Through Buttons with Thread
By: Nickel Bristle
Manehattan was not a shining experience for everypony. When Rarity left the city, being crowned the top designer in the Fashion Week competition, each competitor had to return to their hometowns empty-hoofed with their dreams of fashion stardom being crushed. Suri Polomare was no exception to this course of events. Except when the upcoming designer on the scene fell, she fell hard. Losing both the competition and her apprentice assistant, Coco Pommel, Suri no longer had the presence that she once had in the Big Apple.
Broken and defeated by the friend that she stole, crossed and tried to trick into losing the competition, she had but no choice to pack up her copycat designs and move out of Manehattan for good. She traveled down the East Coast of Equestria with her baggage in tow, hoping to find a new metropolis to make her name known as an great designer in Equestria. Her travels led her to Baltimare, a small city on the coast of Equestria to the North of Horseshoe Bay. The ponies there had never heard of the big city mare, but Suri found something that even to her standards was a shocking practice for fashion.
In the midst of the Baltimare was another designer. One that was not afraid of making her name known. However, she had taken “fashion faux pas” to a whole new level. Even with her incredibly gaudy designs, the ponies were wearing them left and right. Suri couldn’t believe her eyes when she was sneered and scoffed at with her most innovative of designs, with everypony walking on by as if she had nothing to offer. The colorful fur-jackets, completely with decorative tails seemed almost haunting as each of the outfits had a unique logo on the back almost like a pony’s cutie mark. Except that it was framed by the signature design of the fashion mare, a vanity mirror that was fitting for a pony such as herself.
Ousted by the city that Suri was so desperately trying to become a part of, she had but no choice to try and play dirty with the Queen of Fashion that ruled over Baltimare. Her desire to regain her stance as a top designer in Equestria had led her to sneaking into the Queen’s private fashion workshop, and what the Manehattanite mare would find that fateful night would haunt her forever.
The door to Carousel Boutique swung open as a figure rushed into the shop, wearing a dark hood on their head to hide their face. Rarity looked up from her sewing machine at the visitor as she greeted them like any other customer with a smile on her face.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every fashion is chic, unique and magnifique!” she chirped, putting her red designer glasses on the table in front of her before walking herself over to the customer. “How might I help you-”
Rarity gasped as the mare lowered her hood, revealing a rather tattered purple mane, twisted into three lazily coiled buns with a gold headband. Suri looked at Rarity as she sighed at the reaction of her old friend.
“Suri Polomare! What in all of Equestria are you doing here?!” Rarity shouted at the pink mare in front of her.
“Rarity, I-”
“Isn’t it bad enough that you tried making me look like a fool in Manehattan with that little stunt of yours? Taking my fabric and calling it your own design!” she continued, stomping her hoof down.
“Rarity, listen-”
“And now what do you plan to do? Huh? Come here in Ponyville and try to turn everyone against me? Well you listen here missy, there’s only room enough for one designer here in this town!”
“Rarity, I need your help, okay!” Suri spat out, closing her eyes to not look at the furious mare that stood before her. Rarity’s eyes softened at the request, starting to see the old friend that she once knew from their knitting days.
“Need my help with what, Suri?” she asked cautiously, trying not to let her guard down on her generous nature again.
“You left me as a wreck in Manehattan, okay? Did you know that? After I lost Coco Pommel, it all went downhill for there. Nopony wants my outfits, okay? I’m lucky when I get a job making sweaters for a pony’s pet cats or something.” Suri took off her cloak and sighed, wrapping it up in a nice pile as she put it on a table by her side. “I’m sorry for what I did to you in Manehattan, okay?”
Rarity held a hoof to her forehead, trying to process the story that she had just heard. “That doesn’t answer my question, darling. Unless you want me to let you ride my coattails in my boutique.”
The unicorn’s words stung Suri but she felt that she had deserved nonetheless. “You know as well as I do that I can pull my own weight, okay? I just need to be given a chance to do so.”
“And who do you expect to give you this chance, Suri?” Rarity asked, taking the opportunity to look directly at her old friend in front of her, watching her eyes.
“I don’t expect you to, Rarity. But I know I can make it and there’s a bit of a fashion emergency happening in Baltimare, okay?”
“Fashion emergency?” the unicorn repeated as a spark went off in her eyes. “Whatever do you mean, darling?”
Suri shuddered as she recollected her thoughts, leaning over to Rarity’s ear to whisper what she had seen in the secret fashion workshop that she had snuck into.
“Stealing ponies’ fur?!” Rarity exclaimed, taken aback at the atrocity that she had just heard from Suri. “But how?”
“I don’t know exactly, okay? It has something to do with a magic spell that strips the pony of their coat, with even their cutie mark. Then when they are cold and shivering, she sells it back to them in a luxurious coat of her own design for as much Bits as she possibly can, rebranding their cutie mark on the back with her signature design.” Suri explained as best as she could, trying not to think of the process. It wasn’t that it was so much painful for the pony locked away without any hope to escape without an empty wallet and a new coat to call their own, but rather the exploitation of the poor ponies of Baltimare.
“That’s dreadful! How could such a monster even be created?” she asked, genuinely interested in the problem at hoof now.
“Ponies do crazy things for fashion, Rarity. You of all mares should know that, okay?” Suri replied, trying not to sound sharp in her words. “So are you going to help me out or what?”
Rarity sighed at the idea at first, knowing the very lengths that Suri could go to cross her once again if it meant getting her name out before her. Still, the crimes against fashion identity and fabulousity could not go unchecked in Baltimare. She held her hoof out as Suri shook it in a agreement, determined to fix the wrongs that the Queen of Fashion had laid out before them.
The two ponies had easily made their way to the city of Baltimare and in the middle of the night, they were ready to break into the secret fashion workshop of the Queen, determined to stop her once and for all. Rarity obviously had just the outfit for a dangerous mission like the one she was about to undertake. It was all about speed, mobility and style.
The speed came from the tight fabric used for the night suit, fitting snugly around the mare’s shapely body. Mobility was that even though the suit was a tight fit, Rarity was still able to bend every which way to get out of harm’s way if it came down to it. The relaxation sessions with Pinkie every Sunday morning had been useful preparation for such a night. Lastly, style was of utmost importance to Rarity, no matter what the situation. This suit was no exception, having the sleek design of the fabric stay subtle yet fashionable for such an endeavour in the dark of the night.
Suri did not have the luxury of such an outfit for her part in the dangerous mission ahead, but Pinkie Pie was kind enough to let her borrow her latex suit that she had in case she had to do some sneaking around as a spy. The outfit fit a bit tight on the mare, despite Pinkie’s figure staying so slim given her diet.
“Did that pink friend of yours have to give me the tightest suit she had, Rarity?” Suri asked, pinching at the clingy part of the night suit rubbing against the side of her body. The unicorn couldn’t help to smile at the complaint from her partner, turning around as her mane flowed behind her in a tight ponytail.
“I’m sure it’s not her fault, Suri. Just try to make the best of it, darling.” she replied, going over to the large glass window that stood above the fashion workshop below.
It was then that Rarity saw the mare that her and Suri were going up against. She was a light blue Earth pony with a long straight black mane that almost went down to her shoulders. She had it tighten up with a shining gold headband with a snake attached to the front of it in the center of her forehead. Wearing a long flowing violet dress laced with gold, she seemed almost regal as she stood before a poor defenseless pony, held against her will by two strong Pegasi dressed in a similar color scheme of purple and gold.
The Queen laughed as she saw the mare that her guards had brought her this time and held her forehooves to her head as she sat down on a golden throne in front of her. The snake’s eyes began to glow with a white aura as she set her own glowing eyes on the captive pony. Caught in the Queen’s stare, the mare struggled to break free as she felt her fur being pulled away from her body. The Pegasi guards were kind enough to place a series of curtains around the mare as she screamed from the Queen’s spell, removing them when the pony was shaven down to her skin, even losing her cutie mark.
Closing her eyes, the Queen’s stare returned to normal as another pony pushed the fluff of fur from the pony off to another side of the workshop as lines of ponies worked tireless to make a new coat. With the assistance of magic to help them, it wasn’t long before the production line had produced another signature outfit of the Queen, the pony’s old cutie mark stamped on the back in the frame of the vanity mirror. Sobbing and shivering on the cold floor of the workshop, the mare graciously accepted the new coat as she wrapped it around her and paid every Bit in her wallet to the Queen up front.
Rarity couldn’t bear to watch anymore, looking away from the window at Suri. “You were right to come to me, Suri. She must be stopped!”
“But how does an Earth pony do magic like that?” she asked, noticing the headband around the Queen’s mane, her purple eyes returning to normal.
“It’s not unheard of for items to be enchanted to have magical powers. Of course, these items are often cursed from my experiences.” Rarity answered, thinking back to the various trinkets that she’s come across like the Alicorn Amulet and the comic book from the House of Enchanted Comics. Suri nodded at the answer, pretty sure that was the best one she was going to get. “Come on, let’s find a way in.”
Rarity had led her to one of the many air conditioning ducts and crawled her way in. Normally, being in such a dusty and dirty area would have her running away in the opposite direction. But with the Queen dealing such evil actions right under her nose, this was no time for cowardice in the face of dirt. Thinking back to the mare’s face, Rarity couldn’t help to think that she had seen her somewhere before.
As the two crawled through the air conditioning system, getting lost in the maze that it had created around the warehouse of the workshop, Rarity found her hoof slipping as both her and Suri fell right down into the main floor of the workshop.
“And who are these ponies?” the Queen asked, looking over her regal throne. With a snap of her hoof, she had sent a trio of Pegasi guards after the intruders. Rarity quickly got up on her hooves and stood her ground against the charging stallions coming after her. With a quick back kick, cartwheel flip and hoof chop, the guards fell to the ground unconscious as Rarity stood in fighting position at the Queen before her. Suri held her mouth open at the fighting style of her old friend, even in that tight night suit that she was wearing.
“I told you that flexibility was key, darling.” Rarity commented, looking over at her partner as she got up to stand behind her. The Queen’s eyes narrowed at two mares that stood in front of her throne, the production line of ponies next to her at a stand still.
“I know that voice from anywhere,” she began, standing up from the throne. “If it isn’t Rarity, the top designer in all of Equestria.”
“Pardon me, but should I know you?” Rarity asked, still taking the time to remain courteous to the villainous mare in front of her. She laughed, holding her hoof in front of her.
“Should you know me? Obviously, that answer is yes.” she began, keeping her eyes closed. With another chuckle, she opened them in a wild stare, looking down the two ponies in front of her. “I should be the top designer in Equestria! Not you and certainly not you, Suri Polomare!”
“What is she talking about? Look, I don’t even know you either, okay?” she shot back, standing her ground with Rarity.
“Oh, how the ones with all the glory forget the ponies they trample under their hooves.” She mused, looking at Rarity as she kept her hoof up in front of her face. “I was in that very same competition that you two were in and because of you two, me and the other competitors weren’t even considered!”
Rarity and Suri looked at each other in an expression of shared confusion. Neither one had recalled the name of this mare that called herself the Queen of Fashion, with her appearance only being slightly familiar.
“And yet, dear sweet Rarity, it was from that same day on that runway that I learned what it takes to be a top designer. You don’t need inspiration or ingenuity. You just have to steal something and make it look good.”
With a wave of her hoof, a working pony pulled on the curtain behind her, with hundreds of mannequins dressed in pony’s coats, tails, manes, horns and wings. The sight left Rarity and Suri both in a gasp as the Queen laughed maniacally at the reaction.
“What do you think, Suri? Does that display make you feel anything?” she asked in between her laughter before Rarity stomped her hoof down.
“That is enough! You clearly do not have any idea what it takes to be a designer of fashion! And stealing things from ponies like coats and tails is no way to achieve that goal!” she shouted at the Queen.
“I must say, I think I know some mares that will pay quite a lot of Bits for that mane of yours, Rarity.” the Queen said slyly, her headband starting to glow as she sat back down, holding her hooves to her head.
“Over my dead body!” Rarity shot back, channeling her own magic in her true unicorn horn. The Queen opened her glowing white eyes as she targeted the white unicorn, trying to move her aura at her. Rarity fought back with several weak bolts of blue magic at her and her throne. Her expertise never came from fighting with her magic, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t have an offensive spell or two in case of such an occasion.
“That’s exactly what I had in mind!” the Queen shouted with her eyes aglow, still trying to lock on to the mare dodging around her throne. “Now hold still and accept your fate, you little thief!”
“Suri!” Rarity shouted, launching another bolt at the Queen’s throne. “Do it now!”
She turned around as her magic lost focus, only to see the black and purple blur of Suri pull the gold band off of her head and toss it towards Rarity. Seeing the artifact fly towards her, Rarity used the last of her magic to melt the gold out of it’s shape, the snake’s eyes losing it’s magical aura.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!!! What have you done?!” The Queen shouted, pounding her hooves on the throne as she tumbled off of her seat. Suri regrouped with Rarity in front of the sobbing mare, giving each other a nod of approval at their work together.
“There goes your Spring line, darling.” Rarity commented as the mare looked up to her with tears in her eyes, her straight black mane draped against the side of her face.
“All I ever wanted to do was be a great designer.” She sniffed, running her hoof under her nose. “I wanted to be one of those ponies that everypony knows.”
“This was not the way to get there, okay? I mean, do you have any idea how many pony’s lives you ruined?” Suri asked, pointing to the haunting collection of pony fur coats behind the throne.
“I’m sorry. I am truly sorry.” She cried, wrapping her hoof around Rarity as she sobbed into her dangerous mission outfit. With the mission a resounding success, she felt a little uneasy about getting such a stylish outfit covered in tears and snot.
“There, there.” Rarity comforted, patting her hoof on the mare’s back. “If you truly work at it, you could still be a great designer.”
She sniffed. “Really?”
“Yeah, after a few years you spend in Canterlot doing time, that is.” Suri added, making sure she didn’t forget where she was going. Surprisingly, that only made her smile more.
“Yeah! And you know what, those other criminals will look absolutely fabulous in the outfits I make for them! Luscious Reflection’s Designs for Criminals. Because you don’t have to commit a crime against fashion!”
Rarity couldn’t help but smile at the mare’s enthusiasm, taking the best out of a bad situation. Looking at the melted puddle of gold on the floor, she had knew from the very start that a cursed artifact like that wouldn’t make you act like how you truly are. And even if she goes away for a few years, she still has a positive life ahead of her.
Plus, the same could be said for Suri. As she looked over at her old friend standing in front of her, using some of the special durable fabric she had packed for tonight to restrain the mare’s hooves, Rarity couldn’t help but feel that Suri deserves a second chance as well. She wouldn’t go out of her way to do too much for her, but at the same time, she wished her the best of luck in turning Baltimare’s fashion status around after what the so-called Queen of Fashion did to it.
With the workshop shut down and the workers and guards dismissed, Rarity and Suri took the mare with them back to Ponyville where the Canterlot Royal Guards could properly restrain her and take her to Canterlot for the punishment that she deserved. As Rarity and Suri went their separate ways, both couldn’t help but feel that the ties between them had been made for the better after Manehattan and this particular incident. Besides, it’s not always productive to have an enemy on your side of fashion after all. You never know when you might need a helping hoof to reach that goal of the best designer in all of Equestria.
