Rarity- REWRITE IN PROGRESS

When Twilight left the library, Red Rose and Snow Flight were gone, leaving her and Applejack free to enjoy the walk to Sugar Cube Corner.

When they arrived, Twilight was pleased to see that the catering work had only just begun. She jumped in immediately, but soon discovered that, like her mother and older brother, she had zero talent when it came to working in the kitchen. Eventually the Cakes gave up and gave Twilight a job waiting tables in the tavern’s front room.

“Wait,” Twilight said, as Cup Cake practically shoved her out of the flour-covered kitchen. “Waiting tables doesn’t count as preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration! I’m not helping!”

“But you are helping us, dearie,” Cup Cake replied, even as she double-checked the lock on the bottom half of the kitchen door. “If you’re there taking orders, we don’t have to do it. It counts.”

Twilight grudgingly agreed, on the condition that the Cakes would notify her if they needed anymore help with the baking.

The tavern was still relatively empty, and Twilight had very little to do until the door on the bell jingled and an alabaster-white unicorn walked in.

She was stately and stylish, the sort of mare who never went near a library for fear of catching the dreaded disease known as “intelligence”. Her dark purple mane and tail had been coaxed into gorgeous curls, almost the polar opposite of Twilight’s straight tresses. Her eyes were sapphire blue, and they took in everything around her as she trotted up to the counter where Twilight stood.

“Good morning,” she chirped, in a bright, refined voice. “If I could, please, have a table?”

“Of course,” Twilight replied almost mechanically. “Will anypony be joining you?”

“No.”

“Then follow me.”

Twilight led her to a small table nestled in the far corner. As she walked she was highly conscious of the mare’s dark mane brushing against the single saddlebag at her side. She eventually wrote the action off as touchy-feelyness, or just a desire to stick close to a fellow unicorn in an unknown tavern.

She’s obviously not from around here. With that accent, she could be from Manehatten, or even Canterlot!

The unicorn took her seat and studied the artistically rendered menu that was mounted underneath the glass tabletop.

“I’ll take one oatberry strudel, please,” she said. Twilight nodded and trotted off to the kitchen.

The bottom half of the door was still locked, so Twilight was forced to stick her head through the open top half and call out the order.

“One oatberry strudel!”

Applejack hurried over with a plate clutched in her mouth. Twilight levitated it up and hurried it back over to the white unicorn’s table.

“Why, thank you,” the mare said, transferring the plate to her own magical grasp and setting in down on the table. “I must say I wasn’t expected such timely service.” She glanced up at Twilight and tilted her head, as if assessing her fellow unicorn. “Hm… I don’t suppose you’ve ever thought of curls for your coiffure? You’d look simply splendid if you did.”

“My what? Oh, you mean my mane.” Twilight reached up to stroke one hoof through her straight mane. “Well, I don’t normally do much with it, so I guess―”

“What?” The unicorn actually leapt out of her chair. “Why, how could such a glorious mane as yours possibly go undealt-with? Come, darling.” The unicorn lowered her head and began to push Twilight toward the door of the tavern.

“Wait, what―where are we going―stop!”

***

Twilight was starting to suspect Celestia of purposefully manipulating events just to put her in these uncomfortable situations. If her suspicions were correct, then she was going to have some words with her mentor when she got back to Canterlot.

At the moment, however, Celestia was the least of Twilight’s worries. At the moment, she was sitting in a plush, padded chair in “Carousel Boutique” while the white unicorn, who had introduced herself as “Rarity”, snipped and curled and twisted her mane.

“Hmm,” the pale unicorn murmured, pulling uncomfortably at Twilight’s mane as she curled it around a particularly large emerald. “Oh, this will look simply fabulous when I’ve finished with―ack! Amethysts? What in the name of Celestia was I thinking? No, sapphires are just what this design needs.”

Twilight squirmed uncomfortably to the side, but was apprehended by Rarity before she could escape.

“Just a moment, darling, I’m almost finished. And…” She trailed off, winding a few more gems into Twilight’s navy blue mane. “There! All done.”

Twilight glanced into the mirror in front of her and saw a confused-looking lavender unicorn with an expertly curled navy blue mane. The purple-and-pink stripe to one side had been braided and wound around a dark sapphire, while the larger part of her mane was woven with bright blue topazes and pale emeralds.

“Wow…” Twilight glanced sideways and caught sight of a clock mounted on the wall. Noon! Sweet Celestia, I need to go. “It looks really nice, Rarity! Thanks, okay, bye!” She leapt out of the chair and sped out of the boutique, back towards Sugar Cube Corner.

Twilight burst into the now-familiar tavern and hurried toward the kitchen. I just hope they’re still here―I know Applejack would probably go back to the library, but Spike―

“Over here, Twilight.” Twilight turned to see Applejack sitting with Spike at a two-pony table by the door.

Blushing furiously, Twilight trotted over to them. “Thanks for waiting for me, you two.”

“Mrs. Cake said to tell you that they really don’t need any more help with the catering,” Spike said, snickering a little. “Even though they’ve only got Bon-Bon and Maroon Carrot helping so far.” He leaned in to stage whisper, “I think she’s just still mad about those oatcakes.”

“Anyway, we were thinkin’ you might want t’go out an’ find another job, seein’ as you've got a duty t'the princess,” Applejack said. “Rarity’s doin’ the decorations, Thunderlane and Blossomforth are headin’ up weather control, and Ah think Fluttershy is with the birds for music. Which one do ya want t’do?”

“Well, none of us can do weather,” Twilight said, mentally running and re-running through the options. “Rarity…” She thought of the boutique and mentally shuddered. “I think I’ll go see Fluttershy. It’s at least worth a try. Hop on, Spike.”

Spike climbed up onto her back, and Applejack got to her hooves.

“Ah think Ah’ll head back t’the library,” she said. “If that’s okay with you, Twilight.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Twilight said. “Just as long as you have those papers I made out yesterday.”

Applejack’s mouth twisted to the side sheepishly.

“You don’t, do you?”

“No.”

“Alright then.” Twilight closed her eyes and focused intently. A moment later there was a flash of purple-pink light inside Twilight’s saddlebag. Twilight opened it and removed the recently-teleported manumission papers.

“There. Take those and―” Twilight reached her telekinetic grasp back into the saddlebag. When she didn’t immediately find what she was searching for, she began to rummage around for it. There were fifteen bits in here when I left the library… fifteen bits… She rummaged around a bit more. What happened?

“Twilight?”

Twilight looked up. “What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I had fifteen bits with me when I left the library,” Twilight said, diving back into her bag. “Now they’re gone.”

Applejack also peered into the saddlebag. “You’re sure y’didn’t do anythin’ with ’em?”

“I’m positive! And I would have felt it if somepony had used a teleportation spell to get them out.”

“Then you, sugarcube, have had your first encounter with a pickpocket,” Applejack said, nodding sagely. “The only question is who did it.”

Only then did Twilight’s analytical mind connect the dots and find the answer.

“Rarity.”

Applejack cocked her head. “I’m assumin’ you know who it was?”

“Yes, I do. And she is not going to get away with it!” Twilight dropped the manumission papers in front of Applejack and raced out of Sugar Cube Corner with Spike still on her back.

In but a few seconds she had reached Carousel Boutique. She rushed inside and managed to skid to a stop right in front of her unicorn foe.

Rarity turned to look at her with a mildly surprised look on her face. “My goodness, darling,” she said. “Back already? I know my designs are simply lovely, but really, I didn’t expect―”

“You.” Twilight narrowed her eyes and lifted her hoof to point at Rarity. “You robbed me.”

“Me?” To her credit, the elegant unicorn was an excellent liar. “You’re accusing me of stealing? The nerve!”

“Yes, I am accusing you of stealing!” Twilight declared.  “And I’m asking you to return what you stole before I call the guard on you!”

“Really, darling, don’t you think you’re overreacting just a bit?” Rarity levitated a hairbrush and began to pull it through her already-perfect hair. “I mean, your dragon there doesn’t seem to have any problems with me.”

“Wha―Spike?” Twilight twisted her head around and caught her assistant staring at Rarity with wide, unmoving eyes. Oh, for Celestia’s sake― “Spike, snap out of it! She’s a thief!”

“But she’s so… beautiful…”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t matter. You―” She turned and lowered her head to point her softly-glowing horn at Rarity. “Give me back my money. Now.”

“Fine. If you insist.” There was a bright flash of light blue light, and a pile of exactly fifteen bits appeared in front of Twilight. “There you are. It’s not as if I need it.”

“Tha―wait, what?” Twilight stopped mid-movement to stare up at Rarity, and then held that position for several moments as she tried to deduce the reason behind Rarity’s actions. “If you don’t need the money…” It pained her to have to ask anything of a thief like Rarity, but at this point she didn’t see any other options. “Why did you steal it in the first place?”

“It’s a bit of a hobby, I suppose,” Rarity answered. “I never intended to keep the bits. Though I didn’t expect you to come barging in here.” She levitated a small gem and began toying with it as she spoke. “Oh, and calling the guard really won’t work on me, darling. Ever heard of the Belles?”

“The Belles…” Then everything clicked in Twilight’s mind and she stared at Rarity with unrestrained shock. “Sappire Glow DeBelle. The daughter that was exiled for... you’re Sapphire Glow DeBelle?”

“Yes,” was the simply answer. “Though I do prefer Rarity. Much less of a tongue-twister. Now, did you need anything else…?”

“N―no,” Twilight stammered. My mind is officially blown. “I guess we’ll be leaving now…” Stunned, she turned and trotted slowly out of the boutique.

Rarity turned away from the door and levitated a design sketch to cover her smile.

“If you could see me now, sister,” she murmured, glancing momentarily upwards. “You’d be proud. Everything you taught me…” She levitated another paper and then turned towards a mannequin covered in a half-finished dress. “Now. Rubies…”