Ten days followed after the poison joke incident. During that time, Zecora started to appear in town more often without the populace feeing in terror, but she still mostly stayed in her little hut in the forest. Because of Apple Bloom's disobedience during the whole affair, Sora and Applejack decided the little filly would be grounded for a week. Apple Bloom voiced her protests, but her arguments were shot down.
Only one major event happened occurred during this time, though event would be stretching it. Apparently, Pinkie had this sixth sense that she dubbed her "Pinkie Sense," a series of body spasms that would inform her when a specific event would happen. Twilight, being the analytical unicorn that she is, wanted to know everything about how the Pinkie sense worked. Despite her hardest to understand it, Twilight could not figure out how the Pinkie Sense worked. After a string of failures, a piano dropping on her head, and an encounter with a Hydra, Twilight gave up and just accepted to not question Pinkie's strange powers.
"What?! You're not going to adapt Feeling Pinkie Keen?!"
What? How did you..?
"Are you really asking that question? This is me we're talking about."
Right... Forth wall breaking... Anyway, no, I am glancing over Feeling Pinkie Keen. I don't think there is much there for Sora to interact with.
"Come on! Are you forgetting the Hydra?! That is a primo Olympus Coliseum throwback right there!"
Olympus Coliseum gets enough attention from the games.
"Oh, I get it, are ya gonna glance over Cerberus too?!"
Be quiet! Look, I'll say that Sora fought off the Hydra during that point so that you and Twilight could escape. Will that make you happy?
"Maybe..."
Close enough, I guess. Now stick to the script. Anyway, today, Rarity met Sora in the marketplace earlier as he was selling apples at a stand the Apple family owned. The fashionista requested that Sora visit her shop later on once he was done selling apples. Sora agreed, but when he asked Rarity what she wanted him for, she only replied with "It's a surprise." Now Sora really wanted to know what she wanted.
When he was done in town, the caramel pegasus returned the stand back to the farm, where Applejack gave him his weekly pay. He did not feel comfortable accepting pay from the Apples, considering that he was also living under their roof, but Applejack was insistent on paying him. His his money tucked away in his saddlebags, Sora made his way over to Carousel Boutique. It always felt weird for him to enter the shop, it was a bit too girly for his taste.
"Hey, Rarity," Sora graciously greeted. Sora noticed something different about Rarity today. She was wearing a new accessory Sora had not seen before, a pair of red reading glasses.
"Sora, right on time darling," Rarity replied. Sora trotted forward, taking note of a red cloth that was concealing a fairly large object in the room. Aside from that, Sora also noticed something he had never seen before. Sitting off to the side was a white furred persian cat with a wide face and a bushy tail. It was also wearing a purple bow atop it's head.
"Say, Rarity, I didn't know you had a pet cat," Sora pointed to the sleeping ball of fluff not too far away. Rarity turned herself to the cat, suddenly realizing that she's never shown her pet to Sora.
"Oh, this is Opalescence," Rarity introduced her pet, "Opal, say hi," the cat looked up and viewed Sora with an uninterested gaze. The caramel pegasus waved at the cute little kitten, but she thought nothing of it. Opal yawned and curled back into her nap. An awkward silence pervaded in the room, so much that the sound of a needle dropping would have been heard. Sora felt like a fool for waving so erratically, while Rarity was not sure what to say seeing such a cold rejection.
"Um, so Rarity," Sora desperately wanted to shift the subject, "You wanted to talk to me?" The fashion pony was glad that Sora broke the silence in the room.
"Yes, I wanted to discuss with you the Grand Galloping Gala," Rarity said, "It is coming up, after all."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, that," Sora did remember. That big party that was due in a month and a half from now. Celestia personally gave him a ticket to the event during his first week in Equestria. Sora also remembered that the princess thought he would make the event interesting, whatever that meant, "What did you want to talk about?"
"Well, I want to talk about what you will be wearing for the event," Rarity elaborated. Sora arched his eyebrows. Clothing was not something he ever considered.
"I was kinda just going to wear my normal clothes," Sora told her. The marshmallow unicorn's pupils shrunk, reacting as if Sora said something outlandish.
"Sora, you can't go to the Gala dressed in those clothes!" Rarity screeched. The caramel pegasus flinched back in shock at Rarity's outburst. Sora blinked a few times before he made his response.
"What, are my clothes not good or something?" Rarity reeled back when she heard him ask that.
"Oh nonononononono," She shook her head, "You misunderstand me. Sora, darling, your clothes are magnificent, but they still invoke a sense of casual wear, not suited for a setting like the Grand Galloping Galla. You need something more formal to wear," Sora considered what Rarity was telling him. She seemed to know what she was talking about, but he didn't have any formal wear on standby.
"Okay, but, I don't have any other clothes besides these," Sora informed Rarity. The marshmallow mare put a hoof to her mouth to stifle a chuckle.
"Very true," She spoke, "Luckily for you, I've cooked up just the thing," Rarity trotted over to the object with the red cloth draped over it. Enveloping the cloth in her magic aura, Rarity lifted it away to reveal what was underneath. Rarity's dramatic flair revealed a neatly sewn tuxedo resting on a pony-shaped stand in. This suit was unlike most other tuxedos Sora has seen (which wasn't saying much but still). The jacket and pants were pitch black in color, yet there were grayish highlights on the shoulders and pockets. The front flaps of the jacket were red in color and held together with golden buttons. The same buttons were also used to hold the cuffs together. The undershirt was a lighter shade of gray, adorned with a neat red bow tie at the neck. Finishing the ensemble was a bright heart-shaped, red rose on the breast of the jacket.
Rarity proudly stood by the garments as Sora looked with intense interest. The way Rarity presented the clothes, Sora came to a single conclusion, yet he felt the need to ask anyway.
"Is this for me?" Sora asked.
"Well of course they are, darling," Rarity answered with a wide smile, "This is why I called you over here, so I could personally present this to you," Rarity stroked the fabric of the suit, "I tried my hardest to capture the aesthetic of your attire while maintaining the proper form of a suit. I didn't want to compromise your style with a garment too drastic of a change for you. Besides, your aesthetic translates perfectly into a tuxedo, wouldn't you agree?"
Sora did not exactly follow what Rarity was talking about, but he nodded anyway, "When did you make this?"
"Just recently, actually," Rarity answered, "Yesterday, Twilight and Applejack visited my shop when we began to talk about the Gala. You should have seen the horrid dress Twilight was planning to wear for the event. And Applejack, she was going to wear her 'work duds!' In that moment, I was struck with a brilliant idea, I would create dresses for all my friends for the Grand Galloping Gala! Though, in your case I made you a suit."
"Rarity, you didn't have to go through all that trouble," Sora said, surprised that she would do something like this on a whim.
"Of course I had to!" Rarity stated, "I was more than happy to make outfits for Everypony. Oh please do tell me what you think. I want nothing more than your honest opinion!"
Sora looked over at the suit on the pony-quin once more. Sora knew next to nothing about clothes. He just sort of used them. Still, it seemed like Rarity worked very hard to make this suit, given how fancy it looked.
"I think it looks really good," Sora answered, unsure what he should really be praising, "You put alot of effort into this, didn't you?"
"Well of course, darling," Rarity affirmed, holding her head up in pride, "I make sure every garment is made with a hundred and ten percent love and care. I would never be satisfied with something half-baked. It just simply wouldn't do."
"That's really awesome," Sora complimented with a smile. Rarity put a hoof over her muzzle.
"Oh, you are too kind, Sora," She expressed her gratitude, "Since we are on the subject, I would very much love to see how you look in these garments," Rarity used her magic to undo the clothes of the pony-quin and levitate them over to Sora.
"Okay, sure," The caramel pegasus replied with a nod, outstretching his hoof so that Rarity could place the clothes on it, "Uh, where can I go change?"
"Right over there, darling," Rarity pointed to a nearby red curtain. Sora nodded in appreciation and trotted behind the curtain, pulling it so that it obscured him. The caramel pegasus fiddled around changing for a good long while. When Sora finally emerged from behind the curtain, it was clear that something was not right. Rarity furrowed her brow at his neckline. His bow tie was not tied properly, it looked like some poorly tied knot.
"Sora, that is not how one ties a bow," Rarity pointed out. That sloppy work was utterly destroying the otherwise fantastic aesthetic. Sora could only sheepishly laugh in response.
"Sorry, I'm not good with this sorta thing," He admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Allow me, darling," The fashionista enveloped the bow with her magic and undid the terrible job Sora did. With great skill, Rarity properly tied the bow the way it looked on the pony-quin. With the bow properly applied, Rarity took a step back to view Sora's appearance, now he looked like a true gentleman, "My word, I always knew you had a knack for fashion, but who knew you could make a tux work so well."
"You really think I look that good?" Sora asked, blushing at the praise he was receiving.
"Oh, but of course," Rarity reaffirmed, fluttering her eyelashes at Sora, "I'd be surprised if all the mares at the Gala won't be swooning over you," Sora blushed at the mental image of a bunch of girls falling for him.
"Well, it is your work, so I can't take all the credit," Sora smiled at her.
"And so modest," Rarity smiled back at him. Sora's smile seemed to have an effect on others, an effect that made them curl their lips up as well. With a flick of her horn, Rarity magically lifted Opal in front of Sora, which brought more than a few shrieks of protest from the cat, "Oh, Opal, isn't he just the spitting image of a gentle-colt?" Sora winced at the uttering of the word 'colt.' Almost two weeks later and he was still embarrassed by that whole debacle. Opal hissed and started swinging her claws wildly, prompting Sora to leap back in surprise before he was slashed.
"Opal!" Rarity scolded her kitty, gently dropping her to the ground, "That was very rude of you!" Opal took no heed and grumpily walked off, Rarity glaring at her pet as she did so, "I'm so very sorry, Sora, she's usually not like this."
"Don't worry, it's okay," Sora tried to console her, "Say, did you make clothes for the others already?" He asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.
"I have the other's dresses on the second floor," Rarity happily answered the question, then she suddenly became giddy with excitement, "Do you want to see them?"
"Yeah!" Sora replied eagerly. He loved to see what designs Rarity came up with. From the sounds of things, these Gala dresses seemed really special.
"Come with me, then!" Rarity led the caramel pegasus up the stairs to her work room. When Sora entered the room, he noticed that there were sewing materials strung around on the floor, making the room appear unkempt, but the mess was not what he was focused on.
In the room were five dresses on pony-quins. One was a light blue gown with star patterns on the hem, silver sparkles, a high back collar, and a star headpiece. One dress was compromised of a leather saddle with an attached green skirt that ended in leather straps. Along with the dress were green boots and a brown stetson decorated with apple motifs. The third dress had a skirt that was comprised of all the colors of the rainbow with fluffy trimming. The dress was paired with golden shoes as well as a feather-like headpiece. Another dress had a more floral design: a green skirt adorned with a blue sash and flowers at the hem, paired with a butterfly headpiece. The final dress was pink, adorned with white frills at the waistline, a pink ribbon at the breast, toped together with a white cap adorned with a bow.
"Wow!" Sora hovered around the room, surveying the dresses Rarity made, "These are incredible!"
"Do you really think so?" Rarity could hardly contain her giddiness seeing Sora's reaction to her work.
"Absolutely!" Sora replied. Sora surveyed the dresses once again. Looking over the aesthetics of each gown, he saw how they fit the personalities of Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. However, there was one more gown that should be here but was not.
"Hey, Rarity, where's your dress?" Sora questioned.
"Well, I just haven't made it yet," The marshmallow pony answered plainly.
"Really? Why's that?" It did not make much sense to Sora that Rarity would not make her own dress.
"I've been focusing my energy on everypony else's attire," Rarity explained, "I can't make something for myself when my talents are better served for somepony else."
"Wow, that's really awesome, Rarity," Sora complimented, pleased that he knew someone as generous as Rarity, "I guess she's the Element of Generosity for a reason."
"Your words are appreciated, Sora," The fashionista voiced her thanks, "And here's the best part, these dresses are going to be displayed at a fashion show I will be hosting! Isn't that exciting!"
"That is exciting!" Sora reaffirmed. He was barely knowledgeable when it came to clothing, but seeing Rarity happy brought a smile to his face. The marshmallow unicorn brushed her hoof. Something took hold of Rarity in that moment, something that caused her face to drown into worry.
"Still, I wonder if the others will love these dresses," Rarity voiced her thoughts with a hint of concern.
"Of course they will," Sora assured her with a smile, "After all, you worked really hard on them," Rarity looked over to the caramel pegasus. Somehow, that wide smile of his was all the reassurance she needed.
"Oh, I'm absolutely brimming with confidence now!" Rarity squealed in delight, "I must show the others their dresses now! Sora, would you be a dear and fetch them for me. I must see to cleaning up
"And do please change back when you leave," Rarity requested, "We wouldn't want your suit to get dirty now would we?" Sora nodded. He forgot that he was still wearing his new formal attire, and it did not have the same durability enchantments his regular clothes had. Accidentally damaging it would be very disrespectful of him.
Sora changed back into his regular clothes, laying the pieces of his suit on top of the pony-quin, and raced out the door to find the mares.
—
"There just through here, remember to keep your eyes closed," Sora led the five mares up to the second floor of Carousel Boutique, instructing them to keep their eyes closed when they entered the work room, all the girls carrying anticipating smiles. Sora could hardly wait to see their reactions to the beautiful dresses Rarity made for them, "Okay, open them!" Sora instructed when the mares entered. All of them released the hold of their eye lids. Their anticipation turned into shock.
"These are your new outfits," Rarity proudly presented the dresses to the surprised mares," What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, are they not? And Twilight! I made this dress for you and I designed each outfit theme to perfectly reflect each pony's unique personality. Oh, it took me forever to get the colors right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I did it. Oh, and it turned out beautiful, don't you think? And I know you are going to love yours, Fluttershy. It just sings spring! And Pinkie Pie, look! Pink! Your favorite! Aren't they all amazing?"
Rarity's question was met with silence. The mares were critically inspecting the gowns. Pinkie looked her cress while tilting her head at a ninety degree angle.
"Well, they're certainly... something," Twilight relayed almost apprehensively.
"I like something!" Pinkie Pie forced, "Something's my favorite!"
Rarity's face fell. Her friends did not like their new dresses, "Wh-what, you really don't think they're good?"
"N-no, these are great," Twilight consoled with a forced smile.
"And we're plum grateful that you made these for us," Applejack added.
"It's just, not what I personally was expecting," Twilight finished.
"Yeah, I was kinda hoping for something different," Rainbow threw in. The rest of the mares nodded their heads in agreement.
Rarity looked as though all of her dreams were crushed in a single blow. Sora took note of Rarity's solemn expression. Seeing the hard working fashionista like this made Sora feel terrible for making her too hopeful. Almost immediately, the marshmallow pony straightened her face into an expression more fierce.
"That's quite alright!" Rarity declared, "I'll just have to make sure I do better next time. I'll make a new set of gowns for you all."
"Oh, Rarity, you don't have to do that," Fluttershy tried to dissuade.
"Nonsense, darling," Rarity continued, "I'll make sure that all of your dresses are up to your standards," Rarity levitated the gowns off of the pony-quins, no longer seeing any use for them.
"Really? Thanks Rarity," Twilight voiced her appreciation.
"Sora, would you kindly take these downstairs?" Rarity addressed the down-trodden pegasus, using her magic to neatly fold the dresses, which she then stacked on top of Sora's back. The weight was no issue for the caramel pegasus, but his spirits were struck very hard.
"Sorry to get your hopes up, Rarity," Sora apologized. He assured her that the others would love their dresses, but that did not come to pass.
"Sora, it's quite alright," Rarity brushed off. She was trying to show that she was fine, but her tone of voice expressed to Sora that she was disappointed, "I'm more than fine with making new dresses to suit my friend's desires. Don't worry about me, you just go about your day when you drop the dresses downstairs."
"Alright, sure thing," Sora agreed, trotting downstairs to drop off the dresses on a nearby table. Sora took another look at Rarity's work; they were such beautiful dresses, it was a shame that they wouldn't be used. At least Rarity would be able to make new dresses.
—
Things were relatively normal over the next two days. Applejack wasn't at the farm as often. She was likely off helping Rarity design the former's new dress. So Sora spent most of his time working on the farm or playing with Apple Bloom. Right now, Sora was trotting through town, wondering what he should be doing before the fashion show tonight.
"Sora!" Called a familiar voice. The caramel pegasus turned around to find a familiar little dragon running up to him.
"Hey, Spike," Sora greeted, "What's up?"
"I got awesome news," Spike was clearly excited, making Sora wonder what the fuss was about, "You ever heard of a guy called Hoity Toity?"
"Hoity Toity..?" The tone of Sora's voice relayed that he had never heard of that name before, Hoity Toity sure is the strangest pony name I've heard so far."
"Hoity Toity is this big shot fashion pony in Canterlot," Spike explained, "He heard about the fashion show Rarity's holding."
"Really..?" Sora questioned.
"Well, maybe I happened to mention it to him..." Spike admitted, "Still, he's coming all the way from Canterlot to see her work!"
Sora considered what that meant. If the fashion show was a success, "This could get Rarity a major boost to her business."
"I know, right?" Spike affirmed, "I gotta go, Sora. I still need to help out with the preparations," The little drake ran past Sora, leaving him to his thoughts.
"I hope Rarity's new dresses are really good," Sora thought out loud. He still did not know what to expect for the show tonight.
—
Night time arrived. A runway was set up in town for the fashion show. Sora had a front row seat in the audience. It seems as though the entire town arrived for this event. Further off, Sora saw a dark grey earth pony stallion with a poofy silver mane and tail. This stallion wore a white collar and white shoes on his fore-hooves to add to his posh appearance.
"That must be Hoity Toity," Sora thought, taking notice of the purple sun glasses the earth pony wore, "Who wears sunglasses at night?" Sora did not have time to ponder that little tidbit as lights began to rain down on the audience, upbeat music playing in the background.
"Since the beginning of time," Spike spoke through a microphone, "The elite of Equestria have longed for pony fashions that truly expressed the essence of their very souls. Patiently waiting decades—no, centuries—for the perfect pony gown. Today, at long last, Equestria, your wait is over!"
"Way to ham it up, Spike..."
"Let's hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville's own Rarity!"
The curtains opened, the spotlight revealing the five mares in their newly designed dresses. Sora could not help but gasp in shock. The dresses that were displayed for the crowd were unlike anything they had ever seen.
Those dresses were the most horrendous dresses the crowd had ever seen. Twilight wore a full body dark purple skirt with constellations etched onto the fabric. Atop her head was a headband that had stars topped above. Rainbow Dash's dress looked more like a suit of armor with a gold and rainbow motif. The helmet she wore looked like it was swept up by a strong gust of wind. Fluttershy had a bird's nest on her head. Her dress had a hideous green and pink polka dot pattern and a neckline that looked like Fluttershy poked her head out of a red flower. Applejack wore a bright red tall stetson, a denim skirt that looks like it was made out of a quilt, and horribly clashing yellow work boots. Pinkie wore on her head a giant teal cupcake with a cherry on top. Her dress' bodice was green while her skirt was a teal tutu. She also had balloons on strings tied to her tail to add to the ridiculousness.
The mares all ran down the walkway, full of confidence, unaware that the audience was cringing in disgust at these designs. Sora in particular twisted his face in utter disgust at these horrendous dresses, wondering if it was Rarity who really made those. Clearly, the five mares did not have the same eye for aesthetic that Rarity did. When the mares reached the end of the runway, they stood with full confidence. Slowly but surely, the mares began growing conscious of the way the crowd was looking at them.
"Why is everypony lookin' at us like that?" Applejack asked.
Twilight looked over the crowd, particularly at Sora, whose face suggested that he was embarrassed to know the ponies on stage. Taking another look at her dress, Twilight realized that it looked much better in her head, "Oh dear..."
"Do ya think we overdid it?" Rainbow whispered.
"Nonsense," Applejack denied, but a quick look at her clashing yellow boots made her reconsider, "Okay, maybe we did..."
"These designs are horrendous," Hoity Toity criticized harshly, "A haphazard amalgamation of everything except the kitchen sink," Sora could not argue against that point. He felt embarrassed for Rarity, so much so that he subconsciously lifted his hood over his head, "These are simply the worst designs I have ever seen! Who is responsible for subjecting our eyes to these atrocities? Not to mention wasting my valuable time."
"Come on out and take a bow, Rarity," Spike announced, seemingly unaware of what was really happening, "You worked really hard for this!"
Rarity slowly trotted down the runway, the stoplight raining down on her for all to see. She looked terrible, her mane was shriveled, her eyes were heavy, and her head was lagging. When Sora looked at her, she displayed only one emotion on her lowered face: shame. She received no applause (aside from an oblivious Spike). She only accepted her place as the fool. Sora began wondering, how different would everything be if Rarity's original dresses were used instead.
—
"Rarity, come on. Please come out," Sora knocked on the door to Rarity's bedroom. With him were Twilight and Rainbow. It was noon the next day and Rarity refused to leave her room
"I'm never coming out!" Rarity sobbed dramatically. She was laying on her bed in her pink robe, her mane a total mess. Wrapped in her hooves was Opalescence, who was not appreciative of her master's embrace, "I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again! I used to be somepony. I used to be respected. I made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now everypony is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!" She sobbed even louder.
"You're not a laughing stock, Rarity..." Sora tried to console, but even he did not believe those words, "Those were the worst clothes I've ever seen in my life, no way anyone is forgetting those."
"She kind of is," Rainbow Dash bluntly stated, earning her a glare and a slap in the back of the head courtesy of Twilight.
"Rarity, come on out and talk to us," Twilight requested.
"Leave me alone!" Rarity cried, "I want to be alone! I want to wallow in..." Rarity stopped herself, her mind was drawing a complete blank right now, "Whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh, listen to me, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'm so pathetic!"
Seeing as how they could not convince Rarity to exit her room at this time, the three ponies exited the building, where Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were waiting.
"Now what do we do?" Twilight asked out of some form of obligation.
"Panic?" Fluttershy suggested.
"That's your answer for everything," Rainbow pointed out, earning her another round of glares. Sora was not paying attention to the current conversation. He felt angry, angry at the mares for what happened.
"I can't believe all of you!" Sora spouted. The mares flinched back in shock at how much he raised his voice, "Are you all happy with yourselves?!"
"Why are you angry all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash went on the defensive.
"Do you have any idea how hard Rarity worked to make those dresses for you?!" Sora spat, "She put her heart and soul into them and that wasn't enough for you!"
"I mean, our ideas weren't that bad..." Pinkie attempted to justify, but she did not seem at all convinced herself that was true.
"Those dresses were awful!" Sora yelled. Despite his less than appealing tone of voice, the mares could not argue with that statement, "You should've just went her designs, then none of this would've happened!"
"Okay, so we went overboard," Applejack admitted, shifting her gaze away from the fuming pegasus.
"Ya think?" Sora continued his verbal onslaught, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Sora!" Twilight demanded his attention with her outburst, "We get it."
That statement seemed to have an effect on Sora. Sighing in exhaustion, the caramel pegasus lowered his angry expression into a more sad one. He did not speak for a good few seconds, not until he calmed himself down. After almost hurting Apple Bloom two weeks ago, the last thing Sora wanted to do was snap again. The mares waited with baited anticipation before Sora spoke again.
"Sorry... Look, I know it's probably not my place to say, but Rarity's heart is hurt. All that she worked for was for nothing... That's not a pleasant feeling at all," Sora sighed in dejection. Twilight critically examined Sora. The way he spoke those words, it suggested to her that he understood that feeling exactly. There was so much about this pegasus that she still did not know, but she was afraid of initiating a conversation about his past in the fear that it would spark some sort of trauma. Twilight started to consider what would happen if all her studies would amount to nothing. That would probably emotionally destroy her.
"I feel awful about this," Twilight drooped her ears in disappointment, disappointment at herself, "Sora's right, we should have just went with Rarity's original dresses," There was a collective feeling of agreement permeating from the group. They all held their heads down in sadness.
"What are you all doing standing here then?" Sora addressed the group. All eyes were on him as he asserted control of the conversation, "If you really feel sorry, then do something about it! Show Rarity how sorry you are!"
"Rarity won't talk to us," Pinkie Pie pointed out, "Pretty soon, she'll be a crazy cat lady!"
"She only has one cat," Applejack remarked.
"Give her time," Pinkie replied.
Twilight considered what Sora was saying. Rarity would be miserable for the rest of her life unless something was done. What could possibly break Rarity out of her spell? Twilight considered the options that were currently present. Considering what she knew about Rarity, one idea seemed an especially good one.
"Everpony," Twilight announced, silently demanding the other's attention, "I have an idea."
—
"Exile..." Rarity looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what her future held in store, "I guess technically I'd have to move away to live in exile. Where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it's going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What are you supposed to pack when you go to exile? Are you supposed to pack warm?" Rarity stopped her rambling when she heard her door open behind her. The former fashion pony twisted her frame to see a cheerful Sora standing at her open door frame.
"Sora?!" She shrieked, "How in the world did you get in here?! The door was locked!" Rarity paused for brief moment as a thought occurred to her, "Oh right—Keyblade. Still, what are you doing here?"
"I've got something to show you," Sora stated, excitement evident in his tone of voice.
"Oh, Sora, leave me be!" Rarity tilted her head away from Sora as she dramatically threw her hoof up in the air, "You'd do better than to converse with a no-pony like myself!"
"Sorry, Rarity, but I'm not taking no for an answer," Sora responded. Without warning, he flew up to Rarity and scooped her up in his hooves. The forlorn fashion pony shrieked in fright as Sora flew through the shop and out the front door, all the while Rarity was wailing her limbs.
"SORA!" Rarity yelled, "Put me down this instant!" She glared intensely at the caramel pegasus as he obliged to her request, gently placing her down hooves first, "What is the meaning of this wanton abduction?!"
"Well, how else was I gonna show you that?" Sora pointed behind Rarity. The marshmallow pony decided to humor her abductor and turn her head. Her jaw went limp. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stood next to a pony-quin displaying a magnificent dress. It was maroon in color, sporting a poofy skirt with numerous golden sashes. Going along with the dress were glass slippers and a golden tiara. Truly, a gown suitable for a princess. Rarity stumbled her words. She knew exactly what this was.
"We all finished your dress for you!" Twilight announced with a wide smile. Rarity had her mouth wide open in utter bafflement.
"Mostly cause a Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewing," Applejack pointed out.
"Do you like it?" The yellow mare asked, blushing at Applejack's comment.
"Like it? Like it?!" Rarity screeched, her eyes twitching, teeth gnashing. Her crazed look made the others very concerned.
"What's wrong, Rarity?" Sora inquired, worried that the marshmallow pony would hate the product, "Do you really not like it?" Rarity ceased her crazed episode and put her face into a more neutral expression.
"No, I don't like it," She said plainly. The others all slumped in disappointment, it seems as though their efforts were all in vain. Suddenly, Rarity pursed her muzzle into a wide and gracious smile, "I LOVE IT!"
That massive burst of pure joy was enough to result in an energetic group cheer. Rarity was now in high spirits, and that made everypony glad.
"You ponies did an amazing job," Rarity complimented, stroking the soft but durable fabric with her hoof, "It's exactly the way I imagined it.
"Well," Twilight explained, levitating a piece of paper that had the dress sketched onto it, "I remembered seeing this sketch when you were working on my second dress. We just followed the design that you made," The purple unicorn let her smile falter a bit, "Something we should have let you do for our outfits. Those first dresses you designed were perfect, but we couldn't see that."
"We're so super sorry," Pinkie offered up the most apologetic smile she could muster.
"You worked really hard to make our dresses exactly the way we wanted them," Rainbow Dash added, rubbing the back of her head in shame, "And we all saw how well that turned out," The mares all gave apologetic glances towards Rarity. The marshmallow pony surveyed her friends, they had run her ragged lately, resulting in the death of her career before it started. Despite that, there was a clear desire to make amends. Who was she to deny such good friends.
"Oh, I forgive you," Rarity chuckled with a brush of her hoof.
"That's really big of you Rarity," Sora complimented. This was great, everyone was making up. Unfortunately, Rarity was still down in spirit.
"That may be, but my whole career is still ruined!" Rarity lamented.
"Oh... yeah," Applejack said. The ponies had forgotten about that little fact. Rarity was now viewed as a failure in the fashion world. The ponies drooped their ears in solemn realization. Sora glanced over at Rarity. She was miserable, that much was clear. The caramel pegasus steeled himself, he would not let Rarity's hard work go to waste.
"Maybe not," He stated, bringing all attention to her, "Hoity Toity might still be in Ponyville. If we can show him a private fashion showcase with Rarity's original dresses, we might be able to save her career."
"Do you think so?" Rarity inquired, hope more than evident on her face.
"Yeah, I'll go get him!" Sora volunteered immediately. The mares eyed him with light surprise.
"Sora, do you even know where to start looking?" Twilight asked, unsure if he knew what he was doing.
"Not really," He admitted, leading to the mares slumping in exasperation, "Look, you girls need to get everything ready. Let me worry about tracking him down."
Rarity eyed Sora critically. She gazed upon those eyes, glazed in determination. Furthermore, the smile he gave told her everything that she needed to know, that he would accomplish his task with full vigor.
"I trust you, Sora," Rarity said, her eyes piercing with fierce determination, "We'll get things ready on this end!"
"Right," Sora affirmed, "Your hard work wont be for nothing, Rarity. I promise," With that, the caramel pegasus dashed away.
—
Sora did some asking around town, learning that Hoity Toity was currently at the train station awaiting the scheduled train to Canterlot. Galloping like his life depended on it, Sora made his way to the train station. When he arrived, he was relieved to see that Hoity had yet to leave.
"Hey, excuse me!" Sora called out to the posh pony. Hoity tilted his head but did not turn around. Sora galloped over to Hoity so that he could talk to him normally, "Hey, are you Hoity Toity?"
"Yes, yes..." The posh pony answered without turning around, "If you wish to wish to admire me, please do so at a suitable distance."
"Listen," Sora flew in front of him, "I just need a small moment of your time, after that, I'll leave you be," Sora did not receive any response for a good few seconds. He could not even read Hoity's expression because of the glasses blocking his pupils.
"I say," Hoity lowered his glasses, revealing eyes full of bewilderment, "Where in Equestria did you get such an avant-garde ensemble?" Sora blinked in bewilderment, not just because Hoity Toity became interested at the drop of a hat, but because the caramel pegasus had no idea what Hoity was talking about.
"I'm sorry, what?" Was all Sora could say.
"You're clothes," Hoity clarified, "Where did you get them?"
"Oh, these?" Sora looked over his jacket. Why was it that the fashion ponies of this world were so interested in his attire? "Well, uh..." Sora had an idea. Now that he had Hoity's attention, the caramel pegasus immediately saw an opportunity, "Actually, I can show you some clothes that are even better!" Sora advertised with pep in his voice.
"Even better, you say?" Hoity rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, my train doesn't arrive for another half hour. I suppose I could afford a small detour."
Sora leapt in to the air in excitement, "Yes!" He cheered. That sudden outburst made Hoity slightly reconsider his agreement, "Right this way!" Sora trotted ahead towards Carousel Boutique with Hoity following behind.
—
The two stallions entered the posh and girly building where they saw Rarity, looking like her normal self, standing atop the runway in the shop.
"Wait a moment," Hoity said apprehensively, "The same designer as before?" Sora began growing nervous. Rarity fearfully waved to him, which resulted in a reaction she was afraid of, "Ugh, I've no interest in seeing anymore failures," the posh pony turned his back and trotted towards the door.
"Wait!" Sora flew in Hoity's path to stop him from leaving, "These are going to be way better, I promise," The caramel pegasus gave his best smile.
With a long winded sigh, Hoity gave his response, "Fine, but I haven't got all day you know," Hoity walked back towards the small runway and sat on his haunches.
"Alright, take two," He said. Rarity took a deep breath to prepare herself. Lighting up her horn, Rarity created a scene of gorgeous stars paired with enchanting music. From the dazzling display appeared Twilight in the original dress Rarity made. She reared up her fore-hooves and posed with grace.
"Hello..." Hoity lowered his glasses, clearly impressed with the gown, "Oh, this can't be the same designer," The music changed into something more rural. The scene also changed into an after image of an apple field. A lasso found itself latching onto one of the apples, where it was pulled into the mouth Applejack, wearing her rural yet formal attire.
"Simply magnificent!" He complimented, "And I suddenly have a fierce craving for some Dutch apple pie, candied apples on a stick, apple turnovers, apple cobbler..." The music became more bouncy and erratic when the scene change into a candy filled environment. There was Pinkie in her dress, munching down on some gumdrops as she reared up her legs cheerfully.
"Brilliant!" Thunder cracked, startling Hoity greatly. The music grew far more bombastic to accompany the more brash setting. Diving onto the stage was Rainbow Dash, whose dress seemed to boost her already strong confidence.
"Oh, spectacular!" The scene began to grow more floral. The music shifted into a more gentle tune to fit with the meek but adorable appearance of Fluttershy, whose dress only added to her cuteness.
"Now this is a fashion show!" Hoity exclaimed, "All of these dresses are absolutely amazing. Who is responsible? Step forward, show yourself!" The music became far more elegant. The spotlight shown down on Rarity, clad in her new attire, displaying a sense of elegance almost never seen before, using her magic to create a dazzling display of lights. Behind her were the others in their gowns as well.
"Brava! Brava! Magnifico! Encore!" Hoity Toity clapped.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" Rarity welcomed the praise, almost on the verge of tears. Sora was also clapping. That show was even better than he thought it would be. Rarity simply outdid herself.
—
Later that night, Sora again visited Carousel Boutique. Stepping inside, the little bell that accompanied the door rang, alerting Rarity to his presence. The marshmallow unicorn was still wearing her Gala dress.
"Oh, Sora," Rarity said, "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Hey, Rarity," Sora greeted, "I just wanted to check up on you. You're still wearing your new dress?"
"Yes I am," Rarity twirled in place, "This was a gift from my good friends after all. Oh, I've never felt so beautiful in all my life. Won't Prince Blue Blood just love it," Sora almost forgot, Rarity had her eyes at a prince that would be at the Gala.
"I'm glad you feel wonderful, Rarity," Sora voiced his thoughts, "This whole thing must've been tough on you."
"Oh, Sora, you have no idea," Rarity lifted her hoof dramatically, "The past few days were so stressful. Twilight was micro-managing the entire process of making her gown, I almost couldn't keep up with her demands. The others were just as bad, you would not believe the things Fluttershy wanted. And Rainbow Dash," Rarity growled in frustration, a vein appearing on her head, "Rainbow Dash was just the absolute worst customer I have ever had! I asked her what she wanted and she kept giving me vague answers. 'Twenty percent cooler?!' I was close to back-hoofing that mare for how uncooperative and unhelpful she was!" Rarity stopped and began breathing slowly in exhaustion.
Sora looked at Rarity with shrunken pupils, letting her finish her rant, "Wow, you really had it rough lately, didn't you?"
"Oh, it was just dreadful," She said, "But now I have to make a dozen of each gown by next Tuesday!" Rarity looked as though she were about to faint. If only she had a nearby couch.
"Don't worry about it, Rarity" Sora assured, "You're tough," Sora gave her a wide smile. Suddenly, Rarity started to feel better.
"You know, Sora, the others told me how you gave them a stern talking-to this afternoon," Rarity said. Sora felt a wave of emotions wash over him, none of them particularly positive.
"Well, the thing is, I kinda lost my temper," Sora expressed, looking away, "Seeing you so miserable after you worked so hard, that didn't sit right with me. I kinda took out my anger on them. Maybe it wasn't right on me to do that, but—you're my friend, Rarity. I wanna see you succeed."
Rarity put a hoof to her mouth, "Sora, you really are a true gentle-colt," He looked over to Rarity again, "Thinking about the needs of others before your own. I can't think of anything more noble."
The caramel pegasus smiled in pride. It was great that things worked out in the end. Sora suddenly felt a sharp sting in his cheek. His head jerked to the side from the force of a hoof, a hoof from the marshmallow pony in front of him.
"Ooooooowwwwwwww!" Sora overdramatized. Of all the things he expected to happen, Rarity slapping him was not on the table.
"That was for mare-napping me," Rarity stated matter-of-factly. Sora slumped, rubbing his sore cheek. He was caught off guard once again when Rarity wrapped her hooves around him, pulling him into a hug, "This is for everything else. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for what you did today."
Sora felt relaxed, feeling compelled to return Rarity's gesture and hug her back. While being embraced, Sora curiously started thinking about Twilight, "I bet Twilight learned a pretty valuable friendship lesson after all this."