Rarity heard the front door to her shop close behind her final customer that day, causing her to sigh in a mix of relief and utter exhaustion. As her hooves stung from the multiple pin-pricks and fabric burns, her mind felt blissfully blank when she collapsed in her nearby fainting couch for some much-needed rest. Despite feeling grateful that she was finally getting some adequate business recently, the unicorn still felt quite drained after finishing a complicated design for a new client. Although, compared to the mistreatment she suffered for weeks on end after that blasted Friendship Journal was published, Rarity would’ve rather taken a dozen tedious dress patterns in a row than to endure another bundle of hate-mail being shoved through her mailslot.
“Aaaaahhhhh…” The mare let her nerves finally unwind after such a strenuous day, happy that she could be able to bring her finances back on track by the end of the week. Rarity may have not had the same appreciation for a day’s hard work that her friend Applejack did, but she would’ve been lying if she tried to say finishing a strenuous day didn’t feel unbelievably gratifying. As her head rested against her plush pillow, her mind started to ponder what she should do for dinner as a reward. Maybe after taking a long, relaxing bubble bath, she could indulge in a small guilty pleasure at Sugar Cube Corner with one of Pinkie Pie’s--
Knock Knock Knock
The sound of somepony knocking at her door caused Rarity to tense up once more, followed by her shuddering with a strong grimace on her muzzle. Despite having her work hours clearly posted by her door, it always seemed that some ponies couldn’t get the hint and wanted a commission after she was closed. Nevertheless, instead of just ignoring the knocks and staying on her couch, the unicorn groaned and pulled herself back onto her tired hooves. After all, it very well could’ve been one of her friends, or even her parents wanting to check up on her. So after sighing quietly, she trotted towards the door and asked before opening, “Hello? Who is it?”
“Uhhhh…”
Upon hearing the stallion’s voice from the other side of the door, Rarity didn’t need to look through the peephole to realize who that was. Her ears instantly pulled downward in worry with a bit lip, and her hoof froze before it could touch the doorknob. Remembering what occurred the last time he came to her shop, the unicorn became more than a little apprehensive about responding, regardless of his relation to one of her closest friends. However, her silence lasted only a second before hearing him say timidly, “Ummm... It’s me, Zephyr. Uhhh, Fluttershy’s brother?”
Opalescence, who was sprawled out on top of an unclothed ponyquin, instantly perked up at hearing Zephyr Breeze’s voice. After hissing in disapproval, the feline hopped to the floor and rushed up the stairs to avoid that stallion. Rarity exhaled softly in response, and kept her lips pursed shut as she opened the door with a courteous smile. Despite her efforts to not look crass towards Fluttershy’s brother, it seemed that the slender pegasus was more than a little nervous when he saw Rarity again.
“Ummm, h-hello!” Zephyr quickly spat out a wide, forced-looking smile as he stood on the mare’s front porch, hopeful that she wouldn’t immediately kick him off her property. After clearing his throat, the stallion asked in a friendly tone, “Say, uhhh… could I step in and ask you about something? It’s… kinda important.”
Rarity was clearly hesitant while staring back at Zephyr with a bit lip, looking like she was seriously contemplating whether or not to comply, despite him being Fluttershy’s brother. On one hoof, the mare had considered banning him from Carousel Boutique after the mess he made in her house. But on the other hoof, Rarity knew that as of recently, Zephyr Breeze was actually putting forth a lot of effort to better himself as a stallion. Heck, she remembered Fluttershy being really happy last week since he was able to move out of their parents’ house and get himself an apartment.
So after a moment of thought, Rarity sighed and decided to take the more forgiving route. Since her dear Opal was safe upstairs, the mare felt a little easier as she stepped back and kept the door open for him to enter. “Well, I just finished my last design for the day,” she said with an apprehensive shrug alongside her faint smile, “so I suppose we can talk. Come on in, Zephyr.”
“Th-Thank you!” he exclaimed rather exuberantly, looking quite relieved that the unicorn was giving him a chance. After wiping his teal hooves carefully on the welcome mat, the pegasus made sure he was clean before stepping inside and trotting across Rarity’s immaculate marble floors. “I-I know this is short notice and all,” he began as he looked back to her with a grateful nod, “but you were the first pony I thought to talk to about this, and… I really didn’t want Fluttershy to know about this...”
After that brief admission, Zephyr looked away from the mare and rubbed the back of his stallion-bun awkwardly. Rarity closed the door before glancing back at him with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean, you don’t want her to know about this?” she asked suspiciously, hoping that he hadn’t done anything stupid. Unfortunately, Zephyr had a clear look of guilt on his face, despite trying his hardest to keep it pointed away from her. Rarity wanted to be courteous, but her knowledge of his past behavior prompted her to ask in a stern tone of voice, “Zephyr… What did you do?”
Looking like a colt who was caught stealing from the cookie jar, the pegasus sighed with his eyes closed in shame. Without even looking back at the fashionista, Zephyr lowered his head and confessed, “Well, I… I was kinda needing a… a new j-job?”
As soon as she heard him say that last part, Rarity groaned and covered her eyes with a hoof. “Oh, gosh,” she muttered under her breath, already knowing what Zephyr wanted from her. But before he could say anything else, the mare dropped her hoof and said after a sigh, “Zephyr, are you serious?! I thought you got a job a month ago! Do you realize how Fluttershy is going to act when she hears about this?!”
“I do!” Zephyr Breeze quickly turned back to her and said insistently, “Believe me, I know exactly how she’ll react! And that’s why I’m here to talk to you! You have to believe me, I was doing really well at that salon! But today everything just went wrong, and I didn’t know what to do, and I was…”
That was when the stallion lowered his head again, clenching his eyes shut to keep himself from getting overly emotional in front of the fashionista. Even though she wanted to say something about Zephyr getting fired so soon after getting a real hairdressing job, Rarity paused when she saw how upset he really looked. Back when he was his old, irresponsible self, the mare remembered that he was usually overconfident and uncaring about most things that happened to him. But right now, Zephyr seemed nothing like that old stallion; in fact, Rarity’s brows rose immensely when she realized he looked like he was trying not to cry.
As soon as she heard the pony sniff lightly, Rarity no longer cared about her own fatigued self. Despite what happened the last hime he was at her shop, the mare lit her horn to float over a chair from the dining room and place it behind him. “Oh, Zephyr…” Carrying a genuinely concerned tone of voice, the unicorn went up towards him and helped him to his seat. “Zephyr darling, what happened? Were you… laid off or something?”
“N-No…” Zephyr’s muzzle skewed a bit as he readjusted himself in the chair, trying his hardest not to look too guilty about what happened. “I… I was fired.”
Rarity may have been acting courteous, but she still huffed before asking warily, “Do I have to ask what happened?”
“I-It wasn’t my fault!” blurted Zephyr insistently when he brought his head up to stare back at her. However, after only a couple seconds of her giving a flat stare back at him, the pegasus winced and looked away sheepishly. “Well, ummm… it was kinda my fault,” he confessed in a more honest-sounding mumble, but quickly added in his defense, “But! That mare acted WAY worse than I did while I was cutting her mane! She had some serious issues!”
“Oh, Zephyr!” Rarity groaned and turned away from him with an exasivated pout. She was sure he was trying to turn a new leaf, but it was hard to see that when she realized his social skills were still questionable at best. She looked back at him with a baffled expression and asked, “What in Heaven’s name did you do?!”
“What did I do?!” Zephyr bursted out of his shair and went up to Rarity to respond strongly. “Rarity, you would NOT believe what kind of mare she was! I mean, before her, all of the ponies I worked on were really nice and friendly! I was getting positive reviews left and right! Heck, I could’ve gotten a couple regulars if I had stayed there longer…”
That detail made the mare pause briefly. Meanwhile, Zephyr grimaced with a bitter grumble as he looked away with his muzzle wrinkled-up. “But… that was when Spoiled Rich came in…”
“Oooohhh…” Rarity shuddered uncomfortably at the mention of that mare, already knowing from experience what kind of a pony she was. And given how Zephyr probably didn’t know her at all until today, the unicorn could only imagine how unpleasant his first encounter with Spoiled really went. “So, I take it she was… difficult?”
“Pbbt!” Zephyr scoffed and looked back at her with narrowed eyes. “That’s putting it lightly! As soon as she sat down in my chair she was all, ‘My old stylist did this!’ and ‘You’re doing it wrong!’ and ‘The customer is always right!’ By the time I was halfway through cutting her mane, I thought I was gonna completely lose it!”
Rarity couldn’t help nodding her head, her lips pursed tightly in complete understanding. If it wasn’t for Spoiled Rich’s surprisingly-pleasant husband, there was probably a good chance she’d never let that wretched woman into her shop due to her arrogant behavior. And since Zephyr was just recently getting used to the real world outside of his parents’ house, she couldn’t blame him in the slightest if he lost his cool in front of her. Of course, the fashionista was still slightly worried about what the stallion actually did to get himself fired.
“And then…” Zephyr bit his lip hard to keep from getting too angry, but his voice was still hoarse when he continued. “Then she started saying nasty stuff about Fluttershy to rile me up, and I… I almost wanted to shave her head bald right then!”
Rarity gasped in shock with her hooves over her mouth, but Zephyr quickly added, “I didn’t do that! I swear I didn’t! But…” With a guilty sigh, the pegasus avoided looking over at her as he said, “But I… did try to call her out on her statements… She started throwing words at me, and… I threw even worse ones back at her…”
A couple seconds of silence passed, with Zephyr looking down at his hooves in a mix of frustration and regret. After taking a deep breath, the stallion closed his eyes and admitted, “I know I messed up, okay? And… you probably don’t want me back here after the last time you tried to offer me a job…”
Rarity breathed out through her nostrils as she kept her muzzle shut, not wanting to say anything in response to that. Even though Zephyr was right, the mare couldn’t help feeling bad for him after what happened. As she rubbed one of her forelegs with a hoof, processing how sincere his words were sounding, she saw Zephyr glance back at her with a worried plea in his eyes before saying, “B-But I really do not want to be unemployed again. Especially after getting my own place. Fluttershy would never forgive me if she knew, and I just… I figured you might know somepony who could help…”
As she stood before the desperate stallion, seeing just how badly he needed this chance, Rarity knew she couldn’t just kick him out to deal with his sister. However, her apprehension was clear as day as she thought things over, realizing how limited her options really were. She had a good idea what she could offer him, but it would require a lot more trust than she would prefer to give to somepony so inexperienced. Alas, the mare thought it over for another moment before exhaling sharply. “Well, I… I might have something you could do…”
“Y-You do?” he asked with his brows raised, hopeful it wasn’t anything too weird or extreme. Although with his options, he’d model dresses if it meant getting rent money.
“Well, ummm… I was needing a stylist for an upcoming fashion show I was hosting in Canterlot…” Rarity kept her gaze away from Zephyr as she explained the job in an apprehensive tone. “I was going to ask Sassy Saddles to assist with mane-styling and makeup, but she has a family emergency she’s currently attending to. So…”
After taking a deep breath, Rarity bit the bullet and looked back at Zephyr to say, “If you can provide me with a good reference to your work, then I can consider having you take her place.”
Zephyr winced and sucked some air through his teeth. Even though that offer sounded amazing, the stallion looked worried when he replied, “Well, uhhh… that might be a problem…”
Rarity tried not to look too fretful as she asked after a short pause, “How so?”
“Ummm…” Zephyr looked away from her and played with his stallion-bun before answering honestly. “You see, I… I kinda got mad at my boss after she took Spoiled’s side, and… she probably won’t vouch for me.”
Rarity sighed with a disappointed pout. “Well, do you have a portfolio, at least? Or any photos of your work?”
Zephyr’s muzzle wrinkled up even more as he shook his head timidly. “I mean, I was meaning to make one, but…”
As the unicorn groaned and covered her face with a hoof, Zephyr quickly perked his ears up and added, “But! M-Maybe I could show you how good I am! Like, by example!”
Rarity slowly put her hoof back down, but her expression was still wary at best. “Well… I did have a few wigs upstairs, but Sweetie Belle borrowed them for her Cutie Mark Camp. So the only way to see your skills would be…”
That was when the unicorn’s eyes widened immensely, and her pupils shrank as quickly as her words trailed off. While Zephyr stood with a confused look, clearly unable to figure out what the mare was thinking, Rarity’s lips tightened shut while she came to an inevitable realization. It was probably one of the most risky ideas she could’ve ever considered, and definitely not something she could take lightly. However, when she looked back at the determined stallion, and thought back to his earlier claims, the mare knew what she could offer. It was crazy to say the least, but then again, so was cutting off her tail for a sea serpent; and that proved to be the best decision she ever made.
So after taking a deep breath, Rarity tried her hardest not to cringe as she ran a hoof through her luscious, and admittedly overgrown mane. “So, Zephyr…”
Her lips pursed for only a moment more before asking the pegasus insistently, “Have you ever messed up a manecut since getting your degree?”
Upon seeing Rarity’s exprtession, as well as the way she was holding a lock of her mane, Zephyr’s eyes widened in utter fear. “Uhhhhh… n-no?”
“Are you sure about this, Rarity?”
While holding a pair of clippers in one hoof and a styling comb in the other, Zephyr looked absolutely petrified as he stood in the bathroom behind the fashionista. Of course, his expression was probably subtle compared to the frazzled mare, who had to take a couple deep breaths while sitting on the stool with her back pointed to him. Her neck was wrapped in a towel, and her mane was freshly washed and wet to ensure a proper cut. Regardless of her clearly fearful look, Rarity exhaled slowly before nodding with her eyes closed. “Y… Yes, Zephyr. I was meaning to get a manecut anyway, so… L-Let’s do this…”
Zephyr’s hooves were shaking, but he promptly nodded before bringing his scissors towards Rarity’s head. Even though he was grateful he never messed up a manecut before, the pegasus was absolutely panicked about cutting the hair of somepony so beauty-focused. After he pulled the blades apart, making a distinct metallic noise which caused Rarity to wince, Zephyr bit his lip and asked, “Rarity, can you promise not to kill me if I mess up?”
“Please, just do it before I change my mind!” blurted Rarity with her eyes clenched shut, hoping to any higher beings listening that she wouldn’t regret this idea. With her heart pounding, she heard Zephyr make a high-pitched groan before giving in. After letting out an anxious sigh, the stallion took hold of a small section of Rarity’s mane. The unicorn’s body tensed up tightly, and her lip bit down hard enough to almost draw blood as she heard that first quick snip against her mane.
The sound was one that Rarity knew very well, and always reminded her of the sensation of cutting a fresh piece of cardboard. She wasn’t sure if it was that nostalgic feeling, or knowing that the first snip was usually the hardest, but she sighed a little more relaxedly as the first small lock fell to the bathroom floor. “A… A-Alright,” she said with a feeble nod of her head, keeping her eyes closed so she couldn't see the worried look Zephyr had. “Th-There’s no going back now. S-So… Y-You can continue…”
Zephyr was still trembling in paranoia, but he knew the mare was right. After a tiny nod of his head, the pegasus made a couple brushes across her mane with his comb before making his second snip. And then a third. And a fourth, followed by a quick fifth…
Rarity was hopeful that Zephyr wouldn’t mess up her mane too badly. After all, he did graduate from Beauty School with high markings (at least, that’s what his parents said), and she doubted he would lie about being well-reviewed at his job. But still, it was hard for the mare not to squirm in discomfort as she felt more pieces of her mane being trimmed with expert precision. Since she was keeping her eyes closed, she had no idea that Zephyr’s hooves were becoming less shaky with each cut he gave.
As he paused for a moment to look at the guide Rarity provided him, he made sure his notes were correct before starting work on the back of her mane with the comb. “So, ummm… are you doing alright?” he asked nervously, hoping that the mare wasn’t too freaked out about letting him do this. “I usually don’t have ponies this quiet when I cut.”
“S-Sorry,” she muttered timidly before breathing out to ease her nerves. “It’s just… a new experience for me, that’s all…”
“Yeah, I don’t blame you…” Zephyr made sure her hair was as straight as possible before continuing with his next few cuts, making sure they matched the example in the picture. In an effort to keep himself from getting too frazzled, the pegasus decided to ask in a more casual tone, “So… you’re running a fashion show in Canterlot, huh? That’s… actually really cool.”
Rarity could tell he was still a little scared by his tone, but she was able to reply genuinely, “Well, thank you. To be honest, I’m glad to actually get that kind of chance after all the negative press I’ve been receiving.”
“What do you mean?” Zephyr was putting his utmost focus with each skilled cut, but his brow raised curiously after hearing Rarity say something like that. “I mean, what kind of negative press would you get? You’re a national hero, for crying out loud…”
Despite feeling a little happier with that reminder, Rarity huffed and replied, “I take it you haven’t read the Friendship Journals that were published?”
Zephyr just sighed and shook his head firmly. “Nope,” he answered between cuts. “I mean, I bought a copy, but I haven’t read it yet. And after hearing how many ponies were pestering my sister because of it, I didn’t want to contribute by reading anything myself.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, I suppose…” Upon being reminded of that dreadful book, Rarity’s mind was temporarily pulled away from her manecut as her expression looked slightly pained. “Honestly, it just astounds me how many ponies judged me just from what they read in that thing! I mean, I’ve received positive feedback from some ponies, but it felt like I was never going to have ponies respect me with all the names that were thrown my way…”
She had to stop her words as a frustrated whinny escaped her pursed lips. Even though she despised how many times she was referred to as being ‘Snobbish’ or ‘Spoiled’ by ponies who didn’t even know her personally, she knew there was no use getting in a bind over it now. While Zephyr continued to cut and listen, Rarity sighed and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, it’s just… it’s really upsetting to be reminded of that book, that’s all.”
“Hey, it’s alright,” assured Zephyr with a small smile, not seeming to realize he was becoming more comfortable with his task. “I totally get it. Like, I was really upset when I saw how many ponies were getting on Fluttershy for her assertiveness. Like, have they ever seen how she acted with me?! If they saw how she was when I was still in Beauty School, I doubt they’d be so judgemental about her. She can be a firecracker when she’s set off.”
“Indeed she can.” Rarity’s smile was starting to grow more naturally, and she chuckled a bit while ignoring the sound of those clippers. “Honestly, it’s nice to see you so defensive of her.”
“What, you think I didn’t before?” Zephyr’s cuts were going at a quicker rate, but now it was starting to feel more natural for him. “I mean yeah, I know I messed with her a lot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. She’s my sister!”
“I’m not saying you don’t,” stated Rarity sternly. “I’m just saying I’m happy you have that kind of respect for her.”
“Yeah…” Zephyr became silent for a moment as he continued to cut, and was now reaching the final side of Rarity’s mane. After several brushes to straighten out her mane, the stallion began to get the last few locks trimmed before saying, “Honestly, I… I kinda wish I didn’t take so long to make her respect me…”
Upon hearing that somber and surprisingly blunt admission, Rarity sighed and said assuredly, “Zephyr, believe me when I say she always loved you. That sort of bond is almost impossible to break. Besides, you should be glad you got her respect by something as simple as a diploma. There are a lot of others out there who had to achieve a lot more to be seen in as positive of a light as you.”
Zephyr thought about that point for a second before shrugging his shoulders. “Heh. I guess you have a point there. I mean, look at that Discord fella.”
“Exactly,” stated Rarity with an approving nod. “Or Starlight Glimmer. Or Trixie! Compared to what they had to do, I’d say you’re handling yourself quite well in regards to redemption.”
Rarity couldn’t turn her head to see Zephyr’s face, but she could feel how happy he felt from that kind of statement. “T-Thanks, Rarity…” After a few more cuts, which made Rarity’s fur tingle from how close it was reaching her ears, she heard him ask, “So, is that why you’re letting me do this? I mean, because of them and all?”
Realizing what he meant, the mare shrugged faintly and answered in an honest tone, “Well… in a way, yes. Given how they were able to turn a new leaf, it wouldn’t be too absurd to think you wouldn’t do the same.” She then smirked a little and added guiltily, “Plus… between you and me, I can completely understand why you blew up at Spoiled Rich. She’s a… challenging client.”
“Mmhmm,” nodded Zephyr before a couple thick, boisterous cuts. As those strands fell to the floor among the pile of purple locks, the stallion smiled when he saw how the look was coming along. He went back to brushing tentatively as he said, “Well, to be fair I wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t start bad-talking my sister. That was when I lost it.”
“Again, I’m not judging you for doing so.” As she took a more calming breath, keeping herself optimistic as she felt him brushing her mane carefully, she decided to add in a more cheeky tone, “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rainbow Dash respected you a little more for doing that.”
“You think so?” he asked with a giddy smile, leaning to the side to get a look at Rarity’s expression. Even though the mare giggled a little, she craned her neck back to shrug up at him playfully.
“Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt your chances.” As Zephyr sighed with a roll of his eyes and went to get the hair dryer, Rarity tried not to look at the stray locks of her cut mane that were still on her shoulder. As she looked back ahead of her, the unicorn tried to think of something to occupy her mind. Meanwhile, Zephyr set the dryer on its lowest setting, smiling when the whirring of the motor came out quieter than expected.
As he began to blow-dry Rarity’s mane so he can get the last finishing touches, Zephyr asked curiously, “So, if you don’t mind me asking… Is she seeing anyone?”
Rarity tried her hardest not to scoff before asking with a smirk, “Why are you asking? Are you worried she found somepony else?~”
“N-No!” he blurted with a small pout. “I was just… curious, that’s all.”
After rolling her eyes with a shrug, Rarity sat still as she felt her mane being dried from behind. “Well, I can’t say that she is. If anything, I’d be surprised if she was looking for any relationship. I think she’s more focused on her career than she is having a special somepony.”
That statement made Zephyr’s mood deflate a little bit. Fortunately, it seemed that Rarity sensed that, which prompted her to add, “But just so you know, I think you’d have a good chance finding somepony if you put yourself out there. I mean, at least compared to how you used to be.”
Zephyr wanted to be insulted by that last part, but he instead just huffed with a smirk. “Yeah, I guess,” he admitted. “Living with my parents was kinda cramping my style.”
“Plus, being a good hairdresser can make you quite a catch,” she replied with a knowing smile.
“Oh really? Like who?” After he finished drying the last of her mane, Zephyr began to go over it with a comb to see if there were any last-minute cuts he needed to make. “Because I do have a thing for strong, confident mares. Obviously I’d prefer a tomcolt like Dash, mostly since I really like a mare who’s confident enough to not care about girly things.”
“Well, you’re in the wrong career then,” Rarity jeered playfully, not noticing Zephyr’s smirk from behind her.
“I’m not finished,” he said, both in reference to his cutting and his statement. As he got the last couple snips done to Rarity’s mane, he added, “I will say, though. You’re a pretty strong mare too, if I do say so myself. Not many ponies can start their own franchise independently, while also staying true to what they like. That’s pretty attractive in my book.”
Rarity’s mouth opened in surprise, but she still smiled and tried not to laugh at his daring attempt at wooing her. “Well, you should be careful with how you speak to me, Zephyr. I strongly believe in the old mantra that one musn’t dip their pen in the company ink.”
“Well, you haven’t hired me yet~”
“Oh, give it a rest,” she stated warningly, even though her light smirk said otherwise. Before she could say anything else to stop his flirting, Zephyr was just about finished with her look.
“Here you go,” he said as he handed her a mirror, and stepped back in case she blew a fuse.
Rarity gasped at the sight of her new mane, which was much shorter and sportier than her previous flowing look. However, despite its length, Rarity was surprisingly impressed that he managed to maintain the mare’s volume and bounce with her natural curls. She didn’t say much as she stared at her new hairstyle, which worried Zephyr a bit as he stepped back a little more.
“Zephyr…” After putting down her mirror, she gave the pegasus a firm glance with her eyes narrowed on him. “I have some bad news…”
Zephyr’s ears dropped with a wince, expecting the worst. However, Rarity slowly grew a smirk as she said, “I’m afraid you won’t be dating me anytime soon. You’re hired.”
"Drat!"
