The Princess and the Dressmakerby BronyxyChapters1 An Unexpected Customer2 The Bonds of Trust3 Opportunities Won and Lost1 An Unexpected Customer“Welcome to Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique” chimed the cultured voice in response to the tinkling of the bell that told her somepony had entered the shop. Barely had Rarity finished delivering her polished greeting, when she emerged from out of her workshop to meet the latest customer and hear their particular demands. Her catwalk-perfect poise concluded with a well-rehearsed toss of the head, causing her mane to fall just so in an immaculately coiffured cascade of shimmering purple. The final movement of her greeting was to open up her dazzling blue eyes in a single deft action that would invariably stun all those being introduced to her for the first time, giving her an advantage over every stallion and mare alike. Today, however, when she opened her eyes, it was she who spluttered to a halt and felt a sense of intimidation in the presence of her visitor, for standing in the middle of the sales area was the distinctive midnight blue form of a Royal alicorn, all alone with no guards. Princess Luna faced the stupefied fashionista, not with the disdainful regal poise for which she had become renowned, but instead looking on her with a slightly uncertain gaze, appearing almost subservient. “P-Princess Luna!” gasped Rarity in shock, her confidence visibly shrinking with the size of her pupils, “H-How can I help you?” “We have been directed to thy services” she began in her austere, outdated tones, then coughed discretely and, making a noticeable attempt to sound softer continued, “We require a dress for a special occasion.” “A dress?” Rarity queried, “But surely you have Royal dressmakers in Canterlot?” “We do, but there are … certain difficulties with going to them. That is why we seek thine expertise in these matters.” “Of course; it would be such a great honour to make a dress for Royalty …” said Rarity, ending with a nervous giggle. “We are agreed then?” Luna queried expectantly. “Yes, but you’ll have to tell me what event it’s for, as that will influence the style, the accessories … ” Rarity’s enquiry coming out more like a demand, as she instantly switched into professional dressmaker mode and lit her horn to summon her sketchpad in an ethereal blue aura. Before it arrived in front of her, she had already got as far as having chosen gold as the best colour to accent the contrasting shades of purple and blue that cried out to complement the Princess’ coat and mane. Luna was taken aback as the dressmaker immersed herself in her sketches, roughing out a few pencilled lines, and only peering out over her sketchpad occasionally to check some detail or another. “If I could take a few measurements?” she stated, completely taking charge of events. Before Luna could respond, she found a tape measure flitting around her body, apparently of its own volition, and flinched at the unexpected physical contact on parts of her body that nopony ever touched without her express approval. “Now, up on the stage please” Rarity continued in her excitement, only stopping in her creative flow when she noticed that the Princess was not moving, but staring directly back at her, clearly shocked by the pace of events. “Oh, so sorry …” she apologised, giggling nervously, “… perhaps a little carried away …?” “We commend thine enthusiasm, Rarity” she deadpanned, “but find such overfamiliarity with our Royal person somewhat … ahem … indelicate.” “Oh, oh, yes, of course” Rarity floundered, stopping in her tracks, “Yes, oh please accept my apologies, your Majesty …” Luna took a moment to regain her composure and regarded the dressmaker, simpering awkwardly in front of her. Clearly, Rarity felt she had done nothing wrong and must have been behaving in accordance with the accepted norms of the times. Perhaps this was how ponies conducted themselves these days? It had been a thousand years since she had enjoyed any social interaction, so perhaps she herself had been a little too harsh? “We apologise. We are unused to such intimacy. We appreciate thee meant no harm, so consent to continuing, but should appreciate a little less … ahem …” Luna trailed off, embarrassed to put into words how she felt. “I am so sorry” said Rarity, “Of course. How silly of me. I am so used to …” “Pray do not expend thine efforts on constructing apologies. We shall let the incident pass.” Rarity heaved a sigh of relief. She had no intention of upsetting any customer, especially one who up until recently was as fearsome as Nightmare Moon. “If you would care to climb up onto the stage, your Majesty, then I could see better how I need to make the new ensemble fit.” Luna gave a shallow bow of her head in acknowledgement and climbed up carefully onto the stage, choosing to pretend she didn’t see Rarity looking at her body from angles that years ago would have been considered entirely inappropriate, and possibly even led to a stretch in jail. “Thank you, your Majesty” said Rarity, “I have all I need now to modify a ponykin to your exact shape and should not need to bother you again.” “Thank you” replied Luna, reproaching herself, “And thou hast no need to refer to me as Your Majesty whilst we are alone.” Rarity was pleased that her client had made the first move in taking down the barrier that she had been building since her arrival, but was unaware as to how big a concession this had been for Luna, given the Godlike status she had enjoyed along with her sister in the olden days. It was however, a tentative first step in developing one of her very first relationships since having come back from the moon. “If you would like to get down now” said Rarity, proffering a forehoof for support, “Let’s discuss what you want over a nice cup of tea, shall we?” Luna hated tea. She liked coffee, but that was not what had been offered. She could see what a bad first impression she had made already and was determined not to compound the problem by being even more demanding, so accepted the offer with the nearest expression she could manage to a smile. Having had no particular cause for happiness in a thousand years, the smile did look somewhat forced and would have probably fitted in better with trying to scare colts and fillies on Nightmare Night. However, Rarity too was concerned about the way her own actions with the Princess had been interpreted earlier, and took the smile as one of genuine compunction, even if it did look more like a grimace. As luck would have it, the kettle was hot and so it didn’t take long to fill the teapot. While the tea steeped, Rarity arranged her finest china tea service on a silver tray and added a selection of delicate finger biscuits to complete the effect. By the time this was arranged to the satisfaction of her critical eye, the tea was ready, and she proudly levitated the immaculately presented tray out to where her guest was waiting. “We are sorry for any misunderstandings …” began Luna, before being cut off by a gentle “tsk, tsk” from her hostess. “So, what is it you want the dress for, if I may enquire?” asked Rarity, “You have the most beautiful body shape and the most exquisite colouring. Why, it would be every dressmaker’s dream to make something specially for you.” “The reputation of thy generosity precedes thee, Mistress Rarity. Thou art one of twilight Sparkle’s closest friends, art thou not?” “Yes, I suppose I am.” “She is a fine mare and has earned our greatest respect.” “Even after she … um …” Rarity began, before awkwardly slowing to a halt, not wanting to complete that particular train of thought out loud in the present company. “Especially because she freed me from Nightmare Moon” Luna completed for her, immediately putting Rarity at her ease. During the pause that followed, Rarity found herself sensing the vulnerability of the Princess before her, and began to appreciate the courage that coming to meet her would have taken. For her part, Luna lifted her teacup, seeing that her hostess had already half finished her own. She had smelled enough of this wretched stuff from the close personal chats with her sister, but knew she could not put off the moment any longer; if she did, it would not just be foul tasting, but cold as well, and that did not appeal in the slightest. Making sure the tastiest looking chocolate finger was within easy reach, she gently breathed out through her nose, so she didn’t have to take in the smell, and tipped the cup back in one so as not to prolong the agony. Immediately, she grasped for the biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth before even placing the cup back onto its saucer. Rarity screamed internally at the unexpectedly coarse etiquette from a Princess no less, but her expression gave nothing away, and she politely offered another cup. Luna declined as politely as she could, preferring instead the prospect of having her mouth scrubbed out and her tongue scoured by whatever it was the cooks used to clean the dirtiest of cooking pots, but equally chose to withhold her feelings for the sake of politeness. “So” said Rarity, “What special occasion has brought you to my humble Boutique?” “Thou mayest find our reasons beyond thy understanding, fair Rarity, and we request thou keepest the reason to thyself.” “Very well, I Pinkie promise.” Luna looked at her, not understanding what a Pinkie promise was, but respected the sincerity with which it had been offered, "We have been imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years; a thousand years with no mementoes of the life we left behind, other than our regalia from Nightmare Moon and our bitterness to keep us company. Since we have been released, we have come to see another side to ourselves, not so much the vengeful warrior, but instead a mare who wants to celebrate her femininity and feel beautiful. Please … is that too much to ask?” Rarity was stunned and went to speak, but something caught her words in her throat and instead she felt a stinging in her eyes; this poor pony just wanted to feel special, and by Celestia, she was going to do it! “Of course” replied Rarity once she had been returned command of her voice, “Everypony deserves the right to feel special, and I shall make sure that every time you see yourself in this dress you will be the star of the show!” “When will it be ready?” “Come back two days from now and prepare to be wowed!” 2 The Bonds of TrustTwo days later, the bell above the front door of Carousel Boutique tinkled as the coil spring to which it held threw it about wildly, as it did every time the door was opened. Rarity was waiting, and before launching into her well-rehearsed patter, turned to see whether it was her anticipated guest. The unmistakeable midnight blue form of the Princess of the Night entered gracefully, an expensive looking bouquet of flowers held in her light blue aura. “Princess Luna, how lovely to see you again!” “Mistress Rarity, please accept this humble token of my …” Luna paused, and felt a slight rush of blood to her cheeks, “… appreciation.” “Oh my, how wonderful!” Rarity trilled, “You didn’t need to, but thank you anyway!” “We have something else too” Luna continued, producing a small packet, “Coffee. Perhaps we may share a cup later?” “Ah … my tea not to your taste then?” said Rarity, the incident during Luna’s last visit now starting to make sense. “We merely suggest …” Luna began before Rarity interrupted, “I am so sorry, I should have asked first … but as I don’t generally keep coffee in, then this would be perfect – thank you.” Rarity laid the bouquet down carefully on an empty table and led her guest through into her workshop where a single ponykin stood in pride of place. Luna raised a forehoof to cover her gasp; it was beautiful. The outer layer was a deep plum satin base emblazoned with white stars, developing into clouds of all shades of blue and purple to a gold trim, whilst a second, under layer of the same deep plum satin provided added depth, again stitched with a gold accented trim. Rarity giggled to see the spellbound look across Luna’s face and clapped her forehooves together gently in excitement. “We can truly see how thee came to earn thy reputation for excellence” said Luna, when finally able to speak, “This is a most wonderous creation!” “That’s not all” added Rarity cheekily, “Remember – accessories.” Luna took her eyes away from admiring the dress to see a gold livery collar in place of her distinctive black one, and above it, a new gold crown with a crescent moon on it. “What do you think?” Rarity squeed in excitement, “I had to draw in a few favours to get the accessories made, but …” “We could not have imagined such delicate craftsmanship” gasped Luna. “I realise, of course, that your livery collar and crown probably have their own magic, but I’m hoping you might be able to transfer enough of it over to make the new ones work too …” “Yes, yes that should be possible” agreed Luna, “We should be able to make them work at least enough for ceremonial occasions.” “Now, come, come …” Rarity cajoled, “You simply must try it all on right now.” Luna offered no resistance; in fact, she was trembling with excitement to try on the whole ensemble and see how it looked on her. Rarity helped her client get dressed, but was wary lest she transcend the fine line of personal space that she had accidentally crossed when using the tape measure during their first meeting, so only intervened when the bottom satin layer got caught and didn’t hang properly. In no time at all, everything was in place, Rarity fussing until the last moment to ensure that the new crown rested properly on Luna’s mane. Once finally satisfied, she wheeled over the full-length mirror and Luna took her first look at the new outfit. She stared at her reflection, making turns to the left and right, then looking over her shoulder, with every new perspective, her smile growing wider. “Oh, you look fabulous, darling!” cooed Rarity, delighted that everything fitted on the Princess as well as it had on the ponykin. That word ‘darling’ had slipped out as a term of speech commonly used by the fashionista, but it was not a word that Luna had had directed towards her since last actively being courted over a thousand years ago. Had she heard Rarity correctly? Was she being propositioned? This was all a little sudden and unexpected. Certainly, the unicorn was beautiful, talented, cultured, generous, and she was also surprisingly forward, but this; this was all so sudden. “We do not know what to say” said Luna, caught completely off guard. “I know” Rarity continued bubbling excitedly about the dress, “Isn’t it simply divine. Of course, it owes most of its effect to your beautiful figure; I mean you could model anything and make it look good, but this ensemble adds just the right emphasis to complement your look. My finest work, if I do say so.” “Pray, what price for this masterpiece of thy craft?” asked Luna. “Oh, come now Princess, consider it a welcome back to Equestria present.” This put Luna in a difficult position, for not only did she now beleieve that Rarity was hitting on her, but also tempting her with dazzling gifts. She racked her brains for something she could do in return so as not to be beholden, then came up with an idea, “Rarity, if thou willst not accept payment, then please allow us to share with you something that we suspect may appeal to thy sense of refinement.” Rarity was intrigued and furrowed her brow. “When, exactly?” she asked. “Now?” came the hesitant reply, “If thou hast nothing else of higher priority …” Rarity couldn’t believe her ears; what could be a higher priority than a request from Royalty after all? Luna took a last lingering look at her new dress in the mirror then carefully disrobed, taking great care to hang the fabulous new outfit back onto the ponykin from which it had first been presented to her. Once secure in the knowledge that the dress was safe, Rarity began to turn her attention to the intriguing offer that her guest had made, not knowing what to expect. In order to dispel the unspoken question hanging in the air, Luna turned to her hostess and asked, “Shall we outside?” Rarity motioned towards the front door and led the way, turning the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ as she got there, then opened it to the cheerful tinkling of the bell, once more bouncing around to the delight of the spring onto which it was fixed. Luna passed through the door, sharing an enigmatic glance with Rarity and waited outside for her to secure the shop. “We will lower down to permit thee to mount” she said, “We are about to embark upon a flight.” Rarity was momentarily shocked given the Princess’ former concerns about physical contact, that she was now offering something so intimate. She had ridden on pegasi before of course and cherished the experience, even holding a deep desire to have wings of her own, although she knew that having been born a unicorn, that would never be. Carefully minding every hoofstep, she got up onto the alicorn’s back and made herself secure. “Art thou ready?” asked Luna. “Yes” Rarity giggled, “All aboard!” 3 Opportunities Won and LostThe massive blue wings beat against the air in precise thumps, lifting the two of them with deceptive ease and starting off on a course which only one of them knew. As they gained altitude, Rarity was treated to an ever more spectacular view of Ponyville, and found she could not resist the temptation to wave back at those ponies on the ground, who looked up to admire the Princess of the Night and her passenger ascending into the azure sky. Looking down, Rarity noticed that they were leaving the houses and farms behind and heading out over the Everfree; a place she had only been once before. On that occasion she had been accompanied by her five closest friends, each of whom had taken their chance to shine as they faced and overcame a catalogue of horrors and other diversions. She thought back to how none of them would have got through on their own, and in her vulnerability, clung on just a little bit tighter for safety. Memories of her previous visit flooded back when she saw they were approaching the very same castle, which in its semi-derelict state, still retained the same foreboding character that she had experienced when helping Twilight face down Nightmare Moon on that fateful night, not so very long ago. Luna’s wings stopped beating and locked into a position which allowed them to glide gently downward, taking in a wide circuit around the castle before lining up on a landing zone in the courtyard. The landing pad she had favoured during her adolescence and early marehood, had, over time become home to many species of weeds, some of which had grown so big and wild as to prevent her from landing safely. As she skimmed over the ruined walls on final approach, Luna adjusted her descent to direct herself into one of the least overgrown areas, and began to backwing so she could bleed off the last of her airspeed in preparation for landing. Despite the flurry of activity from Luna’s wings, the touchdown was flawlessly smooth, and once she had allowed a moment for her passenger to acclimatise to being on the ground again, lowered her back once more. Rarity shuddered a little, partly due to being back at the Castle of the Two Sisters and partly due to the adrenaline arising from the flight, but climbed down as directed by Luna’s body language. “The Royal gardeners would be dismayed to see their diligent work having gone to such rack and ruin” Luna bemoaned with a sad harrumph, before turning to her guest. “Mistress Rarity, we appreciate your last visit here was not under the best of circumstances, so we expect thou didst not have the opportunity to take in some of the castle’s finer points. As thou art clearly a pony of culture, we should like to make amends and show you the sights, as it were.” A weight visibly lifted off Rarity’s subconscious; even though she knew Princess Luna was no longer Nightmare Moon, there had still been something about the personal one-on-one invite into the Everfree that had unnerved her. However, now having an understanding of the reason for the visit, she beamed happily, looking forward to being shown treasures that nopony had seen in hundreds of years. “So, tell me Princess, why was this castle abandoned?” she asked innocently. “We destroyed it” replied Luna sadly, not even facing Rarity to give the answer, “It was the night we turned into Nightmare Moon and challenged our dear Sister. We chased her, we fought, the castle was grievously damaged, and we were defeated.” There was a pause, a silence that made Rarity wish the ground would swallow her whole, then Luna turned to her and added, “We think it best to be honest from the start, dost thou not?” Rarity simpered by way of reply and followed as Luna led her through a doorway, the door to which had long since disappeared, and set off climbing a flight of stone spiral stairs. The stairs and indeed the passageway onto which it opened out were narrow by grand castle standards, and Luna explained that the rooves protecting some of the wider passageways had long since collapsed or become unsafe, and thus she would navigate her way around the castle by the routes used by the servants. Luna had been proven correct and to Rarity’s surprise, given the apparent state of decay evident from the outside, they were able to find their way to every room that was still standing. In one instance, Luna directed them to a collapsed State room, the centre of which was completely impassable due to large piles of rubble, but around which there was still a narrow gap next to the wall. Here, under the light from their horns, they found paintings depicting grand scenes of the period before unification, pictures which had not been admired for countless years. Luna smiled at Rarity’s open-mouthed reaction, and helped her remove the pictures they could reach with her magic, so they could be exhibited and once more admired as they deserved. Rarity also found some torn and weather-worn tapestries. She appreciated by their condition that it may not have been possible to salvage them as they were, but nonetheless decided that she could at least make copies in honour of the originals. As the day wore on, Rarity came to appreciate that she was in the company of the one pony who knew this castle better than any other. Not only did Luna know all the corridors and rooms along with where to find the most dazzling works of art, but it turned out that she had been a bit of a prankster when she was younger. At one point Rarity even heard her laugh, a truly happy sound echoing around the long neglected walls, when she found that the slide she had adored from her fillyhood days was still intact. Hearing such delight from somepony outwardly so austere, lifted Rarity’s heart and dispelled forever the thoughts of her as the evil and despotic Nightmare Moon. All too soon, the light began to fade, and Luna called an end to the day’s excursion, magically sealing the recovered treasures to protect them against further deterioration, so they could be picked up another day. The two ponies made their way back to the courtyard in readiness for beginning their journey back to Ponyville after a wonderful afternoon for both of them. The sun was getting low in the sky and errant trees and bushes started to take on an other-worldly appearance in the lengthening shadows. Rarity looked up at Luna, the sun cascading through her rich purple mane and glinting off her sparkling blue eyes, framing her face with an ethereal beauty. Luna’s mane had begun to come to life as the starfield contained within it responded to the fading light and began to twinkle beguilingly, complementing her slender muzzle and large teal eyes in a vision that made Rarity’s heart skip a beat. If either dared to say a word, the magic of the moment would have been lost. Luna was in need of a friend and had also been starved of romance for a thousand years. She had already imagined cues from her companion, but was unsure if or indeed how she should proceed, given that she was obviously so out of touch with prevailing societal norms. She had been out of the game for so long she could have mistaken the cues, and worse, if she chose this moment to commit to another pony, would she be making a complete fool of herself? Would there be constitutional repercussions with succession? What about her Sister? Should she, or shouldn’t she? For her part, Rarity had completely re-appraised her view of the former Nightmare Moon and come to see a tender, sensitive and vulnerable pony whose company she really enjoyed. She was also strikingly beautiful in this light, but she was a Princess, the co-ruler of Equestria and therefore completely out of her reach. Nonetheless, Rarity’s heart was continuing to pull her in one direction while her head tried its best to rein in her romantic tendencies. Should she, or shouldn’t she? Imperceptibly, Rarity’s heart started to win out, as her eyelids closed a fraction and her lips parted. It was a reflex action and entirely involuntary, as was her moving her head slightly closer, aching to feel the fulfilment of reciprocated attraction. “We should be getting thee back, Mistress Rarity” said Luna abruptly, totally oblivious to the strong message being transmitted loudly to her at that very moment. Rarity snapped back to reality with a jolt and immediately castigated herself for the thoughts she had just been having. Of course, Luna would never look at her the way she looked up to the Princess; she was just a humble dressmaker after all, not royalty. She had just been engaging in a daydream; an unobtainable fantasy. Luna was right, it was time to go. Although the logic of the situation was inescapable, Rarity couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment, like an opportunity had been missed. However, the day had been good; she had just made a new friend, one whom she had sadly misunderstood at the beginning of their date. The Princess had shown herself to be wonderful company; both knowledgeable and engaging, if a little unsure of herself. Not only that, but her figure and colouring were such physical perfection that they opened up possibilities for a whole new range of dress styles. Perhaps one day Luna may commission her to make a wedding dress when a lucky stallion or mare caught her eye? Rarity sighed wistfully, rapidly dismissing a fairy-tale image of the two of them walking down the aisle of Canterlot Castle together to happy cheers from wellwishers. If only … Forcing herself back to reality, she started planning the work that would need to be done in recovering and restoring the horde of artifacts that were just crying out for attention. Suddenly, sadly, the realities of life came back to dominate her schedule, brushing away the happy thoughts of dreamy eyed romance. It was not to be.
1 An Unexpected Customer“Welcome to Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique” chimed the cultured voice in response to the tinkling of the bell that told her somepony had entered the shop. Barely had Rarity finished delivering her polished greeting, when she emerged from out of her workshop to meet the latest customer and hear their particular demands. Her catwalk-perfect poise concluded with a well-rehearsed toss of the head, causing her mane to fall just so in an immaculately coiffured cascade of shimmering purple. The final movement of her greeting was to open up her dazzling blue eyes in a single deft action that would invariably stun all those being introduced to her for the first time, giving her an advantage over every stallion and mare alike. Today, however, when she opened her eyes, it was she who spluttered to a halt and felt a sense of intimidation in the presence of her visitor, for standing in the middle of the sales area was the distinctive midnight blue form of a Royal alicorn, all alone with no guards. Princess Luna faced the stupefied fashionista, not with the disdainful regal poise for which she had become renowned, but instead looking on her with a slightly uncertain gaze, appearing almost subservient. “P-Princess Luna!” gasped Rarity in shock, her confidence visibly shrinking with the size of her pupils, “H-How can I help you?” “We have been directed to thy services” she began in her austere, outdated tones, then coughed discretely and, making a noticeable attempt to sound softer continued, “We require a dress for a special occasion.” “A dress?” Rarity queried, “But surely you have Royal dressmakers in Canterlot?” “We do, but there are … certain difficulties with going to them. That is why we seek thine expertise in these matters.” “Of course; it would be such a great honour to make a dress for Royalty …” said Rarity, ending with a nervous giggle. “We are agreed then?” Luna queried expectantly. “Yes, but you’ll have to tell me what event it’s for, as that will influence the style, the accessories … ” Rarity’s enquiry coming out more like a demand, as she instantly switched into professional dressmaker mode and lit her horn to summon her sketchpad in an ethereal blue aura. Before it arrived in front of her, she had already got as far as having chosen gold as the best colour to accent the contrasting shades of purple and blue that cried out to complement the Princess’ coat and mane. Luna was taken aback as the dressmaker immersed herself in her sketches, roughing out a few pencilled lines, and only peering out over her sketchpad occasionally to check some detail or another. “If I could take a few measurements?” she stated, completely taking charge of events. Before Luna could respond, she found a tape measure flitting around her body, apparently of its own volition, and flinched at the unexpected physical contact on parts of her body that nopony ever touched without her express approval. “Now, up on the stage please” Rarity continued in her excitement, only stopping in her creative flow when she noticed that the Princess was not moving, but staring directly back at her, clearly shocked by the pace of events. “Oh, so sorry …” she apologised, giggling nervously, “… perhaps a little carried away …?” “We commend thine enthusiasm, Rarity” she deadpanned, “but find such overfamiliarity with our Royal person somewhat … ahem … indelicate.” “Oh, oh, yes, of course” Rarity floundered, stopping in her tracks, “Yes, oh please accept my apologies, your Majesty …” Luna took a moment to regain her composure and regarded the dressmaker, simpering awkwardly in front of her. Clearly, Rarity felt she had done nothing wrong and must have been behaving in accordance with the accepted norms of the times. Perhaps this was how ponies conducted themselves these days? It had been a thousand years since she had enjoyed any social interaction, so perhaps she herself had been a little too harsh? “We apologise. We are unused to such intimacy. We appreciate thee meant no harm, so consent to continuing, but should appreciate a little less … ahem …” Luna trailed off, embarrassed to put into words how she felt. “I am so sorry” said Rarity, “Of course. How silly of me. I am so used to …” “Pray do not expend thine efforts on constructing apologies. We shall let the incident pass.” Rarity heaved a sigh of relief. She had no intention of upsetting any customer, especially one who up until recently was as fearsome as Nightmare Moon. “If you would care to climb up onto the stage, your Majesty, then I could see better how I need to make the new ensemble fit.” Luna gave a shallow bow of her head in acknowledgement and climbed up carefully onto the stage, choosing to pretend she didn’t see Rarity looking at her body from angles that years ago would have been considered entirely inappropriate, and possibly even led to a stretch in jail. “Thank you, your Majesty” said Rarity, “I have all I need now to modify a ponykin to your exact shape and should not need to bother you again.” “Thank you” replied Luna, reproaching herself, “And thou hast no need to refer to me as Your Majesty whilst we are alone.” Rarity was pleased that her client had made the first move in taking down the barrier that she had been building since her arrival, but was unaware as to how big a concession this had been for Luna, given the Godlike status she had enjoyed along with her sister in the olden days. It was however, a tentative first step in developing one of her very first relationships since having come back from the moon. “If you would like to get down now” said Rarity, proffering a forehoof for support, “Let’s discuss what you want over a nice cup of tea, shall we?” Luna hated tea. She liked coffee, but that was not what had been offered. She could see what a bad first impression she had made already and was determined not to compound the problem by being even more demanding, so accepted the offer with the nearest expression she could manage to a smile. Having had no particular cause for happiness in a thousand years, the smile did look somewhat forced and would have probably fitted in better with trying to scare colts and fillies on Nightmare Night. However, Rarity too was concerned about the way her own actions with the Princess had been interpreted earlier, and took the smile as one of genuine compunction, even if it did look more like a grimace. As luck would have it, the kettle was hot and so it didn’t take long to fill the teapot. While the tea steeped, Rarity arranged her finest china tea service on a silver tray and added a selection of delicate finger biscuits to complete the effect. By the time this was arranged to the satisfaction of her critical eye, the tea was ready, and she proudly levitated the immaculately presented tray out to where her guest was waiting. “We are sorry for any misunderstandings …” began Luna, before being cut off by a gentle “tsk, tsk” from her hostess. “So, what is it you want the dress for, if I may enquire?” asked Rarity, “You have the most beautiful body shape and the most exquisite colouring. Why, it would be every dressmaker’s dream to make something specially for you.” “The reputation of thy generosity precedes thee, Mistress Rarity. Thou art one of twilight Sparkle’s closest friends, art thou not?” “Yes, I suppose I am.” “She is a fine mare and has earned our greatest respect.” “Even after she … um …” Rarity began, before awkwardly slowing to a halt, not wanting to complete that particular train of thought out loud in the present company. “Especially because she freed me from Nightmare Moon” Luna completed for her, immediately putting Rarity at her ease. During the pause that followed, Rarity found herself sensing the vulnerability of the Princess before her, and began to appreciate the courage that coming to meet her would have taken. For her part, Luna lifted her teacup, seeing that her hostess had already half finished her own. She had smelled enough of this wretched stuff from the close personal chats with her sister, but knew she could not put off the moment any longer; if she did, it would not just be foul tasting, but cold as well, and that did not appeal in the slightest. Making sure the tastiest looking chocolate finger was within easy reach, she gently breathed out through her nose, so she didn’t have to take in the smell, and tipped the cup back in one so as not to prolong the agony. Immediately, she grasped for the biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth before even placing the cup back onto its saucer. Rarity screamed internally at the unexpectedly coarse etiquette from a Princess no less, but her expression gave nothing away, and she politely offered another cup. Luna declined as politely as she could, preferring instead the prospect of having her mouth scrubbed out and her tongue scoured by whatever it was the cooks used to clean the dirtiest of cooking pots, but equally chose to withhold her feelings for the sake of politeness. “So” said Rarity, “What special occasion has brought you to my humble Boutique?” “Thou mayest find our reasons beyond thy understanding, fair Rarity, and we request thou keepest the reason to thyself.” “Very well, I Pinkie promise.” Luna looked at her, not understanding what a Pinkie promise was, but respected the sincerity with which it had been offered, "We have been imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years; a thousand years with no mementoes of the life we left behind, other than our regalia from Nightmare Moon and our bitterness to keep us company. Since we have been released, we have come to see another side to ourselves, not so much the vengeful warrior, but instead a mare who wants to celebrate her femininity and feel beautiful. Please … is that too much to ask?” Rarity was stunned and went to speak, but something caught her words in her throat and instead she felt a stinging in her eyes; this poor pony just wanted to feel special, and by Celestia, she was going to do it! “Of course” replied Rarity once she had been returned command of her voice, “Everypony deserves the right to feel special, and I shall make sure that every time you see yourself in this dress you will be the star of the show!” “When will it be ready?” “Come back two days from now and prepare to be wowed!”
2 The Bonds of TrustTwo days later, the bell above the front door of Carousel Boutique tinkled as the coil spring to which it held threw it about wildly, as it did every time the door was opened. Rarity was waiting, and before launching into her well-rehearsed patter, turned to see whether it was her anticipated guest. The unmistakeable midnight blue form of the Princess of the Night entered gracefully, an expensive looking bouquet of flowers held in her light blue aura. “Princess Luna, how lovely to see you again!” “Mistress Rarity, please accept this humble token of my …” Luna paused, and felt a slight rush of blood to her cheeks, “… appreciation.” “Oh my, how wonderful!” Rarity trilled, “You didn’t need to, but thank you anyway!” “We have something else too” Luna continued, producing a small packet, “Coffee. Perhaps we may share a cup later?” “Ah … my tea not to your taste then?” said Rarity, the incident during Luna’s last visit now starting to make sense. “We merely suggest …” Luna began before Rarity interrupted, “I am so sorry, I should have asked first … but as I don’t generally keep coffee in, then this would be perfect – thank you.” Rarity laid the bouquet down carefully on an empty table and led her guest through into her workshop where a single ponykin stood in pride of place. Luna raised a forehoof to cover her gasp; it was beautiful. The outer layer was a deep plum satin base emblazoned with white stars, developing into clouds of all shades of blue and purple to a gold trim, whilst a second, under layer of the same deep plum satin provided added depth, again stitched with a gold accented trim. Rarity giggled to see the spellbound look across Luna’s face and clapped her forehooves together gently in excitement. “We can truly see how thee came to earn thy reputation for excellence” said Luna, when finally able to speak, “This is a most wonderous creation!” “That’s not all” added Rarity cheekily, “Remember – accessories.” Luna took her eyes away from admiring the dress to see a gold livery collar in place of her distinctive black one, and above it, a new gold crown with a crescent moon on it. “What do you think?” Rarity squeed in excitement, “I had to draw in a few favours to get the accessories made, but …” “We could not have imagined such delicate craftsmanship” gasped Luna. “I realise, of course, that your livery collar and crown probably have their own magic, but I’m hoping you might be able to transfer enough of it over to make the new ones work too …” “Yes, yes that should be possible” agreed Luna, “We should be able to make them work at least enough for ceremonial occasions.” “Now, come, come …” Rarity cajoled, “You simply must try it all on right now.” Luna offered no resistance; in fact, she was trembling with excitement to try on the whole ensemble and see how it looked on her. Rarity helped her client get dressed, but was wary lest she transcend the fine line of personal space that she had accidentally crossed when using the tape measure during their first meeting, so only intervened when the bottom satin layer got caught and didn’t hang properly. In no time at all, everything was in place, Rarity fussing until the last moment to ensure that the new crown rested properly on Luna’s mane. Once finally satisfied, she wheeled over the full-length mirror and Luna took her first look at the new outfit. She stared at her reflection, making turns to the left and right, then looking over her shoulder, with every new perspective, her smile growing wider. “Oh, you look fabulous, darling!” cooed Rarity, delighted that everything fitted on the Princess as well as it had on the ponykin. That word ‘darling’ had slipped out as a term of speech commonly used by the fashionista, but it was not a word that Luna had had directed towards her since last actively being courted over a thousand years ago. Had she heard Rarity correctly? Was she being propositioned? This was all a little sudden and unexpected. Certainly, the unicorn was beautiful, talented, cultured, generous, and she was also surprisingly forward, but this; this was all so sudden. “We do not know what to say” said Luna, caught completely off guard. “I know” Rarity continued bubbling excitedly about the dress, “Isn’t it simply divine. Of course, it owes most of its effect to your beautiful figure; I mean you could model anything and make it look good, but this ensemble adds just the right emphasis to complement your look. My finest work, if I do say so.” “Pray, what price for this masterpiece of thy craft?” asked Luna. “Oh, come now Princess, consider it a welcome back to Equestria present.” This put Luna in a difficult position, for not only did she now beleieve that Rarity was hitting on her, but also tempting her with dazzling gifts. She racked her brains for something she could do in return so as not to be beholden, then came up with an idea, “Rarity, if thou willst not accept payment, then please allow us to share with you something that we suspect may appeal to thy sense of refinement.” Rarity was intrigued and furrowed her brow. “When, exactly?” she asked. “Now?” came the hesitant reply, “If thou hast nothing else of higher priority …” Rarity couldn’t believe her ears; what could be a higher priority than a request from Royalty after all? Luna took a last lingering look at her new dress in the mirror then carefully disrobed, taking great care to hang the fabulous new outfit back onto the ponykin from which it had first been presented to her. Once secure in the knowledge that the dress was safe, Rarity began to turn her attention to the intriguing offer that her guest had made, not knowing what to expect. In order to dispel the unspoken question hanging in the air, Luna turned to her hostess and asked, “Shall we outside?” Rarity motioned towards the front door and led the way, turning the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ as she got there, then opened it to the cheerful tinkling of the bell, once more bouncing around to the delight of the spring onto which it was fixed. Luna passed through the door, sharing an enigmatic glance with Rarity and waited outside for her to secure the shop. “We will lower down to permit thee to mount” she said, “We are about to embark upon a flight.” Rarity was momentarily shocked given the Princess’ former concerns about physical contact, that she was now offering something so intimate. She had ridden on pegasi before of course and cherished the experience, even holding a deep desire to have wings of her own, although she knew that having been born a unicorn, that would never be. Carefully minding every hoofstep, she got up onto the alicorn’s back and made herself secure. “Art thou ready?” asked Luna. “Yes” Rarity giggled, “All aboard!”
3 Opportunities Won and LostThe massive blue wings beat against the air in precise thumps, lifting the two of them with deceptive ease and starting off on a course which only one of them knew. As they gained altitude, Rarity was treated to an ever more spectacular view of Ponyville, and found she could not resist the temptation to wave back at those ponies on the ground, who looked up to admire the Princess of the Night and her passenger ascending into the azure sky. Looking down, Rarity noticed that they were leaving the houses and farms behind and heading out over the Everfree; a place she had only been once before. On that occasion she had been accompanied by her five closest friends, each of whom had taken their chance to shine as they faced and overcame a catalogue of horrors and other diversions. She thought back to how none of them would have got through on their own, and in her vulnerability, clung on just a little bit tighter for safety. Memories of her previous visit flooded back when she saw they were approaching the very same castle, which in its semi-derelict state, still retained the same foreboding character that she had experienced when helping Twilight face down Nightmare Moon on that fateful night, not so very long ago. Luna’s wings stopped beating and locked into a position which allowed them to glide gently downward, taking in a wide circuit around the castle before lining up on a landing zone in the courtyard. The landing pad she had favoured during her adolescence and early marehood, had, over time become home to many species of weeds, some of which had grown so big and wild as to prevent her from landing safely. As she skimmed over the ruined walls on final approach, Luna adjusted her descent to direct herself into one of the least overgrown areas, and began to backwing so she could bleed off the last of her airspeed in preparation for landing. Despite the flurry of activity from Luna’s wings, the touchdown was flawlessly smooth, and once she had allowed a moment for her passenger to acclimatise to being on the ground again, lowered her back once more. Rarity shuddered a little, partly due to being back at the Castle of the Two Sisters and partly due to the adrenaline arising from the flight, but climbed down as directed by Luna’s body language. “The Royal gardeners would be dismayed to see their diligent work having gone to such rack and ruin” Luna bemoaned with a sad harrumph, before turning to her guest. “Mistress Rarity, we appreciate your last visit here was not under the best of circumstances, so we expect thou didst not have the opportunity to take in some of the castle’s finer points. As thou art clearly a pony of culture, we should like to make amends and show you the sights, as it were.” A weight visibly lifted off Rarity’s subconscious; even though she knew Princess Luna was no longer Nightmare Moon, there had still been something about the personal one-on-one invite into the Everfree that had unnerved her. However, now having an understanding of the reason for the visit, she beamed happily, looking forward to being shown treasures that nopony had seen in hundreds of years. “So, tell me Princess, why was this castle abandoned?” she asked innocently. “We destroyed it” replied Luna sadly, not even facing Rarity to give the answer, “It was the night we turned into Nightmare Moon and challenged our dear Sister. We chased her, we fought, the castle was grievously damaged, and we were defeated.” There was a pause, a silence that made Rarity wish the ground would swallow her whole, then Luna turned to her and added, “We think it best to be honest from the start, dost thou not?” Rarity simpered by way of reply and followed as Luna led her through a doorway, the door to which had long since disappeared, and set off climbing a flight of stone spiral stairs. The stairs and indeed the passageway onto which it opened out were narrow by grand castle standards, and Luna explained that the rooves protecting some of the wider passageways had long since collapsed or become unsafe, and thus she would navigate her way around the castle by the routes used by the servants. Luna had been proven correct and to Rarity’s surprise, given the apparent state of decay evident from the outside, they were able to find their way to every room that was still standing. In one instance, Luna directed them to a collapsed State room, the centre of which was completely impassable due to large piles of rubble, but around which there was still a narrow gap next to the wall. Here, under the light from their horns, they found paintings depicting grand scenes of the period before unification, pictures which had not been admired for countless years. Luna smiled at Rarity’s open-mouthed reaction, and helped her remove the pictures they could reach with her magic, so they could be exhibited and once more admired as they deserved. Rarity also found some torn and weather-worn tapestries. She appreciated by their condition that it may not have been possible to salvage them as they were, but nonetheless decided that she could at least make copies in honour of the originals. As the day wore on, Rarity came to appreciate that she was in the company of the one pony who knew this castle better than any other. Not only did Luna know all the corridors and rooms along with where to find the most dazzling works of art, but it turned out that she had been a bit of a prankster when she was younger. At one point Rarity even heard her laugh, a truly happy sound echoing around the long neglected walls, when she found that the slide she had adored from her fillyhood days was still intact. Hearing such delight from somepony outwardly so austere, lifted Rarity’s heart and dispelled forever the thoughts of her as the evil and despotic Nightmare Moon. All too soon, the light began to fade, and Luna called an end to the day’s excursion, magically sealing the recovered treasures to protect them against further deterioration, so they could be picked up another day. The two ponies made their way back to the courtyard in readiness for beginning their journey back to Ponyville after a wonderful afternoon for both of them. The sun was getting low in the sky and errant trees and bushes started to take on an other-worldly appearance in the lengthening shadows. Rarity looked up at Luna, the sun cascading through her rich purple mane and glinting off her sparkling blue eyes, framing her face with an ethereal beauty. Luna’s mane had begun to come to life as the starfield contained within it responded to the fading light and began to twinkle beguilingly, complementing her slender muzzle and large teal eyes in a vision that made Rarity’s heart skip a beat. If either dared to say a word, the magic of the moment would have been lost. Luna was in need of a friend and had also been starved of romance for a thousand years. She had already imagined cues from her companion, but was unsure if or indeed how she should proceed, given that she was obviously so out of touch with prevailing societal norms. She had been out of the game for so long she could have mistaken the cues, and worse, if she chose this moment to commit to another pony, would she be making a complete fool of herself? Would there be constitutional repercussions with succession? What about her Sister? Should she, or shouldn’t she? For her part, Rarity had completely re-appraised her view of the former Nightmare Moon and come to see a tender, sensitive and vulnerable pony whose company she really enjoyed. She was also strikingly beautiful in this light, but she was a Princess, the co-ruler of Equestria and therefore completely out of her reach. Nonetheless, Rarity’s heart was continuing to pull her in one direction while her head tried its best to rein in her romantic tendencies. Should she, or shouldn’t she? Imperceptibly, Rarity’s heart started to win out, as her eyelids closed a fraction and her lips parted. It was a reflex action and entirely involuntary, as was her moving her head slightly closer, aching to feel the fulfilment of reciprocated attraction. “We should be getting thee back, Mistress Rarity” said Luna abruptly, totally oblivious to the strong message being transmitted loudly to her at that very moment. Rarity snapped back to reality with a jolt and immediately castigated herself for the thoughts she had just been having. Of course, Luna would never look at her the way she looked up to the Princess; she was just a humble dressmaker after all, not royalty. She had just been engaging in a daydream; an unobtainable fantasy. Luna was right, it was time to go. Although the logic of the situation was inescapable, Rarity couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment, like an opportunity had been missed. However, the day had been good; she had just made a new friend, one whom she had sadly misunderstood at the beginning of their date. The Princess had shown herself to be wonderful company; both knowledgeable and engaging, if a little unsure of herself. Not only that, but her figure and colouring were such physical perfection that they opened up possibilities for a whole new range of dress styles. Perhaps one day Luna may commission her to make a wedding dress when a lucky stallion or mare caught her eye? Rarity sighed wistfully, rapidly dismissing a fairy-tale image of the two of them walking down the aisle of Canterlot Castle together to happy cheers from wellwishers. If only … Forcing herself back to reality, she started planning the work that would need to be done in recovering and restoring the horde of artifacts that were just crying out for attention. Suddenly, sadly, the realities of life came back to dominate her schedule, brushing away the happy thoughts of dreamy eyed romance. It was not to be.
