“Alright, daaar-ling!” said Rarity in excited sing-song overtones as she pranced about her workshop. “Let’s see if we can outfit you in the most haute-couture of superhero costumes! But first, you must tell me: what will your superhero be like?”

Fluttershy thought very hard about it for several moments, until she finally replied, “Well… she will be… um… very powerful…”

“Ah-hah! You want to be Saddle Rager again, correct?”

“Oh, wait! No! I don’t…!”

“Have no fear, darling! I have just the thing for you this time!” The unicorn rummaged vigorously through her assortment of outfits. “Something that will neither rip nor tear nor even split one solitary stitch! There you go, darling!”

Before the shy pegasus knew what was happening, she was wrapped inside the costume in less than a second.

It was a two-tone green jumpsuit, similar to her previous costume. This one was made of hi-stretch spandex with several strategically-stitched seams flowing up and down the contours in a futuristic design.

Fluttershy studied the suit very carefully.

“Um… I don’t want to be Saddle Rager again. Could I… um… take this suit off? Please?”

“You don’t want to be Saddle Rager, you say?” huffed the unicorn indignantly. “Hmph! Well, do say so, won’t you, dear?”

“Hey, Rarity!” blurted Spike. “Could you… you know… go a little easy on her, please? Try to understand, okay, it’s kind of a tedious and stressful process.”

Rarity took a deep breath between clenched teeth; oh, how all-too-well did she know what a tedious and stressful process it would be. But nevertheless, she was a lady, and ladies conducted themselves with grace and dignity, after all.

Pretending all was as it should be, she calmly and collectively said, “Very well. Let us see what we can create, shall we? Now, your superheroine: you said she would be very powerful, correct?”

“Um… yes.”

“And by that, you mean…?”

Fluttershy couldn’t come up with much else, yet.

“Hmm. Shall we… play it by ear, then, my dear?”

*******

And so they did.

Some of the choices for her costume included:

A pink and green jumpsuit with a set of matching boots… which was way too wimpy looking, according to Spike… and Fluttershy, interestingly enough. On to the next one…

Next was a green, high-tech armoured suit with all sorts of gadgets and features such as a rubber pellet gun, a sonic stun ray, and (this was no joke) its own personal robotic hairstylist right inside the helmet. (Spike had to roll his eyes, face-palm and shake his head all in one go! Fluttershy just glared at Rarity… fiercely.)

The next one was also a suit of armour… but it was just too bulky… and hideously gaudy. Next…!

*******

As it turned out, playing it by ear proved very, very daunting. Fluttershy only added to the frustration with her meek, indecisive nature. Spike tried his very best to help, only to be brushed off by Rarity… again and again.

After countless hours and countless rejections, Rarity – all sweaty and haggard – finally took a step back to see if the pegasus finally approved of the creation.

The seamstress took a deep breath and huffed, “Now, puh-lease tell me that finally meets your criteria!”

“Oh, I really hope it does,” replied Shy… while looking straight ahead into the wall; she was still a bit too nervous to so much as peek at what she was wearing.

Rarity grunted as she shuffled a mirror in front of her customer. “Have a look and see, why don’t you!?”

Fluttershy ducked down and closed her eyes.

Rarity plopped on the floor, sobbing. “Please, Fluttershy! I’m begging you! Look in the mirror and tell me! I’ll just die if you don’t!” She wailed and cried as any diva would: loudly and melodramatically.

Spike, though, seemed to approve wholeheartedly. “Go ahead, Fluttershy!” he encouraged with a smile on his face, adjusting the mirror so she could see. “I think you’ll like it!”

The pegasus slowly looked up at the mirror. Her eyes just met the crown of her head…

She ducked and clenched her eyes again with a nervous squeak.

“Come on, Fluttershy! Just look at it!”

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She slowly stood up, her eyes still shut. Once she was on her feet again, she turned her head away from the mirror.

Then she opened the one eye that was closest to the mirror…

And saw she was wearing a white space-age spandex leotard with long front sleeves and a long neck cover; green trim lined all the deliberately-designed seams, from her neck down to her flank; a pair of knee-length teal boots on her back legs and hoofless ankle boots on her front hooves; a teal utility belt, same colour as her boots, wrapped around her waist.

Fluttershy turned to face the mirror… and smiled.

Rarity stopped crying for one moment, diluted makeup still running down her face.

“I think…” she started carefully. “I think… I like it.”

Rarity gasped in delight as more tears spilled over. “Oh, that’s wonderful!!” she squealed.

“What did I tell ya, huh?” beamed Spike. “Perfect fit, isn’t it? Now we just need a name…”

Rarity took a slight gasp. “Oh, yes! That we do!”

“Okay, Fluttershy!” said Spike with a sly grin. “Are you ready?”

“Ummm…” she whimpered. “I… hope so…”

The little drake gently rubbed her on the cheek. “It’s alright, Shy. No need to get all worked up. We just need a name that will suit you, and you alone, just like your costume.”

“Oh, I know!” cried Rarity. “How about Lady Monarch! You know, like the Monarch butterfly!”

Spike glared hard at Rarity while Fluttershy bit her bottom lip nervously.

“Or, perhaps… the Fabulous Ultimare!!!”

“Rarity!” cried Spike.

“Ooh! Ooh! I know just the perfect name: the Winged Wonder!!”

“Rarity!!”

“Or even…!

“RA-RI-TYYYY!!!”

The unicorn huffed in utter anguish and fury. “What?!!” she screamed back.

Spike slowly waved his hands up and down as he replied. “Let’s just let Fluttershy decide on a name for herself, alright? You played your part – and you played it very well, too – but this is Fluttershy’s turn, okay?”

Rarity pouted and curled up next the fitting dais. “So be it! I know when I’m not needed anymore…!”

“Rarity, please!! Would you just stop doing that?!” barked Spike. To Fluttershy, he said, “Now then, deep breaths…”

The pegasus sucked in a very deep breath… and held for a moment.

“That means you also have to breathe out,” he chided.

She huffed it back out.

“Okay. Just relax,” he instructed soothingly. “Just relax.”

She slowly committed herself to a more and more relaxed breathing exercise until she started feeling as relaxed as could be.

“Okay, now just close your eyes, and picture the name that the people will be calling you.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly… and focused on what her alter ego would be called. “Umm… something… powerful…” she whispered.

Spike replied. “Okay. Something powerful…”

“Powerful… powerful… the… powerf-lll…” she started mumbling. “Powerfully…”

“Powerfully…? Okay, not a bad start.”

“Power… flying… Power flying…” Suddenly, she opened her eyes. “Powerfly!” she blurted out loud.

“Powerfly!” replied Spike with an approving nod. “Powerfly! Yeah, that sounds pretty cool!”

“Powerfly,” mused Rarity as she tested it out on her tongue. “Powerfly. Powerfly. Hmm, that is quite a fabulous name! Powerfly!”

“Powerfly!” said Fluttershy again. “From this day forward, I shall be called ‘Powerfly’!”

“Wait a moment!” cried Rarity. “Wait just one moment, please! I’m sorry, darlings, but I have to say it: that name is still lacking something!”

Spike rolled his eyes and growled, while Fluttershy glared in utter exasperation.

“What I mean is, it mustn’t stand all alone! It needs a more proper title. For instance: Lady Powerfly!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Actually, you have a point.”

Spike sighed. “Okay, fine! She has a point, but still…!”

“Actually, I think I will be called… Captain Powerfly!” she cried with uncharacteristic force and drama, as she struck a superheroic pose.

“‘Captain’ Powerfly?!” blurted a rather dumbfounded Rarity. “But…! But…!

Spike laughed aloud with sheer excitement. “Now we’re talkin’!”

“Captain Powerfly!” cried the pegasus again, her voice now strong and boisterous. “Defender of innocents everywhere, champion of all that is good, destroyer of all that is evil!” She turned back to Rarity, and – once again her meek and shy self – said, “Thank you so much, Rarity! I couldn’t have done this without you!”

“Well, we couldn’t at any rate,” offered Spike.

“Oh, well, you’re most welcome, darlings,” she replied with a small grin.

Returning to her heroic persona, "Captain Powerfly" turned to Spike and said, “Come, my faithful ward! Evil is afoot, and we must trample it down in its wake!”

Spike hopped up on the pegasus’ back, and she trotted heroically out the door of the shop. Rarity escorted her out past the door.

"Powerfly" turned and said to Rarity, “Good day to you, citizen. And remember: stand free and harmonious!” Her voice almost echoed across the neighbourhood as she howled, “WINGS TO THE SKY!!!” And off she bolted, creating a huge gust of wind that almost knocked Rarity off balance, her ward howling on her back in sheer excitement.

“Oh, my,” said the unicorn in wonder. “Such fortitude I have never seen from our meek little Fluttershy. Still…” she pondered with a bit of a pout. “I maintain Lady Powerfly to be more fitting.”

Author's Note

"Stand free and harmonious". I think I can small Gouda or Havarti. (LOL!)

But, hang in there bronies and pegasisters! The comic is coming up next chapter!

(Comments are welcome.)