Fluttershy smiled gently as she trudged through the woods. While she loved her friends, she also appreciated spending time on her own. And there was nowhere better than the forests around Canterlot University. She had been warned before to stay away, but she wasn't as frail as people assumed she was, or at the very least she was well accustomed to forests. Plus the woods weren't even that deep, much of the wooded areas of their time were already whittled down quite a bit by the rapid development of their town. Sometimes thinking about it would make her sad. Where would all the animals go when their homes were chopped down? She had tried to petition the creation of a nature reserve, but she wasn't able to get more than six signatures, one from each of her close friends. No one else took her very seriously, if they were even able to hear her soft and meek voice over all of the other students talking at a normal volume.
She sighed, her thoughts had drifted somewhere sad again. She raised her head, bringing her gaze up from the grass below, and was surprised to see a strange splash of color through the branches ahead, bright reds and yellows that were common on flowers, but not so much for anything that grew up to eye level. She stepped carefully, gently pushing the foliage aside so that she could get through without harming the plants, and was shocked by what she saw on the other side.
In a large clearing that she didn't remember existing at all sat rows of tents, small storefronts selling every kind of good imaginable. Was this some sort of flea market? In the middle of the woods??? She walked closer, eyeing each tent. Some were small, little more than a single table with a tarp for shade, while others were so large that they seemed to have multiple rooms branching off from the front of shop. Soft flute music was playing from somewhere, but Fluttershy couldn't identify the direction, nor did it get louder or quieter no matter where she walked. Other people were also milling about, but she didn't get a good look at them as she was doing her best to avoid eye contact with anyone, as usual, but they were dressed strangely, in long cloaks and extravagant furs, one person looked like their clothes was made out of leaves! And then there were the things on display. Luscious produce she couldn't identify, glittering gems that seemed to call out to her, sizzling foods with an otherworldly aroma that nonetheless made her mouth water. It was all so strange, almost surreal. It was then that she realized what was going on...
She must have wandered into a Renaissance Fair! She didn't remember seeing any fliers for one around campus, but it wasn't unusual for her to miss things like that, given her propensity for avoiding people and staying silent. She hadn't been to one of these since she was little, Rainbow Dash had dragged her to one back when the two still lived in Cloudsdale, it was loud and unkempt and Dash had only wanted to go so that se could "beat everyone at swords!!!" (she beat no one at swords,) but it had still been fun, in a strange sort of way...
"First time at The Bazaar...?" Fluttershy froze, turning towards the voice. There was nothing wrong with making conversation, but Fluttershy always found herself a little surprised whenever anyone outside of her friend group wanted to talk to her. It felt weird to be acknowledged. Still, it would be rude to ignore someone like that, so she found herself walking into one of the larger tents, where a tall woman, presumably the one who had called out to her, was smiling.
The woman was at least a foot taller than Fluttershy, the meek girl having to look upwards just to see her face. Her navy blue hair was pulled back into a messy bun, loose streaks of lime green peppered throughout. Her skin was a silver color, and her face bore the slight wrinkles one only got with maturity. And she was certainly mature. Fluttershy had always had a bigger bust than most, but next to this woman she looked practically flat, breasts the size of beach balls held up by a black busier. A gold necklace with sparkling emeralds sat on her shoulders, the large pendant at the end only centimeters away from being lost inside the woman's unearthly cleavage. Underneath the bustier was an off-shoulder top with long billowing sleeves. The only thing that rivaled the protrusion of the woman's breasts were her hips, which extended past her shoulders and pulled taut a long red skirt that dragged on the floor as she stepped. Resting just above the skirt, another emerald glittered from a navel piercing. Fluttershy was frozen for a moment in awe, before remembering that she had been asked a question.
"U-um, yes..." Fluttershy stammered, "This is my first time..."
"No need to look so nervous, my dear." The woman said, her voice warm and earthy, "Let me get a look at you..."
Before Fluttershy could protest, the woman knelt down slightly and took hold of her chin, her long nails pressing gently into Fluttershy's cheeks.
"Hm... Attractive face..." She muttered, letting go of Fluttershy, "Gorgeous body," She took a strand of Fluttershy's hair and twirled it in her finger, "Silken hair... Yes, now I'm sure..."
"Um, wh-what are you sure about?"
"I'm sure that you have no reason to lower your head to anyone, darling." The woman smiled, "You far outclass most any young woman your age."
Fluttershy felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. True, puberty had been quite kind to her, leaving her with wide hips and perky D-cups, but that was the furthest thing from what Fluttershy wanted. It just meant people would look at her. And she didn't want anyone to look at her.
"Why the long face, turtledove?" The woman asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"Um, thank you for saying I'm pretty..." Fluttershy started, "But... Well... I don't want to be pretty. I don't want people staring at me or t-talking about me, or to me, or anything like that..."
"Why, that sounds as though you want to vanish altogether!"
"Well... That wouldn't be the worst thing..."
"Goodness!" The woman exclaimed, "That won't do at all! A work of art such as yourself is meant to be loved and admired by all! Not locked away collecting dust!"
The woman grabbed Fluttershy by the shoulder and gently pulled her towards a counter. It was then that Fluttershy noticed what was on display. Sparkling rings and intricate bracelets, beautiful pendants and necklaces, earrings and tiaras, all manner of jewelry, all crafted in complex designs and gilded in gold and silver. It was a good thing Rarity hadn't been with Fluttershy, or else she would have shopped herself out of house and home here. Come to think of it, this woman wasn't dissimilar to Rarity, at least in the way they both talked. Perhaps that was why Fluttershy felt so comfortable around her...
"Ah-ha! This will do nicely!" Fluttershy was snapped out of her thoughts by the woman's exclamation. Before she could ask what was happening, the woman knelt back down in front of Fluttershy and fastened a small golden chain around her wrist. It was a bracelet, alternating between twisting patterns of gold and small emeralds before ending in a small chain that presumably had some sort of clasp, though Fluttershy couldn't see in under her hand.
"This is a very powerful charm." The woman explained, her deep green eyes pulling Fluttershy's gaze away from the bracelet. "But it only works for those who are truly beautiful..."
"It's lovely..." Fluttershy said, "But I could never afford this..."
Fluttershy jumped a little as the woman suddenly barked out a laugh, her massive breasts wobbling from the movement. She shook her head as if having heard a joke.
"The Bazaar has no use for money, my dear." The woman smiled, "Debts and demands are pure absurdity, and not the kind that's fun. No, we do what we do for no other reason than to see the world a more interesting place. To me, there is nothing more valuable than beauty. And a young maiden so beautiful, determined to hide that beauty away? I can not allow such an injustice to continue. It would go against my very nature."
The woman took Fluttershy's hand, her thumb tracing along the side of the bracelet. Her hands were warm and soft, and even as she rested the other on Fluttershy's cheek, the girl still felt a strange ease from the touch, a reassurance.
"What is your name, dear?"
"...Fluttershy..."
"Fluttershy, this charm shall eat away all of your doubts and fears. All of your insecurities. It shall take away everything that has kept you from shining. And with it, it will make you a true beacon of beauty. You will be loved by all. Most of all, by you. Until you can look in the mirror, and see a woman of incomparable perfection."
As the woman spoke, a strange warmth seemed to seep out of the bracelet and creep up her arm, through her shoulder, and into the rest of her body, until she felt nothing but peace and comfort. The emeralds on the woman, on the bracelet, and in every gem in the store sparkled in the evening sun as if they were glowing. Until finally, the woman smiled and pulled her hands away, the warmth fading away.
"...Thank you..." Fluttershy murmured, feeling that it was for more than just the bracelet.
"Don't mention it." The woman smiled, "Oh, and one more thing."
She reached into her bosom and pulled out a cream-colored business card, placing it in Fluttershy's hand.
"Don't be a stranger!"
Fluttershy left the tent, and soon found herself exiting the woods. It had been a strange afternoon, but for some reason there weren't so many sad thoughts appearing in her head. She looked at the bracelet again and only then realized that she was still holding the business card. She turned it over in her hand.
In reflective golden cursive, the card had only one thing printed in the center. Presumably, the woman's name.
Freyja.
The next day...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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