When the Curtain Rises

When the Curtain Rises

Act I

The audience was shocked into silence, watching in horror at the scene unfolding upon the stage as the catwalk above the thespians teetered upon the edge of collapse. Sandbags rained down, hitting the floor of the stage with loud thumps and throwing up clouds of dust, as lights shattered and fizzled above.

Horn blazing brightly as her magic spread outwards trying to catch the debris falling from above, Twilight Sparkle gasped with the effort . “Somepony get them off the stage! I can’t … Hold this…”

*THUNK*

Twilight collapsed as a sandbag fell to strike her in the back of the head; releasing the remainder of the debris she was holding in mid-air and sending it crashing down. A shriek from the stage pierced the panic as Trixie looked up, horror written on her features as the catwalk began to fall.  Trixie’s life flashed before her eyes.

How could this happen…

***

A few weeks prior.

The sun rose over the quiet little town of Ponyville, as it slowly began to buzz to life with the shopkeepers and early morning residents waking to the new day. As the light filtered into Carousel Boutique, Rarity blinked. Morning already? She thought as she yawned, mouth widening for a moment before she turned back to the work at hoof. She adjusted her glasses as she looked at the halfway finished piece of work on the dress mannequin, exasperated. An entire night and I’m nowhere near done with this order! Her magic gripping one of the bolts of cloth sitting next to her, the Fashionista levitated it up to float next to the unfinished piece as she stifled another yawn. This won’t do at all. I really should take a break.

Rarity climbed to her hooves. Feeling her legs protest with the aches and pains of sitting in one spot for the majority of the night, she walked into her kitchen and started to brew a fresh batch of coffee.  A small yawn that, for once, wasn’t hers caused Rarity to turn around and face Sweetie Bell entering the kitchen.

  “Good Morning Sis,” The small filly mumbled as she wandered over to the fridge. “You’re up early.”

Rarity stifled another yawn – they really were infectious! – As she took a seat at the table and waited for the coffee brew. “Well yes darling, I still have so much to do for that big order that simply must go to Canterlot by the end of the week!  Not to mention my client hinted at possibly stopping by on… Tuesday I believe. I simply must have something ready before he gets here!”

Sweetie Bell returned from the fridge, a bottle of milk levitating in mid-air courtesy of her magic. Sitting down with a bowl of cereal, she looked at her sister quizzically. “Um Sis, you realize that today is Tuesday right?”

The bowl rattled, as Rarity slammed her hooves on the table in panic.

“WHHHHAAAAAAT?”

“Today is Tuesday? Today as in today, today? Not tomorrow or the day after?” Rarity’s eyes went wide as she looked at the clock. “Oh Celestia!  He’ll be here in a few hours. I’m not ready!”

Rarity ran from the room into the boutique proper and furiously began to grab bolts of cloth and compare it to the piece on the mannequin. “No… No… Not that one either… Ugh, that one looks simply hideous!”

Sweetie Bell peeked into the room and watched as her sister created a living tornado of colors and cloth in the room. “Sis! Relax a bit, what’s so important about this client of yours that you’re going nuts over? It’s not like Hoity Toity or someone’s coming or you would have mentioned it … Right?”

There was a quiet knock at the door, causing the small hurricane in the shop to come to a complete standstill.

“EEEK! He’s here? Already? But I’m not finished, and my mane is such a wreck! Oh no, oh no, oh no…” Rarity was in a panic as Sweetie Bell opened the door to reveal … Fluttershy.

Sweetie Bell rolled her eyes. “Oh, Hi Fluttershy. What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to go with Rarity for our weekly trip to the spa. Is she here?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“Um… Sis is a bit… Preoccupied at the moment.” A loud crash came from the back of the store as Rarity apparently ripped something apart. “She’s under a deadline and her client is supposed to show up today apparently.”

Fluttershy blinked and walked inside following Sweetie Bell. “Oh my, that’s not good at all. Does she…” Fluttershy’s words trailed off as they entered the next room. The two ponies bore witness to the disaster zone with Rarity in the middle of the room; crying her eyes out in front of the mannequin she grasped in her hooves, as if it were dying in front of her.

“Oh no, Rarity are you alright?” Fluttershy rushed to her friend’s side.

“It’s all OVER! This costume simply will not do! I’ve looked at every color, every fabric, but it just isn’t good enough! I’m RUINED! This is the worst. Possible. Thing!”

Rarity sobbed. Fluttershy looked up at the stunning costume on the mannequin. It was a beautiful dress of fine blue silk, inset with small rubies and amethysts sewn onto the hem. In fact, Fluttershy was convinced that this was one of the most beautiful dresses she’d ever seen.

“But Rarity, this dress looks amazing. It has to be your best work ever—“

“NO!” The Fashionista interrupted.  “It simply won’t do. It’s not good enough, he’ll hate it and then…” There came another knock at the door, causing Rarity to scream and bury her head under a nearby pile of fabric. Fluttershy heard Sweetie Bell answer the door briefly before trotting into the room.

“Sis, you got a telegram from Canterlot! From a mister—” Sweetie Bell was knocked on her rump quite suddenly, as Rarity zoomed over and grabbed the telegram, reading it intently.

“Dear Madam Rarity... Regret to inform you… Reschedule… Unforeseen circumstances… Recasting…” Rarity mumbled before letting out a giant sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia I’m saved! He needed to reschedule!”

“Who needed to reschedule? Rarity what’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, obviously very confused.

“Yeah! “ Sweetie Bell chorused. “You could at least tell us why you went into freaky out mode.”

Rarity plopped down on a nearby cushion, sighing. “Well I do suppose I have some explaining to do. But we may as well tell the others too … It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Fluttershy nodded at this before looking around the aftermath of the fabric tornado that had passed through the boutique, and grimacing. Maybe we should clean up a bit though…”

A few hours later

Twilight, Rarity, and their other friends sat around the table inside Sugarcube Corner, munching on some snacks. Rarity finally cleared her throat, focusing everypony’s attention on the matter at hand. “Thank you all for coming. I have a simply enormous announcement to make, one I’m sure you’ll all be very pleased about.”

All eyes were on Rarity, when Twilight spoke up.

“What is it Rarity? I can only imagine it being something huge if you almost destroyed your shop this morning…”

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie burst out. “You’re normally so neaty wheaty scrubby cleany! Besides, my pinkie sense has been itching all WEEK!”

“Ah can’t see what in tarnation would get your tail in such a bundle,” Chimed Applejack. The ponies all started to chatter before Twilight put a hoof down and shouted above the din.

“GIRLS! Let Rarity speak!” Everypony promptly shut their mouths and turned to Rarity again.

“Well I do appreciate your concern dears, I can guarantee you that this is simply just great opportunity. For everypony here in fact. You see girls, a very, very old friend of mine recently contacted me with a massive order for costumes for his theatre on the West Stable strip in Canterlot.  Well we got to writing correspondence and he offered, generously, a private invitation for me and all you girls to come with me to Canterlot for the big opening of his grand work! He even offered a tour to see how everything works behind stage!”

The ponies all started to chatter excitedly. Everypony except a certain blue Pegasus.

“So THAT’S what this is all about? A play?!? Are you yankin’ my hoof?” Rainbow Dash grumbled.

“What’s wrong with the theatre?” Rarity replied indignantly. “As I recall, you loved playing Commander Hurricane during the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant.”

“That’s completely different! We were in that play, we were stars! But if we only get to watch that means we have to sit in the crowd, probably with a bunch of snooty people. And half the time the play is so BOOORRRING.”

“Rainbow Dash, have you even bothered to even try sitting through a play before?” Twilight spoke up. “Plays are inspiring feats of literary greatness. They tell so many stories that ponies relate to and…”

“My point exactly!” Dash interrupted. “They’re literary whatsit whosits. You may have gotten me to read Daring Doo books, but I won’t sit next to a bunch of rich know-it-alls to watch a bunch of ponies READ a story to me. In case nopony knows, I’ve been able to read since I was a filly!”

“Aww c’mon Dashie!” Pinkie Pie clapped. “It could be a comedy! Or a great adventure story! Or a Comedic adventure! Ooooh! I hope it’s a comedic adventure, that sounds so terrific.”

Applejack frowned. “Ah don’t know, I’m kind of with Dash on this one. Doesn’t sound like something a country gal’ like myself would enjoy. What about you Fluttershy? What’s yer opinion on this nonsense?”

“Um … Well … I’d love to go. The actors get to wear such beautiful costumes. And I don’t mind seeing a good play.”

“Thank you Fluttershy, you’re such a darling.” Rarity smiled at the little Pegasus. “To be honest though girls, I was hoping to convince you to come with me mainly to help with my nerves.”

The other ponies looked at Rarity with curiosity. “You see, this particular stallion… If he likes my work, he might just order ALL his costumes from my boutique which would be a great boon to my business. But… you see… um…”

Rarity’s gave an almost perfect impression of Fluttershy, as she fumbled for the right words. “A long time ago myself and he we were… That is, we …”

Almost everypony was on the edge of their seats, hung on Rarity’s every word as she slowly turned a shade of crimson. “We were, how do you say … Involved.”

Rarity looked like she wanted to become invisible as the words left her mouth. Her friends looked at her, processing the sudden implication.

“Woah, woah, woah! You want us to come to help deal with an old BOYFRIEND?” Dash said, barely containing her laughter.  “THAT’S what got you blowing through your store like tornado?”

Rainbow couldn’t hold it back any longer and started to laugh uncontrollably. Rarity gave her a look of absolute death before, mercifully, Twilight said something.

“Rarity, if you need us to be there we will but … Honestly, an old boyfriend? Isn’t that something you can handle? I mean you have so many stallions after you all the time…”

“This is a completely different matter. You see Upstage and I…”

Applejack blinked. “Now hold on there sugarcube, Upstage? THE Upstage that shared the same class as you in school? The same Upstage that left and never said a thing to anypony?”

“Applejack, you know who he is?” Twilight asked curiously. Applejack looked at Rarity with a look of conflict. Her eyes asking the white unicorn permission.

“You might as well tell them, Darling. They were bound to find out eventually.” Rarity conceded.

“Well ya see girls … Upstage and Rarity were underclassmares o’ mine waaaaay back when we were fillies. But as I recall, Upstage and Rarity ended up getting all close-like after that one big play the school put on for the town… Ah shoot, what was it?”

“A Midsummer Mare’s Dream” Rarity said demurely, her mind flashing back to the time.

“Yeah! That’s the one. Well I graduated a few years ahead of them but they were a big deal in town after ah left. But the day after they graduated…”

“He left. He left without saying a word to anyone or me in the middle of the night.  Nopony ever heard from him ever again, for the longest time. Many of us thought he had DIED. I cried for days, and didn’t really get over it until a few months after he left.”

A tear escaped Rarities eye as her friends rushed to comfort her with a group hug. “I eventually moved on… but a few weeks ago out of the blue he sends to me a letter, asking for my services. And since then my mind hasn’t been… quiet since then.”

“Oh Rarity, I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” Twilight apologized.

“Oh its quite alright dear, it WAS a long time ago. But honestly girls, I just don’t know what I’ll do when I face him. Between my mind simply going mad, and the prospects of him becoming my biggest client ever has absolutely drained any reserves of composure I had.”

“So what did the telegram say? The one you got while we were in your shop I mean…” Fluttershy whispered. With a flash of her horn, Rarity used her magic to pull out the worn telegram card from her saddlebags she had set by the door. She cleared her throat briefly before launching into the telegram.

Dear Madam Rarity,

I regret to inform you that our previous arrangement for my visitation to Carousel Boutique must be rescheduled until a later date. Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of myself or ponykind, my lead actress who’s costume I had commissioned has retired prematurely from my company and thus I must recast her part, as well as a handful of other roles, that have also opened up. My invitation for you and your friends to accompany you to Canterlot, to my play house still stands and be assured that we would welcome you to the best of our ability.

Sincerely Yours,

Sir Upstage Esq., Owner and director of the Canterlot Conservatory of the Arts, and proprietor of Grandsire Theatre.

The ponies looked to each other briefly, letting their minds process the telegram. “Wait, so a bunch of his actors quit? Does it say Why?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah! I mean, if you have to call in a bunch of new people doesn’t that seem suspicious?” Dash said, catching on to Twilight’s idea.

“It does not I’m afraid. I read the Telegraph word for word…” Rarity’s eyes widened for a second before she gasped. “Oh my stars! The costumes! With new staff replacing the old, that means…” Her head crashed to the table. “That means I have to start ALL over!”

“What are ya talkin about sugarcube? Can’t ya just send what ya already got?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded in agreement.

“Yea I mean, they wouldn’t be so picky as to…”

“Oh no…” Fluttershy piped in. “Costumes like the ones Rarity were making require precise measurements of the pony they go to. Especially with some of the dresses with as complicated stitching as the kind she was using.”

“Not to mention it’s stage tradition.” Rarity mumbled.

“Tradition? Tradition Shamission! They should be happy that…” Pinkie piped up.

“Absolutely not Pinkie!” Rarity baulked, shaking her head. “Theatre is a very different world, a different culture. The cliental involved with such a culture are very strict about following their traditions.”

“So what then? You just start from scratch again? How long did it take you the FIRST time?” Dash asked, drawing another sigh from Rarity.

“A month, and then some.”

Everypony in the room went silent as their eyes widened. Twilight spoke up once more. “Rarity how many costumes did Upstage order?” Rarity visibly shrank.

“Fifty five…” She squeaked. Everypony’s jaw dropped.  “Not including the lead Actor, the lead Actress, and their understudies.”

“Now let me get this straight… he ordered close to SIXTY dresses? An expected ya to finish each one in the span of a month? Rarity are ya crazy? Please tell me ya were crazy!” Applejack was practically chomping at the bit. “What in tarnation and Celestia’s sun were ya thinking? For HIM?!”

“Applejack calm down! I’m sure she had a great reason.” Twilight said trying to sooth her angry friend. “Not that she needs a reason. She is a grown mare after all.”

“I appreciate the sentiment Twilight, but I actually do have a good reason. Several in fact.” Rarity pulled two objects from her saddlebags, one being an envelope and the other being a small velvet bag. “These were sent along with his original request.”  She opened the envelope to show a slightly weathered newspaper article.

“This is a article from the Canterlot Times. The conservatory was featured for its outreach to colts and filly programs. Along with their contributions to assisting local families of said children to stay in the conservatory, free of charge as long as the child stays in the program.”

This brought an impressed look from the mares at the table, as Rarity continued. “However the article goes into how the theatre hasn’t been pulling in enough bits, the conservatory is on the threat of being closed down and everyone would be kicked to the streets!”

Twilight shook her mane. “That’s terrible Rarity, but I don’t see how taking on an order of that magnitude would relate.”

“The last hope for this program is in this upcoming performance. If this performance goes well, the theater can settle its debts and everything should be fine.”

There were a few mutters from the ponies, as the wheels turned in their heads.

“Well that explains a few things. But why does it have to be you? Couldn’t they… I don’t know…Spread the orders a’ round? Don’t make no sense to make one pony do all the work.”  The others nodded, and Rarity’s magic gripped the small bag.

“While it does seem unusual, the reason has to do with this.” The bag opened and a large gem slowly floated out of it, it was a magnificent emerald sphere, glinting in the sunlight filtering in the window. The ponies’ gasps were loud, as the precious gem was lowered onto the table, the baseball-sized prize set down on the bag. “This gem was part of the conservatory archway for many years, it was – is – their treasure. Easily worth my entire shop.”

Everypony’s eye was drawn to the huge gem, the light glinting off its smooth surface.

“Wowie zowie, its HUGE.” Pinkie managed to squeak. “Soooooo shiny…”

“But Rarity, if they’re paying you like this couldn’t they afford to pay a bunch of ponies to work on these dresses? Or better yet, pay the debts?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes breaking away from the sphere of magnificence.

“Well the thing is darling, there’s only ONE of these that was in the entire theater. You can’t sell the bank its own property, of course. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in such a predicament.”

“But isn’t this like… Grossly overpaying you for those dresses?” Twilight interrupted, “I mean you just said it was worth more than your entire shop. Isn’t this a bit much?”

“Well dear that brings me to the other part of the arrangement. You see, when I said he was going to be an enormous client, it was guaranteed. This gem guarantees that he can place orders with me, and I’ll make as many costumes he needs until the balance is settled.  It’s like a tab, but I’ll be paying in fabulous costumes instead of the immense amount of bits this is worth.”

Everypony nodded, following along. “Now that you girls know though, I need to ask again for this favor. Can you girls come with me to Canterlot and help me? Emotionally I mean… It’s just so much to take on, and the idea of having to start from scratch.” Rarity’s eye twitched a bit, “It just makes me want to go… Oh what’s the term? Want to go absolutely bucking insane.”

Rarity blushed a bit as the profanity escaped her lips, causing a stunned silence in the room before Rainbow Dash started to laugh.

“Oh my gosh, I’d thought I’d ever see the day where Rarity swears.” She said through gritted teeth as she tried to contain her laughter. The others started to laugh a bit as well, leaving a very confused Rarity in the room.

“Excuse me? Did I miss something?”

“No Rarity,” Twilight said, smirking a bit. “You didn’t miss anything. It’s just out of character for you to be so… Blunt.” The others slowly contained their laughter, Rainbow Dash ending it with one last final snicker. “But Rarity, in all seriousness of course we’ll help you. That’s what friends do.” The others nodded, causing the white unicorn to smile, her eyes tearing with emotion.

“Oh thank you Darlings! You have no idea what this means to me.”

“So when are we leaving? I wanna’ get this done as soon as possible.” Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack nodded. “Ah agree, let’s get this sorted and leave this all behind us.”

“We can leave day after tomorrow girls. Can you all get things sorted out before then?” Rarity asked, wiping her eyes.

“Count on it!” They said in unison.

Authors Note

Well here it is, my first major fic that I've written. I hope you all like it because it was a NIGHTMARE to format. Some days i wish Microsoft word would just play nice with others and copy and paste formats.