My eyes feel heavy, and I barely manage to suppress a yawn as I look at the clock by my bed.
4:13am. I should be sleeping soundly, but a more pressing issue came up – something that I could not escape – and now I find myself being roped into pulling an all-nighter.
Lesser ponies would have given up by now, maybe put it off until later. But I, Rarity, am not a lesser pony — and I certainly didn't get to where I am now by giving up when things got tough.
Did I give up when the Changelings invaded Canterlot? No. Did I give up when Suri Polomare stole my ideas? Never. Did I give up when Starlight Glimmer stole the cutie marks of my friends and I? Absolutely not. I persevered then, and I will persevere now.
The whirring of the sewing machine keeps me awake as I work on another dress. Working helps to keep me motivated, especially in times like this, but even I have my limits. Time and time again I contemplated giving up, only to curtly tell myself that I couldn't. This needed to be done, and I wasn't about to quit.
I had been sewing for hours, not leaving my work room for anything. I was tired, thirsty, hungry and in need of a thoroughly good wash, but still I soldiered on. I had completed seven dresses already, and was well on my way to finishing the eighth.
It's a good thing Sweetie Belle was staying with our parents on this particular night. She gets a bit upset if I keep her awake with my work. On one occasion, she was so tired the next morning, I had to rescue her from her cereal because she had fallen asleep in it.
I look at the clock again. 4:30am. I sigh, bemoaning the loss of my much needed – not to mention well deserved – beauty sleep, and carry on sewing. Dress number eight is soon finished, folded up neatly, put into a bag and then placed on the shelf.
With a contented sigh, I bring the machine to a halt and start packing up. While I am not nearly as well-organised as Twilight, I still believe in the mantra 'a place for everything, and everything in its place.' Spare thread goes back into the hobby drawers, offcuts of fabric go into a small basket for Sweetie Belle to do something with – which in turn means that she isn't using my brand new, and often very expensive, rolls all the time – and the designs are tucked back into the little manilla folder I keep on my desk.
I may have finished with the dresses, but my work is still not complete. Staying awake is vital, so with this in mind I make my way over to my bed and lie down. A book on the bedside table is picked up and opened, a lovely tale about a sweet young mare who falls for a rough, sea-faring stallion who cares not for her, but only for his life on the many oceans of Equestria.
I make my way through a few chapters, the minutes slowly ticking by as I lose myself in this wonderful world of love, loss, intrigue, betrayal, redemption and conflict. The mare is madly in love with the stallion, and he only realises he feels the same way after a harrowing encounter with a— oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't spoil it.
4:55am. I reach the end of the book, misty-eyed with joy at the happy ending (because books like this always have to have a happy ending). I take a couple of tissues, blowing my nose with one and dabbing my eyes with the other.
I put the book back on my bedside table, resolving to put it back on the shelf downstairs as soon as possible. I cannot for the life of me understand why my friends don't like these books. Even Twilight, for all her literary wisdom, sees romance novels as 'cheap.' Celestia knows she only stocks them in the castle library because she knows that I'll check them out at some point.
I lie on my back and stare wistfully at the ceiling, sighing out of boredom. The clock now says 5am, and I only have two hours left before my usual wake up time. A lot of coffee will be required throughout the course of the day if I am to maintain some form of professional demeanour while I serve my customers.
Of course, I could simply close up and rest for the day — but I have ponies visiting the Boutique from across Equestria, and it would be most unladylike of me to turn them away. I made the decision to stay up all night, so I will suffer the consequences. I made my bed, for want of a better phrase, and must now lie in it.
I sit up and look around the room some more. It is still dark, although some light is beginning to filter through the curtains. But just as I am about to consider what to do next, I see movement out the corner of my eye.
This is what I was waiting for. I quickly leap off my bed and grab the nearest object to hoof — my recently finished book. I slowly creep along the carpet, poised to strike, and it's not long before I have the intruder firmly in my sights.
My unwelcome guest doesn't have time to react before I strike hard and fast, my piercing cry being the last thing they hear. The book connects, there is a sickening crunch, and the deed is done.
Panting heavily, I make my way into the bathroom and pick up some tissue paper. Wetting it slightly, I wipe the book clean and put it back on the bedside cabinet. I look at my reflection in the mirror, trying not to look at the bags under my eyes, and smile.
I stayed up all night, but I did what I set out to do. Fluttershy may not be happy when she finds out, but then again...
She does know how much I hate spiders.
Author's Note
FUN FACT: I started to write this story at 4:13am, while I was waiting for a spider which was lurking within my own bedroom to show itself. The other times in the story - 4:30am, 4:55am and 5am - are also the exact times I began writing that particular section.
Oh, and as of submitting this story, it still hasn't made an appearance.