Of Outfits and Imagination
Of Outfits and Imaginations
by Miss Dark Angel
At the sweet, glorious sound of music to these school fillies and colts—which was actually the school bell that marked the end of the day—blurs of multiple colors raced toward the school exit. A horde of kids struggled to get outside in the excitement of the weekend, all crushed between one another at the doorway. Cheerliee facehoofed.
Three fillies tumbled out from the crowd, falling onto the grass outside. They took their time getting up and recovering from the stumble.
“They really need more doors,” Sweetie Belle commented with a sigh.
Scootaloo, her eyes still spinning, got up. Apple Bloom whacked her in the back of her head to snap her out of it. Her eyes returned to normal, and she nodded. “Yeah. But hey!” She perked up, raising her hoof and her tiny wings fluttering. “We have the whole weekend to hang out now. Three whole days to do absolutely nothing.”
“But didn’t Cheerilee give us homework?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Who does homework on weekends?” Scootaloo scoffed as if the idea were possible.
They began walking from the school. “So, where do ya guys wanna hang out?”
The other two opened their mouths to respond, but a crack of thunder interrupted them. Sweetie Belle squealed and hid behind Scootaloo, Apple Bloom following shortly, when lightning struck in the faraway distance. Scootaloo shivered but held her ground.
“Aww, man!” she shouted. “I can’t get home if it’s going to r—”
Her nose scrunched when a drop of water landed on it, followed by more and more… and more drops. She shook herself. “Gah, where do we go now? Any plans?”
“Ooh, my house is right there!” Sweetie Belle pointed to the Carousel Boutique not too far away. “Come on!”
The three fillies trotted into the round building, panting and covered in rain water head to hoof. Scootaloo, the last one in, shut the door, Apple Bloom shook herself like a wet dog, and Sweetie sighed of relief, planting herself on the dry floor. “Oh, thank goodness!”
Rarity walked over to them, her eyes on her sister. “Sweetie Belle, get up. You’re staining the floor with water and dirt.” She sighed. “I’ll give you poor girls some towels. You’re all absolutely soaked.” Her horn glowed a light blue, and three towels, all pure white, traveled to them.
“Thanks, Rarity!” Sweetie took one and rubbed all over her coat and mane. Once finished, she shook her body. Her coat and mane poofed out, a bit fluffier in size. She giggled at herself alongside her two friends.
Rarity was less amused. “Oh, Sweetie Belle.” With a roll of her eyes, she brought out a brush. “Didn’t you girls know there would be a storm after school?”
“Now that you mention it,” Scootaloo began, chuckling nervously. “Rainbow Dash did tell me the weather ponies were going to make it rain until later; when it got dark out, I think.”
“What made ya forget?” Apple Bloom asked after wiping her hair with the towel. Beside her, Rarity was tugging her brush against Sweetie’s coat, straining to finish one tangled strand.
“I was more focused on trying to understand the math problems. Fractions are, like, impossible!” Scootaloo exclaimed, waving her hooves in exaggeration.
“...Scootaloo,” said Sweetie, gritting her teeth when Rarity pulled too hard on a tough knot. “We’re learning about multiplication.”
Scootaloo blinked. “Right, I knew that! That… makes lots more sense now.”
“Well, until the storm calms, you girls are free to stay here,” said Rarity with a smile, taking the attention from a blushing orange pegasus. “Sweetie Belle, why don’t you take them to your room to play? I need to focus on finishing some work, so it’d be nice to not have distractions.”
Sweetie nodded and led her friends upstairs. “It’d be best not to bother her while she’s working,” she whispered to the other two. “She gets so into sewing and everything, I can’t imagine bothering her. It’d probably be worse than the time I tried to give Opal a bath.”
Apple Bloom laughed at the image, but stopped when something caught her eye at the top of the staircase. “Ya know,” she said, pointing at a string dangling in the center of the hallway ceiling. “We never went into the attic. Who knows what kinda stuff’s in there?”
“I never went up there, either! Rarity doesn’t like me invading her privacy, so she probably has secret stuff up there.” Sweetie brushed her hoof on the floor.
“Well, haven’t you ever wondered what is up there?” Scootaloo asked with a wide smile.
“Um… no,” she answered.
“Well, why don’t we find out?” Apple Bloom pressed her muzzle against Sweetie Belle’s.
It took a moment for her to consider, but then a grin spread across her face. “Let’s do it!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stood atop one another in attempts to pull the string to the attic. Sweetie Belle stood at the top, trying to grab it. The two below kept tilting left and right, much to her irritation.
“Guys! Can you stop moving around so much, please? I can’t get the string!”
“It ain’t easy when I have a hoof right in mah face,” Apple Bloom mumbled below.
“Sorry, but you said you didn’t mind being at the bottom!” Scootaloo pointed out. “So… just hurry, okay?”
“Okay, I… yes!” At last, she caught onto the string, only when she did, her hind hooves slipped from Scoot’s shoulders. She swung back and forth, now holding onto the string much tighter.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stumbled and fell onto the floor. Sweetie only wished she was so lucky. “Uh...girls? A little help?” she pleaded with a squeal, whimpering at the height she was at. Her eyes grew wide.
“Just pull and it’ll bring ya down,” Apple Bloom instructed her. “That’s how mah family’s attic is.”
Taking in Bloom’s words, Sweetie Belle pulled the rope downward, letting her weight hold it down. Sure enough, it brought her down and revealed the staircase to the attic.
“Alright, nice work!” Scootaloo complimented, patting Sweetie on the back. “You okay now?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Next time, though, you’ll be the one on top.”
They laughed and headed upstairs, noticing how dark it was. Sweetie Belle gulped but joined her friends when they went up without a worry in the world.
“Just a bunch of boring boxes!” Scootaloo noted, looking into every box in search of something interesting. That was all there was in there, which disappointed her. “So much for finding anything cool in here.”
“Wait! What’s this?” said Sweetie Belle with a look at a chest in the corner, already opened to reveal lots of colors and different, well… things. They walked up to it, only to be interrupted by a shout.
“Sweetie Belle, I told you not to go into the attic without my permission!”
The trio of fillies froze. They glanced at the floor, realizing the opening was still open. They could barely see Rarity’s purple mane appear from the entrance. They all ran to hide behind—or even in—boxes.
“I know you girls are up there!” Rarity yelled again, only with less anger in her voice.
“Nothing!” Sweetie Belle cried out from inside one box.
Scootaloo’s head popped out from beside another box, staring in disbelief. “Why did you say that?”
“I panicked, okay?” Sweetie whined, flailing her hooves.
Rarity stepped into the attic, gazing this way and that for the three girls and wearing her red working glasses. All she saw was three pairs of eyes blinking at her from different hiding spots. She sighed. “I’m not mad, girls, I promise. You can come out.”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came out from behind their hiding spots, but Sweetie Belle’s head only popped out. Rarity stared at her, silently commanding her out, as well.
Sweetie Belle shied away, blushing bright red. “I’m stuck.”
The other three walked up to her to pull her out. Rarity opened her mouth, most likely to scorn them for going up into the attic, yet Scootaloo was ahead of that, pointing to the chest Sweetie took interest it. “So, what’s in that chest?”
“Oh, this?” Rarity gestured to the one overflowing with different things. Rarity flickered the light on from the top, revealing the things to be fabric, some accessories like hats. “It’s just an old chest of mine I had as a filly. I made some of these, but lots of these were simply outfits me and my friends dressed up in to have fun.” She smiled at the memories.
Sweetie Belle got out and stared inside the chest, Apple Bloom joining beside her. Their eyes grew at all the cloth, pretty designs and random hats and glasses. “Hey, ya think we can borrow this?” Apple Bloom asked, an idea coming to her.
“Be my guest. I have no use for it anymore.” She turned to leave, stopping when something crossed her mind. “That chest is fairly heavy. Do you want me to help take it down the stairs?”
“We got this!” Scootaloo declared, grinning cockily. The other two nodded, earning a cautious look from Rarity.
“If you girls say so.” She went down the stairs and back to the first floor, walking back to her sewing machine. A purple silk fabric flowed over to her, and she prepared to make another dress, praying for some silence.
CRASH!
“Sorry!” three voices yelled in harmony.
Rarity grit her teeth and let her machine whir to life.
Scootaloo stared at the chest, which sat at the center of the room. “So what do you think we should do with these?”
“Have fun!” Apple Bloom dived into the chest, earning a chuckle from Sweetie Belle while Scootaloo watched from afar. When she popped back out, she had an eyepatch and a black hat with a skull on it. “I’m a pirate—yarr!”
Sweetie Belle gasped and peeked inside. “Anything for me?”
“‘Course!” She gave Sweetie Belle a red, white polka dotted bandana and a fake hook. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Pirates!”
The seas rolled viciously as the large ship with the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ symbol as the sail trekked through this vicious ocean. The sun reflected onto the water to give a lovely look to the dangerous place. Two ponies stood aboard the ship, ready to take on these waters. At the very top, watching the waves through a telescope, Apple Bloom watched Sweetie Belle swing by on a rope.
Sweetie landed beside her friend, poking a sword into the air. “Evast ye… survy dogs?” she hesitated and turned to Apple Bloom. “Did I say that right?”
“Dunno.” Bloom scratched her head. Her attention fell away from this and to something back in the sea. “It doesn’t matter. ‘Sides, we have… visitors!”
Another ship was rolling into their direction. Sweetie Belle gasped. “What if they try to take our ship? It looks so nice!”
“We won’t, then! We fight for it! CHARGE!” Apple Bloom flipped out of the watch tower and slipped down the rope.
Sweetie whimpered. “Oh, okay.” She went down the stairs. Two of the pirates from the other ship were already jumping on theirs, Apple Bloom fighting with them two against one. Deciding not to let her do all the work, she joined the battle, flicking her sword this way and that.
“I can’t fight. I don’t know how to!” Sweetie squealed.
“Just try. These guys ain’t nothing.”
Sweetie Belle stared at the pirate, who wasn’t doing anything yet. Like he was waiting for her. Once she struck, he copied her movement. Taking notice of the pattern, she did this over and over, enjoying the fun going on while not feeling like she was in danger… yet. She found herself laughing, even. Apple Bloom smiled.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, resting her head on a table nearby. She realized she wasn’t joining them and said, “Scootaloo, c’mon, join in! It’s fun!”
“No way! Dress up is for babies!” she commented.
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle lost her concentration, and the pirates disappeared, only Bloom remaining, her plastic sword only stabbing the air. She pouted at Scootaloo. “We’re not babies!”
“I didn’t mean it like that!” She waved her hooves in worry. “I just… I didn’t mean it, okay? I just don’t like dress up games. It seems like something only little foals do.” She shrugged.
“Well, we are little kids,” Sweetie pointed out. “We’ll play something else, though.” Instantly, an idea struck her, and she clapped her hooves. “Hey, who wants to have a tea party?”
Scootaloo slammed her head on the table.
“Oh, darling, this tea is absolutely lovely!” Sweetie Belle said in a fake posh accent that Rarity would find insulting.
She and Apple Bloom sat at a round table in the fanciest restaurant in Canterlot, one of vinyl seats and chandeliers and paintings as decorations. They saved one other seat for Scootaloo, should she decide to join them. While many gorgeous looking ponies sat around them, they did not speak, allowing these two to speak as loud as they pleased.
They both wore fancy hats and beaded necklaces. Two teacups and plates were on the table, and while the cups were empty, Sweetie Belle pretended to sip hers.
“It certainly is nice to talk with ya, Miss?” Apple Bloom struggled to speak in an accent similar to Sweetie’s due to her own, but nonetheless tried. She paused and gestured to her friend across the table.
“Miss Fancy-Lady… Highness.” She had to hold back her laughter but composed herself.
“What a lovely name, darlin’,” Apple Bloom commented, one hoof over her mouth in attempts to conceal her own giggles.
“Yes, darling. It’s so darling, darling… darling.”
“Darlin’.”
They couldn’t hold it anymore. They fell out of their chairs and burst out laughing, holding their stomachs and their hind hooves flailing.
Scootaloo watched them having fun, frowning. Rather than join that stupid tea party, though, she looked into the chest, in attempts to keep herself occupied other than watching them say “darling” every two words. When she saw something, her face lit up. Taking it out of the chest, she wrapped it around her neck.
“Bleh! I’m a vampire. I want to suck your blood… as soon as I find some fangs,” she finished, digging back into the chest in hopes for a fake pair of fangs.
“Just don’t go outside, or else you’ll burn up!” Sweetie Belle played along.
“Or sparkle… dependin’ on what kinda vampire ya are,” Apple Bloom added.
“I’m the cooler vampire, duh!” She sighed, coming back out. “Ah, there are no fangs in there.”
“I thought you didn’t like dress up,” said Sweetie, giving her a look.
Scootaloo had to think of a response for a second. “Well… I wasn’t going to join that stupid tea party thing, so I needed something else to do.”
Sweetie thought about saying something but decided to change the subject. “Alright, then. Let see what else’s in here.”
They all searched the chest, finding things like a rainbow scarf, funny glasses and a jester hat. Sweetie Belle wondered how on Equestria Rarity would ever have these things in her house. Whatever the case, she found some things she took interest in.
“Check it out. I’m a movie star!”
“Ooh!”
A red carpet rolled long from view, and multiple ponies crowded behind the railing and in the seats behind them. The night time gave the cameras brighter flashes than it would the daytime. Everywhere, cameras glowed, and Apple Bloom was among with group of photographers. Only one star participated in this event, because it was about her.
She came out of the carriage, sporting fabulous star shaped glasses and a purple fluffy scarf, as well as red high heels. Sweetie belle posed for several photos while Bloom snapped her camera for each. Though struggling in her heels, she was adored no matter what. She loved the attention back, smiling the whole way.
“Lookin’ good, Sweetie Belle! You’d make a great movie star!” Apple Bloom shouted amongst the murmuring crowd, who was there to give the star a good name.
Sweetie Belle turned all around, smiling and waving, the experience bringing her delight.
If only her hooves could handle those shoes.
“Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Sweetie’s hooves buckled, and she fell onto the ground.
“Ya okay?”
Sweetie Belle kicked off her shoes. “Yeah. Just… no more high heels for me. I don’t know how Rarity can wear this stuff.” She laughed to herself, and glanced at Scootaloo, who was searching in the chest again. “Find anything else?”
“No, not yet, just… JUST a little Wonderbolt costume… wow! That’s so cool!" Scootaloo’s eyes beamed at the sight of the outfit. “Maybe…” She put on the outfit, as well as a mask that seemed to fit perfectly for a filly her age. She gave a demonstration with a twirl followed by a pose, pumping a hoof in the air. “Well?”
“You look just like a real Wonderbolt—well, only younger,” Sweetie Belle said, getting back up.
Scootaloo looked over at the table and jumped on it, knocking over a tea cup. “I am Scootaloo, the second best Wonderbolt ever!” she boasted, puffing out her chest and standing proud.
Horns blared out in celebration of her. She stood on a patch of clouds in a stadium where the Wonderbolts performed. Confetti sprinkled over her head, and a trophy rested beside her.
She had the wings to fly but stayed where she was, absorbing the cheers of her name and the attention she received. Her smile was wide, and her eyes scanned the crowd. One pony flew toward her.
Rainbow Dash landed beside her, also wearing a Wonderbolt uniform. She nudged Scootaloo. “Nice work, kid. You’re pretty awesome,” she said. She spread out her wings. “Wanna take flight. Maybe you can catch me… maybe.” She smirked.
Scootaloo mimicked her smirk. “Maybe I can.”
They zoomed through the brilliant blue skies, Scootaloo following in synch with her role model. She smiled; it was awesome.
Only when she returned to reality did she see her two friends giggling, their eyes directly on her. She blushed, growing self-conscious as her imaginary world evaporated. “What?”
“Yeah, ya totally don’t like dressin’ up,” Apple Bloom joked, smirking. She winked at Sweetie Belle, who laughed.
“Aww, no fair!” Scootaloo pouted, jumping off the table and taking off the mask. She would have taken off the rest of the outfit, but it felt comfortable to wear, so she planned to keep it on for now.
“Wow! This scarf is long!” Apple Bloom stood on her hind hooves for a moment, staring at the multiple colored scarf that felt like it would take forever to get out of the chest. Already it went around her twice and had yet to be pulled out entirely. She grunted in a battle to take it out. At last, the feet long scarf came out, and she landed on her flank a few feet away. “It’s really long.”
“It kinda looks like a rope,” said Scootaloo, noticing its brown colors, one of the main colors to it.
Apple Bloom smiled.
She stood below a white mountain, a blizzard blurring the view of above, though anyone could sense it was miles high. Nothing scared Apple Bloom, and danger never got in her way. She held the rope—which happened to look like a scarf, but wasn’t—and began her trek upward.
Her hoofsteps were careful and quiet, in fear of causing an avalanche. The pure silence was a constant company to her, the wind whipping her red mane wildly in the air. She loved the thrill of adventure, no matter how high the mountain or how long the hike.
“Apple Bloom, what are you doing?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Apple Bloom blinked and returned to Sweetie’s room. She found herself on the wall, the scarf tied to a hook in the wall.
“Uh, hiking up a mountain? she said uncertainly with a nervous smile.
“... Sounds fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed, jumping up.
“Can we join?” Sweetie asked.
Apple Bloom nodded.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS HIKERS!” the trio exclaimed, hiking the mountain on three different ropes. They kept their pace equal with each other’s just so they could watch one another. It was a long journey, but they could take it. After all, they were the best of friends.
Nothing could get in their way, absolutely—
“Girls, I made dinner! Come down, if you want!” Rarity’s voice called from below. “Oh, and the rainstorm is over.”
“Aww, man!” Apple Bloom’s head tilted down as the mountain disappeared. “We were almost there, too!”
“Hey, no worries, guys.” Scootaloo nudged her friends, making them look up. “We can always do it tomorrow. C’mon, we have the whole weekend to do nothing!”
“That’s true,” Apple Bloom murmured. Her smile grew. “We can always come tomorrow. If it’s alright with your sister.”
“Sure! Let’s ask her now!” They ran downstairs, taking a quick glance outside. Was it already dark out? It went by so fast!
“Rarity! Rarity!” Sweetie Belle went into the kitchen first, followed by Scoots and Apple Bloom, and found Rarity at the table. “What do you think of the outfits, Rarity?” she asked with hopeful eyes.
“They’re… very nice,” she was barely able to answer. She didn’t question the long scarf or the Wonderbolt outfit or the scarf and glasses. Rarity smiled at their faces, though, full of happiness and excitement. “I can tell you girls really enjoyed yourselves.”
“We did! Can they come over tomorrow?” she asked.
“Please?” the other two pleaded, adding in pairs of puppy dog eyes.
It wasn’t needed, though, for Rarity laughed. “Just don’t cause any trouble, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack are okay with it, it’s fine.”
“YAY!”
The three best friends high-hooved.
