~Part One~
Rarity squealed with delight as her pale blue eyes scanned the article. She squirmed in her seat as she rapidly turned the page of the newspaper with her horn. Cereal dribbled down her chin as she giggled with delight. Across the breakfast table, Sweetie Belle looked at her stylish older sister with confusion. Little oat circles started to drown in a pool of milk on the table as Rarity drooled over the article.
"Sis?" Sweetie Belle asked. "What is happening."
With her own pale green magic, she pulled The Manehattan Tribune away from her sister. Rarity squeaked at her sister and grabbed the newspaper back with a newly shined white hoof.
"MINE!" Rarity said with finality as she stepped back from the table.
"Whatever you say, sis." Sweetie Belle said as she picked up a mop and magicked the pool of milk and cereal away. A yellow blob caught her attention at the window and in a minute, the CMC had united outside.
Rarity sighed and returned to her room. Scanning her surroundings, Rarity dove under her bed and grabbed her special box. It was adorned with patterns in varying shades of brown, green, and orange. Her trendy box. With a hopeless sigh, Rarity pulled off the lid and melted into her special stallion's special face. Trenderhoof smiled his prize-winning, farm-loving smile at her through newspaper cutouts, posters, and postcards. She mooned over his perfect fashion-forward features as she slipped into a trance of absolute adoration. Then, she summoned the latest copy of the Manehattan Tribune and flipped through it until she found the article.
Most interesting pony in all of Equestria strikes again!
Trenderhooves, the star of fashion journalism, will be visiting the island of Manehattan for the Hoofington Society fundraiser gala in Manehattan's famed Manefair Stadium. Be there on July 10th to see Trenderhoof and support the Hoofington Society at this high-class gala event. Buy your tickets in Manehattan today!
Rarity practically fainted with delight as she placed the article with Trend's beautiful face on it in her box. She had to be there. There was no way she was going to miss out on seeing Trend again. She just had to find a way to buy tickets before they were all sold out. Of course, she would need a plus one for the gala. She could bring Sweetie Belle, but she would then want to bring the Crusaders with her. That wasn't going to happen. She thought about this all the way down the stairs and outside to her mailbox. Inside, she found the usual mix of magazines and orders. But today, a lovely little scroll sat inside as well. It was tied with a rainbow ribbon and had a Manehattan post seal on it. Curious, Rarity pulled it out and lifted the ribbon off with her pale blue magic.
Dear Rarity, Hello! It's me, Coco Pommel. It hasn't been too long since I've seen you but I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Also, you've probably heard of the Hoofington Society charity gala in Manehattan and I was wondering if you were planning on going or needed a friend to go with. If you will be attending I have an extra ticket. I assume you have one, but if you wanted one for a plus one consider the extra one yours. Much love, Coco Pommel.
Rarity smiled at the kind note and her eyes lit up as she saw the "extra ticket" part. Of course! She could ask Coco to be her plus one. That way, if they went as friends, she wouldn't have to worry about breaking some stallion's heart if she left him for Trend. Smiling to herself, she scribbled down a letter and practiced the letter sending spell Twilight and Spike had taught her. A little risky, but she wanted that ticket.
Coco was startled when a letter appeared on her bedside table in a puff of blue smoke. She put down her book and went to read it.
Dear Coco, Oh darling I am doing wonderfully! I do so hope that you are thriving in your splendid city as well.
Pertaining to that extra ticket; could I have it. It is ever so kind of you to offer me such a precious piece of friendship.
In return, if you aren't already going with someone, could I use that ticket for us to go as friends? I do hope you'll consider this. If not, I do so want to see you at the Gala. With much gratitude, Rarity
Coco's heart leaped in her throat when she read the letter. Rarity wanted to go with her? To a gala. Sure, she had said as "a friend" but still, Rarity! Without a hesitation, she zipped down the blue carpeted stairs of her Manehattan suite and dashed down the escalator into the lobby.
"Dearest Brickshine, could you put this letter in for a one-day delivery?" The red-brown mail manager of the complex flashed his old but familiar smile at the young mare as he took her envelope and put in in his hat.
"One-day delivery it is ma dear!" He said sweetly. "What's it got that's so important? And to Miss Rarity no less." He said rubbing his head.
"Very precious cargo," Coco said with calm finality. Brickshine had been in this building for quite a few years, and in the few months that she'd lived here, she'd grown to love the kind old stallion. He was quick-witted and humble. The only problem was, being a mailpony had taught him to be incredibly nosey. He flashed a nosy smile and trotted out a golden door on the far left of the lobby.
Coco sighed and trotted through another golden doorway out of the velvet-clad lobby where the boring old desk manager sat every day tallying who knows what on his old black typewriter. The lights shone brightly from their diamond draped golden chandelier and cast an elegant glow on the magenta cushions of the multiple fainting couches and loungers that lined the deep maroon walls. Coco decided to take the stairs instead of the house-sized elevator that played waltz music and had a pale purple mare manning it. The stairs were no less elegant. They were a shimmering bronze color and were carpeted with deep scarlet shag. On each landing, there was a window that took up the space of a wall. Each floor gave a new breathtaking view of the city and once she got to her floor, her hooves and eyes were exhausted.
It was a relief to turn the key and enter her pastel apartment. Really, it was a penthouse, but the colors suited her simpler tastes. For a minute, she imagined living somewhere much better. Somewhere with cleaner air and orchards. Somewhere where at night you could lay in a field with someone you love and stare up at the stars. Somewhere elegant but a different elegance than the scarlet and gold kind her her complex. A place with Rarity.
Ever since Coco had gotten more than enough fame for designing costumes on Bridleway, she had gotten moved to this penthouse. But now, she saw how unnecessary all of this was. She just wanted to get away from the lights and be with someone she loved. Someone like Rarity.
A single golden ticket fell into Rarity's snowy white hooves as she squealed with delight. Not only would she get to go to Manehattan and see Coco, but she would get to see Trenderhoof! Trenderhoof the stallion of her dreams would be there waiting.
Suri turned her nose up at the smell that caught her off guard every time. The appalling shade of green that was sloppily painted on the walls made her cringe and the scraped hardwood floor made her step carefully. She gagged as she stepped onto her chair in front of a steaming pot with scraps of multi-colored fabrics hanging over it on a metal rod. A slimy gray stallion stepped up to her and wordlessly handed her an envelope. He nodded at her a trotted out of the stinking basement of the fabric dying factory. This place was the pits. It filled her nostrils with a putrid stench of sweat and boiling cabbage and all the ponies were gloomy and downtrodden. Then again, this was the only thing they'd ever known. Suri had been so close to touching the stars until- no! She took a breath and forced the hate out of her mind.
"Hey Suri, got a special assignment today?" Suri had been so close to the door. "You're special." She turned around to face Little Loo.
Little Loo was the smallest mare ever and she was only two years Suri's minor. She had a melty butter kind of colored coat and a greasy black mane tied in a bunch of braids. Little Loo was only a nickname because no one really knew her real name. She always had an air of drunkenness around her and had, according to another worker, had been working at Crimps Color Dying for longer than anyone else. All the ponies here at Crimp's always seemed glazed over and dazed but Little Loo was always out of it. The only bit of insight Suri had on her life was when she had heard her crying in the bathroom about someone named Biggy Moore. Other than that, the mare was useless.
"Howdy do Little Lo-"
"Hargh!" The mare suddenly spasmed out and starting coughing. She doubled over and retched on the wretched floor. A younger looking stallion had to come over and pull her away.
Suri sighed and double-timed it to the door. The hinges on the door creaked as she raced up the old cement stairs not caring how much the hard surface scraped her hooves. Anything to get out of the basement. Once she got to the boss's level, she skimmed her letter. She was to report to the mailroom to help with shipping fabrics. Since she was new, she didn't have a permanent post so she was floating around. As she made her way down the wallpapered hallway, she heard the floating voice of someone who made her gnash her teeth. Trenderhoof.
As she crept past the open door, his bespectacled eyes caught hers and she was rewarded with a hateful glare. She tried her best to return it, but she couldn't feel it so she slunk across the hall into the mailroom.
Trend's glare was not a new face to Suri. A few months ago, she had almost won fashion week with her plus one Coco and her stolen fabrics. But then, Rarity had to turn Coco into one of those friendship junkies who go around singing songs and making BFFs every day. She glowered at the floor at the memory of the snowy white unicorn's sweet smile and Coco's little filly bob cut. Those two mares dove in and out of her thoughts every day as they reminded her of her crushing defeat. She had hoped that all of the hate from the fashion world would blow over, but try as she might, no one would hire her. They were too scared there would be another scandal. Then, Trenderhoof had come along. He had hired her to work with him in the newspaper. He had seemed like a dream come true. He was perfectly composed and elegant and he didn't give a speck about her past life. But then, one of his coworkers had caught her brewing a "love potion" in his office. She had actually been making ribbleberry soup on his portable stove. But, she had been on thin ice with this certain coworker so she was kicked out immediately. Eventually, she gave up hope and got hired at Crimp's.
She had just wanted to be friends with Trend. She just wanted to have someone to be there for her after Coco and it had gotten thrown away. She went to her mailbox and found a single gold ticket in it. For a moment, she let herself be surprised. Then, she saw a little sticky note.
Suri, I hope you'll come to this gala.
~Coco Pommel
Suri had heard about this in the paper and even though it was from Coco, this was an opportunity to start over. With a smug grin, she pulled the ticket out of her box and went back to work.
Honestly, the only thing going through Trend's mind was that his ears hurt. With the gala in two days, all of the coworkers had been buzzing around his mansion going through every logistical detail possible. He just wanted to go to bed.
"Mr.Trenderhoof." A stout little purple stallion with a wavy beige mane approached him. He turned to face him. "Do you have the guest list?"
"Yessir Mr. Berto," Trenderhoof said as he tried to get up the stairs to his room as the ponies swarmed around him.
"We're going to go to the location of the gala to advise the setup Mr. Trend," another brown mare came up to him. "They have requested your and the guest list's presence."
Trend sighed and nodded. It looked like rest would have to wait. He followed the crusade of ponies out into the driveway of his Manehattan mansion. Just one of his many homes across Equestria. He had one in almost every major city, except Ponyville. Celestia knows that visit didn't go too well. As they drove through the heavily trafficked streets of the city, he skimmed the guest list. Many of the names were unknown, some were familiar, and a few stuck out. That little liar Suri was coming, he had seen her at Crimp's that morning when he went to pick up decorations for the gala. Rarity would be there as well. He cringed when he remembered his unfortunate influence on the poor girl and her friend *gulp* Applejack. Luckily he had gotten over that farm girl. He had a new dream mare. Coco Pommel. He almost dropped the papers when he saw her name typed up neatly as number 567 on the sheet.
His hear did a little dance when he saw that. He imagined her beautiful little face and her adorable blue bob-cut mane. He had seen her around the city before and had managed to get in a few words with her, but it wasn't until about a month ago when she came to his office that he started falling.
She had come to see if that wretched girl Suri was still there and her kindness after all of the heartache had warmed his heart. She had sunken a bit when she heard the news of her doings and her presence had made Trend go shaky all over. He was giggling a bit when his escorts took the guest list and led him to the stadium.
In just two days time, he would really get to talk to Coco Pommel. As long as there weren't any other Trenderhoof crazy mares following him around all night. THAT would be really quite unfortunate. After all, being the most interesting pony in Equestria will get you a lot of lady love.
