Rarity yawned as she walked down the steps of her home and business. Her mane had yet to be styled and hung limply over her shoulders, her tail hanging just as limp behind her. On top of her head, behind her horn, rested the purple eye mask she wore to bed each night. Her lips smacked together a few times to try and wet her dry mouth.
“Coffee,” her voice was gruff as she spoke. She turned to the direction of her kitchen and slowly walked to it. Her hooves scraped against the hardwood floors as she dragged them, not having enough energy to even lift them. Her eyes briefly closed for a short rest as she allowed muscle memory to lead her.
Sunlight poured through the kitchen windows as the sun slowly rose up in the orange tinted sky. The light lit up the area to her small dining table, perfect for two. She opened her eyes then quickly shut them as the light burned her eyes.
She let out a groan as she forced them open, “does it always have to be so bright every morning?” She spoke out loud to no one.
Her eyes squinted as they tried to adjust to the new light. She thought about undoing the curtains hanging over her sink to block out the sun, but that would cover her kitchen in darkness. Even though she was positive she could still prepare her breakfast with her eyes closed, she knew it was better to be able to see what she was doing. She had read in the paper last week about how an older mare in Trottingham accidently put rat poison in her tea instead of sugar. Luckily, her family had found her spazzing on the floor and called a doctor just in time to save her.
A single mistake had almost costed a mare her life, something Rarity didn’t wish to chance.
Her horn lit up in a blue aura as she used magic to open a cabinet door. Out of the cabinet a jar of coffee and coffee filters floated out and over to the coffee maker machine. The top of the coffee machine opened to allow one of the paper filters to sit inside. A white drawer below it opened. A moment later a silver tablespoon floated out of the drawer. At the end of the spoon was a pearl embedded with her cutie mark painted on them.
She smiled as she saw the monogram on the spoon. She remembered when she spent a pretty gem to get a whole drawer worth of spoons with her initials on it. She had requested they be as elegant and as beautiful as her. She remembered the snared remark Applejack made about them, about how silly it was to get spoons monogramed, how it was a waste of money. She had tried to talk the unicorn out of buying them, but Rarity would have none of it.
It might seem silly to everypony else, but her motto in life was, “anything can be beautiful,” and what could be more beautiful than her cutie mark? Yes, it sounded a bit vain and conceited, but everypony had their moments, and she saw nothing wrong with pride in one’s cutie mark.
Another yawn brought her out of her reminiscing and reminded her of her task at hoof. With a light shake of her head, she placed the spoon inside the coffee jar. She took a spoonful of the brown powder and--being careful not to spill any on the counter--placed it inside the filter. She lightly tapped the spoon against the filter to make sure every no grain was left behind. Once she was satisfied, she levitated the spoon over to the sink. She made a mental note to wash it later as she levitated the coffee jar and filters back into the cabinet. With a quiet click she closed the cabinet.
She wasn’t done just yet though.
She turned her head to another cabinet and, with a flourish of magic, she opened the door. She took out a glass measuring cup and carefully made her way over to the sink. Deciding to give her magic a rest, she reach forward and turned the right handle. A rush of water poured out of the faucet and into the sink, sliding down into the drain. She moved her hoof from the handle and placed it under the rushing water.
She gasped as shock from the icy chill filled her body for a moment before she became accustomed to it. She let out a slow sigh under her breath as the shock turned to pleasure. The water suddenly felt refreshing against her fur.
She watched as the water broke into two streams on her hoof and slid down into the drain below. She closed her eyes for a moment as she concentrated on the feel of the water on her fur. Her ears twitched as she listened to the sound of water rushing from the faucet. For that single moment she was at complete peace.
She pulled her hoof back and placed the measuring cup under the water. She watched as the water quickly filled the cup. The water swirled around in a little whirlpool as the glass forced it to stay in one place instead of spreading out like it wanted. She waited for the water to reach six ounces before she pulled the cup back.
She pushed the handle back to stop the flow of the water. She raised the measuring cup up to her eye level. She squinted as she looked at the black numbers on the side. Her lower lip moved forward and her eyebrows knotted together as she concentrated on the small numbers.
She let out a small huff. The water was an inch over the six ounces mark. She needed exactly six ounces if she wanted the perfect cup of coffee.
She lightly tipped the cup forward. A little stream of water slowly poured out. She tilted the cup back and brought it back up to her eyes. Once again her lower lip moved forward and her eyebrows knotted together. After a moment her face relaxed into a small smile, “perfect,” she said.
She trotted over to the coffee machine and poured the cold liquid into the reservoir. She closed the top with a quiet click. She pressed the brew button. It didn’t take long before a dark liquid poured from the top into the coffee pot below. She placed the measuring cup in the drainer next to the sink to let it dry.
The sweet scent of coffee soon filled the air. She took a deep inhale, filling her nostrils with the scent of coffee. A shudder ran down her spine as she exhaled. She smiled at the scent, but it soon fell when her stomach growled in an unladylike matter.
She blushed, “hehe, I almost forgot the breakfast.” What would she have though? She had a half box of the Hay Oats cereal left, but it had such a bland taste. She needed something that would complement the sweet taste of her coffee after she added the milk and sugar. The only thing that came to mind was the box of donuts she had in the fridge.
Her friend Pinkie Pie had given her a box of donuts yesterday. A ‘friendship’ box she had called it. Rarity tried to deny the gift (she did have a figure to look after after all), but her friend had been so insistent that she had to accept or risk upsetting her friend. The fact that Sugarcube Corner had the best pastries in Ponyville didn’t help much either, or the fact that she had tasted the sweet dessert herself before and the mere thought of them had her mouth drooling.
“Well, I guess I can afford to be a bit naughty today,” she said to herself with a giggle. She trotted over to her fridge. She carefully opened it to avoid spilling any of the contents in the side door out onto the floor. She took a quick glance through the fridge as she searched for the donuts.
Her eyes scanned over the food and drinks she had bought for herself and for Sweetie Belle when she stayed over. It ranged from average to fancy foods she imported from Canterlot or Manehattan.
Sitting on the bottom shelf in all its glory was a large, pink, cardboard box with the Sugarcube Corner logo stamped on top. The pink box was enveloped in her light blue aura and carefully lifted up and out of the fridge. She opened the top open and looked inside at all the baked goods.
Donuts of different kinds lined the box from top to bottom: some had sprinkles, some were plain, some had icing, and some had filling inside them. Each one was different, yet no doubt just as delicious as the one before it.
Now came the most difficult decision in her young, unicorn life; which one should she choose? She could choose a plain one, but the blandness wouldn’t go well with her flavored coffee. She could choose an icing one, like the chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, but the fact that there would still be plainness touching her taste buds just seemed to be a disappointment.
After debating and looking over each one, she finally came to a conclusion; the filling donuts. She remembered Pinkie saying that each one had a different flavor stuffed inside, since she wasn’t sure which flavor Rarity liked the best. There was strawberry, chocolate, cream, and jam. Each one sounded like a delight to have dancing on her taste buds as they passed, but sadly her diet would only allow one of them.
Her eyes instantly landed on a first donut in the first row. She remembered Pinkie saying she placed the filling donuts in the first two rows. The first donut was beige with chocolate icing on top. Some white cream was poking out from the top.
Cream was always a good choice with coffee, but that would be rather...predictable. “A lady is never predictable,” she flipped her mane, “she always keeps things interesting with surprises, and what better way to do so than with some strawberry filling.”
The third donut from the second row was lifted up by her magic and floated away from the box. At the same time a saucer floated over to the dining table, sitting itself on the side. With the donut still in her magic, she placed it on the saucer. She closed the box and put it back in its place for another day. If it survived long enough for a cheat day that is. Sweetie was usually over with her friends, which meant a lot of her food would be used up to fill their empty stomachs, and what did kids love the most? Junk food.
Not to mention her own friends often came over, and--being the good host she is--she would no doubt offer them some. Now that she thought of it, Fluttershy was coming over later that week for their usual tea party. She knew the pegasus had a sweet tooth, so perhaps she could offer the donuts instead of her usual cucumber sandwiches. She giggled as she imagined Fluttershy’s eyes lighting up when she saw the treats. Sometimes her friend could be so cute.
She had been so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed the beep from her coffee marker. The loud noise filled the small kitchen, altering her that her coffee was done pouring. She had to hold back a squeal as the thought of the sweet coffee running across her tastebuds filled her mind.
She cleared her throat, “ladies do not squeal,” she reminded herself. Unless it was about a fashion deal, a new, fabulous dress design, Opal being adorable, or handsome colts, squealing was not allowed. Especially over something as small as delicious coffee.
A white mug with the words, “Number 1 sister” in blue writing was seated next to the coffee maker. Sweetie Belle had bought that for her birthday last year. The gift was small and--as Rainbow Dash would say--’cheesy,’ but she loved it nonetheless. She almost always drunk from it, unless it was dirty or businesses partners were over to discuss a business deal over drinks.
She carefully poured the liquid into the cup with her magic. She had to be careful to not spill it and make a mess. Cleaning sticky coffee stains with a rag didn’t sound too pleasing to the unicorn at the moment, but did it ever sound pleasing? When the cup was almost filled to the brim, she tilted the pot up to stop the flow of coffee.
She placed the pot back into its spot. On the other side of the coffee maker were two small containers. One was filled with sugar and the other was filled with cinnamon. She used them in her coffee so much to the point that she kept them nearby for easier access. Her horn lit up as she not only lifted them over to her, but also the bottle of cream she kept in her fridge.
She opened the top and brought it closer to her nose. She took a small sniff of it to see if it was still fresh, or it had gone bad. The sweet scent that filled her nose told her it was still fresh.
She hummed a small tune as she poured the cream into the cup, along with a half spoon full of the cinnamon and sugar. She watched as the sugar and cinnamon dissolved into the brown liquid. It was now part of the coffee. Only the cream stayed above, giving the black coffee a cover of white.
She placed the spoon in the mug and swirled it around a few times. The clicks of the metal spoon hitting the inside of the mug were barely heard over her humming. After a few turns, she lifted the spoon out of the mug.
A drop of coffee remained on the spoon. “Now, we can’t waste coffee,” she said to herself.
She lifted the spoon up to her muzzle. She took a small inhale, filling her nose once again with the scent of the coffee. She opened her mouth and placed the spoon inside before gently closing it.
The sweet taste of the coffee on her taste buds made a large smile spread across her face. “Perfect,” she said as she lifted the mug up with her magic and over to the table, leaving the spoon behind in the sink.
She sat the mug down beside the saucer. It was a small breakfast, no doubt about it, but it would be enough to last her until her brunch with Photo Finish. The two mares were to discuss Rarity’s latest fashion line and the idea of another photo shoot. After she ate her breakfast she would go to her room to do one last look over, making sure there were no mistakes to be found.
She would never live it down if even one mistake was forever captured on a photo. If any of her customers saw the photo, they would no doubt start to doubt her level of quality and would expect all of her clothing to have flaws. All of her sales would go down, along with her reputation as a fashionista. She would never be the same pony again.
“But that won’t happen,” she told herself. “Now, stop worrying Rarity and have your breakfast before it gets cold.”
She lifted the mug up to her muzzle and took a drink. The coffee had cooled down enough where it didn’t scold her mouth, but still hot enough to warm her insides up. “Too bad it’s not chilly outside. Hot drinks on a cold day...marvellous,” she sighed in content before taking another sip.
Once she had her fill of coffee, she set the cup down and looked at the donut. It was just a regular, beige donut with some strawberry filling leaking out of the sides, staining the white saucer below it. Even though it had been sitting out in the open for a good while, she knew it would still be cold enough to still taste wonderful and contrast the warmth of her coffee.
She lifted the donut up to her mouth, but before she could take a bite, a gasp of realization escaped from her. “I almost forgot the honey!” She exclaimed. How could she forget the most important part?
Instead of getting up and fetching the honey for herself, she used her magic to open the cabinet above the fridge, and carried a bear-shaped plastic bottle over to her. She took a moment to look at the bottle: It was designed to look like a bear holding a small jar of honey. On top of its head was a triangle-shaped cone with a small hole on top to let the honey out.
The honey inside gave the whole bottle a look of yellow. It had no gems or anything to really make it stand out, but she couldn’t deny that the bear was still adorable. Maybe it was the simplicity that made the bear so adorable, even as it stared at her with its soulless eyes and small frown.
“I’ll just take a small bit of honey, Mr. Bear,” she giggled. “Oh, listen to me talking to inanimate objects. I’m turning into a real Pinkie Pie.”
She turned the bear upside down and over the still floating donut. Her magic squeezed the sides of the bottle, causing a line of honey to come out. She moved the bottle around until the honey made a wide circle on the top of the donut.
She eased her magic up on the sides. With no pressure being used on it, the honey was once again trapped in the bottle, until the next time it was needed of course. She placed the bottle back into its cabinet and closed the door with a soft ‘click.’
The bright yellowness stood out against the beige color, turning the once plain donut into a bright masterpiece. Colors always did bring out the best of everything in her opinion, and this donut--along with her dresses--were a shining example of that.
“Now it’s ready,” she said.
She moved the donut closer and opened her mouth. Sinking her teeth into the edge she pulled off a small bit of the bread with a bit of honey on it, but no filling. The honey did add a sweetness to it, but the plainness was still evident.
Swallowing the piece, she moved the donut closer to get another bite. Unlike the last one, this bite was bigger, taking a medium size chuck out of the middle. She could feel a small bit of the filling squirt out from the sides and onto her cheeks. She moved her head back and started to chew the piece.
She let out a hum of pleasure. She could feel the sugar coursing through her bloodstream, destroying any last grogginess she had. “I’ll need all the help I can get,” she sighed, thinking about all the dresses that needed to be made by the end of the week. “I’ll need to check my gem collection later and see if I need anymore.”
She levitated a white napkin up and lightly tapped it against her mouth and cheeks, slowly removing the jam and any crumbs from her face. She glanced up to a nearby clock on her wall and let out a small hum, “five minutes until opening. I better finish breakfast before then.”
She took a sip of her coffee, but instead of enjoying the taste, she pulled back with a disasifted look. “It’s lukewarm,” she said, narrowing her gaze at the cup. “It seems the preparations took longer than I expected.”
“No matter,” she smiled, “I’ll just use that spell Twilight taught me.” She closed her eyes. A bright red light filled the lines of her horn, creating a bright, red orb on top of her horn. A red aura surrounded the cup in her hooves. Her eyebrows slightly knotted as she concentrated on the spell.
After a moment the aura disappeared. She took another sip of the coffee, and let out a pleasurable hum. “Hot,” she breathed out. She watched as a small bit of steam rose out from the cup. “I’ll have to thank Twilight later for that spell.”
She was halfway through her breakfast when an idea struck. “What if I made a coffee dress?” The second the words left her mouth, a stream of ideas flooded her mind. While coffee was mostly brown, there were different types of brown, some light or dark, to give her a range of freedom. She could even use white thread to create streams across the dress, to create the illusion of cream in coffee.
“I have to design blueprints!” Her eyes shined with inspiration. With only three minutes left before opening, she raced upstairs with the rest of her breakfast following behind in her magic aura, ready to begin another day.
Author's Note
I would like to thank my boyfriend, Ghost, and my best friend, North, for helping me for not only proofreading and helping with some lines, but for also keeping me on track so I could finish this story. Also another thank you to North for helping with the description.
I can say I am very proud of this story.
How did I come up with this idea? Well, I was playing a dating game on Facebook, and one of the characters put honey on his donut. I thought, "which mlp character would do that?" And I chose Rarity.
That's it. My whole reason for writing this story was so Rarity would put honey on a donut.
