Displaced Diet-y: Rarity's Reverence

The sun burned high in the sky. Shafts of boiling, dazzling light powered their way towards the ground. Stone and sand alike were heated to sizzling temperatures as the full glare of the yellow star raked across the realm of Akhethra. The creatures who’d lived upon these scorching land had adapted well to the constant battering from the sun, generations upon generations living beneath its almighty glow. So powerful and so constant was it, they worshipped it as a manifestation of a deity.

Though the locals were more than comfortable in the heat, the same couldn’t be said for tourists. Her curly purple mane and long flowing dress certainly made her stand out amongst the locals, not to mention the large parasol, sunhat, and sunglasses she possessed. And despite all the shade she’d created for herself, the unicorn was boiled.

Rarity’s one free hand came up towards her face, daintily brushing away stray trails of sweat that insisted on beading across her forehead. She huffed, face flushed from the unbearable heat. “Celestia above! If it’s this hot right now, I can only imagine how intolerable it was before Rainbow arrived…” She moaned, her hand flapping slightly in a vague attempt to fan herself. The attempt only succeeded in drawing several passerby’s attention. Her already red face deepened in tint, dropped her arm to her side.

“I suppose it’ll be cooler if I go inside. I don’t want to be rude and stand around in some pony’s shop for no good reason...” Sighing, she set about looking for somewhere suitable. Her eyes flicked up to where the shop’s names were written, scuppered by the indecipherable language it was written in. Though their spoken languages may have been identical, the same couldn’t be said about their written one. She glanced lower, an un-ladylike huff stopped as she looked through the window. Straight into the glitter of gold.

Rarity’s eyes widened, blinking as she took in the sight of the piece. She gazed at a beautiful necklace, carefully polished until it was gleaming. The metallic sunset-yellow blended beautifully into the cool blue of the lapis lazuli. Intricately carved forms of scarabs, eyes, and ankhs sat amongst the collage of colours, culminating together to form an utterly remarkable piece.

Drawing her eyes away, she headed for the door, pushing it open with a gentle shove. The light tinkle of a bell could be heard, heralding her entrance. Stepping inside, she was greeted with a veritable hoard of glimmering treasure. Jewelry was placed beneath glass, surrounded by large silken drapes, giving the room a peculiar feel, though not negative in the slightest. It reminded Rarity of those bazaars in Saddle Arabia or Somnambula, though without the crowds that seemed to permeate them.

What did seem to permeate the room was a cooling breeze mingling with the smoky clouds of incense burners. True, the temperature was still hot by Equestrian standards, but it made a marked difference over the stifling heat outside. Closing her parasol, she gingerly tucked it under her arm, sitting a little above her handbag. Smiling, she took to browsing through the jewellery surrounding her. Almost all of the pieces were of considerable size, far from the sort you’d expect to see in Canterlot. It seemed that a master craftsman had a hand in making most of them, each as delicately and meticulously assembled as the last.

“See anything you like?” A voice suddenly spoke from her side. It took all Rarity’s professional composure to not yelp like a schoolfilly. An earth pony mare stood but a meter away. Slightly shorter than Rarity, and perhaps several years older, she walked to the Equestrian’s side. Rarity wasn’t quite sure how she hadn’t noticed her before, the mare was bedecked with a plethora of exquisite jewels that stood out amongst her plain white clothes. Even as she moved, the heavy gold pieces made only the tiniest of noise as they swayed back and forth.

Recovering, her nervousness was quickly buried beneath her usual mask of civility, smiling politely as she turned towards the Akhethran. “Well, I can’t quite decide what I want to look at. Everything I’ve seen has been rather darling!” She exclaimed, the shop owner’s smile widening that little more.

“Well thank you. I do try to order in the nicest looking pieces…” She paused for a moment, snapping her fingers a moment later. “Wait a minute, you’re one of the ponies from the other side… one of Pharaoh Rainbow’s friends aren’t you?”

“Guilty as charged, darling. Myself and my friends decided to spend a week here. To sort out any trades, exchanges, and other such functions from Equestria you see. So I decided to take a little time out and explore this gorgeous city of yours.” With every sentence she spoke, she could see the mare’s face brighten up that little bit more.

“Of course, of course! And to think you came into my little shop of all places, too…” She trailed off, gently rubbing her chin for a moment. “Though I am curious about one thing. For wearing so much cloth, you don’t have anything more than a simple ring.”

Rarity glanced down, catching the glint of the silver ring on her left hand. It was a simple band around her index finger. “Oh, this? Just a little gift from my mother. I do have far more extravagant pieces too, but it carries such wonderful memories for me. I really don’t wear much more than a ring, necklace, or earrings really. Sorry, but I didn’t quite catch your name?”

“Raama.” She responded with a small nod. “Thank you for telling me. Since you’ve been so kind to enter my humble shop, would you be interested in taking a look at some of the more special pieces I have?”

“By all means darling, I’d be more than grateful to have a look.” Her smile seemed to widen that little bit more, beckoning with her hand as she walked through the passageway behind her. Following behind, Rarity weaved her way past boxes, shelves, and other ornaments that filled the space. Coming to a more secluded room, the sound of rummaging and clattering briefly filled the air, Rarity catching sight of the mare sifting through mountains of small cases.

A small squeak left Raama’s lips as she pulled one out. Looking at the box alone, Rarity noticed how different it was. The wood had been bleached near white, close to cream. Opening it up, the Akhethrans fingers looped around a chain as she pulled it clear from the box. Dangling from it was a small sculpture of a mare, as tall as a playing card. Cast mostly in gold, it was beautifully inlaid with gorgeous gems and crossed with minuscule details that came to form the remarkable pony-shaped piece.

Alone, it would have been interesting, whoever had crafted it had given it an interesting peculiarity. Its body was rounded, limbs full and wide. Its legs, and especially hips, were especially wide, seeming to spread out with a wide pair of buttocks. Two heavy breasts swelled forth, resting comfortably upon the wide mass of a belly. Equal parts soft and taut, the globular mass pressed forwards like a globe, resting on the mare’s generous thighs. Whoever the craftspony was, they unquestionably had a type.

And despite how perverse it was, Rarity was all the more drawn to it. Leaning in, she could see tiny hieroglyphs carved into the contours of the figure. The anatomy too, whilst distorted from weight gain and pregnancy, had been done in such a way to be as alluring as possible. The gravid form seemed to stir something inside the fashionista as she outstretched her arm. Her fingers made contact, curling along the smooth metal.

Raama’s mouth opened, yet nothing came out as her lips flapped. In mere moments, a bright light spilled forth. Like a beacon on a lighthouse, the room was engulfed by the glare. Clasping her hands to her eyes, the box fell from Raama’s hands with a dull thud. Squinting past her fingers, she could only see a vague silhouette of Rarity, arms retracting towards her chest. Suddenly, the light stopped. Blinking spots from her eyes, Raama looked back to her guest.

About Rarity’s neck, the figure was hung, residual energy bleeding off and wrapping around her. Now but faint candlelight compared to the raging bonfire it once was, the Equestrian’s form was highlighted in the energy. With a final flare, an electric pop echoed through the room. The pair were speechless, the mood perturbed but a moment later as a gurgle reared forth.

“My stars, what was that all about… would you be a dear and help me back to the palace? I’m feeling awfully hungry…”