5: Rarity and Twist

---Chapter 5: Rarity and Twist----

Countless tantalizing possibilities danced through Rarity's mind as she ran down the stairs to meet her guests. Ponyville had so many beautiful little fillies. Which one had Sweetie Belle brought her? She found herself thinking of Tootsie Flute, a pony in Sweetie's class who had the most adorable squeaky voice. How did it sound, she wondered, when she cried? Or screamed? Or climaxed? And then there was Dinky Hooves, daughter of that klutz Pegasus with the strange eyes. She always seemed so smart for her age. Grooming her would be a challenge, but such an exhilarating one. There were many wonderful possibilities...Rarity's mood had brightened considerably as she made her way to the front door.

She emerged from the stairs to find her sister stand alongside an awkward-looking filly with absurdly huge glasses, a poofy unkempt mane, and a rather odd looking nose. Rarity didn't recognize who she was, but she recognized WHAT she was: a fashion nightmare.

“Sweetie Belle! I see you've brought a friend!” Rarity chirped. And what an...interesting friend at that.

“Hello! I'm Twist!” said the filly, jumping up and down happily. “I heard you were the beth dressmaker in town, and I was hoping you could help me with a dreth!”

Oh, and she has a lisp, too. Wonderful.

“Oh, how nice to meet you, dear!” said Rarity. “I just need one teensy-weensy moment to talk to my little sister. Um, please make yourself at home!” With that, she grabbed Sweetie and vanished into the shop's back room, closing the door behind her.

“Who the hell is that?” she asked. “Was she really the best you could do?”

“What?” Sweetie said, expecting a great deal more kindness from her sister after the previous night's display. “What's wrong with her? She's nice!”

“Fancypants' inner circle doesn't care if she's 'nice,'” said Rarity. “This one's...plain. She's hardly offering material...”

“Offering?” Sweetie asked.

“Never mind,” said Rarity. “Isn't there someone else you could have brought me? Or did you choose the ugly one on purpose? Are you trying to sabotage me, little sister?”

“STOP IT!” Sweetie yelled. In the back of her mind, she realized Twist had probably heard that.

Good. Maybe she'll run away.

“Do you have any idea how hard this was for me?” Sweetie said, as anger and guilt mixed inside her in equal measures. “Do you think it was easy to go to school, and see my friends, and talk and laugh with them...and...and...and know that I had to pick one of them for you to...to...ARGH!”

Rarity was taken aback. Sweetie had never confronted her quite like this.

“I betrayed Twist, I lied to Spike, I've never hated myself more than I do right now...” Sweetie said. “And I did all of it to help YOU! And instead of a thank you, I get...questioned!! Well, you asked me to get you a filly, and I got you one! And I will never, ever do you another favor ever again!”

Sweetie stared at Rarity, breathing heavily. The horrible tension that had built up within her all day had been released.

Rarity took a step toward her sister. Sweetie, now feeling far more rational, suddenly realized what she had just done. She had never stood up to Rarity like that. And now she was regretting it. Her bravado was gone, replaced with fear. Sweetie began to tremble.

But Rarity simply smiled at her. The same gentle smile from the previous day.

“You're right, Sweetie,” she said. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've just been so worried about tomorrow, I suppose I lost my head. Thank you, little sister. I'm sure it was an absolutely dreadful experience, and I won't forget what you've done for me.”

“Oh...” Sweetie said, needing a moment to process what had just happened. Could it be that her sister's behavior last night wasn't just an act? “Oh...it's okay then...” she said, almost as if she were talking to someone who wasn't really there.

“Well, then, I should go attend to Twist,” said Rarity.

“Remember your promise!” said Sweetie, her voice once again firm. “You have to be nice! No touching her!”

“I'll try to restrain myself,” said Rarity. Her voice contained a hint of sarcasm.

Twist thought she heard loud voices coming from the next room, but she paid them no mind. She was an only child, but she knew well enough that siblings argue all the time. She was sure that the sisters were bickering over nothing. She'd read about that sort of thing in some of her favorite books. Pretty much every Bobtail Twins novel involved lots of bickering between the title characters before they made up and solved the mystery. Twist was sure that real sisters were no different.

As she waited for the sisters to return, Twist wandered around the boutique, utterly enchanted. It was as if she had stepped out of her drab, plain existence into a glittering new world. Everything was beautiful here. Rarity's personal touch could be seen on every last object, from the flourishes on the edges of the windows, to the gem-studded dressing room doors. And of course, there were Rarity's dresses, several of which were on display. As lovely as the rest of the room was, it was clear that it had been designed in such a way as to extenuate the dresses, complimenting them without drawing focus away. And what marvelous dresses they were. Each one seemed to accentuate a different style and color scheme. No two were alike, even though they almost all carried Rarity's signature gem-based flourish.

If Twist had been a bit more aware of the fashion world, she would have known that these were all samples of Rarity's older designs. Not one of these dresses was less than two years old. This was no accident. Rarity knew as well as anyone that her best work in fashion was behind her, but this did not bother her in the slightest. She enjoyed working in her new medium more than she had ever loved clothes.

But Twist knew next to nothing about fashion, and to her, this was unquestionably the most beautiful place she had ever been in. Even the mirrors were beautiful, with the gold trim around their edges. But as Twist walked over to the triple-mirror display inspect it more closely, she noticed something was wrong.

There was something in the mirrors that simply didn't belong there. In the midst of all this beautiful finery, there was a bland, dull little filly, with ridiculous giant glasses and an ugly nose. Twist was the one thing in the room that didn't sparkle with elegance. It was almost as if someone had taken a beautiful painting, and cut and pasted something that didn't belong right in the middle of it. As a joke.

“A joke...” Twist said to herself. She put a hoof up to the mirror. “Should...should I really be here?”

“Why whatever do you mean, dear?” asked Rarity, as her image strided confidently into the mirror. Twist thought she looked as dazzling as the rest of the room. Which only provided further contrast with Twist's own blandness.

“Of course you're allowed to be here, darling,” Rarity said. “Everyone is welcome in my boutique! Especially a friend of Sweetie Belle's!”

“Ahh!!” Twist turned to face Rarity, slightly embarrassed. “Thanks! I um, was just admiring this place! It's so fancy! Did you design it?”

“Oh, this old place?” said Rarity, “Yes, I did have a hoof in the design. But enough about me. Sweetie tells me you had a question?”

“Well, sort of...” said Twist, idly digging her forehoof into the exquisite carpeting. “See, the thing is...I'm...well...well, you know.”

“I'm afraid I don't follow, dear. You're what?”

“I...” Twist took a deep breath, “I want to be pretty! All the other fillies in my class are so pretty, like Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom and Sunny Days and of course your thister, too! And it's not fair! I feel tho left out and all the girls talk about getting coltfriends and stuff and I want a coltfriend too, someone to go on hikes with and make candy with and ooh! we could play charades too, have you ever played charades? But it'll never happen, because every filly in my clath is prettier than me! Even Scootaloo, and she's practically a BOY!”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. Sweetie really had bought home quite the specimen. There was only one other pony in Equestria who could ramble aimlessly like that.

“Uh...huh.” Rarity replied. “Tell me, Twist, you wouldn't happen to be adopted, would you?”

“Nope. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” said Rarity. So much for her theory that Twist was one of Pinkie Pie's countless illegitimate daughters.

“Miss Rarity, am I ugly?” Twist blurted out.

“Well, at least she's straightforward,” Rarity thought. “And that insecurity...that's something I can work with.”

“Twist, why do you think establishments like mine exist?” Rarity asked. As she spoke, she placed her hooves gently on Twist's midsection and turned her around so she faced the mirror.

As Twist was once again confronted by her own reflection, Rarity continued, “It's because some ponies ARE ugly. And you're right, it's not fair. It's terribly unfair how judgmental the world is toward fillies and mares who aren't attractive. No one likes them. Other ponies laugh at them behind their backs. And do you know what the worst thing is?”

Twist was afraid she already knew. “What is it?”

“The loneliness, my dear. Because stallions don't ever go out with ugly mares. It's bad enough at your age, but when you grow up...well, let's just say that stallions can be very cruel. I've met mares who were kind, sweet, and intelligent, but just because they weren't pretty, no one ever fell in love with them. They grew old all alone, without anyone to share their lives with.”

Twist turned slightly pale. She tried to turn away from the mirror, but Rarity held her fast.

“Is....is that what's going to happen to me?” Twist asked, terrified of the answer.

“No,” said Rarity gently. “I told you, that is why my boutique exists. To help ponies like yourself. To save you from the wretched fate of ugly mares everywhere.”

“You mean...”

“Don't you worry about a thing, Twist,” Rarity said. “I'm going to make you beautiful.”

Twist spun around and gave Rarity a hug. “Oh thanks tho much Miss Rarity! I knew I could count on you! You're the best!”

Rarity returned the hug, resisting the urge to chuckle. Thank Celestia for the gnawing insecurities of youth. They made things so much easier for her.

“This is gonna be GREAT!” Twist said. “You'll give me a makeover and I'll get a pretty new dreth, and I'll look SO stunning in it, and it'll draw attention from my nose, and then when I go to school on Monday, all the other fillies will go 'WHO IS THAT?' and Diamond Tiara and Sunny Days and all the other fillies will be THUPER JEALOUS! And then maybe Featherweight or Snails will ask me out and...”

Rarity allowed Twist to prattle on, tuning her ramblings out completely. As she looked down at the filly embracing her, Rarity noticed that Twist was wearing no accessories, not even a practical saddlebag. To her, this spoke volumes about Twist's station in life. The current style was for wealthy young fillies to flaunt their privilege with outlandish accessories; Diamond Tiara's ostentatious headgear was a case in point, as had been Silver's jewel encrusted, ornamental glasses. Since Twist was so desperate to look pretty, she would certainly have worn something similar...if her family could afford it. Their absence could only mean that little Twist had no money.

It took but an instant for Rarity to reach this conclusion. Armed with her new knowledge, she waited for a lull in Twist's chatter, and then pounced.

“Of course, if I'm going to help you, it will be taking up a great deal of my time...” Rarity said, bringing her hoof up to her chin. “But for a friend of Sweetie's, I'll be happy to offer you a discount for my services.”

“A discount?” Twist suddenly looked crestfallen. “Oh...I guess that means you're going to charge me...”

“Well, of course, dear,” said Rarity. “Makeovers and dresses aren't free. As much as I would love to help you without charge, things have been lean here for the past few months. I simply can't keep my business afloat if I devote an entire day to helping you for free!”

“A whole DAY?” Twist said “It's going to take that long?”

“I take my time with my projects. It's the only way to get them right,” the unicorn replied. “But yes, I'm afraid there's simply no way I could do this without compensation.”

“Oh...okay, then...I'm thorry to have bothered you.” The filly hung her head as she began walking to the front door.

“Although...” Rarity said, “there is ONE way I could help you for free...”

Twist spun around, her mood instantly improved. “What is it? Does it involve candy? Because I'm really talented with cand-”

“No, dear,” Rarity said, trying to avoid rolling her eyes. So this one liked candy, too. Perhaps there was cause to reexamine the Pinkie Pie theory.

“You see, Twist, I'm putting together a...junior fashion show...in Canterlot tomorrow night. It's for my new line of foal fashions. All sorts of handsome colts and stallions will be there...”

Twist's attention suddenly seemed laser-focused on Rarity's words.

“...but one of my models had to back out at the last minute! If only I had someone who could take her place...”

Twist shook her head. “That's enough, Miss Rarity. You can't fool me. I know what you're really up to!”

Rarity stammered. “Y-you do?”

“Yes! You thought you could trick me, but I'm too smart for that!” she said. “You never had a model quit, did you? You juth want to add me to the show to make me feel better!”

Rarity had spent the better part of her life perfecting the art of acting ladylike, and one of its primary tenants was that a lady never compromised her dignity with uncalled for emotional displays. This particular skill served her well in moments like these, when her first instinct was to burst out laughing.

“Yes! Yes, that's it exactly,” she said. “I simply want to help you see how beautiful you can be, so I thought I would add another pony to the lineup.”

Twist gave a shy, yet somehow ridiculously wide grin. “That's really thweet of you, Miss Rarity, but I don't think that's a good idea. There's no way I'll be fashion-model pretty by tomorrow.”

“You don't have to be!” Rarity said. “The models for this show aren't professionals, they're regular foals just like you! In fact, Sweetie Belle is one of them. It's a, um, special show I've put together based o the theme that anypony can be beautiful!”

Twist's eyes lit up. “That...sounds...AWETHOME!!” she said. “Okay, Miss Rarity! I'll do it!”

This could work, Rarity thought. Twist could be some sort of “girl next door” alternative to the other three. Where they were all damaged in one way or another, Twist would go into the Gathering untainted. The circle members would get to be the ones to damage HER. If she knew her patrons, that sort of sadistic thrill would be more than enough to offset her looks.

After all, every foal had her charms, and after speaking to Twist, Rarity was beginning to see hers. There was a naive eagerness to her that Rarity found strangely enticing. If only circumstances were different, Rarity would have indulged herself right then and there, taking Twist as her latest plaything. She knew just how she would do it, too. She'd rape the little foal while constantly insulting her appearance, telling her how repulsive and ugly she was and how lucky she was to have a friend like Rarity, who was willing to toss aside her standards just this once, and have sex with Twist out of pity.

She could already picture Twist's response: the tears, the self-loathing, and finally, gratitude. Yes, Rarity thought, she would convince Twist that she was so utterly repulsive that this was her only hope of ever experiencing physical intimacy with another pony, and that Rarity, in her infinite kindness, was willing to overlook her own disgust and touch her. In the end, Twist would wind up thanking her own abuser.

But that scenario could never come to pass. Too much was riding on Twist remaining untouched. Rarity shook the idea from her mind and instead focused on the task at hand: Twist's impending makeover.

“Alright, dear, here is what we'll do,” she said. “Tonight, you sleep here. I don't have a spare room, but I'm sure Sweetie Belle won't mind sharing. I have some rejuvenating creams that work wonders overnight. Tomorrow, I'll spend the morning making you over, and then the five of us will take the express to Canterlot and be there by evening. Does that sound agreeable, darling?”

“Thure!” Twist said, “Oh, but, what about my parents?”

“Just write them a note saying where you'll be,” said Rarity. “I have a...personal courier I use for these situations.”

It was unusually cold in the basement that evening. Silver Spoon lay bunched up on her mattress, with her single blanket wrapped around her. She never slept well when she was alone. The only nights when she was truly comfortable were the ones when she was allowed to share Rarity's bed. Especially on the occasions when Rarity fell asleep before she did.

When Rarity was asleep, Silver could hug her all she wanted.

There had been so many nights when she had laid in Rarity's bed, still in terrible pain from the evening's proceedings, and felt completely enveloped by warmth at the touch of her beloved by her side. Somehow, Silver never felt safer than when she slept next to the same horrible pony who so uncaringly abused her. On those nights, it didn't even matter to Silver that Rarity did not love her. She loved Rarity, and the chance to be close to her was enough.

If Rarity did love her back, Silver wondered, would she still love Rarity the same way? Wouldn't love prevent her from practicing the same sadistic cruelty that had led Silver to pledge her life to fulfilling her whims?

Just one night ago, Silver had seen what she had thought was true kindness from Rarity, and it had frightened her. Was being loved really what she wanted?

The basement door creaked open, and a light shone through the darkness. Rarity trotted down the basement stairs gingerly.

Silver blinked. Did the room just get warmer?

“I have a task for you.” Rarity's horn lit up as an envelope magically hovered into the room. “Take this letter to Twist's house. Leave it by the door, knock, then run back here. Do not let anyone see you.”

“Of course, Miss Rarity!” said Silver, getting to her hooves. “Anything for you.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I don't have time for your toadying tonight, Silver Spoon. Just do what is asked of you.”

“Y..yes,” Silver said. Her mind scrambled for an excuse to keep Rarity from leaving. “Um, may I ask what's in the letter? Just out of curiosity...”

“Oh, I had Twist write her parents a letter explaining that she was spending the weekend with me,” said Rarity. “Then when she was out of the room, I cast a spell on the paper. The letters rearranged themselves into a new message, still in her handwriting. It tells her parents that she's running away. My name is, of course, not mentioned.”

Silver clapped her front hooves together, delighted. “Amazing!” she said.

“Quite,” said Rarity. “I'm told that Pip wanders off all the time and often stays with friends, so his mother thinks nothing of him vanishing for a night or two, but I'm willing to wager that Twist is a homebody. Her disappearance would require an explanation. And now it has one.”

Silver grabbed the note in her mouth, ready to go.

Rarity's horn glowed again as a cloak made its way into view. It came to rest on Silver Spoon's back. “Take this,” she said, “So you won't be recognized.”

The cloak was a ratty old thing, and had most likely been sitting forgotten in the back of Rarity's closet for years. It was a rather drab shade of dark green, and had a few holes here and there.

Silver Spoon embraced the garment as if it were a thing of rare and singular beauty. To her, that was exactly what it was. After all, it had come from her.

“I'll deliver this right away, Miss Rarity!” said Silver, putting the cloak on and racing up the stairs. Twist's home was a bit of a walk; it would take her the better part of an hour to get there and back.

Night had fallen by then, and Ponyville's streets were mostly deserted. Silver encountered few ponies on her errand, and none seemed to notice her. As she made her way to Twist's, a realization dawned on Silver: the moment Rarity had entered the room, all her doubts and confusion had vanished.

It wasn't that Silver's questions had been answered. They were more persistent in her mind than ever. It was simply that in Rarity's presence, they did not matter. When they were together, nothing was important except Rarity, and Silver herself mattered least of all. She was nothing, and Rarity was everything.

Silver wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe, the answer to her questions lay in that sublime state of being.

It was past eleven when Silver Spoon made it back home. Rarity had responded with a quick dismissive “good,” when informed that the delivery had been successful. Silver knew that tone well enough to realize that the unicorn was not in an amorous mood that night. She made her way down to the basement, alone, but contented at having performed a task for her mistress.

It was no longer cold down there.