At All Hours

by JontyJig

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Rarity, Slice of Life
Length: 6116

When Rarity pulls an all-nighter at the newly opened Carousel Boutique, she discovers sleep deprivation comes with problems.

When Rarity pulls an all-nighter at the newly opened Carousel Boutique, she discovers that sleep deprivation comes with a variety of things, all of which are working against her.

Can she overcome caffeine, cake and absurdity?

Published 2014-12-13 16:40:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-13 16:40:03 UTC

A Simple Joy

"Walk through my rather fabulous doors where the bedazzled-brilliant designs, patterns and dresses reside. In this place of beauty, creativity and most of all..fashion, we -or rather, I- strive to make every garment a work of art. From the smallest wool pull to the most grandiose couture. Fashion fit for a gala if I do say so myself. Do have a look around and please let the propriétaire know what she can do to help you in any way. Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where every dress is chic, unique and magnifique!"

Rarity

On that night, every star over Ponyville shone brightly. A very peaceful night. Only a little bit chilly.

All was quiet, except for a small, colorful train that puffed into town. This was last train from Manehattan. It pulled up to the station with a hiss and as steam flooded the station platform, a small silhouette of a pony steps off the train.

A small glow appeared in the midst of the dissipating steam, leaving only the night fog to slightly obscure the figure. Even in silhouette form, the graceful way this particular shade would move was a dead giveaway.

This was Rarity.

"I do appreciate all of your help. Really, I do." The unicorn said, stepping off onto the platform. An older unicorn, with a rough-around-the-edges kind of look, smiled warmly in response to the younger pony.

He levitated a rather luxurious looking bag next to the unicorn. "..and thanks to you, young miss. I thought for sure I would've had to get a new one." He gestured with a hoof, to his hat, adjusting it slightly.

Rarity was quite the generous pony. It was not unusual for her to devote her talents to the less fortunate. In fact, it wasn't unusual for her to devote her talents to the more fortunate and whatever was in between.

"Oh, Celestia forbid! I was all too glad to patch it for you." Rarity said, then turning around,she began to rummage through the bag for a moment before finding what she desired. "Ah! Here you go. Please do come see me if you ever need it fixed." Rarity floats a small business card over to the colt. He takes it with his own magic and reads the card.

He takes it with his own magic and reads the card. "Carousel Boutique, huh? I don't know Miss Rarity, sounds a little too Frou-Frou for me."

The old train operator, grinned awkwardly, levitating the card back to Rarity.

Rarity only smiled gently, took the card and placed it in the operator's hat, finding time time to make a slight adjustment to his jacket. "Darling it would be such a shame to see you part with it. Trust me, this is my area of expertise! You can't simply replace a hat such as that."

The gentlecolt laughed. "I actually can! We keep new ones in the stations Miss Rarity..."

Rarity didn't miss a beat with her response. "But experience, darling, is unmistakeable! When a colt successfully pulls off a specific hat, which you most certainly do, one does not simply abandon it!"

"Well...I do like this hat. We've been through some rough shifts together..." Rarity smiled at the gentlecolt, just the right kind of smile. She deemed that somewhere between flirty and encouraging would be just about right.

It was just about right. "Ohhheck....alright! You're a smooth talker Miss Rarity, that's for sure."

"It's not hard when one has inspiration, darling." Rarity finished with a wink and with a little flip of her hair, began to trot towards the end of the platform.

"Aww, shucks, you do me too much honor." He said bashfully, while falling into step with her. "So where is this place?"

"It’s near the edge of town. You surely can't miss a 'Frou-Frou' building like this." Rarity teasingly said, making the colt beside her chuckle, as a small blush formed on his face.

"Oh and before I forget! Please take these as well.." Rarity turns to face the older colt and levitates four bits his way. "...If you knock on Sugar Cube Corner's door, I'm positively sure they won't turn you away for some hot coffee"

"Oh, Miss I can't...you've already done so much." He reluctantly wrapped the bits in the same magic.

He waited for Rarity to take them back but was eased on by her. "I would feel bad if you didn’t, darling! Think of that long trip back to Manehattan, you wouldn't want a delicate lady such as myself worrying all night now, would you?" Rarity said, batting her lashes as she did.

He grinned sheepishly, melting under her gaze. The old operator wasn't often treated to anything. "…I guess I wouldn't want that." He replied with a smile, placing the bits in the front pocket of his overalls. "Do you have someone to see you home Miss Rarity?"

"Nonsense, I'm not terribly far from here. I'll be fine.” She said, magically extending a handle on her rolling suitcase.

“All right, you take care now Miss Rarity and thank you!” He waved goodbye and got back into the train. Welcome to town by the way!

“Thanks ever so! Not at all darling!” and with that she trotted into Ponyville heading for her absolute pride and joy…The newly opened, Carousel Boutique.

“And that…is how you make a friend and win a client!” Rarity thought to herself, beaming.

_________________________________________

Ding Ding...

A dim light shone throughout the Carousel boutique that night. Whoever saw this light in Ponyville knew that a certain white unicorn was burning the midnight oil. This happened often, one could speculate that if somepony took to selling midnight oil, Rarity would make them a very rich somepony.

With only a few stray hairs out of place, and an old habit resurfacing of poking her tongue out the side of her mouth while she worked, the white unicorn quietly mused to herself.

“I do think that seminar is going to set me back a touch. But it was worth it Having a jump on the fall trends will keep me…” Rarity stopped thinking out loud, attempting to finish it in her mind.

“Keep me up to date on.... No no, keep me….keep me…”

Her needle and thought stopped in unison. She idly levitated the soft fabric in the air, dwelling on her unsuccessful train of thought.

“Keep me well-informed…of…” She eyed her piece of fabric absentmindedly but an absentminded Rarity could take notice of things better than most focused individuals.

She spotted her mistake. “Ah…shoddy needlework, there’s simply no excuse Rarity….Miss Rarity.” She said to herself, setting down her work and adjusting her glasses.

Keeping an eye on her mistake. She magically rummaged through a small drawer on the messy desk. She knows her unkempt space so well, that she doesn’t really need to look. A spatter of colorful, assorted types of cloth and pincushions littered the old table.

“My little bit of organized chaos.” She often justified a messy workspace with these words. Friends who aren't too close to Rarity are often surprised by this aspect of her.

After a little bit of rummaging, she found what she was looking for in the drawer. A few snips and back-tracks later she was back to her work.

“Where was I? Oh yes-“ She found her rhythm of stitching, and with someplace to work back from, Rarity collected her thoughts. “The seminar will keep me……slightly irked at the way they ran the event.” Rarity finished out loud with a sigh.

“I must admit, I was not expecting them to re-visit Stallionerre’s Saddle and Hooves Theory so often. If they payed a bit more attention to the…”

Rarity shook herself away from potential sidetracks and unfertile rumination. She smiled inwardly at her vocabulary. “Unfertile rumination…Unfertile rumination regarding optimism…Does that follow?” She thought before stopping herself...She had now sidetracked onto a sidetrack. After giving herself a stern look in an imaginary mirror she continued her work...

...Or didn't, she couldn’t resist pursuing the sidetrack a little further. “Rarity’s rumination, really reigning in raving on re-iterations regarding repugnant re-visiting…..” The seamstress blinked twice, her sidetrack had now become a seperate tangent.

"Did I..." An absent look flashed across her face, before spotting another mistake in the needlework.

“Tsk…” Rarity tutted, looking at the (Inwardly hesitating at the following word) “Scarf” sitting before her…The perturbed seamstress had made another mistake in the embroidery.

She did try not to be a snob about these sorts of things but proper terminology always inwardly nagged at her. Words like scarf-oh-drat-a-mistake-focus-Rarity.

In a rare moment of not bothering to hide an un-ladylike grunt, she began her blind but somehow familiar search for her small scissors, realizing only moments later that they were already in front of her.

It was 1 a.m.

Rarity looked at the scarf before her. “Well, it is essentially a ‘Pashmina’ in fashion terms but, the client is always right.” She said, without an inward tut. Rarity insisted (to herself) that she be as genuine and sincere as possible when it came to her clients needs and wants.

"Focus on what's new, what's good and what's different...." Rarity audibly paused.

“....even though it certainly is, in the strictest fashion terms, a pashmina.” She finished quickly, as if she was almost afraid of a self-inflicted slap on the foreleg.

She stared at the sca-”Hmm-pashmina..” in question and cocked her head to the side, on it, was an unfinished embroidery of a rose. It glowed magnificently in the candlelit room. The way the color bounced off the coffee made it... The way the color bounced off the fabric in the coffee lit room reminded her of a….coffee.

Rarity could suddenly no longer think of anything else but the black, brewed goodness she so longed for. Her mind immediately went to earlier that night as she had given her back-from-lecture-coffee bits to somepony earlier that night. She sighed as a memory flashed through her mind, specifically, the look on that somepony's face.

Somehow it seemed turn a light in her mind, illuminating a certain corner that made her feel a strong familiarity and warmth that she could never quite put her finger on. Even so she loved that feeling. She had always felt it was a bit like when she got her cutie mark. A warm and caffeinated feeling…Coffee.

Rarity tiredly glanced towards her kitchen.

It was calling to her.

No...Think this out Rarity;

"1.With all that caffeine you won’t be able to get up in the morning to go to the gem cutters."

"2.You can’t make it the way the Cake family does….That bold north equestrian blend that-"

"3.If you stop right now you’ll never get going again, you’ll procrastinate."

"4.Did I get coffee filters?"

"5.You can't have coffee why does it matter??"

"6.I won’t have coffee, must you berate me?"

"7.I’ll forget where I was in the pattern and I'll have to double-check everything"

"8.And if you have to double check the coffee, you'll lose precious pattern....Double check the pattern, you'll lose precious coff....lose precious time."

"9.Coffee"

"10.Coffee"

"11.Coffee"

Shaking her head back to reality, Rarity selected number 3 of her self-titled "Rarity-Reasonables" and resumed her work on the...Rarity winced again at the following word...."scarf."

Looking through bespectacled eyes, she surveyed her work. The embroidery was indeed something to behold, a peach colored outline of a rose was embroidered into the corner of the scarf.....(Though, in the strictest fashion terms it is a pashmina)

Looking away from her labor of love/hate, she glanced at a small piece of paper pinned to one of the desk’s shelves.

-Simple Joy
-1 peach scarf (pashmina) with name embroidery

It was the note she wrote when taking the commission. It was, in essence, just like the name of the client-

"Supposed to be a simple job." Rarity winced, afraid, once again of the slap-on-the hoof she might’ve received… from herself. “A simple joy...task that I love.” Rarity corrected out loud with a hint of discipline in her tone.

An exasperated sigh escaped Rarity. Indeed, this was not a simple joy. It was turning out to be a very complex joy, more than she originally intended. Rarity was perplexed. Whatever resembled progress only turned out to be a dead end. A dead end Rarity had prepared herself for.

“After all, it was my idea…”

__________________________________

3 hours earlier...

“Ideeeeeaaaa!” Rarity said with a sing-song voice.

__________________________________

“…I’ll embroider the name in tasteful vines complimented with a rose.” Rarity recalled in deadpan.
To go above and beyond was just how Rarity’s mind worked. It was something she never regretted doing, but it was something she temporarily regretted doing when it came to moments like these. Because now she was….

Her needle froze in mid-air, frustration flashed across Rarity’s face. She quickly levitated the project to eye-level, inspecting it with a disapproving look. The thread had formed a tiny loop, undiscernable to the equestrian eye.

SLAM!!

“STUCK!! I’M HOPELESSLY STUCK!!! Neither of the threads I had in mind will go with this particular shade of peach and now this unappealing thread LOOP is making fun-of-my-very existence!!! How did I not see this coming?! I don’t know what shade to make a rose with peach?!! The petals are already outlined!!! Oh Rarity, look at you!! You’re losing your touch with fashion!! Just look, you have bags under your eyes!! You'll have to hire an ...an attractive bag-pony to hold the bags under your eyes but he'll be un-charmed by you the whole time!!!”

Somewhere during the course of this melodramatic outbreak, she had dramatically writhed her way to a mirror. She was now trying to make the prettiest face she could to compensate for the aforementioned bags under her eyes.

If anything, this attempt made her look slightly ridiculous as the “prettiest” expression she could come up with, involved her pouting and batting her lashes with a look of surprise on her face, not because she was actually surprised but because, in her tired state, she believed that the more she raised her brows the less baggy her eyes would seem. Rarity stifled a drawn out "Noooo!" as she came to that realization.

As her melodramatic turn of events came to an end she silently thanked that nopony was there to see it.

“Oh dear.” Suddenly very sensible, she glanced over at her fabric. She assumed her usual primed-for-work position but she found that her needle wasn’t going anywhere. Try as she might to make it move, something kept it from penetrating the garment…

“It doesn’t fit the outline….” She sighed defeatedly.

Collapsing into her hooves, she let out a dejected whinny before letting her eyes drift towards the stairs.

“Up the stairs, down the hall, second door, into my study, red bureau, bottom drawer under the button case….My color chart…Ugh, I haven’t used that since I was a foal.”

Rarity nervously tapped her hooves on the table, darting her eyes to anything but the stairs….

“Oooh, I should’ve burned that dreadful thing ages ago. It’s not good for you. It stifles your creativity, you know it does andwhyamIeventhinkingaboutthis??” She thought to herself.

"Am I not an experienced Fashionista??" She said proudly, striking a pose ...but she quickly deflated as she looked pitifully at the unfinished project before her. Her eyes, once again drifted towards the stairs.

"You know what??" The desk jostled a little as she got up and glared at the stairs.

"I ought to storm up those steps right now and look at that color chart out of spite!" She made a
point of storming - as daintily as storming allows- to the bottom of the stairs.

She angrily stared at the stairs.

The stairs were stoic.

Looking up at the imposing atrocity, she furrowed her brow in frustration. These stairs were in business to deface her impeccable self-control...."I'll show you, you stairs." She said to the stairs.

The stairs retained their stoicism.

Losing a little tid-bit of her gusto, she hesitantly took a few steps up the staircase. On about her fifth step up she gained more confidence, starting to trot up the stairs. Speeding up a final time she arrived at the door to her study, laid her magic upon the doorknob and then-

"SQUEAL!-BANG!!-OHHH!!-SLAM!!-click-click-SQUEAL!!!-squeakie-squeakie"

For the benefit of the reader the events that transpired during these sounds will be put forth in chronological order.

SQUEAL!: A deafening sound that resembled uncontrollable giggling and horrified screaming. Emitted from the unicorn Rarity in the process of opening her study door.

BANG!: Realizing that, in fact, she did not want to use her color chart. That was the sound of a flustered Rarity, slamming her study door.

OHHH!: The sound that Rarity made when she scared herself after slamming her study door.

SLAM!:Briefly believing that there was now another pony in her midst, about to judge her for considering using her color chart, she had escaped into the bathroom across the hall, slamming the door behind her.

click-click: The first click was the lock on the bathroom door. The second click came after Rarity realized that it was dark, solving this problem by switching on the lights.

SQUEAL!!: Different noise than the first, mixing all the vowels and at least half the consonants in the pony vocabulary in it's creation. This sound had arisen because Rarity believed that her reflection was another pony. Specifically, the pony that she had believed was going to judge her fro considering using her color chart.

squeakie-squeakie: Rarity had been so startled by her reflection that she had slipped on the tile floor and had fallen flank-first onto Mr.Fancy Feathers; A rubber duck that she will never admit is hers and not Sweetie Belle's.

Now, in a rather undignified position, she blushed even though she knew there was no one there to see her, save for Mr. Fancy Feathers and his view was obstructed by the flank of the white pony currently squashing him.

Collecting herself, she sat up and blushed again as another squeakie-squeakie sound was heard, almost as if in pain.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Fancy Feathers. I hope you'll find it in your good graces to forgive me." She said, reconstituting herself.

She set the rubber duck in the bathtub. It's expression, though unchanging, seemed to be appropriate, with a face that said "Hey, it's cool."

"Phew, that was a close one Rarity. You almost made a fool out of yourself." She said, with surprising sincerity. Another surprising quality to her statement was that she was referring, not to the embarrassing chain of events that just happened, but instead the embarrassment of almost looking at her color chart.

"Oh my...." Rarity sighed as she looked at the tired mare in the mirror. This was not the same mare, who entered the carousel boutique earlier that night. Her eyes were worn and tired and she winced slightly at the dark circles under them.

"Well, as long as I'm here." While, eyeing herself in the mirror, she hoofed through the various jars and bottles on the bathroom counter.

"Ah, here it is." Magically grasping a small damp square she stared to wipe at her eyes.

After that, She turned on the sink and levitated a small cloth from the rack above the sink to under the running water. After it was sufficiently wet, she wrung it out and draped it over her head, turning the hot water all the way up, beginning her nightly ritual of taking off what make-up she had on.

Rarity zoned out as she began the process, thinking back to earlier last week.

_____________________________________

Ding ding...

"Hello, welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every dress is chic, unique and magnifique! Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hi! Uh-maybe! I was just looking around. How long has this place been here??"

"Oh, not long. I just moved in not two months ago! But be that as it may, I am officially open for business! So please feel free to have a look around."

"I'll do that, you make customized dresses, huh? That is so neat!"

"Not just dresses darling. I guarantee you, everything in this boutique has it's own personal brand of fabulouso!"

"You know I have been in the market for a scarf, but I guess you wouldn't do stuff like that in a fancy place like this."

"On the contrary! You have certainly come to the right place, from the smallest wool pull to the most grandiose couture!"

"But I guess a scarf is too plain, huh? I need something unique!"

"It just so happens, I have the exact thing you're looking for! I personally made these over her-

"Oooohh I already see something I can't leave the store without!"

"B-but those are unfinished pash-"

"Did you make this scarf yourself? I love the colour on it!"

"I did make the.... It...is a lovely colour but perhaps you would-"

"I'll take it! Do you print names on things like this? I'd love my name on it!"

"I...Of course I do! What is your name, darling?"

"Simple Joy!"

"What a divine name! I am Rarity, do forgive me for not introducing myself before!"

"Please, you're good marefriend! It's nice to meet you Rarity."

"Likewise I'm sure. Just your name..printed..on the...scarf?"

"Is that too complicated? I'm sorry, sometimes I get-"

"Not at all, darling! But I will be in Manehattan this week, so I will have to work on it when I get back, is that alright?"

"That's fine! When should I come to pick it up??"

"Oh, it will be ready in no time at all." I come back early next Monday. So you can pick it up Tuesday morning."

"Okay, Tuesday morning. Ohhh I'm already excited for my new scarf!!"

"As am I..for the erm, scarf..Thank you ever so much for stopping in!!

_______________________________________________

"I don't think I'm going to have any visitors at ....whatever ungoddessly hour it is. So when I do go to bed I must make sure that I am-" The cloth still draped over her face, she hung her head over the steaming sink for about a minute.

"that I am...." Muffled slightly by the towel adorning her face, she started to sniffle a little bit, pretty soon evolving into a cry.

"Oh, what on earth was I thinking? She didn't want anything complicated. She simply wanted her name on the-" She briefly considered saying scarf or pashmina, but found both the words to only fuel her tears.

"-Ohhh the..sca..pash....the th-i-i-iiiiing!" She finished, with more sounds than actual words. She turned the sink off, and lifted the towel to look at her face in the mirror, but immediately stopped, horrified when she caught a glimpse of herself. Many a time had Rarity cried in front of a mirror. But every one of these instances, she often romanticized the idea of being a "pretty crier."

She was painfully dissapointed at how un-pretty the sight really was. But being a pony with the firm belief in not wasting opportunity, she had attempted each time to make herself more presentable while crying.

“Gehbuh...neh...come on ra...guhbeh.ity! You can look..pret-tu-huh-y whil....Guh. Behah!”

She never succeeded.

So she stood there for awhile until she slumped against the counter, with a damp cloth pathetically draped over her face.

Rarity's crying and sniffling ultimately faded away. Then, she pulled the cloth off of her face, subconsciously folding it neatly between her hooves. With weary eyes, she looked up towards a rack by the counter, holding a dry cloth.

She enveloped the cloth in her magic, she closed her eyes and got up, not wanting to look herself in the mirror. She wiped her face with the cloth and sighed deeply as she dragged it across her face. She looked herself over and nodded in contentment.

She looked across the hall at her study door. The aforementioned embarrassing series of events, was still fresh in her mind. So summoning up a little dignity--more physically than mentally--she cleared her throat for the sake of clearing her throat and said. “Side projects!”

Rarity trotted into her study, purposefully keeping her eyes forward so she wouldn't be tempted to look at a certain red bureau that contained a certain colorful and unholy object. “Side projects...” She said with determination as she passed the bureau.

She finally arrived at her study desk and she sat down. “This time I've been spending on the primary project has been well spent, but now I must divert my efforts to the side-trac-Imean-AHEM..Side project.”

Rarity was now fully engrossed with her side project. With great focus she looked over it which basically meant Rarity was staring intently at a clear desk. Rarity adjusted her seat, magically opened a drawer and laid some paper on the desk, the paper had a blank pony form on it.

Her gaze lingered on the blank pony form for awhile before it drifted to an ornate mug sitting on her desk. It contained an assortment of pencils and pens. She sifted through the pens with an idle hoof and suddenly Rarity had a moment of inspiration. “Victorian collar with sheer ruffles, but modernized!”

She could see the dress already beginning to take shape in her mind. “A tall collar, but without that clumsy overdressing. Of course it would need some tasteful buttons lining the...Wait forget the buttons, all I need to do is sew chiffon over it! Now, All she needed to do was put it onto paper. With renewed inspiration she reached for a pencil and...”Oh dear...” She reached for a different pencil...”It's not here...” She stopped reaching for pencils.

It was late.

“My lucky, purple pencil isn't here. Well, I suppose this... flowery pencil will do.” With her magic and with a bit of a grimace she put the pencil to the paper and began drawing.

Rarity couldn't help but smile now that she was finally getting something productive done. Deciding to start with the neck, she drew half of a collar, adding squiggly lines as she went, laying down the basis for the ruffles. She got an idea for a cloth pattern and getting into a groove, laid another paper out on the table drawing a rough fractal-snap!

Rarity froze, she hovered the pencil up to eyesight, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the broken utensil before her. She calmly dropped it onto her hoof, and calmly placed it on the desk...SLAM!

Roughly scooching her chair, she got up and calmly trotted out of the room.

“Well I suppose it doesn't really matter because victorian won't be coming in till next season, at least that's what I'm predicting, my instincts are usually spot-on when it comes to these sorts of things, with the exception of the neon poncho debacle two years ago. But honestly, who, in hindsight could have seen it coming? To be absolutely fair, her marketing scheme of breaking into song in the middle of Ponyville, in the rain, no less and singing a song about ponchos was a stroke of genius. That, or she might be the closest thing to the town lunatic. It did all work out in the end considering the sales of my rain boots went through the proverbial roof. I wonder where she got all of those ponchos? Which reminds me, I must remember to pack my hat-that-goes-with-all-things-purple when I luncheon with the mare I met the other day. I do say she is a jumpy thing, but I wouldn't want to seem ungrateful for the lovely flowers she brought for a house-warming gift. I do love a tasteful house-warming gift, not like that basket of balloons brought to my door that one day, but a few points for the confetti that seemingly came from nowhere. I must think of something equally divine (not balloons) to give to her. In the meantime, however it might be in my benefit to regale myself with a midnight-or-whatever-un-godessly-hour-it-is snack to replenish my energy. I think I had a salad wrapped from the other day. That would be the perfect....”

She trailed off as she now found herself standing in front of an open refrigerator, looking between two items. A light salad and a piece of chocolate cake from Sugarcube Corner.

Rarity was in trouble.

As much as she tried to keep her eyes on the salad...soon chocolate was plaguing her mind with dark promises. Her sight was now fixed on the succulent, triangle of chocolate-y goodness that stood before her. How good it would taste, layer upon layer of....

With a blank face she calmly closed the refrigerator door...SLAM!! And she trotted out of the kitchen.

“Then again, something even better than divine would make an even better gift, that's just good sense Rarity. It's good to have good sense isn't it? Though, I wouldn't want to seem like I thought I was better than her for giving her a gift of greater value. Would that be rude? I should say so, Miss Rarity, you wouldn't want to make her feel guilty for not in the first place giving you a gift that was equal to the one you just gave. I wonder what would be worse, making her feel bad for outweighing her generosity, because simply the fact that I see my generosity is bigger can be awfully boorish of me. I don't think it would be wise to give myself so poor an ultimatum. IDEEAAAA!!! I will opt for a third Rarity-Reasonable to not make her feel bad at all. Why did I only give myself those two options? SO, it's decided. I will give her a house-warming gift-thank-you-present. I should wrap it. Should I wrap it? I daresay that might seem presumptious as well as what I had just discussed with myself. After all, she gave her gift with a bow and no wrapping so it might be wise to wrap mine in turn, with a bow. On second thought, you can't exactly wrap flowers...maybe she meant to wrap the gift but the improbability of wrapping flowers had forced her to use a bow. What would I be thinking if I did that? Chocolate cake? At this time of night? Oh no no on Rarity, it simply isn't done. You were born with many things, including beauty and grace but the one thing you were not born with is a fast metabolism. Chocolate is the enemy of your figure! You are the enemy chocolate! Too many calories and too many pounds. That's it! I have made up my mind on the matter. I will wrap it with a bow and that is final! You do not have time to think about snacking when you have an important primary project and side project to do!”

Rarity blinked, unsure of what she was saying or doing. She looked down and saw that in the time it took her to complete her monologue, she had finished the design for her modernized victorian dress. Slightly confused, she lifted the paper to eye level. She stared at it for what seemed like a long time before a wide smile crept onto her face.

SQUEAL!!...ahem

SQUEAL!!: Somewhere between a scream of terror and an uncontrollable giggling as she hugged the piece of paper to her.

...ahem: Realizing that she was still a lady and should control such unlady-like outbursts.

Nevertheless, the wide smile didn't leave her face. “Side project, successful.”

With renewed confidence she trotted down the stairs, the stairs regarded her with stoicism. She made her way to her work table and she looked over the scarf making it hover before her. Without thinking she picked up a nearby thread and fed it through a needle, this time around, it didn't ever occur to her that the color she picked was wrong, because she knew it was right.

Firing on all of her fashionista cylinders, she seamlessly flowed between tasks. When this specific unicorn got into her groove it almost changed the way she looked; glowing with a spark in her eye. If she ever had an audience for when she was like this, it would be no doubt that more than a few ponies would walk away with a very different definition of grace.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, and with a final cut to the thread, she set the fabric down on the table, inspecting it thoroughly.

The wide smile from earlier had given way to a small grin. At this point she was too tired for too much expression. Wearily moving away from the table, she hung the scarf from a dress form, giving it a final inspection. Aesthetically, the pattern, the embroidery, the project as a whole, looked right.

“But...” She ran a hoof over the embroidery. Objectively, it was gorgeous. The peach rose, blended remarkably well with the stems around it. Below the rose, “Simple Joy” was written in beautifully embroidered vines that circled the flower. “But it...”

“It isn't right.” She said, simply.

With a weary but contented smile, she turned away from the dress form and magically taking a scarf of the same color off a rack, she returned to her work table. She set the scarf down, adjusted a nearby lamp, threaded her needle and began to work.

Knock knock knock....

Rarity awoke with a start, a bit of daylight was creeping in from a nearby window and she was still at her work table, a finished scarf sat neatly folded beside her. It said Simple Joy in beautifully colored letters, with a border of fall leaves.

Knock knock knock...”Miss Rarity?”

“Oh dear...I-hm, I'll just be a minute please let yourself in, it's unlocked!” Taking the scarf with her she quickly threw a cloth over the dress form that the other scarf was on and rushed upstairs into the bathroom to make herself presentable. It turned out to be less of a task than she expected, considering the night she had.

Once she had finished brushing her hair she rushed down the stairs, taking a little more time at the last stretch of steps. A small box, floated beside her.

Ding ding.....

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where every dress is-Oh hello again! I apologize for the wait, I was burning the midnight oils and I hadn't realized the time.”

“Oh don't worry about it Miss Rarity, I hope I'm not too early, I just couldn't wait to pick up my scarf!”

“Not at all, my dear. Of course, here it is.”

“Would you mind if I opened it right now??”

“Please, by all means.”

“Oh Miss Rarity...this is beautiful! You've blown my expectations out of the water! Is this enough?”

“Oh no, I simply couldn't expect you to pay for something so easy to do. Besides, I have a dozen more like it.”

“But Miss Rarity, it's so beautiful I'd feel awful if you made something so lovely just for me! Are you sure I can't pay you??”

“Please darling, take it. You could say that just working on it was simply, a joy. I'll make you a deal, if you promise to come again, I won't hold it against you.”

“You've got a deal! Miss Rarity, you are amazing! Thank you so much! Have a nice day!”

DING DING....

“No problem at all! You as well!” Rarity waved as Simple Joy trotted away happily. With a sigh and a smile she wearily walked over to the dress form with the scarf on it. She pulled off the cloth that covered it and ran an absent-minded hoof on the soft fabric.

“You were beautiful, but I know my...stuff, as it were. But you should know I am glad I took the time.” Having had quite enough of talking to herself and inanimate objects, she started off towards the kitchen. Within a minute she had the coffee going, and she grinned at the sound the hot water made. She opened her refrigerator and took the salad out..."Hmm.." After which she immediately put it back where she found it and hovered a different plate onto the table.

She drew the curtains, letting the sun into the room. After the night she had, she figured a generous helping of chocolate cake couldn't hurt.

DING DING....

“Hello? Is anyone here...hmm......simple joy......what a beautifully made pashmina.”

“Hello there, welcome to the Carousel Boutique where every dress is chic, unique and magnifique! How can I help you?”

Author's Note

Well that was it. I don't write much but I've wanted to do this fic for a long time since I find I relate with Rarity the most.
So in a coffee fueled late night frenzy (Several, actually) I wrote this.