Song of Stoneby WaxworksChaptersCreationSuccessThe SaleCreationThe stones rang. Rarity tapped the gem again, listening to the sing-song peal of crystal all around her. The gems of the same color and rough size vibrated momentarily in place, seized by the notes that filled the air. When they stopped, she nodded, picked up her notebook and wrote down the note, the size, shape, color, and marked the location on a small map she carried with her. She went to another one and pulled out a tape measure. She measured the length of the crystal sticking out of the stone wall, then carefully measured the angle of its facets. She shook her head and seized it in her magic and pulled. It didn’t come immediately, so she took a small pick out of her bag and tapped carefully at the stone holding it. Bit by bit the stone chipped away until the crystal shifted and it popped free. She held it up and looked it over, assessing the crystal in her magical grip. She made more notes, but ultimately shook her head and placed it on the ground near where she had found it. She did this several more times at different locations in the cave. There were markings on the walls all around the cave, scribbled into place on the stone, not the crystals, marking something only she was aware of. When she reached a number of markings she folded up her notebook, picked up the crystals she had removed from the wall and left. She made her way back into Canterlot to her boutique. She removed her helmet as she approached and fixed her mane. Upon walking inside she was greeted by Sassy Saddles, who was helping a customer pick out a dress. “Welcome back, Rarity! Did you find what you were looking for?” Rarity dumped the gems into a nearby basket and hung her helmet on a hook, then covered it with a dress. “Yes, Sassy, but I’m not sure if it will work out the way I hoped. There’s something off about it.” “Off?” “Yes. The tone isn’t resonating quite right. I’ve been removing gems to help modify it, but I don’t know if there’s enough that it will work.” “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. It’s for fashion, after all.” “Yes, but I’m not sure I want to test it until I’m sure it works the way I want.” “Well, I’d be happy to assist any time.” “Thank you, Sassy. Maybe this weekend. It’s being preserved for me, after all. It helps to have friends in high places.” Sassy clapped her hooves in delight. The dress she was adjusting on the pony standing on next to her slipped, and she quickly reached out to catch it. “Oooo! You still haven’t told me what you’re doing, will I get to see the big picture then?” “If all goes well, yes. There’s still more work I have to do before then, but It might be working properly by the weekend.” “I can’t wait! This has me all a-flutter, Rarity!” “This weekend, then.” “Absolutely!” Rarity was back in the cave the next day. She was pushing and prodding at more crystals yet again. The sound of ringing stone filled the air. This time she’d brought a few bricks in a cart, which she had set up around the cavern. She spent the day shifting them back and forth, trying to find the right position among the crystals to get the correct sound. It needed to be just right, and she was close, she could feel it. It rang inside her head so closely to what she wanted. She pulled out her notebook and checked her notes. She cleared her throat and sang out the notes she had written on the page. “Aaaa~ aaaa~ aaaaaaaa!” When she sang, the stones resonated and glowed. The air smelled of ozone and her mane and tail stood on end. She stopped when she felt a prickling on her skin and smiled. Her hammer struck a gem and the note that came out sounded perfect. She checked her notes and nodded. That was it! “Well my little rock-friends, it looks like you’ve done it! We have everything in place, just as we wanted! Now we wait for the weekend!” When the weekend came, Rarity was eagerly waiting for Sassy outside the boutique. Much to their customer’s dismay, she flipped the closed sign into place and the two left work early. “I promise we’ll be open again as early as possible tomorrow morning! Don’t be afraid, dears. We’ll hopefully have a new surprise for you, too!” She winked at them and the assembled crowd they had shunted out of the building looked at each other with undisguised glee. They ran off, talking among themselves about the new Rarity surprise. Sassy sighed and smiled. “You’ve got them loving everything you do, Rarity. Success comes simple to you, doesn’t it?” “It’s not that I’m successful, it’s that I’m willing to work. I enjoy what I create. I create for me, not for them. It’s just convenient that ponies want the same things I want.” “I guess it’s not that unique, is it?” “Of course not, darling. Make what you like, because I can assure you somepony else likes the same things.” Sassy Saddles went silent in thought as she followed Rarity through the streets of Canterlot. She finally asked, “So what is it you like? It can’t just be ‘fashion’, because everything you do is fashion, yet it all seems so unique. What theme is it you follow?” “You’re just now asking me this, darling? How is it you haven’t figured it out already? Why don’t you tell me what you think?” Rarity responded, not looking at Sassy. “I think… you like creating something new. Something nopony has ever seen before.” Rarity laughed. “That’s such a cop-out, Sassy! Everypony likes creating something new. As you said yourself; what is the theme?” “Well, out of all the things you’ve created, I don’t really see much of a theme. There was the princess dress, the hotel chic, and myriad other styles. You’ve tried a little of everything, I’d say. There’s no real ‘theme’ beyond that.” Rarity laughed again, merrily, but a little sharp. “Well, I daresay you’ll understand what I like soon enough. This should shed some light on it all, if it works.” “You haven’t explained what you’re doing, exactly. And does that mean you don’t know if it will work?” “It’s the first time I’ve tried it, Sassy. I’ve never found a suitable cave before.” “I never took you for the spelunking type, Rarity.” “My cutie mark is gemstones, darling, not clothing. I’m not rich because of the clothes, it’s the clothes I want to show off. One is a talent, the other is fun.” Sassy nodded. It did make sense. There was a part of Rarity she’d never known, though she’d heard stories. Rarity enjoyed her clothing, and it consumed much of her time, but her talent was in other places. In finding gemstones. That was unique to her. “So why are you looking for gemstones here in Canterlot?” “Beneath Canterlot, in Canterlot mountain lies a cave system of crystals, gems, and other precious stones. Untapped for generations of the ponies that have lived here. It’s a tremendous store of them, all untouched, and it was bound to have the crystals needed for what I want to do.” “Yes, what exactly is it you’re trying to do? You haven’t explained it,” Sassy asked, sidling up closer. She bumped Rarity’s hips with her own, playfully. “What altogether mysterious mystery does Rarity have in store for the ponies of Canterlot?” “Well, I have a plan,” Rarity said. “A big plan. Nopony has plans as big as me. I have the best plans.” She stared at Sassy, who looked utterly confused, then she broke out into laughter. “Oh, calm down, Sassy. I’m making fun. You’ll see when we get there, just be patient.” “If you say so. I hope it’s worth the walk, these stones are rough on my hooves.” “It will be worth it. You need to get out more, city-girl.” “Well, maybe if you brought me with you on more of these trips, I could.” “Then who would mind the shop?” Sassy grumbled and complained under her breath about being left out. She smiled at Rarity, though, who smiled back. It took them some time to reach the cave. Rarity had brought her own helmet, but Sassy was bereft of one. At Rarity’s urging, she cast a small spell over her head, hoping that would be enough. “I didn’t think about that. I always take one with me when mining. It’s safer, you see. I don’t even think about it anymore. My apologies. The cave should be safe, though. I’ve removed all the loose gems and it’s not too far in.” “I didn’t think about it either, despite the constant warning about caves. Let’s go. I should be okay.” Rarity led the way into the cavern. Gems studded the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the tunnel. Some had been removed, others cracked, and some were shaking in their roots. Rarity smiled at the sight, because it meant the ones further in were resonating properly. The closer they got, the more gems they could see that had rattled themselves free of their moorings. Sassy was confused, but Rarity was elated. Sassy was even more confused at how happy Rarity was to see them behaving in this way. “What does it mean?” “Well, to spare you a long explanation, I’m just going to tell you that the gems resonate, right?” Sassy nodded. “I would agree, they do.” “Then,” Rarity continued, “we want to see the gems resonate are a very particularly frequency.” “Why?” “I’m getting to that, Darling, be patient.” Sassy shut up and waited, following Rarity. She felt her head begin to buzz the further in they got. It wormed into her ears, and she pulled out a piece of cotton and shoved it in her ears. It helped, but didn’t get rid of it entirely. “So,” Rarity went on, “I’ve been searching for a cave with the right shape within which to perform my work. I’ve had to modify the gems inside somewhat, pulling some, adding others, and changing the acoustics of the cavern just right so that I’ll get the right sound. The sound, you see, is what matters.” “Why a sound? Are you trying to make clothing out of sound? Is that possible? I’ve seen you do some strange things, but that would certainly be one I’ve never seen before. It would set the fashion world ablaze.” Rarity laughed. “You’re wondering so many curious and strange things, Sassy! Do you want to make clothes out of sound? I don’t know how you would do that, but it’s a worthy goal. Probably not something I’ll ever seriously pursue, myself. No, I have something else in mind entirely. Something that will hopefully be explosive on the fashion scene!” “Then what is it? Oh, tell me, please!” Rarity leads her into the room and points to a spot in the middle. “Watch that spot, darling. You’ll see what I mean.” Sassy looked to the spot in what appeared to be the middle of the room. There didn’t appear to be anything special about it. It was empty, devoid of crystal, rocks, or any other things. It was flat, and unassuming. It didn’t look any different from the rest of the room. “What’s going to happen?” “Just watch, dear!” Rarity took out a tuning fork and tapped it against a crystal. She hummed the note that it gave off, then turned to face the spot she had indicated and sang the same note. “Aaaaaa~aaaaaaa~aaaaaah!” “Rarity, what will th—” She was silenced by a hoof in her face. Rarity was focused on the cavern, and not anything else. Sassy went silent. She waited unmoving while Rarity sang into the cave, curious, but confused. She turned to look at the spot Rarity had indicated, hoping she could see what was supposed to happen. The spot in the center was empty, and it continued to look empty. As Rarity continued singing her note, the crystals rang out with their own music, mimicking the note. It reverberated around the room, filling her head with that same note. It rang in her skull, and she covered her ears, trying to keep it out. It got terrible. Loud and obnoxious in the cave. Despite her hooves over her ears she couldn’t keep it out once it was in there. Her teeth hurt, and the sound filled her skull. She blinked, but her vision became blurry and red, the pressure building up harder and harder. Sassy blacked out. Rarity ignored the mare when she fell over. Her own nose was bleeding, thin lines of red trickling out, but she kept singing. The crystals pulsed and sang along with her, matching her timbre and tone. They resonated, sparkling with their own different colors and lights as their magic coalesced in the center of the room. They shimmered and shook, and though several looked like they were threatening to shake free of their positions in the walls, they held, the light in the center glowing with points piercing it, sent forth from the many decorations on the cavern. There was a flash, and then then the humming stopped. Rarity quit singing. She gazed upon her creation and smiled wide. Rarity bent down to shake Sassy. The mare stirred, only a little blood coming from her nose. “Up you get, Sassy. It’s done, and it’s complete! Behold: Crystal couture!” Sassy pulled herself to her feet and stared. She looked at the strange article of clothing in the middle of the cave. Clothing, or armor? She wasn’t sure. “Is it… clothing?” The object in question was a pony-sized suit of crystal, amalgamated together in curious formations. The crystal it was made of was a dark violet, shimmering with uncountable facets. Spears of it jutted outward, leaving frames and colors that were almost oily. The helmet was an arch of the crystals carried up and over the crest of the head, leaving room for a horn. The crystals all tilted to the left of the pony who might be wearing it. “It’s… so strange,” Sassy said. “I’m not sure what it is, but it’s certainly meant to be worn. Isn’t the color a bit… off?” “Nonsense, darling, that’s how it’s supposed to look. It’s reflecting the crystals’ innate need to reflect the world around them, and were’ in a deep, dark cave. It’s just the cave itself making it look like that. We just need to get it outside.” Rarity picked it up with her magic. “Come on!” They trekked out of the cave with the armor. It was heavy, and even Rarity’s telekinesis was pushed to its limit carrying the thing. With Sassy’s help, they carried it back to the boutique with a lot of effort, where they set it up in the middle of the show-floor. Rarity was over the moon with excitement. “I can’t wait to show everybody. I don’t think a pegasus could wear it in the same manner as an earth pony or a unicorn. It seems to be built specifically for unicorns with that hole for the horn.” “I think a unicorn here in Canterlot might want to wear it, but I wonder if they even could. It’s very heavy.” “The heavier it is, the more expensive it is, obviously. Not to mention it’s one-of-a-kind. I suspect somepony will buy it soon enough.” “It still doesn’t quite get me, if you know what I mean.” “I understand, darling, but even if it doesn’t tickle your fancy the way some other clothes might, you must admit that it being so unique is sure to draw a buyer.” Rarity looked at the darkly-colored crystals adorning the outfit. Despite the light of day spilling into the room, the crystals were no brighter than before. Their inky-black sheen almost seemed intensified in the light. (Black) “I can’t say I appreciate the color, personally, but it’s one-of-a-kind, at the very least, and all it required was a little bit of work on my part,” Rarity said. “I was certainly unique, yes. I’d never have imagined such a thing, myself. Using music and crystals to create clothing? What even inspired you, Rarity?” “Hmm? Why, music, darling.” She pulled the tuning fork from her bag and struck it against the counter. She hummed along with the tone it produced, and improvised a quick little song. “Crystals resonate at different frequencies, and if you spend enough time among them you begin to truly understand what makes them so different from each other.” “So now you have a suit of armor that will resonate, do you?” Rarity perked up, ears flipping up straight. “Why, that’s a wonderful idea!” She took the tuning fork, stopped it, then tapped it against the suit of crystal clothing. It rang out a clear tone, and the crystal clothing seemed to shimmer. The oily color inside them warped and swirled, and the sound filling their ears seemed to change. It went down in tone, then up again, wobbling. Sassy staggered. Rarity grinned. Sassy stumbled over to Rarity and put a hoof against the tuning fork. The sound stopped, the crystals quit their inner movement, and Rarity frowned. “Why would you do that, Sassy?” “Something…” She swallowed. “Something isn’t right. That’s not okay. It was doing something.” “Nonsense! It was a figment of your imagination. It’s just music. And clear, solid music at that. Clean on both the outside and the inside. Listening to it helps me clear my thoughts. Helps me to reflect on things, and when it echoes in my head, I ‘m thinking just that more clearly.” “It made me feel dizzy…” “Oh, pish-posh. It’s leftover bad air from the cave, now come, let’s get the place touched up before we open up and see who wants to buy our new clothing!” SuccessRarity watched Sassy fall to the ground without caring. She was building the fourth suit. She would sell it, and then she could build the fifth and final suit. There would be glory waiting for her then. Glory the likes of which Ponyville, Canterlot, or even Equestria had even seen. They promised her that much. The suits would be the fulfillment of that promise. The suit was finished quickly. She looked it over. It was made of white crystals, pure as snow, but laced with the faintest shadowy veins. Spiderwebs of them criss-crossed the entire thing, crackling through the chest, back, legs, and head, all coverging on the slot where the horn would go, turning the edges of the crystals as pure a black as the white was white. As Rarity looked, the beast in the portal reached out and pointed to Sassy. It nodded, and Rarity turned to follow its gaze. She turned back to it and shook her head. “No, I need her.” The humming rose, then fell, and Rarity slowly nodded. “Okay, if you say she’s necessary. I suppose I can part with her temporarily. That will help, won’t it?” The humming buzzed, and a little dust fell from the ceiling. Rarity nodded again. “I understand. I’ll make her buy it, then. She’ll want it, yes? To make it easier? When she looks at it, I mean, because this is very pretty, but she loved the snow-filled one, more.” The rumbling shook, and a single silvery crystal was passed through the portal and placed where the suit would be. Rarity gasped in delight. “Yes… yes of course.” Sassy awoke in her house. She jumped to her hooves and looked around, but it seemed she was alone. There was no Rarity, no beast, no hole in the air, and no humming sound. All was quiet. Sassy ignored her morning routine. Her makeup was left unapplied, breakfast went uneaten, and the news went unread. She raced down the street to the boutique, undressed, and slammed the door open. “Rarity!” she shrieked. Rarity jumped. She was among the racks, stacking the clothing and hanging things Sassy had ignored last night. She was tossing some things into a hamper labeled “remove”, and ironing ones that needed it, while hanging the rest up. She was holding a dress that had a rip when Sassy entered, and she dropped it. “Sassy! Good heavens, are you alright?” Rarity called out, dropping everything to rush over to the door. “Goodness, you look a fright. You’re not even dressed! What’s wrong?” Sassy pulled away from Rarity’s grasp. “You! What did you do last night? What did you make and how did you make it? I saw… I saw something assembling that suit.” At the mention of the suit Sassy’s eyes flicked about the room. They lighted on the dais where the suit of crystal clothing sat, shining brightly with its white color and black veins. Sassy choked on her words. “Oh, do you like it? It’s not as good as the snowing one, like you said, but I’m still very proud of it. Do you want it?” “What – me?” Sassy was taken aback. “I’m not as rich as those other ponies, don’t you want a wealthy pony to wear it and hold it?” “Not for this one. It’s already popular enough, I should start lowering the price, don’t you think?” Rarity reached out to touch it. Sassy took a step forward. “An everypony needs to be able to wear and buy them, and that’s all that matters. So… what do you think? Would you like to be the first everypony to have one?” Rarity’s smile was small, but sinister. Sassy couldn’t help herself. She nodded. “Yes… yes I would very much.” “Then it’s yours! For just a few easy payments of one bit a month, you can have it!” “Just… one bit per month…?” Sassy took another step forward. “Yes, yes! Just one! I’ll even take it out of your pay so you don’t have to think about it. Does that sound good?” Rarity was excited. Her eyes were wide as Sassy drew closer to the crystal suit. “Yes… I’ll… I’ll take it.” Sassy touched it. She didn’t know why she was touching it, but it felt… good. It felt normal. Everything about this; her touching the suit and about to put it on, felt like it should be happening. There was nothing else she wanted more than to put this on and wear it and be seen wearing it. It was just missing one thing. She looked around, noticing she was holding the helmet in her magic already. She felt strange panic rising as she looked around for something and couldn’t find it. “Rarity the…” Rarity held out the tuning fork. “…fork. Thank… you…” “Of course, darling. It’s pat of the experience, you know. Now… what will you do with it?” “I’m… going to wear it.” “Right now?” “Right… now.” Sassy was going to wear it. She was going to put it on. The store was late opening, but there could be no more delays. She started pulling it on. Rarity was gone by the time Sassy was dressed. She was racing excitedly down the streets, making her way to the cavern as fast as she could. Her hooves clopped along the cobbles and ponies waved to her as she rushed past, but she didn’t stop. She had an appointment. The cave was fairly vibrating when she entered. There was a physically painful hum in the air when she ran inside, and she had trouble breathing as it vibrated against her body. The portal in the center of the room was wide open and the beast was sitting, waiting. It’s one great eye locking on to her. Noise came from it, and Rarity took up her position immediately. “I’m here! I’m here! Yes, she took it! She’s putting it on now, the others will be wearing their soon enough. Now please, is this enough?” The sound came again and Rarity looked excited. A great hand brought out another shard of silvery crystal and Rarity squealed in delight. “Yes! That will be mine, will it? Yes! Yes! Yes!!” Rarity sat down and pulled out her final tuning fork. She tapped it against the crystal and it emitted a low hum. She hummed herself, slowly picking up the sound and following along with it. It filled the room, amplifying the already painful sound that filled the cavern. It burrowed into her ears, which she flattened against her head, but it was no good. The sound shook her teeth and she felt the timbre of it dig into her brain. Despite the pain, she hummed along with it, singing the tune that kept the beast in the portal building her crystal suit. It slowly took shape, piece by piece, crystal by crystal, part by part. Rarity shivered with excitement. When it was done, the silvery shimmering suit of crystal clothing stood before Rarity on the dais, just in front of the dark portal and the beast within. Rarity stopped humming and jumped forward, eagerly racing around the suit. The suit, like the others, was pliable. Despite being made of crystals, the pieces linked together through some magical means Rarity hadn’t yet figured out. They were waterproof, she had tested that, and the helmet, like the others, allowed for a unicorn’s horn. Rarity’s wasn’t a full body-covering suit, instead being made of thin strips of crystal that would drop over her croup, leaving a hole for her dock and tail. It was a dress, sort of, and it was all hers. Rarity wasted no time in putting it on. The beast in the window of darkness watched her impassively as she pulled the suit on. When she finally settled the hat over her horn, putting it through the hole on the top to let the silvery chains dangle down through and over her mane, she sighed happily. The creature reached out a hand to her then. She pulled back but still smiled at it. It pointed at her horn and hummed a loud, low note. Rarity sang it out back to the thing in her own alto voice. “Aahhhhh!” It shook its head and sang again. The deep note shook the walls of the cavern. Rarity furrowed her brow. “I don’t think I can get that low, darling.” It sang the note again. One of the crystals in her setup fall out of the ceiling and dust rained from above. Rarity went an octave lower. “Ahhhhhh!” It nodded and held the note. Rarity kept it going as long as she could, then nodded and smiled. “Thank you for the clothing. It is lovely.” Rarity turned to leave, and the creature smiled. It gave her a small wave and she waved back. She left humming that same note, going up and down, up and down. Singing high, singing low, and the whole while, the dress shimmered. Sunlight had no effect on it, but Rarity didn’t notice. She went back up to the boutique, and by the time she was there, she had an entourage of ponies fawning over her glittering dress. Ponies wanted it, ponies wanted her, ponies wanted to just stare, and ponies wanted to buy. Anypony that saw it was desperate to know the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ and the ‘when can I buy one?’. Rarity’s boutique was packed all day. Sassy and her had a neverending crowd pushing and shoving and offering bits over bits to get their hooves on the clothes they were wearing. Rarity didn’t answer any of the questions. They were her answers and hers alone. She had made the dress through effort and guile and work upon work. The clothing wasn’t easy and it never would be, but she had one, and she wasn’t going to part with it. She went home that day happy and humming. She went home that day so happy she didn’t even get undressed before she went to bed. Her eyes closed while she was standing in her living room, and she never made it. Rarity fell asleep, and then she left the house. Her eyes opened, but they weren’t her eyes anymore. They were hourglasses. Oblong in shape and warped, they watched the streets ahead as they helped her make her way through Canterlot. She walked up hills and down roads, making her way in a very specific direction to a very specific spot in town. There she met four others. The three ponies that had purchased one of Rarity’s crystal clothing line met up with her, all wearing their own outfit. The rich pony in the prototype mess Rarity had first built, the second pony who had paid the most, the snowfall in crystal, and last, Sassy in her spidery black and white outfit. They met up at a crossroads and looked at each other with hourglass eyes. Sassy was the one who started humming first. Her voice was high and lovely, humming a high-pitched note. The other three rich ponies joined in, singing counterpoint low and middling to match her in harmony. Rarity stayed silent as their voices set her ears to vibrating until she could feel it in her teeth. Rarity then stepped forward and stood in the middle to hum the deep, low note the creature below had sung for her. The road quaked. A shiver, starting from under their hooves washed out through the ground in all directions. Houses shook, masonry cracked, dust rained, and a few houses even fell over. Lights came on. Panic began, and magic glowed. Still they sang. Sassy’s eyes bled. The first pony and his crystal suit started rattling. Crystals fell from his clothing as his body and his clothing started to give out. His forehoof fell off, seemingly rattled to pieces as he bled and the muscle just let go. Despite his apparent injury he didn’t panic, he just kept singing until he collapsed in a bloody heap in the street. His suit fell apart, each individual crystal rattling to the street as whatever magic held it together gave way. The second pony followed soon after, their suit collapsed, their body ruptured, their eyes burst, and they fell to the ground. The third went after him. Rarity didn’t pay attention as Sassy gave in the same way. Her legs fell off but still she stayed, floating as her horn glowed to keep her up. Her eyes bled red until they finally disintegrated, leaving Rarity to glow in the middle of the bloody ring. Rarity’s dress shimmered darkly. The moonlight didn’t touch it as each string of crystals fluttered in an unfelt wind. She opened her mouth and sang the note as hard and loud as she could. The ground rumbled. Quakes shook outward from where she stood over and over, rattling the stone buildings, leveling everything as they blasted out to harm Canterlot. In the distance, Canterlot’s castle shimmered with protective magicks that halted the quakes in their tracks, the only building to escape the onslaught. Rarity held the note far too long. She should have run out of breath, but she kept going. Her chest collapsed inward, her dress squeezed her, crushing her as it, and she, folded in on herself. She died singing that note, disappearing into the air, only for it to explode outward. From Ponyville it could be seen, Canterlot mountain exploded as the creature’s giant arms reached out. Crystals of all sorts rained down on the countryside as the untapped crystal caves were ruptured. The castle, which had survived the quakes, collapsed down the side of the mountain. Hundreds died. The Beast was freed. The End. The SaleThey worked together to open the shop and allowed other ponies in to have a look. Rarity put the crystal outfit on display on a dais for everypony to look at, much to the interest and curiosity of ponies all around. They came by the dozens, buying other clothes in droves, they came to gawp at the crystals, but despite the interest throughout the day in looking at it, nopony wanted to buy it. Nopony even asked for a price. Rarity was devastated. “Oh, come now, Rarity,” Sassy said. “It’s the first day. You can’t expect all the curio-curious ponies to come by on the first day.” “I supposed you’re right. I was just so intent on seeing it sold sooner rather than later. I want ponies to know what it is I do, and I want them to enjoy the sounds as much as I enjoy it.” “Sound?” “You know, like we discussed earlier. The resonance of the crystals.” “Rarity… I don’t think most ponies can even sense it or care about it. I don’t hear anything. The only thing I felt was that dizziness.” Rarity stopped and leaned on the counter. “you really didn’t feel it at all? It was so comforting. It’s there right now, coming from the suit. It’s so… so calming.” Rarity walked out from behind the counter and went to lean on the crystal outfit. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Do you think I should try it on?” Sassy made a face that spoke volumes about how uncomfortable it made her. “I don’t think so, no. You don’t want to sell second-hoof good.” Rarity pulled herself up. “Right as always, salespony Sassy. I can’t in good conscience sell something that’s been pre-worn. I know my measurements are up to snuff, and I know it’ll fit ponies within that range, but oh! How I would love to wear it myself.” “Can’t you make more?” “I could, yes, but I want to ensure that their ‘rarity’ remains rare enough that the price remains unchanged. At least for the first few.” She raised a hoof and swung it in an arc. “Rarity’s crystal couture!” She looked at Sassy. “The rarity will drive the prices up, you know.” “But if you want ponies to enjoy the resonance, as you call it, wouldn’t you want to make more?” “Yes, but not immediately. Not yet.” “Then what are you waiting for?” “I’m waiting for the right moment. Once the first has been bought, then the next will be made, and not before.” “And you think somepony will buy this?” “I’m certain of it. Just wait and see!” Wait they did. In three days Rarity heard word from somepony that a rich pony would be coming by. It was one of the rich ponies in upper Canterlot. They bought it in an instant, without any haggling. Cash instantly, leaving Rarity with a sizable pile of bits. Sassy was amazed, disturbed, and impressed at the pony’s wealth, but mostly amazed at how Rarity didn’t seem to care at all about the bits. She rushed to see the man out of the store with his prize, and at the last second, passed him a tuning fork. He looked at it curiously, and Sassy couldn’t hear what she said, but she wanted desperately to know. The moment she had a second, she asked Rarity what it was all about. “Rarity, what did you give him? It looked like a tuning fork? What was that for?” Sassy asked. “Well, he can’t very well hear anything if there’s nothing to hear, right? You said yourself you didn’t hear anything, so I gave him the fork so that he can make the sound for himself,” Rarity explained. “I… see. That makes sense.” “Yes, and I’ll give one to the next pony, too!” “You mean… you’ll make more crystal suits?” “Of course, darling! That one was such a success, it just makes sense! It will be glorious!” Rarity said, pumping a hoof. “Oh… okay.” “You don’t agree?” “I don’t understand! The suit is so strange and the song so… odd, what purpose does it all serve?” “Fashion, darling?” Rarity’s eyes twinkled, but in them, Sassy was seeing something different. Something… dangerous. Days passed, and Sassy waited to see when Rarity was going to bring out the next suit of crystal armor. She watched her like a hawk as days passed, but she never saw Rarity leave the shop at any time during the day, and every morning she came in she had no new suit of crystal clothes. She almost forgot about it until Rarity went home to Ponyville for several weeks, then came back, bringing with her a new suit. “Sassy, darling! Good news! I’ve succeeded in creating the next outfit in my line of crystal clothes! I call this one; Terrific Topaz!” she declared. True to her statement, the crystals in this outfit were a yellowish color, and they seemed to glow. Sassy approached warily, and saw that the colors in the crystals were smoky, seemingly filled with clouds that churned inside the facts of it. And facets there were, many of them covering the surface of the—honestly ugly—clothes. “Rarity, my dear, I’m… glad you came back to visit, and I’m happy to see you’ve made another suit, but… isn’t it a bit… ugly?” Sassy ventured, with a small, ingratiating smile. “Sassy, of course it’s ugly! It’s supposed to be ugly. Ponies don’t want the perfection of normal clothing like everypony else is wearing, the truly fashionable want to be seen in something that breaks the mold, that challenges the senses! Something that truly makes them think about why they’re wearing clothes in the first place!” “We wear clothing to feel good about putting something on. To stand out.” Rarity whirled on her. “Exactly! And when you put this suit of horrendous crystal clothing on, the pony that wears it will remind everypony and themselves that clothing isn’t made to serve any true function, but its function is to be a reminder that ugliness exists, and we must fight it!” It was a speech, but Sassy wasn’t convinced. That hint of something further behind Rarity’s eyes was still there, and in her wavering pupils Sassy could see that same madness that had haunted her before. It’s wasn’t normal. Rarity was up to something, and Sassy couldn’t figure it out. But she said nothing. She couldn’t say anything. She could only wait while Rarity did her thing and made and sold clothes. She couldn’t know what she could do other than destroy the suit, but then Rarity would just make a new one. She needed to understand. To fully get what Rarity was doing before she could intercede. Rarity sold this suit in a week after bringing it to the shop. Ponies saw it, ponies talked, and although the same pony came back to check up on what Rarity had made, he didn’t want a second one. He said it didn’t “sound” the same. That worried Sassy. That meant there was something to the sounds of the suit, like Rarity said. “The pony that did buy it was rich. He was no Fancy Pants, but he was rich, and he was a unicorn. He even wanted to try it on before he bought it. He went into a dressing room, removed his fine had and silken clothes and marched out wearing the yellow, cloudy crystal clothing. He moved stiffly, but he was so proud of it, like he had done something amazing. Ponies laughed, but when Rarity started espousing the virtues of the outfit to them like she had done to Sassy, they all listened. They nodded, and sales went up. It was a magic Sassy was familiar with. A magic specific to Rarity, it seemed. Sassy just sold clothes and watched as the pony left the shop, carrying a tuning fork and his old clothes in his magic, just as Rarity wanted. Rarity’s eyes glittered. Rarity returned to Ponyville the next day. She was gone for another month, and when she came back it was with another suit. Sassy had asked to be invited to watch, but Rarity hadn’t called upon her. She just marched in, bearing a sapphire suit of clothes that carried within them the chill of a winter’s morning. The clouds in these crystals reminded Sassy of the dark grey of a winter storm, tinged with blue. They were cool to the touch and the storms within wavered in the light. Specks of white even seemed to fall from them from her hoof tapping it, and Sassy watched, transfixed, as they seemed to fall from one crystal to the next, down, down, down the suit to the hooves, where they frustratingly didn’t collect in a pool at the bottom. “This… is amazing, Rarity! The color! The shapes, and the snow! How did you do it?” She stands up and storms over to Rarity. “How does the crystal cave make these? This one is amazing!” “You sing to it, Sassy. I told you. The song determines the make of it, but it is always built to house a unicorn. Each one needs a unicorn to properly function and bring the song out of it. That’s important.” “Why… is that important?” “Oh, Sassy. If you don’t know, I can’t explain it to you,” She adjusted the suit and flipped the closed sign to open. “You just have to wait until you can hear the song properly.” A crowd piled in, eagerly seeking out the dais in the center so they could gush about the new crystal suit. Cameras flashed, ponies squealed, and clothes disappeared off the racks. Several rich ponies came in asking to buy the suit, but Rarity declined them all. In the middle of the melee, Sassy couldn’t fathom why Rarity would deny them the suit since she had wanted so badly to see them gone from the store before, but she didn’t have a chance to ask until much later after the store was closed. “Why didn’t you sell the suit, Rarity. You wanted the others gone so soon, what’s different now?” “Now the song is almost complete. I can’t give this away to anypony. I’m waiting for a very specific pony to come and get it. It’s for him, and it wouldn’t do to let just any other pony have it, you know.” “I… surely don’t know.” “Oh, Sassy…” Rarity looked at her, disappointed. Sassy felt insulted but she wasn’t sure why. None of this was making any sense, but it was making her uncomfortable. She resolved to follow Rarity the next time. The suit sold the very next day. The stallion that Rarity apparently meant to have it came by and paid an outrageous sum for it. It left with him, along with a tuning fork. Rarity left immediately after without a word, leaving Sassy alone. This was her chance! She ignored the cleanup. It was something that could be done early in the morning before opening. She’d just have to arrive early. She slipped away from the shop and followed Rarity at a distance. She was following the same path as before, heading into the cave beneath Canterlot. When Sassy entered, she cast a silence spell on her hooves. The stones rang around her already, but each movement, and the clop of Rarity’s hooves further inside were amplified within. She heard everything, from the beating of her heart to the rushing of her blood, to the tiniest hum of the crystals. She arrived after Rarity, just in time to hear the beginnings of her hum and the ring of a tuning fork. The room Sassy found was far different than before. Instead of an empty cavern filled with crystals on all sides and a small raised section in the middle, what Sassy saw was a gaping hole that shivered and resonated with the ringing in her ears. A creature reached out, placing tiny crystal after tiny crystal into place as it built a suit of crystal clothing for Rarity. Rarity, for her part, sat where she had that first time, leaning back and forth as she hummed along with the ringing sound that filled Sassy’s ears. If she saw the beast, she made no indication. If she knew what she was doing to get her crystal clothing, she gave no sign. Sassy couldn’t stifle a gasp. Rarity turned to look and smirked at her, all while continuing her humming. The beast continued his assembly of the suit of crystal clothing, not making any indication it knew Sassy was there. Sassy just watched, stared, and eventually fell over, unconscious.
CreationThe stones rang. Rarity tapped the gem again, listening to the sing-song peal of crystal all around her. The gems of the same color and rough size vibrated momentarily in place, seized by the notes that filled the air. When they stopped, she nodded, picked up her notebook and wrote down the note, the size, shape, color, and marked the location on a small map she carried with her. She went to another one and pulled out a tape measure. She measured the length of the crystal sticking out of the stone wall, then carefully measured the angle of its facets. She shook her head and seized it in her magic and pulled. It didn’t come immediately, so she took a small pick out of her bag and tapped carefully at the stone holding it. Bit by bit the stone chipped away until the crystal shifted and it popped free. She held it up and looked it over, assessing the crystal in her magical grip. She made more notes, but ultimately shook her head and placed it on the ground near where she had found it. She did this several more times at different locations in the cave. There were markings on the walls all around the cave, scribbled into place on the stone, not the crystals, marking something only she was aware of. When she reached a number of markings she folded up her notebook, picked up the crystals she had removed from the wall and left. She made her way back into Canterlot to her boutique. She removed her helmet as she approached and fixed her mane. Upon walking inside she was greeted by Sassy Saddles, who was helping a customer pick out a dress. “Welcome back, Rarity! Did you find what you were looking for?” Rarity dumped the gems into a nearby basket and hung her helmet on a hook, then covered it with a dress. “Yes, Sassy, but I’m not sure if it will work out the way I hoped. There’s something off about it.” “Off?” “Yes. The tone isn’t resonating quite right. I’ve been removing gems to help modify it, but I don’t know if there’s enough that it will work.” “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. It’s for fashion, after all.” “Yes, but I’m not sure I want to test it until I’m sure it works the way I want.” “Well, I’d be happy to assist any time.” “Thank you, Sassy. Maybe this weekend. It’s being preserved for me, after all. It helps to have friends in high places.” Sassy clapped her hooves in delight. The dress she was adjusting on the pony standing on next to her slipped, and she quickly reached out to catch it. “Oooo! You still haven’t told me what you’re doing, will I get to see the big picture then?” “If all goes well, yes. There’s still more work I have to do before then, but It might be working properly by the weekend.” “I can’t wait! This has me all a-flutter, Rarity!” “This weekend, then.” “Absolutely!” Rarity was back in the cave the next day. She was pushing and prodding at more crystals yet again. The sound of ringing stone filled the air. This time she’d brought a few bricks in a cart, which she had set up around the cavern. She spent the day shifting them back and forth, trying to find the right position among the crystals to get the correct sound. It needed to be just right, and she was close, she could feel it. It rang inside her head so closely to what she wanted. She pulled out her notebook and checked her notes. She cleared her throat and sang out the notes she had written on the page. “Aaaa~ aaaa~ aaaaaaaa!” When she sang, the stones resonated and glowed. The air smelled of ozone and her mane and tail stood on end. She stopped when she felt a prickling on her skin and smiled. Her hammer struck a gem and the note that came out sounded perfect. She checked her notes and nodded. That was it! “Well my little rock-friends, it looks like you’ve done it! We have everything in place, just as we wanted! Now we wait for the weekend!” When the weekend came, Rarity was eagerly waiting for Sassy outside the boutique. Much to their customer’s dismay, she flipped the closed sign into place and the two left work early. “I promise we’ll be open again as early as possible tomorrow morning! Don’t be afraid, dears. We’ll hopefully have a new surprise for you, too!” She winked at them and the assembled crowd they had shunted out of the building looked at each other with undisguised glee. They ran off, talking among themselves about the new Rarity surprise. Sassy sighed and smiled. “You’ve got them loving everything you do, Rarity. Success comes simple to you, doesn’t it?” “It’s not that I’m successful, it’s that I’m willing to work. I enjoy what I create. I create for me, not for them. It’s just convenient that ponies want the same things I want.” “I guess it’s not that unique, is it?” “Of course not, darling. Make what you like, because I can assure you somepony else likes the same things.” Sassy Saddles went silent in thought as she followed Rarity through the streets of Canterlot. She finally asked, “So what is it you like? It can’t just be ‘fashion’, because everything you do is fashion, yet it all seems so unique. What theme is it you follow?” “You’re just now asking me this, darling? How is it you haven’t figured it out already? Why don’t you tell me what you think?” Rarity responded, not looking at Sassy. “I think… you like creating something new. Something nopony has ever seen before.” Rarity laughed. “That’s such a cop-out, Sassy! Everypony likes creating something new. As you said yourself; what is the theme?” “Well, out of all the things you’ve created, I don’t really see much of a theme. There was the princess dress, the hotel chic, and myriad other styles. You’ve tried a little of everything, I’d say. There’s no real ‘theme’ beyond that.” Rarity laughed again, merrily, but a little sharp. “Well, I daresay you’ll understand what I like soon enough. This should shed some light on it all, if it works.” “You haven’t explained what you’re doing, exactly. And does that mean you don’t know if it will work?” “It’s the first time I’ve tried it, Sassy. I’ve never found a suitable cave before.” “I never took you for the spelunking type, Rarity.” “My cutie mark is gemstones, darling, not clothing. I’m not rich because of the clothes, it’s the clothes I want to show off. One is a talent, the other is fun.” Sassy nodded. It did make sense. There was a part of Rarity she’d never known, though she’d heard stories. Rarity enjoyed her clothing, and it consumed much of her time, but her talent was in other places. In finding gemstones. That was unique to her. “So why are you looking for gemstones here in Canterlot?” “Beneath Canterlot, in Canterlot mountain lies a cave system of crystals, gems, and other precious stones. Untapped for generations of the ponies that have lived here. It’s a tremendous store of them, all untouched, and it was bound to have the crystals needed for what I want to do.” “Yes, what exactly is it you’re trying to do? You haven’t explained it,” Sassy asked, sidling up closer. She bumped Rarity’s hips with her own, playfully. “What altogether mysterious mystery does Rarity have in store for the ponies of Canterlot?” “Well, I have a plan,” Rarity said. “A big plan. Nopony has plans as big as me. I have the best plans.” She stared at Sassy, who looked utterly confused, then she broke out into laughter. “Oh, calm down, Sassy. I’m making fun. You’ll see when we get there, just be patient.” “If you say so. I hope it’s worth the walk, these stones are rough on my hooves.” “It will be worth it. You need to get out more, city-girl.” “Well, maybe if you brought me with you on more of these trips, I could.” “Then who would mind the shop?” Sassy grumbled and complained under her breath about being left out. She smiled at Rarity, though, who smiled back. It took them some time to reach the cave. Rarity had brought her own helmet, but Sassy was bereft of one. At Rarity’s urging, she cast a small spell over her head, hoping that would be enough. “I didn’t think about that. I always take one with me when mining. It’s safer, you see. I don’t even think about it anymore. My apologies. The cave should be safe, though. I’ve removed all the loose gems and it’s not too far in.” “I didn’t think about it either, despite the constant warning about caves. Let’s go. I should be okay.” Rarity led the way into the cavern. Gems studded the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the tunnel. Some had been removed, others cracked, and some were shaking in their roots. Rarity smiled at the sight, because it meant the ones further in were resonating properly. The closer they got, the more gems they could see that had rattled themselves free of their moorings. Sassy was confused, but Rarity was elated. Sassy was even more confused at how happy Rarity was to see them behaving in this way. “What does it mean?” “Well, to spare you a long explanation, I’m just going to tell you that the gems resonate, right?” Sassy nodded. “I would agree, they do.” “Then,” Rarity continued, “we want to see the gems resonate are a very particularly frequency.” “Why?” “I’m getting to that, Darling, be patient.” Sassy shut up and waited, following Rarity. She felt her head begin to buzz the further in they got. It wormed into her ears, and she pulled out a piece of cotton and shoved it in her ears. It helped, but didn’t get rid of it entirely. “So,” Rarity went on, “I’ve been searching for a cave with the right shape within which to perform my work. I’ve had to modify the gems inside somewhat, pulling some, adding others, and changing the acoustics of the cavern just right so that I’ll get the right sound. The sound, you see, is what matters.” “Why a sound? Are you trying to make clothing out of sound? Is that possible? I’ve seen you do some strange things, but that would certainly be one I’ve never seen before. It would set the fashion world ablaze.” Rarity laughed. “You’re wondering so many curious and strange things, Sassy! Do you want to make clothes out of sound? I don’t know how you would do that, but it’s a worthy goal. Probably not something I’ll ever seriously pursue, myself. No, I have something else in mind entirely. Something that will hopefully be explosive on the fashion scene!” “Then what is it? Oh, tell me, please!” Rarity leads her into the room and points to a spot in the middle. “Watch that spot, darling. You’ll see what I mean.” Sassy looked to the spot in what appeared to be the middle of the room. There didn’t appear to be anything special about it. It was empty, devoid of crystal, rocks, or any other things. It was flat, and unassuming. It didn’t look any different from the rest of the room. “What’s going to happen?” “Just watch, dear!” Rarity took out a tuning fork and tapped it against a crystal. She hummed the note that it gave off, then turned to face the spot she had indicated and sang the same note. “Aaaaaa~aaaaaaa~aaaaaah!” “Rarity, what will th—” She was silenced by a hoof in her face. Rarity was focused on the cavern, and not anything else. Sassy went silent. She waited unmoving while Rarity sang into the cave, curious, but confused. She turned to look at the spot Rarity had indicated, hoping she could see what was supposed to happen. The spot in the center was empty, and it continued to look empty. As Rarity continued singing her note, the crystals rang out with their own music, mimicking the note. It reverberated around the room, filling her head with that same note. It rang in her skull, and she covered her ears, trying to keep it out. It got terrible. Loud and obnoxious in the cave. Despite her hooves over her ears she couldn’t keep it out once it was in there. Her teeth hurt, and the sound filled her skull. She blinked, but her vision became blurry and red, the pressure building up harder and harder. Sassy blacked out. Rarity ignored the mare when she fell over. Her own nose was bleeding, thin lines of red trickling out, but she kept singing. The crystals pulsed and sang along with her, matching her timbre and tone. They resonated, sparkling with their own different colors and lights as their magic coalesced in the center of the room. They shimmered and shook, and though several looked like they were threatening to shake free of their positions in the walls, they held, the light in the center glowing with points piercing it, sent forth from the many decorations on the cavern. There was a flash, and then then the humming stopped. Rarity quit singing. She gazed upon her creation and smiled wide. Rarity bent down to shake Sassy. The mare stirred, only a little blood coming from her nose. “Up you get, Sassy. It’s done, and it’s complete! Behold: Crystal couture!” Sassy pulled herself to her feet and stared. She looked at the strange article of clothing in the middle of the cave. Clothing, or armor? She wasn’t sure. “Is it… clothing?” The object in question was a pony-sized suit of crystal, amalgamated together in curious formations. The crystal it was made of was a dark violet, shimmering with uncountable facets. Spears of it jutted outward, leaving frames and colors that were almost oily. The helmet was an arch of the crystals carried up and over the crest of the head, leaving room for a horn. The crystals all tilted to the left of the pony who might be wearing it. “It’s… so strange,” Sassy said. “I’m not sure what it is, but it’s certainly meant to be worn. Isn’t the color a bit… off?” “Nonsense, darling, that’s how it’s supposed to look. It’s reflecting the crystals’ innate need to reflect the world around them, and were’ in a deep, dark cave. It’s just the cave itself making it look like that. We just need to get it outside.” Rarity picked it up with her magic. “Come on!” They trekked out of the cave with the armor. It was heavy, and even Rarity’s telekinesis was pushed to its limit carrying the thing. With Sassy’s help, they carried it back to the boutique with a lot of effort, where they set it up in the middle of the show-floor. Rarity was over the moon with excitement. “I can’t wait to show everybody. I don’t think a pegasus could wear it in the same manner as an earth pony or a unicorn. It seems to be built specifically for unicorns with that hole for the horn.” “I think a unicorn here in Canterlot might want to wear it, but I wonder if they even could. It’s very heavy.” “The heavier it is, the more expensive it is, obviously. Not to mention it’s one-of-a-kind. I suspect somepony will buy it soon enough.” “It still doesn’t quite get me, if you know what I mean.” “I understand, darling, but even if it doesn’t tickle your fancy the way some other clothes might, you must admit that it being so unique is sure to draw a buyer.” Rarity looked at the darkly-colored crystals adorning the outfit. Despite the light of day spilling into the room, the crystals were no brighter than before. Their inky-black sheen almost seemed intensified in the light. (Black) “I can’t say I appreciate the color, personally, but it’s one-of-a-kind, at the very least, and all it required was a little bit of work on my part,” Rarity said. “I was certainly unique, yes. I’d never have imagined such a thing, myself. Using music and crystals to create clothing? What even inspired you, Rarity?” “Hmm? Why, music, darling.” She pulled the tuning fork from her bag and struck it against the counter. She hummed along with the tone it produced, and improvised a quick little song. “Crystals resonate at different frequencies, and if you spend enough time among them you begin to truly understand what makes them so different from each other.” “So now you have a suit of armor that will resonate, do you?” Rarity perked up, ears flipping up straight. “Why, that’s a wonderful idea!” She took the tuning fork, stopped it, then tapped it against the suit of crystal clothing. It rang out a clear tone, and the crystal clothing seemed to shimmer. The oily color inside them warped and swirled, and the sound filling their ears seemed to change. It went down in tone, then up again, wobbling. Sassy staggered. Rarity grinned. Sassy stumbled over to Rarity and put a hoof against the tuning fork. The sound stopped, the crystals quit their inner movement, and Rarity frowned. “Why would you do that, Sassy?” “Something…” She swallowed. “Something isn’t right. That’s not okay. It was doing something.” “Nonsense! It was a figment of your imagination. It’s just music. And clear, solid music at that. Clean on both the outside and the inside. Listening to it helps me clear my thoughts. Helps me to reflect on things, and when it echoes in my head, I ‘m thinking just that more clearly.” “It made me feel dizzy…” “Oh, pish-posh. It’s leftover bad air from the cave, now come, let’s get the place touched up before we open up and see who wants to buy our new clothing!”
SuccessRarity watched Sassy fall to the ground without caring. She was building the fourth suit. She would sell it, and then she could build the fifth and final suit. There would be glory waiting for her then. Glory the likes of which Ponyville, Canterlot, or even Equestria had even seen. They promised her that much. The suits would be the fulfillment of that promise. The suit was finished quickly. She looked it over. It was made of white crystals, pure as snow, but laced with the faintest shadowy veins. Spiderwebs of them criss-crossed the entire thing, crackling through the chest, back, legs, and head, all coverging on the slot where the horn would go, turning the edges of the crystals as pure a black as the white was white. As Rarity looked, the beast in the portal reached out and pointed to Sassy. It nodded, and Rarity turned to follow its gaze. She turned back to it and shook her head. “No, I need her.” The humming rose, then fell, and Rarity slowly nodded. “Okay, if you say she’s necessary. I suppose I can part with her temporarily. That will help, won’t it?” The humming buzzed, and a little dust fell from the ceiling. Rarity nodded again. “I understand. I’ll make her buy it, then. She’ll want it, yes? To make it easier? When she looks at it, I mean, because this is very pretty, but she loved the snow-filled one, more.” The rumbling shook, and a single silvery crystal was passed through the portal and placed where the suit would be. Rarity gasped in delight. “Yes… yes of course.” Sassy awoke in her house. She jumped to her hooves and looked around, but it seemed she was alone. There was no Rarity, no beast, no hole in the air, and no humming sound. All was quiet. Sassy ignored her morning routine. Her makeup was left unapplied, breakfast went uneaten, and the news went unread. She raced down the street to the boutique, undressed, and slammed the door open. “Rarity!” she shrieked. Rarity jumped. She was among the racks, stacking the clothing and hanging things Sassy had ignored last night. She was tossing some things into a hamper labeled “remove”, and ironing ones that needed it, while hanging the rest up. She was holding a dress that had a rip when Sassy entered, and she dropped it. “Sassy! Good heavens, are you alright?” Rarity called out, dropping everything to rush over to the door. “Goodness, you look a fright. You’re not even dressed! What’s wrong?” Sassy pulled away from Rarity’s grasp. “You! What did you do last night? What did you make and how did you make it? I saw… I saw something assembling that suit.” At the mention of the suit Sassy’s eyes flicked about the room. They lighted on the dais where the suit of crystal clothing sat, shining brightly with its white color and black veins. Sassy choked on her words. “Oh, do you like it? It’s not as good as the snowing one, like you said, but I’m still very proud of it. Do you want it?” “What – me?” Sassy was taken aback. “I’m not as rich as those other ponies, don’t you want a wealthy pony to wear it and hold it?” “Not for this one. It’s already popular enough, I should start lowering the price, don’t you think?” Rarity reached out to touch it. Sassy took a step forward. “An everypony needs to be able to wear and buy them, and that’s all that matters. So… what do you think? Would you like to be the first everypony to have one?” Rarity’s smile was small, but sinister. Sassy couldn’t help herself. She nodded. “Yes… yes I would very much.” “Then it’s yours! For just a few easy payments of one bit a month, you can have it!” “Just… one bit per month…?” Sassy took another step forward. “Yes, yes! Just one! I’ll even take it out of your pay so you don’t have to think about it. Does that sound good?” Rarity was excited. Her eyes were wide as Sassy drew closer to the crystal suit. “Yes… I’ll… I’ll take it.” Sassy touched it. She didn’t know why she was touching it, but it felt… good. It felt normal. Everything about this; her touching the suit and about to put it on, felt like it should be happening. There was nothing else she wanted more than to put this on and wear it and be seen wearing it. It was just missing one thing. She looked around, noticing she was holding the helmet in her magic already. She felt strange panic rising as she looked around for something and couldn’t find it. “Rarity the…” Rarity held out the tuning fork. “…fork. Thank… you…” “Of course, darling. It’s pat of the experience, you know. Now… what will you do with it?” “I’m… going to wear it.” “Right now?” “Right… now.” Sassy was going to wear it. She was going to put it on. The store was late opening, but there could be no more delays. She started pulling it on. Rarity was gone by the time Sassy was dressed. She was racing excitedly down the streets, making her way to the cavern as fast as she could. Her hooves clopped along the cobbles and ponies waved to her as she rushed past, but she didn’t stop. She had an appointment. The cave was fairly vibrating when she entered. There was a physically painful hum in the air when she ran inside, and she had trouble breathing as it vibrated against her body. The portal in the center of the room was wide open and the beast was sitting, waiting. It’s one great eye locking on to her. Noise came from it, and Rarity took up her position immediately. “I’m here! I’m here! Yes, she took it! She’s putting it on now, the others will be wearing their soon enough. Now please, is this enough?” The sound came again and Rarity looked excited. A great hand brought out another shard of silvery crystal and Rarity squealed in delight. “Yes! That will be mine, will it? Yes! Yes! Yes!!” Rarity sat down and pulled out her final tuning fork. She tapped it against the crystal and it emitted a low hum. She hummed herself, slowly picking up the sound and following along with it. It filled the room, amplifying the already painful sound that filled the cavern. It burrowed into her ears, which she flattened against her head, but it was no good. The sound shook her teeth and she felt the timbre of it dig into her brain. Despite the pain, she hummed along with it, singing the tune that kept the beast in the portal building her crystal suit. It slowly took shape, piece by piece, crystal by crystal, part by part. Rarity shivered with excitement. When it was done, the silvery shimmering suit of crystal clothing stood before Rarity on the dais, just in front of the dark portal and the beast within. Rarity stopped humming and jumped forward, eagerly racing around the suit. The suit, like the others, was pliable. Despite being made of crystals, the pieces linked together through some magical means Rarity hadn’t yet figured out. They were waterproof, she had tested that, and the helmet, like the others, allowed for a unicorn’s horn. Rarity’s wasn’t a full body-covering suit, instead being made of thin strips of crystal that would drop over her croup, leaving a hole for her dock and tail. It was a dress, sort of, and it was all hers. Rarity wasted no time in putting it on. The beast in the window of darkness watched her impassively as she pulled the suit on. When she finally settled the hat over her horn, putting it through the hole on the top to let the silvery chains dangle down through and over her mane, she sighed happily. The creature reached out a hand to her then. She pulled back but still smiled at it. It pointed at her horn and hummed a loud, low note. Rarity sang it out back to the thing in her own alto voice. “Aahhhhh!” It shook its head and sang again. The deep note shook the walls of the cavern. Rarity furrowed her brow. “I don’t think I can get that low, darling.” It sang the note again. One of the crystals in her setup fall out of the ceiling and dust rained from above. Rarity went an octave lower. “Ahhhhhh!” It nodded and held the note. Rarity kept it going as long as she could, then nodded and smiled. “Thank you for the clothing. It is lovely.” Rarity turned to leave, and the creature smiled. It gave her a small wave and she waved back. She left humming that same note, going up and down, up and down. Singing high, singing low, and the whole while, the dress shimmered. Sunlight had no effect on it, but Rarity didn’t notice. She went back up to the boutique, and by the time she was there, she had an entourage of ponies fawning over her glittering dress. Ponies wanted it, ponies wanted her, ponies wanted to just stare, and ponies wanted to buy. Anypony that saw it was desperate to know the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ and the ‘when can I buy one?’. Rarity’s boutique was packed all day. Sassy and her had a neverending crowd pushing and shoving and offering bits over bits to get their hooves on the clothes they were wearing. Rarity didn’t answer any of the questions. They were her answers and hers alone. She had made the dress through effort and guile and work upon work. The clothing wasn’t easy and it never would be, but she had one, and she wasn’t going to part with it. She went home that day happy and humming. She went home that day so happy she didn’t even get undressed before she went to bed. Her eyes closed while she was standing in her living room, and she never made it. Rarity fell asleep, and then she left the house. Her eyes opened, but they weren’t her eyes anymore. They were hourglasses. Oblong in shape and warped, they watched the streets ahead as they helped her make her way through Canterlot. She walked up hills and down roads, making her way in a very specific direction to a very specific spot in town. There she met four others. The three ponies that had purchased one of Rarity’s crystal clothing line met up with her, all wearing their own outfit. The rich pony in the prototype mess Rarity had first built, the second pony who had paid the most, the snowfall in crystal, and last, Sassy in her spidery black and white outfit. They met up at a crossroads and looked at each other with hourglass eyes. Sassy was the one who started humming first. Her voice was high and lovely, humming a high-pitched note. The other three rich ponies joined in, singing counterpoint low and middling to match her in harmony. Rarity stayed silent as their voices set her ears to vibrating until she could feel it in her teeth. Rarity then stepped forward and stood in the middle to hum the deep, low note the creature below had sung for her. The road quaked. A shiver, starting from under their hooves washed out through the ground in all directions. Houses shook, masonry cracked, dust rained, and a few houses even fell over. Lights came on. Panic began, and magic glowed. Still they sang. Sassy’s eyes bled. The first pony and his crystal suit started rattling. Crystals fell from his clothing as his body and his clothing started to give out. His forehoof fell off, seemingly rattled to pieces as he bled and the muscle just let go. Despite his apparent injury he didn’t panic, he just kept singing until he collapsed in a bloody heap in the street. His suit fell apart, each individual crystal rattling to the street as whatever magic held it together gave way. The second pony followed soon after, their suit collapsed, their body ruptured, their eyes burst, and they fell to the ground. The third went after him. Rarity didn’t pay attention as Sassy gave in the same way. Her legs fell off but still she stayed, floating as her horn glowed to keep her up. Her eyes bled red until they finally disintegrated, leaving Rarity to glow in the middle of the bloody ring. Rarity’s dress shimmered darkly. The moonlight didn’t touch it as each string of crystals fluttered in an unfelt wind. She opened her mouth and sang the note as hard and loud as she could. The ground rumbled. Quakes shook outward from where she stood over and over, rattling the stone buildings, leveling everything as they blasted out to harm Canterlot. In the distance, Canterlot’s castle shimmered with protective magicks that halted the quakes in their tracks, the only building to escape the onslaught. Rarity held the note far too long. She should have run out of breath, but she kept going. Her chest collapsed inward, her dress squeezed her, crushing her as it, and she, folded in on herself. She died singing that note, disappearing into the air, only for it to explode outward. From Ponyville it could be seen, Canterlot mountain exploded as the creature’s giant arms reached out. Crystals of all sorts rained down on the countryside as the untapped crystal caves were ruptured. The castle, which had survived the quakes, collapsed down the side of the mountain. Hundreds died. The Beast was freed. The End.
The SaleThey worked together to open the shop and allowed other ponies in to have a look. Rarity put the crystal outfit on display on a dais for everypony to look at, much to the interest and curiosity of ponies all around. They came by the dozens, buying other clothes in droves, they came to gawp at the crystals, but despite the interest throughout the day in looking at it, nopony wanted to buy it. Nopony even asked for a price. Rarity was devastated. “Oh, come now, Rarity,” Sassy said. “It’s the first day. You can’t expect all the curio-curious ponies to come by on the first day.” “I supposed you’re right. I was just so intent on seeing it sold sooner rather than later. I want ponies to know what it is I do, and I want them to enjoy the sounds as much as I enjoy it.” “Sound?” “You know, like we discussed earlier. The resonance of the crystals.” “Rarity… I don’t think most ponies can even sense it or care about it. I don’t hear anything. The only thing I felt was that dizziness.” Rarity stopped and leaned on the counter. “you really didn’t feel it at all? It was so comforting. It’s there right now, coming from the suit. It’s so… so calming.” Rarity walked out from behind the counter and went to lean on the crystal outfit. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Do you think I should try it on?” Sassy made a face that spoke volumes about how uncomfortable it made her. “I don’t think so, no. You don’t want to sell second-hoof good.” Rarity pulled herself up. “Right as always, salespony Sassy. I can’t in good conscience sell something that’s been pre-worn. I know my measurements are up to snuff, and I know it’ll fit ponies within that range, but oh! How I would love to wear it myself.” “Can’t you make more?” “I could, yes, but I want to ensure that their ‘rarity’ remains rare enough that the price remains unchanged. At least for the first few.” She raised a hoof and swung it in an arc. “Rarity’s crystal couture!” She looked at Sassy. “The rarity will drive the prices up, you know.” “But if you want ponies to enjoy the resonance, as you call it, wouldn’t you want to make more?” “Yes, but not immediately. Not yet.” “Then what are you waiting for?” “I’m waiting for the right moment. Once the first has been bought, then the next will be made, and not before.” “And you think somepony will buy this?” “I’m certain of it. Just wait and see!” Wait they did. In three days Rarity heard word from somepony that a rich pony would be coming by. It was one of the rich ponies in upper Canterlot. They bought it in an instant, without any haggling. Cash instantly, leaving Rarity with a sizable pile of bits. Sassy was amazed, disturbed, and impressed at the pony’s wealth, but mostly amazed at how Rarity didn’t seem to care at all about the bits. She rushed to see the man out of the store with his prize, and at the last second, passed him a tuning fork. He looked at it curiously, and Sassy couldn’t hear what she said, but she wanted desperately to know. The moment she had a second, she asked Rarity what it was all about. “Rarity, what did you give him? It looked like a tuning fork? What was that for?” Sassy asked. “Well, he can’t very well hear anything if there’s nothing to hear, right? You said yourself you didn’t hear anything, so I gave him the fork so that he can make the sound for himself,” Rarity explained. “I… see. That makes sense.” “Yes, and I’ll give one to the next pony, too!” “You mean… you’ll make more crystal suits?” “Of course, darling! That one was such a success, it just makes sense! It will be glorious!” Rarity said, pumping a hoof. “Oh… okay.” “You don’t agree?” “I don’t understand! The suit is so strange and the song so… odd, what purpose does it all serve?” “Fashion, darling?” Rarity’s eyes twinkled, but in them, Sassy was seeing something different. Something… dangerous. Days passed, and Sassy waited to see when Rarity was going to bring out the next suit of crystal armor. She watched her like a hawk as days passed, but she never saw Rarity leave the shop at any time during the day, and every morning she came in she had no new suit of crystal clothes. She almost forgot about it until Rarity went home to Ponyville for several weeks, then came back, bringing with her a new suit. “Sassy, darling! Good news! I’ve succeeded in creating the next outfit in my line of crystal clothes! I call this one; Terrific Topaz!” she declared. True to her statement, the crystals in this outfit were a yellowish color, and they seemed to glow. Sassy approached warily, and saw that the colors in the crystals were smoky, seemingly filled with clouds that churned inside the facts of it. And facets there were, many of them covering the surface of the—honestly ugly—clothes. “Rarity, my dear, I’m… glad you came back to visit, and I’m happy to see you’ve made another suit, but… isn’t it a bit… ugly?” Sassy ventured, with a small, ingratiating smile. “Sassy, of course it’s ugly! It’s supposed to be ugly. Ponies don’t want the perfection of normal clothing like everypony else is wearing, the truly fashionable want to be seen in something that breaks the mold, that challenges the senses! Something that truly makes them think about why they’re wearing clothes in the first place!” “We wear clothing to feel good about putting something on. To stand out.” Rarity whirled on her. “Exactly! And when you put this suit of horrendous crystal clothing on, the pony that wears it will remind everypony and themselves that clothing isn’t made to serve any true function, but its function is to be a reminder that ugliness exists, and we must fight it!” It was a speech, but Sassy wasn’t convinced. That hint of something further behind Rarity’s eyes was still there, and in her wavering pupils Sassy could see that same madness that had haunted her before. It’s wasn’t normal. Rarity was up to something, and Sassy couldn’t figure it out. But she said nothing. She couldn’t say anything. She could only wait while Rarity did her thing and made and sold clothes. She couldn’t know what she could do other than destroy the suit, but then Rarity would just make a new one. She needed to understand. To fully get what Rarity was doing before she could intercede. Rarity sold this suit in a week after bringing it to the shop. Ponies saw it, ponies talked, and although the same pony came back to check up on what Rarity had made, he didn’t want a second one. He said it didn’t “sound” the same. That worried Sassy. That meant there was something to the sounds of the suit, like Rarity said. “The pony that did buy it was rich. He was no Fancy Pants, but he was rich, and he was a unicorn. He even wanted to try it on before he bought it. He went into a dressing room, removed his fine had and silken clothes and marched out wearing the yellow, cloudy crystal clothing. He moved stiffly, but he was so proud of it, like he had done something amazing. Ponies laughed, but when Rarity started espousing the virtues of the outfit to them like she had done to Sassy, they all listened. They nodded, and sales went up. It was a magic Sassy was familiar with. A magic specific to Rarity, it seemed. Sassy just sold clothes and watched as the pony left the shop, carrying a tuning fork and his old clothes in his magic, just as Rarity wanted. Rarity’s eyes glittered. Rarity returned to Ponyville the next day. She was gone for another month, and when she came back it was with another suit. Sassy had asked to be invited to watch, but Rarity hadn’t called upon her. She just marched in, bearing a sapphire suit of clothes that carried within them the chill of a winter’s morning. The clouds in these crystals reminded Sassy of the dark grey of a winter storm, tinged with blue. They were cool to the touch and the storms within wavered in the light. Specks of white even seemed to fall from them from her hoof tapping it, and Sassy watched, transfixed, as they seemed to fall from one crystal to the next, down, down, down the suit to the hooves, where they frustratingly didn’t collect in a pool at the bottom. “This… is amazing, Rarity! The color! The shapes, and the snow! How did you do it?” She stands up and storms over to Rarity. “How does the crystal cave make these? This one is amazing!” “You sing to it, Sassy. I told you. The song determines the make of it, but it is always built to house a unicorn. Each one needs a unicorn to properly function and bring the song out of it. That’s important.” “Why… is that important?” “Oh, Sassy. If you don’t know, I can’t explain it to you,” She adjusted the suit and flipped the closed sign to open. “You just have to wait until you can hear the song properly.” A crowd piled in, eagerly seeking out the dais in the center so they could gush about the new crystal suit. Cameras flashed, ponies squealed, and clothes disappeared off the racks. Several rich ponies came in asking to buy the suit, but Rarity declined them all. In the middle of the melee, Sassy couldn’t fathom why Rarity would deny them the suit since she had wanted so badly to see them gone from the store before, but she didn’t have a chance to ask until much later after the store was closed. “Why didn’t you sell the suit, Rarity. You wanted the others gone so soon, what’s different now?” “Now the song is almost complete. I can’t give this away to anypony. I’m waiting for a very specific pony to come and get it. It’s for him, and it wouldn’t do to let just any other pony have it, you know.” “I… surely don’t know.” “Oh, Sassy…” Rarity looked at her, disappointed. Sassy felt insulted but she wasn’t sure why. None of this was making any sense, but it was making her uncomfortable. She resolved to follow Rarity the next time. The suit sold the very next day. The stallion that Rarity apparently meant to have it came by and paid an outrageous sum for it. It left with him, along with a tuning fork. Rarity left immediately after without a word, leaving Sassy alone. This was her chance! She ignored the cleanup. It was something that could be done early in the morning before opening. She’d just have to arrive early. She slipped away from the shop and followed Rarity at a distance. She was following the same path as before, heading into the cave beneath Canterlot. When Sassy entered, she cast a silence spell on her hooves. The stones rang around her already, but each movement, and the clop of Rarity’s hooves further inside were amplified within. She heard everything, from the beating of her heart to the rushing of her blood, to the tiniest hum of the crystals. She arrived after Rarity, just in time to hear the beginnings of her hum and the ring of a tuning fork. The room Sassy found was far different than before. Instead of an empty cavern filled with crystals on all sides and a small raised section in the middle, what Sassy saw was a gaping hole that shivered and resonated with the ringing in her ears. A creature reached out, placing tiny crystal after tiny crystal into place as it built a suit of crystal clothing for Rarity. Rarity, for her part, sat where she had that first time, leaning back and forth as she hummed along with the ringing sound that filled Sassy’s ears. If she saw the beast, she made no indication. If she knew what she was doing to get her crystal clothing, she gave no sign. Sassy couldn’t stifle a gasp. Rarity turned to look and smirked at her, all while continuing her humming. The beast continued his assembly of the suit of crystal clothing, not making any indication it knew Sassy was there. Sassy just watched, stared, and eventually fell over, unconscious.
