Crystals Grow on Rainbows

The first thing Rarity did upon entering her room at the castle was fall back on the bed out of tiredness. This time there was no bell-colt to help carry her things up, which caused quite a strain on her magic of course. Celestia's enhancements proved to be very beneficial in that regard, at a guess it would have been far too difficult to manage so many items at once. And now, as she stared up at the canopy of her bed, all that came to mind was that one rainy night. Holding the pegasus close to her.

Her head shook right after that, dispelling the memory away. "Now now Rarity, this is your break, you shouldn't be thinking of such things for the time being." A yawn followed as she pulled herself from the bed. It was a good day, hardly one to be used sitting around in her room with new concepts. Rarity made her way out onto the balcony at that point, admiring the view of the glorious city beneath her, fixed to the tall mountains, and bordered by graceful waterfalls. So beautiful, different from Ponyville's appeal, and again that of the Crystal Empire's.

"How are things my dear Rarity?" Rarity jumped upon hearing Celestia's voice. She had obviously arrived silently, probably to check up on how she was going. Though it was the question that surprised, and confused her most. It was impossible to tell whether she wanted a progress report on her task, or was just inquiring about her current state. The answer would be the same, she didn't know. A mess of emotions, and unsure if she should try to pursue Rainbow Dash, or move on.

"Things are, alright. That is to say, they are not at the peak of what I would desire them to be, nor are they at disastrously low levels of inadequacy." Over-formalizing it seemed to be the only way to avoid lying; things certainly didn't feel alright. "Nothing that I should complain about, really." How surprised would her friends be to hear her admit something like that? It didn't matter, Celestia was always understanding of problems.

Celestia smiled in response as she moved to stand beside Rarity. "Some would say that is the right place to be in. So you always have something to aspire to, without becoming overwhelmed." Strange as it was to offer advice to ponies other than Twilight Sparkle, it had a unique appeal to it. "Why don't you make your way down to the donut shop for now. I took this chance to visit in between meetings, and I apologize that I cannot stay longer. But, it would give me great comfort to know that you are enjoying your time here."

Rarity was lost in thought for the moment, unmoving until Celestia was already on her way down the stairs once more. The donut shop? A very odd suggestion coming from her, but what harm could there be in following it up? Many Canterlot ponies wouldn't look twice if she didn't bother with wearing anything, which suited the relaxation part of her stay very well.

As she expected, walking through Canterlot was very straightforward. By not drawing any attention to herself, not one single pony stopped her out of recognition. A nice peace that was rare to come by, and under the circumstances very welcome. Donut Joe on the other hand was quick to greet her as she entered the shop. "Rarity! What a surprise to see you again, anything I can get you?"

For the second time in less than an hour, Rarity was rather surprised. She had only met the Baker twice, both times were rather embarrassing for herself, yet he seemed eager to make her feel welcome. "Well, just a coffee thanks, I am trying to maintain a good diet after all." A nod from the baker came before he set about to prepare her order, whistling one of Canterlot's tunes.

While waiting, Rarity was given a glimpse at the middle class society of Canterlot. Many ponies were talking over their afternoon purchases, going about their daily life without concern. Rather akin to how she felt when arriving there, unfazed by whatever went on around her. A nice change from the unicorn society, higher up in the city. For now, she would enjoy the anonymity.

Irony seemed to be strong that day, as Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, made her way up to the counter. The chatter that followed allowed her to gather that the Wonderbolts had finished a long slew of races, and would be on break for the next three weeks. While such information would be handy, it abruptly reminded her of their last encounter. Kicking them unconscious was a truly dreadful incident, one she wouldn't want them to remember.

"Hey, aren't you Rarity? Rainbow Dash's friend?" Rarity's nervous laugh followed as she turned to Spitfire in growing worry. What could the captain of the Wonderbolts possibly want with just a plain old fashion designer from Ponyville? "We were guest judging at the fashion show a few nights ago, and your recent line was really good. Really great use of colour, don't suppose Dash had a hoof in that?"

A heavy cough followed as Rarity tried to conceal her growing nervousness. Spitfire had caught onto her trend, would she work out the rest? "Well, I do my best after all. Of course, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy provide a lot of help, modelling and sewing in turn. I suppose that she did inspire some of the colour work after all, though I hadn't really made the connection myself. But I am pleased that you like them, might I interest you in a more personal line?"

The smile that Spitfire gave was virtually sparkling, making Rarity uneasy again. Rainbow Dash would go mental if she found out that such a conversation was happening, after all those times she had tried to earn one with the Wonderbolts. "Well, if there's anything me or the Wonderbolts can do for you, feel free to ask." Rarity in the meantime accepted her order, taking a few refreshing sips before realization struck her. Anything that the Wonderbolts could do for her...

"Well, there is one thing that I have in mind, if it's alright of course. Not for my own benefit either I assure you." If her idea worked, then Rainbow Dash would surely give her proposal consideration at least. It wasn't a guarantee that anything would develop, but at the very least, they would have tried. That's all she wanted right now, nothing more. And even then, it was a great act of generosity; nopony could ignore that

"Rainbow Dash had a rather serious accident a few weeks back, it left her bed ridden for a week. Since then she's been a little out of sorts, would it be any bother at all if you could... pay her a visit? I'll make all the arrangements of course, and I won't be heading back to Ponyville for the next week anyway, so I'll have your line ready by then!" This time she didn't have a birthday to prepare for, or other engagements for that matter. Still, it was several outfits to work on.

With a final nod, Spitfire carried the large spread of food and drink back to the table, where several of the Wonderbolts had gathered. Rarity finished off her own drink before departing, feeling rather relieved at long last. Things were looking up again; she had a high profile line to design, as well as a present for Rainbow Dash that would earn favour. "Oh Rarity, you do know how to handle things after all."