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by hawthornbunny

Chapter 3: Rarity

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"Wakey wakey, sleepyhorn! Time to get up!"

Rarity ughed and turned under her blankets, wrapping them over her ears as she hugged her soft, comforting plushie closer to her chest. She was an adult now, it really wasn't necessary for Mother to give her a wake-up call any more. She knew exactly when she needed to be up, and wouldn't rise one moment before then. Satisfied that she had made her position clear to nopony, she closed her eyes and began to drift off again.

Wait. Plushie.

She opened one eye quizzically, squeezing the object nestled between her forelegs.

This plushie isn't mine. It can't be mine because I don't have one.

Her half-asleep eye drifted over the pink wallpaper and mauve lampshade next to her.

Also, I don't live here any more.

She opened both eyes and sat up, her mind absorbing the situation with mounting concern. She stared down at her tiny forelegs.

Also, I wash my hooves before I go to bed!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

***

"Okay, just relax, Rarity," she said to her worried reflection in the dresser mirror. There was no denying it. It was Sweetie Belle. She was Sweetie Belle, right down to the two-toned mane and the voice like a squeaky gate. "No need to panic. This is just... a phase that unicorns go through. I'm sure it is. The temporarily-becoming-your-own-little-sister phase."

"Sweetie Belle! Are you getting up?" called Mother.

"I'm up!" Rarity yelled back. Wait, why am I answering for her? Come to think of it, if I'm here, where is... is...

Her eyes enlarged as she took that thought to its obvious conclusion. Oh no.

"Welcome to the Carousel Bootick!" said Sweetie Belle, as the door jingled open, and in strode Lord Fancypants, accompanied by his extremely attractive and successful wife, who clung to him possessively as she surveyed the boutique with an air of distaste.

"Are you sure about zis, my love?" she whispered. "I do not zink zis is the right place."

"Oh now, my darling, it may look a little rustic, but I assure you that's just for show. Rarity here is a rising star in the world of high class fashion. I dare say that a few more big contracts and she'll be next in line to take the throne when Celestia retires," said Fancypants lazily.

Sweetie Belle stood there excitedly in Rarity's body, her purple mane resembling the aftermath of a firecracker in a bird's nest. "How may I help you?" she giggled. "I've been practising all morning for this!"

"Good to see you again, my dear," smiled Fancypants. "My wife, Fleur de Lis."

Sweetie Belle nodded. "That's right! She is!"

Fleur gave her husband a confused glance.

"Can I get you any clothes?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Oh! Or, I could make some!"

"My wife is looking for something to wear at the Crystal Couture Celebration," explained Fancypants. "As you know, it's the first fashion event to be held in the Crystal Empire for one thousand years, so it's going to be pretty much the single greatest opportunity of any fashion designer's life."

"Cool!" squeaked Sweetie Belle. "I mean, um... that sounds simply fabulous."

"Quite," said Fancypants. "So of course, when it comes to crystal fashions, nopony comes higher on my list than you, my dear. I believe you've even spent some time in the Empire already?"

"Oh, yes!" said Sweetie. "I went there on official business for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, to assist in the Crystal Empire's bid for the Equestria Games. Which was a total success, I might add."

Fleur smiled at her. "You are fortunate to 'ave zuch a close relationship with ze Prinzess."

"I know..." said Sweetie with a smile. "Although... I really wish I'd been able to get one of those snowglobes."

"Snowglobes?" said Fleur with a puzzled expression. "What are zey?"

"Oh, they sell them in the gift shop," said Sweetie Belle. "They were only five bits, but I was rushing for the Ponyville Express and didn't have enough time to pick one up for my little sister."

"I see."

"Anyway!" said Sweetie Belle with a wide, cheery smile, clapping her sticky hooves together. "You want a dress, right?"

"I wuz thinking a sun gown wiz open back," said Fleur. "I 'ear ze weazzer in ze Crystal Empire is extremely clement all year round. Of courze, zis may be a razzer difficult request for you -"

"Oh, no, of course not!" said Sweetie Belle. "I'm sure I can do it! What did you say, again?"

"A sun gown wiz an open back," she repeated. "Do you zink zat will be appropriate in ze Crystal Empire? I do not know much of zeir customs."

"Oh, you'll be fine," snorted Sweetie with a dismissive wave. "They're all kind of dull to be honest. Ha ha, isn't that funny? Crystals being dull? Ha ha!"

The wife and husband exchanged another glance.

Sweetie coughed and patted her chest. "Excuse me. Okay, a sun gown it is! Now, you're a large, right?"

Fleur's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, wait," said Sweetie, clapping a hoof to her forehead. "Measurements! If you'll just step this way, Miss Deli, I'll have you measured up in no time."

Sweetie nudged the slender unicorn behind a privacy screen, the French pony squawking in alarm as she almost tripped over some loose clothing that was already strewn behind it. "Sorry about the mess," Sweetie apologised. "I was trying on some dresses myself before you got here. To be honest I don't really care much for these designs. They're a little too fancy, you know? I just like things to look pretty."

Her horn ignited with a shimmering blue aura as she concentrated on the measuring tape that was lying unravelled beneath Fleur's hooves. It twitched as the telekinetic glow took hold of it, and flew upward to hover in front of her, the metal capped end flicking Fleur on the nose as it passed.

"You're really tall, aren't you?" Sweetie said pleasantly, as she directed the tape to stretch and wrap itself around various parts of Fleur's body, mumbling each measurement to herself as she tried to keep them in memory. The withers-to-croup distance was the most difficult; she had to brace herself against Fleur's side and jump up and down to read the numbers off the tape. Eventually, she managed to get all the required figures, and repeated them over and over in her head as Fleur stood there with a extremely disgruntled expression.

"You are done?" she asked curtly.

"All done!" Sweetie confirmed, butting the unicorn back out from behind the screen. "I've got everything I need. Now, I don't know exactly how long it's going to take to make - do you two want to take a seat and wait, or come back later?"

"Er... well, the Celebration is in two months, my dear," said Fancypants. "I hope you can fit it into your schedule?"

"Two months?" Sweetie blurted out in shock. "Are you kidding? I could make a thousand dresses in two months! Have you seen how many sewing machines we have here?"

Fleur looked aghast at her husband. "Is zis... is zis some kind of village prank? My dear, zis mare is an imbecile! She does not know one end of a sewing needle from ze uzzer!"

"Hey!" Sweetie said indignantly. "I do too! I'm trying my hardest, okay? Now look, your dress is going to be really easy, because it's backless. That means I only have to worry about the front. Even if you add the time for the glue to dry, it's still only going to be, what, three hours at the most? See, I'm not an imbecile. I've considered all this very carefully. Now, how would you like to pay? We take cash or- "

The door jingled as the sound of galloping hooves faded away, leaving Sweetie Belle standing alone in the boutique.

"...credit."

***

"Oh, great Celestia, why!" wailed Rarity as she stood in the bathtub, water cascading from the showerhead onto her body and mane. "This is simply dreadful! How could this have happened? She must be stopped!"

"Sweetie Belle, get a move on!" yelled Mother. "You'll be late for school!"

"Ugh," Rarity pouted, as she began lathering her mane, then her tail, with her mother's imported shampoo. "School is out of the question, I'm afraid, Mother," she said quietly to herself. "I have far more important things to worry about."

She washed and rinsed her mane and tail, then gave her coat a thorough scrubbing, finding it much easier with a flexible filly's body to reach all those difficult places - which only raised the question of how Sweetie Belle managed to be so unclean in the first place. It's those silly filly friends of hers. The Crusaders. Always climbing trees and building contraptions and jumping into mud puddles. So uncouth, she thought, inspecting the underside of her hoof, finding it to be sparkling to her satisfaction.

She clambered out of the bathtub and slid off onto the floor with a thud. She gazed at the towel rack and concentrated, willing the nearest towel to come to her, but her horn only managed a few sputtering sparks and the towel twitched feebly. Sighing, she pulled the towel off with her mouth and wrapped herself in it, before finding a smaller towel to wrap her mane.

Mother was waiting for her on the landing as she opened the door and trotted out. "It's quarter to eight!" she said sharply. "What's taking you so long?"

"Hello, Mother," said Rarity. "I won't be long. By the way..." she said, the thought suddenly occurring to her, "have you seen Rarity today?"

"Rarity? No, why?"

"Oh, just curious," said Rarity. "I thought maybe... no, never mind."

She trotted into her bedroom and closed the door, before drying herself vigorously with the towels. She distracted herself by examining Sweetie's various art projects that were taped on the walls. She was certainly prolific, Rarity had to give her that. She tried so hard at everything she did, no matter how doomed she was to fail. It was almost inspiring.

She faced herself in the mirror again, feeling much better now that she was clean. If only I had time to do something with this mane, she thought, lamenting the melted-cheese curls that sat atop her head. There was so much potential in a two-toned mane that was completely wasted on Sweetie Belle. No, focus, Rarity. You've got to go to school. I mean - you've got to go and sort this out. First stop: the Boutique. Stop Sweetie Belle before she ruins your career or burns your home down. Second stop: Twilight. This is almost certainly her fault, and if it isn't, at least she can fix it.

She hopped off the cushioned stool and headed out, trotting quickly down the stairs and out the front door. "I'm off, Mother! Have a nice day!"

It was a little cold out, but the sun was shining brightly and it looked to be a fine day ahead. She began cantering alongside the river, taking the quickest route to Carousel Boutique, whilst running through all the things she would have to say to Sweetie Belle when she saw her.

I mean, it's not that I even mind switching bodies, she thought, idly watching the glistening surface of the river as it bubbled past the muddy bank. All I ask is that I be given some warning first. Is that too much to ask? That ponies give me some notice before they drop a surprise on me?

She looked up just in time to see a flying tortoise slam into her face.

Next Chapter: Scootaloo Estimated time remaining: 42 Minutes
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