Rarity stood on the precipice of greatness.
Daring to peek through the tiniest gap in the curtains, she could just make out a small section of filled seats in the packed auditorium beyond. From near and far they had come, ponies with a shared love of artistic devotion and trend-setting, to see the winner of Manehatten's Fashion Week contest once again grace the fair city with a slew of new designs. Only this time, the show was entirely focused on her latest creations. No competitors. No tests. And definitely no Suri Polomare.
Just Rarity.
"Good luck...!" whispered the faint voice of Twilight Sparkle. Rarity turned her neck to see the vague outlines of her friends huddled together in the theatre wings, shrouded in darkness. All smiles and eagerness they were, especially poor Pinkie Pie - visibly straining to reign in the explosion of cheer that threatened to burst forth at any time. Rarity honestly didn't know what she would do without them sometimes; they had been invaluable pillars of support throughout her show preparations, and obviously couldn't wait to see and hear the results of their efforts pay off.
From the opposing stage exit, one of the show assistants approached. "Thirty seconds Miss Rarity. You ready?"
Almost forgetting to breathe, Rarity stood up straight and nodded. Gratified, the assistant flashed a quick grin of encouragement, and headed back into the shadows. This was it. The crowning moment of triumph to close out what had so far been a rip-roaring success. Almost an entire year's worth of previously thought 'risqué' designs had been presented down the catwalk, to the tune of near universal "ooooh's" and "ahhhh's" and even the occasional hoof stamp. The models had been perfect. The dresses had been perfect. All that was left was for herself to be perfect. And really, how hard was that for a pony like her to pull off?
Through the dim buzz of the crowd beyond, Rarity's ears twitched at the faint sound of levers pulled and ropes raised. The thirty seconds were up. Her moment had come.
Time to shine.
The curtain before her vanished in an instant, and Rarity's eyes fell on a hushed and suddenly alert crowd of over a thousand ponies. And, letting the power of their attention wash into her like an electrical surge, she stepped briskly forward into the spotlight.
The weight of the final dress draped over her body tugged ever-so slightly with every step. This was the final jewel in the metaphorical crown, the garment that would leave a truly unforgettable mark on everypony present. At first glance, belying a simple pattern, but at a certain distance, would dazzle the eyes with a gleaming, radiant aura of pure colour. No-pony before in history - so far as she could tell - had ever woven a magical effect like this into a material-based substance. In fact the idea had spawned from an off-hoof remark by Twilight, which she had then leaped upon as a suggestion to be taken with the utmost of seriousness. And now, after months of experimentation, it would come down to this one small walk. And who better to model such a forward-thinking design than the creator herself?
The circle of light at her hooves shifted with her every trot, turn and sway. Rows upon rows of eyes lit up from eager interest to overwhelming awe. She wasn't surprised. She had nearly fainted upon seeing the full effect for the first time herself. But there was a ways to go yet, and Rarity knew a lapse in concentration now would soil the entire evening.
Keeping her head held high, upon which lay an accompanying crown piece adorned with harmless but vibrant magical flames to complete the whole ensemble, Rarity rode out the final stretch of catwalk to the sound of increasing cheers, and after what had felt like mere seconds, walked back beyond the stage, triumphant.
"Ah think they liked it!" Applejack said, wasting no time in lugging the designer into a bone-crushing hug, quickly followed by a beaming Pinkie and the others.
"Ahem...you could say it was somewhat of a success, couldn't you?" Rarity giggled, rubbing the back of her neck.
"C'mon, don't be all coy like that! You smashed it out there! They loved it!"
"Dash's right," Twilight agreed. "I believe Equestria's gonna remember this show for a long time to come. We're all so proud of you!"
"I did do well didn't I?" Rarity blushed. Few nights were, before or since, were ever going to match up to this.
"And to go with white too. Such a raw colour. But I'm so happy to see everypony liked it."
Rarity's heart skipped a beat. Turning, she tilted her head at Fluttershy. "What do you mean dear? White?"
"Umm...yes..." The pegasus hesitated, suddenly aware she had said something to dampen the mood. "Your dress....it's...white?"
"Ya know I was thinking it wouldn't have looked out of place at a wedding, but that sparkly stuff? Definitely a show-stopper," Applejack said, nodding.
"You two must've had too much of the free champagne. That dress is blue. I should know, I mean, look at me," Dash retorted.
"Yeah...it's blue..." Twilight eyed her two friends strangely. "Are you sure you're not seeing it ri-"
"Girls?" Pinkie interrupted. Rarity and the others looked up to see their pink friend standing near the stage, ears perked up. "I think we might be missing out on quite the party out there!"
Focusing, Rarity could definitely hear something going on out in the main hall. The five of them trotted over, and together with Pinkie, poked their heads through the curtain, to the sight of absolute mayhem. The orderly rows of ponies had devolved into bickering groups; couples pointing and shouting here, entire parties looking utterly confused there. At the back, many ponies had already taken the initiative to try and leave, but most didn't escape in time to miss the first chair being thrown.
Looking on, the six friends watched with jaws agape. After almost a minute of stunned silence, Rarity ducked her head back inside, and immediately felt faint. Her shaking body crouched instinctively on the floor, as one hushed phrase rose from her throat, repeating over and over:
"What have I done..."
*Two Days Later*
Rarity scanned the seemingly abandoned Ponyville street from her hidden alleyway. Sugarcube Corner lay right ahead, but if the last fourty-eight hours had been any indication, it was better to be safe than sorry. Cursing her lack of teleportation magic, she looked left and right once more, before making a break for it.
"Oh my gosh, there she is!"
"Quick! Ask her now! I must know!"
Oh no...
Rarity couldn't tell when she'd been spotted from and didn't want to know. All that mattered was getting inside Sugarcube. She galloped forward, for once not caring if the lack of poise would damage her hooficures.
"Rarity! Miss Rarity! Was it blue?! It was definitely blue right?!"
"Don't listen to her! We all know it was white! Just tell us, please!"
"You're insane! It was clearly blue! Your eyes are faulty!"
"What did you say punk?"
"You heard me whitey! Bring it!"
She caught them out of the corner of her eye. A group of six respectable, well-to-do, sane ponies, now a rabid swarm of desperation and questions. And they were not alone. Half of Equestria's population had gone mad. Entire cities had become battlegrounds, with Manehatten the first to fall. Spreading outwards like a disease, the strife had pulled a shadow over the entire land. All that remained, was which side you stood on: blue, or white.
One of the windows halfway up the building opened, and Pinkie's head popped out. "Quick! The girls are all here!"
Relieved she wasn't about to try and enter a locked abode, Rarity forced herself to keep looking forward, until the front door burst open as she approached. Leaping the two steps, she skidded on the front porch, barrelling ungracefully inside as the door magically closed behind her.
"Oh thank goodness," Twilight sighed, as Rarity crunched to a halt. "I thought we'd lost you for a second."
"Yeah, we were all super duper worried you'd been pony-napped as we left the station!" Pinkie said, rushing down from the upper floor.
"No fear of that," Rarity said, catching her breath. "But in the commotion...the crowd was too much...I had to retreat to a safe place to regroup.
"This is ridiculous!" Rainbow Dash yelled in mid-air, clearly uncomfortable in the confined space. "All this dumb arguing over one dress!"
"I've had time to think, maybe there was some side-effect of the aura spell," Twilight said. "Perhaps the light certain ponies' can see varies based on variances in the colour spectrum-"
"Is this really the time Twilight?" Dash interrupted. "I thought you said Princess Celestia was going to sort everypony out?"
"Well she is...but she did say it would take another day or two to calm everypony down. I'm just trying to find a friendship lesson in all this."
"Not always there is one," Applejack said. "Trust me, ah would know."
"Are you going to be okay Rarity?" Fluttershy approached the unicorn, face stricken with worry.
The designer looked up, and to the shock of everyone present, including herself, managed to laugh briefly. "Well...I did get everypony talking about my dresses. Not in the way I'd have expected mind you, but it counts!"
"That's the spirit!" Pinkie said, bouncing on the spot. "I don't know what everypony's talking about anyway. Your dress was obviously pink!"
*One Day Later*
Rarity and Celestia stood side-by-side in the palace gardens; the flaming heap of material in front of them providing a decent dose of warmth in the chill evening air.
"And what have we learned...?" The Sun Princess prompted with a weary tone, having recently returned from a nation-wide tour of peacekeeping.
Rarity stared into the fire with neutral eyes, and raised one hoof.
"With great magic, comes great responsibility. Never again will I attempt to enhance my dresses with such power."
"Close enough," Celestia replied, turning her head as a familiar presence approached from the palace.
"Aha!" Luna said, trotting up alongside. "Here you both are! My apologies for sleeping in, sister, did I miss anything?"
Celestia regarded her sibling with a jaded glance. "Three days is hardly what I would call a 'lie-in', Luna...but no. All is well."
"Mmm...such a wonderful fire," the night princess purred. "I have never seen white flames before. Is this one of your marvels, Generosity?"
"White?" Celestia said, silencing Rarity before she could answer. "Oh no...not you too. The flames are blue..."
By sheer instinct, Rarity turned and ran as fast as she could. An argument between Princesses was not to be trifled with.
Dear Diary,
It is not everyday one comes close to destroying one's own country from the inside...
