Brenda's Big Adventure

I awoke to the sun's rays coming in through the window. The pad on the floor lent some comfort, but not much as I had wrapped my body in the blankets to try to keep myself warm during the cold night. Twilight was already awake and opened the door to the guest room I was sleeping in.

"I am in the process of obtaining a second bed to make it a little more comfortable for you, Brenda. I apologize for my lack of preparation for unexpected visitors, but I should have a bed ready for you tonight. How are you feeling?"

"Well, I feel lonely since I don't have my husband to sleep next to me and I'm hungry since I didn't get much food yesterday."

"Spike's making breakfast and you're welcome to come down and have some. He's looking forward to taking you over to Carousel Boutique today! I have some studies to catch up on and I am also keeping a journal as well. Any information you're willing to provide about your home world is greatly appreciated -- I will provide you with writing materials so you can put on paper whatever you feel like telling me."

"I'm looking forward to meeting Rarity and getting some new clothes -- she talked at length last night about what she was wanting to try out. I'm kind of surprised that she didn't remember me, though."

"That must have been in a different universe than this one -- the way you talk about your husband still fascinates me."

"Well, you might find him a bit underwhelming -- he sometimes does things that don't make any sense."

"You'd be surprised at how many ponies around here do things that don't make any sense!" Twilight chuckled. "Take Pinkie, for example..."

"Somepony call my name?" asked the pink earth pony as she stuck her head in through the window.

"Pinkie Pie, we're on the second floor. How are you able to do that?" I asked in surprise.

"Like I said, Brenda, Pinkie does things that make no sense some times."

"Hey, Brenda! I'm throwing another party later on today! You wanna come?"

"I'm going over to Rarity's boutique today to get some new clothes," I said. Pinkie's expression deflated slightly, but she perked back up.

"Well, maybe later then, Brenda! Just to let you know, you're welcome any time you wanna drop by!" she exclaimed as she started bouncing off in another direction. I marveled at her energy level and wondered how she kept it up.

"Sometimes I wonder if all these ponies really are crazy," Twilight mused.

"They like to play a lot -- their playfulness reminds me of my grandchildren."

"How many grandchildren do you have?"

"Twelve."

"Wow! I would love to meet all of them!"

"If my husband makes it here, he might be willing to take you to our world so you could meet them," I said.

"There's more to it than that, Brenda! I would love to see everything about your world -- it sounds wonderful!"

"Twilight, there's a lot of bad things about our world, things that are very dangerous, and lots of bad people, too."

"Michael sounds like he would be capable of making me safe on our journey," Twilight mused.

"Breakfast is ready, come and get it before it gets cold!" Spike announced.

I joined them at the table for pancakes and syrup, sliced apples with a brown sugar glaze, fried sliced potatoes and orange juice. The food was very good and filled me up. I helped with the dishes and clean-up and then it was time to head over to Carousel Boutique.

"Okay, you two have a good time over at Rarity's -- I'm going to catch up on my studies and my journal. I may be in the basement when you get back, so don't be too surprised if I'm not up here to greet you when you return."

"Seeya later, Twi!" Spike said enthusiastically. "I enjoy my visits with Rarity," he said, addressing me.

"How often does Twilight send you over to her place?" I asked him.

"Well .. I never really give that much thought -- I really like Rarity, and as far as I'm concerned, I don't think Twi sends me over there often enough!" he chuckled.

"How long is the walk over there? Sugarcube Corner is closer, but even that walk takes at least 15 minutes."

"Yeah, well, I don't mind the walk -- I could use a little exercise every now and then. Is the walk that difficult for you?"

"I don't have any shoes, and the ground is kinda hard on bare feet."

"Maybe Rarity can make a pair of shoes for you," Spike offered.

"What materials would she use for that? Leather is made using the skin of cows."

"And ponies don't eat meat, of course. I'll bet Rarity can find a way of making some shoes for you without using leather."

We continued walking for a little while longer, passing the Bakery and stopping in front of the boutique, which, oddly enough, was shaped like a carousel.

"So this is why it's called Carousel Boutique," I observed.

"Points for originality," Spike laughed as he knocked on the front door. I heard a rapid series of hoofsteps down the stairs and then Rarity opened the door, greeting both of us with a big smile.

"Brenda, darling! I was wondering when you might show up. Please come in! You too, Spikey-Wikey!"

"Rarity, please don't call me that in front of others -- that embarrasses me!"

"Spike, darling, sometimes I can't resist! You're so cute!" He blushes and hurries inside. I follow him and Rarity closes the door behind us. "Brenda, darling, please forgive the mess. An earlier patron was a bit too insistent, even though I was trying to clear my schedule for you. But enough of that! You're here now!" she exclaimed. It seemed as though she could not contain her excitement.

"I'm going to need some shoes, if such a thing is possible for you to do," I stated.

"I plan on doing that, and so much more for you, darling! I am looking forward to this challenge, and see it as a possible opportunity for me should I manage to make it to your world! Now, if you'll just step up here onto my platform, I'll take some measurements. I'll need for you to stand as still as possible so I can obtain precise measurements -- I want to make sure the clothing fits exactly to your body."

"It doesn't have to be an exact fit -- I like the clothing to be a little loose so I can move around in it," I said.

"My designs allow for that, Brenda -- but I want them to look good on you as well! You've never had your measurements taken for clothing before, have you?" she asked as she manipulated a tape measure using her telekinesis. This caught me by surprise, as Twilight was the only one other than Princess Celestia I saw using actual magic.

"You can use magic too?" I asked.

"Of course, darling! I'm a unicorn, and all unicorns can use magic to some degree or other. How many of us have you seen?"

"Well, there was this light green unicorn who was stalking us yesterday -- she seemed obsessed with my hands."

"Lyra! You'll have to forgive her, darling, she's been carrying on about humans for a long time -- she desperately wants to have hands so she can play her instrument more easily." Rarity continued taking my measurements, moving the tape measure around my body. "Oh, the upper part of your body has some interesting features."

"These are my breasts," I pointed to them.

"Do all humans have those?" I laughed at her question. She turned a couple of different shades of red.

"No, just the women or females, and they don't generally show up until after we're about twelve years old or so."

"Forgive me for asking this, Brenda, but what exactly do they look like under your clothing?"

"They look like -- Rarity! I can't believe you'd ask something like that! I don't feel comfortable showing them to someone I barely even know!"

"The designs I make may not fit correctly if I can't take exact measurements, Brenda. Please understand that." Rarity still showed quite a bit of embarrassment at having asked me such a personal question. She moved the tape measure to my feet to make a design for some shoes. The whole time she was taking my measurements, she was furiously scribbling notes on paper for each measurement. Then she repeated the process, making sure she got the numbers right. After double-checking her work, she repeated the process yet again to triple-check her work. My knees protested standing in one place for what seemed like an hour.

"I apologize for asking that earlier question, Brenda, darling. Do you require undergarments as well?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. I require bras to support my breasts."

"Are you wearing one of those right now?"

"Yes."

"May I examine it please, so I can make something like that for you?"

I turned my back to her and saw Spike sitting on the couch watching us. "Rarity, I'll need some privacy for this," I said.

"Certainly, Brenda, allow me to close this curtain. Step over here, please." She led me to another room with a privacy curtain. I removed my bra and handed it to her -- she used her telekinesis to examine it, then felt the material using her right fore-hoof. "Very nice! I believe I can duplicate this fairly easily. How well does this item fit you?"

"It's comfortable enough for me -- I don't like underwire bras, so I try to get something like the one you're checking out right now."

"Do your breasts spill over the top of it? Or is the cup size correct?"

"It's close enough to what I need. It serves its purpose and that's all I need."

"Fair enough, I'll make a few of these for you. What about your other undergarments?"

"Uh, well, I do wear panties under my clothes," I began.

"What do those look like?"

"Rarity, this is getting really uncomfortable."

"It would be a shame if something bad were to happen to the clothes I am going to make for you -- I would hate to see them get soiled in some fashion or other. Darling, please, for the sake of protection, I need to know so I can make more for you."

Reluctantly, I slide off my panties, but only after making her turn away so she can't see my nudity. I pulled my sleep pants back up and handed her my panties. She seemed to marvel at them, taking more notes on the size and shape, and sketching a quick design as well. She did the same for my bra and moved them back over to me so I could retrieve them from her telekinetic aura. I put them back on, but again, only after I was sure she wasn't peeking. Her curiosity got the better of her, but she only got a glimpse of me. "RARITY!" I shouted at her. She turned away, blushing furiously.

"Sorry about that, darling, I couldn't resist! You are quite the specimen, aren't you?" she giggled. "Now, I'll need some time to come up with some designs. Please wait in the front and keep Spike company for me. I'll be out in a little while to show you what I've come up with. It may take awhile, but please be patient."

I returned to the main room to see Spike sitting on a red velvet chaise lounge against a wall. I joined him to wait on Rarity to sketch up some designs. "Spike, have you waited on her like this before? Do you know how long it usually takes for her to do this?"

"Well, no, I can't say that I have -- usually, when Twilight sends me over here, it's to help Rarity out with some of her more mundane chores -- I don't mind, of course -- Rarity is so beautiful, I sometimes wish I could spend every day with her!"

"She is very pretty -- I can see why you like her so much."

"I wonder what your husband would think of her."

"My husband seems to think Twilight's prettier, I think, but I wouldn't know without actually asking him. I wonder how much longer it's going to take him to get here," I said as worry was starting to creep back into my voice.

"If the Princess and Twilight say he's going to make it here, I'm pretty sure he is, Brenda. Maybe it'll take some time, but if he's as good as they say he is, I'll bet he'll be here in a week!" he said cheerfully.

"I hope so -- I may not have a job to go back to when I get back -- IF I get back," I sighed. I was starting to get a bit depressed at the thought of actually losing my job. I might detest the people I worked under, but I needed the money to help pay the bills. Even so, I liked the slower pace of things here in Ponyville. Maybe if we could take care of some loose ends back home, Mike and I could make a home in this town. Well, maybe...

"Brenda, darling, why not come on back and see what I've come up with for you?" Rarity asked. "These are only preliminary, but I wanted to give you a rough idea of what I have in mind for you."

Spike and I followed Rarity to a work room where she had been sketching up some ideas. Her designs were quite a bit fancier than anything I had ever purchased from any store, and I commented on this. I told her that what I wore more often than anything else were pants and shirts, jeans, sweaters and the like. What she had designed were dresses with ruffled collars, lace designs, filigrees, very fancy stuff. I was impressed, but told her I just needed functional clothing. She huffed in protest and sketched up some more designs. I think I might have disappointed her.

"Darling, don't you think you might at least want something fancy for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala?"

"What's that?" I asked. I had never heard of such a thing.

"Are you kidding? It's only the biggest event of the year! Every pony who's any pony comes to it, but they need a special invitation from the Princess. We'll be preparing for it in a couple of weeks, and we're really looking forward to outdoing ourselves once again!"

"Well, I suppose -- but I'm hoping to be gone before then -- my husband is supposed to be coming to take me back home, or maybe I might have to ask Princess Celestia to send me back home. The way the other ponies in this town whisper about me to each other really creeps me out, and if the Gala you talk about is something involving a large group of ponies, I don't think I want to be the center of attention at that event."

"Darling, just trust me on this -- they'll come to accept you soon enough, once you've spent enough time around them!"

"I get the impression you're just trying to cheer me up -- I already miss Mike and it's only been two days."

"Well, you need to be more patient, dear." She continued her sketches and showed me some more designs, these being quite a bit more practical. I picked out a few pant-suit designs and a color scheme for them, mostly involving dark blue, brown, tan, and dark red. "You certainly like dark colors, Brenda, but I'll throw in a couple of more lively ones as well, just to see what you might think."

"As long as it doesn't involve chartreuse, mauve, pink, or yellow, I might be interested."

"Brenda, darling, you wound me. I particularly like yellow," she sighed.

"That color dominates Mike's uniforms," I groaned. "He looks like he works in a fast-food restaurant with those silly shirts he wears."

"What colors make up his shirts?"

"Yellow and red -- he refers to it as mustard and ketchup."

"Those colors clash rather horribly with each other -- who came up with such an awful design?" Rarity was aghast.

"I dunno -- it's been like that for more than ten years now."

"Does he feel embarrassed to wear such awful clothes?"

"It's his work uniform! He HAS to wear it! He can't change the colors even though he told me he hates it. He wears them only because they pay him half-way decently."

"So the company he works for makes him wear those awful things. Maybe I should whip something up for him myself. Is he about the same size as you?"

"He's quite a bit bigger than me."

"How much?"

"He weighs about 90 pounds more than me and stands about four inches taller than me."

"Okay, that means I would have to take his measurements then, and since he's not here, I can't do that. Maybe when he makes it here, he can come by my boutique!"

"Well, I guess I can ask him. So how much do I have to pay for these clothes?"

"Well, Brenda, darling, I am willing to present these to you as a gift -- I am the Element of Generosity, and I feel a duty to provide you with a gift -- but please be sure to take good care of them! There are limits to my generosity, you know!"

"I feel obligated in some way to make a payment of some sort -- if there's some way I can do so, please let me know."

"Oh, please, darling, it's no trouble. It'll take me a couple of hours to make your clothes, so please return to the main room to wait on me again. Spike, please join her so I may give this my undivided attention."

"Sure thing, Rarity. Sorry to make you wait again, Brenda."

"That's okay, Spike. I don't feel like making two trips between Twilight's house and here." We made small talk as we waited on Rarity to craft my clothes. I was quite surprised by her generosity and wondered if there was some way of repaying her for her kindness. Perhaps Mike might be able to do something for her, or maybe I could work in her shop until he arrived. I made a mental note to ask her when she was finished about possibly working in her shop for her. Presently she finished her work and called us back so we could examine the finished product.

"Brenda, darling, please try this set on for size," she said as she showed me the first pant-suit set along with a new bra and panties. I was about to step to the privacy room to change, but I stopped for a moment.

"Rarity, I think I need to take a shower before trying these on -- I want to make sure I'm clean before putting on some brand new clothes."

"Okay, then! Follow me, darling, I will show you to my bathroom!" she said a bit too cheerfully for my taste. I followed her upstairs to her bedroom suite with its adjoining bath. It was just large enough for me to wash myself off. Rarity brought my new clothes upstairs for me to try on once I finished bathing and toweling off. She was kind enough to give me the needed privacy of changing without being stared at. The clothes fit quite nicely, even though the bra was a little snug and the panties just slightly too loose, but not bad. I tried on the shoes which were made of several layers of cotton denim -- these were simple slip-on shoes, but they served their purpose quite well.

"Thank you so much, Rarity! Looks like you've done a great job!" I smiled as I admired myself in her work. "Is there some way I might be able to work in your shop with you as a form of payment? I just wouldn't feel right without doing at least something to help you."

"Please forgive me, darling, but I must insist you take these without payment. It pleases me enough to know you admire my skills as much as you do!"

"I really appreciate your generosity, and I will still try to find some way of repaying you, Rarity. Thanks again!"

"No problem, dear. Here are the rest of the clothes I made for you -- but before you go, would you like to accompany me to the spa? Perhaps you might like a massage or something?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I should be heading back over to the Library. Spike looks like he's getting bored."

"Oh, no! I was just resting, that's all!"

"Spikey-wikey, it looks to me like you were sleeping!"

"Well ... I suppose I was ..."

"Okay, I guess I've taken enough of your time today, Brenda, darling! You two head on back then. Please, Brenda, why not come by again some time? There are some other things I would like to try for you! Perhaps you might want to join me for a spa day some time?"

"Thanks for the offer, Rarity, I'll think about it and let you know later." We said our good-byes and headed back to the Library, both of us carrying a few bags with my new clothes in them. The new shoes gave me quite a bit of comfort making the trip back considerably more bearable. Twilight was there to greet us upon our return and admired Rarity's handiwork.

"She sure knows how to make the clothes accentuate your beauty," she smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment!" I smiled.