Rarity, a unicorn with a taste for fashion. She has a keen eye for design and spends most of her time in her room making designs or sewing dresses together. Although to look fabulous, one must have the funds to purchase it.

"Oh good heavens!" Rarity gasped, "I'm all out of diamond dust silk cloth! Oh, I didn't think I'd ever go through this so quickly! Why does this have to be so expensive? I have to have this dress ready by tomorrow night!" Rarity began to panic for tonight was The opening night of, Soldiers of the Farlands: An Equestrian Love Tragedy, and rarity was in charge of costume design. Normally, forty minutes would be more than enough time to craft a hat of any style, but this was different. The show is set to be performed in Canterlot. Many ponies of high esteem would certainly be attending. Impressions were everything.

"This design is simply horrid! I cannot use this... thing, for such a grand occasion." Rarity lifted up at the unfinished prototype of the hat she was currently working on. Anypony would agree that this was, by far, the worst thing she's ever made. The colors were clashing, the hat was bulky, and the materials were too dull for Canterlot ponies to appreciate,

Rarity looked at the clock on the wall, "But there's simply not enough time to start on a new design. There's no way I can show my face tonight when everyone will know that I have failed. Maybe I'll just go into hiding instead of being the laughing stock of Canterlot! But first, I have to destroy this abomination which I created! The world will thank me for that much at least." As Rarity was about to tear the hat to shreds with her magic, she was distracted by a loud scream followed by a crash at the door. It was as if somepony charged head long into it at full speed.

"What in Equestria could that have been?!" Rarity jumped, nearly having a heart attack. She slowly approached the boutique door. Her mind was racing. Could it be the infamous fashion police? Were they going to beat her with their fabulous batons for her crimes against fashion? Rarity cautiously opened the door only to be shocked by the presence of, not an officer of the law, but instead a creature that stood with a very bulky getup. It looked very uncomfortable, yet somehow safe. The creature wore a tricorne with a small gold treasure chest on top and a pair of white shutter shades. It also had a frying pan clenched in its claws and a shield attached to its arm.

"H-hello?" Rarity greeted, carefully scanning the creature in front of her.

"I hope I didn't scare ya with my face-to-face, pan face!"

"What an interesting taste in style you have." Rarity said uncomfortably.

"Aye, thanks!" The creature replied.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Demopan?"

"I see..." Rarity was confused. What is this strange thing standing at her door? Where did it come from? What did it want?

Demopan presented to Rarity, a tall, bright red hat with a short brim and said, "stout shako! For two refined!"

Rarity's eyes immediately locked on to the hat, "Oh my..." Rarity knew that this was exactly what she needed. It would represent the height of military fashion. She had to have it, no matter the cost.

"Oi! I can't hold 'em off fer long here!" Demopan tapped his foot impatiently.

"What would you like for that marvelous hat?" Rarity asked.

"Two refined." Demopan repeated.

"Wait right there, I'll be back shortly." Rarity rushed into her room. She had no idea what a refined was, but she knew that she needed something to pay Demopan with. She began throwing things everywhere in a desperate search to find something, anything, of potential value. She eventually found two diamonds that she had been saving for another project, but if it meant saving herself from humility tonight, it'd be worth losing them. She grabbed the gems and ran back down the stairs, Demopan was still standing at the doorway.

Rarity presented the diamonds to Demopan. He gave them a quick glance and smirked, "Hah! No."

Rarity panicked and pulled a bar of gold from a nearby shelf with her magic.

"No! Yer makin' me very cross!" Demopan yelled. Time was running out, Rarity needed that hat, now!

Rarity snatched the hat out of Demopan's cast iron grip and shouted,

"Mine!" She said, slamming the door on his face.

Demopan stood at the doorway clenching his teeth.

"Ya bleedin' idiot!" Demopan shouted as he charged into the door, knocking it off its hinges, "oh I don't think ye saw that one comin'!" Demopan began scanning the room but couldn't see any sign of the unicorn through the dust cloud he kicked up from knocking down the door. "It's on! It's on like-" Demopan was interrupted by the broken door. It sent Demopan flying into several mannequins.

"I am terribly sorry, but I need this hat more than anything and I do not have the time for your silly little business." Rarity huffed, the mess in her shop was the least of her concerns.

"Oh that's smarts." Demopan grunted as he heaved the heavy door off of him.

Rarity began casting bolts of her light blue magic towards the crazed hat seller. Demopan lifted his pan high above his head and with great swiftness, deflected the magic back at Rarity.

"What!?" Before she could process what had just happened, Rarity felt herself tumbling through the air. She hit the ground with a sickening thud. The spell that she casted was very powerful, rarity found herself unable to stand and one of eyes was swollen shut. However, using her good eye, she looked up to see Demopan standing above her with a wicked grin.

"Oh, I'm going to beat ya so hard, you'll have a twitch!" Demopan brought his pan down on Rarity's skull, hard. Bang! Bang! The sound of cast iron breaking bones was nauseating. It only took a few swings before the white unicorn's movements turned from a struggle, to uncontrollable spasms. Demopan picked up the stout shako and looked at the lifeless pony,

"An' that's whatcha get fer touchin' that!"

Author's Note

I feel like I've lost my edge. I don't know how this will look to you guys. Frankly, I'm just happy to be able to update SOMETHING. I've had this thing written in a journal for about four months, but finally decided to type it up today. Talk about being lazy... Oh well.