Rarity hummed a merry tune to herself as she poured herself a cup of tea. Carefully laden to her satisfaction with the exact sugar-to-water ratio, not too watered down and—heavens!—certainly not packed with the sweet liar, the mare grasped it in her magical grip, causing a faint, cornflower blue glow to emanate around it.
Taking a sip and then smiling as she found it to her liking, Rarity made a thoughtful pace as she walked out of her kitchen and into the greater living space of her boutique. Alternating between her ladylike sipping and the catchy tune caught in her head, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of boredom as she glanced around the empty space between her and the front door. It was a slow day for business. She didn’t know quite why, other than such a day would rear its head every now and then—she only hoped it wouldn’t become a regular occurrence. As much as the fashionista loved her breaks, she still had bills to pay!
Much to her growing state of boredom, Rarity didn’t even have dear Sweetie around to keep her entertained. Although she was staying with her for a few weeks for summer vacation, too often she would be picked up by her two friends to prance about the town and hopefully not cause a scene. …I’d hate to see her in her teens, Rarity half-joked to herself.
Her attention was suddenly perked as a familiar ring permeated through the air… That was the bell to her front door!
Turning her head with a flick of her lavishly styled mane, she put on her practiced mask of professional cheeriness as the door was nudged open enough for a stallion to poke his head through. Gray from his mane to his irises, albeit in varying hues, he glanced his eyes left and right, focusing on nothing yet looking over everything within moments, and only pausing as he locked his eyesight with the mare of the business. He stood stock-still as if waiting for her to make the first move, and so she did.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!” Rarity chimed, repeating the mantra she’d crafted years prior. Though, she had long lost count of how many years. Nonetheless, it was a phrase she’d grown fond of. It represented everything she sought to represent in her creations. Approaching the stallion with a warm regard, she gave the door a push with her magic, revealing him fully as an earth pony.
The newcomer darted his widening eyes at the door as it swung away from him, but he heaved a breath a few moments later, making eye contact with the mare once again.
Watching his antics, Rarity couldn’t help the curious glint that appeared in her eyes. He was acting quite odd, it was as clear as crystals to her. Perhaps he’s embarrassed to be coming to a boutique, her mind suggested, knowing that she catered primarily to mares. Still, she did get the male customer on occasion and had a sewn a few lines should one come in. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Rarity spoke as a silence loomed. Raising a hoof to her chest then throwing it out to her boutique, she continued, “I am Rarity Belle, the proprietor of this establishment. May I ask for your name?”
The stallion blinked before cocking his head, still staring his weary eyes her way. “You’re Rarity?” he asked, his surprisingly calm tone contrasting his demeanor.
Rarity’s face betrayed her wariness only for a moment. “Er, yes. That’s what I said, darling.”
“The Element of Generosity Rarity?” he pushed further, his eyes widening once again.
She was indeed the Element of Generosity, but did nothing to help Rarity’s curiosity. If anything, it caused it to fester. Her and her fellow bearers had never made a public ordeal of being the six parts of Harmony, so encountering someone addressing her by the title wasn’t quite everyday by her standard. Still, she reasoned, It’s not impossible. Why, maybe he’s some kind of fan. The mare nearly giggled at the thought. That would have been a first.
“Indeed I am,” she affirmed with a new hint of pride in the words.
Instantly, the stallion’s mood turned upward. His lips curled into grinning relief and his eyebrows drooped into a much more neutral position. “Thank goodness,” he said with a toothy grin plastered onto his features. Light on his hooves, he drew closer and held out his hoof. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am to meet you.”
Raising an eyebrow, Rarity took the hoof in her own and gave it a modest shake. “I’ll take your word for it. May I ask for your name?” she asked again.
“Right. My name is Almonds. Bitter Almonds.”
Rarity nodded. “Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Almonds.”
“Believe me, it is all mine,” he replied, shaking his head, “And you may just call me Almonds, if you would like.”
“Almonds. I’ll be sure to remember that.” She ran a hoof through her mane, pushing a few stray strands into place as she did so. Casting a smile, she said, “Are you here for a suit? Perhaps a piece for a special occasion? Hm, I do believe the shade of your coat would go well with…”
He held up his hoof, causing her to trail off. “No, I’m not here for a suit.”
“Oh? Perhaps an ornate headwear then?”
He shook his head. “No thank you. I actually didn’t come here for a new style.”
Rarity made no attempt to hide the confusion showcased on her face this time as she cocked her head. “Then may I ask what that reason is? Not that I am not open to visitors, of course.”
Almonds pursed his lips in a thoughtful kind of manner before speaking. “To be honest, I was just wanting to talk.”
“Talk?” she repeated, intrigued.
“Talk. To you.”
Rarity stared blankly for a moment, caught off guard by the oddity that permeated off of the stallion, but the politeness in her personality prevented her from outright questioning him. “I… don’t see why not,” she admitted, “Though, I will admit this is rather strange. A bit sudden, if you will.”
“Yes, it probably is,” he muttered his eyes glancing away for a long moment, “But I promise it will make sense.” At seeing her hesitance, he meagerly added, “Please?”
Inwardly, the mare felt conflicted. On one hoof, this Almonds was quickly becoming one of the weirdest stallions she’d ever met; on the other hoof, all he wanted was a conversation. He’d come from goddesses know where just to talk to her, after all. …That’s alright, right?
“Very well,” she agreed, “Feel free to take a seat anywhere. Would you care for some tea?” She added the offer as an afterthought, the fact that she was still holding her own coming into her attention after being completely forgotten. She took a sip of it after speaking.
“Yes please.”
Nodding and causing the curls in her mane to bounce with the movement, she said, “Alright. If you would wait here, darling…” With a twirl on her hooves, she set off for the kitchen, but not before noticing the upturned horseshoe image resting on his flank. I wonder what that could mean…
So strange, she thought, I’m always delighted to meet new ponies, but he’s acting quite far from normal… What could possibly be getting him into such a tizzy? …Such a tizzy that he needs to talk to me? Rarity didn’t have any answers at the moment, but she had been promised that she’d get hers soon enough, so she returned with another cup of tea in tow. She found Almonds waiting for her, perched on the couch she ordinarily set out for waiting customers. His eyes were darting every which way, constantly shifting to a new subject just as he’d done when he first came in.
“Here you are, darling,” she said, offering out the tea. Taking it into his front hooves, he took a lengthy gulp as Rarity took the seat next to him.
“It tastes delicious,” he said, offering a modest grin, “Did you make it yourself?”
“I did, thank you very much. It is mixed to what I feel is the perfect balance of ingredients.”
“I could not agree more. Thanks.”
Rarity smiled at the praise, but she didn’t dwell on it for long. Instead, curiosity got the better of her. “Alright, darling,” she said, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
There was a pregnant pause as Almonds didn’t respond right away, appearing to have to think about it first. “Well… I didn’t plan anything too specific. I… I just wanted to talk to you.”
Not sure if she should feel concerned or flattered, Rarity shrugged. “Why not start there? Why me of all ponies?”
Almonds looked surprised at the question, caught off guard, but he answered anyway. “You’re the Element of Generosity,” he said, pointedly directing his gaze at her, “When I heard that, I thought to myself, ‘Wow. That must mean she’s the most generous pony in all of Equestria.’”
Oh, so he is a fan, Rarity thought, not too displeased with the idea.
Continuing, he said, “If that is the case, then I bet she would be so kind as to just give me a moment of her time. Just give me a listening ear I can talk to. Because of all that, I thought that there would be no one more qualified I could talk to about… something.”
“Something…?” she prompted, raising an eyebrow.
“…Yeah… I guess that was why I came here.”
Putting on a reassuring smile, Rarity said, “Well, darling, I’d be happy to lend you an ear. I don’t mean to sound self-absorbed, but I couldn’t disagree with what you said. I was chosen as Generosity for a reason.”
He nodded, darning a smile for himself, but he glanced away just as quick. “This… will sound crazy.”
“Trust me. I’ve seen a lifetime’s worth of crazy already.”
“Heh…” He took another, less thirsty sip of his tea and licked his lips. “Well… here goes…” Clearing his throat, he said, “As long as I can remember, I have been able to see things. Things I should not be able to see.”
He glanced at Rarity, seeing the respectfully quiet expression she wore.
“…Constantly, I see different versions of everything around me. Ponies that were not there a minute ago are suddenly right in front of me. Or entire buildings are suddenly redesigned or just a new building altogether…! Do you see what I am saying?”
“I’m… I’m afraid I don’t, darling,” Rarity said, starting to wonder just where this conversation was heading.
“I figured as much,” he murmured. “…It took me awhile to realize, but I figured out what I was seeing. Different times, Rarity, different times. I’m constantly seeing scenes from different time periods in front of me that have or will occur.”
His eyes darted about again, following their same nondescript pattern. Rarity only felt compelled to glance away for a moment, but she knew she wouldn’t see anything different. …Even if he’s… seeing things, she wondered with a hint of skepticism.
“Eventually,” he continued, “I began to understand it better. I was always used to it, being born like that and all, but only about ten years ago did I really start observing it. I could not and still cannot control it very well, just a little bit at best, but… yeah. When I don’t try to control it, I usually just see random scenes every so often.” He glanced at Rarity, his eyes probing her for a reaction.
Said reaction, however, was slow. She stared at him blankly, her mind running a maze as it tried to register just what she had been hearing. “That… I don’t know how to respond,” she tried, “I have to admit that this is a first.”
He broke eye contact. “I know. I told you it would sound crazy.”
“Yes, well…” Pausing a moment to think, she sighed. “Darling, I am not saying that you’re lying, but this is… quite hard to believe.”
“It is the truth!” he replied a bit too loudly, “I’ve seen too much to think that I’m delusional!”
Putting her hoof on his shoulder, Rarity put on a warming tone. It was the same one she would use to her sister whenever she was upset. “I never said you were delusional. Never even thought it. But you must understand that this is a lot to take in from an outsider’s perspective.”
Almonds visibly relaxed, but he was still far from content. “I-I know. But I can prove it to you! I can tell you something that’s going to happen in a few moments.”
No harm in that, she thought. “Alright, Almonds. I’m listening.”
Only nodding his head once, the stallion instantly set his eyes straight ahead, staring intently forward, occasionally glancing someplace else. Rarity watched his concentration a tad bit awkwardly. She wasn’t lying when she said that he wasn’t delusional, but she wasn’t quite assured by his current mindset.
“…There!” he exclaimed, breaking out of his concentration without any warning. He pointed his hoof at the door, saying, “Someone’s going to knock at the door in three seconds!”
“Three seconds?” Rarity said, taken aback. Nonetheless, she counted down in her head as she watched Almonds’ eager grin. One… two… three…
…Four… five…
Her features displayed a helpless frown as she said, “Nothing happened.”
“No, no!” he reacted, “Sometimes it’s just a little off. Really! As I said, I can’t control it well.”
Completely void of any idea on how to reply, Rarity shrugged.
“I’m serious…” he said, losing the strength in his tone. With a sigh, he dropped his head, not wanting to meet her gaze. “…I thought it would be different this time.”
“Different?” she asked, cocking her head.
Nodding slowly, he continued, “You aren’t the first pony I have tried talking to. But you are the first one that’s the Element of Generosity. I guess I thought that this time it would work. Why… Why doesn’t it ever work when I try to show someone?”
Words spilling out, he gave no time for the designer to respond. “This has always been more of a burden than a blessing. I’ve seen so many things I shouldn’t have to see. Things a foal shouldn’t have had to see. I-I’ve seen my own parents’ deaths, Rarity! How am I supposed to deal with knowing when that comes?!”
“…”
“…Sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I guess I just have some… pent up frustration…”
Seeing the stallion slouch lower in despair, Rarity shook herself out of her stupor. “Almonds, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. Honest. I hate having to see you suffer like this. If there’s anything I could do to help, I would do it, believe me.”
Pausing a moment, he glanced up at her with a desperate plea in his eyes. “Can I try one more time? I just want someone to know I’m telling the truth.”
“Of course, dear.”
He nodded before returning to his state of concentration. However, it was much shorter lived than the last one as he resurfaced within moments, his eyes expanded to saucers.
Oh, dear… “What is it?” Rarity asked.
“I…” He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m probably wrong again. I always see random things that don’t make sense.”
“Huh?” Rarity said, caught off guard by his sudden shift in his mindset. Just a minute ago, he was so self-assured. “What did you see?”
He bit his lip. “…Nothing.”
“Darling, it is obvious that you’re lying.”
“Er… I just don’t want to say it. I don’t know if I should.”
Rarity sighed inwardly, her patience finally reaching its limit. “I mean no offense by this, but I am personally doubting you’re claim. You might as well just tell me so I can make up my mind. Trust me, I believe it would be beneficial to both of us.”
Almonds gave her a long, lamenting look before heaving a sigh. “If you don’t believe me, it won’t make a difference anyway,” he muttered, making no attempt to hide the bitterness in his tone. Rarity felt a pang of guilt, but she didn’t get a chance to speak up about it. Continuing, the gray coated pony said, “I saw your death.”
What?! “What?”
“I saw your death,” he repeated as simple as can be, “It happens one week from now in this very room. No, I am not making this up. I saw it as clear as day.”
Rarity was left silent and speechless, only able to watch the stallion with a newfound level of trepidation. She opened her mouth, but no response came.
“Sorry I have been wasting your time, Rarity,” Almonds said, “I know there’s no way you’ll ever believe me now…” Rising to his hooves, he set down his tea and made a stride for the door. “Bye.”
Rarity blinked. “Wait!” she called back to him, causing him to throw her a glance from over his shoulder. “Although I admit I am more skeptical now than ever… I really do wish to help you. If you ever want to talk again, I will be here.”
“…Thanks.” A few moments later, he had left the boutique, closing the door behind him and leaving Rarity by her lonesome.
…What a strange stallion, was all she could come up with. Her mind blank and busy, she grasped the two cups of tea in her magical grip and made the walk to the kitchen, a delightful tune resurfacing in her head.
“Alright girls! Bye!”
“Bye Sweetie!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo chimed back before kicking their scooter-powered wagon into overdrive. Soon enough, the two were out of sight, leaving Sweetie in front of the boutique and her temporary home.
“Ah, that was fun…” she thought aloud, “I just wish we got our cutie marks from it.”
She reached for the door, but it opened before she could even push it as a stallion in a gray monotone trotted out, a downtrodden look on his face. “Oh, excuse me,” he said as he walked out, nearly bumping into Sweetie as he shut the door behind him.
“It’s alright,” she replied, “But… are you okay mister? What were you doing in my sister’s store?”
“Your sister’s…” he muttered. Suddenly widening his eyes, he gave the filly an apprehensive look. “Everything’s fine. Rarity and I just had a short talk, but… can you do me a favor?”
“Uh… My parents said not to do favors for strange stallions. No offense.”
He shook his head. “Not that kind of favor. I want you to spend the rest of the week with your sister, alright? Treat it like the last time you’ll ever see her.”
“Um… okay?” Sweetie said, “I’m going to go inside now. See you around, I guess.”
“Goodbye… Oh, and bless you.”
“…Thanks?” she said, turning to look at him again but finding he was already walking away. “…Eh, just a strange stallion,” she dismissed.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside the boutique, darning a smile as she came into the familiar setting. “Rarity?” she yelled out, “You here? I—Achoo! …Egh.” She shook her head clear. “You here?”
“In here, Sweetie,” Rarity called, her voice coming from the kitchen.
Trotting toward her sister’s voice, Sweetie grinned as she called back, “Hey Rarity, want to hang out tomorrow?”
“That sounds splendid, dear.”
“Great!” Sweetie cheered, “We’ll have the time of our lives!”
