Mirror: Book I - Mind

The insistence the boy emphasized to Twilight for his intent to stay indoors meant nothing as she levitated her human across the ground and headed south through Ponyville. A few snickers from the ponies passing by were caught here and there, some joking that Princess was taking her new royal pet for a walk. Although she ignored them all the same, David couldn’t help but cross his arms and pout his lip as he was slowly careened a mere foot or two from the ground.

“You’re lucky I don’t decide to just teleport you.” Twilight said. “I don’t intend this as a punishment, I’m only trying to help you.”

“You’re doing a splendid job already.” He pouted again.

Twilight huffed and brought him forward, releasing her magical grip upon him and letting the boy stand on his own two feet as she looked up into his eyes. “You’re an adult, aren’t you?” She asked. “I trust you know how to act your age.”

“You wouldn’t believe how often I’m told that.”

“There’s no reason to make this difficult, especially for Rarity.”

“Listen,” he knelt down, “I get that you’re trying to do a little good for the both of us but I don’t think she’s going to take my presence all too well. Fainting upon her very first sight of me ought to have raised some red flags, don’t you think?”

“First impressions mean nothing when you have the courage to try again.” Twilight smiled confidently.

David stared at her, cockeyed. “Did you just make that up to try and motivate me?”

“Just get in there!” Twilight jerked her head, then turned. “No, wait, I’ll knock.”

The boy was confused as to where exactly she stood with her trust in him, and they left it at that as she fixed her mane and approached the building before them. An orange flag stood atop golden trimmed roofing patterned in pink-white checkers and light blue bows, whereas fixed into the supporting poles surrounding the central tower was a ceramic pony as to depict a carousel going round and round. The checkered patterns had detailed stitching on each and every tile, showcasing the time and delicacy one might take to construct such fabrics strong enough to uphold a foundation built off of fashion designing.

Instead of knocking, Twilight instead pushed past the front door and called out for her friend while the boy followed her inside, craning his head downward to compensate for his high stature among the tiny, pony-sized architecture. David was quickly fixated to a small mirror looking himself over when Twilight suddenly felt a familiar, diamond blue aura surround her whole and drag her into the kitchen space of the boutique. A wide-eyed, marshmallow white unicorn stood staring at her, confused and antsy all over.

“Are you mad?!” Rarity gawked.

Twilight knew what this was all about. “Please, we’ve dealt with hydras, dragons and all sorts of beasts in the past. A simple human isn’t the end of the world.”

“You simply cannot fathom the terror you’ve brought upon my doorstep.” Rarity continued. “I have traveled into over grown forests, plunged hundreds of feet deep into the earth after being kidnapped by diamond dogs. I’ve even spent twelve hours straight listening to a farm hunk talk about the complete, uninterrupted history of soy beans! If but a single ounce of the terror we call our humble little world were to ever set a claw in this shop, it would be the worst possible thing that could happen!”

“First of all, he’s not even from this planet.” Twilight raised her hoof. “And secondly, before you faint, I’ve brought him here to help you out.”

“What could that…what did you call it? A hubris?”

“His name is David.”

Rarity stared with an open jaw and dumb gaze.

“I found him in the forest and I need you to give him a job.” Twilight paused. “Also, some new clothes wouldn’t hurt.”

“Well, if you wanted some new wardrobe all you had to do was ask, no reason to parade the monkey through town.”

“I meant for him, not me!” Twilight groaned and slid her hoof down her face. “Look, I’ll pay for them too.”

“Twilight, dear, you know you don’t have to pay a bit for my services.” Rarity led her hoof to Twilight’s shoulder. “We’re friends, are we not?”

“So you’ll do it?” The Alicorn beamed.

The fashion designer lent a wary eye out to the showroom where she spotted the boy squatting on a stool, running his talons through his small, top mane. He stared at himself in a small mirror as though he were trying to fix and confirm something. Rarity drew her head back into the kitchen and gave her friend a scrunched muzzle and unsure shrug.

“Please, Rarity, just give him a chance.” Twilight pleaded. “If not for him, then for me.”

“Well, I suppose one day couldn’t hurt.” Rarity reluctantly accepted.

“I knew I could count on you!” Twilight wrapped her hooves around the unicorn and nuzzled her neck. “Now, I have some scripts to attend to. If you have any questions just call me, you two have fun.” And with that, Twilight disappeared in a flash of hot pink and white, sparkles dancing away like dust in the air.

“Now wait a moment, get back here and explain yourself! Twilight?” Rarity called, but only silence answered. “He’s not going to leave excretions on my front lawn, is he?”

In that instant there was a crash from the show room, the sound of glass shattering. Rarity looked over to the oven and supposed that sticking her head inside of it and closing it shut would be a better option than walking out to investigate upon the strange creature her dear friend had just dumped into her boutique. She considered levitating a cloth over her eyes to act as a blindfold so she could pass through the showroom and up to her personal quarters so that she might get an early start crying her miseries away.

Is that the proper way for a lady to think? A voice reached her consciousness.

Rarity looked to her right, a golden fairy-like depiction of her with a haylo floated next to her ear. There was another call to her left.

Twilight admitted it and so did you! You’ve been through worse, have you not? The opposing voice chanted. I’ll cut you a deal, darling dearie. The back door is right over there, go take a stroll in the park and forget this mongrel ever set a claw in your home.

“What a terrible idea!” Rarity talked back to her shoulder. “That beast will tear everything apart while I’m gone!”

Make Twilight pay you back for the damages.

“What a brilliant idea!”

Rarity beamed, then quickly frowned and shook her head violently. Tiny mockeries of herself floated about either side of her head, and it was at this point she began to regret having canceled those therapy sessions with the new doctor down the street.

Do you really think she’d fall for your petty schemes? The brighter argued. Why, she doesn’t even have her sunhat on! How could anypony take a stroll through the park on such a bright, sunny and grueling day?

Tans are in this season. The red Rarity presented herself seductively.

Oh please, your coat shows nothing but the blood of the branded!

“My word, does my imagination really contain such colorful vocabulary?” Rarity questioned herself.

Don’t talk back to me, you poorly roasted marshmallow on a stick!

The two Rarity’s moved in between, pushing their muzzles on each other like sisters in quarrel.

Period rag!

Piss sponge!

“Enough, both of you!” Rarity separated the two. “I don’t even know how you two got here but all I want are answers. What am I supposed to do?”

Oh, Rarity. The shoulder devil laughed. This isn’t one of Twilight’s tantalizing equations, it’s perfectly simple. In your midst lay two decisions, you take one or the other. We agree to the park, yes?

“Which one am I really supposed to choose?”

Ultimately, that is left up to you. The shoulder angel said. Only at the end of time will the tumult of your decisions weigh upon you.

The devil disappeared and then the angel, leaving black and white, tiny clouds of smoke in their wake. The unicorn blinked the images away and rubbed her sockets to make sure the sights were no more. What laid before her was an open doorway, the backdoor leading to the bright and inviting outdoors. In the opposite direction was the path to the showroom, this supposed beast in his newly found den lying in wait. Rarity knew she was better than this. She had indeed seduced dragons and battled bugbears in the past, what was a simple hyoo-mun to her? Gougère, that’s what! Her lungs swelled and her posture tightened, one hoof after the other marched for the opening to the showroom. The human was hovering in the doorway, crouching and peeking at the mare expectantly. Rarity was prepared to do a one-eighty, she held her breath.

“You must be Rarity?” He inquired.

The mare nodded stiffly.

“Listen, you have every right to rip my ugly head off my shoulders after I broke your mirror, but I’m willing to make up for it.”

A broken mirror was the least of her worries. The only thing on the mare’s mind now was to stand so incredibly still, as though struck by a cockatrice stare, that the boy’s beastly eyes would not detect any heat signatures…or however it was supposed to work in the movies.

“I hear you make dresses?” He continued. “Is there anything you need organized? Crimped? Folded? I’m at your disposal.”

It was all too much to take in. The boy knew everything, where she lived, what she did for a living, this one was too good!

“Hey, are you alright?” His eyes danced worryingly. “You’re looking kind of blue.”

Blue? Why, yes. How nice of the young lad to compliment her eyes, which just so happened to be watering and struggling to stay open as she swooned from the left and to the right. David instinctively held out his arms, but drew back when he remembered she looked rich enough to have a lawyer. Rarity fainted.

Time seemed to fade into the void like wisps of gray smoke dissipating upon a black background, the smell filling her nostrils, clouding her senses and leading her to believe that having a house fire was a-okay for business. The business of the boy and the business of the boutique coming together into one, simple task that her one, royal friend had asked of her. She would get to it eventually, she just needed to figure out why she was lying in her bed and smelling smoke.

Smoke…?

Celestia’s sunny arse, that mongrel was setting her house on fire! Rarity yelped and leapt from her bed albeit clumsily as she clamored through the door and missed a step through the hall, careening down the stair well and flailing her hooves wildly in a desperate attempt to break her fall. Her rump did a fine job of that, and she supposed it could have been worse.

“Rarity!” Her little sister squeaked. “You ruined our surprise.”

No, it couldn’t be any worse now. Had school gotten out early? Did she miss picking her sister up? On the contrary her sister was well over the age to have somepony escort her to and from the school house, and it only told the older mare to gather her bearings together before the entire house burned to the ground, let alone find the source of it. The source just so happened to be a neatly cooked egg or two lying in the pan and frying away at a reasonable temperature. There at the stove’s dials stood her little sister, Sweetie Belle, and the young “mongrel” from before crouching down to her level running a talon over the controls.

“Did you sleep well?” The boy asked. “I hope you don’t mind but we made eggs for lunch. I know it’s more of a breakfast thing, but your sister asked and well, I couldn’t decline.”

“Did you know that humans are really good at cooking?” Sweetie approached her elder sister.

“Nonsense, I can’t fry anything past a simple egg.” He chuckled. “Now, about that toast-”

“I’ll grab the butter!” Sweetie pranced to the fridge and levitated the aforementioned onto the kitchen counter, trotting up by the boy’s side as the two grew swell with one another’s company. The boy had to remind her that they did not need a bowl for toast. A simple plate would suffice.

Rarity calmly and quietly assessed the setting before her with her eyes and ears alone before coming to the conclusion that the house wasn’t going to be turned into a hill of ash and soot after all. The unicorn breathed and pushed herself back onto her hooves and rubbed her rump a few times before lumbering over to the dining table like an old mare, fixing her mane and clearing her throat as she found her seat.

“Sweetie Belle, dear.” Rarity pressed her hooves together. “Will you please give our guest and I a moment alone, so that I may come to terms with the fact that an alien is frying eggs on my kitchen stove?”

“Um…sure?” Sweetie shrugged, cockeyed. “Whatever you say, sis.”

“Don’t forget.” David pointed to the dials.

“Oh, right!” Sweetie allowed her levitation and turned off the stove. She gave the boy a gratuitous smile and beamed at her older sister before scampering off past the threshold and into the showroom.

Once the silence had settled in, Rarity waved her hoof in front of the table before her, allowing the beast a seat, and the mongrel in question produced two plates from the cabinet and carefully slid the sunny-side-up meals onto their respective platters. “If only they had bacon…” He muttered.

“What was that?” Rarity perked an ear.

“Sorry, I was talking to myself.” He admitted, walking over with a plate in each hand. “Your sister is very sweet, I suppose she lives up to her title.”

“It would seem so.” She gave him a wary stare. “Might I ask what has compelled you to act likewise?”

“Are you saying I wasn’t always sweet myself?” He gave a small grin and crouched down lower than usual, compensating for the low seating. “Well, sweet isn’t exactly the right word, I would try to go with something like “nice” or “kind” but even then I wasn’t always so much of either of those. I think I’m beginning to see things in a different light, though. This town, these ponies, it ain’t so bad, y’know?”

The unicorn continued her cockeyed, single eyebrow raised gaze at the boy as her eyes varied from him and to the egg in front of her. She dared a small sniff and a prod with a fork at the sunny-side-up substance, the lack of greenery setting her a bit off.

“Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.” He said, munching on his own egg. “I watched your sister carefully.”

Careful now, Rarity. The mare thought inwardly. He’s trying to sweet-talk your attention away from the primary dilemma here, that being that this mongrel is in fact the elephant in the room. Gaining your sister’s trust, his nonchalant demeanor, that brandish in his eye…

Currently, David was picking his nose and working out a piece of egg stuck between his teeth.

Oh yes, I’ve got you all figured out and you don’t even know it yet. I’ll bet this is all just a test, one of Twilight’s outlandish experiments whereas I am the guinea pig. Alright then, Miss Sparkle, I’ll play your little game, but don’t expect any clearly defined results.

“Say, you’re not internally monologueing, are you?” David questioned, munching on his meal. “Twilight said you might do that.”

“I beg your pardon?” The unicorn was struck out of her daydreaming.

“If you’re not hungry then I understand-”

“No no!” Rarity readied her fork. “Sweetie Belle worked hard to make this just right, I’m sure. It’d be rude of me to let her efforts go to waste, would it not?”

He smiled and showed an open palm to her plate, allowing the mare the time she took to stare at the egg before cautiously scraping and scooping a small portion with her fork, lifted up and into her mouth by use of her levitation. She winced and the fork clattered to the table, but after a calm spell of nothing but the sound of her chewing filling the quieted air of the kitchen, Rarity blinked, swallowed, and blinked again in realization. Her sister had managed to make an actual, edible breakfast, with the help of this mongrel that is. No, “mongrel” wasn’t really sticking that well anymore, there was a bit more of a gentle aura surrounding the boy now and the unicorn wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. By force she digressed and reminded herself not to be swayed from the objective, and so she ate while questioning him.

“I’ll admit you have done a good deed for Sweetie Belle, and perhaps myself as well, but I understand that Twilight had sent you here for a different task?”

“Yes.” He grinned. “To kill.”

“Assassin, I knew it!” Rarity raised her fork in defense.

“Easy, easy! It was just a joke!” His palms were open as he trembled in fear. “Twilight doesn’t know when to give somebody a break, you know? She kept talking about getting me new clothes or whatever but I bet her there wasn’t a single pony here in Ponyville, or Equestria for that matter who sold human clothes, and boy do I regret saying that because then that gave her an idea. She told me she had a good friend of hers who knew how to make anything for anybody, and I guess she meant you.”

“So what you’re telling me is, you’re a customer?”

“More or less?” He shrugged.

The fork surrounded in blue lowered and rested back to the table, and so did David’s palms as he breathed for control and muttered something about crazy unicorns under his breath. He reached into his small bag and produced a tiny slip of paper which he then handed over to Rarity.

“Here, Twilight worked ahead and took my measurements before coming here. The torso, the waist, arm length, it’s all there.”

After taking the paper into her field a pair of red glasses were produced, the boy not quite sure from where, and were affixed onto her muzzle. The fashionista peered at the horn writing and put a hoof to her chin, looking at the boy and then back to the paper. “I hadn’t expected her to go and do part of my work for me.” She gave a chuckle.

“Apparently she had those before we even thought about coming to see you.” He admitted.

“Apparently? As in, unbeknownst to your knowledge?”

“You can see where my odd history with unicorns build up.” He scratched his scalp.

“In completely the wrong direction, I know.” A blue glint caught in her eye. “That is why I have decided to be nothing but ecstatic about this deal! To think, if I had decided to take that stroll in the park, oh the opportunities I would have missed.”

“What stroll in the park-”

“Come hither, darling, the time for talk is over.” Rarity slid aside her half finished egg and drew the boy in her levitation. “Now is the time for inspiration!”

The boy wordlessly skidded across the kitchen and into the show room where he was thrown onto the pedestal with three mirrors surrounding him from his front and sides. The top of his hair was only a few inches from the ceiling, and the reflection in the mirrors only revealed the waist down.

“Hm, that may be problematic.” Rarity added. “Not to worry, you may have a seat there for the time being. Now, let’s have a look at that denim, shall we?” The mare acquired a closer look, still adorning her red glasses. “My word, the stitching on these are quite the craft. Where did you say you were from, darling?”

“Far away.” He replied.

“I see.” She seemed to ignore him for the while, focusing on his fabric.

“Far far away. Come to think of it that might just be the state of my mind…”

“Where ever you may come from the quality of your wardrobe compares to some of the finer material in Equestria, dare I say. I admire the simplistic style and the fine attention to detail it entails. Tell me, do you have a tailor?”

“Listen, Rarity.” David began. “I realize you’re excited here but I don’t exactly have any of those bits on me. I’m sure Twilight would be willing to pay you, but honestly all I’ve come here for are some ideas, that’s all.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Rarity admitted. “It’d be foolish of me to leap head first into something I don’t even have precise patterns for, not yet at least.”

“What I mean to ask is,” he started. “Is there something that I can do for you?”

“Well, I don’t want to burden you so.” She prodded her chin again. “There is one menial task…”

Another set of boxes levitated from out the backdoor and onto a small cart waiting outside. The wagon in question stood beneath the shade of a tree, the boy peering down for a moment and looking at the etching on the side. Carefully, he sounded the letters out one by one. “P…R…O…?” He read.

“What’s caught your eye, darling?” Rarity moved over with another set of boxes and laid them atop the cargo. “Property of Sweet Apple Acres.” She read.

“I was getting there.” He grumbled.

“I take it Ponish isn’t your first language?”

“No, I’ve been practicing ever since I got here.” He said. “It’s strange, you and I speak the same way but our writing is different. I can only wonder what it might mean.”

“Well, we shall’nt allow it to get in the way of our objective.” She lit her horn for a final time and set the last two boxes to the cart. “This is a simple task, all we need to do is deliver these orders to an address across town.”

“Wouldn’t it just be easier to pull the cart yourself?” David inspected. “It is suited for a pony, after all.”

“This is an earth pony, d-ring rig, not well suited for unicorns such as myself.” She explained. “It belonged to Big Macintosh, hence the name written on the side. Even if I did have the strength to haul it the strap would dig into my rib cage and cause discomfort, and trust me when I say that beauty marks and I do not go well together.”

“I suppose I get what you’re saying, but, can’t you just pull it with your magic?”

Rarity had to grit her teeth and close her eyes for a moment to restrain herself from face-hoofing. Clearly the boy was not getting what she was saying, and thus she sought for a demonstration. She wordlessly walked to the front of the wagon and picked up the ring with her magic, slowly and effortlessly lurching forward to result in only a two inch progression rate. She exaggerated a series of tired panting and looked to her companion.

“Oh woe is me, such a hefty haul is too much for a frail little unicorn such as I.” She winked. “Why, if only a big, tall and erm…tall person were to come this way and help a poor mare out?” She winked again.

David stared at her. “Why not just levitate the boxes?”

“Do you want this job or not?” She finally asked.

He stood there for a moment, stoic, almost as if caught by headlights in the middle of a dark, unlit road. He silently swept past the mare and hoisted the wooden planks that stood at each end of the d-ring, connected to the cart. He stepped forward once and twice, twisted his shoulders around and gave a content nod. The wagon careened forward along with him, and the mare behind masked a concerned look. Was that too naggish? She thought.

They passed by the park with Rarity glancing over at the green expanses every once in a while, collections of ponies staring, stifling laughter and pointing hooves as they whispered to their mates nearby and hollered to those afar. Many eyes were upon them, to which the unicorn following took great notice, and so she looked at the boy ahead to see that he continued forward with that same steady stride, unwavering and somewhat determined, or at least that seemed so from what she could read. If only this boy, this human were a pony, then he’d be that much easier to read, to study his body language, the swishing of the tail or the direction of the ears, they were almost the primary places to look when reading another pony. This human, of course, was far from it, and so Rarity felt at almost of a disadvantage in his presence. She simply could not ascertain his style.

She supposed for a moment that if she were to just imagine this boy as a pony, his looks and his build, then maybe she’d understand him a little better. Perhaps even begin to grow a little more comfortable being around him. It was in this way she would attempt to imagine the clothes he might wear, the style he might adorn.

“Is it the looks?” David suddenly asked.

Rarity was struck from her daze once again. She blinked and assessed her helper. “I’m sorry?”

“I’ve noticed them too.” He said. “I’m sorry to drag you down like this.”

She knew he meant the others, the ones staring them down and trading whispers as though they were a presence to feel prejudice and disdain for. Though Rarity wasn’t one hundred percent sure what he could have done to deserve such ill recognition, she didn’t let it daunt her so. Moreover she tried to act as though nothing appeared amiss.

“Why, whatever do you mean?” She questioned innocently.

It caused the boy to stop and drop the d-ring from his grasp, turning around to address the mare, a dejected appearance to his face. “Listen, Rarity, you’ve had a good attitude towards me thus far, a great one actually. You wouldn’t believe some of the reactions I’ve gotten before. What I mean to say is I know this is making you uncomfortable, you don’t have to keep doing this for Twilight’s sake.”

So he had heard? Rarity thought. Or, perhaps he simply knew. He must feel this way quite often, the poor boy.

“I know we’re already this far in.” He continued. “But you don’t have to keep doing this. If you want me to stop, just say so. I won’t tell Twilight, promise.”

“Now what would compel me to do such a thing?” Rarity was upfront. “So what if other ponies are giving us ‘looks’? If they wish to gawk, let them. They know nothing.”

“I’m just trying to consider your image here.” He fessed.

“My image?” Rarity almost felt offended.She shook her head and stepped a little closer to him, using her magic to fix the collar of his shirt. “Darling, has anypony ever told you to have confidence? No matter who you are or what you are doing, never let anypony or anything discourage you so. Twilight promised me a reliable helper and I have no doubt that I see one standing right before me.”

The boy hid his smile well, but despite her recent fallings the fashion pony had a keen eye to this, even to the expressions of a foreign species. She regarded him more carefully and decided for a more open approach.

“Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?” She asked.

He thus felt a little more at ease and resorted to telling her about the finer details that surrounded his life back home. The trips he took, the small feats he made, the friends and family he spent time with delving into these activities. On a wider spectrum it seemed as though his world was all too much to take in at once, and so narrowing down to the calmer aspects is what made life seem all the more in tune with grace and harmony alike. Rarity went on to mention that you can’t always have these finer details of life, for it was the struggles and efforts that brought out the brightest beauties in everypony. They trekked on as he talked, and in her midst of listening Rarity seemed to decide that whether the boy be human or pony, it did not matter. There was a life behind his doings and that was all he really needed to get by.

The market trail, although not as busy as usual, proved another difficult pass as more of the ponies present gave their stares and turned up their snouts. It was enough to make David cease his chattering altogether, but it hadn’t mattered much when their destination laid just around the corner. The unicorn instructed the human to begin carefully moving the boxes so that they were ready for easy transport. The boy took one in his paws and shook it lightly. “What’s in these things anyways?” He asked.

“Careful now, priceless gems.” Rarity informed. “Well, not exactly priceless, but they’re quite up there if you understand. I’ve had these rocks in storage for quite some time, Spike helped me dig them up. Have you met the dragon?”

“The short one? Of course.”

Rarity giggled. “I’m sure you two would get along like siblings.” She turned and brushed past the back door of the building. “Now wait here just a moment, I’ll call you when we’re ready.”

The interior of the shop showcased a wide variety of retro knick-knacks and forgotten gizmos, some looking on the boot-leg side of appearances, and most others having seen better days, but all in all Rarity knew herself to be a sucker for vintage material. “Oh Mr. Biff~” The lady called. “Your delivery is here.”

From the cashier counter fishing around glass cabinets emerged a tall, brawny stallion with a brown mane and sharp, amber eyes. There was but a small stubble to his chin, the signs of a hasty shaving job, and he scratched at it every so often as though he were reaching for something that was usually there, simply wasn’t. Biff smiled and eyed Rarity with enticement and fascination.

“Well, if it isn’t the lovely Miss Rarity.” A strange accent drooled from his mouth. “You brought the stuff, yes? Ready to get down to business, yes?”

“Oh, Mr. Biff, you always know how to talk like we’re in a mystery novel.” Rarity caught herself laughing at her own joke for a little too long. She cleared her throat and fixed her mane. “Yes, I do have the goods. I hope you’ll find my assistant most useful.”

“Eh, assistant?” Biff appeared hesitant. “I thought you said only one of you, that one being you.”

“Yes, well, plans have changed you see?” The mare turned to the door and opened it with her levitation, beckoning the human inside.

David set one foot in and lowered his head before passing the threshold, a couple of boxes tucked beneath his arm, and he raised his nose to the air as he peeked inside. “Smells like a barber shop in here.” He commented.

“By the necropolis, what is that thing?” Biff took a step back. His gaze tightened on the mare. “Miss Rarity, what is the meaning of this?”

“W-Well, you see-”

“You hire a chimp? That is your business, not mine.” He denounced. “I cannot have filthy paw marks on goods, the boss will get upset! I mean-” He shut his mouth, then continued. “This is not zoo! Shoo! Shoo him away, now!”

“Now, Mr. Biff, there’s no reason to get upset.” Rarity pleaded. She felt a finger tap on her back, and she turned to find the boy beckoning her to the side. She approached quietly and listened in.

“Go on and shoo me.” He said.

“What? No, I’m not going to ‘shoo’ you.”

“That’s okay, I know how to make myself scarce.” He lowered his head. “You’ve been kind to me, Rarity, I don’t want to screw things up for you. We’ll call it a fair trade today, agreed?”

She watched him set the cargo of precious jewels back onto the wagon and set off in the direction they had come from. He turned and waved to her with a blank smile, and the mare could only standby and watch as the poor boy set himself upon the path of discouragement once more. Perhaps it was more of a learning experience for Rarity than it was for him, perhaps there was something off about this business bargain from the start. To think that she was prepared to sell her jewels to some…some crook! The amateur business mare turned tail and marched straight back into the shop, tail stiff, ears flat and nose held high. Biff barely regarded her appearance.

“Glad we got that issue sorted out.” He laughed.

“Glad we got this issue sorted out.” Rarity stomped her hoof. “Mr. Biff, I’m sorry, but the deal is off.”

The stallion stopped scratching his chin mid sentence. “Ridiculous.” He scoffed. “Miss Rarity, you always know how to talk like we’re in a comedy.”

“This is no joke, I absolutely disapprove of the way you treated my colleague and I will not have business with anypony who thinks as such.” She turned her snout back up and trotted for the day. “Good day, and good luck, Mr. Biff.”

“Why, you slippery dame! You brood!” He shouted. “This won’t be the last you hear of us! We will ruin you, do you hear me?”

Rarity felt herself shiver and dared not to turn around and look back, the mere act of somepony insulting her and calling her a brood, it was enough to frighten her so. Despite her achievements in business in the past few years, Rarity found herself to be quite inexperienced when it came to the deeper crevices of Equestria. She knew now in her gut that this was a bad call, and so she ventured to take the thoughts off her mind and threw the d-ring of the wagon over her back, fastening it around her barrel. She lurched forward with a pitiful tug, and tried again to hull the cart with her magic. She had only made a few hooves of progress before sighing drearily and hanging her head to the earth. “What have I just done?” She questioned.