Sky Weaver's Day in Ponyville

Sky Weaver rushed through Ponyville in a panic, scrambling past other ponies, not stopping for a second. She didn’t know where she was even going – all she knew was that she had to get away. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. And so soon. Today had started off so promisingly, then it had gone and turned into the worst day of her life for a long time. Royal Blue had been so kind and understanding to her, making sure to keep her fears under control, doing all the things for her that may have otherwise caused her to have a panic attack. But he wasn’t here this time. She was in a new place now – unwelcoming, uncaring, unforgiving. Merciless, even. When this all had begun, she had been intrigued and captivated by Ponyville. She thought that it would be a fun, an adventure. She was willing to travel as far out from all familiarity as she possibly could, if it meant not having to venture back into the pain of her past. Yet, there she was...

Sky Weaver eventually came to a stop. The adrenaline had worn off and left her exhausted, and the ugly thoughts that had been reverberating through her head had put her on the edge of tears. As she panted for breath, she looked around for some semblance of a familiar-looking landmark. But alas, she saw nothing of the sort. The cottage-houses were too tall for her to see the library in any direction, and she was too exhausted to fly up to a height where she could see it. She was stuck, right here, in a confusing part of town, with not a familiar face to turn to. She’d spent so much time ogling at the wonder of this place, she’d never properly taken in any of the scenery for herself. She could have taken the time to have a proper tour of the place, or even borrow a guidebook from the library. She shut her eyes as the crushing realisation of her own foolishness wracked her.

With her remaining but dwindling willpower, she decided to take in her immediate surroundings. Just on the other side of the street was a resplendent, velvety tower of a building. She looked at the sign above the door, which read:

“Carousel Boutique, Where Every Dress Is Chic, Unique, and MAGNIFIQUE!”

A dressmaker’s?! Of all the places to be stranded next to. Her eyes fell onto the sign above the door, an illustration of a needle and thread. A jolt of panic shot through her again. She let out a scream, just to try to expel the fright, and the sheer frustration. But her emotional defenses had fallen from the outburst, and with nothing left to hold back the tears, and she just sat there, quietly weeping as the boutique silently mocked her with its grand presence, manifesting itself as a black tower – all the pain and regret that she had pushed into a dark corner of her mind now lay right in front of her, ready to swallow her whole, and claim her back as its rightful puppet after all this time of illusory hope and cheer.

Just in that moment, in an almost poetic fashion, the door of the tower opened. Out stepped the elegant unicorn she’d seen earlier that day, wearing an expression of concern.

"Oh, my stars!" Rarity cried. "You’re the one from earlier today, aren’t you? Oh, you poor thing, what's happened to you?"

Sky was too traumatized to form words. She gave a grief-stricken moan at the unicorn in protest, and tried to shoo her away with an outstretched hoof.

"Dear me," Rarity fussed, instead taking her hoof and attempting to help her up. "You're in a simply dreadful state! S... Sky Weaver, was it? Look, let's get you inside, shall we?"

Sky's panic resurfaced with all strength, like she was being dragged across the river Styx into Tartarus itself. "NnnOOOOoo!" She howled.

"Oh please, darling, you're getting hysterical," Rarity soothed. "Not to mention you're making a scene. I'll get you some fine herbal tea, it'll do you a world of good. You have my word on it!" Rarity insisted, leading Sky towards the boutique as she continued to fight. Eventually the pegasus realised that her resisting was useless, and she accepted her fate, and grabbed Rarity's hoof tightly, taking what few moments she believed that she had left to appreciate the company of another pony.

"Please don’t leave me alone in there," she whispered. Rarity frowned awkwardly at this display, but at least she was co-operating now. She led Sky into the boutique in as lady-like a manner as she could manage.

Rarity slowly guided Sky towards the boutique proper as she twitched violently and raised a hoof to avert her gaze from the various things within the boutique, breathing heavily and whimpering. Rarity looked at her with utter confusion, then turned, leading her towards the kitchen. Sky Weaver peeked out at where they were going, and eying the various appliances within, seemed to calm down. Rarity sat her down in a chair facing away from the rest of the boutique, turned on the stove and placed the kettle on it, then took a seat opposite her.

“So tell me, dear,” Rarity asked, once Sky had calmed down enough. “What in the world’s got you so shaken up?”

Sky Weaver’s tear-stained eyes met with Rarity’s, then her head bowed shamefully. “Y...you’re not really the sort of pony I’d talk to about it...” she sighed.

“Oh, stuff and nonsense!” Rarity dismissed. “No problem is too small or embarrassing to share with somepony, especially when it’s got you in such a dither. Just tell me what’s wrong, dear.”

Sky looked up at Rarity, and tried to maintain eye contact. “I’ve... never told anypony else about this. Except Royal Blue, of course. But... I suppose I should tell you.” She sniffed. “Okay... you know when I first met you? I probably acted like I had a problem... with what you do.”

“Mhm...” Rarity nodded as she listened attentively.

“Well, I kind of do have a problem. I mean, not with you, though, but... I just have some unhappy memories. Back when I lived with my parents, in Manehatten, they wanted me to be a weaver. I didn’t want to be, but they didn’t give me a choice. I wasn’t even any good.”

“Ohh, that’s no reason to feel bad, dear,” Rarity soothed.

“I know they put me up to it so they could keep me quiet... and wouldn’t have to keep an eye on me all the time. I'm remembering now... how little I obviously meant to them... how they’d never let me have my way, and I was never very happy living with them... all I had were my stories. But they’d call them silly, and a distraction, and they’d just make me work harder... in the end, it all became a terrible nightmare... about dancing mannequins... they were... controlling me, laughing at me, and there was this huge monster, on strings, made of wood... now... I just can’t bear to look at anything that reminds me of the past... of that nightmare. String. Thread. Wire. Needles. Wooden... things...” She gulped. “Especially rope.” Her eyes shut tight as she tried to suppress the shame she felt from her confession. Rarity took a hefty pause to take all of this in.

The sound of the kettle boiling broke the uneasy silence in the room. Rarity promptly rescued the kettle from the stove, turned it off, and used her magic to bring two china cups out of an overhead cupboard. Pouring out the tea, she carefully placed them on the table, then sat down.

“Well...” she responded at last, awkwardly. “...Yes, I... I can see how this may not have been the best place to talk about it,” she muttered. She took in the aroma of the tea while she collected her thoughts. “Still, perhaps it’s best that you’ve told somepony like me first. I’d hate to have caused you any stress,” she reassured.

“I’m sorry...” Sky sniffed. “I’m the one who’s causing you trouble...” she whimpered, as the corners of her eyes began to shimmer as fresh new tears formed.

“Oh, darling...” Rarity consoled, bringing a hoof around her affectionately. Sky took comfort in the gesture and dabbed her eyes with a hoof. “You can’t help it, I understand. So... you don’t like anything made with string, is that right? Like... drapes and... dresses?” she asked, seemingly a little reluctantly.

“No, I’m fine with those.” Sky replied. Rarity internally breathed a little sigh of relief. “I don’t have a problem with... fabric, silk, ribbons and stuff, they’re... pretty things. They're nice.” Rarity patiently sat, listening and nodding. “But, you know, just... loose threads, like string, and rope, just there, by itself... I feel like it’s going to... wrap around my hooves, and I won’t be able to--” She inhaled sharply to ward off the dread, then gave an apologetic sigh. “I know, it’s so stupid...”

“Not another word,” Rarity cut in. “I see. So, you’re fine with clothing, right?”

Sky Weaver slowly nodded. “Mostly.”

“Well then, I think I have something to take your mind off all that! You’re as good a pony as any to try on some of my new dresses! What say you to that?” Rarity smiled.

“Wow... really?” Sky was somewhat overcome. Rarity nodded insistantly. “Well sure, okay. But um... nothing too heavy. Something with a little space, for my wings. My parents... would just put me in these silly outfits to cover them up. And they’d be so uncomfortable...”

“How thoughtless of them!” Rarity declared. “Well, don’t you worry about that, dear, I can assure you these dresses will be nothing less than a sheer delight for you to wear!”

Sky continued to gaze in the mirror, eyes wide with wonder. She was dressed in a gorgeous robe of purest white, with flashes of regal purple and golden seams. By her right ear was a golden brooch with a small red gem in the center – a gilded cherry on the delicious cake of the whole ensemble. Sky felt like a goddess. She squealed with joy, her hooves clippety-clopping in their tanned orange sandals.

“I love it!” she cried.

Rarity couldn’t help but feel immense pride. “Well, it’s definitely one of my finer works. I decided to try something a little different from what I’m used to, and before I knew it, I’d broken all new ground!” Before she could continue, Sky cut her off with a joyous burst of her own.

“Ooh! This is TOTALLY like, the PERFECT outfit for Lady Rosalina the Grand Battle Mage Warrior to wear!” she gushed, hopping on her back hooves with glee.

“Er... I beg your pardon, who?” Rarity asked.

But Sky was already far away, immersed within her own mind, which was firing on all cylinders. She began brainstorming out loud. “When she is personally invited to New Antioch’s Greatest Magic Users Convention! And encounters all of her former rivals, who have become stronger than ever, and they challenge her to a magic contest of EPIC proportions! YES! THAT IS AMAZING! Oh, I’m gonna make that story right now!” she burbled ecstatically.

“Well, I suppose it’s all well and good that my work can inspire others so... fervently,” Rarity mused. She looked over to Sky Weaver - she was frozen, her eyes twinkling like galaxies, her face fixed in a full, blissful beam. Rarity could only stand there and watch, bewildered. Was this... normal for her? In any case, she was definitely looking much better than before. So, Rarity went into the kitchen for another cup of tea.

Ten minutes later, the eerie silence in the boutique was pierced by a delighted squeal from Sky Weaver. Rarity nearly spilled her tea. “Hum. Well, sounds like she’s out of her... reverie.” She muttered, going out of the kitchen to check on her, in case she was about to trip over a ball of yarn, and have it send her back into a panic, or something. But sure enough, she was back in the real world, and still as bright and cheerful as ever.

“That was my best story yet! Oh, Miss Rarity, I can’t thank you enough!” Sky cried.

Rarity chuckled. “Oh no, dear, thank you for the, uh... feedback. Tell you what, I’ll be hard at work all this week making more of these. How would you like to place an order for one yourself?”

Sky perked up, but her expression immediately sank. “Oh... well, I’d love to... but... I don’t have the bits for anything like that. Um... sorry for wasting your time. I... I guess I’ll just leave now.” She hung her head and began to head for the door.

“Oh, darling, don’t be ridiculous!” Rarity comforted her. “It’ll be my treat, since you’ve such been a delight. Tell you what – as soon as I can, I’ll make of these specially for you! And in whatever color you like!”

Sky Weaver lit up once again. “You’d do that?!” Rarity simply nodded. Sky raised her forehooves close to her mouth in order to contain her excitement. “Um... y...yellow is my favorite colour. Can I have one in yellow, please?” she managed, in an nervous whisper.

“Consider it done,” Rarity said.

Sky’s enthusiasm exploded as she squeaked and giggled with joy and hugged Rarity tightly. Rarity shot backwards, but quickly regained her composure and calmly placed a hoof against her. “Much obliged, darling, but please... a lady needs her personal space. And you might crease the dress.”

Sky released her. “Oh. Sorry.” She blushed.

The pegasus stepped out of Carousel Boutique. She was feeling much better having talked things over with Rarity. She was surprised with how kindly she responded to it. She always thought her fear to be ridiculous, that nopony would ever take her seriously because of it. She sighed happily – Royal Blue was right all along when he said she was in good hooves.

Furthermore, she had thoroughly enjoyed creating a new chapter of one of her many stories, although on reflection, it perhaps seemed a little rude of her to not share it with Miss Rarity as a token of her gratitude. Looking back to her time spent with Twilight, she pondered. Maybe she should start writing out her stories. Having just been through yet another adventure, she was a little burned out. Perhaps this was the best time to sit down and somehow articulate her thoughts to share with the rest of the world. Or, perhaps Twilight’s adorable little dragon companion could help write with her! It was sounding like a delightful plan already!

Her train of thought was interrupted by a sudden relapse of panic as she caught a glance of the infernal orange pony approaching, Rainbow Dash with her. Sky couldn’t help but feel threatened, and every instinct told her to run away. But this time, she hesitated to do so. Being open and honest with Rarity had turned out well, and so maybe it would serve her just as well to stand her ground here and be truthful again. The earth pony surely had good intentions, just as Rainbow Dash had demonstrated to her earlier that day. It was time to resolve this whole mess.

“There she is!” Rainbow cried.

“Thank Celestia!” Applejack sighed as they both approached Sky. “Are you okay? Ah'm sorry for what happened there. You, uh... wanna tell me why ya bit through mah rope and started flyin’ all weird?” she asked, presenting the ruined piece of rope in question.

Sky Weaver took a sharp intake of breath as her heart lurched. “PUT IT AWAY!” she screamed, covering her eyes with one hoof. She just HAD to bring it here, didn’t she?

Rainbow Dash and Applejack froze on the spot in surprise. Sky summoned up all her mental resolve and tried to calm herself. “Put it away...” she implored, with much less panic in her voice, her eyes still shut tight.

“The rope!” Rainbow Dash realised after a moment, and indicated to Applejack. “Hide it!”

“Oh... um... okay,” she replied, a tad confused.

Sky heard her drop the rope, and some scuffling noises as she kicked dirt over it.

“Right. Ah don’t have it anymore. Okay? Ah hid it.”

Mustering all the courage she could, Sky placed her foreleg back on the ground, turned her head to the orange pony, and, trying to not left her vision drift to where the rope had been only just barely concealed, looked her in the eyes. She saw that Applejack had a look of genuine concern, and sighed.

“I’m sorry... I think I owe you both an explanation.”