In one of the display windows was a simple white summer dress. The manikin was in the pose of a person shielding their eyes from the sun. A young stallion looked at the dress in wonder and even tried to pose in a way that his reflection lined up with the dress. In his eyes, he saw a mare with a similar colored mane. But soon he was pulled out of the vision when a hand was placed on his shoulder.
“A lovely dress is it not?” The voice came from behind him. He turned around and found a white mare with a fancy purple mane and a beautiful dress he saw in a few fashion magazines. He felt speechless when it dawned on him just who this gorgeous mare was. “Are you looking at getting this for a girlfriend or someone special?” Rarity asked with a gentle smile.
“N… no ma’am. Just looking at the pretty dress in the window.” He looked back toward the dress with a little yearning in his eyes. Rarity just tilted her head a bit and smiled again.
“Let me guess, you would like to wear that dress one day?” Her words caused his heart to stop for a moment as she just smiled at him more. “Don’t worry dear. You are not the first to have these kinds of thoughts and desires,” She placed a hand on his back as he was about to say something. “You might find it better to talk inside the shop rather than on a noisy street.” The stallion was to protest but didn’t. Part of him wanted to talk to someone about what was going on inside his head and heart. And for some reason Rarity seemed like the only person that would listen to him.
He looked around at all the outfits and accessories that filled the store as she walked him past them as they made their way to the back offices. She held the door to her office open and motioned for him to follow in behind her. For a person who has topped many fashion shows since her second store opening, here in Canterlot, they certainly should have a well-organized office. This was something that Rarity’s office was not. Papers littered the wall with all kinds of sketches of new designs and a few notes.
“So tell me…” She looked at him with a blank expression. He had never even asked the young stallion his name.
“Redbook, ma’am.” He looked down at the ground.
“You can call me Rarity, dear. It is a pleasure to meet you, Redbook.” She took a seat in the chair next to him and looked up surprised that she didn’t sit on the other side of the desk.
“Can I ask you what you meant, before, when you said about others having the same thoughts and desires?” He slowly looked up at her.
“Well… It is kind of hard to explain. Every person I meet like you all had different reasons but had a feeling so sad and dark that it hurt them. Being what they were born was not them.” Rarity started to look a little down at not being able to find the right words.
“So how are any of them like me?” Redbook wanted to know. She told him they all had different reasons but they did share the dark pit that was always deep within his chest.
“There was a stallion who, from the time he was a colt, had wanted to dress up like the fillies in his class. He didn’t understand the feeling or the pain of being told that he could never do it. So he grew up hiding what he really wanted to do. And so like you one day found himself looking at a dress in the window. If I remember he would stop to look at it twice a week.” She gave a little giggle as she recalled the memory.
“So, what does this have to do with me now?” He wanted to know the connection that she was made between him and this other stallion. Rarity just frowned at him and cupped a hand to her mouth.
“Red Lace, would you mind coming to my office for a moment.” There was a moment of silence before the door opened and the most gorgeous mare he had ever seen walked into the room. Her coat was just as white if not whiter than Rarity’s. But he couldn’t take his eyes off the raven black mane she had.
“How can I help you, Miss. Rarity?” Red Lace now stood in the open doorway and he could tell she was a good hand taller than Rarity.
“I was telling this young person a story about a stallion who used to look at a dress in the shop window and how that stallion was like them. Would you mind telling the rest of the story for me?” Rarity just grinned at the other mare. Red Lace looked at her with a look of shock.
“You told him the story about me?” Red Lace covered her mouth quickly before looking down at Redbook who now had a shocked look on his face.
“Now, Red Lace. You are not even sure if those are the pronouns they would like?” She turned to look at Redbook. “And I am sorry for not asking you before, my manners are slipping a bit. Do you have a set of pronouns that you wish us to use?” All Redbook could do was blink. No one had ever asked him that before. He never thought that he would be anything else but a stallion, a him or a he.
“I am not sure.” Was all that he could get out. They both gave him a warm smile.
“And that is okay. Your whole life up to this point was just one option. Red Lace took forever to get used to her new pronouns.” Rarity let out a giggle as a red blushed filled Red Lace’s white ears. She gave a little cough and looked back at Redbook.
“I think that is enough about me. So, yes the stallion in that story was me. I know I was weird back then. But to be fair it was a very lovely dress that I wanted to wear.” Does a little spin and allows the dress she had on to flutter a bit. It was a simple yellow dress with a little baby blue ribbon as a belt.
“Is it that dress?” Redbook’s mouth fell open and wished that he could wear the one he saw in the window in the front of the store. Red Lace nodded and Rarity got up and said something about how she had to check on something. The room was silent for a bit before Red Lace spoke up.
“So, have you ever had dreams of being a mare before?” She took the seat that Rarity was in and just looked Redbook in the eyes. He looked back and felt that a weight on his chest grows. He tried to think back to his past dreams and found that a lot of them were. So he just nodded his head slowly. This got Red Lace to nod back and smile at him. “Would ever try dressing up if you had a chance?”
“I would!” There wasn’t any hesitation. Redbook felt the blood rush to his ears and about fell from his seat as Rarity entered the room with the dress in the window.
“Anyone ready to try on some dress?” She grinned as Red Lace helped Redbook back to his feet. Both mares helped him out of the room and into what he guessed was the workspace. The room was filled with dresses and other unfinished outfits. He was amazed at all the different styles they created. They moved him to a little platform and had him pose so they could take his measurements.
“Now please hold still or we won’t have the right measurements.” Red Lace gave Redbook a poke in the arm as she started the work. He let out a little yelp and got the glare of both Rarity and Red Lace. Both mares moved around him and he felt kind of weird. Once they finish they blindfold him.
“Umm, what is going on?” He felt someone's hand guided him to a chair.
“Don’t worry about it. You just sit here and wait while we put something together.” Rarity voice sounded a little far away and was followed by the sound of a sewing machine. It felt like a lifetime before someone’s hand was placed on his shoulder.
“You ready hon?” Red Lace guided him to a spot. “I will need to take off your shirt and pants. Don’t get any crazy ideas.” All he could do was nod and hold up his arms as his shirt was removed. Soon he felt his belt loosen and his pants started to slide down. There was a sound of something being moved and he felt the silliest thing he ever felt move across his coat and something was placed and adjusted on his head.
“I am going to take off the blindfold, but I need you to keep your eyes closed for me” Rarity removed the blindfold and he felt what he assumed was a makeup brush. They spent a few minutes putting makeup on him. They moved him once more and he felt the hands that guided him leave as Red Lace told him to open his eyes.
Redbook opened his eyes to see a mirror and reflected was a beautiful mare. He moved his hand toward the mirror and the mare in the mirror did the same. Red Lace moved next to him and smiled.
“Hard to believe that a beautiful mare was hidden from this world. Do you think she is ready to come out?” All Redbook could do was nod her head.
