Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Done for a Facebook group.
Watch You Talking About?
Ponyville, where everyday is never the same. Rarity's Carousel Boutique was the setting for this story. A few days off from the locomotive was a train conductor's much needed break and it couldn't come any sooner. His uniform was in tatters so he hoofed over to the boutique. Opening the door, Rarity saw the conductor, curious about his visit. "Fancy seeing you in my shop," she gasped. The conductor entered once Rarity allowed him in, his uniform in a bag.
"I was told that you could fix clothing," he explained as he pulled his ruined outfit out for her to see.
"That uniform has seen better days. You can leave it here overnight. It will look good as new." The conductor felt confident that his uniform will be fixed. "And since you've help the ponies with the schedule and keep business on the go, it's on the house." It's free and the conductor couldn't be more grateful.
"Thank you. I couldn't have picked a better pony to help me with my situation. I'll come back in a little while." Just before leaving...
"By the way, is this your only uniform?" The conductor shook his head.
"Nah, I got two more. One to wear, one to wash and one to dry for the next day." Priorities.
"I see. You prefer a routine." Rarity allowed him to leave so that she could work on his uniform. Using her glowing horn, she summoned a needle, thread a fabric tape to help with the repairs. As she performed her magical sewing abilities, something gold shimmered. Putting the uniform down, she used her horn to remove a pocket watch. Rarity couldn't believe her finding. "His watch... Might wanna put it somewhere safe. Don't want Opal or Sweetie Belle to find it." With a smaller pony, it can be understandable. Her cat? Questionable. She guided the watch onto a mantle piece where she knew it was out of reach. The flying threaded needle poked through the cotton fabric of the uniform over and over. Making the needle want to get away from the uniform tightened the sewing thread. Taught, the needle stopped glowing and fell in her hoof. She levitated a pair of scissors, making it cut the thread. She wasn't done. For a couple of hours, she stitched and snipped the uniform. When she put her sewing material, her work was done and the uniform looked better than ever. Not bad for a free job. No wonder she's the bearer of the Element of Generosity. She still needed to clean it. As she washed the uniform, Sweetie Belle entered her shop.
"Rarity, you in here?" she asked. Knowing her sister's voice, Rarity was glad to know she's in for the evening.
"Up here!" she called. Sweetie Belle watched as Rarity was making the last touches on the conductor's uniform. In a bragging mood, she showed her work to Sweetie Belle.
"Isn't that the pony that rides the train to Canterlot?"
"Oh, much more than just Canterlot. How about all over Equestria?" Amazed, Sweetie Belle wondered if this was her calling card. Going all over the world on a train to see the sights from Canterlot to Manehattan. She got giddy, even acting like the conductor holding his watch.
"Train to Cloudsdale will leave in one minute! All aboard!" Rarity chuckled at Sweetie Belle's act. "You think Apple Bloom and Scootaloo can join me in being Train conductors as well?"
"Well, if you think that's what your cutie mark tells you." Sweetie Belle glared at his blank flank, wondering when it would finally show up.
"Oh..." Night fell. All were fast asleep in Ponyville. The pocket watch remained on the mantle. The next morning, the conductor returned to check on Rarity's progress.
"Come in!" Rarity welcomed. The conductor came back. Guess what he's after.
"How's my uniform coming along?" he questioned. A giggle from Rarity told him good news.
"There wasn't a tear I couldn't repair. Sorry, a little thing I picked up from Zecora in the Everfree Forest." Aside from that rhyme, the conductor was shown his uniform. He couldn't believe how beautiful his uniform looked.
"I chose the right department for my uniform. Thank you so much!" Rarity huffed at the praise from the conductor.
"Anytime you want a spruce to your wardrobe, come on by and I'll gladly fix it up."
"I'll let my companions know. Your business should bloom." It was a kind gesture, one Rarity giggled to. On that note, the conductor left, his newly remade uniform ready for work. Just one problem: no pocket watch. He doesn't realize it. As Rarity tidied the place, some pony stopped by.
"Rarity?" spoke Twilight. Hearing her friend originally from Canterlot, Rarity looked to her new customer...or just a visitor.
"Twilight," she greeted. "Any reason you're stopping by?" Along with Spike, Twilight decided on a topic.
"Was that the train conductor that stopped by?" There was a reason for his visit.
"He needed his uniform patched up. It was a piece of cake." If that tattered uniform was easy, there's little imagining what's hard?
"Watch your confidence, girl. There's no telling what your next project will come from." Suddenly, Rarity froze. A word Twilight muttered.
"Watch?" She darted her eyes on the mantle, something gold shimmering. Her eyes became fixated to that piece of gold. Using her magical horn, she brought the watch to her. The conductor's pocket watch...and he doesn't have it! Knowing that she still had it in her boutique, she let out an enormous scream of panic. Twilight and Spike covered their ears, it was that deafening.
"Tell me when it's over!" Spike shouted. After that booming shout, Rarity feared about how to deal with this dilemma.
"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!" Twilight came forward, wanting to help a friend.
"Calm down," she urged. "I can fix this! Tell me what to do!" Rarity wondered where the conductor would go. Finally, an idea.
"The station! He's probably heading there, now!" Twilight knew what to do.
"Gotcha! I'll be back!" Taking the watch, she used her horn and vanished. By the station, the conductor was getting ready to board and head home with his newly repaired uniform, oblivious about his missing watch...until Twilight arrived out of nowhere. "Hey!" She used her horn to keep the watch from damage, floating it in the air. The conductor turned to Twilight and saw his watch with her. "You dropped this back at the shop!" Given the watch, the conductor looked puzzled.
"My pocket watch?" he wondered. Finally, he realized his own blunder. "Darn it! I thought I cleaned my pockets before heading to the shop! Thank you so much for returning it to me!" Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight was grateful that the watch was back in the rightful hands...er, hooves.
"Promise me that you'll take better care of the watch." Her cold smile was a warning. Maybe she didn't want to use her magic like that again. It got through the conductor's hide.
"O-Okay! I will! I'll think of a way to repay you for making sure I have all my credentials." Just then, a train whistle blew.
"All aboard!" sounded another conductor. This conductor was out of time.
"That's my cue. I gotta go. I won't forget!" All Twilight did was watch as the conductor got on board and the train take off from the station. Strutting back to the shop, Twilight looked wiped.
"I wish I never have one of those moments again," she groaned. Rarity and Spike wondered if she got to the conductor in time.
"Did you get the watch back to him?" he asked.
"Yeah, just before his train departed. He thought he put it away but he promised to take better care of it." Rarity sighed, relieved that she's off the hook for something the conductor should have taken better caution.
"I should be glad you came at the right time, even if it was just a visit. I couldn't imagine what the conductor would've done if he found out his watch wasn't in his possession." To Twilight, it didn't seem like it was a big deal.
"I'm pretty sure he's got some more back home." That evening, the conductor cherished the watch he nearly left.
"I can't believe I didn't keep you in here," he muttered. "You're my lucky charm. I promise not to leave you alone." He placed the watch...his lucky charm...on a side table before falling asleep. He's got work ahead of him but at least he had his timer. Let's hope he keeps it closer to his hide.