Thirty Minutes of Fabulosity

by Esle Ynopemos

30: Never Heard of Her [Adventure]

((Prompt: The secret life of a background pony.))

It was a dark, moonless night in Ponyville. A low-hanging cloud-cover obscured the light from the stars, leaving only the faint glow of distant firefly lamps to light the way as a cream-colored mare made her way to Carousel Boutique. The windows were darkened, and anypony that didn't know any better would have assumed the Boutique's occupant had already retired to bed. Bon Bon knew better.

She glanced suspiciously behind her, making certain nopony had seen her approach. Satisfied that the dark streets were empty, the mare raised her hoof and tapped on the door. Five times in rapid succession, pause, then two slowly.

A minute of silence followed, before a voice rose from the other side of the door. “Who's there?”

“The guardian with a thousand voices,” recited Bon Bon solemnly. “The mare with no face. Ponyville's shadow, that keeps the darkness from overtaking the light.”

She heard bolts on the other side slide open. The door creaked open, and the muted glow of Rarity's horn lit up the doorstep. “Come in, darling.”

Bon Bon let out the breath she had been holding and quickly rushed inside. Secrecy was key to her duty, and she did not want somepony passing by to see her and wonder what a simple candy-maker was doing outside of Carousel Boutique at this hour.

Once the door was shut, the unicorn risked a bit more light as she trotted back across the showroom floor to her sewing desk.

Bon Bon swallowed. “I'm sorry about the day before. Berry Punch was so excited when she saw Fluttershy, and we ended up in here.

Rarity paused at her desk, her hoof resting on her sewing machine. “You 'never heard of me?'” she said, arching her brow. “Darling, we're practically neighbors, you can come up with a better cover than that.”

“I panicked, okay?” Bon Bon grunted. “Berry seemed to buy it, anyway. It's a good thing she was so focused on chasing a supermodel, or else she might have started asking questions.”

Rarity sighed. She took the current spool of thread out of the machine and replaced it with a spool of dark purple. “Well, no matter, then.”

Bon Bon tapped her hooves nervously on the tiles. “So... is it finished?”

“It is.” With a click, Rarity pressed on the top of the spool. A low rumble sounded from beneath the floor as gears turned. A sharp hiss of steam made Bon Bon leap away as one of the ponnequins folded away into an opening in the tiles and was replaced with a large glass case.

Bon Bon's eyes widened as she pressed her muzzle against the glass. Within, lit by a few small lamps, was a costume. It was made of midnight purple and indigo, with a few silver accents. The mask would completely conceal a pony's face when worn, but the special fabric over the eyes would still allow her unrestricted vision. The wide-brimmed hat and cape were impressive, yes, but more importantly, they would conceal her shape when hiding among the shadows.

It was made of light fabric practical for moving around in, yet it was reinforced where it was needed to be. It was a suit of armor, and a disguise, and a symbol of justice all at once.

“Go on,” Rarity said, raising the glass with her magic. “Try it on.”

Bon Bon licked her lips and nodded. Usually clothing was difficult for an earth-pony to put on by themselves, but this seemed to slide onto her like it was meant to be there. “It fits perfectly,” she gasped.

“Of course it does, darling. I made it.” Rarity grinned as Bon Bon pulled the mask over her face.

The newly-masked hero tested the mobility of the costume, experimentally chopping her hooves through the air in the deadly strikes she had been trained to do. “It's so light,” she remarked. “I could fight evil all night in this!”

“That is the idea,” Rarity said. She closed the glass case, which sank back into the floor to be replaced once again by an innocent ponnequin.

Bon Bon lowered her mask and smiled at the seamstress. “Thank you so much!”

Rarity waved a dismissive hoof at her. “Of course, darling, it was no problem at all. Just make sure not to drop this one into an active volcano like last time.”

Bon Bon grinned sheepishly. “I can't make any promises on that front.”

Rarity rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Oh, before you go, do you mind if I hang onto the design? You never know when it might be useful to have a masked hero costume.”

“Of course you can,” Bon Bon replied. She put her mask back over her face. “Now, I must go. Ponyville needs me.” With a flourish of her cape, the first Mare-Do-Well dashed out of Carousel Boutique and disappeared into the night.

Author's Note:

...And that makes thirty. Thirty stories about Rarity in thirty days, written in thirty minutes each. I'm marking this collection complete for now; I may write more thirty-minute Rarity stories in the future, but I believe I ought to move on to another character and broaden my horizons. I'll miss all this fabulosity, though.

Thank you all very much for reading and commenting!

Comments

[Jonathon Smythe]

If I may make a suggestion: write for Fancy Pants. It could be interesting, and I think you could pull it off.

[Midnight herald]

I love you forever for this one. I cannot unsee rarity as Fox, and I love it.

[Loeden]

It was a pleasure to read 'em!

[Esle Ynopemos]

2476144 Y'know, I am now filled with the desire to hear Morgan Freeman call Batman "darling."

[Midnight herald]

2484890 That's the ticket. That's the magic. Now you understand my brain, whether you know it or not. Darling.

[bobbananaville]

Maybe you should do this thirty minutes thirty days thing again, to see how far you've come as far as prompts go.
Maybe five prompts per character, each character alternates daily or something?
Or maybe it could be a thirty minute mane six prompt list?
Or something with the CMC or Spike.

Love these prompts, btw.