All Twilight wanted to do was enjoy some quiet time in comfort. Unfortunately, this being Ponyville, that's a whole lot easier said than done.
Having some free time to herself, all Twilight wanted to do was read, and relax in the comfort of her own home. Unfortunately her concept of comfort isn't what most of Equestria would consider to be socially acceptable. Within the confines of her palace, this isn't really a problem. But when Rarity comes by unexpectedly, that all changes.
Twilight gave a contented sigh, eyes shut as she smiled happily, letting the warm water of the shower beat down upon her head, neck, and back. Today was promising to be a very good day, and it had just barely started!
Rarity had come by early in the day to ask about borrowing Spike to assist in a gem gathering excursion, as there had been no feasible way of her easily gaining access to them on her own. Spike had been all too willing and ready to assist in the outing, and she didn't see any reason to deny him the opportunity. There was nothing pressing at the moment that she felt warranted keeping him at the castle, so why deny him the chance at the outing?
In addition to having the palace to herself, a rare occurrence had taken place on this day; Twilight's schedule actually had a sizable period of time during which she had nothing that needed to be done. There were no meetings scheduled, nowhere that needed to be visited, no royal duties that hand to be tended to -not that she had many of those to begin with- nothing that was in need of her attention, no reorganization that was begging to be done... for the next several hours, she quite literally had the palace all to herself, and nothing to do with her time. Nothing at all, except for whatever she wanted to do for herself. The hours were hers to spend however she pleased, and she planned to dive right into one of her newest books, and just enjoy the silence.
Or maybe she'd write Sunset Shimmer first, just to see if everything was going alright in the other world. It couldn't hurt to keep in touch.
Or maybe she'd just pop through the portal for a short bit, and see what was going on for herself. Ever since the last time she'd gone through to help defeat the Dazzlings, she would occasionally make short trips through the mirror when her schedule allowed, either to spend a little time with the others, or just learn more about the world around her.
The chance to just relax with her friends for a few hours, with no emergencies to get in the way... it certainly sounded very appealing right now. She could even be back by the time Spike got back, and nopony would be the wiser.
The other world... the parallel human world. Just thinking about it filled her with so many questions, and sensations. So many different -and yet similar- things to experience, not just with the society, and technological achievements, but also with her own basic physical form! She could spend so many hours of study mapping out the differences and similarities that she had in each world.
But the time she had available would be too short for her to do much more than just scratch the surface. Being without her magic was always a hindrance when it came to taking notes, and the shape of her mouth in human form made it very difficult to write in the traditional manner. There were her hands, but she had so little skill with them, any notes she took would be completely illegible, until she mastered the skill of manual penmanship.
Pens. Another reason to consider going through. She was fairly confident that, with enough physical specimens to examine, it would be entirely possible to reverse engineer their construction, and make them widespread in no more than one -or maybe two- year's time. Although the quill and inkwell industry would likely never forgive her if she did that.
Twilight sighed again, more out of defeat than contentment this time around. What she wanted to do, she really couldn't do, as there weren't enough hours in the day available to her.
Maybe she'd just settle for sending a message to Sunset Shimmer, ask a few questions in preparation for the next time she could visit, and then just lounge about with a good book, and do absolutely nothing.
And then, as she thought about that, an idea came to her, as to how she could go about spending her free time. It was an idea that actually made her grin as she contemplated it. It was something she hadn't had the opportunity to do for a good long time now, and now that she'd actually stopped to consider it as a possibility, it struck her as very appealing.
"No better time than the present I guess," she said to herself, mentally committing to the decision to go ahead with her plans for the day.
She closed her eyes again and stuck her head directly under the shower, her horn glowing as she worked her magic on a particular spell to achieve what she wanted to do since the opportunity was hers for the taking.
Her skin tingled as the spell went to work. And soon she started feeling the water beating against her skin, rather than through her fur and feathers.
Rarity hummed to herself as she walked through Ponyville, quite content with the results of today's gem gathering excursion. She honestly didn't know what she'd do if she couldn't count on Spike's assistance with the outings. He could easily tear through hard, tightly compacted dirt, root, and even rock with great ease, and effortlessly reduce what would've previous been a day's worth of hard work, to just a few scant hours of tussle and bustle.
Tussle and bustle. She really needed to work on her rhyming skills. Perhaps a visit to Zecora was warranted...
Back on the topic of Spike. He was such a diligent little worker; to the point he'd managed to wear himself right out, and was desperately in need of a nap by the time they got back to the boutique. She certainly couldn't deny him his rest, and had chosen to let him snooze away on her fainting couch. And while he slept, she made her way to Twilight's castle to drop off a basket of what she considered Spike's share of today's haul. They were small, irregularly shaped gems that had been uncovered, totally unusable for her own applications without extensive efforts at cutting them to a more desirable form.
That said, however, it didn't change the fact that they were still high quality gemstones; still succulent by dragon standards if she had to guess. Leaving them for Spike to discover when he returned home was the least she could do for the poor dear after all the hard work she'd put him through. Plus she trusted Twilight to ensure that he was given them in a responsible manner, so he didn't wind up making himself sick by gorging on them all at once.
Concluding both her hum, and her walk, Rarity stopped at the doors to Twilight's palace, and knocked at the door to announce her presence. Barging right in would just be utterly rude for her to do.
The feel of upholstery against bare skin wasn't something Twilight was unfamiliar with, just very inexperienced with. But it was that inexperience that had a certain appeal about it, as it was always a new sensation to encounter when she actually did it. Or when she had to adjust her position, and felt the fabric rubbing against her. Sometimes it got her giggling, and sometimes it had her needlessly repeating the same movement because it had proven to be a pleasurable sensation to encounter; it felt unbelievably good against her back when she would roll over, and proceed to furiously rub her back against the sofa to scratch an itch that had been bugging her.
Of course that was to say nothing of the feeling of her own skin rubbing against more of her own skin. That was something else entirely. It felt so smooth, and slick, and even ticklish! Even without her book, she was having a great deal of fun.
That wasn't to say that she was actually without a book, however. She'd simply devoted time to something a little more physical than simply reading this whole time. And now that she'd done such, she was ready to just lay back, and enjoy the tome as it was meant to be.
And then there was a knock coming from the front door -the alert being brought to her by the door chime charms in place- interrupting her good mood.
Twilight sighed again, and gently laid the book down on the coffee table next to the sofa, before rolling off onto her hooves. She knew that she couldn't answer the door in her current state, but she was prepared for that. With a little bit of magical flexing, she was draped in an illusion spell, making her look like nothing was out of the ordinary as she made her way to the castle foyer. The only problem was that she needed to actively maintain the spell, and couldn't divert her magic for other uses. So long as she didn't need to do that, she would be fine.
"Yes? Who is it?" she asked as she made her way to the front door at hearing it being knocked on a second time.
"It's just me, darling."
That was Rarity's voice. Twilight gave a puzzled frown in response, having not expected her to be back so soon. Or... maybe her perception of time had been skewed. She sort of got a late start when it came to enjoying her skin, so maybe she just hadn't factored everything correctly.
Whatever the reasoning was, however, it didn't make much difference. Rarity was here now, and wanting to be let in. She'd just have to let her in, and hope for the best.
"Come in, Rarity," she replied back, before moving to manually grip the door knob, and pull it open for her. "I really wasn't expecting you to be back so soon. Did everything go alright?"
"Quite alright, darling. Today's haul was a lot deeper than we were expecting. But the results were well worth the extra effort needed to get to them. We walked away with far more than we anticipated," Rarity explained as she stepped inside. "Despite the reward, however, the work was still quite hard. Poor Spike was in desperate need of a nap by the time we made it back to town. I didn't have the heart to keep him up any longer, so I just left him to sleep at the boutique while I brought these by," she explained as she levitated the basket of gems in front of her.
Twilight couldn't help but whistle at the number of gems she was being presented with. That was more than even Spike could devour in one sitting. Or at least she hoped that was the case.
"I'll be sure that he gets them when he comes home. A little at a time," she replied as she reached out to take the basket. But she stopped just short of actually taking hold of it telekinetically. To do that she'd have to drop her illusion spell and... yeah. Awkward. "Um... just set them down anywhere and I'll get to them..."
Rarity blinked at Twilight's words and gestures. They were far too strange to be anything other than unusual.
"Well if you insist, darling," she replied and eased the basket down onto the floor. Perhaps it was time for a little intelligence gathering. "Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit flustered," she pointed out.
"Oh, I'm alright, really. I just, er..." Twilight paused, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't come off as being alarming. "I just can't use my magic at the moment. Spell practice and all that, you know?"
"Hmm... yes I suppose that makes sense. Practicing too much can certainly be strenuous to engage in," Rarity replied and nodded. Not that she practiced anything near like what Twilight herself did. But she was still familiar with the concept she was talking about. "Just one thing."
"Yes?" Twilight asked.
"Please don't take offense Twilight, but speaking frankly, darling, one unicorn to a... former unicorn... you're lying through your teeth," Rarity stated as she narrowed her eyes at her friend. "I can tell that you're using your magic right now. I can feel it. So I feel inclined to ask just what it is that you're doing..."
Twilight flinched. But she knew that there wasn't much she could do. She could try and lie her way out of it, but she doubted that she could pull it off convincingly. And she really didn't want to lie to her friends; especially not right to their faces. There was really little that she could do, other than fess up to what had been going on.
"Alright," she replied slowly, before shutting the door, and locking the latch. "I admit it. You caught me. I'm currently using an illusion spell, and if I try and split my focus, it's going to cancel out on me."
"An illusion spell? Whatever for?" Rarity asked, intrigued by this mystery. Twilight was neat and orderly, among many other things. But concerned about her appearance was rarely ever one of them.
"Well... it's complicated. It would probably be easier to just show you. Just... just don't freak out, alright?" Twilight asked uneasily as she allowed the spell to cancel out.
Rarity blinked as the spell ceased. And then she blinked again, uncertain of what exactly she was looking at. She knew that it was Twilight standing on front of her, as those gorgeous purple eyes were unmistakable. The same went for the lavender of her horn and hooves. But everything else in between that made Twilight so easily identifiable was completely absent. There wasn't a trace of fur or feathers anywhere on her entire body; utterly nothing than just bare, pale, slightly mottled skin.
The phrase "plucked chicken" immediately came to the forefront of her mind.
"Darling... you're bald..." she stated slowly, finding the very notion incredibly hard to believe; bordering on impossible really.
"I know," Twilight replied and nodded.
"But... why? Your fur was there only a few hours ago. How did this happen? No, never mind that, I'm quite sure I know the how of this. This is Discord's work, right? He's up to no good again, just as when he ruined this year's gala," Rarity stated, mentally shuddering at what had happened; especially to herself! She was starting to sense a pattern here.
"Actually..." Twilight began, pronouncing the word hesitantly, "Discord's not behind this at all. He's innocent in all of this, believe it or not..."
"No?" Rarity asked, surprised that the spirit of chaos wasn't responsible for something going wrong for a change. "Then how did this happen? You're not the mangy type of pony, Twilight, you always take good care of yourself. Did... oh dear. Did one of your spells wind up getting out of hoof? One of your experiments run awry and you got caught in the middle of it?" she asked.
Twilight steeled her nerves as she weighed her options on how to reply. She could take the easy way out, and lie about how this happened... or she could admit to what she was doing, and deal with the awkwardness that would ensue. All the while hoping that Rarity would be understanding.
It wasn't the easiest of decisions for her to make. But in the end she knew what she had to do.
"Actually," she repeated, this time without stretching it out, "I made the decision to go like this on my own."
There was an awkward silence that followed Twilight's admission, primarily because Rarity had been caught so off guard by it, she didn't have a clue what to say. At first.
"I'm sorry, darling, could you please repeat that? I don't think I heard you right. It sounded like you actually said you made the decision to go bald. But that's just-"
"The truth," Twilight interrupted.
"But... but why? Why would you ever want to go... want to go..." Rarity asked, unable to bring herself to actually finish the question.
"Nude," Twilight added.
Now Rarity blinked at the mention of the word. "Nude?" she asked.
Twilight giggled in response. "It sounds really cute how you pronounce the word," she stated.
"Now you're just being deliberate in trying to distract from the issue," Rarity stated accusingly as she frowned. "Twilight, as your friend, I believe I'm-"
She had been about to say that she felt she was entitled to an explanation as to what was going on around here. But she stopped short of actually saying such, having engaged her mind before her mouth. And she was thankful she had, as the whole thing sounded incredibly egotistical even to her.
"Twilight," she repeated, her tone far softer than before. "You know I'm your friend, darling. Might I impose on you for an explanation as to what exactly is going on?"
All Twilight could do was sigh and nod in response. "I think I can do that. Although I think it's only fair to warn you, it's a fairly long explanation."
"I doubt either of us has anywhere to be going right now," Rarity replied. She certainly doubted that Twilight would be going outside in her current condition.
"Alright," Twilight replied and sat down on her haunches. Immediately she leaped back to her hooves with an excited yip. "Okay, bad idea. Crystal flooring is cold against bare skin," she stated. "Let's move to somewhere a little more comfortable, and textile ready, shall we?"
"I couldn't agree more," Rarity replied. Something like this demanded being comfortable.
Unfortunately comfort wasn't what she was on the receiving end of as Twilight turned to lead them to another portion of the palace. Immediately she let out a squeak of surprise. Without Twilight's fur present, absolutely everything was visible to her.
Being a fashionista, and tasked with making as many outfits as she had over the years, with all of the measurements she had to take for custom fittings, some degree of observing equine anatomy was unavoidable. It had all been completely professional on her part, to the point she'd become desensitized to seeing such in the line of work, be it with either strangers or her closest friends. But there was just something about seeing the same presented as bare skin that seemed so... scandalous, so indecent.
Without bothering to speak up and voice the facts of her sudden discomfort, she instead hastened her pace to walk evenly with her down the hall.
Whatever Twilight had to say, Rarity hoped that it provided some clarity to what was going on here.
That difficult moment when you try to convince your friend you're not a pervert
Rarity really wasn't surprised that the library proper was the chosen destination for... whatever it was that was going to happen here. Twilight was most at home amongst her books, even more so in the crystal palace that served as her home. It wasn't a concept that Rarity had any difficulty understanding; it provided her friend with a sense of familiarity, and comfort. For her it was the same with her inspiration room. Yes, it was certainly a haphazard mess, but there was a perfect order about it in her mind, and everything eclectic within had a reason for being.
Her thoughts on the matter came to an end as Twilight came walking back into the room, a tea set in magical tow that was gently set down on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
Rarity still couldn't make heads or tails of what she was seeing... and what she was trying not to see. Her friend had not a trace of fur to her, and she was perfectly alright with that. She carried herself as someone who was perfectly content and secure with herself, despite her state of... indecency. She wasn't moving about like she was on display, like she was deliberately flaunting herself, but like it was just a casual, everyday setting. It was a concept that was positively confusing to her.
She tried hard not to stare at her friend as she went about pouring the tea. But Celestia help her, it was so hard not to stare. The contrast with normality was just so shocking, she couldn't fully look away.
Without her fur and feathers serving to bolster her frame, Twilight looked positively skinny; an unhealthy level of skinny. If it weren't for her ribs not being plainly visible, Rarity would've sworn that her friend was malnourished. She didn't want to be rude, but it was almost like looking at one of her ponequins coming to life, and moving about of its own free will. That was the closest comparison she could make.
The absence of Twilight's cutie mark was also disturbing to take into account. One of her most identifiable features, utterly obliterated, with just a faint tracing of its outline left on her flanks to signify that it ever existed and...
She stopped her thoughts right there. Thinking about Twilight's hairless flanks wasn't what she wanted to be doing right now. It was just too creepy.
"Here," Twilight said as she levitated a cup of tea over to her. She eagerly accepted it, sipping at its contents, and finding them to be soothing. That made things a little bit better.
"Thank you, darling," Rarity replied before taking another sip to help steady her nerves.
"It's the least I can do. I guess this is a bit awkward," Twilight replied sheepishly.
"A bit awkward? Twilight, "a bit awkward" is realizing that you've mistakenly worn synthetic fabrics to a formal gathering. This goes well beyond that point," Rarity stated, trying to alternate her point of focus between the cup of tea, and Twilight's eyes, rather than anything else. She sighed at that point. "I'm sorry if I'm coming off as high strung, Twilight, it's just been such a shock to my system. When I came over here to give you Spike's gems, I never expected to find you walking around completely bald," she stated.
Twilight nodded in understanding as she levitated one of the cushions off of the couch, and sat herself down on it. "I can see that making sense. Although I prefer the term "nude" myself. Socially it carries essentially the same meaning, but I just like the sound of it much better," she explained, before taking her own cup of tea.
Rarity maintained her silence, contemplating what to say as she slowly sipped her tea. There was the need to balance both politeness, and friendship, against the desire to know what had possessed her friend to act so strangely. At times like this, she really wished that she was more like one of their other friends, who could so freely get away with being brash at the least little provocation.
"Language preferences aside. Why... why... why any of it? Whatever possessed you to do something like this, Twilight? You're aware of the social connotations involved with deliberate baldness, are you not?!"
Well, so much for tact. She hadn't even meant to fly off like that, it had just happened when she opened her mouth to speak.
"I'm sorry, darling, I really am. I didn't mean to come off as being harsh. I just... I just don't understand this; any of it," she explained.
"It's alright, I understand," Twilight replied, unshaken by Rarity's sudden outburst. She paused as she sipped her tea, before speaking up to address her again. "And yes, I'm well aware of how society views those that deliberately choose to go hairless. Promiscuity, moral degenerates, corruptors of all that's good and decent, etc. I used to think the exact same thing. For a time. Now, not so much," she explained.
"Darling, you're making me more curious than I was previously. What exactly changed your outlook on this subject? Whatever motivated you to become a... a..." Rarity paused, trying to find the proper word.
"Nudist," Twilight replied.
"Yes. That," Rarity stated, thankful to have some idea of how Twilight chose to view herself. Calling her a "baldy" to her face wouldn't have been polite under any circumstances. Despite the shock she'd received, she didn't want to present herself as a rude guest.
"Well... I think it all started during my second trip to the human world, when Sunset Shimmer wrote, asking for help in defeating the sirens that Starswirl banished to their realm. Part of it involved staying there overnight," Twilight began, to which Rarity nodded.
"We spent the night in the palace, just in case you came back and needed our help," she explained.
"Anyway, I had plans to occupy the library there, but the others wouldn't hear of it, and we all spent the night at the house of their world's Pinkie. Everything was going fine, until it came time for changing into pajamas. Human clothing is... a lot different from pony clothing. Lots of features that we'd consider unnecessary. It was frustrating. I was willing to simply do without it, until Sunset Shimmer and the others explained the key importance of clothes in their world. It turns out their world's taboo against nudity is even stronger than ours; they actually wear clothing underneath other clothing," she stated.
"You don't say," Rarity replied, amazed at such a revelation.
"I do say. They helped me understand that it serves a specific purpose that warrants it, but still, it's a lot to get used to," Twilight continued.
"Well that's certainly fascinating to hear, Twilight, but how exactly did that lead you to this whole nudist thing in the first place?" Rarity asked, burning with a curiosity that her tea simply couldn't quench.
"Well that sort of came about sometime later in the evening when Sunset Shimmer and I were talking in the kitchen. She told me that she understood the confusion the cultural difference presented. She also told me that she actually goes nude around her apartment when she's by herself, as it reminds her of home, and helps when she's stressed," Twilight explained, before stopping to take another sip of her tea.
Rarity considered Twilight's words, trying to make sense of how what she'd been told had led to what she'd witnessed. She just couldn't fathom how the two were connected. Surely there had to be more to it than just that.
"I take it there's more to this story than just that?" she eventually asked. She knew that Twilight had a penchant for exploring cultural aspects she deemed interesting. But she highly doubted that interest alone would be enough to motivate the alicorn to shave herself bald.
"A lot more, actually. That wasn't my last trip back to the human world. I've made several since then whenever I've had the opportunity, usually just for a few hours at a time. It's a lot easier when there's no crises that need to be addressed," Twilight explained. Rarity nodded in response, easily able to understand that point. "The time after that, I'd been in contact with Sunset Shimmer through the journal here and there. When I wrote her and told her that I planned on coming back over for a few hours, she wrote me back and invited me to come over to her place, saying she'd appreciate being able to catch up with another Equestrian, and find out how much had changed since she left."
"And you did this while... nude?" Rarity asked, even though she had the feeling that she already knew the answer.
"Well not at first. I mean, when I showed up, I expected her to answer the door nude based on what she'd said the last time we were together. But instead she answered it fully dressed. I thought about bringing it up, but at the time I really wasn't sure if it was a good idea, what with their nudity being the equivalent of our baldness. It actually made me kind of uncomfortable to consider," Twilight explained.
"So what changed?" Rarity asked.
"Sunset Shimmer realized how uncomfortable I was and helped talk me through it. She explained a few things that made sense, and I realized that I was basically being afraid of something because I only possessed a little information about it. Then I realized just how silly I was being when I started piecing things together. And after a while we just sort of... went ahead with it," Twilight explained.
"And..." Rarity paused, unsure if she wanted to actually go through with asking. "How was it?"
"Well at first it was... really strange. Human biology is just so foreign. But we managed to settle into a somewhat comfortable setting. We talked, we read some books, we even got acquainted with their world's equivalent of our arcade games. Eventually it stopped being strange and just seemed... kind of normal actually. It was actually fascinating to experience, and do a compare and contrast with what I'm familiar with," Twilight stated, before downing the rest of her tea.
And now the memories of her experience with "Tetris" were coming back to her. Maybe the next time she went through, she could see about bringing one of those laptop computers back through the portal with her.
"I'm sorry, darling, but I'm still having trouble understanding all of this. How exactly did one afternoon serve to convince you that being bald, er, nude with such ready regularity, isn't an activity that's related to promiscuity and such?" Rarity asked, trying to get a proper hold on what was being said. She was certain Twilight had what she thought was a valid reason for believing such, but she simply couldn't see it herself.
"Well it was more than just one afternoon actually. Sunset Shimmer might have gotten the ball rolling, but it was my own research that helped convince me that it wasn't. During one of my visits, I found a message board on the subject-
"Message board? Like a bulletin board?" Rarity asked.
"Not exactly," Twilight began, trying to think of how to explain the concept of the internet to Rarity so she might understand it. The details weren't really relevant, but she would so need to kick herself if she didn't try to be accurate. "You know how the telegraph works, right?" she asked. Rarity nodded. "It's sort of the same principle, but in this case almost everyone has a telegraph in their home, each of them interconnected like a spider's web, so they're all attached to a central hub of information, allowing everyone to communicate back and forth."
"... I'll take your word for it, darling, simply because I don't wish to get anymore distracted from your current tale than I already have," Rarity stated, briefly wondering if Twilight had brought up such a foreign concept in a deliberate effort to distract her from her tale. "You were saying?"
"Oh. Right," Twilight replied and nodded. She'd address the technical issues some other time. "Anyway. I found a meeting place of individuals who are nudists, since they seemed the best to ask. They were really friendly, answering all of the questions that I had on the subject. They were incredibly helpful as I tried to make sense of everything," she explained as she smiled, remembering the outpouring of support that she'd received.
"And what did they say that led you to... joining the herd as it were?" Rarity asked, waving her free hoof in a small circle as she tried to find the right way of phrasing the question.
"Well... nothing really. I got a lot of questions answered about the topic, but none of it really convinced me that being a nudist was something I wanted to do. But then again I didn't set out to be convinced about that. I just wanted information about why others did it. I thought it was about promiscuity as well, but you'd be surprised at some of the answers I got back, about why other did it, and how they got started doing it," Twilight stated.
"And... what sort of reasons did they give you as to what motivated them to forgo clothing in their daily lives?" Rarity finally asked, torn between curiosity and revulsion at this point in time. But Twilight was still her friend, and she owed her friend support. No matter how uncomfortable it made her to do so.
"Mostly it had to do with how freeing and relaxing it was for them to go without the demands of society within the privacy of their own homes. Some were raised with the concept since birth, and didn't know anything else, while others came to it of their own volition. To them it's just... normal. It's what they know, it's what they enjoy doing," Twilight explained.
Rarity sighed as she laid down on the sofa, using her front hooves to massage her temples.
"I'm sure its quite fascinating from a scholastic standpoint, darling, but could you please explain why you came to the conclusion that this was for you? And how you arrived at said conclusion?" she asked, trying to keep her irritation out of her voice. But so far it was proving to be difficult. "I'm far more interested in your motivations, rather than those of others that I'll likely never meet..."
"Oh," Twilight replied as she realized just how far off topic she was getting. "Well after all of the back and forth discussion about things, I eventually got curious. Ponies don't wear clothing, but for us its socially acceptable not to do so, despite how we'd all be considered nude by human standards. But we don't consider our own lack of clothing to be obscene, because we're covered by fur. What we consider to be obscene is a lack of fur covering. For... pretty much obvious reasons," she paused and looked back at one of her own molted wings.
"Among other things," Rarity mumbled, "so realizing that our fur serves the same social purpose as clothing is what motivated you to try this out?"
"Well I wouldn't say it motivated me, but it certainly made me curious, and a while back on one hot day when I had the opportunity I just... tried it out to see what it was like. There's actually a spell that can disintegrate a pony's fur or feathers, and seeing no reason not to at the time, I just went and did it," Twilight explained.
"Just like that?" Rarity asked as she quirked an eyebrow. It all seemed far too simple to her.
"Well not just like that. I made sure there was a counter-spell that could be used before I ever considered doing it. And I made sure there were no responsibilities I had to see to beforehoof. But once I made sure of that... yeah, pretty much," Twilight replied and gave a shrug.
Rarity loosened up a bit. At least Twilight had exercised due caution before attempting this inane idea. That made her feel a little better, to know that her friend hadn't simply rushed off to shed her fur like some sort of degenerate.
"I take it, based on your explanation, this isn't your first time going furless. So obviously you must've found something appealing about it, that warranted continuing it," Rarity reasoned. "I'm hesitant to ask about the details. But as far as I've come, turning back down would just uncalled for. So... what motivated you to keep up this... practice?" she asked, deciding to forge ahead with her inquiry.
"Well at first it was simple curiosity as to what it would be like. It was... kind of strange really. I never saw what I looked like under my coat before, so I wasn't really prepared for what I saw. I almost cast the counter-spell right then," she stated and giggled at the memory. "But being a scientist, I decided to see it through. Looking back I'm glad I did, as I would've missed out on a significant learning opportunity. And once you get past the awkwardness of realizing that you're walking around with nothing on, it really stops being so strange. Once the excitement wears off it just seems normal. You stop feeling like you're getting away with doing something that you shouldn't, and start feeling more comfortable, both with your own state, and your surroundings."
Rarity knew full well that Twilight's use of the word "you" hadn't been to address her directly, but rather to assist her as she went about explaining her reasoning. Nor was she all that surprised by her friend choosing to paint her journey into the concept of baldness -nudity, she reminded herself- as a sort of scientific experiment; considering everything Twilight had gotten herself into in the past, this would hardly be the most unusual of her experiments.
Regardless of that fact, however, there was still a great deal that she didn't understand. And if she wanted to have any understanding of what motivated her friend, she was going to need to dig deeper still.
But first, she needed more tea. Much to her chagrin, however, the pot was empty when she went to freshen her drink.
"... Could I trouble you for another pot of tea, darling?" she asked.
"It's no trouble at all," Twilight replied as she stood back up from her perch.
"Er..." Rarity paused uneasily, "darling, would it be asking too much for you to..."
"You'd like me to reactivate the illusion spell I was using earlier?" Twilight asked, guessing that it was what Rarity was getting at.
"Would you? Please?" Rarity asked. "I don't want to be rude or anything, seeing as I'm your guest. It's just that-"
"It's fine, really. I don't mind," Twilight replied, before casting the desired spell. In a flash she was looking like her normal self once again. "I'll need your help in the kitchen, however. I can't do any magic multitasking while I maintain the illusion," she explained.
Rarity nodded. That was certainly fair as far as she was concerned. If Twilight was going to make her feel comfortable, the least she could do was assist her if it was needed.
That uncomfortable moment when questions lead to misunderstandings
Making tea was hardly all that difficult a process to do; it was something Rarity had done so many times, she didn't even need to make eye contact with everything to do it properly. And to do it without the use of her magic was foal's play.
Twilight, on the other hoof, lacked the same skill level when it came to utilizing her hooves exclusively. It was almost sad to watch her try. Even if Rarity hadn't agreed to help, there was no way she could simply stand back and watch the whole mess unfolding.
"I'll tend to this, darling," she stated as she assumed control of the process with great ease, getting everything ready in practically no time.
"Thanks," Twilight replied as she stepped back, allowing her friend to take care of things. "Usually I let Spike take care of the non-magical work."
Rarity nodded, figuring that would be the case, based on what she'd been witnessing. But she didn't want to comment, as it would be too easy to sound rude if she did. She really had no desire to be anymore rude than she had been previously.
But now that the pot was on the stove, there really wasn't much to do but wait in silence. That didn't appeal to her very much either. All there really was, was just sitting and looking at each other. And it was difficult for her to look directly at Twilight, knowing that her appearance was nothing more than a simple illusion, and how she was completely nude just below the surface.
"Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"There's a... particular question that I feel the need to ask. But I don't actually know how to go about asking it, without coming off as being incredibly blunt. There's simply no way to exercise tact that I can see right now," Rarity explained.
"Oh? Well that's alright. Sometimes bluntness is the only way to go," Twilight stated, curious as to what Rarity wanted to ask her.
"Alright then," Rarity replied and nodded. "You said that you found a spell that caused your fur to fall out, meaning somepony else created it first. I don't want to come off as unreasonably judgmental, as I'm sure you had good reasoning, but just what sort of debaucherous publishing were you reading, that would mention a spell that induces total baldness?!"
Twilight didn't even blink before replying. "It was an older issue of the "Neigh England Journal of Medicine" that came with the shipment of new books I got for the palace library. It's a medical spell, primarily used in the treatment of severe lice infestations."
Now it was Rarity's turn to blink. And she did. "A medical spell? Really?" she asked. Now she was feeling quite bad for assuming that Twilight had been fumbling about with some obvious adult material of a dubious quality.
"Really," Twilight replied and nodded, "that's why there's a counter spell that's used to regrow what's lost."
"Well that certainly makes sense," Rarity said to herself. At least Twilight wasn't practicing something that some inexperienced writer of certain romance novels would dream up. "But... if there's a counter-spell, why didn't you use it instead of simply casting an illusion spell?" she asked.
"Well for several reasons. The first is that is takes several minutes for complete regrowing to occur. It's also kind of a calorie intense spell, so I'd have to eat a big meal, either before using it, or after using it, since fur and feathers have to grow from something; that's why the spell for total baldness is only used for severe lice infestations. But the primary reason that I didn't used it, is because the regrowing spell is just so darn itchy to use! It's a little more tolerable if you do it while taking a bath or shower, so... yeah. It's sort of a lot of work to do when you have to answer the door. Especially if the interruption is only a brief one," Twilight explained.
Rarity knew that she wasn't being directly addressed about the interruption aspect. Even if she was, Twilight would likely never outright state it. But regardless of that fact, she felt a bit more sympathetic for Twilight than she did just a moment ago, as so many thoughts about what was going on, were slowly being dispelled. She thought she knew what was going on, only to learn the hard way that she didn't.
And that sympathy for Twilight soon turned into regret for herself as the came to terms with her own questionable actions. Now she felt positively terrible.
"I'm sorry, darling," she eventually stated with a sigh.
"What? No, Rarity I didn't mean that you-" Twilight started.
"It's not that, Twilight, although you would certainly be justified if it was. What I'm sorry for is being such a terrible guest. And, dare I say, a rather terrible friend as well," Rarity said as she sat down on the kitchen floor. "This is your home, Twilight, where one is supposed to be free to do as they please. I come here bearing gifts for Spike in recognition of all his hard work, and what do I do? I become hostile, and incredibly judgmental of something that apparently makes you happy, all while I don't even fully understand it. I've just been utterly horrible!" she stated, sighing as she hung her head. "... Can you forgive my ignorance, my intolerance, my short sightedness? And me?"
"I think I can do that easy enough," Twilight replied as she gave a friendly smile. "But it's really not that big of a deal, Rarity. There's a natural tendency to gravitate towards what's known, when confronted with a wholly foreign concept. I knew that you weren't personally attacking me."
"Personally?" Rarity asked and blinked at the word.
"I'll explain later. But suffice to say, I knew you were being critical of my behavior, rather than me specifically. I can only imagine what must've been going through your mind this whole time," Twilight explained.
"I doubt that you truly could," Rarity replied, unsure of whether to look back at the floor, or continue looking at Twilight. "I should've kept a more open mind, rather than making assumptions that you were... were..." she paused, uncertain of what to say. The more she thought about it, the lack of knowing what to say might've been for the better. "I should have. But there's just so much about this whole concept that I simply don't understand. I simply don't know what to think about it all," she stated.
Behind them the tea kettle began to whistle, signaling that the water had reached temperature. Wordlessly Twilight moved and turned the burner off.
"Well if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them for you," she offered.
"Yes. Yes I think I'd like that very much. Thank you," Rarity replied. The fact that Twilight had chosen to not berate her for her ignorance had reminded her of just how lucky she was to have such an understanding friend. And now it appeared that her luck was continuing to shine, as she was willing to continue putting up with her, even when she had plenty of reason to ask her to leave the premises immediately. But it hadn't happened. Instead she was being offered more tea, and answers to whatever questions she might have. She really couldn't help but smile at that fact.
"Alright," Twilight began as she sat herself back down on the cushion in the library, a large pot of tea ready for whatever the question and answer session might bring them. "Where would you like to start?"
Rarity mulled over the question, wondering how to go about answering Twilight's inquiry. Knowing so little about the subject of nudity, she didn't have the slightest clue where to start.
Finally, she simply picked a point at random, and decided it would be best to start there.
"Perhaps a bit of clarity regarded something that was said earlier. As you said, this isn't your first time going about part of your day while nude. How many times have you... gone nude outside of the palace?" she asked.
"Um... does Sunset Shimmer's apartment count?" Twilight asked.
"Not in this case, no," Rarity replied and shook her head.
"None? Not even once?" Rarity asked, finding the answer hard to believe. "The way you were talking about it seeming so normal, I would've thought that... well..."
Twilight quickly shook her head. "The inside of the palace is one thing. But Ponyville is something else entirely. I wouldn't be able to use my magic in case an emergency were to arise. And I'd be mortified if the illusion spell were to fail for whatever reason, leaving me caught out in public," she stated and shuddered. "Being the Princess of Friendship, I can't exactly take a chance like that. I have to set a good example for everyone. So unless some significant social revolution occurs in the near future, the palace is about as far as I'll be going."
Rarity could do little more than nod in understanding of what Twilight said. She didn't want to imagine what those wretched tabloids would be saying if her friends' fear were to come to fruition, and she was caught out in public in a wholly indecent manner.
She briefly -very, very briefly- considered asking if such a scenario might inspire the trend to become more widespread, seeing that it would be endorsed by royalty. But she didn't know if it might wind up mortifying Twilight, rather than comforting her. Better to be safe than sorry.
"And... if there was some way to ensure that the illusion wasn't at risk of failing?" she asked as she poured herself a new cup of tea.
"Well there are ways to bind spells to a talisman so they can work independently of the caster. But even so, I still don't think I'd do it," she stated as she extended one of her wings to wave it. "I know these feathers look real, but they're totally useless in case I ever need to take flight."
Again, Rarity nodded. At least Twilight was approaching this whole endeavor from a pragmatic standpoint, taking a great many things into consideration, rather than just rushing in without the slightest thought about what consequences her actions might have.
"Barring such possibilities from discussion, would you want to do such?" she asked.
For a while, Twilight just sat there in thought, unmoving except for tucking her wing back in. Finally, she slowly shook her head.
"I really don't think so. Even if I could flawlessly get away with doing something like that, it's not really what I'd want to do. Nudism isn't the same as exhibitionism, even thought it might come off as that. For me it's about relaxing, not getting excited with the prospect of..." she stopped and cleared her throat at that point, not really wanting to go into all the details.
"I think I'm finally beginning to understand a little," Rarity replied. She could see that, despite her furless state, Twilight was exercising far more modesty than she'd first assumed. This wasn't about getting away with doing something that she shouldn't be doing at all, but more along the lines of indulging in a guilty pleasure of sorts.
That didn't mean that she could see why nudity appealed to Twilight. But at least her friend was exercising responsibility with what made her happy, rather than approaching with a Discord may care attitude like some might be inclined to do in her position.
"That's good," Twilight replied, before moving over to the table to pick up the tea pot. Or at least try to anyway. Before she could actually get it in her hooves, however, Rarity had levitated it up in order to pour her a fresh cup. "Thanks."
"I'd like to think it's the least I can do, after you've done so much to try and make me feel more comfortable. I dare say you've been a far more gracious host than I would have if the situation were reversed," Rarity replied as she sat the pot back down on the serving tray.
"It's really not that big of a deal, Rarity," Twilight insisted, realizing that she was going to need to go into explanation again. "It's true, nudity is a character attribute that I've acquired. But it's not the sole defining attribute of myself. I don't go around all day, eagerly looking forward to any opportunity to lose my fur as soon as I can. It's something that I enjoy doing, but I don't have to do it; I'm not going to go stir crazy if there are long stretches when I have to stay furry. I certainly haven't so far," she stated.
"Oh..." Rarity replied, noting how another misconception was quietly and easily being debunked, discredited, and discarded.
"Try and think of it like wearing socks when it gets cold in the fall and winter. Yes they feel good, and they keep our hooves warm. But it's not something we'd want to do all the time, wherever we went, just because we could," Twilight elaborated.
"Ah!" Rarity stated. Now it really was starting to make more sense to her than it had.
"That said, however, if there was a way to de-fur and re-fur at will, quickly and easily without the side effects involved with using medical magic, I would so do it," Twilight stated, before pausing to take a drink of her tea. "Humans have it so much easier than us when it comes to practicing nudity. They can put clothes on and take them off at will. If they have to answer the door, they can slip on a simple dress, or a bathrobe, or even just a pair of pants, and nopony thinks anything about it. But if I want to do it, it's a lot more work that has to be gone through. There's just no simple way of going about it," she explained and huffed.
Twilight actually praising clothing. Rarity almost chuckled when she heard that, having never expected something like that. Herself, most certainly, but not Twilight.
"So why isn't there?" Rarity asked as she decided to delve deeper, and figure out just how invested Twilight was in all of this.
"I really don't know. I guess it's because nopony has ever had to come up with such a method, because it's not a concept seen as socially acceptable," Twilight replied and shrugged. Maybe if Equestria ever developed the concept of fur-optional communities, the idea might catch on. But that was neither here nor there, as she had no desire to be the first to try and orchestrate one. "Until then, if I want to continue, I'm just going to have to work for it."
"It does sound a bit labor intensive to engage in," Rarity agreed and nodded. "Meaning that you've found some aspect to it, that you feel justifies the effort needed to get there. But... darling, I'm sorry, I'm just not seeing the appeal of going without your fur. What... what is it that appeals to you so much? What makes it so worthwhile?" she asked.
"That..." Twilight paused, trying to think of what to say. She considered comparing it to Rarity trying to explain the benefits of extravagant clothing to ponies who had no need for them. But that might be treading too far into her territory, and possibly upset her. "It's... kind of hard to put into words without rambling. It's... well for me it just feels comfortable to go nude. Like on these stifling nights we've been having at times, you know what they're like. Nights when you can't stay asleep, waking up all sweaty in the middle of the night, where even a simple cotton bed sheet might as well be a mountain of heavy woolen blankets. It's times like that, where laying on the floor with a damp towel draped over your neck, and no fur getting in the way, is unbelievably comfortable compared to the alternative," she explained.
Rarity really couldn't mount an argument to that. She knew the nights Twilight was talking about; she knew them very well. They were the bane of her coiffure's very existence. Nights like that demanded a significant amount of upkeep in the morning to make oneself presentable. And making matters all the worse, summer had only begun a few short weeks ago. According to what Rainbow Dash said, this summer was expected to be even hotter than it was already.
There was no way she was going to fault Twilight for doing what she believed to be necessary during those difficult times. Although the idea of just laying on the bare floor, and not even with your own fur to act as a layer of insulation between your body and where one walked, just didn't appeal to her at all.
But whether or not it appealed to her, she still had questions to ask.
"So you being a nudist is a hot weather sort of thing? Something that will likely get used, what, four months out of the year?" she asked.
"I... don't know yet. I'm still new to this, so I don't know just what I'm going to do yet. I can't really foresee wanting to go without my fur in the winter. But then again I don't know how the crystalline structure of the palace might react to the weather. It's just way too soon to tell anything," Twilight explained, making a mental note that the next time she visited the human world, she should really ask some more in depth questions on the message boards.
To her credit she had thought enough to ask the people about what they did during the winter, so she had some idea. But she didn't yet know how applicable it would be in her case. She'd just have to wait and see how it played out.
For a while Rarity stayed silent, mulling over things as she slowly sipped her tea. There were a lot of things to consider, leaving her uncertain what she should say, and what she should ask. Should she try and be supportive of Twilight as she attempted to face her own uncertainty, and figure out what she wanted to do? Or should she keep asking questions in an effort to gather more information to help her make sense of all this?
Eventually she concluded that if she had more information to go on, she could better determine what to do as a friend.
"Are there any other aspects worth mentioning?" she asked curiously.
"Well..." Twilight paused, glancing upward in thought, "skin is less porous than fabric, feathers, and fur, so it's easier to wash off if it gets dirty. But not going outside, that's of very limited practical application..."
Rarity, relying on her years of experience as a socialite, didn't frown at the tone Twilight's voice took during her attempted explanation. When she'd been detailing the issues of comfort, she spoke in a much more upbeat manner than she was now. To her it sounded like she was embarrassed or something. But why would she be embarrassed about...
She stopped as a new thought entered her mind. If Twilight was embarrassed, it wasn't about being without her fur, but rather -dare she say- being unable to justify it beyond her own comfort. It was like being caught indulging in a guilty pleasure, and having no way of explaining it to those that simply didn't understand.
And she'd wound up putting her friend in this position of discomfort in the first place, without even realizing it. She had practically challenged her to defend what made her happy. That had simply been uncalled for.
There was the obligation for friends to look out for one another when one might be engaging in risky behavior that might put them in harm's way; especially if the one facing the risk was unaware of the danger they faced. But as best she could tell, Twilight was exercising her own due diligence, and maintaining responsibility. She was ensuring that her work was done, before relaxing in the privacy of her own home, and not out flaunting herself for everyone to see. As best she could tell, there was nothing to be concerned about, and no pressing need to stage an intervention.
"Twilight, let me ask you something. Does doing this make you happy?" she asked.
"Well... yes. Pretty much," Twilight slowly replied, a little confused by the sudden shift in topic.
"Then I believe that's all I need to know. I still can't say that I understand the appeal of going without your fur, but then again I wasn't asked. If it makes you happy, and doesn't put you at risk of harm, that's all that really matters," Rarity explained as she climbed down off of the sofa, feeling the need to stretch her legs.
"Really?" Twilight asked as she sat up on her cushion. "What changed your mind? And so quickly?"
"Watching you try and justify something that ultimately needs no more justification than the simple fact that it's something you enjoy. I was reminded of some of my own past efforts, trying to explain my passion for fashion to ponies who were more than content to go about their daily business without a stitch on," Rarity explained and huffed. "There were some harrowing times involved when I was getting my start. It took me a long time to realize that their lack of understanding didn't make my passion invalid, it just wasn't understood is all. And based on how I've been acting since getting here, it appears that I've been repeating their lack of understanding. I'm sorry, darling. Again."
Twilight wanted to tell Rarity that it was alright, and that she understood. But despite wanting to do that, she couldn't get the words out. Twice she'd tried to explain such, and it didn't appear to have worked. Would a third time actually succeed where the first two had failed? She really didn't think so. If she wanted to get her message across properly, she'd have to try something different.
"I know what you mean. Few ponies enjoy a good book as much as I do. And even after meeting all of you, I still experience times where I don't understand why anypony would want to be outside, with the hot sun beating down on them, when they could otherwise be comfortable inside with a good book that'll take you on an amazing journey," she explained. Fortunately though, times like that weren't very common.
"It would seem that, no matter how understanding we try and be, we're doomed to eventually encounter something that makes us stop and wonder just what it's all about, because we don't understand it," Rarity stated, causing Twilight to giggle and nod in agreement.
For a while, after the laughing had stopped, a silence settled in over the library. But it wasn't the sort of silence that was born from discomfort or unease. Rather it was more of a silence born from simply not having anything that needed to be said at the moment.
Regardless of that fact, however, Twilight eventually felt the need to speak up. "So. Are we good?"
"Yes. I believe so," Rarity replied and nodded, "although if it's alright with you darling, I don't believe that I'll be joining in."
Rarity observed the blank look she was getting from Twilight. She could practically hear the metaphorical gears in the alicorn's brain clicking against one another at this point as they tried to turn. And while it was certainly an appropriate comparison to make, considering how Twilight's mind worked, there was still the matter of not being sure just what her friend was thinking right now.
"Wait, what now?" Twilight finally asked. "Did you... did you think that I was trying to convince you that you should..." she paused, a confused look on her face. But that look soon gave way to a fresh fit of giggles.
"You mean you weren't trying to sell me on the idea that nudity is a worthwhile endeavor?" Rarity asked, both confused, and a bit embarrassed about assuming such.
Twilight had to shake her head until she could stop giggling enough to actually talk again. "I know that it sounds strange, but being a nudist isn't like being part of a cult; it's nothing like what Starlight Glimmer was doing. There's no ulterior motives to set out and convince others to join. I was just trying to help make sense of everything. I guess I goofed a bit, huh?"
"I think it's fair to say we both goofed on this one," Rarity replied as she chuckled, another inaccurate thought being laid to rest with ease. And also a feeling of relief at finding out she was wrong.
"That's putting it mildly," Twilight said as she giggled anew. But giggling at least meant that there were no hard feelings to be had from how things developed.
Again, silence settled in as the two of them calmed down, just looking at one another. But it was short lived as Rarity spoke again.
"I admit, I do feel a bit silly for actually believing that you were trying to convince me to join in. In hindsight it just seems ridiculous to even consider."
"I know," Twilight replied and nodded in understanding. "I mean, if you wanted to learn the spells, I could teach them to you; they're really not all that complicated. But what you did afterward would be entirely up to you."
"Oh..." Rarity replied slowly, uncertain of just what to say. "If it's alright with you, darling, I think I'll take a pass on the offer. I just... whatever reason would I have to use something like that in my everyday life?" she asked. Other than the blatantly obvious -and unlikely- answer as to what they'd be used for.
"Well that all depends," Twilight began as she took a more serious tone. "How often does Sweetie Belle come home from her crusading endeavors, with her fur covered in tree sap?" she asked.
Rarity was about to respond to the question. But then she realized what Twilight was saying, and she remembered that the spells in question were originally intended for medical purposes. And considering what Sweetie Belle and the others got into...
"Hmm... It could have some beneficial applications. Under the right circumstances," she eventually admitted as she rubbed her chin in thought. It would certainly save her a great deal of effort in keeping her little sister clean after a busy day of crusading and getting dirty.
"Especially if those circumstances ever involve a bubblegum mishap," Twilight added, causing Rarity to start giggling again.
That less awkward moment after the misunderstanding has passed
There were times when the awkwardness from Rarity's unintended discovery had felt palpable; often more so to herself than to Twilight. Despite having every justified reason to keep uncomfortable, and embarrassed about what had occurred today, she was taking everything so casually, and shown no outward signs of unease with being caught furless.
It had been an awkward period of time since the initial discovery, that couldn't be denied. But that awkwardness had eventually dissolved on the wake of a far more casual, and comfortable atmosphere settling in, thanks on no small part to Twilight's understanding, and willingness to address the issue openly. That had helped alleviate a great deal of tension.
And now that shift in atmosphere was being marked over two bowls of sweet imported ice cream from the palace's freezer.
"Go ahead," Twilight replied as she paused to readjust the grip she had on her spoon, just inches away from a scoop that was soaked in chocolate syrup.
"I know that it's really none of my business, and I'm not asking you to name names or anything, darling, but I'm curious. Do... any of the others know that you're a nudist?" Rarity asked.
Twilight shook her head. "No, none of them know about it. They've had no reason to ask, and I've had no reason, or desire, to make it a known fact. It's not exactly the sort of thing you just work into the conversation with somepony."
"Oh," Rarity replied. She could respect that decision. But then something that Twilight had said caught her attention. "Wait. When you said none of them, does that also include Spike?" she asked. Twilight nodded. "Not even Spike knows? But how is that possible? Didn't he accompany you when you went to Sunset Shimmer's?"
"No he didn't," Twilight replied, shaking her head again. "He was having fun with the Cutie Mark Crusaders that day, so I just went through on my own. He has no idea about it, as I haven't been doing it when he's around. I don't know how he'd respond to it if he saw me nude without warning," she explained.
"But I thought you said on hot nights you... well I just assumed that, seeing as Spike lives with you that it would've... come up at some point."
"No," Twilight replied and shook her head again, "when Spike's around I keep my fur on. When its really hot, I use a localized variant of the spell and remove the hair from the underside of my barrel, and just lay on the floor on my stomach. It's not as efficient, but it's better than nothing," she explained.
"Oh..." Rarity replied. That certainly made some sense. She paused and took another bite of her ice cream, savoring the taste, before speaking again. "So all this time, you've been keeping it to yourself," she elaborated.
"Pretty much," Twilight replied and nodded, before returning to her attention to her own ice cream. "But it's alright. Like I said, it's not an aspect of myself that I consider to be defining in terms of quality. If I can't go nude as often as I might like, it's really not a big deal."
"Yes, darling, I know. You keep saying that," Rarity replied as she idly stirred the melting portions of her ice cream. "Regardless of that fact. Hearing you describe what's involved with actually going about it, certainly makes it sound like it's a big deal. I mean, the amount of effort you apparently need to go through, not only to ensure your schedule is clear, but also to ensure that the rest of us don't accidentally stumble across your idea of relaxation... it sounds like an awfully significant amount of responsibility that you need to whither all by yourself," she explained and idly sucked the mushy concoction off of her spoon before continuing. "Be honest, dear, doesn't it all seem just a bit harrowing, knowing that you effort could be undone by one of us not being thoughtful enough to knock on the door before coming in?"
"I never said that it was easy, just that it wasn't a big deal," Twilight clarified, before taking another bite of her ice cream. "That said, however, it is an issue I've had to be mindful of whenever I want to dispense with my fur on a hot day. Not just when it comes to my friends, but anyone in Ponyville that might come by for whatever reason. I've gotten a little more in tuned with things since I first started, so I have a bit more of an idea of what to expect. But still, there are times when I don't quite feel safe enough with the idea to proceed," she explained, before taking a bigger scoop of ice cream, and let out a satisfied sigh as the taste met her tongue. "Why do you ask?"
"Might I speak freely, darling?" Rarity asked.
"Of course," Twilight replied and nodded.
"I know that my understanding of everything on this matter is limited, but speaking as one friend to another at recognizing the difficulty they're having... I think the others should be made aware of this development in what interests you. If for no other reason, than the simple fact that their being aware may make things a little easier on yourself. Being your friends, we should be looking at how we can help you; not simply what you can do for us. And if there are little things that we can be doing to help you out, like being able to keep Spike preoccupied, or knowing when it might be best to avoid the palace for a while, then I think it's something that should be discussed," Rarity explained.
"Oh," Twilight said, uncertain of how exactly to respond to what Rarity had said. She wasn't sure what she'd expected when Rarity asked about speaking freely, but that certainly wasn't it. That had come out of nowhere, like a brick straight to the face.
"I know that you have your reasons for not wanting to, Twilight, and I'm certainly not saying that your concerns aren't valid. But as your friend, I just can't help but feel like you might be making things more difficult for yourself than they need to be. We've all needed help at one point or another, sometimes with something we consider to be potentially embarrassing. It's really not all that different now," Rarity continued, laying out how she saw the situation from her own perspective. "With all that we've been through, from slumber parties, all the way to the number of times we've saved Equestria, I doubt this one little thing would be sufficient to quake the bonds we've forged," she pointed out.
Twilight wanted to offer a rebuttal, but found that she couldn't. What Rarity had said was playing about in her mind, and she had to admit that there was some sense to her words. Some of her -possibly irrational- fears weren't exactly standing up to the same level of scrutiny they originally had in light of Rarity's words. The others were her friends, and they had done a lot of things together; more than most had done in the same amount of time.
"I guess..." she slowly replied.
"I'm not saying that it's something that has to be done, that's simply not my call. I just think that it may be for the best if it is done," Rarity explained. "And please, darling, don't yet again say that it's no big deal," she added.
Twilight paused, uncertain of what to say in light of this. Now she was the one with a lot of questions.
"Rarity, I get that you want to help and all, but why exactly is this so important to you?" she finally asked, deciding to get to the heart of the matter. She'd been listening to Rarity explain things as she saw them, but for all of her words, there really wasn't that much being said. It was like she was trying to delicately approach a controversial subject of discussion, but with far too much tact. If she didn't speak up, they might be going back and forth about this for hours before getting anywhere. And if she didn't start getting some definite answers, she might have to press for them. "And please, be specific. Even if it means being blunt," she added.
"Oh. Very well then," Rarity replied and cleared her throat. "Besides the fact that we're your friends, there's also something you said earlier, about the crystal flooring being cool to lay on. I just can't help but think that, should that information get out, and if this summer is truly as ghastly as Rainbow Dash thinks it may be, we may all be spending more time in the palace than we originally considered. And if that's the case, then it's going to be very inconsiderate to you, with us all loitering about for our own comfort, and not realizing that we're keeping you from being comfortable as well. Them knowing would be as much for their sakes as it would be yours, darling," she explained.
"Hmm," Twilight mumbled as she rubbed her chin with her hoof. She would admit, that wasn't something she'd actually given much consideration to. But perhaps she should. She certainly wasn't going to deny her friends access to the palace, and hog it all to herself. "That is a good point," she finally agreed and nodded. It may ultimately prove necessary to let the others know about this. But the question was how?
"Do you have any suggestions for how to go about letting them know about this? Something that can be done in a controlled manner without causing a commotion or panic?"
Rarity wasn't certain if Twilight was exaggerating or not with her evaluation that the news would cause a panic among her friends. She liked to think she had a fairly good idea of the character of the others, and could anticipate how they might respond. But this was brand new territory. Knowing what she did, Pinkie may insist on throwing a party to celebrate Twilight's new found interests, seeking to validate what made her happy. Fluttershy might become flustered, and possibly even faint if she should see Twilight nude. Applejack and Rainbow Dash... she had no idea what the more rough and tumble members of their little group might do.
"Not at the moment," Rarity replied. She really hadn't thought that Twilight would actually agree; at least not without more effort on her part. But then she thought on the question as hoof, and came to a conclusion. "Actually... I think I know just where to start. Something simple, and can be done right now without much in the way of fuss," she stated.
"Drop the illusion, darling. You've been wearing it all this time for my sake, and leaving yourself without your magic simply to make me comfortable. Big deal or no, I really shouldn't have asked you to do such; especially when it came to ice cream. And, seeing as how this is my idea, I think it only fair that I be the first to fully come to grip with the facts of everything," she explained, calmly and confidently.
Twilight considered what Rarity had to say. It was true, they all had to start somewhere in whatever they did. And it wasn't like Rarity hadn't already seen her with her fur off, so she knew what she was in for. So without further delay she stood up from where she sat, and cancelled out the illusion spell, freeing up her magic once again in the process.
Rarity did her best to not flinch as Twilight's disguise disappeared. She'd known that she'd been nude the entire time, but visual confirmation did a lot for hammering home the facts, and leaving no doubt that it was the truth. There was the natural urge to avert her gaze out of politeness, but that was at odds with the need to be polite by -paradoxically- not looking away. It was all very confusing, leaving her ultimately settling for focusing her attention on Twilight's eyes.
Or at least that's where she tried to keep her focus. Despite her efforts, it was hard not to notice the rest of Twilight.
And that notice soon led to observations about her friend; such as how she stood, and carried herself. She had noted earlier how Twilight's posture suggested a sense of security with herself, and that fact still remained even now. She didn't stand in a tense manner like she was trying to bolster her nerve, and overcome some sense of unease. Nor was she displaying any of the physical signs of a model who was proud of their display. She just stood in a relaxed, everyday manner, like this was nothing out of the ordinary to her; like she had seen her standing countless other times when she wore her fur. That was the part that just made it seem so... surreal in a way.
But then again surrealism wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was just... different. Different enough that she couldn't figure out anything to say.
"Is everything alright?" Twilight asked.
"I'm just... really not certain of what to say, darling," Rarity replied. She didn't want to come off as being rude; not that she intended to be rude or anything. But trying not to be rude had the unnatural tendency of causing the exact opposite to occur.
"Maybe there's nothing that needs to be said," Twilight suggested.
"Perhaps not. But I don't particularly like leaving the matter unaddressed. It simply doesn't feel right," Rarity commented, mentally racking her brain as she tried to figure out what to say, if anything.
Maybe if she could come up with something to say, this wouldn't feel quite so awkward.
Watching Twilight, Rarity concluded that it had been very, very wrong to ask her to make use of her illusion spell, after knowing full well that it hampered her magical abilities. That was the conclusion she'd drawn when witnessing the stark difference Twilight demonstrated in dishing up the second course of ice cream for them. The first time around, it was like watching an inexperienced earth pony awkwardly fumbling with utensils while trying to cook a meal they didn't understand. But with her magic back at her disposal, it was nothing short of experienced grace.
She'd had absolutely no business putting her friend through such an ordeal for the sake of her own comfort. And she assumed that was why the second bowl of ice cream she was having, didn't seem nearly as enjoyable as the first had been.
Watching her friend in action, as she moved about, further served to reinforce her earlier observations. Twilight was comfortable with herself and her surroundings, and it was evident in how she carried herself. She wasn't uptight, or apprehensive, or anything else that would be consistent with what she'd seen with the models she had supplied dresses for. Nor was it consistent with certain mares she'd had encounters with in the shadier areas of bigger cities.
As much as it all clashed with her sense of order and understanding, Rarity was left with little option but to conclude that Twilight really did view nudity as a perfectly normal endeavor to engage in around the palace.
But the more she observed Twilight, she eventually had to conclude that there was something disalarming about it all, as it didn't carry the same level of shock that it did at first. Perhaps it was the differing context in which her nudism was being witnessed. Or perhaps it was how casual Twilight was being about everything.
She knew that some of these thoughts were redundant to keep having, as she was simply going back over them again and again. But this was still a hard concept to fully grasp. She would have to be forgiven for mentally repeating herself, as she struggled to make sense of everything at her own pace.
"Bit for your thoughts?"
Twilight's voice served enough to bring Rarity out of her thoughts, bringing her awareness back to her own surroundings. Across from her, lounging contentedly on the cushion she'd procured earlier, Twilight was enjoying her ice cream with much greater ease this time around, in between looking at her.
"Hm? Oh. Just trying to wrap my head around everything, darling, that's all," Rarity replied. Twilight had done a great deal to explain everything to her as best she could; and she had done a marvelous job, all things considered. But none of that changed the fact that learning in an academic sense could only take one so far, before they had to put their learned information to the test. And she wasn't yet sure how to go about doing that.
"Oh," Twilight replied, before taking another spoonful of ice cream. "So are there any ideas for how to go about bringing the others up to speed about this?" she asked.
"Not as of yet. But I haven't stopped thinking on the issue," Rarity replied as she idly fiddled with her own bowl. "This requires a certain tact, a certain delicateness in how we approach the subject, a-"
"We?" Twilight asked.
"I'm not about to let you face this all by yourself, when it was my idea," Rarity pointed out, earning a friendly smile from Twilight. She would never forgive herself if she left Twilight high and dry with this whole idea. "As I was saying, it's a topic that must be approached carefully. But that was already known by the both of us. It's all a matter of determining who we approach first, and how we approach them," she explained.
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Friends or not, this one is tricky. But..." she paused, "I think Applejack might be the best one to approach first. Out of everypony, I think she would be the most reasonable."
She knew that Applejack could be judgmental at times about things she didn't fully understand; their first time meeting Zecora had been ample proof of that. But at the same time, Applejack was hardly intolerant of something she didn't understand. She sort of tended to be a middle of the road, live and let live type of pony. So long as nopony was at risk of getting hurt.
"Hmm..." Rarity mumbled in thought as she considered the possibility, going over what she knew about Applejack, and how things might play out. If approached just right, there was a great deal of potential for success. And beyond that, Applejack carried a fair bit of weight and responsibility among their little group. She could prove to be quite beneficial when inducting the others, assuming all went well. "It has possibilities. Although..."
"Although what?" Twilight asked.
"Well it's just a thought really. What about Spike? Shouldn't he be the first to know, seeing as he lives with you?" Rarity suggested. If they were going to seriously consider bringing everyone in their group up to speed, it just seemed logical that he should be the first. He'd known Twilight longer than any of them, and she wasn't quite certain how he'd take it if he was the last one informed about this.
"That... might actually be a good idea," Twilight agreed and nodded. It certainly made a lot of sense to her. She could already foresee how making Spike knowledgeable about this first could work out well in the long run. "It would probably be for the best, seeing as how Spike is technically a nudist too."
The statement caused Rarity to nearly choke on her spoon in surprise, before it was finally dropped to the floor as she caught her breath again.
"What!?" she asked, shock still very evident in her voice as she looked at Twilight for an explanation.
"Well when you think about it. Skin, scales, there's really not much difference in the two, realistically speaking," Twilight pointed out. Simply because they hadn't made a big deal out of it due to the fact that Spike had no fur of his own, didn't change the facts. "It's something Princess Celestia pointed out to me a long time ago when Spike was still a freshly hatched baby. Back then I kept wondering when his fur was going to grow in. You can imagine how shocked I was when I learned that dragons don't have fur," she explained.
"Oh," Rarity replied. That certainly made a lot of sense. "And the reason you didn't mention that fact earlier was... ?"
"I didn't want you to think I might be blaming Spike for what would be considered bad behavior," Twilight explained. "This was my own decision. He didn't play any part in influencing it."
Rarity simply nodded in response. She could've certainly seen that as being a possibility. And she was glad that Twilight had thought enough to avoid taking that route.
Although now she really wished Twilight hadn't mentioned that little detail, as she doubted that she would ever see Spike in the same light again after this. Or at least not anytime in the near future. It was likely going to take a long, long time to either forget what she'd just heard, or stop being bothered by the notion.
"... I probably shouldn't have said that, should I?" Twilight asked.
"I'll be honest, darling I really could have done without being made aware of that concept. But what's done is done. One can't un-ring a bell, or whatever," Rarity replied. There was no point in holding it against Twilight simply because she was uncomfortable with it. "Although you might want to refrain from mentioning that little fact whenever you decide to address Spike. I'm not sure how he might take to being informed about such," she pointed out.
Twilight nodded, able to see the wisdom in that. If she brought Spike in on this -and she really should, considering how he lived with her and all- then she'd have to be careful in how it was brought up. She'd need to think up something.
However her thoughts on the matter were interrupted as the clock started chiming.
"Oh dear. I didn't realize it was getting to be that late in the day already. I promised Lyra that I'd meet up with her today to go over some new spell work," she stated as she set her ice cream down on the table and stood up. "It looks like we're going to have to cut this discussion short, Rarity."
"It's quite alright, darling, I completely understand," Rarity replied, understanding how important it was to Twilight that she kept her appointments with her friends. She would see to their little mess herself so she didn't keep Twilight any longer than she needed to.
But then a thought occurred to her, and it desperately needed to be voiced before something bad happened.
"Before you head out, however, you might want to see about putting your fur back in place," she pointed out. Knowing Twilight, she wouldn't be surprised if she rushed out of the palace, still nude, in order to keep her appointment. That simply wouldn't do at all. She couldn't live with herself if she allowed one of her friends to embarrass themselves to such a degree.
"I'm not quite that far gone. But thanks for pointing it out all the same," Twilight replied, her horn already glowing as she worked her magic.
Almost immediately Rarity could see the formation of Twilight's fur starting to grow back in various patches over her body. And almost immediately she saw Twilight doing her best to scratch at her skin in response to the growth.
"I really hate this part of it all," she mumbled as she unfolded her wing to try and get to a spot on her back. Unfortunately alicorn flexibility had nothing on human flexibility and dexterity. Times like this made her wish she actually had fingers to use. "I really should invest in a backscratcher if I'm going to keep doing this..."
Rarity watched, but only momentarily, before determining that watching wasn't called for; rather this was a time that called for acting. Without a word, she moved over to Twilight's side.
"Sit down, darling," she stated simply.
"Rarity?" Twilight asked.
"Sit down," Rarity repeated.
Twilight didn't know what Rarity had in mind, but as insistent as she was, asking questions for clarity might not get her anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. Instead she simply opted for sitting down, and waiting to see what she was up to. As soon as she did, she felt Rarity running her front hooves along her back.
"Oh! Oh that's good!" she stated as she leaned into it. She was about to say how much better that felt compared to grinding herself against the palace walls, much like a bear would a tree. But such comparisons died in her throat, and nothing but a squeak was emitted as Rarity's hooves found their way to the spot of a particularly annoying itch she'd desperately been trying to get.
She never would have thought to ask Rarity to actually scratch her back, as she assumed that would be a big imposition to introduce under the current circumstances. But she wasn't about to tell Rarity to stop doing it if it was of her own volition. Despite how much care she gave them, her hooves had just the right amount of coarseness, and just the right angles around the edges, to make it pleasant to feel them running up and down her itchy back. More than once it got one of her legs twitching, her hoof clacking against the crystal flooring.
"Oh that felt good. Thanks," Twilight said and sighed contentedly, her back no longer driving her nuts with unbearable itching. But much to her curiosity, Rarity's hooves were continuing along her back. However they weren't moving about nearly as vigorously as before. Instead they were trailing gently along her back, causing her to giggle as it ran along her spine. "Rarity, what're you doing back there?"
"I'm sorry, darling, it's just... your skin just feels so soft! I never expected it," Rarity explained as she absently trailed her hoof along Twilight's back. She'd never had experience with bare skin before, outside of her interactions with Spike, and this was quite a difference from his scales. It was so soft, and smooth, almost like it was a fine silk. But the qualities of her skin contrasted with the equal parts of firmness and softness of her muscles just below the surface, and the heat that was radiating off of her body. She had experience with feeling the bodies of her friends before, often when there was an occasion that warranted a dress being made, but this... this was just so different to experience.
And then there was the matter of Twilight's fur as it slowly grew back in. At the moment it was so very short. And yet, at the exact same time it was so soft as it ran along the underside of her hooves; it was a tickling sensation she encountered, but she didn't really care.
"Rarity..."
It was the tone of Twilight's voice that snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the present, and what she was doing. She also became aware of the fact that Twilight had turned her head to look at her, a rosy tint on her cheeks where her fur hadn't yet grown back in.
As hot as her face felt right now, it was safe to say Twilight wasn't the only one with rosy cheeks.
"I... I'm sorry, darling," she stated as she pulled her hooves back and set them down on the floor. "I'm afraid I got a bit carried away..."
For a moment, Twilight didn't say a single word. And it was that silence that had Rarity on edge, not knowing what she might be thinking about what had just transpired.
But then she saw the grin creeping across Twilight's face.
"You're not the first one. The first time I went without my fur, I pretty much did the same thing. It's definitely an interesting experience," she admitted.
Rarity gave a relieved chuckle, glad to know that she hadn't done anything to make Twilight too uncomfortable with her. The way she'd acted, it certainly could've gone otherwise. Despite the calmness Twilight was exercising in the wake of everything, her behavior had still been uncalled for, and even a bit embarrassing. Not because of what she had been doing, but because of how lost she'd gotten in doing in.
"I'll just... tend to all of this, so you can keep your appointment with Lyra," she offered, figuring it would be a good change of topic. "We can discuss this another time."
"I really appreciate that," Twilight replied as she completely turned around to better face Rarity. "The next time we get together, remind me to tell you about the experiences I've had with textiles while nude. That's been something else."
"Oh?" Rarity replied, curiosity piqued by that statement. Now that certainly sounded like it could prove to be an interesting story!
That difficult moment late at night when you're alone with your thoughts (edited)
It had been a long, very involved day all around. That was Rarity's take on everything that had happened. What had started out as being nothing more than a run of the mill outing for the purpose of gathering gems for use in her work, had somehow led to her discovering a secret about one of her best friends. And that discovery had led her to learning far more about a rather controversial subject, than she ever had reason to believe even existed.
That didn't exactly sound right to her. But whatever. She -thankfully- wasn't being graded on thought structure.
Hard as it was for her to comprehend, Twilight had done a very respectable job in helping her come to realize that nudism -proper nudism, Twilight had stressed- was nothing more than individuals simply choosing to refrain from wearing clothing -or fur in their case- while going about their everyday routines. It was so simple, and yet it still seemed so complex to consider. It was just one of those things that seemed like there should be so much more to it than that.
Nudity. Baldness. Whatever it was that Twilight wished to call it, it was still a subject that just seemed so odd to her, even now as she relaxed in a much needed bubble bath, submerged all the way to her chin.
Twilight had certainly done her best to make it seem less scandalous and indecent than it initially struck her as being. And -much to her own surprise- she had succeeded for the most part. After the initial awkwardness of the whole situation has passed, Twilight's lack of fur wasn't as off-putting as it had initially been.
Of course that was primarily due to how casual Twilight had been throughout the whole thing; to her it was just another everyday thing, even if it wasn't done every day. If she hadn't been as secure with herself as she had been, the entire experience might have gone far differently for each of them. But fortunately that wasn't the case. Devoid of embarrassment, or forced efforts at maintaining confidence, Twilight had been able to present her interest in nudity, in what was likely the cleanest manner possible.
... That still didn't sound right.
"Oh it's no use," Rarity sighed as she shifted in the tub, water sloshing along the sides as she did so. Try as she might, she just couldn't make her thoughts flow smoothly. They were all too jumbled to properly order them.
But then again, she really didn't have to properly order her own thoughts about nudity. It was Twilight's indulgence, rather than her own. The only reason she really had to give the matter this much thought, was in case she had to try and explain it to their friends, whenever Twilight felt she was ready to read them in on it. She wanted to be properly rehearsed for whenever that time came, so that she wasn't stumbling over her own tongue as she strived to be eloquent. Until then, as far as she was concerned, it was essentially little more than a guilty pleasure her friend was enjoying; sort of like a few indulgences she herself held. Certainly nothing scandalous on her part, but there would still be some embarrassment if they were to ever get out.
Back to the thought of explaining things to the others. She really didn't see that being a likely development. Twilight would most likely be the one informing them about the inner workings, while she simply provided some form of moral support. Try as she might, she really couldn't imagine a set of circumstances that would require her to take the lead, in trying to explain this complex matter to the others.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking this whole thing far too much," she said to herself as she shifted again. It wasn't like the overall goal was to convince the others to follow Twilight's example, and go without their fur. It was just to... make them aware of what Twilight found relaxing, should they ever need to make use of the palace during the summer. They needed -or at least deserved- to be aware of what might be encountered, to avoid any potential awkwardness, and discomfort that might be encountered.
Awkwardness and discomfort. Goodness there had been much of that today. And to make matters worse, a good portion of it had been her own fault.
More awkward than Twilight's nudity, was her own behavior during the aftermath. Seeing her friend in need, she had naturally lent a hoof to scratch her back where she couldn't reach it as her fur grew back in, and was simply miserable during the process. It had been intended as a gesture of good will, and basic friendship. And instead it had morphed into something that came quite close to being incredibly inappropriate. Twilight's skin was so soft, and smooth, it was like a piece of very fine silk being rubbed against her hooves. If she hadn't stopped her when she did, she didn't have a clue as to what might've come about in the aftermath.
She wasn't proud of herself for her actions. All she really could be, was thankful that Twilight had taken it all in stride. If it hadn't been for her understanding, there was no telling how things might've gone.
And then there was the issue regarding Spike himself. She hadn't give that subject much thought over the course of the day, until she came back home to the boutique. Much as when she'd left him to deliver his gems to Twilight, Spike was still sleeping peacefully, snoring away without a care in the world. Which wouldn't have been a problem, if not for the fact that he was stretched out on his back.
That had brought Twilight's words back to the forefront of her mind. And in light of such information, she was fairly certain that -for a while at least- it would be hard to look the little dragon in the eyes without getting at least a little flustered. She didn't know what she was going to do with regards to Spike just yet.
But at least she didn't have to give the matter that much thought right now. It was late in the evening, and all she really wanted to do was get ready for bed, and turn in after a hard day.
With that thought in mind, she pulled the plug to the bathtub, and began the process of drying herself off so as to not drip water all over the flooring.
"One of the advantages I've discovered about being a nudist, is that after a bath, it's much easier to get dried off," she remembered Twilight explaining to her. As it had been explained to her, a lack of fur resulted in reduced drying time, and an absence of hair on the towels afterward. She could certainly see that as being a valid point in it all. Although it left her wondering if that advantage applied since a bath helped reduce the amount of itching that occurred during the regrowing process.
"I'll have to be sure to ask Twilight about that the next time I see her," she muttered to herself as she used her magic to squeeze the excess water off of her body.
Maybe the advantage went to those humans and their strange ways. Wash and dry their skin, put on clothing to be decent. It certainly sounded like it had advantages compared to certain perceived complications that went along with having fur. But then again it wasn't all that surprising. Nudity was a concept developed specifically by humans, configured for their own unique circumstances, that Twilight was, for better or worse, trying to adapt for ponies. Perhaps it was simply one of those things that lost something in translation, considering all the trouble that apparently went along with it.
Once she was sufficiently dried off, she hung the towel back up to dry, before making her way to her bedroom, to get ready for turning in for the evening. That was a regimen in and of itself, that started with brushing through her mane and tail to take out whatever tangles might have tried to work their way in over the course of the day.
"I don't have any hard evidence to prove it, but a freshly grown mane just seems a lot... fresher. No tangles, no split ends, none of it."
Yet another memory of Twilight's explanation making itself known. Although to her that one qualified more as a benefit that came from using the regrow spell, rather than going nude; like there was something to look forward to at the end of it all.
Such thoughts and many others were making themselves known throughout the entire regimen of getting ready to turn in for the evening. Each step she went through for the purpose of maintaining her stunning beauty, brought a new part of the conversation to the forefront of her mind. Brushing, combing, lotions, curlers, etc. each and every one of them reminded her of something that Twilight had said to her.
The difficult part about it all, however, was that the more she thought about it, the more sense it was all starting to make. There were certain things that she couldn't deny seemed reasonable -and even a bit logical- now that she was calmer than she'd been previously.
As she picked up another curler to affix her mane in, she stopped when she looked at herself in the mirror. Really, really looked at herself in the mirror, and really took in her reflection. She couldn't pinpoint just what had caused her to stop, curler still gripped in her magic. All she knew was that she had stopped, and was currently thinking.
What if Twilight had been right? What if her coat, mane, and tail all grew back in fresh, and all that had to be endured was a few minutes of uncomfortable itching? The amount of time and effort that could be saved would be substantial. And that was to say nothing of the amount of money she could save, if she suddenly found herself no longer needing to buy so many care products. Over the long run, that could amount to a substantial amount
She looked back at her reflection, and at the supplies present on the vanity top in contemplation.
She had stayed behind at the palace to clean up their little mess so Twilight could keep her appointment with Lyra. And then she had made her way to the palace library, and found the aforementioned medical journal that detailed the spells. She had committed them to memory, reasoning that they could be quite useful in the future, depending on what kind of trouble Sweetie Belle found herself in. Should she ever come home covered in tree sap again, or possibly something even worse, getting her clean would prove to be so much easier to accomplish.
Simply asking Twilight to show her the spells had been a possibility. But... the implications of such were...
It wasn't like she felt guilty about not asking. It was still the public library after all, regardless of the fact that it was housed in the palace. Twilight had given her the information on where to find them, and even explained their base reason for existence. She simply hadn't wanted to trouble her friend when she had other pressing matters to attend to.
But now that she was alone with her thoughts, she just couldn't help but at least think about it. Again, what if Twilight was right? What if all she really had to do to maintain her luxurious coat, was spend but a few minutes without it?
Rarity looked back at her reflection again, and then slowly, cautiously glanced around the room, much like she was in a crowded area, and contemplating doing something rather improper. But there was nopony around that would see her do it; not even her precious Opal was present to catch her. Even the blinds were drawn, ensuring that nopony could look in on her.
She could do it, just to try. There would certainly be no harm in it. She didn't possess Twilight's magical aptitude, but the spells hardly looked all that complicated; she doubted that she'd run into any sort of complications that might leave her without her coat.
Yes. She could do it. She could simultaneously try and get a better understanding of why nudity appealed to Twilight so much, and determine if the process of regrowing her fur would leave it soft and smooth again. Two separate tasks at once as it were.
But what if it didn't? What if her fur grew back in perfectly, but it didn't have that rejuvenated quality to it that Twilight believed was present? She would've just undone all the hard work she'd invested so far. She'd have to start all over again. She really hated the idea of starting over...
Tomorrow. She could always try for tomorrow. Yes, that would work. Tomorrow night, rather than subjecting herself to this regimen, she could test out Twilight's way of doing things, and evaluate them for herself. She could find out if the results were really worth the effort involved.
Then again, from what she had witnessed, it did seem like quite a bit of work to just undo her coat, and then redo it five minutes later. Perhaps she could... postpone it for just a little bit?
"I certainly could..." she admitted, trying not to allow herself to become flustered by what she was thinking of doing. There was nothing saying that she had to regrow her coat immediately. Perhaps she could do as Twilight had done and... go down to the kitchen to get herself a late night snack before turning in for the evening. Or perhaps swing by the work room to see if her new state brought with it some inspiration for new designs. Maybe even... venture as far as the front show room to check and see if her ponequins were all in their proper locations, to ensure the designs they bore were presented for maximum effect.
If she were feeling particularly adventurous, she might even go so far as... dare she think it... spending the night in just her skin. That would certainly give her a chance to see what it was like for herself, and form a more educated opinion from there. Yes, she could certainly go that route.
Unless Sweetie Belle was due to spend time at the boutique with her.
No. That simply wouldn't work out for her. Not as long as Sweetie Belle remained a variable that had to be taken into account. An unpredictable variable as Twilight might put it.
Try as she might, she just couldn't think of a way around that. There really was no way of telling when her little sister might enter into the picture; not with how their parents were, and how they loved traveling at a moment's notice. And if that were to happen... well it went without saying that the results could certainly be unpleasant. She couldn't even begin to imagine how complicated things would become if Sweetie Belle were to catch her in the buff. It could undo everything Twilight had been striving for this whole time if she didn't handle it just right.
"I'm sorry, darling, I simply can't do it," she sighed, speaking more to the absent Twilight, than to her present self. "I'll stand with you whenever you're ready to inform the others about this. I'll help keep Spike preoccupied if you need me to. I'll even let you use my boutique should the need ever arise. But I simply can't join you on this journey you've undertaken for yourself," she said as she slowly resumed rolling her mane up in curlers in preparation of turning in for the night. "Perhaps it's for the best. It would never really work out, I'm afraid. Nudity just simply isn't for me..."
It wasn't so much sadness that Rarity felt, rather... frustration. It wasn't like she was planning to dive right into this like her friend had. Granted she was considering actually doing it, but the duration of which would be a brief experience compared to what Twilight was doing. And even then, she had to be honest with herself and admit that it was only to test Twilight's hypothesis that her fur would be softer afterward; that was really all there was for her to get out of it. But setting things up for just that, was proving to be a rather involved endeavor. She couldn't even begin to imagine how frustrating it must've been for Twilight, who viewed it more as a lifestyle choice, and thus had reason to do it more often than her. Unfortunately there wasn't much that could be done about that.
Or... at least not just yet anyway...
END
Bonus chapter - That unpleasant moment when it's too hot to sleep
For the second time in less than 24 hours, Twilight found herself under the shower, completely soaking wet.
Unlike the last time, however, this wasn't for her own relaxation. There were absolutely no contented sighs coming from her as she allowed the water to beat down on her. Nor were there any smiles to be had. Instead the only thing that escaped her lips was a discontented groan.
Despite the late hour of the night, sleep was proving to be unacceptably elusive to her right now. Like some other nights so far, this one was proving to be unforgivingly unpleasant in terms of both the heat, and the humidity.
The only thing she wanted to do right now was sleep. But she'd gone through enough of these nights to know that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. And she'd spent enough time sweating her sheets, and basting in her own juices, to know that things weren't going to get any better by just laying there miserably. That was what had brought her to the bathroom for the purpose of a nice, cool shower. If being wet and miserable wasn't avoidable, then she might as well see about being clean in the process. Nopony said she had to stink of sweat just because she was damp.
Once the scrubbing was done, and she no longer stank like Rainbow Dash after a workout, all there was to do, was just sit back, let the cold water beat down on her, and wait for the heat to stop being so merciless.
Of course there was another option available. The human world had the wonderful invention of air conditioning. She could always go there for a few hours. But if it was night here in Equestria, it would be night there too. And she really didn't feel like getting Sunset Shimmer out of bed just because she couldn't sleep; it was neither proper, nor friendly to do such things. Plus there was the fact that she couldn't run off to the human world whenever it got uncomfortable here. Princesses had responsibilities that they had to tend to, in all kinds of weather.
And then came a knock at the bathroom door.
"Twilight? Are you in there?"
Followed by Spike's voice as the door was slowly opened.
"Spike? What're you doing up?" she asked as she turned, seeing the blurry image of her assistant on the other side of the curtain.
"Couldn't sleep. It's too hot for me," Spike replied and shrugged.
"... But I thought you could swim in lava without it bothering you," she pointed out, not seeing how this weather, unpleasant as it was, could be too hot for him.
"Alright, it's too humid," Spike corrected, not in the mood for a discussion about the proper terminology. "I got up to get a cold drink, and then I heard the water running and came to check and see if it was left on," he explained.
"Oh," Twilight replied, "well it's just me, sitting in here, and soaking my head. Like you said, it's way too hot and humid to sleep, and I'm tired of being all sweaty."
"Yeah..." Spike replied. "Is the water cold?"
"Not yet. I'm saving that for when it gets really hot. But it's certainly nice and cool," she explained. It was easily a good 20 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature, but it was more of a perspective thing in terms of comfort.
"Oh," Spike replied. After a pause, he continued. "Could I come in too?"
Again, Twilight looked in Spike's direction through the curtain, caught off guard by the request.
"Hmm," she mumbled as she rubbed her chin with a hoof. That was the first time in years that Spike had asked to share a bath with her. Growing up it had been a fairly common occurrence for them to bathe together. Why it had fallen out of favor, she honestly didn't know. But hearing him mention it now brought a sense of nostalgia with it. "Sure. Hop on in," she replied.
Spike didn't have to be told twice. The moment he got the OK, he pulled back the curtain and climbed into the tub, before scooting over to stand next to her, letting the water beat down on him.
Twilight smiled at seeing Spike relax under the cool water, leaning against her for support like a silly little dragon. As serious, and competent as he was, he nonetheless possessed an occasional flare for the dramatic that could rival Rarity. Although most of the time when he did it, it just came off as being funny.
And then her earlier conversation with Rarity came right back to the forefront of her mind, the suggestion that she inform Spike about everything practically ringing in her ears.
There were a lot of reasons that to not do such, since it might have an undesired effect on him. But at the exact same time, there were good reasons to tell him. Thinking on it, she supposed it couldn't hurt to test the waters.
"You know, Spike, you're really lucky, being a dragon and all," she commented as he propped himself up against her leg.
"Yeah? How do you figure?" Spike asked as he looked up at her.
"You're not stuck with fur. You don't have to put up with shedding, and you don't have a coat to trap the heat in on hot nights like this," she explained. Best to go slow, as there was no need to rush. "I wish I had that same luck. I feel like I'm roasting at times."
"Yeah that makes sense," Spike replied as he nodded. "So why don't you? You still have that transformation spell from when you dealt with the breezies, right? Why not just turn yourself into a dragon?" he suggested.
"... Huh," Twilight replied. She hadn't thought of that being a possibility. Now she felt silly. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Although I'm not sure now's the right time. I might wind up developing a craving for your gemstones. Or worse, I might get the hiccups and start putting out jets of fire that I can't control," she explained.
"Okay, that's a good point," Spike replied and nodded in understanding. Neither one of those developments would be all that good. Not that he wasn't willing to share his gems, but he couldn't help but wonder what might become of them when she transformed back. "I guess that means you're out of luck, huh?" he asked.
"Well..." Twilight paused in thought, trying to decide what to say next. Beating around the bush could only get you so far. And eventually she'd have to either approach, or pull back. And pulling back would get her nowhere. "Not necessarily. Do you remember our friends back in the human world, and why they have to wear clothing?" she asked.
"Of course. It was kinda hard to forget that conversation," Spike replied, remembering just how uncomfortable everything had gotten near the start of the sleepover. Sometimes culture clashes could be ugly. "Why? Are you gonna try and turn yourself into a human?"
"Not exactly. Not having a base model to work with, I'm afraid it would be very difficult to do that," Twilight stated. Not that it wasn't an interesting idea. It might be worth attempting... but not right now. "But I do have something similar in mind."
"Like what?" Spike asked, curious at what Twilight could be getting at. If she wasn't thinking about turning human, then what did she have in mind that was similar?
"Well... I was actually thinking about... going furless," she admitted, not seeing any other way to say what she had to say.
"Uh... say what now?" Spike asked as he blinked, not sure of what to think about what Twilight had just said.
"Going without my fur," Twilight repeated to ensure that he understood what she was saying. She considered explaining how it was the pony equivalent of a human going nude. But he'd been there for that part of the discussion, so she really had no reason to mention it to him.
"Oh," Spike replied slowly, uncertain of what to say in response. "So... why tell me about that, instead of just going ahead and doing it?" he asked.
"Well for starters, I wanted to be considerate, Spike. I didn't feel like doing something like that without explanation. If I just went without my fur, and you had no idea why, that might prove to be a bit startling," she explained.
"Oh. Yeah that does make sense," Spike replied and nodded.
So far, so good, Twilight noted to herself.
"There's also the fact that I don't want you to either feel uncomfortable around me, or that you need to avoid me. If it stays this hot, then I intend to stay without my fur for the rest of the night. That's a pretty long time," she continued.
"Wait, I'm confused. Are you saying that you... want me to see you... like that?" Spike asked uncertainly. That's what it sounded like to him, but maybe he was tired, and not hearing her right.
"What I want, is for you to not feel uncomfortable, should I decide to go nude around the palace when it's hot," Twilight replied as she reached up with her hoof to stroke his head, much as she'd seen Rarity do on occasion. "There's nothing scandalous at play here, Spike, I promise. Right now it's just way too hot for all this fur and feathers. It's not like I'm parading around in front of all of Ponyville," she explained.
"Oh. A-alright then," Spike replied, not knowing what else to say. What could he really say anyway?
He wasn't quite sure what he'd expected after that. Maybe more discussion, maybe more explanation. Whatever it was that he'd expected, he was pretty sure it wasn't Twilight working her magic without another word, and getting right to work. Nor was he expecting to see what he saw. He thought she was simply going to be without her fur in a flash of light. Instead it looked like she was melting as the water poured down over her, washing away every trace of fur and feathers like it was nothing more than some purple mud she'd gotten covered in.
By the time the last of the purple stained water had flowed down the tub drain, Spike barely recognized the pony that was sitting in front of him. He wanted to keep his eyes on her face, but youthful curiosity eventually won out, and he began looking over her whole body.
By the time he realized just what he was doing, he quickly looked away, cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Twilight merely rubbed his head again in response, running her hoof along his spines.
"It's alright to look, Spike, there's nothing wrong with it," she reassured him, not wanting him to feel embarrassed over being curious. After all this was -more or less- her idea, so he shouldn't be the one uncomfortable with its implementation.
Slowly Spike turned his head to face forward again, looking back at her, before turning his attention back to her face. The fact that she was smiling warmly was comforting, but it still wasn't enough to stop this whole situation from feeling... really odd.
"So... that's actually comfortable?" he asked her.
"More comfortable than wearing damp, sweaty fur all night," Twilight replied.
Spike really couldn't argue with that reasoning. Nor did he really want to try and argue with it. He'd just go with it for the time being.
Still. The idea that Twilight intended to stay like that all night. He really didn't know what to think about that. He needed more information before he knew just what to think.
"Hey Twilight? Do we have anything important scheduled for tomorrow?" he asked.
"Hmm. Nothing that's coming to mind. At least not in the morning anyway. Why?" Twilight asked.
"Well... I've got a lot of questions. And if we're going to be up anyway, maybe we could discuss them over a bowl of ice cream?" he asked hopefully. He might as well see just where this might go.
"That sounds like a good idea," Twilight replied. Granted she'd already had ice cream with Rarity earlier in the day, but she doubted a third bowl was going to hurt her, as most everything had already burnt off during the regrowing process.
Spike, however, she'd have to watch out for.
"So... how long have you been doing this?" Spike asked before downing another spoonful of ice cream.
The conversation with Spike, shared over a bowl of ice cream in the kitchen, had gone a great deal easier than it had with Rarity earlier in the day. Twilight didn't have a clue as to why it was, all she knew was the fact that it was. But she wasn't about to question it, she was just going to be happy about it.
So far he'd taken it really well, learning that this wasn't the first time she'd gone without her fur.
"Well that's kind of difficult to say for certain. I haven't really done it all that often, just when I've had the opportunity," she explained, mentally going over the times in which she'd gone nude. "Although I didn't do anything until well after I properly researched the spells, and learned the limits of what they could do. Which turned out to be a good decision, because the regrowth spell didn't say how long it takes to complete growing in a pony's fur. It's not instantaneous, and if I'd just rushed into it, that could've lead to some real embarrassment," she continued.
"Yeah, I could see that," Spike replied. Almost immediately after, he regretted his choice of words. "Er, what I mean is-"
"It's alright, Spike, really," Twilight reassured him. The conversation with Spike might be going easier than it had with Rarity. But there were still some rough spots that needed to be addressed. "I know what you meant."
"Oh. Good then," Spike replied, before going for another spoonful of ice cream. "And... you do this whole nude thing because it's fun?"
"More relaxing than fun. I guess it's sort of like the difference between you having fun with Apple Bloom and the others, and just lounging around to read your comics. Both of them are enjoyable standards, but for different reasons," she explained.
Spike thought on the explanation, before simply nodding in response. That actually made sense to him. He certainly enjoyed whenever he got the chance to hang out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders -when they weren't getting into trouble, that was- but he still liked being able to read his comics in peace.
"And you're doing this privately, right?" he asked.
"Of course," Twilight stated. She wanted to give Spike an extensive list of reasons as to why. But she doubted that he felt the need to know all of them. As best she could tell, he was simply wanting to make sure that she was alright, and not doing anything that could get her hurt. She could certainly appreciate such thoughtfulness.
Again, Spike thought over the explanation he'd been given. He'd had a lot of questions about this whole nudity thing as Twilight preferred to call it, and she'd been very forthcoming with what answers she had. And going by what she'd said, as best he could tell... he really couldn't see anything wrong with what she was doing.
Sure, it was kind of awkward to be seeing Twilight, who alternated between sister and mother figure to him, walking around in what most would consider an obscene manner. But awkward situations had the tendency to be the norm anymore, so there really wasn't much to do about it, but try and take it in stride, or lose your mind to it like the Flower Sisters tended to do.
"Then I guess I don't need to worry," he finally replied, before grabbing another spoon of ice cream. "So do the other girls know about this?"
"Well... Sunset Shimmer does. We've been writing back and forth about it," Twilight replied, waiting for Spike to finish his current bite of ice cream before she continued, to avoid the risk of him choking in surprise over what would come next. "Rarity also knows."
"Rarity? Really?" Spike asked in surprise.
Twilight nodded in response. "I didn't plan on that, however, it just sort of... happened. She came over after you two got back from hunting for gems, realized I was wearing an illusion spell when I wasn't using my magic for other stuff, and I... decided to be honest with her. All things considered, I think it went rather well, her finding out and all," she explained.
"Oh," Spike replied, "so... does she..."
Twilight simply shook her head. "She's supportive since it's something I enjoy, but she's not into the aspect of participation."
"Oh," Spike replied, uncertain of whether such news should leave him feeling disappointed, or relieved. "So what about the others? Are you going to tell them too?" he asked.
"In time, once I figure out how to go about doing it. This isn't the sort of thing you just spring on everypony without warning. But we'll get it figured out," Twilight explained as she popping another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
"Yeah that makes sense. With Pinkie, I could see a surprise like that going badly," Spike commented. And that line of thought brought a new thought to mind. "What about the others? Do you think any of them will be participating in this?"
"That's really hard to say for certain, Spike. They might want to, but then again they might not. But whatever decision they make, I'll respect it," Twilight stated. Regardless of whatever happened when the others were read in on this, she was going to respect whatever their decisions might be. There was going to be no criticism on her part, nor hostility, nor even attempts at swaying them from their decisions. That was simply how things were going to be. "Any other questions?"
"Well..." Spike paused as he thought, running over everything. Twilight had answered a lot of questions he'd had, even before they sat down to the ice cream. Whatever question he had brought up during this late night discussion, she'd done her best to answer it. And he'd asked quite a few, about a lot of different things. "Just one at the moment. I should probably keep this quiet, right? No telling anyone else about it?" he eventually asked.
"I'd appreciate it if you could," Twilight replied and nodded.
"Yeah I can do that. I wouldn't even know what to say if it was ever brought up," Spike stated. Twilight's secret was going to be safe with him; primarily because he really didn't want to be the one to break it. Although he might discuss it with Rarity, since she was in the know.
For a while the kitchen remained silent, the two simply eating away at their ice cream, having no real need to talk at that point. Eventually they reached the point where there was no more ice cream to be had, leaving them alone with just their thoughts.
"Well Spike, this has certainly been a better evening than it looked like it was going to be. But I think I'm going to brush my teeth, and turn in," Twilight stated as she levitated the dirty dishes over to the sink and ran some water over them.
"Yeah?" Spike asked as he climbed down from the table. "So... you're really going to sleep nude like that?"
"I'm going to try it out anyway," Twilight replied, "why? Is there a reason that I shouldn't?"
"Well... what if Pinkie decides to pop in, and wake you up early for some reason? Or what if Rainbow Dash crashes through your bedroom window again?" Spike suggested. Those were fairly common occurrences back at the Golden Oaks library, and as best he could tell, they weren't any less likely to happen in the palace.
"Then we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it," Twilight explained. She knew that such things were possibilities, but she wasn't going to let such things prove to be a debilitating fear for her. If one of her friends rudely entered what was her home without warning... well they'd get to that later.
"Oh," Spike replied. And then another thought came to him. "Um... what if I have a nightmare and..."
It took Twilight all of three seconds to understand what Spike was getting at. As best she could tell, he didn't have nightmares often. But the ones she could recall him having, he'd always sought comfort from her. Back in the library it was simple since they shared a room. But now that he had his own room in the palace, it often meant coming to her room in the middle of the night.
It was all quite easy to figure out what he was getting at.
"Come over here, Spike," she replied as she sat down, again noting at the crystal flooring was uncomfortable against her bare rump. But she'd put up with it for now.
Spike approached as instructed, unsure of exactly what Twilight wanted. Maybe he'd asked the wrong sort of question, and she was going to lecture him?
"Hug me," she instructed.
"Hug you?" Spike asked.
"Hug me," she repeated.
Spike really wasn't sure what she was getting at. But what could he really do? So for the sake of figuring it out, he hugged her, wrapping his arms around her barrel, as she wrapped her forelegs around him in return.
He immediately became aware of the fact that the feel of bare skin was worlds apart from familiar fur. And not in a bad way either. She was smooth, soft, and even comfortably warm too. It was all... kind of nice actually.
"I don't want you to get the idea that things have to be different, just because I enjoy going nude. If you have a nightmare, you know my bedroom door is always open for you, and this doesn't change that one bit," she explained as she hugged him. "In fact. Why don't you sleep in my room tonight? That way you can see that it's really not a big deal," she suggested.
"Really?" Spike asked. Twilight simply nodded in response. "Well. I guess that'd be alright. Once we get the sheets changed, that is," he replied, remembering what she'd said earlier in the evening.
"That'll be easy enough to do. Come on," Twilight replied as she let Spike go, and stood up again.
On the outside, Twilight was perfectly calm, with nothing seeming out of place. But on the inside, she would admit there was a hint of excitement. Or perhaps it was contentment. Whatever it was, she knew it was because of how well things had gone with Spike. With her only real experience being that with Rarity, she assumed that reading the others in on this would be more uphill than it had just been. But Spike's easygoing acceptance of everything, had served to leave her wondering if that would truly be the case. Maybe things really wouldn't be so bad after all.
Maybe, just maybe, everything really would work out for the best.
