The Perfect Present
Twilight Sparkle paced back and forth, muttering to herself as her quill swiftly scribbled away at a piece of parchment.
She was drafting a list, as she often did, with tonight’s focusing on a series of items to get her beloved Rarity. After all, her birthday was rapidly approaching and Twilight didn’t want to disappoint her new marefriend.
After adding the last few items, she reviewed what she already had and was shocked by just how long it had become. It sprawled across several dozen different possibilities, all of which Rarity would surely love, but none felt special enough for the mare who meant so much to Twilight.
She went through the scroll, mentally listing pros and cons as she crossed off the entries one after another, finding minute flaws within each of them.
“Jewelry?” she read aloud before shaking her head. “Pricy and pretty but that feels like something to get a wife, not a marefriend. Plus, Rarity already has plenty.”
“Perfume?” Another shake of her head. “Rarity knows what she likes better than I do and I wouldn’t want to risk getting her something she wouldn’t like.”
She sighed and approached her desk, picking up a glass of water and draining it.
There had to be something, something she could get Rarity that felt as special as she made Twilight feel.
Make-up?
What if that conveyed the wrong message and made Rarity feel bad about her appearance? She remembered the conversations about crows’ feet that they had on a nearly biweekly basis.
A book?
Twilight snorted, remembering that she was not in fact buying for herself. A book was a gift for a friend, not a lover.
She continued down the list, feeling hope flittering away with each red slash through her potential inventory.
A spa voucher?
Not a bad idea, but she knew that either Applejack or Rainbow Dash would likely beat her to the punch.
Sexy lingerie?
Yet again, was that a gift for Rarity or herself?
Train tickets and a week’s vacation to some coastal village in Prance?
A strong idea! Though it was so strong that she already planned to use it for their first anniversary when that came around in a few months.
Mark after mark tarnished the paper until she reluctantly cut through the final item, murmuring some dismissive comment about it. Her stomach dropped as she realized that her beloved list had betrayed her, doing nothing to remedy the problem she faced. More than thirty items and not one of them felt proper, none conveying the right message or feeling truly special enough.
Twilight sighed and looked towards the nearest bookshelf, her gaze roving the various volumes. If lists failed her, maybe books would come to her rescue as they always had.
She spotted a yellow spine with the bold text stating that it was for dummies, a prank gift from Rainbow Dash after she and Rarity went public with their relationship.
Twilight bit her lip.
Who said that Twilight had to buy a gift? After all, wouldn’t making one seem like a far more sincere gesture?
How long did she have until Rarity’s birthday? Two weeks?
Her gaze flicked towards the calendar, confirming this.
She wouldn’t be able to do it alone, however, even with the help of this aptly named book. No, she would need help, and there was only one pony she trusted with a task this delicate. She needed to talk to Fluttershy.
Before she could gather her things and head out, she heard the library door open.
Instinctively, she set the scroll on fire, turning it to dust in the blink of an eye.
No evidence.
Rarity stepped in and sniffed at the air. “Twilight, dear, did you decide to have a bowl without me?”
“What?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. “No, no, no, sorry I was just sending a scroll to Celestia. I was actually thinking about heading over to Fluttershy’s really quick.”
“At this hour?” Rarity asked, cocking a brow.
“At this hour?” Twilight mouthed before looking at the clock and seeing that it was well into the evening, rapidly approaching ten.
Had she really been absorbed in her work for that long?
Rarity smirked. “Didn’t realize that it was that late?”
Twilight chuckled. “I guess not, seems like I got pulled into my work.”
“What? You losing track of time and spending a whole day fretting over something?” Rarity asked, holding a hoof to her chest in faux shock. “I would never expect such a thing from you.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and gave the yellow book one final glance before heading over to Rarity.
“So, did I miss anything important while fretting?” she asked.
Rarity hummed. “Nothing especially vital. The School caught fire, Celestia showed up and gave a rousing speech, oh and of course, the resurrection of Tirek and his band of brigands. Besides that…” She pondered for a moment, roving her memory. “No, nothing too exciting.”
Twilight didn’t rise to the bait, which made Rarity pout out her lower lip.
“You were far more gullible when we first met,” Rarity teased. “You’re no fun anymore.”
“Between you and Rainbow Dash, I learned to smarten up pretty quickly.”
“We only did it out of love, darling,” Rarity said, motioning towards the door. “Now how about I help you settle for the night.”
“What did you have in mind?” Twilight asked, following her into the hall.
“Well, have you eaten yet?” Rarity replied, smirking in a manner that betrayed that she already knew the answer.
Twilight stayed silent, not wanting to admit that her last meal had been an apple and that was several hours of very strenuous fretting ago.
Rarity nodded as that silence was more damning than anything Twilight could’ve said. “So, we’ll start with that and then I’ll make you a cup of herbal tea.” She paused, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Now, how anxious are you feeling?”
“I don’t know…” Twilight sighed. “About a seven out of ten?”
“A seven out of ten?” Rarity asked, whistling softly. “My, my, my, how truly fucked Equestria is if that’s the case. May I ask what you were fretting about?”
Twilight bit her lip. “It’s a secret.”
“Oh dear,” Rarity actually sounded legitimately concerned. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a state secret come up in our relationship before.”
“Okay, okay, it’s not that important,” Twilight said, waving her off. “It’s just… it’s just a personal matter that I’m seeking some advice on.”
“Well I’m not going to pry, unless you want to talk about it,” Rarity said. “Though if it stresses you out so much, maybe we could enjoy a few substances after dinner? You know, to help turn off that overactive brain of yours.”
Twilight smiled. “I think… I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.”
“And then after that…” Rarity smirked. “I can help you work through some of that stress in a more productive manner?”
“And what manner would that be?” Twilight asked, her cheeks warming as she had a good idea of what the answer would be.
“Darling,” Rarity said, her voice husky as she slowly shook her head, “you can’t expect me to ruin the surprise. Just know that you’ll enjoy it greatly.”
Twilight knocked on Fluttershy’s door, and was left waiting but a moment before her friend opened it and offered a warm smile.
“Hey Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “I’m surprised to see you today.”
Twilight smiled back. “Hey, Fluttershy. I was actually wondering if you could help me out with something.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy asked, stepping aside and allowing Twilight to come in. “And what would that be?”
“Well, Rarity’s birthday is coming up and…”
“You’re eating yourself up wondering what to get her?” Fluttershy asked, bearing a knowing smile.
Twilight blushed. “Well yes, but actually, I came here because I thought of something.” She bit her lip. “But I could use a little bit of help getting it started.”
Her horn sparked and she reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a familiar yellow book.
Fluttershy looked at it. “Sewing for Dummies?”
Twilight nodded. “Rainbow Dash got it for me when I started dating Rarity. And well, I thought why not put it to some good use?”
“What do you have in mind?” Fluttershy asked.
“I was thinking that maybe I could make Rarity a dress,” Twilight said, pawing at the ground. “And you know a few things about sewing, right?”
Fluttershy frowned. “I don’t know, Twilight, that sounds like a lot of work, especially for someone who’s never done this before...”
“I know, I know, but I have two weeks and I think that with a few pointers I could really make something special.”
Fluttershy nodded, mulling it over. “Well, I’m sure I could give you a few tips. And at the very least I could let you borrow my equipment. That would probably make it easier for you to hide than doing it in the castle.”
“Really?” Twilight asked, practically beaming. “So, you’re willing to help me out?”
Fluttershy nodded and motioned for Twilight to come in before walking to a room at the back of her cabin.
Twilight followed her as they entered her workshop. It was a lot more cramped and less well-equipped than Rarity’s boutique. Yet, there was still a sewing machine and an abundant amount of material lying around.
“So, have you thought about what you were going to make?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “Well I’m honestly struggling to think of something that would look good on Rarity. Maybe white?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “White is normally only worn at weddings and well… you want something that’s going to accent her fur, not match it. In my opinion, I’d go with something that was either blue or purple?”
“Purple sounds nice,” Twilight said. “Maybe add something frilly? Oh oh! And maybe we could find a way to incorporate lace?” She grinned. “I know that Rarity uses that a lot in her designs.”
“Possibly,” Fluttershy murmured, “though maybe we should start with something a bit simpler?”
“But I want to make something special!” Twilight stated, speaking with utter certainty. “She deserves something better than simple.”
Fluttershy looked at Twilight, lifting a brow.
“What?” Twilight asked, her cheeks warming.
“Twilight, you’re learning a brand-new skill,” Fluttershy said, brushing against her friend’s side. “You can’t be expected to master it in two weeks.”
Twilight frowned and then steeled herself, looking quite sure of her abilities. “Sure I can, I do that all the time.”
“Yes, but I’d expect that Rarity would be quite suspicious if you disappeared for the entire two weeks leading up to her birthday,” Fluttershy said. “Plus, dressmaking isn’t like magic, it takes a bunch of different skills, all of which you’ll need to build up independently.”
“Fine, fine.” Twilight sighed. “I guess I’ll start with something simple.”
“And I’m guessing that you don’t have Rarity’s measurements on hand?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight blushed. “Err…”
“It’s okay, hun,” Fluttershy said, playfully bumping into Twilight’s side before heading for her desk. “Thankfully, I’ve got them written down.”
She opened one of its drawers, pulling out a coil bound journal.
“And for the record,” Fluttershy said. “I think that Rarity is going to absolutely love this idea.”
It had been one week since Twilight started her project, and it had been one of tears, halting progress, near disasters, and even more tears. Still, she was making slow but steady progress on her design.
A purple gown clung to the mannequin set up before her. It wasn’t close to being done by any stretch of the imagination, but Twilight could still appreciate the progress she’d made. A few days ago, she’d only had an unruly cord of byzantine purple. Now her project had taken on a distinctly dress-like shape.
Though there were still dozens of problems, with every day seeming to add more to the list. In terms of measurements, one side was a little longer than the other. There was also the issue of the threading, as it was uneven and the golden thread very visibly and painfully flawed. And of course, there was the missing leggings, which made the dress look very silly indeed.
Though, while the problems were numerous, Fluttershy promised to eventually help her out with all of them, soothing Twilight by telling her that none were beyond repair.
It was this promise that kept Twilight calm as she continued to work, ceaseless with her task.
She was so utterly focused on the dress, watching the needle pierce the fabric and the thread press through. Her job was the only thing that mattered and she was so absorbed that she barely even registered that somepony was knocking at the cabin’s door when she heard the faint sound from within the workshop.
That must’ve been Fluttershy. She mentioned that she’d be back once she was done tending to the animals.
How long ago had that been? An hour?
Twilight checked the time and was alarmed to see that it hadn’t been an hour, but nearly four, the clock’s arms now plunged late into the afternoon.
She got up and made her way into the living room, wondering what had taken Fluttershy so long. She was about to ask, as she opened the door, however Fluttershy wasn’t on the other side.
Instead, it was Rarity.
“Hello Fluttershy,” Rarity greeted. “I was wondering if…”
She jerked back; her eyes as wide as Twilight’s own.
“Oh hello, darling,” Rarity said, letting out an amused note. “I guess that answers my question.” She reached forwards and prodded Twilight with a hoof. “And where have you been? I feel like I’ve barely seen you this week.”
Twilight grinned. “Oh yeah, I’ve uh… I’ve been busy helping Fluttershy.”
“Oh? And what have you been helping her with?” Rarity asked. “Hopefully nothing too dire.”
Twilight’s brain shorted out. She’d never been good at lying.
“Oh well you know she’s been… uh…” She glanced around, trying to spot any viable excuse. Which led her gaze towards the window and the animal enclosures outside. “She’s been… busy with the animals and needed somepony to look over her bookkeeping.”
Rarity frowned. “Is that so? The dear usually gets me to do that.”
Fuck, Twilight had forgotten about that little detail.
“Err… she mentioned that she’d like me to take a look because I talked about possibly being able to help her get some royal grants from Canterlot,” Twilight explained, offering a nervous smile and hoping that Rarity would buy it. “You know, use some of that good old-fashioned nepotism.”
Rarity cocked a brow, her expression hard to read. “Is that so?” She peered past Twilight and into the cabin. “I guess that would explain why the light in her office is on.”
Twilight nodded quickly. “Yeah! Exactly!” She grinned, attempting to put herself between Rarity and that room. “Now, was there anything else I could help you out with?”
Rarity smirked and leaned closer, brushing a hoof against Twilight’s side.
“Well,” she said. “I was mostly just wondering where you’ve been. You’ve been dreadfully absent.”
“Hello girls!” a familiar voice chimed in.
Twilight looked past Rarity and smiled, waving her hoof. “Hey Fluttershy!”
Rarity smirked and turned towards her friend. “Oh hello, dear. I just came around because I was looking for my darling, Twilight. Though it appears you’ve absconded with her.”
“Oh yeah, me and her have…” Fluttershy began.
Though before she could finish, Rarity interrupted. “Yes, yes, she was explaining how she’s been helping you organize your library!”
Twilight’s eyes widened. She really should’ve gone over an alibi with Fluttershy, just in case something like this happened.
She tried to get Fluttershy’s attention but couldn’t figure out a subtle way of doing so. So, she could only watch in horror as her friend nodded along.
“Oh yeah, she’s been really helpful,” Fluttershy said.
Rarity smirked, not betraying any hint of emotion. “Of course, of course. Well, I guess I should leave you two to it.” She then made a show of heading for the door but stopped after a couple steps. “Though! Though, I was wondering if I could possibly pick up a little bit of fabric from you.”
Fluttershy glanced at Twilight, and must’ve picked up on her horror, as her own expression fell into a poker face that wouldn’t win her any money in Las Pegasus.
“Oh, I can do that for you Rarity,” she said, rushing towards her workshop. “What are you looking for?”
Rarity followed after her. “I’m looking for a special kind of red,” she said. “I’ll know it, when I see it.”
Twilight felt her blood chill, wondering if her surprise was about to be spoiled.
However, Fluttershy turned, looking far more confident than before.
“Oh, I’m sorry Rarity but I actually used up the last of my red making tents for a badger colony,” she said, closing the workshop’s door with her hindleg.
“Well, that is quite alright,” Rarity murmured, looking peeved at being stopped in such a fashion. “I guess I’ll be patient and wait for my newest shipment to arrive.” She then hummed, looking at Twilight. “Are you going to be much longer? I was hoping that we could spend the evening together, maybe go over some plans for my birthday.”
“Oh yeah!” Twilight beamed. “That’s next week, isn’t it?”
Rarity cock a brow. “It is. As you should very well know. After all, you’ve marked it down on every calendar in the castle.” She looked at Fluttershy and smirked. “The dear is really too adorable. She even put little hearts around the date.”
Twilight’s face burned. “Rarityyyyy.”
“Shush darling, what’s the point of dating you if I don’t get to embarrass you every once in a while.”
Fluttershy giggled. “It’s okay Twilight, go and spend some time with Rarity. I’ll make sure the library is taken care of while you’re gone.”
She playful winked at Twilight. A gesture which Rarity thankfully didn’t see.
Today was the big day.
Twilight paced back and forth in her library, patrolling in front of Fluttershy’s mannequin and giving her design one final pass. It wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but by the gods, she had done it all herself. Well, minus the many pieces that Fluttershy had added on and fixed.
It was a solid and royal purple, and Twilight had even managed to find the time and skill necessary to add a few trims and features in accenting shades of pink and blue. The threading was mostly hidden, with only a few minor errors and slip ups which left the golden thread visible to the naked eye. And sure, it wasn’t the most symmetrical dress in the world, being a little longer on one side than the other, but Twilight was sure Rarity would never notice.
Nope, not in a million years!
She totally wouldn’t examine every fault and mistake that Twilight made with her hyper-focused attention to detail.
Right?
Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. At that moment, a million different endings to this gift filtered through her mind, clouding her judgement. An anxious little sensation crawled through her veins and seized her body with a grip of raw terror.
Rarity was going to hate it! She was going to hate this! She was going to hate Twilight for attempting such a foolish thing.
Okay, that last one might’ve been a slight over-exaggeration. Except it wasn’t because at that moment, Twilight was panicking, and when she was panicking, every irrational thing suddenly seemed likely.
Her chest rose and fell swiftly as she suckled in breath, feeling a raw sense of panic overtake her.
Though what good did this do? Like honestly, at this point, no amount of fretting would help. Rarity would show up any minute now and it was far too late to destroy this faulty gift and replace it with something that actually had value.
There was a knock at the door, proving this to be painfully true.
“Hello, dear,” Rarity’s voice came through. “I got your letter and I must say I am really interested to see what this air of mystery is all about.”
Twilight forced herself to take a final calming breath before covering the dress with a sheet and affixing a bow to it. Not exactly the greatest wrapping in the world but there was only so much you could do with a custom-made dress.
“Come in,” Twilight called, her voice cracking.
The door opened and Rarity stepped inside.
“Oh my,” Rarity murmured, moving towards the ghostly figure next to Twilight. “And what is this?”
“I uh… I thought I’d try something a little different for your birthday this year,” Twilight said, swallowing hard.
“Is it a new mannequin?” Rarity asked, examining it and allowing herself a coy smile. “No offense but it does have a pretty distinctive shape.”
Twilight snickered. “No, it’s not a new mannequin.”
“Not a mannequin?” Rarity hummed. “But it does involve one. Now what would involve a mannequin and you staying in Fluttershy’s workshop for nearly two weeks straight.” She chuckled. “Is it a blazer? Did you make me a blazer, darling?”
“Why would I make you a blazer?” Twilight asked, slowly shaking her head. “Just… just open it.”
Rarity smirked. “Very well.”
Her magic formed around the sheet, pulling it off and revealing the dress.
Twilight was pleased to see that Rarity’s eyes lit up at the sight of it, her jaw left slightly open.
Though any relief was short lived as she felt her anxiety flare, watching Rarity actually seeing her dress for the first time. How many imperfections was she picking up on, how many flaws and errors?
Twilight bit her lip. “Now I know it isn’t perfect…”
“Isn’t perfect!” Rarity exclaimed. “Twilight, dearest, this the greatest present anyone has ever gotten me.”
She approached the dress and ran her hoof over the material. “Did you do this all by yourself?”
“Well Fluttershy helped,” Twilight admitted. “But besides that, yeah, I uh… I read a book on sewing and decided to try it out.”
Rarity snorted. “Two weeks and a book, and you’ve already produced something that would’ve taken me years to learn. Twilight, have I ever told you how absolutely stunning you are?”
“Only every other day,” Twilight said, feeling relief washing over her. “So, do you like it?”
Rarity nodded quickly. “It’s fantastic, darling.” She motioned towards it. “The colour, the fabric, the cut, the thread, and don’t even get me started on the flare! You really outdid yourself.”
Twilight sighed. “I’m really happy to hear that. You had no idea how worried I was that you’d only see my mistakes.”
“Twilight… you learned a new skill from scratch and made something of quality,” Rarity said. “A few frayed edges are doomed to happen.” She then turned towards her. “I can’t wait to wear it.”
Twilight deadpanned. “Wait, really?”
“Of course, darling. I intend to wear this to our next soiree and show everypony how talented my marefriend is.” Rarity glanced at the dress and let out a pleasured sigh. “It really is ideal summer time attire, isn’t it? This paired with a nice sunhat would make for such a dashing combination.”
“Y-you really don’t need to wear it in front of ponies,” Twilight said. “Or at least let me make some alterations first.”
Rarity shook her head. “Twilight, you have already slaved away for nearly two weeks straight. You’ve done fantastic work and I’ll be sure to let everypony know that.”
“What if they laugh?” Twilight whispered.
“Then I’ll simply turn…” Rarity said, doing so and looking at Twilight. “And look at the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. And if they keep laughing, I will simply have to give her a kiss and let everyone know that I have the honour of dating her.”
Twilight giggled, which earned her a kiss as Rarity dipped forward, planting her lips against Twilight’s own. They lingered close to each other for a few long seconds before reluctantly drawing away.
“You taste like coffee,” Rarity whispered.
Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Sorry about that, I was… I didn’t…”
“It’s alright, dear, just makes me envious that I haven’t had a cup yet.” Rarity hummed. “Speaking of which, how about we go out somewhere and grab something to eat. Maybe enjoy a few mimosas before the party starts?”
“That sounds lovely,” Twilight said.
“Not as lovely as this dress you’ve made,” Rarity replied, looking at it and then at Twilight as she ran a hoof across her cheek. “Nor as lovely as you.”