Chapter 1: Costume Preparations
Chapter 1: Costume Preparations
The needle wove its intricate path through the dark fabric with a level of precision that the alabaster mare prided herself on. More than that, though, was the wonderfully worked enchantment that she was weaving into the fabric, and into each stitch. Not only was it nearly indestructible, it would also work to hide the physical aspects of whoever put it on. Be it wings, or horn, the costume would work to hide that aspect. A gentle knock stirred Rarity from her concentration, and she let out a small sigh as she put down the costume, as well as her sewing materials.
Trotting over to the door, Rarity called out to whoever was behind the door that she was coming. With just a small flourish the alabaster mare threw open the door, offering a small bow to whatever patron might be coming by. However, when she noticed that Fluttershy was the one at her door she threw off her guise as a shop-keeper. The two shared a quick embrace. “Oh, Fluttershy, just the pegasus I wanted to see!”
“Hello, Rarity. You asked me to come by today, so, um... Well, here I am.” Rarity smiled quickly at her guest before she started heading back into the store.
“Do come with me, dear. I need to get the final fittings done, since this needs to fit you perfectly, or the illusion will be spoiled.” The pegasus nodded before following the unicorn inside, making sure to close the door. “Now, I know that you wanted it to be a convincing costume, so I took... a few liberties. Nothing too extreme, mind you. But... Well, let’s just say that it’s something magnificent.”
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment when she heard what Rarity had said, remembering all too clearly what had happened in the past when it came to Rarity and her garment themed exploits. Still, Fluttershy had been quite clear in her request, and so she doubted that Rarity had diverged too much from what she had asked for.
When she got to the back room, where the costume was laid out on the table Rarity was working Fluttershy was surprised to see that it was a bit smaller than she expected. Still, she trusted Rarity, and so she began the lengthy process of donning the full body sleeve that was her costume.
“... And now we just zip it up... and there you are. Now, hold still and I’ll make sure that it’s sitting properly.” Fluttershy remained still as Rarity made some slight alterations to the costume. She hadn’t been able to look into a mirror yet, but given the glow in Rarity’s eyes, she was fairly sure that it looked good. Several alterations later, and Rarity stepped back, a satisfied look plain on her face. “I know that I do good work, but this... This is by far the most convincing thing I’ve ever crafted. Not that I really make that many costumes like this... Still, turn, dear, and look at yourself in the mirror.”
Fluttershy turned in place slowly, both dreading and anticipating what she would see in the mirror. A tiny, startled, gasp escaped the mare as she saw her reflection staring back at her. The fur on her body was nearly black, now, and it matched her movements perfectly. If she didn’t know that she was wearing a costume she’d never suspect that the reflection looking back at her was a mare in a costume. The coloring of the stripes along her back were flawless, and the tail had just the right shape to it. She slowly turned in place, looking at herself in the mirror, taking a rare moment to appreciate how she looked.
“Rarity, this is amazing!” She stopped for a moment when she noticed something amiss, almost letting out a shriek as the realization hit her. “Rarity! Where are my wings?! I can feel them, but they aren’t there!”
The white unicorn let out a soft chuckle as she put a reassuring hoof on the panicking costumed pegasus. “Dear, I used some enchantments to hide them. Fear not, they’re still there, simply hidden from sight. As soon as you take off the costume they’ll be there, ready for you to use.”
A pent up breath escaped the pegasus in an audible burst, and she looked back at Rarity, a smile on her face. “Oh, that’s a relief. I was just... For a moment... I didn’t know what to think.”
“It’s quite alright, Fluttershy. Now, let’s get that off of you, and I can make the final few adjustments. I’ll have it ready for you by tomorrow evening, no later than five, so come back then.”
Taking off the costume was even more of an ordeal than putting it on was, and several times Rarity had to take extreme pains to keep the fabric from tearing when Fluttershy’s wings finally resurfaced. As Rarity began fretting over the costume once again, Fluttershy excused herself, a smile on her face.
Fluttershy walked into her home with the same smile she had when she left the Carousel Boutique. With the costume part of her attire taken care of, all she had to do now was finish stewing the ‘perfume’ that would accompany her disguise. It’d been more of an accident than a real attempt at making something so foul smelling, but when Fluttershy discovered this particular chemical concoction she knew that she’d find some way to use it...
Or, at least, a use that was more than just attracting all the local fauna. Her first accidental creation had taken the better part of a week to completely clean out of her kitchen. A process that was only made more difficult by the constant interruptions of all of her animal friends.
Angel Bunny was in the kitchen when Fluttershy entered, slowly stirring the pot that held the fragrance. The gas mask that he was wearing was just too adorable for Fluttershy to take, and so she quickly grabbed the rabbit, pulling him close and rubbing her nose on his cheek. “Oh, Angel, you look so cute with your little mask on...”
She went on for several more minutes, heaping endless praise upon the rabbit who so dearly wanted to tell Fluttershy just why he was wearing the mask. As nice as Fluttershy was, there were some things that she just didn’t seem to notice, no matter how hard Angel tried to point it out to her. Her ‘perfume’ smelled fairly foul to ponies, but to the wildlife of the everfree it was a fairly potent aphrodisiac. Any animal that got a whiff of that stuff would think that Fluttershy was trying to seduce them. And that wouldn’t end very well for anypony, or any animal, involved.
When Fluttershy finally let Angel get back to his stirring, she went off to go and take care of some of the other animals that she was currently taking care of. This left Angel to try and continue his work on the slowly simmering fluid. Earlier, when Fluttershy had left, she had entrusted the process of making sure that the perfume came out right to Angel. And Angel had done everything in his power to make sure that the potion came out wrong. And he had succeeded.
Mostly...
The potion wouldn’t attract animals as much as it had previously.
It would attract ponies instead. Not much of an improvement, but better than having manticores, or hydras, or cockatrices, or... Angel shuddered as he cut off that trail of thought.
Ponies were better. The bunny let out a small sigh as he cast a glance over his shoulder, watching as Fluttershy continued caring for the woodland critters who called her home their own home.
Ponies were much better.
Chapter 2: Nightmare Night
Chapter 2: Nightmare Night
Angel delicately poured the concoction into a small empty perfume bottle, the slowly bubbling pink fluid emitting an occasional puff of acrid pink smoke. Fluttershy either didn’t notice, or she chose not to comment on what was happening. When the bottle was full to the brim, Angel carefully screwed the spray nozzle in place, the small bulb dangling limply from its attachment point. When Angel put the small bottle down, Fluttershy rubbed her nose on Angel’s cheek once more, letting out a happy noise.
The swill had only been taken off the burner an hour ago, long enough for it to cool, but it’d been stewing non stop since Fluttershy had started it yesterday. All of the animals in close proximity to her cottage had grown used to the smell of the perfume, but for those that came to the cottage only intermittently the odor sent them into a minor frenzy. Even Fluttershy wasn’t immune to the effects, but she had been asleep when the worst of it hit her. All she knew about the potion was that she liked the smell.
Her entire day had been spent around the cottage, making sure that all her animal friends were taken care of, and would be able to spend the night without the butter yellow pegasus around to take care of them while she celebrated Nightmare Night in town. With the time rapidly approaching for her to head into town to get her costume, Fluttershy had experienced some minor jitters. After bottling the perfume, though, it had passed.
“Alright, Angel, I’ll be back much later, so I’m trusting you to be a good bunny. If anything goes wrong, come and get me.” Angel merely rolled his eyes, knowing all too well that if something went wrong Fluttershy’s first instinct would be to hide, rather than confront it. “And if you can’t find me, try one of the others.” Now that was an instruction that Angel could get behind. While her friends were far less understanding of Angel’s plight in life, they were far more useful in high stress situations.
Just a few minutes later, and the pegasus was trotting out the door, her small bottle of perfume clutched under one wing. As the door closed behind the pegasus, Angel finally allowed his shoulders to slump. With a small sigh, the rabbit hopped into the kitchen, grabbing a carrot. A mouse, one of Fluttershy’s other woodland friends, approached the contemplative rabbit.
“Does... Does she even realize what that perfume does?”
The rabbit looked to the mouse for a moment, before looking back at the door, slowly shaking his head. “No. No, I don’t think she does.”
“Three hours?”
“Two. Three if she’s having a good time.”
“Does she have enough supplies to last through her ‘embarrassment period’?”
“I hope so.”
Fluttershy slowly walked down the road that led from her house to Ponyville. She knew exactly how long it would take, and she also knew exactly how long it would take her to get to the Boutique from when she made it to Ponyville. She’d arrive just on time, and that was what she was aiming for. As much as she loved to spend time with her friends she sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed by the things that went on in town.
Her closest friends were usually pretty understanding of her shyness, so it wasn’t a problem around them. It was the rest of the townsponies that were the problem.
Even though the actual celebration wouldn’t be starting for another couple of hours the town was already starting up some of the activities, including the customary gathering of candy. At this early hour, though, it was only the youngest of foals that came out. Their adorable costumes brought a smile to the timid pegasus’ features. She even stopped a few times to share a few words with the parents of some of the foals. Never lengthy conversations, but it was still something.
About halfway to her destination, Fluttershy spotted Pinkie setting up a table of sweets in front of Sugarcube Corner. As Fluttershy grew nearer to the table she couldn’t help but hope that Pinkie wouldn’t notice her. Not that she minded the company of Pinkie, but she didn’t really have time if she wanted to arrive on time. Luckily for the pegasus, Pinkie just offered a wave to the feathered pony, a small group of foals garnering the majority of the pink pony’s attention.
The remainder of the trip was largely uneventful, and it was with no small sense of satisfaction that the pegasus entered the Boutique right on time. The gentle chime of the bell above the door signaled Fluttershy’s arrival to the unicorn proprietor.
“I’ll be with you in just a moment. I’m finishing up a small alteration. Please, make yourself comfortable.” Acquiescing, Fluttershy sat herself down on one of the seats that dotted the small shop. Several minutes passed in relative silence before Rarity emerged from the back of her shop. “Oh, Fluttershy, you should’ve said something! I would’ve taken you into the back, since it was your costume that I was working on.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Rarity. I don’t mind waiting. Besides, I wouldn’t want to impose on your creative space.”
“You would never... But, what’s done is done. Come, now, Fluttershy, and I will show you my masterpiece of Nightmare Night craftsmareship!” Fluttershy did as was asked of her, and soon she was looking at the same costume as yesterday, seemingly unchanged.
“Oh, Rarity, it looks wonderful!”
“Try it on, dear. The costume you tried yesterday pales in comparison to this one. While the fabric is the same, the magic within has been... altered, slightly. I do think that you’ll much appreciate the extra bit of effort I put in.”
“Okay. Just... One moment.” With a gentle ruffling of her wings, Fluttershy extracted the small bottle of perfume, placing it on one of the counters around the room.
“Fluttershy! You brought some perfume? Who’s the lucky stallion you’re trying to impress?”
A deep crimson blush flushed to the pegasus’ cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. “No, it’s not like that. It’s to make the costume more realistic. That scent is going to work with what I’ve decided to go as this year.”
Rarity’s gaze switched rapidly from scandalous interest to one of abject disgust. “You made a perfume that smells like skunks?” Her eyes widened for a moment, as she suddenly looked all around her shop. “And you brought it in here? Do you have any idea how long it’ll take to clear out the smell?”
In a rare moment of total peace, Fluttershy let out a single clear laugh. “Oh, I would never. It only smells a bit like skunks, and it doesn’t even last that long. I’ve had it brewing since yesterday, and after just a short while I couldn’t even smell it anymore. I think that my animal friends are a bit more sensitive to it, but, well, they’re all in the forest, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
Still eyeing the bottle suspiciously, Rarity approached it. “Are you sure that it doesn’t last long?”
“Yes.” The unicorn reached for the bottle, looking at the contents suspiciously before using her magic to manipulate the pump bulb. “Oh, please don’t use any! I want it to be a surprise for tonight. It’ll add that last bit to the already wonderful costume you’ve made.” With a small sigh, the unicorn looked between the bottle, and the pegasus a few times before she put the bottle down. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, and Fluttershy had the costume on, but not zipped up just yet. It fit much better than it had yesterday, and she could already tell that Rarity had outdone herself on this piece. It fit like a second skin, the fabric hugging her body perfectly. With her magic, Rarity could easily pull the zipper all the way up, but she stopped just before finishing. “I think that now would be a good time to let you know the last of the enchantments that I used on your costume. In addition to hiding your wings, which I told you about yesterday, this costume will also become a temporary second skin for you.”
“A... A second skin?”
“Yes, dear. Using some fairly simple spells that I wove into the fabric the cloth will hug so tightly to your body that it will be, for lack of better terminology, your new coat of fur.” The look of fear that flitted across Fluttershy’s face was enough to garner a hasty elaboration from the unicorn. “Don’t worry, though, your regular coat will be unharmed beneath, and it’s an entirely temporary spell. In order to make it last, though, I had to imbue it with quite a bit of magic. Since I don’t expect you’ll want me to have to constantly recharge it, it has a limited lifespan of five hours. After those five hours the costume will simply fall off your body.”
“Are you sure? What if it won’t come off?”
“Darling, even Twilight couldn’t find a flaw with the magic that I worked into the fabric. And while I’m not quite as powerful as she is, I am not to be doubted when it comes to fashion, and fashion accessories.”
Bowing her head for just a moment, the pegasus looked at the floor. “Sorry for doubting you, Rarity. I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t get stuck in the costume, or something.”
“Well...” The unicorn’s gaze shifted away from the pegasus for a moment. “Technically only a unicorn can take the costume off of you. The magic that binds it to your coat prevents the costume from being simply removed. But don’t worry, it’s a simple dispelling spell. Any unicorn can cast it. If you really need to take it off, for whatever reason, simply ask any unicorn to cast a dispelling spell.”
Fluttershy looked up at Rarity with a bit of fear in her wide eyes. “I... I can’t take it off?”
“N... No. But, like I said, any unicorn would be able to cast the spell that would allow you to take it off.” Rarity walked a quick lap around Fluttershy, admiring her craftsponyship. “It’s probably one of the easiest spells I know.” She finished her lap standing in front of the pegasus. “Don’t worry so much, darling. It’s just for one night. And I promise that I’ll make it up to you if you don’t have fun.”
Fluttershy’s hoof drew small circles on the floor as she looked up at Rarity. “You’re sure I won’t get stuck?” Rarity nodded. “And it will only last for the night?” Another nod came from Rarity. “Then I’ll do it.”
