“Ugh...you need to stop fidgeting so much or I’ll never be able to get this done properly!”

Rarity huffed in annoyance as I struggled against her increasingly rough touch, desperately trying to take my measurements, much to my discomfort. Rarity was nothing if not intoxicatingly beautiful. Her royal violet mane and alabaster coat were painstaking coaxed into a state of shimmering sensation, her figure rigorously regulated to be nothing less than the picturesque portrait of perfection, and her articulation of thought masterfully punctuated. The only clue to her humble Ponyville roots were the minute hints of error in her faux accent, evidence of a mare inheriting her inflection from viewing too many high class plays and participating in Canterlot garden parties, as opposed to growing up with it and committing the speech pattern to memory subconsciously. Nevertheless, Rarity had a presence that commanded a certain kind of attention, and this was hardly an accident. Being this close to her after making her acquaintance only minutes earlier felt very uncomfortable, even if it was just her magic making contact with me.

Her azure aura brought the measuring tape to the side of my barrel again, and again I winced in discomfort, ruining her attempts at discerning any useful information from the act. She sighed and lowered the measuring tape, looking at me softly from behind her bright red, thickly rimmed glasses. Her understanding expression gave me some respite, as I must not be the first to pass through her Boutique with such illogical reservations.

"You really must calm yourself, darling. Am I honestly that intimidating?"

I looked over the unicorn quickly without making it too obvious. Intimidating isn't the word I would choose...

My voice wavered as I failed to hide my discontent. "No...its just that in Trottingham, custom tailored clothing is...quite the luxury. It isn't a service I ever really expected to be privy to, especially free of charge..."

The unicorn let out a refined laugh, stifling the majority of her outburst behind a rehearsed raising of her hoof. Her voice seemed to take on a softer tone, recognizing my unease. "Is that all, dear? Well, an outfit tailored to oneself alone certainly is a luxury, but that should not be something to be disconcerted with. After all, that is the point, is it not? To make one feel special? Feel like they're worth something?"

If she was buttering me up in order to relax me a bit, I had to admit it was working.

"And yet, city life recluses such wonders to only the most fortunate, and that is quite the shame. Everypony deserves to look and feel their best at least once in their lives, do they not? That was my belief at least."

She turned away from me to look around her boutique, delightfully lost in her own grandiose vision.

"And that's why I opened the Carousel Boutique, you see. A dressmaking shop in little old Ponyville? How uncouth, they would say!” She seemed to spit out that last line, implying that it may be less something they would say, but more something they do say. Rarity took a deep breath before raising her voice significantly, her tone filled with passion. “But that's exactly the point! High class fashion coupled with small town charm! Fashion that could fit into everypony's lifestyle, and anypony's budget! A true revolution that would equalize the Art of Elegance, bringing true beauty to all who are privy to its call! Soon, everypony will come to understand the magic of a truly quality dress or a stunning suit, and they'll owe it all to the name Rarity the Uni-"

A cough came from across the room. "Umm...sis?"

Rarity suddenly froze in the center of the boutique, a small collection of fabrics and mannequins floating in her telekinetic grasp, caught up in her grasp to accent her diatribe. She turned around to once again view myself and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, her face flush as the image of a refined, collected mare broke ever so slightly, her image faltering for the first time since I had entered her shop.

"M-my apologizes. How dreadfully embarrassing. I do tend to get a bit long winded about such things. Please, forgive me..."

She returned the items floating about to their proper place as she slowly made her way back over to us, nursing her bruised ego. The girls seemed unfazed by Rarity's behavior, but didn't waste the opportunity to have a few laughs at her expense, especially Sweetie Belle. I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle myself.

"No need to apologize. I must admit I'm impressed by the depths of your passion. It's rather moving."

"Yes well, a lady should be able to reign in her passion, lest she lose her dignity."

I was tempted to argue the point of passion being undignified, but the look on Rarity's face seemed to be begging for a segue into a different topic.

"So uhh...about those measurements?"

Her face lit up at the prospect of returning to her work. "Ahh yes! It may be just a simple cloak, but I would be remiss if I didn't give even a simple task my all!"

The unicorn gleefully returned to work. Her sister however, was suddenly less enthused. Sweetie Belle’s face had taken on an expression of distress at Rarity’s comment. An expression her sister noticed immediately.

“Oh no! Sweetie Belle, I didn’t mean it like that! It is simple for me only because I have done such a thing so many times! Do not think I meant to imply anything about you!”

The cloak was mandatory, they had said. If I was going to join The Cutie Mark Crusaders, I had to be in uniform for “all official club meetings and events.” What that entailed specifically I was not yet aware, but what I had learned in the past few hours was that, while Sweetie Belle was able to make a crude cloak for her friends and Apple Bloom’s cousin with little issue, adjusting her pattern for a pony of my stature was apparently beyond her scope, as simply doubling the pattern size had comical results. Hence the short trek back from the CMC clubhouse to Carousel Boutique which, after some impressive begging skills from Sweetie Belle, led us to Rarity’s “inspiration room” to make me a Crusader’s Cloak all my own.

Rarity picked up a quill and jotted down some numbers on a loose piece of parchment as she continued to take measurements, moving the tape to and fro with practiced precision, her expertise at her craft apparent.

She suddenly stopped as sense of realization seemed to wash over her. “Sweetie Belle dear, do you think you could do me a quick favor?”

She looked over at the trio as she lay the paper down and draped a large piece of fabric over my back. She levitated some bobby pins over from a small container of the far side of the room, all the while keeping eye contact with Sweetie Belle, familiar enough with the layout of the room to no longer require line of sight with any of the items she desired.

“It’s nearly noon and I’m absolutely famished, and I have had no time this morning to make myself a proper breakfast." Her voice had a slightly whiny undertone to accent her plight, which she quickly removed from her next statement. "Could you be a dear and run over to the cafe and grab me my usual? I’ll give you some extra bits to grab you and your friends a little something from Sugarcube Corner as well, of course.”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Sure! C’mon girls! I’m totally fami...fami...hungry too!”

The girls headed for the exit. Scootaloo hesitated for a moment as the other girls headed down the stairs, looking over to Rarity and myself.

“We’ll be back soon!”

And with that she left with the others, the sound of their conversation echoing up the staircase.
Rarity smiled before returning her attention to me, pinning the fabric draped over my back in various places, “That little filly...all it takes is the prospect of sweets to brighten my sister’s spirits...”

She placed a few more pins, nodded to herself, then removed the fabric and started digging through one of the many shelving areas in her workspace on the other side of the room. “Of course, what I’m really interested about at this moment is you.”

A small lump formed in my throat at that statement. I prepared myself for the worst, but the conversation seemed to pause there. Rarity grabbed two bolts of fabric, one a thick maroon that looked to be some kind of velvet, the other a thin golden silk that shimmered in the light, and laid them out on a table. She cut the pieces to size based on the measurements she had taken, only once looking to her parchment for reference. Satisfied, she moved the fabric carefully with her magic over to a table at the right of where I was standing, and began sewing them together to make the two-toned design that the girls’ cloaks already had. Now that she was facing me again, I could see that the conversation had come to a standstill due to her struggling to come up with words, indecisiveness painted all over her face.

Her words came slowly. They were no less refined than her norm, but it was evident she was having difficulty articulating her point effectively whilst phrasing it with the proper grace befitting her image. “So...pardon my bluntness, but this has been eating at me ever since my sister first mentioned you to me. What exactly possessed you to join my sister’s little group? Surely you must recognize how silly the sight of a grown stallion frollicking around with a group of fillies must seem?”

I chuckled as I recalled the last week and change, the beginning of my new life in Ponyville. Despite initially planning to spend the bulk of my time alone, my week had quickly been dominated by being in the company of three young fillies, showing me around town, introducing me to their friends and family, and revealing to me the "secret route" to the Crusader Clubhouse.

“Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. When I came to Ponyville, I was expecting to spend the majority of my time with my thoughts and a strong cider. However, your sister and her friends can be quite...convincing when they want to be.”

Rarity laughed, more heartily this time, again letting the mask of sophistication wane a bit and give me a glimpse of the true mare beneath it. “Yes, I am far too aware of that skill of theirs. The lengths Sweetie Belle went when trying to convince me to take her camping naught a few months ago...I swear, that child is far too good at placating to one's conscience...almost as good as I am...”

Rarity finished sewing the two pieces of square fabric together and folded it into quarters, taking an extra moment to make sure the dimensions were exact, then began rounding the edges by cutting the corners of the fabric into soft curves. When she was satisfied, she turned back to me with a look of genuine concern.

“Do not be afraid to put your hoof down around them though, darling. Sweetie Belle alone has the tendency to be rather...demanding. Put the three of them together though, and Celestia give you strength. Just say the word and I’ll let them know that you need your space to get settled. I can only assume that you’ve still yet to completely ground yourself here in our humble town.”

Strangely enough, I felt I could relate very little to what Rarity was saying. “It’s really no trouble at all, Miss Rarity. While it’s true that I was initially a bit hesitant to take the girls up on their offer, and certainly didn’t expect them to follow through as strongly as they have, I’d be lying if I said I regretted the decision. The girls’ company, as well as everypony else’s immense kindness, has made the transition to Ponyville life far easier than I had expected. Maybe its due to my childhood being rather...regulated, and my soul is simply yearning to make up for lost time, but I’m actually relishing the opportunity to let my mane down a bit and act “silly” as you called it. After the hustle and bustle of Trottingham, it’s quite the refreshing change of pace. Whatever the reason though, your sister and her friends, while energetic, have yet to truly rub me the wrong way,” I flashed Rarity a quick smile, “a few occasions of empty bickering aside.”

She smiled and let out a soft ‘hmm’ in agreement, too focused on her handiwork to deliver a complete response. The conversation took another brief respite as Rarity continued to work on the cloak. I decided to stretch my hooves a bit and took a walk around the room, taking in the organized chaos that was Rarity’s studio space. Odds and ends littered the room, and dozens of half finished garments were haphazardly strewn about both on mannequins and shelf space alike. Rarity was clearly a compulsive multitasker, a skill that I thought I would have envied. Seeing the results of such a mindset though, I was beginning to find some new respect for my unitask tendencies.

"Do try not to touch too much. Despite appearances there really is a method to the madness in here, even if I am the only one who can see it."

I looked back over to Rarity, who had stopped working on the cloak, seemingly a bit nervous at my prying. I decided to push my luck a bit, dramatically raising a hoof and almost jostling about the contents of a small shelf, before quickly pulling it back."I wouldn't dream of it. Far be it from me to second guess the inner workings of the artistic mind..."

She simply deadpanned at me in response.

I grinned at her and she seemed to lighten up a bit. She went back to her work, satisfied that her space was safe, but soon decided to continue the conversation.

"I do appreciate it, you know."

"It's really not a big deal."

Rarity laughed. "Oh no, I mean you being with girls. They have an impeccable record for getting into trouble. The fact that they're willingly acquiescing to what essentially amounts to adult supervision does take a load off of my mind. As does my parents, and the rest of the girls' family as well. We do worry about them so..."

I tilted my head in surprise. "Oh?"

The alabaster mare sighed as her shoulders slumped a bit."Yes well, they are getting older now...and they are still so adamant about their cutie marks... And yet, they seem to be going about it in all the wrong ways. We're all starting to get worried that this obsession of theirs might be doing more harm than good." She realized she was losing focus on the task at hoof and picked up her pace a bit as she continued. "They have become so close and spend all their time together going off on crazy adventures, but at the expense of investing any time into themselves. A cutie mark will only appear when you come to understand who you really are on the inside, not by rock climbing or scuba diving. I fear that they may lose sight of who they are as individuals, even as their bond with each other grows..."

I would be lying if I said I was completely comfortable the direction this conversation seemed to be taking.

Rarity seemed too lost in her concern for her sister to notice my nervous fidgiting as the topic started moving a bit too close to home. "They're going to be entering middle school next year for Celestia's sake! A child halfway done with their schooling without their cutie mark? Can you imagine?"

I winced at her words as they lashed out at long dormant scars ingrained on my heart, bringing forth a familiar ache. I should have simply stayed quiet, but my response left my mouth before I could consider otherwise, laced with more venom than its recipient deserved.

"Yes. Far better than you know."

The tension in the room became palpable as Rarity froze with a sharp gasp, realizing what she had done. "Oh my stars... Mr. Rhyme you have my sincerest apologies! It's simply that i am not yet used to being around another pony that doesn't have...oh Celestia I'm just making it worse! To think I would make such an obvious faux pas! Can you ever forgive me?!"

The mask of sophistication had completely vanished now. The would-be fashionista of the Canterlot Elite eroded away in front of my eyes, replaced by a humble mare with a kind soul, desperate to make the situation right. Despite her genuine concern, I still couldn't bring myself to make eye contact with her just yet, instead taking note of the subtle but elaborate patterning on the floor.

Rarity left the cloak on the table and made her way over to me, approaching slowly, coming to a stop a few paces away and resting on her haunches, leaning in so I could see her face.

"D-do you want to talk about it, darling? I certainly would not mind lending an ear."

There it was again. Rarity's words had the best of intentions, and I certainly didn't fault her or hold any ill will over her efforts, but, still, there it was again. Just beneath the surface of concern and compassion.

Pity.

I raised my head slowly, making sure my face showed none of the weakness that was in my heart. I made eye contact with the fashionista for the first time since the comment was made and responded in a detached monotone.

"No. I don't want to talk about it."

She winced at the retort and I felt another pang of guilt as I shot down her act of selflessness. The cold delivery had been more for my sake than for hers, lest I break down in the middle of her boutique.

She simply nodded and returned to her sewing table and continued working. I stayed put for a few more minutes before getting up and resumed pacing. The studio filled with an awkward tension.

Said tension was finally broken by the muted sound of Carousel Boutique's entrance chime from the floor below, followed by the sound of giggles and a trio of hoof steps, signaling the CMC's return. They quickly made their way back into the studio with the fruits of their journey. The girls each had a rather offensively large piece of junk food in tow, Scootaloo going so far as dual wielding a pair of pastries. Apple Bloom had a massive milkshake that was nearly as tall as she was, and Sweetie Belle delicately balanced an ice cream cone in a hoof, juggling between it with a brown bag held in her mouth that assumedly contained Rarity's lunch, nursing the cone whenever it threatened to melt all over her coat from the warm summer heat.

Sweetie Belle uttered a disjointed 'Here you go, sis!' as best she could with her mouth full of brown bag, and Rarity relieved her of the obstruction, levitating her prize over to the table she was working on. Free of her burden, Sweetie Belle wasted no time tending to her ice cream, making up for lost time as she attacked the dribbling spots before taking on the treat proper.
Rarity removed her glasses and sat up as she carefully removed the contents of the bag. Given her seemingly high class taste, I was surprised to see a grilled daffodil and cheese sandwich and a large portion of hayfries being "her usual". My surprise must have been palpable, as Rarity looked at me with a slight chuckle. "I must admit, I have a bit of a weakness for a pinch of junk food every now and then. Blame our parents for practically raising us on the stuff. Is that not right, Sweetie Belle?"

She lifted her muzzle from the ice cream, already having made quite a mess in her aggressive ingestion. "Every Friday is take out night!" She recited in a sing-song fashion, before quickly returning to the cone. Rarity let out an amused sigh as she subtly levitated a loose handkerchief over to her sister, knowing she would need it in a few minutes.

I was entranced by the sight of family and friends enjoying a humble meal together when a sensation on my foreleg caught my attention. I brought my gaze downward and saw that Scootaloo was poking my leg with a hoof.

"What's up, kiddo?"

Her demeanor surprised me. The usual bold and brash filly was uncharacteristically reserved. She had one of her pastries hanging out of her mouth, chewing on it nervously. She then extended her hoof towards me, offering up the other pastry. She made a muffled noise through the pastry as she extended her hoof to me a bit further, making the offer clear.

"For me?"

She looked down at the ground, avoiding my eyes, nodding furiously.

Apple Bloom stopped working on her shake and spoke up. "Yah shoulda seen it, Rhyme! Pinkie Pie somehow had all of our favorites ready when we got ta Sugarcube Corner, includin' Scootaloo's! But she turned it down and got two of dem things instead so we could get you a lil' sumthin too!"

Scootaloo blushed and hurriedly gulped down the rest of her pastry. “It wasn’t a big deal, guys. Just...seemed like the right thing to do. Everypony else was gonna have something...”

I graciously accepted the pastry from the filly with my magic, Scootaloo shuddering a bit as my aura made contact with her hoof. I often forgot that the sensation of unicorn magic always took non-unicorns by surprise. Getting a closer look at the pastry, it seemed to be a chocolate filled croissant; hardly the fanciest of Sugarcube Corner’s offerings, and most likely paltry in comparison to Scootaloo’s normal choice. The last week had proven to me without question that the girl could put food away in a manner that defied her stature, most likely due to her constant athleticism. Still, it was the thought that counted, and the little filly’s heart was certainly in the right place.

I took a small bite of the pastry as the orange pegasus looked up at me with baited breath, awaiting my judgement. “...do you like it?”

I swallowed my first mouthful and immediately went for a second, unsurprised that even their simplest offerings still retained that signature Sugarcube Corner quality. “It’s excellent. Thanks Scootaloo.”

She smirked, “It better be. I don’t give up Pinkie Pie’s Triple Layer Super Fudge Sponge Cake for just anypony.”

Her phrasing struck me as a bit odd. It seemed that Scootaloo noticed it as well, as her eyes widened as soon as the words escaped her mouth, as if she had spoken out of turn. I decided to pay it no mind and avoid embarrassing her any further in light of her kind gift, and simply express my gratitude.

“Well then, that means all the more to me.”

I had expected the comment to disarm her a bit, but instead she seemed to get even more nervous, quickly averting her gaze and returning back to her friends. My thoughts on the situation were quickly interrupted by the sensation of soft fabric being draped over my back, and a broach being clasped around my neck with a familiar azure aura.

“Done! And in record time, I might add!”

Rarity took a step back to admire her handiwork. "My my, Mr. Rhyme, you certainly have a striking silhouette! He makes it work rather well, wouldn't you agree, girls?"

The trio nodded in blind agreement, none of them completely understanding what Rarity meant.

I gave the cloak my own quick once over, and was impressed with the craftsmareship Rarity was capable of. In under an hour she had fabricated an item that seemed to be every bit as professional as any garment I had come across in my time. At least that’s how it appeared to my novice understanding of the craft. I suppose that’s why things like these are in such high demand back in Trottingham...

“So...what do you think, darling? Come take a look!” Rarity beckoned me over to a large mirror by the door. I took a moment to look over my image, while maroon with gold trim may not have been my first choice for personal attire, I’d be lying if Rarity’s handiwork didn't fit my frame masterfully.

“It’s incredible, Rarity. To have done such a fine job so quickly...truly stunning.” I turned to face her directly and looked her straight in the eyes. "Thank you."

She seemed to understand that I was referring to more that just the cloak. She smiled back at me, leaving her response at that.

“Good! Now that that’s outta th’way we can finally get some Crusadin’ done!”

Apple Bloom instantly took charge, both figuratively and literally, as she dashed for the door, motioning for the rest of us to follow. The girls instantly took off, yelling for me to follow. I looked back over to Rarity again, and it seemed like we had both gotten over the small snag from earlier. She smiled at me. “Do try to keep them out of trouble.”

“I’ll try, but knowing them, I make no promises.”

We both laughed as I made my way down the stairs to catch up with the Crusaders, waiting patiently by the door. “C’mon Rhyme! It’s almost 2PM and we haven’t done a single bit o’ Crusadin’! We could’ve had our cutie marks by now!”

Sweetie Belle seemed to get excited over the concept "Exactly! Let’s get going! ...uhhh...what exactly are we doing today?”

“Yeah, you didn’t tell us anything back at the clubhouse!” Scootaloo chimed in.

“Well...” Apple Bloom began.

I braced myself. Something told me this was going to be a doozy.

“We’re gonna go spelunking!”

Scootaloo was drawing a blank “What now?”

“Cave exploring.” Sweetie Belle responded without missing a beat.

I could barely contain my facehoof. Here we go again...

With our goal in mind we exited Carousel Boutique, making our way to the outskirts of Ponyville to wherever Apple Bloom had been inspired to think up this insane idea of hers. I trailed behind the girls a few paces, as they were still far more familiar with the edges of town, my expertise still only extending a few blocks around my house.

After a few minutes of walking, Scootaloo slowed her trot a bit and allowed herself to fall in step beside me. I couldn’t help but notice her poor attempt at nonchalance and looked down at her. She smiled warmly up at me, no longer attempting to hide her desire to keep me company. I smiled back as we both ventured out into Ponyville, once again to embark on a day of questionable productivity.

Author's Note

Big thanks to Idylia, Pegasus Rescue Brigade, and Digibrony for taking a look at this and showing me where I sucked xD