A Day in Canterlot:

Rarity was an excited filly. Not only was she in the city of her dreams but she had just gotten permission from her parents that she could spend the day exploring on her own with the caveat that Spike would act as her escort. Naturally, she could hardly refuse given the scare that they’ve had the previous day.

Besides, the fact that she was friends with him only made her all the more eager to agree to have him as an escort so it was a win-win as far as she was concerned.

But now she found herself in the most curious dilemma:

“What am I going to wear?” Rarity wondered aloud, two hats floating in her light blue magic as she examined them critically. Such was the dilemma of up and coming premier fashionistas everywhere.

* * *

Spike frowned as he found himself in the not entirely unfamiliar position of walking with Princess Celestia as they headed for the ever opulent royal dining room for breakfast. For the past quarter of an hour ever since she’d spotted him after raising the sun, the Princess of the Day and been more than a little enthusiastic about his day with Rarity. It wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that she was just as excited about it as he was!

She’d asked a seemingly endless stream of questions about Rarity and how they’d met and how excited she was for his “date”. Spike didn’t know what a “date” was but he knew that he planned to have a good time with Rarity doing all sorts of fun things.

And then came one question that gave him a pause.

“So what are you going to be doing today?” Celestia asked keenly, casting her magenta eyes toward the small dragon at her side. “I trust that you have an idea of where you’d like to go.”

“Um…” Spike trailed off awkwardly. “That’s kind of the problem: there’s so much in Canterlot that I can show Rarity but I don’t even know where I would even start!”

“Hmm…” Celestia put a hoof to her chin and contemplated the situation after, of course, taking her place at the head of the table and accepting her tea from the ever-vigilant staff member. She would be hard pressed to refute Spike’s point but still believed a solution could be reached. But then her teacher instincts kicked in: why should she be doing the thinking? This was a teaching experience just waiting to happen!

“So tell me Spike,” Celestia started. “What would you say defines Rarity as a pony?”

Spike animatedly recounted every detail of the conversations he and Rarity had the previous day in his excitement. Was it overkill? Perhaps. But if it meant finding the answers to making sure his friend had as much fun as possible while she was here then Spike would readily do so.

Celestia’s smile fell ever so slightly as she realized the position that she found herself in.

Well… this might take a while. Surely Twilight won’t panic if her lesson with me starts a little later than I had planned she couldn’t help but think, equal parts amused and exasperated with the small dragon at her side, munching on a sapphire while staring up at her with green eyes filled with wonder. Those adorable eyes were her achilles heel…

“Well, let’s narrow down our options based on what we know about Rarity…” she started with Spike listening attentively. He’d even gone so far as to pull out a pad of paper and a quill as they bounced ideas off of each other.

* * *

Rarity allowed a smile to cross her face as she stepped out of the hotel. The white sun hat was definitely the better choice for today she mused as her sea blue eyes scanned the immediate area for a small purple dragon. She didn’t have to wait long...

“Rarity!” a familiar voice called out to her. The filly spun around to find Spike rushing toward her. Much like her, he was also wearing a hat. Much unlike her, he favored a fedora with a feather in the cap in stark contrast to her sun hat.

“Spike dear!” she exclaimed enthusiastically. “It’s so good to see you! So what’re we going to be doing today?” she asked eagerly, bouncing up and down with such enthusiasm that Spike would later compare to that of the ever exuberant Pinkie Pie… or Twilight whenever she received a new book from Princess Celestia.

“Oh you’re going to love this!” Spike promised. “I was actually talking to Princess Celestia this morning and she was telling me about this Canterlot Fashion week thing they do every couple of years--”

“That’s today!?” Rarity screeched, her eyes wide equal parts surprise and excitement. “We simply must go! But wait…” her ears droop as she realized something of critical importance. “Isn’t that one of the most exclusive fashion events in all of Equestria? It’s not like we’re going to be able to just find tickets just lying around…” she stared at the mischievous grin on Spike’s forehead.

“You didn’t,” she stated, almost daring to believe him.

“I did,” he replied by way of flashing the two golden tickets that sure enough were passes for Canterlot Fashion week.

“H-How,” Rarity had to choke out in surprise. It was like Spike was her miracle worker or something. It’s almost like he knew her deepest desires and was making all her wildest dreams of reality!

“Well,” Spike trailed off awkwardly but was saved from having to explain by way of the growling belly of the alabaster unicorn next to him.

“Sorry,” Rarity blushed. “I guess I was so excited to see you again and getting to explore Canterlot that I might have forgotten to eat something before I left…”

Spike shook his head in amusement as he led her to a nearby cafe where they were able to grab a bite to eat before heading to the showcase. Once they were inside the gigantic arena where the showcase was set to be held, Rarity had to ask:

“Just how did you come across tickets for this showcase? I’ve always heard that only the most elite of the elite were even contacted for a chance at purchasing tickets?”

“Well…” Spike started. “It started kinda like this…”

* * *

“So Spike,” Princess Celestia started as they methodically sifted through the daily influx of mail. “You mentioned that your friend happened to enjoy fashion in its many splendors, correct?”

“Yeah!” Spike replied enthusiastically. “She told me about how she designed these really amazing costumes for her class’s play! They had all these really shiny gems and everything!” He paused before adding the thought of them made him really hungry.

“Well if that’s the case,” she levitated the parchment down to small dragon. “Perhaps these will serve a better to you than to me.” She watched in faint amusement as Spike struggled to read the document. These kinds of documents were infamous for their unnecessary convoluted vocabulary.

It’s almost as though they don’t know how to get to the point Celestia couldn’t help but think as she stared at the dragon who’d clearly been struggling with some of the longer words.

“To sum it up for you,” Celestia started, “it’s an invitation to the fashion showcase that they hold here in Canterlot. They invite me to attend every year and normally, I enjoy them but unfortunately, I won’t be able to go this year as I’ve found myself becoming increasingly busy especially after having taken Twilight on as my personal student. Truly, her dedication to her studies is something I’ve seen in very few ponies. In any case, I’d hate for these to have to go to waste so why don’t you take them and take your friend to the showcase?”

“Really?!” Spike asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Celestia nodded, smiling at him. “I can tell that you have become good friends with Rarity and this could be something that you two could go see together. Plus,” she added, “I’m well aware of the fact that you’ve been staying up almost as long as Twilight has to help her with her studies for which I can only express my gratitude for taking care of her.”

“It’s not really anything hard,” Spike shrugged. “Most of the time, I just remind Twilight that she hasn’t eaten or slept or help her find her materials so that she can focus.”

“I’ve also heard that you’ve learned how to cook quite well from the kitchen staff,” Celestia added, smiling wryly.

“Um… yeah,” Spike replied uncomfortably. “I know that Twilight has a really bad habit of skipping meals when she gets really into her studies so I thought I should learn. Plus,” he licked his scaly lips here, “I found this book of recipes with all sorts of yummy things that I wanted to try and figured that the staff wouldn’t necessarily make it for me because of my health or something like that…”

Celestia couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from her mouth as she allowed herself the free will to laugh shamelessly. Spike, for his part, seemed mostly unabashed by his admission while Celestia reigned in her laughter which had since been amused to amused chuckling.

“Getting back on track,” Celestia started again, “Consider this a reward for all your hard work ever since you started working as Twilight’s number one assistant.” She paused. “That and this,” she levitated a hefty sack of bits into Spike’s small claws.

“Just remember to not eat them. They’re not gems after all.” That and Celestia didn’t want a repeat of the last time Spike had tried eating a bit. The resulting diarrhea and economic trouble were things that Celestia prefer to forget.

“Thank you so much Princess!” Spike hugged the tall alabaster mare’s forehooves before rushing out of the dining room, leaving Celestia alone with her pile of mail. Celestia smiled to herself as she nodded to one of her assistants as they resumed the ever exciting task of opening envelope after envelope.

* * *

Rarity for her part was grinning as Spike recounted his story. It felt nice to be able to get to know more about his mannerisms as they closed in on the site of the showcase. It was a nice way to direct her excitement as opposed to bouncing up and down excitedly.

Not that there was anything wrong with bouncing up and down excitedly. Rarity just didn’t want to come off as unsophisticated in the crowd of ponies who seemed to inexplicably favor closing their eyes while pointing their heads skyward.

Maybe it’s some sort of coordination exercise? Rarity, for her part, was equal parts confused and impressed with their ability to navigate the giant city without crashing into anything.

The pair stepped into the line where they could see an attendant inspecting tickets and admitting ponies.

“Rarity, I’m just going to say this right now: I’ve got no idea what to expect during this showcase so I’m going to be counting on you explain it to me, okay?”

“Certainly,” Rarity nodded brightly. She’d take any chance that she could get to explain the many wonders of the fashion world. “But in a high class event like this, I really should provide a primer of sorts just so you know what to expect.”

Spike brain’s which had been so used to analytics, science, magic and related subjects found itself struggling to keep up with the artistic explanations that Rarity heaped on him. It wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that his brain had such trouble adapting that the gears in his head had started to catch fire in his head.

Spike’s struggle aside, the pair finally reached the front of the line where the attendant scanned before casting a sidelong look at the pair, while also looking Spike up and down as though he were sizing the dragon up and whether or not he’d be a threat to the other ponies attending. Shaking his head, he nodded and passed the tickets back to the dragon and nodded to the filly who eagerly dragged the dragon’s arm and dragged him inside where they quickly found their seats close to the runway.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be this close to the runway!” Rarity gushed, she leaned onto Spike, offering less-than-quick nuzzle under his chin while holding one of his claws in her forehooves. “I can’t even begin to thank you for bringing me here!”

“It’s really no problem, Rarity,” Spike grinned, both from her enthusiasm and the nuzzling she’d been giving him. Please don’t stop.

They’d stayed that way and had found themselves in a comfortable silence. A silence that quickly died with the following words:

“Never thought we’d see you at place like this, Spike,” said a familiar voice amusedly. Spike jumped before a broad smile stretched across his face.

“Shining Armor!” he grinned at the white stallion. He then spotted the pink mare at his side. “And Cadance!”

“We were surprised to see you here, Spike,” Cadance began. “So we thought we’d come over and say hi.”

“That and our seats just so happened to be right here,” Shining Armor grinned. That wasn’t entirely true. The real truth was that neither had actually planned on being at the showcase but Princess Celestia in her infinite wisdom decided to have a guard posted to Spike, not so much for the dragon’s safety on the account of the fact that he could breathe fire at a moment’s notice, but because she was worried that somepony would try to cause trouble for Spike and ruin his day with his new friend.

Plus, they got tickets to an exclusive event so Shining Armor wasn’t stupid enough to say no since he knew for a fact that Cadance happened to enjoy these kinds of events. At least more so than the galas that the Canterlot Elite often frequented. That and she threatened that there would be no dates for a month and that was simply something Shining wasn’t willing to sacrifice.

“Princess Celestia gave me tickets for me and my friend. She said something about ‘broadening my horizons’ or something like that, and helping my friend have as good a time as she can while she’s here.” It was here that the two ponies caught sight of the nervous unicorn sitting next to their younger brother in all but blood.

Spike, having noticed the stares from his idealized family, promptly began making introductions.

“This is my friend Rarity,” Spike gestured to the unicorn next to him. Any sense of bravado that she may have had fled when she spotted Cadance’s horn and wings. “Rarity, these are my friends: Cadance and Shining Armor! Shining Armor’s the captain of the royal guard and Cadance was Twilight and my foalsitter.”

“I’d prefer to think of us as his brother and sister,” Cadance cut in before Spike could add in anything else. Rarity, for her part, was still shell shocked. She’d never been the most social of ponies; she’d often spent her free time drawing out her designs and then making them a reality rather than socializing. The fact that Spike was her first friend could vouch for this testament. So Rarity was understandably surprised when Spike put her on the spot with two ponies that may as well have been strangers.

“Um… hello…” she said shyly, moving closer to Spike who’d promptly been whisked away by Shining Armor for what looked to be “stallion-talk”; whatever that was.

“So you’re friends with Spike,” Cadance started slowly, a soft smile on her face as her eyes trained on the nervous filly.

“Um… yes?” Rarity replied nervously.

“So what do you think of him thus far?” she asked, casting a sidelong look at the dragon who seemed to be in a similar conversation from where the pink pony was sitting.

“Well…” Rarity wondered how much she ought to reveal on the account that while they were certainly close to Spike, she didn’t feel quite comfortable sharing all the details with someone who was essentially a stranger in Rarity’s eyes. “To be completely honest, I actually just met him yesterday when he helped me when I was lost yesterday when I came here for the very first time. It was really nice of him to help me and was so brave in doing so! From there, he ended up bringing me to the castle where we played in the castle’s courtyard. We even got to meet Princess Celestia herself before my parents came to pick me up! But before we said goodbye, I wanted to spend more time with Spike so I asked him if he could show me around the city and so far I’ve enjoyed myself immensely both from the few sites we’ve seen so far and the stories he’s shared with me!” Cadance didn’t bother hiding her smile as Rarity’s eyes lit up as she spoke praises of her new friend. It was clear to the up and coming princess of love that Spike and Rarity would be very goods friends.

The lights dimmed as the four ponies returned to their respective seats as the MC teleported onto the runway. The four had cheered along with the rest as the MC riled up the crowd. The stage curtain went up and the showcase had started off normally enough. Rarity had enjoyed gushing over the various designs with Cadance who’d been nice enough to run a commentary for the fashion-dead stallion and dragon with them.

What they happened next was something Rarity would have never expected of a fashion showcase. That being the models participating along with their designers were putting those clothes to the test.

After all, what was the point of clothing if they were only a one-time use?

So naturally while designers wanted to make clothing that made ponies look good, they also wanted their models to do something impressive while wearing them. That phase: do something amazing and look good doing it had never been more applicable than it was right then.

“Are they crazy?” Rarity stared as they watched as the models, in groups of three competed for marks in intelligence, baking, coming up with new dresses on the fly, and other admittedly more dangerous events like herding.

“Well you have remember that whoever wins the showcase will get to face off against the reigning Miss Equestria,” Cadance pointed out.

“This was hardly what I was expecting going into this event!” Rarity replied incredulously as she watched as one mare had been able to herd all the cattle toward her section of the larger than life runway. “I thought that this event would be showing off the latest designs that the top designers had created! I didn’t expect them to pull anything like this!” Rarity gestured to the stage with a hoof while simultaneously applauding the participating ponies.

It may have caught her off guard going into it but even so, it was quite the impressive performance.

The four watched in varying degrees of amazement as the number of competing participants dwindled down to the final two in the freestyle performance. The challenge here was simple yet paradoxically complex: make an outfit on the fly and the perform a routine of sorts that not only showed off the true potential of the design but also showcase the friendship between the designer and the model.

It was something Princess Celestia would have no doubt found the whole idea endearing since she preached the magic of friendship almost constantly.

It also didn’t help that they were racing against the clock to not only come up with and create their designs, but at the same time, the models had to come up with a dance routine that would showcase their talents and show off the dresses full capabilities.

“And time!” the MC called as the designers presented their works: one was a lacy white ball gown that Rarity could tell would work well in a dance routine given the way it flared out much like a flower in bloom. The other went for something entirely different: namely a form-fitting suit of sorts that wouldn’t have looked out at a wonderbolts show.

It definitely shows off her physique… Rarity mused as her eyes drifted over both designs. She had to admit that the designers had done a really good job on the outfits. Truth be told, it had only served to widen her spectrum of ideas for what she could make and still be regarded as appropriate among the elite.

After donning the outfits, it had been preemptively decided that Lacy Dress would take the stage first as exhibited with a graceful dance with her partner who seemed to just materialize out of thin air. Spike had made to comment but was quickly shushed in favor of watching the performance with rapt attention. It was here that things got interesting: Lacy Dress's partner's majestic wings flared out as he slowly ascended into the air with his partner grasping at his hooves with all the confidence of a mare who was more than prepared for anything that the situation could throw at her.

It was here that music started to play from out nowhere.

And then they danced.

"How is that even possible," Spike wondered aloud as he watched the pair give dancing on air a whole new and more literal meaning as the audience watched on, slacked jawed. The aerial dance not only showcased the model's natural beauty but that of the dress as well as it practically glowed in the spotlights.

For the finale, the stallion partner had opted for something risky that would surely have the audience eating out of their hooves: a dive bomb not unlike those conducted by the Wonderbolts. The audience watched with bated breath as he held his mare partner and just before they reached the ground, he released her before pulling out of the sharp dive while his partner landed safely onto the stage in a crouch before rising to her full height.

"Finish!" they both cheered, as the stallion landed gracefully on the mare's out stretched hoof, his wings flared out as the crowd stomped their hooves vigorously. They definitely deserved points for maintaining interest.

"And now for our next pair!" With the first pair taking a bow before stepping back toward the stage to allow the second pair to take the spotlight.

Unlike the previous pair featuring a pegasus and an earth pony, this time the pair featured two unicorns. Since magic was fair game in a contest like this, Rarity was interested to see what kind of magic would come into play. Hopefully, whatever magic they do end up using was something that she could potentially incorporate into future designs.

As it turned out, with a simple freeze spell, the pair had turned the entire stage into an ice rink, another spell produced several illusionary clouds gently releasing equally illusionary snow. Unfortunately for the resident dragon, the spell's illusionary effects also made the room feel much colder. Rarity had been quick to notice his predicament and shuffled closer to him and pulling him close with her tail.

"Better?" she asked kindly.

"Much better," Spike nodded, smiling brightly. Cadance and Shining could help the smiles that crossed their faces as their attention split between adorable scene that was Spike and Rarity curled up together and the impressive ice skating that the ponies on stage were performing.

Eventually, they turned back to watch as the pair performed together as one. It was clear that the skintight suit was doing its job if the high speed and high risk maneuvers they were performing were any indication. It certainly brought about the crowd's enthusiasm with the winter wonderland theme. Everyone watched as the skaters span in tandem, initially starting with slow twirls before moving closer together and subsequently began to spin faster.

Quite frankly, it was a miracle neither had vomited from the experience.

Several minutes of jumps, flips, and other related maneuvers that left Spike and Rarity speechless found both the contestants and their respective designers on stage after the winter wonderland hand been dispelled.

"And this is where all of you come into play!" the announcer intoned. "Using the quill and parchment in your seat, please choose which design and performer you liked best at which point we will announce the winners!"

Spike blinked when he suddenly spotted a rolled up piece of parchment, an inkpot, a quill, and small desk in front of him. From his periphery, it seemed Rarity and Shining seemed just as taken aback as he was; Cadance just took the whole thing in stride. Shaking he his head, Spike contemplated the designs and the performances. He had to admit that both were really impressive to watch and both had really nice looking outfits... for what little he knew about fashion.

I guess I'll go with these two... Spike decided uncertainly, jotting down his choices. As he soon as he finished, he recoiled when the parchment, quill, and inkpot burst into flames. He glanced around nervously to find the same thing happen to everyone else with varying degrees of response from the audience members.

Turning back to the stage, he saw that two gauges were floating at the center that were steadily rising as more audiences members submitted their votes. As to keep things fair, neither gauge had been labeled as to avoid bias in voting.

"And the winner is!" The announcer boomed as the last of the votes were submitted and accounted for. From there, a pair of spotlights flickered between the two designers and the models. As everyone watched with bated breath, the lights slowed to a stop toward the aerial dancers and their designers.

"Let's give them a round of applause!" the announcer cheered as everyone applauded both teams for both amazing designs and dance skills. Rarity had been particular enthusiastic. This showcase had, in essence, blown her mind as well as essentially everything she understood about fashion. Far from disillusioned about her prospects as a future trend-setter, the young pony was more fired up than ever and that was to say nothing of the ideas swirling around in her head from just seeing the showcase and seeing some of the best designers working their magic had Rarity itching to get back to her portable sewing machine to get to work.

And I have Spike to thank for all of this Rarity thought, as she followed Spike, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadance out of the theater, only idly noting that the vast majority of the day had since past. Well him AND Princess Celestia.

"Well we should get going," Shining Armor nodded to his marefriend who nodded in kind before turning back to the young dragon and the filly.

"There's still a little bit of time before the sun goes down, Spike. Why don't you pick something from Pony Joe's?" She leaned in closer so that no one else could hear her as she whispered conspiratorially to him. "I'm sure auntie Celestia would appreciate the treat especially with the day that she's had."

Spike was not about to refuse an excuse to go to Pony Joe's; there was a reason the stallion was one of Canterlot's premier bakeries in Spike's opinion. He turned to his companion to see a blushing filly with a hoof to her underbelly. The scene settled it for Spike as he led her away, with Cadance and Shining Armor watching on...

* * *

"Wow..." Rarity breathed as she peered over the numerous selections. Just how was she going to be able to pick just one? In later years, she would have insisted that she didn't want to impose but that wouldn't be for another few years. Presently, Rarity was still a filly so naturally she couldn't help but gravitate toward the pastries on display.

"So Spike, you want your usual right?" Pony Joe asked, his horn halfway lit as he made to select several gem encrusted donuts from the trays on display.

"Not today. We're going to change things up a little bit today," Spike responded brightly. He gestured to his friend who stiffened when he mentioned her name.

"You know, we have free samples that you can try," Rarity's eyes lit up at the prospect and was not disappointed with what she tried. That said, she opted to refrain from simply buying out the story and selected one of a few types that she'd liked the most as Spike paid and led them out. He'd then escorted Rarity back to where she'd been staying.

* * *

"I had a lot of fun today Spike," Rarity smiled, lightly nuzzling his cheek in thanks. "I'm glad I got to spend the day with you and..."

"And..." Spike prompted curiously.

"And I was wondering if you'd be willing to spend more time with me tomorrow!" she blurted out. Spike tapped his chin in thought. As tempting as that sounded, Spike remembered his responsibilities as Twilight's number one assistant and he couldn't have someone else encroaching on his hard earned title.

"As much as I would like to, I can't... or at least not for the whole day," Rarity frowned sadly as she recalled Spike mentioning that he helped Princess Celestia's personal pupil with her studies. She knew that this was important to him and suddenly felt guilty for encroaching.

"I'm sorry," Rarity said sadly, her head bowed.

"No! Rarity, you don't need to apologize!" Spike replied quickly. "I had a lot of fun with you today and I definitely learned a lot from the showcase today! But I also think that since you came here with your family, you should also spend some time with them and your sister, right."

Rarity's eyes widened at the realization.

"Besides, since I showed you around Canterlot earlier, you can show off to your parents a little when you go sightseeing with them tomorrow." Rarity couldn't help the smile that made it's way onto her face at Spike's statement. She supposed that would have to suffice for now.

"Thank you Spike," Rarity smiled as she, in a moment of boldness, planted a small kiss on his cheek. Spike flushed but smiled and waved with Rarity smiling just as brightly in kind as she stepped into the hotel with her package of donuts floating behind her.

Spike was walking in the other direction, a goofy grin on his face, a large package of donuts for himself, Twilight, and the Princess.

He couldn't wait to tell them what happened today!

Author's Note

Sorry this came out so late! A lot of things happened that kept getting in my way.