the black bow she wore behind her left ear matched her eyes perfectly, much to Rarity’s relief. I was certain I’d have to go back and change that color, she thought as she methodically checked every stitch and seam as Vinyl turned back and forth in front of the mirror. Celestia knows I’ve seen her eyes few enough times…

After sating her compulsion to quadruple-check her stitching, the designer’s eyes turned from her creation to her client as the other unicorn performed pose after pose in the mirror. As she watched, Rarity felt a smile creep back onto her lips. Vinyl’s background as a performer was quickly becoming obvious to her, especially when Vinyl moved in such undeniably eye-catching ways and posed so that she gave her imaginary audience the best view of the dress, and of herself, as possible. If there was ever a mare that belonged on stage, that mare is Vinyl Scratch, Rarity thought as her friend executed the sassiest turn and pose that Rarity had ever seen, even among the models she had worked with. And she has such a commanding stage presence. Rarity’s eyes narrowed in determination. One day I’ll have to find out exactly where she learned all of these perfect modeling techniques and exactly what got her into the music industry in the first place.

“Rarity, I’ve got to hand it to you, this dress is amazing!” gushed Vinyl as she turned from the mirrors with a huge grin. “Seriously, I don’t dig dresses, okay? But I dig this one. Whatever you did to make this dress different is pure magic, Rares!” The other unicorn leaped from the platform and landed next to Rarity, her eyes bright. “I can’t wait to wear this to the concert at the end of the month! Man, everypony’s gonna be, like:” Vinyl raised her hoof to stroke her chin pensively and, when she spoke again, her voice was gruff and carried the thick accent of a Canterlot native. “Who is that gorgeous, impetuous young mare? Why, ‘tis that rapscallion Vinyl Scratch masquerading as a lady! Preposterous! Imposturous! Hufflety-pufflety and all that!” The DJ made a face that Rarity had only seen on ponies after Applejack’s fiasco in the “Baked Bads” incident and, before she could even think of stopping herself, Rarity let out a snort that was followed immediately by a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Vinyl grinned at her vivaciously and joined in with her loud, unashamed laugh as Rarity wiped away a stray tear that had formed at the corner of her eye.

After several moments of loud laughter, Rarity finally felt her giggles cease and she took several long, deep breaths to ensure that she wasn’t going to hyperventilate. “Oh Vinyl… sometimes I wonder about you.”

“Only sometimes? Geez, I’m gonna have to step up my game,” Vinyl commented cheekily before giving Rarity a wink. The designer sighed and rolled her eyes, but before she could think of a witty retort, Vinyl cut her off with a low whistle as her eyes found the clock above the door. “Holy Luna, look at the time,” she muttered. “I’ve kept you way here later than I wanted to!”

“Oh now don’t you worry about it,” said Rarity with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “I wouldn’t have offered to do this for you if I wasn’t willing to stay here as long as it took to get you properly fitted!” She gave Vinyl a smile and a wink of her own. “Besides, it was fun to hear about your little adventure last week.” It was all Rarity could do to keep a straight face as she mentioned Vinyl’s over-elaborate excuse, but through years of conditioning and training she managed it. “Now come on, let’s get that dress off of you so you can be on your way!”

“Yeah, last week was kind of crazy,” Vinyl admitted as the two mares turned and moved towards Rarity’s desk where the ponyquin that would hold her dress stood. “Royal Guards, judges, criminals, Princesses… not your average week, even for me.” The unicorn stopped next to the ponyquin and turned to face Rarity. “And speaking of last week, you never told me how your week went. I mean, I really hope that it wasn’t as eventful as mine was, but y’know.”

Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak a pair of amethyst eyes leaped out of the back of her mind and into the forefront once again, causing the designer to pause conspicuously mid-step as she moved towards Vinyl.

“Ah, well…” she said softly. With a subtle shake of her head, Rarity finished her previously uncompleted step and closed the distance with Vinyl. “It may not have been eventful in the same way as yours, Vinyl, but my week was still eventful nonetheless.” Her horn lit up and illuminated the zipper on the other unicorn’s dress as Vinyl’s eyes narrowed and her lips pursed thoughtfully.

“Oh is that so?” She lowered her head as Rarity’s magic carefully unzipped the dress and, as it slid down her back legs, she lifted first her left hoof then her right hoof to allow the garment to slip off of her body. She gave her tail a flick as the crinoline lifted away from it, her eyes never leaving Rarity as she stepped out of the shoes that had decorated her front hooves. “And what sort of events have you been part of, Mizz Rarity? Hmmm?”

Rarity tsked dismissively as she levitated the dress over to the ponyquin, even though she made certain that her gaze stayed firmly locked on the dress. “Oh now Vinyl, don’t make it sound like it was more than it actually was,” she chided as she settled the white garment back onto the soft skin of the ponyquin, lifting and fitting the dress precisely until it sat perfectly centered on the life-sized doll. “I simply met a pony during the fittings and chose to spend a bit more time with her, that’s all.” Her magic flared slightly as she took hold of the zipper and closed it up with a quick flick of her horn. “She’s been quite lovely to talk to, actually, and introduced me to a wonderful restaurant that I hadn’t tried before.”

“Hmmmm,” mused Vinyl, her narrowed eyes watching Rarity closely as her pursed lips slowly curved into a knowing smile. “Sounds like you’ve been having fun, then.”

“I suppose I have been, yes.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that your trip to Canterlot wasn’t full of just work from morning ‘til night, at least! A mare’s gotta have some fun, right?” Vinyl’s horn lit up and the brilliant electric blue of her magic plucked the bow from behind her left ear. “So who did you start hanging out with? I know everypony in Canterlot and who knows? I might be able to tell you a bit about ‘em.” The bow drifted lazily across the gap to the ponyquin where Vinyl took extra care to place it perfectly against the faux-pony’s ear. Rarity’s hooves stopped halfway through her usual second-fitting straightening process as she turned her head and arched an eyebrow at Vinyl.

“Everypony in Canterlot?” she chuckled. “Vinyl, please – nopony can know everypony in Canterlot and I’m certain you don’t know this mare.”

“Oh yeah?” Vinyl gave her mane a firm shake then grinned at the designer, her eyes full of challenge. “Try me.”

Rarity didn’t even attempt to hide the roll of her eyes this time and, with a gentle shake of her head, she resumed the fluffing of the crinoline that would ensure it lay correctly the next time it was worn. She’s definitely like Rainbow Dash, no doubt about that, she thought wryly. It’s always “Challenge me to do this!” or “Dare me to do that!” Honestly! After a moment of Vinyl staring at her expectantly, Rarity’s shoulders sagged and she sighed loudly.

“Vinyl, I am not going to–,”

“Come on. Try me.”

“Vinyl, I–,”

“Come oooon, tell me her name.”

“What? No.”

“Her name, Rarity! Tell me her name and I’ll bet you that I know who she is!”

Rarity sighed in vexation and ran her foreleg once over the back of the skirt before dropping back to all four hooves. “Vinyl, I swear you are the most obstinate, unreasonable...” She gave her head a shake and took a deep breath, swallowing the irritated words that had begun to pile up behind her teeth. After a long moment she let the breath out in a sigh and turned her eyes back to the other unicorn. “Fine, if you won’t let this go…” Vinyl shook her head eagerly and Rarity rolled her eyes yet again. “All right, then. She’s an earth pony, so I doubt you’ll know her…”

“Oh, I know plenty of earth ponies,” dismissed Vinyl with a wave of her hoof. “C’mon, stop stalling and lay it out, Rares!” she said as she moved to the desk and picked up her sunglasses in her hoof.

Rarity bit her lip for a moment as another vision of Octavia flashed through her mind and she couldn’t keep from smiling as she exhaled slowly. “…her name is Octavia.”

Rarity truly didn’t know whether she expected Vinyl to know Octavia or not, but either way she was certain that Vinyl’s reaction to the name would be loudly vocal in victory or defeat. To her surprise, neither excited nor disappointed words greeted her answer; instead, silence was the only response to her admission and if Rarity hadn’t been looking directly at Vinyl when she’d spoken she had no doubt she would have missed Vinyl’s much more subdued reaction. As soon as the name left Rarity’s lips, Vinyl’s glasses paused on the way to her nose and her eyes widened for a heartbeat. She inhaled sharply as if she had been suddenly doused in ice cold water and her lips moved silently as if she were uttering a curse or a prayer. Rarity’s eyes narrowed as the moment of silence stretched between them, but as soon as she opened her mouth to ask Vinyl what was wrong, the other unicorn’s lips curved into a smile and she placed her glasses firmly onto her nose.

“Octavia?” she repeated, her voice light. “Oh yeah, I know Octavia – we dated for a while about a year back.” The DJ turned to face Rarity squarely, her smile easy despite the emotion that had invaded her visage mere moments before. Rarity could not keep her brow from knitting delicately as Vinyl tossed her mane and looked up at the clock. “Well, it’s getting really late, so I’m gonna–,”

“The two of you dated?” interrupted Rarity, her voice soft but insistent. “I… I’m sorry, I had no idea. I truly didn’t mean to dredge up bad memories, Vinyl…” Her ears folded back and laid flat against her head as shame welled up inside her. Well done, Rarity. You should have just kept your big mouth shut, she chided herself. Nopony likes to be reminded of their romantic shortcomings and that’s just what you did. You apologize to her right now, before-

“Hey, whoa there, girl.” Vinyl’s voice interrupted Rarity’s inner chastising and Rarity had to blink twice before she managed to re-focus on her friend who gave her a reassuring smile. “Rarity, I didn’t say they were bad memories, did I? I…” The other unicorn glanced towards the front of the shop, her sunglasses making it impossible for Rarity to tell whether she was glancing at the clock or judging how quickly she could get to the door and vanish; after a moment, however, her head dipped towards the floor and she let out a sigh before straightening and turning back to Rarity, her smile small but genuine. “Look, here’s the short version: Octavia and I met two years ago, just by random chance. We bumped into each other at a coffee shop and I guess we just hit it off.” Vinyl shrugged. “We dated for a year and eventually she told me that she was done, so it was done. Truthfully, by the time we called it quits, I could tell that she wasn’t too heartbroken about it. In fact, I could tell that she’d kinda lost interest a month or two before that, so I was actually kinda glad that she’d stepped up and broke up with me instead of waiting for me to do it.” The unicorn lifted her hoof and rubbed the back of her neck. “But yeah, there it is. No messy breakup, no lingering baggage that’s floating around causing trouble in either of our lives. We tried and it didn’t work out, simple as that.”

Rarity stared at Vinyl, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly in disbelief. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, Vinyl had told a very personal story to her with no preamble or any kind of explanation as to why she was telling Rarity even a short version of such a chapter in her life and yet Rarity could not deny that hearing that story had made her feel better, somehow. Almost as if Vinyl’s words had lifted a shroud that she hadn’t known was there away from her mind and heart.

“Well, I…” Rarity gave her head a gentle shake, a smile touching her lips as she did so. “I suppose I’m glad that things aren’t bitter between the two of you,” she said finally. “And… thank you for sharing that with me, Vinyl. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”

To her surprise, Vinyl snorted a sharp laugh. “Rarity, seriously – it was a year ago and things didn’t get that serious between us. It wasn’t a big deal, so stop making it one, all right?” She turned and started towards the door, her shoulders loose and her smile light, and Rarity unconsciously fell into step next to her. “But enough about me and Octavia,” said Vinyl as the pair crossed the open area of Rarity’s shop. “What about you and Octavia, Rares? Give me the low-down on the two of you.”

“The low-down?” Rarity blinked at the other unicorn then gave her head a firm shake that made her curled mane bounce and bob. “There isn’t any kind of ‘low-down’ to give, I’m afraid. We’ve been out for a casual dinner then a casual lunch. And that is something that all kinds of designers do for their clients,” she added hastily as Vinyl’s grin grew broader. “She and I, well…” The unicorn took a deep, slow breath. “We’re just friends,” she said finally. “Friends who share a love of Neighponese cuisine and who both have rather unusual families. That’s all.” She turned her eyes back to the door and gave her tail an authoritative flick, indicating that she was absolutely done with that line of conversation, but there was nothing she could do to stop the warmth that inevitably crept up her cheeks as Vinyl’s grin slowly morphed into a soft, knowing smile. The designer sighed in vexation as she hurried forward, her eyes fixed on the door and the cool night air beyond it. Surely that’s all I need, she thought as she reached a hoof out and took hold of the doorknob. Just a little fresh air and I’ll be right as rain. She shifted her body to turn the knob and open the door, but before she could even get the door open a crack, Vinyl’s hoof settled onto her own and kept the door shut tight. Rarity blinked and turned her head back to face Vinyl, whose smile had been replaced by a soft line that when matched with the opaque lenses of her shades made her expression entirely unreadable.

“Rarity, I have to ask you to do something for me.” The DJ’s horn flared to life and, with a flash of light, a small card appeared between the two unicorns. Vinyl’s bright magical aura caught the card in mid-air and, after a moment, she levitated it over to Rarity. The designer gave her a puzzled look, but when Vinyl gestured with the card, Rarity knew better than to refuse her. Her own horn lit up and the magic around the card faded from Vinyl’s electric blue to Rarity’s sapphire blue as the two unicorns changed possession of the object. “Take some time for yourself and go to this club,” the DJ said as her horn went dark. “I don’t know how much you get out on the town, but trust me – head out there three days from now, at around 11 at night. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Rarity arched an eyebrow at her friend before turning her gaze to the card itself. It was a business card, small and unassuming, that had tidy black print across the front next to an embossed black top hat. The unicorn squinted at the small text and it took her a moment to decipher it.

“The Magical Hat,” she read. “And what kind of club is this? I truly am not interested in hopping around to clubs here in town, Vinyl.”

“Trust me,” said Vinyl as she stepped forward and pushed the door of the shop open. “I know this is one that you won’t regret going to.” She turned her hidden eyes back to Rarity, a small grin on her lips. “Get there at 11 o’clock P.M. three days from now and enjoy.” Without another word, the DJ pushed the door open all the way and moved out into the street, her tail flicking jauntily as she did so. “I’ll be back in a week to pick up that dress, Rares! Don’t make me wait!”

Rarity stood at the door of her shop, her magic still holding the small business card as she watched Vinyl Scratch strut away into the night. “I somehow doubt that she’ll be the one waiting in a week,” she muttered to herself. She gave her head a small shake as her magic took hold of the door and pulled it closed, shutting out the night so that Rarity could well and truly close up shop. It was well past closing time, after all, and Rarity knew that she still had a good deal of work ahead of her tomorrow.

Yet, as she turned back towards her desk, the unicorn’s attention went back to the small, unassuming business card that she had received and to the cryptic instructions her friend had left with it.

“Three days from now at 11 p.m.” she repeated to herself. “That’s very specific.” Her brow furrowed as she frowned. “But… why?”

Comments

[Night Spark]

I have been gone from this site for over a month due to school. I opened over 20 tabs with different fics on each that I have to catch up on reading. I came to this fic first...

I'm sure as hell glad I did.

[D4ftP0ny]

4931483
Thank you very much, Toiski! I had a friend translating for me and I simply wrote it as it was sent to me, and I'm glad that you pointed it out to me! Thank you :D

[D4ftP0ny]

5103690
Well, either fortunately or unfortunately, you didn't miss much. XDD I take it you liked the newest chapter? What did you think?

[Night Spark]

5103819 I loved It. I think throwing in vinyl was a great move. We get to see more of the shopkeeper rarity and the little decisions she has to make on a day to day basis. The chemistry between her and vinyl is perfect. You're a bastard because now I'm kinda rootin for that ship while still want Octavia and rares. I'm left wondering what is gonna happen at 11 and whether or not vinyl will lead to any problems.

Can't wait for more!

[Texus]

“Hmmmm,” mused Vinyl, her narrowed eyes watching Rarity closely as her pursed lips slowly curved into a knowing smile. “Sounds like you’ve been having fun, then.”

again, as if they would all assume that there is only one option or reason for doing what Rarity did.

Well I can't say that I hated Vinal here, I'm maybe not one for prying into other people business, but otherwise it was okay I guess.
I like the story so far, but some parts like this one are a bit hard to endure if everything I want to see is Octavia here.

Is this another story where Octavia is...how was it called?...demisexual?, you know where she isn't one for a one night stand, someone that wouldn'T just jump into the bed with someone she barely knows?
I just really liked her that way, but somehow I haven'T seen an update in that other story for a while.

I just think that also fits with her personality here.

[Texus]

I just noticed that I'm already half trough the story, that probably means that you maybe made a big timeskip in the sequel, which I kind of hate if there happened much like getting to know each other friends or the main six and everything.

[Amos Anon]

“…and so, after being in the protective custody of the Canterlot Royal Guards for three more days, I was released and Big Tony, the underworld hard apple cider kingpin, was found guilty on all charges. They took him off to jail and Princess Celestia herself personally thanked me for my part in bringing down Big Tony’s smuggling ring. I literally JUST got finished visiting her and Princess Luna at the Castle and was on my way home when I remembered our appointment.” Vinyl Scratch nodded once, the jagged edges of her mane bouncing decisively as she grinned at Rarity’s reflection in the mirror. “And that’s why I missed our last appointment and was late today.”

Please tell me there's a side story for that! Lol, i wanna know what the heck happened now!