Smolder gazed into the mirror with silent awe as her blue eyes seemed to sparkle. Usually, she felt bulky and out of place, as if her body was this oversized muscular brute. Yet the dragoness in her reflection was slender and soft, a vibrant red dress bringing out her more feminine features. She felt an odd sense of self-love, something she thought about yet rarely felt.
"I look pretty?" She stumbled over her words, the dress flowing outward near her feet with a frilly hem and a natural floral design decorated down the sides.
"Oh dear, you look fabulous!" Rarity wasted no time taking measurements of the dress as a notebook engulfed in colorful magic jotted down notes.
The floral design was classy, but a fire motif would pop with sophisticated grace. Besides from her calculations the dress needed to be taken up a few inches and the frill toned down.
The dragoness blushed lightly from such a compliment giving the bottom of the hemline a gentle flaunt."I've never been called that." Smolder curtsied to herself in the mirror of the boutique's changing room playfully.
"Now, I find that hard to believe. " Rarity chirped as she pulled away to double-check her notebook.
"You'd be surprised." Smolder watched her delicate movements in the mirror as her smile faded and her voice cracked with a somber tone of melancholy.
This version of herself was simply a fleeting moment in time. One that wouldn't last and quickly fade into obscurity. Every second that passed she could feel herself bulking outward, her muscles bulging and shoulders broadening. A stream of tears slowly trailed across her cheeks, as her spirit crashed to the cold reality of her life.
Rarity was suddenly caught off guard by such a shift in attitude from her dragoness guest."Dear, are you alright?" She quickly placed her notebook on a stylish wooden desk and rushed to the poor child.
"I'm ugly." Smolder placed a clawed hand over her face ashamed, turning away from the reflection which mocked her.
"Ugly!?" Rarity gasped as she couldn't believe such words were being spoken from one so young.
The dragoness stepped away from the mirror as she fought back tears. Her claws slowly tugged and pulled at the fabric, trying her best to free herself from this fabric prison of lies.
"Why would you say such things?" Rarity placed a hoof delicately on the shoulder of the dragoness as her voice rang with reassurance.
"Just look at me!?" Smolder huffed as her claws pointed over her body, trembling.
Rarity tilted her head to the side silently. She could feel turmoil brewing within the child from a place deep inside her soul. The part that made one feel comfortable, at peace, and beautiful.
"I'm always hanging out with the boys, I'm seen as stronger than most of them." Smolder clenched her fist and began to pace.
"But don't you have fun with them? " Rarity asked with a thin arched brow.
The dragoness nodded as she shrugged lightly. "Of course, but they see me how the world does…a brute." She lowered her head in defeat as the room grew silent.
Rarity stepped forward from her workshop and searched the room for an old yellow box riddled with dust. With a flash of translucent blue, she plucked it from a high shelf just above the front door. Magic floating out an old photo, laying it on the table in front of her guest.
Smolder bit her lower lip, fighting back the sting of tears from her eyes as she lifted the old picture frame. Standing in front of a pile of rags was a plump little filly, she was pudgy with a tangled unkempt mane. She wore oversized cat-eye glasses, and her smile was covered in shimmering metal braces.
"Is this one of your cousins?" Smolder smirked at the photo with interest.
"That's moi." Rarity blushed, pointing an elegant hoof towards her chest.
Smolder felt her jaw nearly hit the floor in shock. No way that could be true, Rarity was the very definition of femininity and beauty. How could she and the filly be the same!?
"You see dear, I thought I'd always be seen as nothing more than a silly child playing with old rags." She placed a caring hoof on the shoulder of the dragoness.
"But I followed my heart and enjoyed my passions, doing so not only shared the beauty here." The mare's hoof traced over the heart of the child gently.
"But let my outer beauty shine as well. Just like clay used to mold beautiful creations, we too change over time to glimmer like diamonds."
Smolder didn't know what to say, she simply opened her arms and wrapped the beautiful mare into an oversized embrace. Giving her a tender squeeze, Rarity giggled happy to have helped.
Outside Ponyville, Gallus grinned as he found a gnarly flight path through the Everfree. It was covered in thorns and begged to be explored. "Where's my dude!? I'm itching to do some spelunking!" The Griffon snorted.
"I'm here, don't worry!" Smolder flew towards her friend grinning, she wore a flowing red dress that almost looked alive with blazing flames.
Gallus looked confused, not too sure what to say, Smolder looked so much more interesting than he was used to. "Dude, you look like a lady." He chirped nervously.
Smolder shrugged with a little smirk."I just felt comfortable in this." She whispered.
"No, you're hot! I mean you're on fire!!... Ahem, it's cool." Gallus couldn't stop himself from blushing bright red.
With a giggle that Gallus never noticed was almost like a melody. Smolder flew confidently into the air above. "C'mon dork, let's do this!" She winked before flying off down the path.
"Right behind you!" He chuckled in return, blasting off.
Smolder was ready for fun and finally felt comfortable in her scales. Not by being one of the boys or a girly girl.
But for the first time now…
By truly being herself.
