(The Next Day)

Rarity was out shopping for a specific type of fabric. The type she was out to acquire was, oddly enough, only found in a particular store in Ponyville, but she doesn't really like this store in particular for one reason.

The proprietor of it was, to put it bluntly, unpleasant. The mare behind the counter – a languid earth pony with a crimson coat and a wavy, tied-off, cobalt mane and tail – gave Rarity a snide smirk.

Crimson Fabric is her name, and her cutie mark matches her name nicely; a bolt of blue fabric with green vines wrapped around it, as she is quite skilled in making fabrics, and - with her earth pony magic - is able to grow the plants to provide her with the materials to make the fabrics.

However, Crimson Fabric tends to try - and normally does - haggle more money out of her customers for some of her more unique bolts. And as the main seamstress of Ponyville, her primary customer is Rarity, and always charges Rarity extra for her fabrics.

But Crimson's smart, she – just like everypony else – knows that Barnyard Bargains sells decent quality fabrics, but at higher prices than her shop. So she makes equally decent quality bolts and sells them at slightly lower prices.

But it's her special fabrics that she sells at an equal price to Filthy Rich's own, and for good reason. The patterns Crimson has made have been exceptional and any attempts to replicate most of them have ended in failure: Colors were off by a slight bit, the pattern didn't flow properly, or the fabric material came out wrong.

Exploiting this, Crimson doesn't sell her fabrics to other business like Filthy Rich, she instead sells them here and has ponies order them. This allows for near-total control of her prices, and no matter what, she always charges the fashionista extra.

Rarity has tried many times to bring this to the police, but has met failure every time. Crimson has a flawless record; no stealing, no vandalism, etc. While the police have searched and questioned Crimson several times for many reports of her extortionist, every search as ended with her being "innocent".

Nopony knows how she does it. Rarity normally wouldn't have surrendered so easily, but she needs Crimson's fabrics for many of the dress orders. She also had given up after the fiftieth time.

Rarity strained a smile as she trotted up to the counter. "Hello, ms. Fabric," Rarity spoke. "You wouldn't happen to have any of this particular fabric in?" Rarity levitated the remaining portion of the bolt and showed it to the extortionist.

Crimson's face became inquisitive as she looked at the fabric, but a confidant smirk quickly formed on her muzzle. "I have a couple bolts in the back room," she said. "Would you like one or two?" She roll her hoof in the air.

"Two please," Rarity said, cringing on the inside as she knew how much this would cost her. Floating the remains of the bolt back into her saddle bag.

Crimson nodded and trotted gleefully into the back room to collect two bolts. Meanwhile, Rarity had pulled out her bit bag and had pulled at least twenty bits out in preparation.

Rarity's face turned pensive as she began thinking about Crimson's treatment of not just her, but everypony that purchased fabrics from her. She never over-charged any ponies that ordered, especially if she knew they were coming from Canterlot or Manehatten.

Crimson keeps it all on the down-low, so as to not affect her business or run any other ponies out of business.

Not customers means no business, no business means no bits.

It made her sick to a degree that she had to prepare - as Clarity would say - a stupid amount of bits.

Rarity sighed on the inside as Crimson came trotting back out and to the counter, a pair of bolts hanging from her mouth by a wire hook the extortionist had made herself.

Crimson set the bolts gingerly on the counter and looked at Rarity, not-so-well hidden glee behind her blue eyes. "That'll be fifteen bits." Rarity's strained smile finally fell into a pensive frown as she levitated fifteen bits onto the counter.

"Thank you so much for your business," Crimson said as she swept Rarity's bits into the cash box, giving the fashionista a smug, "friendly" grin.

Rarity levitated the new bolts into her saddle bag, and - despite how she feels - said her fair wells, "You have a good day, ms. Fabric." Rarity briskly turned and left the shop. The sound of Crimson's cocky snickering filling her ears.

Rarity was clearly ticked off, if her frown and brisk pace was anything to go off of. So much so, that she missed a certain white unicorn watch her trot off.

The unicorn's face was blank, but behind the green eyes was a rage. A pure and unbridled rage.

Author's Note

There's probably a way that the coppers could catch an extortionist like Crimson Fabric, but I don't know the nitty and gritty of how.

My main excuse is that they don't have the super fancy tech we have today.

And the reason why she's still in business is because the little squabbles she's had with customers and the cops already would just be considered local drama and wouldn't make it to national papers, hence why she'd keep business with Canterlot and such legit.

I know that Rarity is a fairly famous business, but this is Post-Nightmare Moon and Pre-Discord. Rarity doesn't have many connections and much fame, whereas Crimson is fairly well known for her exotic fabrics and would have more connections and could run Rarity out of business if she wanted to.