Chapter 7- Rarity
Me: Alright, this chapter is going to start a mini-Arc that I feel is essential to the story.
Tid: And this Arc is going to be about?
Me: You'll see, and no it's not just about Rarity. I don't own the rights to Naruto Shippuden or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
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Applejack and I arrived back at the house at a quarter past three in the morning. The others were all standing on the porch and looking for us, clearly waiting for us to get back. When they spotted us Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity all waved to us with smiles on their faces. Applejack and I walked up the steep hill and met the others on the black wooden porch.
"Yo." I said raising my hand in a greeting gesture as I stepped onto the porch.
"Where have you two been?" Rarity asked. Neither of us answered.
"I see what's going on here." Rainbow Dash said. I glanced at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked skeptically.
"I think you and Applejack were spending some quality time with each other." She replied crossing her arms and winking at me.
"No, that's not what happened." I denied.
"Uh-huh, sure." She said. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
"You guys were gone for so long the party ended!" Pinkie Pie said. I looked over her shoulder and saw that the party had in fact ended.
"Sorry, Pinkie." I said rubbing the back of my head.
"It's okay!" She said with a big smile.
"It's about time we head home anyway." Twilight said. The others murmured their agreement and began walking in separate directions back to their homes.
"Oh, Rarity, I wanted to speak to you." I said rushing out to catch her.
"Oh?" She asked turning around. I waited until everyone else was out of earshot before continuing.
"What is it you needed to talk to me about?" She asked with growing curiosity.
"Would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow?" I asked her.
"What?" She asked in surprise and blushing.
"I just thought since I don't know you ponies that well I might as well spend the day getting to know each of you." I said.
"Oh, alright." She replied.
"Did I say something wrong?" I asked nervously.
"Oh no, of course not dear! I would love to spend the day with you tomorrow." She replied with a smile.
"Great! What time should I be over?" I asked.
"I'd say a little after eight is fine. I have to have time to get ready in the mornings." She replied turning her head to one side and stroking her mane a little.
"Alright, sounds good." I said. I then reached out and patted her on the shoulder before walking back to the house. As I was walking I felt like someone was watching me, but when I looked back Rarity was already walking away. I shrugged it off and entered the house.
The next morning I woke up groggily, the sun's rays shining through my window and streaming onto my eyes, forcing me to wake up. I sat up and wiped my eyes and looked around. My cloak was hung on a rack set just beside the door, the fabric a little dirty from last night. I threw the covers off of myself and swung my legs over the side of the bed, letting my feet touch the cold wooden floor. I stood and stretched, letting my muscles wake up before donning my cloak and heading downstairs. I saw the house also came with a clock, which hung on the wall opposite the door. I glanced at it and saw the time read seven thirty.
"I should get going, wouldn't want to be late." I said to myself. I would have to meet her before doing my ritual. I looked around the room and saw the aftermath of the party sprawled about the floor. Confetti and streamers lay on the floor, balloons that had lost most of their inflation soon to join them.
"Hmm, I'll have to clean later." I said before walking over to the door and opening it. At that moment I was startled and fell backward as I saw the six ponies standing on the other side of the door.
"W-what?" I asked in confusion, looking at each of their faces as my heart raced.
"Sorry, didn' mean to startle ya." Applejack said. I stood up and brushed my cloak off before stepping aside and letting them in.
"Sorry to just drop by like this, but we've received a letter from the Princess." Twilight said.
"Which one?" I asked.
"Princess Celestia." She replied.
"Ah, alright. Go ahead and read it then." Twilight nodded and used her magic to open the envelope and take out a scroll wrapped in a red ribbon. She untied the ribbon with her magic and unfurled it before reading aloud:
"Dear Twilight,
Recently I have been in fear of the return of Discord. I can sense he is getting stronger every day, and it is only a matter of time before he returns once more. I have assigned Tid and Itachi on a very important mission to dispose of Discord once and for all. I will explain why I have selected these two for the mission at a later time. Until then, please do whatever you can to help these two.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia"
When she had finished reading Twilight looked up at me.
"Wait, since when was Discord evil again?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Now that I think about it, when was the last time any of us have even seen Discord?" Twilight asked. The others looked around at each other and shrugged. Twilight looked back at me.
"Anyway, what I really want to know is: Why would she choose you over us? We've dealt with Discord in the past." She said. I opened my mouth to answer her, but then I decided against it and shut my mouth again, shrugging instead.
"I'll ask the Princess for more details. In the meantime, it seems we're ordered to give you as much help as we possibly can." Twilight said.
"I'll be sure to ask if I need it." I said. She nodded and turned to the others.
"Come on, let's go girls." They all nodded and began walking out of the door, except Rarity. She waited until they disappeared from view before speaking.
"It seems Princess Celestia values your skills highly." She said looking at me.
"You really think so?" I asked. She nodded.
"Though I haven't seen them, I believe in your abilities too." She said.
"That's a dangerous thing to do." I said looking at her.
"Why do you say that?" She asked in confusion.
"Putting your life into the hands of someone else, not even knowing if they have what it takes to protect you," I stared down at my hands. "That's dangerous." I finished.
"Tid..." She said reaching her hoof out to touch my shoulder. I gave her a smile.
"If you want, I can show you my powers." I said.
"Really? That sounds just marvelous. I'd love to see exactly what it is you can do." She said. I rested my hand on her shoulder.
"Good, but first I have to do my ritual. You don't mind accompanying me, do you?" I asked.
"Not at all, dear. Lead the way." She said. I nodded and I led her through Ponyville to my ritual spot.
As I sat down she watched as I got into position for my ritual. She came over and sat next to me.
"So, Tid, tell me; why is it that you do this ritual every day?" She asked. I looked at her. She didn't need to know the reason, at least, not yet.
"Sorry, but I can't tell you, at least, not yet. I'll tell you when the time is right." I said.
"Oh, alright." She said looking down at the grass.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"No, everything's fine darling. Why do you ask?" She asked.
"It's just, you seemed a bit down." I replied.
"Well when you denied telling me why it is you do your ritual it brought another question to my mind; one I hadn't really considered before now." She said.
"And that would be?" I asked.
"Did you mean it when you said you liked my dresses the other day?" She asked looking at me with worried eyes.
"Of course I did. Your dresses are amazing to say the least."
"Really?" She asked with a glimmer of hope in her brilliant blue eyes. I nodded.
"Honestly, they're the best I've ever seen." She threw her arms around me, tears streaming down her face. She almost made me break my ritual.
"A-are you okay?" I asked somewhat alarmed.
"Yes, I'm just so happy to hear you say that!" She replied.
"You are?" I asked. I had no idea my opinion meant so much to this pony.
"Of course! Someone as fashionable as you ought to realize how important the opinion of another style-savvy, er, being, is to a seamstress!" She replied releasing me.
"I see. Well you're very welcome." I said with a smile.
As I sat through the rest of my ritual, I listened intently as Rarity divulged stories of her many masterpieces that she had created over the years.
"Hold on, you designed the wedding dress for a Princess?" I asked in astonishment. She nodded.
"It turned out just lovely, if I do say so myself." She said winking.
"I don't doubt it." I said with raised eyebrows. She chuckled.
"I'm glad you think so."
"I'm sure everyone in Ponyville is knocking on your door trying to buy the latest designs from an amazing seamstress such as yourself?" I asked her.
"Unfortunately, no. In fact, my business has been declining since the winter months. It seems no one needs what I have to offer anymore." She said staring at the ground, her eyes beginning to tear up. I put my hand on her shoulder.
"But Tid, you're ritual-"
"My ritual is finished. Besides, I can't stand to see my friend like this." I said. She blinked in surprise, a single tear streaming down her cheek.
"Y-your friend?" She asked.
"Of course," I said. I pulled her into a hug and she cried on my shoulder.
"I-I-" She stuttered.
"Shh, it's alright. Your business will pick up, I know it will. After all, you're still the best seamstress in Equestria." I said.
"Y-you really think so?" She asked sniffling.
"I do. Anyone would be crazy not to want to buy an outfit from you." I released her and she stared at me, her eyes still teary.
"Thank you Tid." She said. I stood up and helped her do the same.
"Now, why don't you show me these masterpieces?" I asked.
"You want me to show you?" She asked. I nodded.
"I figured I might as well see these amazing outfits for myself."
"Oh, alright," She said.
"Lead the way." I said gesturing for her to go ahead of me. She chuckled and I followed her out of the forest.
As we approached her home she seemed to be getting more and more excited. Finally she opened the door and welcomed me inside.
"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique; where everything is sleek, chic, and magnifique." She said. She flipped a switch using her magic and the lights in the room burst to life.
She led me to a door on one side of the room and down a hall where she opened a door to reveal a room with racks of many dresses and outfits.
"These are my masterpieces." She said gesturing about the room with her hoof. I walked over to one of the racks and began examining the dresses that stood before me. The fabric in each one was perfectly suited to its purpose, and added to the look of the dress with absolute flawless design.
"Amazing, I was impressed when I had heard about them, but now that I see them before me..." I took the sleeve of one in my hands and felt the soft fabric run across my fingers.
"I'm breath taken." I finished.
"Why thank you." She said walking over and standing by my side, watching me admire her works of art.
"Say, Tid, I was meaning to ask you something." She said as I examined a gorgeous dress that seemed to change color when I touched it.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Would you mind if I asked you to help me create a new design? I'd love to see what design I could come up with when working with a human such as yourself." She said.
"Is that so? Well I'd love to help you." I said turning toward her.
"Splendid! If you'd follow me, I'll show you to where I create my masterpieces." She said with a big grin.
I followed her out of the room and back down the hall to where she led me up the stairs and into a room with papers and strips of fabric strewn about the floor.
"Pardon the mess, dear." She said as we walked into the room.
"Oh it's no trouble." I said looking around the room. Several sketches of designs were scattered about the place, unfinished dresses standing not too far away from them upon mannequins.
"Take a seat anywhere, darling." She said as she searched about for a fresh piece of paper and a pencil.
I looked about and found a chair that was remarkably fabric-free and sat upon it, facing Rarity. Finally she found a pencil and turned to me, the paper and pencil floating in mid-air with a light blue aura surrounding them. She pulled up a chair with her magic and sat down, facing me.
"Now, what shall this dress look like?" She asked crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.
"What about a dress modeled after my Akatsuki cloak?" I asked half-jokingly. She gasped.
"What a marvelous idea!" She turned around and began sketching rapidly. The speed at which she moved almost frightened me. After about a half hour and a dozen crumpled pieces of paper, she finally set her pencil down and turned around to show it to me.
"What do you think?" She asked holding up the sketch with her magic. I was surprised that she could sketch a design of that caliber in such a short time.
"It's amazing, that would look great!" I replied genuinely.
"Wonderful! I'll set to work on it right away!" She said.
I watched in fascination as Rarity moved about the room constantly, grabbing certain bits of fabric or tools for her to use and I was quite astonished at the grace with which she crafted the dress. Several times I saw her wipe sweat from her brow as she began sewing the fabric together. She moved about with such grace and elegance it seemed almost as if she were dancing instead of working, not a single movement was wasted. After what seemed like a few minutes but was actually two hours, Rarity had crafted her very own Akatsuki dress. When she had finished with the dress she collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and panting.
"Are you okay?" I asked rushing to her side.
"Yes, I'm fine... Just a little worn out is all." She replied with a smile.
I helped her up and walked her over to a sofa that stood against the wall just below a large window. I helped her lay down and quickly went to go get her a glass of water. I fumbled around in her kitchen, looking for a glass. I finally found one in one of the cupboards above the sink. I drew a glass and poured cold water inside, going into her freezer and grabbing a few ice cubes and dropping them into her drink. As I walked back up the stairs I heard the ice cubes clink against the side of the glass. I returned to the room and handed Rarity the glass. She took it with her magic.
"Thank you dear." She said taking a sip. I nodded. She set the glass on the ground next to her and sat up.
"So, what do you think?" She asked.
"I think you work incredibly hard." I replied.
"No, I meant the dress," She said chuckling.
"Oh, well I haven't seen it yet." I said. She stood and walked over to the desk upon which she had set the dress before she had collapsed. She picked the dress up using her magic and draped it around a mannequin.
"Now what do you think?" She asked. I walked forward and examined the dress for a long while. I walked around the dress, examining every inch of it as Rarity began to get a worried expression.
"Well Rarity, this dress..." I said turning to her and taking one final look at the dress.
"Yes?" She asked anxiously.
"Is wonderful! Great job!" I said giving her a thumbs up. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked at me with a beaming smile.
"Why don't you try it on?" I asked her.
"You want me to try it on?" She asked.
"Of course; shouldn't a masterpiece such as this deserve to be worn by its creator?" I replied.
"Well if you insist, who am I to say no?" She asked taking the dress and heading behind a fold-out changing room.
When she reappeared she was wearing the dress.
"What do you think?" She asked as she struck a few poses.
"You look amazing, if you don't mind me saying that." I said. She chuckled and blushed slightly.
"Why thank you." She said.
"More importantly, how do you like it?" I asked her.
"How do I like it?" She asked. I nodded. "Well, it does fit me quite well. If I'm honest, I would say I love the dress itself. The design is one of my favorites." She said.
"Is that so?" I asked. She nodded.
"Also, it feels almost like silk... Almost." She said. I nodded in agreement.
"Hmm, that's it, it's decided." She said.
"What's decided?" I asked.
"I've decided to wear this dress from now on." She replied.
"From now on? What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, of course I'll wash it, that'd be downright disgusting if I didn't." She said.
"You mean, you're not going to wear anything else?" I asked. She shook her head. I shrugged.
"Hey, it's your decision." I said. She smiled. I glanced out of the window and saw the sun shining down on Ponyville.
"Say, care to accompany me on a walk through the park?" I asked her.
"I would love to." She said.
We walked out of her house and began walking through Ponyville, enjoying the scenery as we walked. We found a quiet bench in the shade of an oak tree and sat down next to each other, overlooking the river that sat about twenty feet from us.
"Rarity, would you mind telling me about your past?" I asked her.
"My past? Whatever for?" She asked.
"I said I wanted to get to know you better, didn't I? Your past sounds as good a place as any to start." I replied.
"Oh, I suppose." She said. She began telling me about how she grew up in Ponyville. She was an only child for her childhood, becoming a mare before her younger sister Sweetie Belle was born. She explained how she had gotten her Cutie Mark, and what a Cutie Mark was. So those are the marks on everyone's flanks. I thought. She told me about how she had met Twilight and the others, as well as how she came to become the Element of Generosity. She also told me about how she had risen to become one of the most revered seamstresses in all of Equestria.
"Well, that's pretty much it up until now my dear." She said.
"I see. You have a very interesting past." I said.
"Well how about you? Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" She asked.
"I would but..." I said.
"But... What?" She asked.
"I just... Couldn't bring myself to tell you." I replied.
"Oh darling," She said. She wrapped her arms around me. "It's alright, dear." She said. When she released me my cloak fell off my right shoulder, revealing some of my skin. I quickly grabbed my cloak and adjusted it, but not before Rarity noticed.
"What... Happened to your skin?" She asked, almost terrified at the sight. I sighed.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
"Well I did. Please, tell me what happened." She said.
"If you must know, then I'll tell you." I submitted.
"Long ago, back when I had yet to join the Akatsuki, I was called to a battlefield where our forces had been ambushed. When I arrived, everyone except for the medics had died." She gasped.
"That's awful!" She said covering her mouth with her hoof. I nodded.
"The enemy was using a new jutsu we had yet to encounter, one that made their blades fly at unpredictable angles and velocities. I activated my Sharingan and ran out from behind cover, trying to get as close to them as possible. I was able to dodge most of their attacks, some giving me only minor scratches, and I actually managed to take out a few of them-"
"You mean, you killed them?" She asked. I nodded.
"I see. Continue."
"However, despite this, my Sharingan failed to predict what would happen next." I said. Rarity sat in anxious silence. I stood up and grabbed the edge of my cloak.
"One of their blades caught me by surprise and cut open my chest." I said pulling apart my cloak and showing Rarity the scar that had been left. She gasped.
"After that I fell to the ground, waiting for death, but the enemy had a different idea. They used a jutsu on me that caused my cells to deteriorate, also turning my skin a dark shade of gray as it travelled like a virus across my body."
"Th-that's terrible!" She said. I nodded.
"Luckily, the medical ninja were able to save my life, as well as restore my cells to working order, but they couldn't do anything about the skin." I tied my cloak around my waist to show Rarity how much the jutsu had affected. It had covered my entire torso, and even traveled to my shoulders, stopping abruptly at the point where my arms started.
"Tid..." She said. I put my cloak back on and sat down next to her again.
"It's okay Rarity, I'm fine." I said. She hugged me.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you dear!" She said.
"It's fine; you didn't do this to me." I said. She released me and stared at the ground.
"I know, but it pains me to see that one of my friends is hurting." She said. I smiled.
"I see," I looked up and saw that the sun had set a while ago, the moon well on its way into the sky. I patted her on the shoulder.
"Come on, I'll take you home." I said.
"Alright," She said wiping her eyes. As I walked her home I couldn't help but ask her a question.
"Say, Rarity, do you trust me?" I asked.
"Why do you bring that up dear?" She asked.
"I'm just curious." I replied.
"Oh, well of course I do. I trust you implicitly." She said.
"Really?" I asked. She nodded and winked at me.
"Alright, that's good." I said. She chuckled. I dropped her off at her house and walked back to mine. The cool night air reminded me of the Hidden Leaf Village at night, and the many nights I spent at the top of the Hokage Monument. Remembering that relaxed me a little.
"Hmm, that was very interesting. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a similar experience." I said. Then I laughed. I had learned to never expect something to come next, and just wait for it. I arrived at my house and opened the door, walking through the living room and up the stairs to my bedroom before collapsing on the bed. I managed to take off my cloak and threw it on the floor next to my bed.
"Time to sleep," I muttered. Then I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.
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Me: Well? That was exciting, no?
Rarity: Indeed it was.
Me: See? Anyway, there's much more in store for this series, and a lot of action in some of the later chapters, so don't miss it! See ya!