Rise of Ruinous

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: RISE OF RUINOUS

Chapter 18 - Picture THIS!

The time: Two months after the defeat of Toxion.

Photo Finish hums as she walks through Canterlot.  She walks by two female ponies having a snack at a café.

Pony 1 - aqua with hot orange hair: Boy, Fluttershy really gave that Toxion what for, didn't she?

P.Finish: Hmm?

Pony 2 - hot orange with aqua hair: I know, wasn't she fantastic!

Pony 1: And her armor!  It's said that her heart must beat with the Heart of Equestria.

P.Finish: Flootershy?!  She did ZAT?!

Pony 2: You haven't heard?!  Fluttershy almost completely took out this ugly Toxion freak that was destroying everything.

P.Finish: Flootershy..... I MUST go see her!  I go!

Photo Finish jets off to Ponyville.

*INTRO SEQUENCE*

Rarity hums as she puts together a dress.  She hears the bell ring, indicating the opening of her front door, and heads to the front room.

Rarity: Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!

Rarity gasps as she spots the last pony she expected to see, Photo Finish!

P.Finish: Vere is Flootershy?

Rarity: Why, need her to help you make... THE MAGICKS again?  Wanna help HER shine all over Equestria?

P.Finish: I vas not prepared for such a rebootal from you, Rarity.  Nevertheless, I MUST talk to Flootershy about her achievement.

Rarity: Are you talking about her beating Toxion?  *smirk*  So you FINALLY got out from behind your camera long enough to read up on the world?

P.Finish: Rarity, please, I told you before, I thought your clothes vere too frilly and sparkly for a serious photo shoot.  Flootershy pulled zat dress you had her vear off masterfully.

Rarity: Zip it!  You should know that your line of work involves TWO elements, the model AND the clothes.  Without the model, even the best clothes would just be a crumpled mess on the floor, but without the CLOTHES, your PER-FECT MODEL would be standing there naked!  HUMPH!

Rarity stomps back upstairs to her studio, slamming the door just as Fluttershy walked in.

Fluttershy: Did I come at a bad time?  *gasp*  Photo Finish?

P.Finish: FLOOTERSHY!

Photo Finish dashes to the yellow pegasus.

P.Finish: Are you OK?

Fluttershy: We won the fight against Toxion, why WOULDN'T I be OK?

P.Finish: I just heard it vas a terrible trial and, oh, I'm just glad you made it.

Fluttershy: Well, I saw how Toxion was hurting my friends and it set me off.  How he was polluting the forest and all the things that lived in it, that REALLY got me upset, and according to Twilight Sparkle and the princesses, it lead to me being attuned with the Heart of Equestria.

P.Finish: Zis is AMAZING!  Flootershy, vould you PLEASE allow me to make a special issue about you?  Your heroism is an inspiration to all ponies!

Fluttershy: Well, sure, if you would like.

P.Finish: Aw, Flootershy, sank you, SANK YOU!

Rarity sighs as she listens in on Fluttershy and Photo Finish's conversation.  She heads to her dress and finishes it.

Rarity: Aw, well, it's just for one issue, right, Opal?

Opalescense, Rarity's cat, meows curiously at her master.  Later that day, Fluttershy is getting readied for a photo shoot in the area of the Everfree Forest where the battle against Toxion occurred.  Photo Finish looks over a few outfits for her to wear.

Fluttershy: Are you SURE the outfit is necessary, Photo Finish?

P.Finish: Mmm, jah.  I need you to be in ZUMthing UTHER zan your naturale beauty, I DO hav a FASHION magazine, you know.

Fluttershy nods, understanding as in flies Nightmare Moon.  Fluttershy smiles at the black alicorn as she descends.

N.Moon: Heya, Fluttershy.  *poink!*  Is that?

P.Finish: Are you?!

Fluttershy: Nightmare Moon, this is Photo Finish.  Photo Finish, this is Nightmare Moon.

N.Moon: Ah, Rarity told me about you.

P.Finish: Rarity?

N.Moon: Ya know, white unicorn, purple hair, three diamonds as a cutie mark, fashionista, maker of beautiful dresses?

P.Finish: *head cock* Hmm, you left out overly jealous pony and owner of a somevhat snappy temper.

Nightmare Moon and Fluttershy exchange increduolous glances.

Fluttershy: THAT doesn't sound like the Rarity I know.

P.Finish: I dropped by zee Carousel Boutique to see if Rarity knew vere Flootershy vas.  She about ripped my head off!

N.Moon: Huh..... Let ME see if I can talk to her, OK?

P.Finish: VOULD you?

N.Moon: *nod* Yeah.

Nightmare Moon flies to the Carousel Boutique as Fluttershy is fitted for several outfits for the interview.  The black mare touches down outside and raps on the front door with her front right hoof.

N.Moon: *knock-knock-knock*  Rarity?  Can I come in?

Rarity: It's unlocked, Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon blinks as she notices how downtrodden Rarity sounded.  The alicorn heads into the store and looks around the ground floor, then she noticed the door to Rarity's room shut.  Worried, the Mare in the Moon ascends the stairs and heads into Rarity's room, gasping as she saw the fashionista wearing a black cloak and hood.

N.Moon: What in the wide world of Equestria are you wearing?

Rarity: *sigh*  I know, not my most flattering ensemble, huh?

N.Moon: I just noticed Photo Finish *Hearing Photo Finish's name makes Rarity cringe a bit* and Fluttershy setting up in the forest where we fought Toxion.  Is something the matter, Rarity?

Rarity sighs.

Rarity: This isn't the first time Photo Finish came here.  She commented on my hat and wanted to do a photo shoot with some of my clothes.  When she arrived to do the photo shoot, she thought my clothes were too flashy and she wanted Fluttershy to model other ponies' clothes.  She basically kicked me to the curb!

N.Moon: Too flashy?  I happen to know for a fact that those dresses you made for the Grand Galloping Gala were amazing!  You nailed everypony's personality spot-on, even me!

Rarity: Photo Finish said she wanted Fluttershy to wear clothes inspired by nature.

N.Moon: Well then!  I think WE oughta give Photo Finish a show she'll NEVER forget!  She wants "THE MAGICKS", WE... will give her... the sorcery!

Rarity: We?

Nightmare Moon nodded, then took off for her quarters.  Later that day, Fluttershy's interview was conducted without a hitch, the photographer packing up to leave.

P.Finish: You sure you don't vant a job?

Fluttershy: I am, Photo Finish.  Thank you for inviting me to this, but I don't want to have to deal with that stress again.

P.Finish: I get it.  It's not for everyvone.

Just then, the sun seemed to turn off, making Fluttershy gasp in shock!

P.Finish: Vat... has just happened?

Fluttershy gasps as the sun seemed to throw a single beam of light - right down on Rainbow Dash as she wears her Grand Galloping Gala dress!  Photo Finish sets her camera back up and shoots several pictures.  She did the same thing with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Virtuna, Pitstop, Zecora, Corinne, even Nightmare Moon!

P.Finish: Zis is brilliant, BRILLIANT!  Now THIS is ZEE MAGICKS!!!

Fluttershy giggles a bit, then.....

?????: NOW you like my clothes, eh, Photo Finish?

P.Finish: Vaaaaaaaaat?!

Wearing her Grand Galloping Gala dress and a smirk was Rarity as she strides up to the dumbstruck photographer.  The sun shone again in its full glory, Princess Celestia winking at Nightmare Moon and flying back to Canterlot.

N.Moon: Now, Photo Finish, I THINK you owe me a SLIGHT explanation - as in why you didn't tell me that you overlooked Rarity completely the last time you were here, as in why you left her feeling so rejected she sewed up this Grim Reaper pony cloak, and why you were oblivious to the fact that her pretty eyes were turning green.

P.Finish: I didn't sink her clothes vere vhat I was looking for, or my readers.  Zee readers of my magazine vant somesing simple, something zat brings out zee naturale beauty of zee pony vearing it.

Rarity: WHY oh, WHY!, didn't'cha say so SOONER, Photo Finish?  YOU saw Fluttershy's dress at the Grand Galloping Gala, I could've easily made another lickety-split!

T.Sparkle: I saw Rarity after you sent her away.  She was so sad.

P.Finish: Jah, vell, a funny sing happened between zen and now: My readers' interests shifted.

Fluttershy: Shifted how?

P.Finish: Zose clothes I had you in zee last time I vas here in Ponyville vere around the same level of glamour as zee clothes Rarity made for zee vedding.  Vonce my readers found out zee gala dresses vere ALSO made by Rarity, everyvone started asking me to take pictures of HER fashions.  Not only zat, zee models for my shoots started showing up in Rarity's dresses.  *sighs as she looks at Rarity*  I am so sorry, Rarity.  I should've realized zat you had zee magicks in zee first place.

Rarity: Well, everypony makes mistakes.  Some just do a better job *She hugs Nightmare Moon and Trixie to her side-by-side* learning from them.

P.Finish: Do you mind if I take pictures of your clothing every so often?

Rarity: Only on one condition: *She looks around* That my friends are wearing them.

P.Finish: *smile* I vas hopinq you'd say zat.

Later that day, everypony is gathered at the Carousel Boutique for an impromptu photo shoot for Photo Finish's magazine.

P.Finish: *This letter is a voice-over to Photo Finish taking snapshots of every pony wearing Rarity's clothing*

Dear Princess Celestia,

Sometimes ven you meet a pony for zee first time, you may vind up vith an impression zat is inaccurate.  Zee key to discoverinq vhat kind of pony somevone iz iz an ability to see past such things and look at all zee facts, even vhen zay speak for zemselves.

Your faithful subject,

Photo Finish

Spike sends the letter and an advanced copy of the Elements of Harmony Special Issue of Photo Finish's magazine to Princess Celestia.  The white alicorn murrs as she looks through it.

P.Celestia: Nightmare Moon, you've done it again.

As Princess Celestia reads on, Discord keeps an eye on the skies for Ruinous' next henchpony, Fryght.  Princess Luna looks at the draconequus as he scans the skies.

P.Luna: Looking for the fear pony, eh?

Discord: Yeah.....  Ruinous may be laying low after what Fluttershy did to Toxion.  I told you that Toxion was weak against Fluttershy's Element of Harmony, my guess is Ruinous underestimated HOW weak.

P.Luna: OR Ruinous underestimated how angry Fluttershy would get at the destruction of the Everfree Forest and the harming of the wildlife Toxion did.

Discord: OR Ruinous underestimated how much of a fighter Fluttershy was.

P.Luna: A trio of considerable possibilities, and the next one is weakened by Laughter.  I am unsure about Pinkie Pie's fighting ability.

Discord: *nod* Indeed.

Princess Luna trots up to Discord as he yawns.

P.Luna: *taps Discord's leg with her tail* Tag, I'm in, you get some rest.

Discord: *hugs Princess Luna* Thanks, you.

Discord leaves Princess Luna to scan for Fryght, heading to his chambers to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED