Cloth and thread drifted around me, a seeming chaotic storm of materials, but I could keep track of it all easily from practice. The model in front of me was swiftly draped in fabric panels that were swiftly stitched together. I was in the zone and this design was simply, absolutely perfect for the pony it was intended for. It had to be. It would be. She deserved it, after all she had done for Equestria.
More fabric was pulled from the rack and was set to with scissors when a knock came to my door. I finished cutting the panel as I called out.
“Just a minute!”
I set down the remaining panels in order, thread and scissors returning to my desk. I trotted over to the door and began to open it, smiling automatically. It was a little before the time I usually opened the boutique, but I was fine with letting in a customer or two prior to.
“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique,” I sang as the door swung open. “Where everything is Chic…Twilight?”
The Unicorn on the other side of the threshold smiled back at me, and my heart began to hammer. It wasn’t ready! She couldn’t see it yet!
“Hi, Rarity,” she began, stepping inside. “I need to ask a favor of you.”
“Of course, darling,” I replied, lifting some scraps and a case of hangers from my furniture, using the action to hide the fact that I was flinging a sheet over the dress form in the work area. “What can I do for you?”
“Well,” she stopped, blushing. “I need a gown for this ball that the Princess Celestia just announced for the alumni of the School for Gifted Unicorns next month.”
I nodded, thinking of the unfinished design I had started for her out of inspiration. “And is there a theme for it?” I asked. “It wouldn’t do to not fit gown for occasion.”
“I don’t think there is one,” Twilight frowned. “At least, not one that was mentioned.”
I nodded, standing. “Tea?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you,” she replied. “I have to get back, I told Fluttershy I’d help with giving the woodland creatures their baths today. Do you need measurements?”
I blushed a little as I fixed myself a cup of tea. “No, no,” I said a little quickly. “I still have the ones from the Gala, so I can at least begin on the shell and fit it later.”
She nodded, rising. “Thank you so much, Rarity,” she grinned, setting my heart fluttering again. “I know you must have a hundred orders before mine.”
“Pish-posh, darling,” I said. “Anything for my friends.”
As the door closed behind her, I glanced at the shrouded beginnings of something that I hoped would dazzle her.
I squinted as I slid the needle through the tiny hole in the ruby I held against the dress. Over the last two weeks, I had slowly built the dress up, and now it was just the last round of touching up. I had a few strips of gauzy tulle that would go on over the final form, but first I had to attach these rubies and a few diamond chips. I still remembered how I had foolishly tried fitting her with emeralds back during the ill-thought plan to try and bribe Twilight for the other ticket to the Gala.
But, these gems would highlight without distracting from the beauty that would be wearing it.
I heard a quiet tap on the door of the back workroom as Sweetie Belle walked in.
“Rarity,” she said. “Dinner’s going to get cold. Can’t you stop for a few minutes?”
I blinked and glanced at my sister. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” I apologized, rising as I did a small loop to keep the gem in place without having to fully stitch it in. “I just got caught up a bit. I didn’t even realize you had come back with dinner yet.”
As we walked downstairs, she looked up to me.
“Is that gown for Twilight?”
I stumbled a bit, looking at her.
“What would give you that impression?” I asked, my voice coming out a little too high pitched.
She shrugged. “The colors,” she said. “I saw her leaving the other day and you’ve been working on that ever since. I just figured she ordered it.”
I sighed internally. My sister was sharp as a tack sometimes, but she had missed my shock in anticipation of the food on the table.
As I sank my fork into my salad, I turned to ask her about school in time to see her take a huge bite out of her hayburger, ketchup on her muzzle.
I sighed and handed a napkin to her.
“You’ve got something on your muzzle, dear,” I smiled.
I tried to calm my breathing. Twilight was sitting down behind me and the shrouded gown before me, I felt as though I was being pulled in two directions. But I couldn’t put it off any more. The ball was next week and it was now or never.
“Rarity?”
I shook myself out of my internal thoughts and putting a dazzling smile on my face, whipping the shroud aside as I turned.
“And here it is!” I sang, stepping aside.
The gown shimmered in the light of my showroom, the soft silk of the gown looked almost as though it was drifting in some unknown breeze the way I had cut and pleated the skirts. Its red-purple bodice was studded with the gems, twinkling like stars in a night sky. The gown slowly faded towards a rose color at the hem, and wrapped with a pale rose sash just behind the withers. I had slid a few diamond chips along the skirt to faintly outline her cutie mark, using amethyst and the most transparent diamonds I had.
Twilight walked forward, slowly. I watched as she looked the gown over, feeling some apprehension start to rise as she continued to look at it in silence. The time stretched out and I bit my lip in worry.
“It is all right, darling?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
She turned around, her face splitting into a huge grin.
“It’s just perfect!” she cried, rushing forward and hugging me. “Thank you so much!”
I hugged her back, smiling.
“You know,” she said, stepping back. “My invitation had a ‘+1’ option. Would you like to go?”
I tried to force the excitement I felt down. “But I didn’t attend the school,” I protested. “I wouldn’t know anypony there.”
“You'd know me,” she countered, smile not fading. “And I’m sure with that gown you’d get some new clients without even trying!”
“Well,” I murmured. “I might have something that would go well with that gown.”
“Could I see it?” the Unicorn asked.
I smiled coyly.
“When I arrive at the Golden Oaks to pick you up, darling.”
“Come on, Rarity,” Twilight wheedled as she worked her mane up into a crown braid and tucked a hairpin in. “You have to let me see what you’re wearing!”
I adjusted the cloak I had on over my gown as I smiled at the mare. “I will, darling,” I whispered. “When you’re ready. I honestly expected to you to have been ready ahead of time.”
“I know,” the librarian said. “But the new Daring Do book came out today and I got a little…”
“Sidetracked?” I teased as she pulled her shawl over to her.
“Yeah,” she admitted sheepishly.
“Well,” I began. “I can’t say I’ve never done the same. In fact, when I started that dress nearly two months ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about its design.”
She frowned. “But I asked you for it only one month ago.”
I nodded. “Yes, but the day you came over, I was already doing the early construction,” I dipped my head slightly as I felt my cheeks heat up. “I was going to give it to you as a birthday gift.”
“You were?”
I nodded. “And I had plans to make reservations at a nice cafe,” the words starting to tumble out of my mouth, horn lighting up. “And take you out wearing this.”
She blinked in surprise as she took in my dress.
“That’s,” she stuttered. “That’s not something…”
“That I would normally wear out?” I finished as I swept a hoof back, indicating the utterly plain dress, the purple material reflecting a little of the light. I had tied a lavender sash around it’s waist, but that was the only adornment it held. “I wanted you to be the highlight of the night, and I was going to admit something to you.”
She blinked slowly. “What?”
“Ah, ah, ah,” I tutted. “We have a ball to attend, and we are already a little behind schedule. But, maybe afterwards I’ll tell you. But for now,” I went over and adjusted the sash on her gown.
“I want you to be the belle of the ball. Shall we?”
She smiled and nodded.
“Let’s.”
