"Ah, purple! I do have to agree with you on that matter, darling. Purple is... Celestia, I can't even find the words to describe purple's... elegance." Rarity gave a big smile, an ear-to-ear one that she swore would break off her face in a matter of seconds. Lighting her horn and magicking her measuring tape back toward her, she pushed her glasses up her nose and stuck her tongue out in the warm air. Beginning to unravel the tool, Rarity looked back up at her customer and said, "I do hope you're not getting too tired up there, Octavia."

The Earth Pony looked down, rolling her eyes with a grin, "No need to fear, Rarity, I'm doing fine up here." Laughing, she continued, "Thank you so much for doing this, by the way."

"Why of course! You seemed in such a rush, I couldn't possibly say no, and especially after you told me what it was for." Fussing about with Octavia's side for a second, she asked, "So, when is it? I'd absolutely love to have an invitation if it isn't any harm..."

Octavia flailed a hoof her way, "Pfft, like I wouldn't give you an invitation. You're making the dress for Gods' sake! It'd just be rude to not invite you to it." Suddenly snapping upward with a pair of wide eyes, Octavia cleared her throat and spoke, "Right! We uh.. we haven't really decided yet to be honest. It only happened just yesterday, so it might not be for a few months at the most!"

"Well, that gives us plenty of time to prepare then!"

Sharing a laugh, the two mares continued their business merrily, the afternoon sun peeking in through the windows of the Boutique to cast a few dozen rays of sunlight their way. Though the occasional dog bark and foal shout flew in from outside, the interior of the building was mostly quiet to allow the seamstress much-needed concentration. Even the Unicorn's measuring tape was quiet, which both shocked and surprised Octavia to no end.

Rarity worked quickly for a whole ten minutes before something stopped her. Ears perking up, she turned her head to look at the knocked-upon door. Not really expecting any punny skeletons that day, she excused herself politely and trotted over to the front door. Standing in front of it, the mare screwed her face up and adopted a serious, business-like expression. Lifting her chin up, her horn glowed bright and spread to the handle. Opening the entrance, Rarity prepared her usual shop speech, only to find a recognizable group of ponies staring at her expectantly.

She blinked.

"Oh!"

Waving a hoof, she stuttered, "W-Welcome!"

The one in front frowned, consequently finding himself replaced by a small, red Earth Pony colt, who looked up at Rarity from underneath his monkey mask and waved wildly, "Hi Miss Rarity!"

"Ah, hello Lui!" Reaching down, she patted the colt's cheek looked at the others, "What are you all doing here? I assumed that Applejack wanted you stallions at the Acres!" Casting a glance into her Boutique, she added with a point, "And it's quite odd you'd be interested in a clothing shop of all places."

Wildcat stepped forward, scratching the back of his piggy neck, "Yeah well, we need a favor."

"And you're really the only person we could go to...? So... y'know.." Nogla chimed in.

Rarity, suddenly realizing she was still holding the door, looked from one stallion to the next, blinking all the while. Breathing in heavily, she beamed, beckoning them, "Of course! Do come in!" Holding the door open for them, she waited until the last pony had entered the building before turning tail and trotting back to her station, "Please, take a seat in the kitchen! I'll be right with you–"

"We... kind of need you to look at 'em like... now."

Looking back at Vanoss, she raised a brow, "Surely it can't wait a minute or two. I'm with a client right now, and I must finish her measurements before we can discuss whatever it is."

"It's fine, Rarity!" Octavia spoke, a grin on her face, "We can just finish this up tomorrow if you like!" With a hoof to her chin, she looked to her right to examine the clock, then chuckled, "I need to get home anyway. Early dinner time." Awaiting Rarity's answer, Octavia began to walk off her pedestal, her tail carefully placing the measuring tape next to a stack of papers.

"I... alright then. I suppose we can just finish up tomorrow!" Hurrying to the door, Rarity magicked the handle once more and gave the Earth Pony a smile. "Have a good day!" Exchanging a quick formality, Rarity began to close the door as the mare left, only to stop in an instant. Throwing her head out the doorway, she shouted, "Oh, congratulations!"

With a resounding "Thank you!" returning to her, Rarity finally shut the door and turned back to her company, who stared back at her with (most likely) equal expressions. Feeling their gaze on her, she swallowed a lump down her throat and realized that the fact that they all wore masks made speaking to them a little harder. Humming, she levitated her work glasses and placed them on the desk to her left.

"So! What is it you all wanted to ask?"

The boys stood as still as rocks. As one, they all turned toward Lui. The young colt, not getting it, received a quick elbow to his side by Wildcat, prompting him to stutter and reach into his crotch. Pulling out a piece of paper, he unfolded it as fast as he could, which was also as horribly as he could. Handing the battered piece of paper to Rarity, who caught it in a blue aura and gazed at it thoughtfully. Her eyes shifting from the left, to the right, and back to the left again, she read through what she saw, blinked, and showed it to them to make sure they knew what they had given her. "These are..." She looked back at it, as if attempting to find something she hadn't seen the first time, "...interesting designs..."

The voice of Vanoss spoke up, "Can you have them done by tomorrow?"

Rarity's heart stopped. Looking toward the stallion, she found Delirious looking his way as well, a pair of eyebrows trying to escape into the sky. "Why, whatever for?! Why didn't you come here earlier?!"

Vanoss raised a hoof.

"Why, this is such short notice!" Beginning to walk around the Boutique, Rarity lit her horn and began to put her tools away. "If you had come earlier, they could've been done by tonight! I have so much other work that needs to be done!" Stopping, she looked back at the pedestal sitting in the corner of the room, then shook her head, "I have so many orders to get through first." She about-faced, intending on telling the stallions off in favor of her clients. She stopped, however, as she noticed a young colt staring up at her, his eyes wide and pupils large.

She frowned.

"Not the puppy dog eyes..."

Lui sniffed. Hard. "But... but Ms. Rarity! We're friends!" Falling to his haunches, he slapped his forehooves against one another and asked, "Pleeeeease?"

Rarity's frown deepened as she looked toward the ground. Searching her left and right for nothing in particular, her sights rose, and she nodded her head with her lips pressed together. At once, the five stallions threw their hooves up, cheering the mare on as they high-fived each other in happiness. Looking back at Rarity once she raised a hoof, they quieted down and awaited her response. Closing her eyes, she finally threw a hoof toward the door, "Out! All of you! I have much work to do, and I need silence to do it!" Listening to the sounds of their departure, she felt a thought tickle at her brain.

Opening her eyes, she watched as Nogla—the last one in their line—left the building. Sprinting over to the front door in the most lady-like fashion possible, she once again threw her head past the doorway, shouting, "When exactly do you need these?!"

From the road came her answer, courtesy of Nogla, "Four o' clock sharp!"

Raising a brow, Rarity hummed a quick note, shrugged, and shut the door, wanting to start her work immediately.

Author's Notes:

Short chapter to make room for the big one. Don't hate me, please.