Thunderspite

“Thank you ever so much for your help, Thunderspite.” Thunderspite was standing on a pedestal in the center of the Carousel Boutique, wearing a green and blue tuxedo. Rarity was talking, or rather rambling to him as she fussed with his hems with a pincushion. “You see, I was designing an ensemble for Lady Star Charmer, she just loved it so much that she absolutely insisted that her husband get an outfit to match, but wouldn’t you know? All of my sewing mannequins are for mares, and they just wouldn’t do for such a... broad-shouldered stallion like yourself or Lord Velvet Cuff."

“Glad I could help,” said Thunderspite, but the tone of his voice said otherwise. Between the ridiculously extravagant getup, Rarity’s stream of verbal consciousness, and the small white cat that was glaring at him menacingly from the adjacent pedestal, Thunderspite was actually feeling quite uncomfortable.

According to Applejack, they were just about all caught up with their work at Sweet Apple Acres, so Applejack said she’d start loaning his services out to her friends from time to time, still paying him their agreed-upon rate. Given the choice, Thunderspite would have preferred the solitude and repetition of bucking Apples, but he had to admit that Applejack and her four friends were starting to grow on him.

Rarity hardly missed a beat. “Oh, but I do like the way the vest just brings it all together! I must say, Thunderspite, you really do clean up quite nicely. You really the build for fashion, has anybody ever told you that? Have you ever considered a career in modeling?”

The cat, meanwhile, had crawled atop the mannequin directly next to him, and was taking fierce-looking swipes with her claw at his top hat. Thunderspite was doing his best to stay out of her reach, but he couldn’t move far because Rarity was still fussing his hems. It took him a moment to realize Rarity had asked him a question.

“Uh... modeling? No... not really my sort of thing.”

“Well, it’s certainly not for everybody, I can tell you that. Believe me, I would know. It’s not easy being in the spotlight all the time, having everybody judging you. In fact, I nearly lost a very good friend of mine when she got into modeling and I didn’t. It sounds silly of me, and I did eventually learn my lesson, but... ” she shook her head, then stood back to admire her work. “There! Oh, that is absolutely perfect! Thunderspite, you look positively dashing! Go on Thunderspite, give us a turn!”

Thunderspite suppressed a sigh and did as he was told. Rarity squealed with delight. “Perfect, perfect! Thunderspite, it fits you like a glove! Oh, you simply must try on this one as well!” Before he could protest, Rarity had stripped the tuxedo off with her magic. He made a little yelping noise at his sudden nakedness, but the first tuxedo was quickly replaced with another. In only a few seconds, Rarity’s magic had him dressed, all the buttons fastened, and the bowtie tied. “I made this one ages ago for the husband of a client of mine, but the client ended up not liking it, and it’s just been sitting around my shop all this time.” As the last button was fastened, Rarity gasped and jumped up and down with excitement. “Thunderspite, this is simply perfect for you! Oh, well the accents are wrong... ” His red tie and cummerbund were replaced almost instantly with new ones that matched his mane. “Much better! Oh darling, this suit was absolutely made for you! But uh... hmm.” Rarity peered at him through her glasses. “Thunderspite, who’s been cutting your mane?”

“I’ve just been doing it myself.”

“I see. Well, darling, it’s not that you’ve done a bad job, mind you, but why don’t we see what Auntie Rarity can do for you.” Before he could protest, Thunderspite found himself being hustled off to a chair in the center of Rarity’s workspace. A drop cloth was placed around his neck, and his chair was spun around to face the mirror.

Thunderspite began to protest. “Miss Rarity, this really isn’t neces... ”

Rarity had already cut him off again. “Now I’m by no means a professional stylist, you understand, but I think I do alright. Now you do like this flat on top, yes?” She patted his mane. “I do too, darling; I think it suits you. But if we just take a little off the top... ” Suddenly, a pair of scissors was flying around Thunderspite’s head at super-pony speed. Thunderspite gasped and tried to remain as still as possible, for fear of decapitation.

“Oh yes, that’s much better. Yes yes, I am a genius!” Thunderspite did not argue, only whimpered a bit as the possessed scissors whizzed past his ears. “There!” Thunderspite finally dared exhale. He tried to rise, but instead found himself pushed back in the chair, and the chair pushed backwards into a reclined position. “Oh no no no, darling. We have barely begun!” Thunderspite did not at all like the maniacal tone her voice had taken, nor the crazed look in her eye. “We’ve got to do something about those eyebrows. No offense, darling, but it looks like your face is being eaten by caterpillars.” Rarity chuckled maniacally and produced a pair of tweezers that hovered just above his face.

“Miss, Rarity, I really should... ah!” The tweezers went to work with all the speed and precision of a sewing machine, plucking one hair at a time at lightning speed while Thunderspite shut his eyes tightly. In just a moment it was over, and there was a dull pain in his face where the other half of his eyebrows had been formerly located.

“Ow... ” Thunderspite said weakly.

“Pain is a small price to pay for beauty, darling. Now then... Rarity stroked his chin with her hoof. “We’ll have to do something about that beard as well.”

Thunderspite gasped and opened his eyes to find a single, straight-edged razor being sharpened on a leather strap in mid-air. “Oh, Miss Rarity I’d really rather... ” This time Thunderspite tried to make a break for it, but didn’t make it out of the chair before the razor was placed at his neck. He gulped and resumed his seat.

“Now just you hold still, darling, and this won’t take but a minute.” His face was wetted by a hovering globule of water and shaving cream was applied. Finally, the razor also began setting about its work. Beads of sweat formed on Thunderspite’s brow, and he dared not move a muscle as the blade traced along the arteries in his neck.

“Thunderspite! Thunderspite, wake up, darling. We’re through here.”

Thunderspite’s eyes fluttered open. He realized he must have passed out. The drop cloth was whisked off of him, and he was sat upright. A second later, a hand mirror appeared right in front of him.

“What do you think, Darling?” asked Rarity.

“Oh.” Was all Thunderspite could say. “Oh.” Thunderspite had never given his appearance much thought, but he was astonished at the transformation Rarity had managed in just a few short minutes. His scruffy stubble was gone, his eyebrows were tidy and shapely, and his mane had been cut short and flat on top, and styled in a sawtooth pattern in the back. Between the new mane cut and the tuxedo, the reflection he saw in the mirror could have just as easily stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Rarity let out a contented sigh as she put her implements away, her fashion compulsions finally sated. “I think we’re done here, darling. But I do insist you keep the tuxedo.”

“Oh! But Miss Rarity, I... ”

“Tut tut, I insist! It fits you too well not to belong to you. And you never know when you’ll have an occasion to wear one.”

Thunderspite wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you,” he said at last.

Rarity beamed. “Not at all, darling. Now that’s all for today, but you have been an excellent mannequin. Can I call on you again if I need you?”

Thunderspite smiled. Though this sort of thing was well outside his comfort zone, Rarity’s generosity had taken him aback. “You may.”

Rarity smiled again. “Until next time then, darling.”

As he walked out of Rarity’s shop, Thunderspite immediately noticed a drastic change in the way he was perceived. Looking clean-cut and well-dressed after his impromptu makeover, he was greeted immediately by a pair of passing unicorns. He was so shocked that he nearly forgot to return their greeting. In all the towns he passed through, his scruffy appearance and tattered possessions always marked him instantly as a drifter. At best, we was ignored. At worst, he was looked upon with disdain, and occasionally he would see mothers would shoo their young ponies away from him. But now, as he walked down the street he was smiled at and greeted, and he was beginning to like the feeling. And unless he was mistaken, those two mares at the villa across the street were checking him out.

Thunderspite spread his wings and took to the sky with a new appreciation for Rarity’s talent and generosity.

* * *

Applejack and Apple Bloom were just cleaning up after lunch when Thunderspite came through the door.

“That you, Thunderspite?” Applejack called.

“Yes,” he answered.

“We’re just puttin’ lunch away, but we saved some for you. ‘Soon as you eat, we should get to... dang.” Applejack glanced up from her dishes, then did a double take. Thunderspite was still wearing his tuxedo, and with his shave and new mane cut, was looking quite dapper indeed.

“Dang!” Apple Bloom laughed trotted over to him, inspected his new outfit. “What happened to you?”

“Well, I went to help your friend Rarity, and, well…” Thunderspite trailed off and shrugged.

“Haha, yeah, Rarity’s like that.” Apple Bloom nodded, knowingly. "Be glad you escaped without a hooficure."

“I’ll go up and get changed, and I’ll be right down for lunch. And after that, you wanted me to keep working on the south field, Applejack?” Thunderspite asked.

Applejack, whose jaw still hung agape, shook herself out of her stupor. “Uh, yeah. South field.”

“Alright then. I’ll be right down.” Thunderspite trotted up the stairs. Even after he was gone, Applejack continued to stare after him.

“Dang,” she said again. She finally looked down at Apple Bloom, who was staring at her sister with one eyebrow raised.

“What?” Applejack asked.

“You know dang well what.” Apple Bloom smirked. “You ain’t foolin’ nobody.” And with that, she went back to drying her dishes.