Generosity

I woke up early and stared into the nice warm oak ceiling. The first rays of sunlight broke through the darkness in the library and rested themselves on the edges of my bed. I was excited, a feeling that was foreign to me, but I welcomed it nonetheless. Twilight was still sound asleep. Her blanket slowly rose and fell with her quiet breathing.

I took a look around my new home after making my bed, if I was going to gain my friend’s approval then I need a place to start and small favors were an ideal way to begin. The library was a mess. Books everywhere. Quills lying here and there, some spilled ink. I noticed that technology in general only excelled in a few areas such as medicine and business, the rest however seemed pretty simple; everyday problems were solved with magic.

I took a few moments to clean myself up. I helped myself to the shower and contents of her, our, bathroom. I...smelled...pretty to say the least. I then began to work on cleaning everything up after her late night studying and reading. By the time her... our, place was spotless and every book was in its (marked, really? I’ve never seen this kind of over organization.) place, the sun lit up most of the lower level.

I made breakfast for us both, which mostly consisted of non-meaty foods; the population seemed to consist of non-meat eaters, something I would have to counteract or find my own source of protein. I greedily consumed my part, and after cleaning up after myself, I set out to take Rarity up on her offer just as Twilight was beginning to stir.

It was still pretty early and only a few people walked or flew toward their destinations. They didn’t sidestep me, a huge improvement. Some shop owners were still lazily setting up their own little stands outside, a familiar cherry seller gave me a smile as I walked by. The weather was chilly, but the sun warmed my skin as I picked up my pace. I only got lost once before I found the little stand that caught my eye yesterday. It didn’t have as much to offer as sugar cube corner, Pinkie’s pastry shop, which rose menacingly above the other rooftops only a few buildings over, its colorful and welcoming exterior still slightly shaded, but its goods caught my attention.

The stand’s owner, a purple individual with green hair, still seemed half asleep. She perked up as I drew nearer.

"Hiya!" she greeted me. A warm welcome, quite the surprise.

"What would ya like?" she asked, slowly moving an arm over her stand, showing off her many colorful products.

"I’ll take the one in the middle over there." I answered, pointing to a small cupcake with white filling and a soft gooey looking, purple bread exterior. It had a piece of clear rock candy on top of the filling to complete its elitist look.

"Mmm that one took a while to bake. That would be 10 bits, but as a new and unusual customer I’ll give it to you for 5."

She bargained. I was a bit skeptical about its price, but I was pleased that my difference was seen positively now and might persuade some shopkeepers to lower their prices because the only human in town shops there. I took out a few gold coins, bits as they were called here, this country's currency. I had acquired them from Twilight as a weekly allowance till I could settle in and get a profession of my own. Handing them over, I gingerly carried my precious little package as I parted with the green eyed saleswomen.  A few more failed attempts at reaching my destination, and I arrived in front of a large, colorful, pink and purple shop.

Banners and a small little flag adorned its walls, its exterior decorations were made with precision and care. A few mannequins showed off their beautiful outfits through the large, exceptionally clean display windows. After a small stunned moment of admiration, I focused my attention to the big sign on top. "Carousel Boutique" it read, proudly announcing its title to all who might wander past it. A took a deep breath and pressed the lacking in size, but equally fashionable button next to the door. A quiet, elegant little melody was heard through the door. A few moments later and I was greeted by Rarity.

"Darling! So glad you can come. I've have so many designs and ideas in mind, I can hardly wait to get started!

Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!" She exclaimed, her voice indicated excitement and I was glad to be a cause of it.

"I can’t thank you enough Rarity, I'm new here and you managed to get me to look the part. Thanks. Oh, and I almost forgot, here I got you a little something, it's the least I could do."

I handed her the little package that I so carefully carried.

"Oh, what’s this?" she thought out loud, unpacking the delicious little sweet from its container by levitating it with magic.

"Oh Artyom, you shouldn't have!" she exclaimed. I breathed a sigh of relief at her liking of my little gift. She set it aside and with a more friendly approach, shoved me into a room surrounded by fabrics of all colors and textures. Without warning my shirt and pants were removed, luckily my undergarments remained. I was pushed onto a little raised platform and had some pins and fabrics thrown onto me; I was instructed to not move. I was slightly rustled by the sudden "nakedness", but I pushed my shame aside.

I was the only one of my kind here  anyway and there was no standard for models but me, which is not a bad thing considering I was in pretty good shape due to the exercising and walking that I relied on to keep me sane in whatever hell I came from. I used the time it took for her to gather and prepare supplies, to examine the little store.

Organized chaos was a good way to describe it. Materials littered the floor and were strewn about on mannequins, they all looked like abandoned projects; each seemed to wait for Rarity to continue working on it. Looking past Rarity who was preparing materials on a nearby table, I could see the store portion of her boutique. Colorful dresses covered in what looked like jewels were worn by mannequins who stood at attention, ready to bedazzle anyone who would walk in with their intricate patterns and color choices.

Some black cloth flew past me, pulled by Rarity's magic, and I returned my attention to her. My arms were getting tired, but I was far too distracted with her quick work. She wore a small, cute pair of glasses that neatly bounced up and down on the lower edges of her nose. Multiple materials of various colors and textures floated gently around her, ready to be used at a moment’s notice. I watched as she sketched some details with a little red pencil. My eyes rose and fell with her needle; it moved quickly and fluently, stitching together fabric at record speeds. It seemed to know precisely when and where to go next. I was amazed how the fabric wove itself around me, being cut off by a pair of scissors with red handles, and sewn in place by the speedy needle.

I watched her work feverishly as she hummed a little melody and her tools worked rhythmically around her. My suit was slowly beginning to take form, piece by piece articles of clothing were woven into place. She had a determined look to her, and sweat began to build up on her forehead; she wiped it away with a small handkerchief. I thought better then to initiate small talk.

Her use of magic was beginning to dull my amazement in it. Magic was beginning to make itself a part of my life, and at this point was seen more of an explanation for things rather than an out of place wonder. Time passed, and just when I was beginning to lose the sensation in my arms, the fabric stopped, neatly arranging itself in a neat and orderly fashion back to where it belonged.

"Finished.” she exclaimed with a long relieved sigh, wiping the remaining sweat, and replacing a few strands of hair that were out of place. She tried not to show it, but she was nervous, very nervous; she watched my every move and anticipated a reaction of either great approval, or utter rejection. Seeing her so worked up made me feel bad, here I was... a stranger, standing here in a world where I did not belong and had someone breaking a sweat over my opinion.

"Don't worry, if it looks half as good as it feels then it’s amazing." I reassured her.

I wasn't lying, the fabrics were exquisite. Soft and smooth. It felt tight in all the right places. I FELT new, like million bucks...er bits.

I walked toward a full size mirror, all the while being watched very closely by Rarity. I took some time to mentally prepare myself for any weirdness or out-of-place-ness in it. It was a conservative suit. Really fancy, and still held the same traditional appearance and shape that I was used to. The coat was tailored to my body shape. It hugging me where it needed to, and left space where it shouldn't. A small and elegant handkerchief sat comfortably in a little pocket on the left side. Underneath I wore a vertically striped, white and magenta shirt that was also tailored to my features. Its cuffs were adorned with two very eye catching, but due to their size, discrete light blue gems.

Lowering my gaze I could see that the pants matched the suit perfectly, not a single thread was out of place. Lastly, I looked down at my new leather shoes. They were pointed, but rounded off slightly to help increase the sharp look without sacrificing the smoothness and soft look to them. A quick turn around and a small tug at the sides of my suit, and I returned my attention to Rarity. Her face tensed a bit, but retained a hint of smugness, it as if she knew that there is no way she could fail to impress.

"Simply... stunning." I commented. "I... I just don't know what else to say. I never thought I would wear something like this. Thank you."

I moved in for a hug that caught her off guard, but was soon embraced. After hearing about how glad she was at successfully designing proper apparel for humans, she mustered the motivation and energy to make me more clothes.

By the end of the day we were both tired and I walked out with arms full of new clothes. After she finally managed to get rid of me and my non-stop thanking, it was dark outside, and I was on my way home. I smiled; I left a good impression on her, and managed to bond a little too. I had only one task in mind now, and that was sleep.

Walking in I was nearly toppled over, partially due to the heavy clothes, and partially because of the hug from Twilight.

“Thanks for the breakfast, it was great. The cleaning was a nice surprise and saved me a lot of time, thanks.” I was glad that my little surprise went according to plan; she obviously didn’t expect it, and I’m sure that I left a good impression.

“I see you went to take Rarity’s offer, it went well I suppose?”

“You bet, I’m surprised I managed to carry all this back home. You… we have great friends.” I saw she took a liking to my compliment and I was beginning to think that she might actually like me now.

Twilight was tired from staying up so late waiting for me, and went to bed. I finished my nightly routine and decided to hit the hay too, but not until my new fashionable clothes were neatly put away.  I laid in bed, and once again thought about the day's events. I thought about Rarity. Although she had her diva-ish/ overdramatic side to her personality, she was truly a giving person. She seemed to devote herself to her work and all in all was not a bad friend to have. I fell asleep with one trait that would define her in mind.

To me, she showed outstanding Generosity.