Bejeweled

The morning did not wait, it came as accurate as usual, even earlier perhaps. The smith let her friend have the bed for the night, since Rarity had a higher standard for such things. Yet still, the seamstress could not sleep, she was anxious about what was to come. She stood by the window, watching as the Sun rose higher and higher in the sky. A tiny yawn followed by a relieved moan interrupted her thoughts from behind.

Agate was sleeping on the sofa with her thicker, winter blanket covering her and a spare pillow she embraced thigh like a lover. She slept as if she wouldn't even care about the contest at all, but naturally that wasn't true.

Rarity gazed over to the clock that told her that eight o'clock was just around the corner. Five hours only until the contest, five very short hours. Yet, despite all that, she didn't have the heart to wake her up, the unicorn was just so adorable and peaceful slumbering there. All this just reminded Rarity how little sleep she got the whole night, as she couldn't help but yawn behind the cover of her left hoof.

It was too late for that now, even if she wanted to she couldn't fall asleep. Best thing she could do for now is to get to the bathroom and set her mane. She felt it being all over the place but she could only guess how crazy it might look. The seamstress didn't hesitate, she charged up her horn and opened the door in complete silence, sneaking out of the room afterwards.

Closing the door behind herself, she headed to the location she already knew well. A look in the mirror just confirmed her suspicions. That hairdo was one she couldn't come up with in her wildest dreams... and it certainly looked like she had wild dreams. First thing first, though, she wet her hooves and rid the corner of her eyes from the gross yellow thingy she had no clue what it was called. She despised having those there, so much she didn't even bother getting to know their name.

That being done she gazed over to the little shelf by the side that held all the magical things she needed to get herself going. Of course, this was Agate's bathroom we were talking about, and Rarity was quickly reminded to that. A toothbrush, toothpaste, a manebrush and dryer was all it contained, it was beyond basic for the seamstress. By sheer luck that brush had a fully rounded end, something crucial in giving her mane and tail those signature curls.

She took the dry blower and the brush, then took a part of her nest. She straightened it with the brush first, then twisted it around its surface and blew it with the drier up close to have the curls fix themselves. This kind of improvisation was not new to her, but it was the best method to achieve those curls without mane spray.

Then the door opened, frightening her a tiny bit. Agate had the same routine as her it seemed: Get up, go to the bathroom.

"Morning, Rares!" she said with a yawn. Her mane was quite the mess as well.

"Good morning, Aggy." Rarity replied, continuing setting her tail after taking a step back from the basin.

Agate also washed her face, with cold water to really help her wake her up. Unlike Rarity, though, she needed no mirrors or brushes even to get set in the morning. She shook her head a couple times and stroke her right limb along it to make a makeshift manestyle, she could do the other parts later.

Time passed like a maniac, and after setting themselves, having a good breakfast and some last recite of all those things Agate learned, the girls heard the bell tower's loud melody echoing through the streets. It was the dreaded sign of twelve o' clock.

"All right then, we have just an hour left." Rarity told the mustard one, standing up from the bed she was lying on. Agate put the books she balanced on her head down, she pretty much mastered the balancing when it came to three or less books.

"Yeah, we should start getting set." she replied after placing the last one back where it belonged. They had to be prim and proper when going to the contest, even her.

"I already am set, what about you?" Rarity teased her, the smith's mane was still a complete mess. Though it needed no wash, for that was taken care of yesterday, it could use plenty of brushing at the least.

"Okay, okay, I'm out." Agate calmed her, turning around and rushing down to the bathroom. She really was in a hurry, grabbing the brush with a swift move and stroking it along her mane soon she opened the door. She brushed the bigger, darker area first, only picking the lighter side after the two colors were completely divided from each other. Then she repeated the same with her tail. Agate took her time here, making sure no wild hair sticks out from its place.

Just five minutes, but the door to her bedroom opened with such force Rarity shrieked for a second out of shock.

"Hey Rares, I'm..."

Rarity was not the only one who froze from the fright, for what Agate saw was completely new and weird to her, something she couldn't imagine about the seamstress before.

"Are those... eyelashes?" she asked. Rarity was levitating a little mirror and what looked like false eyelashes that apparently were to make them look much bigger. It was easy to compare, as the other one was already put on.

"Please tell nopony." Rarity whispered, the fear stalking in her eyes and voice. It was a secret she clearly didn't want anypony to know about, other than her friends.

"I won't, don't worry." Agate replied, but that was not enough. It was obvious she didn't know how much was at stake, as such Rarity had to made sure she understands the importance of this.

"You won't?" the tailor asked back taking a great step closer to her partner, almost in an intimidating manner.

"No, trust me, my lips are sealed." sounded the answer, though it was still quite uncomfortable for Agate.

"Absolutely positively and completely?"

"I promise. Just trust me, alright?"

Rarity stepped back to give the smith some room as she sighed up "Fine, fine."

Now that this was settled she can put on that other part already. It was not a one-second process though, she had to make sure they won't fall off easily like last time. She was smiling again, and it was sweet as honey. Then something clicked in her mind that made her turn to Agate once more.

"Oh, could you grab the confirmation letter we received in the beginning while I'm at this? I can't remember the location but it must be in there." she said, trying to put on her eyelashes in the meanwhile.

That made Agate scratch her jaw a bit, where did she put that thing exactly? She couldn't tell, but it was most likely around her desk. As such, the smith strolled over to her wooden furniture just by the wall on her left. It had many drawers, it must have been there.

She mumbled some gibberish as she opened the one on the top. Old photo collections in leather books and unnamed folders with contents better left untouched were welcoming her, but the paper was nowhere to be found. The next shelf was completely different however, it was filled with papers with all kinds of drawings and writings in it. Atop those however laid a couple of colorful... "safety measurements" just in case. Agate was quick to shut it, Rarity must not know about those things.

"Found it yet?" Rarity shouted, but she didn't take her eye off her reflection in the mirror. It had to be perfect, and she took multiple careful looks at herself from all sides.

"It should be here." Agate moaned in despair as she looked into the next one. It was filled with drawing tools, waterpaint, brushes, a pencil case, scales, these sort of things... but not the letter she was looking for.

"Well?" Rarity asked from behind her, sending a sudden chill down her spine. The ebony mistress was shaking to the bone now, she knew what was to come if she doesn't cough up that letter very soon.

"I think I put it somewhere here but, uh, I'm not really sure." she tried to explain, looking next to and behind the desk in case if the letter fell down there.

"You're just joking, right? Please be joking." the ivory one responded, falling into madness in a blink of an eye. The mustard one, however, was not joking.

"Agate we have to find that paper, are you sure you've checked everywhere?" she asked, her volume just rising out of panic. No way they could find out where it is, for Canterlot was not the city where they put huge billboards on houses and advertisements on lamp poles.

"It's here, I'm sure let me check it somewhere else." the frustrated unicorn replied, heading towards her nightstand just next to the bed "You can help searching if you want." she suggested as a little hint for the seamstress to stop standing and doing nothing. As such, Rarity also joined the search, and since the desk was just next to her, she decided to start there, from top to bottom.

The first shelf's contents came out with ease, her horn charged up with her signature blue glow as she levitated the leather books with the "Photos" title on it, then another one, then a couple green folders with black lines. They had no names, so anything could have been in there, but considering the nature of folders, it might just be serious business documents regarding the workshop. She did not take chances, just laid them side by side on the top of the desk.

Agate heard the sounds of the drawers being pulled out, and her ears perked up in panic.

"Wait don't-"

It was all too late now, Rarity already opened the second one. Her pupils shrunk, and her face turned red at the contents, and she smashed the drawer back soon her mind processed what were inside.

"I'll just pretend I didn't see that." Rarity noted, turning away with her eyes shut. It was partially her fault as well, she just dug into the unknown without asking what might be inside. This little find didn't change her views on the smith regardless, she already knew well that she is a sassy little devil.

"Argh, it's not here either." Agate groaned, with her head hanging in resent as she shut the drawer of the nightstand. It was time to face it, she lost it.

"Great, truly wonderful." Rarity replied with a roar. Just before the finish line Agate tripped both of them, she should have seen it coming.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." the ebony mistress attempted to calm her. Of course, she always had some sort of makeshift backup plan but both of them knew that those were as reliable as they sounded like.

"Oh, I wonder what it might be this time." Rarity responded with screaming sarcasm, almost shouting back at the unicorn. She was outright furious, and she had good reasons.

"Don't worry, we can just go and ask around, right? Pretty sure somepony knows about it." Agate explained with an awkward grin. The contest was advertised in the newspapers some time ago, it sounded like a reasonable plan.

"Magnificent idea! Let's just ask around aimlessly if we can find somepony to help us out, in a thousand population city!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Never once she was this mad, it was downright terrifying to see her wrath in its fullest. But as all stars, after reaching the critical point she collapsed upon herself emotionally. Her throat allowed a painful sigh to escape, as the seamstress mumbled a few last words.

"We're done for."

Agate thought otherwise, however, her horn engulfed itself in an amethyst tint as she reached for the handle of the cart.

"No we aren't. Stay here if you want, I won't." she said in a frustrated tone, pulling the cart with the dress out of the room. The ivory unicorn just stared at her partner leaving without even looking back once. She listened to her taking the stairs step by step, then after several seconds later, opening the front door.

'She's right, we can't give up here, quick, go after her, hurry!' she blabbered in her mind, running after the mare.

The door was closing, which made her run even faster. She almost tripped, risking falling down the stairs and causing some serious injuries but this didn't even come up in her mind as she galloped through the house.

"Wait!" she shouted, holding the door with a hoof before Agate's magic could close it completely.

"So you're coming, now?" Agate asked in a serious and cold tone, turning back over her brown saddlebags she wore.

"Yes, we started this together, so we're going to finish it together," Rarity replied with confidence. Agate's plan may sound stupid but she had to keep the friendship burning for just a bit longer "just let me get my wallet first as well."

The two of them strolled around town without aim but it didn't take too long for Agate to find somepony to ask. He had a slender build, a light blue coat and white mane to it. However, most importantly, he had a bowtie as a cutie mark. It was a great way to tell if somepony was related to fashion.

"Excuse me, we heard there'll be a fashion competition here." the smith asked.

"Oh, um, sorry, I can't help, I'm not from Canterlot." he replied.

"Alright." Agate said, as her eyes already targeted somepony else, a rather chubby mare with tan coat, a short, chestnut colored mane and a cutie mark or a wavy, pink thread. She wasn't alone, though, a blonde stallion followed her with a smaller, closed cart attached to him used to carry around small amount of things instead of ponies. Judging by its golden and silver adornments and the painted wood it sure was luxurious, yet she sure wasn't from Canterlot either.

"Excuse me, madam." Agate approached her with Rarity closely behind "We heard of a competition going on here but we are not sure exactly where, mind you lend us a helping hoof?"

The mare's eyes glinted in delight, it was a sign of hope, a solution to end this misery.

"Yes, the competizion, I myself was heading to its locazion as well, come let me show you." she said in a strange, foreign accent similar of what Lotus and Aloe had. Her voice was deep and classy, it was a pleasure to listen to, which made Rarity more outgoing towards her as well.

"Thank you very much, Miss-"

"Mrs. De'Sine, and you're very welcome." she responded with a gentle chuckle afterwards. Rarity wiped a sweat from her forehead and let a relieved exhale out her mouth. Things were seemingly returning into their control again.

Few minutes later the three mares turned onto the Starlight Street, which was both famous for its breathtaking views of Equestria... and notorious for its steep uphill paths. Like a serpentine path on a mountain did the road lead upwards in a stretched out S-shape. Rarity have seen this on brochures and postcards but never got to visit it herself. On top of the hill was the Observatory, a square of a circle shape that was home to the most expensive houses, hotels and restaurants in the city, as well as many benches around its steel fences. However, the place's most famous sight was what it got its name from: The Museum of Stars.

Halfway upwards, but De'Sine was already suffering.

"Could we take a break, please?" she asked, leaning on the concrete wall to her right with a hoof. Only then she looked to the left side, but she instantly regretted it. Past the roofs were an enormous landscape and clouds so low it looked like they could collide with the city if they come any closer. De'Sine's fear was all over her mind and body.

"How can you canterlotians even live here, I can't understand." she blabbered, shaking, sweating and shivering.

"Need any help?" Rarity asked after taking a step closer.

"No, no I'm fine, just a bit of fear from heights," the earth pony replied with a tiny, awkward giggle, eyes closed so she won't have to see the frightening landscape again "let's continue, before I get sicker." she added, moving on. The sooner they got over this the better.

Soon they took the first hairpin De'Sine rushed to the other side of the road. The concrete wall there made her feel much safer than the fence on the other side. Things were going smooth from that point, no more stops were needed to get to the top. Despite that, all of them took a couple minutes of rest up there. The earth pony looked strictly forwards, she knew well what was behind her, however Agate and Rarity didn't hesitate to rest their eyes on the wonderful view of Equestria, just for a couple long seconds.

It wasn't anything like in the brochures, the fresh air of the mountain, the sounds of the gentle wind playing in her ears and the lively environment, it was spectacular.

"Alright. Let's continue." the earth pony spoke up in a determined, uprising voice, taking the lead once more.

Just a couple more minutes passed, but the designers reached the destination at last, the Golden Theatre. It wasn't named that for no reason, it's roof was perfectly smooth and shiny, tinted with a golden color. It was one of the oldest attractions in Canterlot, yet its beauty remained intact to this day. Some say the roof is real gold, others think it was just a hoax to trick other cities. In front of its pale yellow walls and wooden door, an earth pony stood with a small list in one of her hooves. She had a white coat and a beige mane she wore in a bun, but what really stood out was her business outfit. She must have been a hostess.

"Good afternoon, we came here for the contest." De'Sine greeted her, getting to the point.

"Your names, please?" she asked, her voice was serious and cold, it fit well with her appearance.

"I'm De'Sine, and my friends here-"

"Rarity and Agate." Rarity added, filling in the missing parts. The janitor nodded and took a peek at her paper, then back to them, then back to the paper. It seemed to last forever, the eerie tension was unbearable, especially for Rarity.

"Your signatures under your pictures, please." she added, turning the hard cover of the list, revealing its contents. Names and pictures were printed on it, every contestant duo receiving a row from the two columns. De'Sine picked up the pen that was clipped on the top of the list and wrote her name next to her picture. Then Rarity and Agate repeated her, signing the paper with the help of their magic, their slots being the bottom two on the list.

"Thank you, a fellow hostess will guide you to your rooms." the hostess continued, opening the door for them. Before they entered, however, De'Sine had a few words with the stallion who helped her out, opening the cart and taking out a reticule and a big box. Agate and Rarity however didn't pay too much attention, they headed inside instead.

"Okay, Tasky, the colors are right, just add a bit more." said a slender, light blue colored stallion with a ponytail of dark blue, and thick glasses. He was talking to a hostess on a ladder who was decorating the entrance halls with ribbons of all colors. The hall was a smaller lobby, with the checkroom being just up ahead, while two doors to the two sides served as a way to enter the theatre itself. His head snapped towards the third door soon it opened behind him.

"New guests! New guests!" he shouted to the left then right until another mare in a uniform popped out from behind the entrance on the right side. He grabbed her shoulders and flustered a load of orders at her.

"Great, Checky, sweetheart, could you lead our newcomers to their rooms, okay, thanks honey?"

Then, like a pawn in a chess match, he tossed her aside towards Rarity and returned to give orders to the other mare atop the ladder "No, not red, put a green one there to make it fit the plant."

"Welcome, let me show you your rooms," she greeted them with a smile, her voice was much friendlier than the janitor's outside. Her coat was light purple, and she wore her blue mane in a ponytail as well, "right this way." she added, escorting them just where she was coming from.

"So, we get to dress up, get set and all that, then just walk back and forth once and done?" Agate asked, staring at the enormous stage and the tons of seats around it capable to house hundreds of ponies.

"Not quite." Rarity replied with slight awkwardness "We're going to make several rehearsals beforehand." she added. The seamstress had her fair share of experience when it came to fashion shows, for she usually made her own ones for her own collections. However, none of them were as high of a caliber than this one.

As they approached the lower right corner of the wooden stage, next to the stairs that lead up to it were a secret door. It lead to smaller corridor with black-white checkered tiles, white walls and many doors at its left and right side. It looked way too simplistic, like an entirely different building, not to mention the air being stuck inside, there was no windows whatsoever to let in fresh one. Kind of an anticlimactic sight after seeing such a beautiful interior, but as usually, it was just a simple mask.

Their guide stopped them by the second door on the right, then gave Rarity a key. It was a single key on a chain along with a small, oval shaped blue label. The numbers on the area were written with marker, but they faded away, only fragments of the ink were seen on the sides.

"This will be your room, the first meeting will be in fifteen minutes on the stage." the hostess explained, then opened the locked door and left with De'Sine.

The dressing room was relatively small, it had one enormous mirror with two lights just above, two chairs with pillows, a tiny plant, and a shelf filled with all kinds of gels, sprays, polish and other cosmetic products. Rarity's eyes glinted with delight soon she noticed it, it was just the thing she needed to become as perfect as she could be.

Time passed by faster than even before, as the two unicorns headed out to take a better look around the complex. Agate locked the door, then put the keys away in her tail.

Once they left the secret passageway, first thing they did was climb the stairs just next to them to get on the stage. The sight was just amazing. At least ten rows of comfortable seats with red carpets, and a handful more on the oval-shaped first floor above. The whole building looked very much like in the fictional works, lots of red and lots of decorations.

"Wonderful, wonderful." the blue stallion said, as the other competitors all wandered around the stage already. One in particular caught the attention of the seamstress, though, an off-white mare with a short, blonde bob cut and off-white bow in it: Pop Couture. She had a smug grin on her face. Rarity looked away, the later she might notice her, the less time the two spent together the better it was.

The tall stallion took a look at his clock and clapped his hooves together "Attention, please! May I have your attention please?" he shouted, calling forth every designer and fashionista in the room.

"Wonderful, wonderful, as you may know, my name is Spotlight, lead host of this contest. I'll get to the middle and tell you the schedule because we don't have time. You're going to stage one by one, team after team, just as written on the list for the ease of things." he explained. Sounded easy enough, especially for Rarity and Agate, for they were the last ones. Rarity took a look around, counting around eight ponies, which made four team in front of them. The seamstress began calculating how long the event might take then, but she realized that its actually unnecessary.

"The judges will be sitting just in front of the stage, right there, don't be afraid to look at them, alright?" he added, pointing at a small table set up just in front of three seats in the first row.

"Nice, now everypony to the back of the stage, we're going to draw the curtains and first team appear when their name are called." Spotlight ordered, hushing and waving with his hooves, almost about to push the entire hoard if they don't move. It was a real mystery where he was rushing this much.

Hours passed by planning and rehearsals, yet the competing teams were just growing colder than colder, none of them making any positive step towards befriending the other. The tension was tangible, and the crowd was growing in the back without any sign of stopping. By the final rehearsal, almost half of the building was filled by ponies. This didn't really mind the host, in fact, he believed it will help the mares a ton when it comes to the real show. He stood by the right side of the stage, directing everything from there.

"Alright, you know the deal. Bla bla bla bla bla... Rarity and Agate, with their Cherry Orchard Dress." he shouted. Just afterwards, the scarlet curtains made way to the ivory mistress in her full glory, without the dress itself, of course.

She stepped forth, slow, elegant, her body just flowing across from one end to the other. She turned a bit to her left, showing off her beautiful skin, then she turned to the right, and a few moments later she was already strolling back to the back of the stage. Soon she crossed that invisible line the curtains were drawn together.

"Alright, you take off the dress, your friend takes it up and once again." the stallion shouted, clapping his hooves together to hurry them up, a gesture he was doing the entire day.

The curtains parted ways once more, revealing the ebony mistress as she made her way to the other side. She didn't flow like a river, instead, she resembled a fire raging across a forest. Her steps were large, powerful, filled with confidence. She showed off herself from both sides as well before returning, and letting the fabric hide her away.

"Wonderful, wonderful," the stallion said after raising the curtain, making a way little for himself "things went smoother than I thought. We still have a good fifteen minutes, you might want to practice changing that dress faster. Trust me when I say it will come in handy." he added, clapping her hooves together one more to hurry them back to their rooms.

Rarity knew that this is especially important in their cases, and while Agate made so that the armor part can open up, it still had to be handled with great care to keep the fabric intact.

"Three, two, one, go!"

Click! Click! As the skyblue aura engulfed the armor-dress completely, the front of it's hard garb snapped open, letting the tiny sheets of steel fold out. This way, Rarity's head could slip out with ease. Meanwhile, just under the shield of the belt lie a little mechanism that let the whole armor split up. Naturally, fully opening it could damage the upper layer of fabric, as such they had to open it just enough so Rarity can get out of it. She slid out her front hooves first, then chest, neck and head, all with great care. From that point it was easy to take the rest of her body. She levitated their masterpiece in that open state while the glow around it turned to amethyst. Agate took it on, again, slow and careful. One leg after the other. Rarity rushed there, connecting the joints on the lower half, then on the front of the garb, hitting the back of the mare as sign of being finished.

"Done!" she said.

"I think it was twelve, or around twelve." Agate replied, Rarity nodding as she counted roughly the same. Twelve seconds were quite the length but it wasn't something nopony had time for... hopefully.

"Make it fifteen, we'll need to fix up a thing or two, and as I know my luck something surely will jam." Rarity explained with a face of concern. It was best prepare for everything here, and the seamstress was very concerned about quite a few things. Their work was beautiful no doubt, but its beauty had its costs. Knocks interrupted them, the sign to get up the stage for sure. There was no holding back now, it all came down to this. Rarity opened the door, finding the pink hostess from before behind it.

"Mister Spotlight messages it's time to hit the stage." she said in her usual, friendly manner. She looked rather excited herself about it as well, it made the two designers somewhat less nervous.

"Thank you very much." Rarity replied. As they locked the room Agate took the lead... but in the wrong way.

"Aggy, not that way!"

"Use the rear entrance please." the other mares shouted before something terrible happens.

"Oh, oh, sorry." Agate replied, following Rarity in the other direction. Rarity has been always in the lead since the beginning, maybe it was best to leave it that way.

"Best of luck." the hostess said.

"Thank you." the unicorns replied, their last words before heading upstairs.

Strange sounds of metal clinging turned everypony's head towards the two of them. Five pairs, five wonderful dresses, yet all eyes were on theirs... eyes of confusion, skepticism and condescension. The voice of the reporter mare - knows as Feed - echoed through a building, jovial and lively, everypony's ears were turned that direction as they anxiously waited for that one sentence.

"...we have Prim Hemline here, one of Manehatten's most professional critics," she said, the crowd giving a huge applause afterwards "we also have Miss Sauvignon in our circles, well-known critic of wine, art, and of course, fashion," she continued, but the thunderstorm of claps interrupted her once more "and last but not least, Fancy Pants and her wife Fleur-Dis-Lee."

The crowd must have been gigantic, it was downright frightening. Behind this thick layer of fabric, hundreds of ponies were waiting for them, three of them with very keen senses for fashion. Just thinking about it was enough to set their nerves on fire, especially Agate's. The smith was sweating, shaking, her eyes were shifting from left to right, Rarity never seen her this nervous ever before.

"I think there is no point in wasting any more time, let the show begin!" the commentator shouted in the mic, sending chills down everypony's spine. The show officially begun.

"Our first pair is literally from the two corners of Equestria. Collar Reef from Yanhoover and Pop Couture from Manehatten, with their dress, the 'Broken Ash'." she shouted. All the while, an ocean blue earth pony with a long coral colored mane stepped up to the middle of the stage, waiting for the curtains.

The dress lived up to its name, it was all but colors. Rugged, torn away chest and mini-skirt, huge charcoal socks below with belts surrounding the legs in a random, unsymmetrical manner. Like some warrior after a battle. Rarity's observations however, were interrupted by a tail snap at her muzzle from the side.

"Like it huh? Let me show you how this is done." she laughed. Of course, Rarity should've known, it was Pop Couture's dress and hers alone after all, no wonder she was so self-confident about her work. Collar wasn't as confident about it as her partner was though, she was meek and afraid to step out once the time came. It was clear who was the boss and who was the pawn during the process. The two looked like a failproof recipe for failure, as such Rarity chose to remain silent for just a little longer.

The curtains parted ways, and while their vision was limited to just a segment of the theatre, it was more than enough to see what was going on. Excited sounds of a huge horde, lights flashing from random places every second or so, and an entire row closed down for just three ponies, the jury.

Long seconds passed, as Collar returned at once, and was quick to swap with Pop Couture who stood on the center, laughing. That boastful, narcissistic and condescending laugh rivaling Trixie's, it was utmost infuriating. As the curtains were pulled aside, the laugh reverted to a simple smile, as she made her first step on the catwalk.

"Geez, what a douche..." the pegasus on the left noted. From the looks of it the others weren't fond on her either, which was quite understandable. However, it was a mistake underestimating Pop Couture, she wasn't proud of nothing and Rarity knew that very well. As she returned, the curtains met once more, her face was filled with satisfaction.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, that was our first entry, we'll wait a couple seconds until the judges make their decisions." Feed explained. The two designers stepped up behind the curtains, waiting for the sign. The sign that was the mare whose voice was hard not to recognize anymore.

"I see the judges have their scores, let us see what they have to say." she shouted in a lively manner, making the ponies working on it reveal the designers from behind the scarlet sheets.

The jury were waiting patiently, still observing the gray dress even in those moments, as the two of the made it to the end of the stage.

"Quite a dark combination, Mrs. Hemline, what's your opinion?" the tan unicorn with a short, pastel green mane asked.

Prim Hemline was a light grey earth pony with a short pastel red mane, and a slight overbite which became her signature attribute. With a disgruntled face, she poked the mic to see if it works, then proceeded to voice her opinion.

"Quite dark indeed, it has that signature Pop Couture aura all over it. It has a well defined theme to it and fight tooth and hooves about it, in this case: the darkness. However, there is too much of good here, and many accessories just simply doesn't need to be there. Sadly, exactly for that reason I cannot help but see it as somepony's cosplay costume for a comic meeting." she explained, shutting her eyes and raising a scoreboard with a wooden handle that had a gigantic seven on it.

"Seven, a pretty good start. Miss Sauvignon?"

She was once a wine critic, but due to her body not being all too fond on alcohol, she decided to retire and carry on as a fashion and art critic. Sauvignon was an astonishing beauty with an elegant and slender body of a model. Her pale gray coat and long, slightly wavy light pink mane made her look very much like Fleur, except with a darker, lavender colored layer under her pink mane. That, and she had a mole under her eye.

"I think a solid concept is important when making a dress like this and you definitely had that, its wild, strange, different but without being too harsh on the eyes. I agree there are things that aren't really needed like the belts and socks together, either one or another would have been fine. Otherwise I like it very much." she complimented, raising her sign with a smile of satisfaction.

"An eight! Nice, nice! Fancy Pants?"

Fancy cleared his throat a little bit before beginning his speech "I think the others have already explained all aspects of this unique design. It is odd but good-looking and attractive its own way, well done.". With that, he raised his scoreboard that showed a seven.

"Seven! That makes it twenty two, congratulations." the mare with the mike added up, as the two designers nodded with respect, then left the catwalk "They set the bar quite high, and this was just the first of the five entries..."

Soon as the curtains closed behind them Couture let out another wicked and selfish laugh with a last message: "Good luck.", then she finally left the stage from the stairs on the rear.

"Eighteen! Great score, girls, great score. Fillies and gentlecolts, this was Tux Tails and Garbella. Give them an applause!" the light blue unicorn shouted, making the crowd shower the gray stallion and the rose colored mare with claps as they left the catwalk.

It was nopony but them now, and Rarity was prepared for this. For the last half an hour she had been preparing, running down each and every scenario likely in her head. Agate also was ready, she had been practicing standing and strolling in the meanwhile, reciting formal words and idioms in herself. Most competitors left the stage already, so she had plenty of room. She  walked over to her friend who looked ever so nervous in their dress, gazing into the void as she just sat there, wordless.

"Hey Rares!" she whispered, placing her left hoof on her friend's neck "If we won't make it, feel free to stop by and use the workshop if you need anything." the smith continued, gazing deep in the seamstress eyes.

"We will make it, don't worry..." Rarity soothed her "but thank you for the offer." she chuckled gently, as she stood up and stepped in front of the small vertical line that signed the end of the two curtains. Only then she noticed how massive that thing was. She, just like the others has been sitting for quite a while now and her weak body was could not really hold the heavy steal much longer.

"Alright, we have seen some really good works so far, but there is still one left to go. Ladies and gentlecolts, welcome Rarity from Ponyville, the canterlotian Agate, and their 'Cherry Orchard Dress'." she shouted, as the curtains parted ways, revealing an ivory unicorn within the red armor.

Soon as Fancy heard the name 'Agate', however, his mind filled with bitter rage and confusion. Before even looking at what the scarlet veil revealed he already written a great zero on his board. Images of a shattered smith and the taste of sweet revenge were cruising in his mind, before his body alarmed it about an at first just irritating, but now painful force pushing against his spine... his very wife.

"Yes?" he whispered in an annoyed manner. He knew Fleur doesn't weigh this much unless she applies extra force, and if she applied extra force, that meant she wanted something. But never was that force as strong as to cause actual pain, what might have been this urgent?

"Are you sure, Fancy?" she asked "Are you sure you want to sabotage not one but two mare's chances?" she repeated, her eyes piercing right into his very soul. An unnerving experience, one the stallion wanted to take no more of.

"Ceil pour ceil, my dear, she robbed Canterlot now I take my revenge on their behalf as well." Fancy replied in whispers as he shaded his eyes and turned away.

"What about Rarity? Is she only some affordable loss for you?" the model questioned in a sinister tone, her body unmoving, like a gargoyle.

Fancy didn't reply, he turned his attention to the mare in question. Rarity was up there, showing off the dress in its full glory. The sight was almost breathtaking. The lights twinkling and playing on the tiny bells, the perfect harmony scarlet and the steel that, by coincidence, fit the theatre itself as well.

However, what he didn't notice was all the suffering the seamstress went through. Rarity felt like collapsing under the weight, her legs were shaking at the bones, but she knew she has to be still to prevent the steel from rattling. A pose to the left, to the right, then another one for the variety. She turned around and as gracefully as she possibly could, she strolled back. Her flow she practiced for so long was cracked, but that did not stop her now.

The drapery united once more, as the two unicorns began the operation they were working on so hard. The dress was engulfed in a blue aura, as the three clicks were sound. First the neck, the head, then then the front hooves one after another, finished with the hind ones. Only now did they realize how noisy the entire process was. Noisy, and thus, awkward as well. Agate placed her hind hooves in, rearing up to help out the tailor's work.

"Uh, I think there might be some smaller technical difficulties," the narrator said, but changed her mind the moment before she finished "oh, no, nevermind, they're back."

Agate was ready, and she carried the armor on herself a whole lot easier than her friend did, for her body was strong enough to carry the weight. She blazed through the stage effortlessly, the metal clashing with a confident, powerful rhythm and her eyes searing hot from her fiery passion. Cameras went completely nuts as she stuck one graceful pose after another, like a queen. She wasn't there forever though, after a few long seconds she turned back and walked away.

Fancy pants didn't know what to say, he just watched as the curtains closed behind the mustard colored unicorn. It took a bit of a nudge to push him out of that stasis, something the model by her side was more than grateful to give.

"Rarity, Agate and the 'Cherry Orchard Dress' fillies and gentlecolts, the judges will make their final decision in a second."

"What do you think the jury will suspect after you raise that board?" Fleur asked in a cold, menacing voice "Canterlot won't want a corrupt pony in their circles... nor do I." she explained. Fancy was panicking, for Fleur was right about everything. He didn't want to lose his reputation, letalone his wife from by his side. At the same time though, he didn't want the smith to gain any. He was confused about which path to choose, to let them be, or bring both of them down, that was the question. However he needed to make a decision, and quickly.

"I think the judges have made up their minds, let's hear them out." the reporter noted. Fancy's eyes kept going all over the place, he was late, no way he could change that zero without notice, no way he could avoid this putting a stamp on his life... unless...

The curtains made way for the two unicorns, Agate still wearing the masterpiece they made. They looked calm outside, but inside their head, they were going literally insane from nervousness. Prim Hemline spoke up without waiting for Feed's prompt, her eyes didn't show much satisfaction.

"Let me just ask, what is this... supposed to be here, exactly?" she questioned with a fierce voice. It was a question that signed their demise. For Rarity and Agate it looked pretty much over now. She eyed their work with disgruntled eyes and confusion.

"It's, well, half-dress, half-armor." Rarity replied, frightened from the verbal beating they're about to get.

"So there is no specific word of some sort for this? I see." she said shutting her eyes "I'll be honest I'm not sure from where did you fetch this crazy idea, but I see you tried to make the best out of it." she added, opening her eyes once again as she leaned forward gently.

"What you put together here looks wonderful in its own way, the powerful red with the neutral gray and the small, tribal motives with clashing colors make a really eye-catching combination. Other than the looks, though there is not too much pros of it. Let me explain, when you two worked something behind the curtains in the beginning I didn't even know what's going on back there. At first I thought some hoarder dropped a cart of soda cans by accident." the critic explained.

The crowd laughed up in the background, which just made them even more uncomfortable. It felt like if they were all laughing at them, especially for Agate. Prim didn't even finish but the smith's heart was already broken. She was afraid this might happen, she feared it, she seen it coming, yet she had hope to hold onto, but the hope was fading now.

"Then there is the weight, Miss Rarity, I can only imagine how you felt like in there. You did not see it but you were struggling inside that... 'combination'. Your face was red, your legs were shaking, I was wondering if you can even hold out until the end. You know what I'm trying to say." Prim continued. Her words and voice were somewhat friendlier now, and the mistresses could understand her reasons.

"I appreciate creativity, but its a risky thing. Some things can be mixed well with fashion and some can't, and armors and dresses together are just... not practical. So with all this in mind, I'm giving a you a five."

As she raised her board with said number the crowd in the back let out a collective "Aah" in disappointment. It was the end, that was for sure. Agate resented with the thought... it was over, they have failed.

"I'm sorry girls, maybe Sauvignon can cheer you up a bit." the reporter mare added, trying to maintain hope in them.

Sauvignon leaned over to the mic "First, I have to agree with Prim, what you choose her was a very hit-or-miss topic," she explained, but her lips suddenly formed a gentle, barely notable smile in the process "and that's why it is good that there are three different judges, because for me it was an absolute hit. You girls blew my mind." she added, her words dripping from astonishment that made the group of ponies behind erupt in a loud cheer.

"It's something new, exciting, a breath of fresh air in the industry. I'm still having a hard time believing that thing on you is half a real armor made of real steel. The entire composition blends together just perfectly, from top to bottom. True it has its drawbacks as Prim pointed out, but I think its a natural thing, especially when it comes to completely new territories like this." Sauvignon continued, rekindling the flame of hope.

"My only thing that bugs me is the name, I just don't understand, can you explain why you chose this out of all?" she asked, curiously tilting her head.

"Actually we didn't know how to name it either, we just gave it this one because it reminded both of us for a big cherry." Agate explained. Of course this wasn't true but she had to give some sort of reason.

"Alright then, I think I waste no more time." the unicorn chuckled, as she shown her score that seemed to even out their bad start.

"Eight points! Nice, very nice. Mister Fancy Pants?"

Fancy was wordless, his face was filled with confusion. He kept his hooves on the table still, thinking, waiting, he looked lost. The stallion in the tuxedo raised his left, his mouth opened as if he'd try to explain something... but the words just didn't come. He shut his blue rims away, lowering his hoof to reach for the board. What happened after was a complete shock for everypony.

"Oh my Celestia, ten points from Fancy Pants!" Feed yelled in sheer awe, turning to the unicorns by her right "I think that you took his breath away spoke for itself. This sums up to twenty three points total, well done."

Numbers flooded Rarity's mind as she tried to recall the other competitors' scores. However she couldn't remember them accurately in the heat of the moment. They couldn't stand all day there, of course, as such they turned back to finally have some rest in their dressing room before they announce the winners. She kept staring at the stage in the meanwhile, as if she was walking on a glass floor over a canyon. In her mind, though, she was looking at the past, only recalling just a very few making it over twenty. They might even win this, yes, their chances were high.

It took them a while to comprehend that they not only can, but most likely will the competition. Rarity opened the door for themselves to have around five minutes of rest, but it was something they could not do yet.

"Couture scored twenty two, right?" Agate asked, sitting down on the small chair by the mirror, clopping her hooves against the table repeatedly.

"I think. I'm not sure, but we'll find out soon." Rarity replied, strolling around in the room. However, that 'soon' felt like forever and beyond. Rarity couldn't help feeling stressed out, she instead began counting the times she was trotting back and forth in the room, while Agate decided to play the drummer to make time pass faster.

"Alright, ladies and gentlecolts, this is the big moment. All of our participants are here, and the letters with the results are here as well." the tan unicorn explained with unfitting ease. Behind her were all ten designers, lined up next to one another just as they appeared on stage.

A hostess brought in the three labeled letters, each containing two names. Two names of the winners.

"Third place receives a gift token of five hundred bits value, which can be freely spent on any beauty products and services in either the shops, or wellness centers." she announced, opening the letter with the help of her magic. The two mistresses' hearts were working overdrive by now, Rarity needed to take deep breaths to prevent herself from fainting.

"The third place goes to... Patchway and De'Sine!" she shouted. A huge acclamation flooded the room as all eyes were on the chubby chestnut pony and the very slender, beige stallion she was working with. Delight and happiness were emitting from their eyes and smile. Rarity also was quite happy that a friendly face took one of the winning places.

"Next up, the second place receives two tickets for the next Grand Galloping Gala, held inside the castle of Canterlot. It was a really, really thigh race, with only one point difference." she explained, opening the letter but still waiting a few painfully long seconds to torture the nerves of everypony.

"It's Pop Couture and Collar Reef!" she shouted making everypony burst out in claps once more. Collar gasped in shock, hiding her mouth behind her hooves, as if she'd won exactly what she wanted to. Couture on the other hand was engulfed in anger. She turned towards Rarity on the other side, groaning with fury.

"I guess we all know now who the winners are, but let's not ruin it, alright?" the narrator chuckled. Rarity could not believe it, nor could Agate. Could they be really them? Could they actually win?

"The first place... the winners of the five thousand bit Grand Prize..."

Could everything they go through pay off in the end? All the fighting? All the misfortune? All the obstacles destiny threw in they path without mercy?

Yes.

"....are Rarity and Agate! Congratulations!" the unicorn yelled. A thunderstorm of claps with loud shouts rained upon them. Agate gave her friend a hug along with a message that couldn't be heard from the sheer noise. As the two couldn't help but look around the ponies, smiling clapping, nodding, shouting, some even having a huge grin on their faces. The jury as well, they stood up, they clapped their hooves together, though in a much slower, gentle way.

"It's your moment girls, live it." the unicorn behind the microphone added, a warm smile grown on her face as well. Oh did they live the moment, as the wild claps united their forces in powerful, rhythmic waves of applause. It was simply unbelievable.

As the sounds began to fade, Feed seized the opportunity to take control of things once again.

"Alright, alright, thank you everypony for attending, have a magnificent day. The winners can claim their prices at the backstage tables set up, where we'd like every contestants to return their room keys." she instructed, then with a click she turned off the device and headed to the backstage as well. The crowd was dissipating, ponies left the building in large numbers, and the designers got back to their rooms to pack up.

The show was over.

Rarity and Agate was the last to leave their room, with something odd down there, something the two haven't being for weeks by now: relief. Strange... it felt so alien, as a breath of fresh air that made their body feel ever so lightweight. The dress was in the box, the box was in the cart, their nearly empty bags were on, only their wallets being the things inside them, pretty much that was all they had. The smith and the tailor left the room, the latter locking it, as the two began their journey in the empty, quiet and white corridors with checkered tiles.

The backstage was just by the stairways that lead up the actual stage. It was a small, square shaped hall, enough for two tables to fit in next to each other. It had only one though, set up by the corner. The room itself followed the scheme of the previous ones, white walls, and a chessboard of a floor, as well as two doors with windows by the left and right, one being the storage room, the other one a rather cozy looking living room. The two ponies weren't all alone of course, the cold, serious hostess that greeted them in the beginning waited for them, this time, watching over the ones leaving.

"Good afternoon, we're here for the price." Rarity asked, but the door next to the table bursted open. From the living room, a slight grey colored face revealed itself, Miss Sauvignon.

"Oh, it's just Miss Rarity and Miss Agate." she replied to the ones behind her, obscured by the door. Not for too long though, she left where she came along with the other judges who were inside, having a friendly talk with one another while waiting.

"I'd like to congratulate once more, its a masterpiece you've created here. I do hope to see you work together in the future." she complimented in person. Rarity blushed as she responded with a "Thank you.", before Prim Hemline also joined the conversation.

"Yes, congratulations. Guess I'm the only one who finds it all strange and unfitting. Maybe it's because I'm old and can't keep up these new trends." she laughed, reaching out to shake hooves with both of them, a gesture they were glad to accept. Prim had a much softer grasp than what they expected, the mare was cold and serious when it came to judging, but turned completely inside-out when all was said and done.

"Yes, it was quite an... interesting day indeed, congratulations." a masculine voice added, Fancy Pants. Fleur was not with him, though. He attempted a hoofshake, and Rarity accepted it with no difficulties. Agate on the other hoof still had a visible amount of anger in her eyes. A wild thought of cruelty passed her mind, after all, it didn't matter anymore, but she knew Rarity would remember that. Despite Fancy clearly didn't like the look of these either, he raised his right towards the smith anyway, which she accepted the same way. The two nemesis shared a look of pure hostility as they slowly shook hooves. Though they put aside their feelings for now, this was not over yet.

"Miss Rarity, Miss Agate, your price is ready, please sign this here and here." the hostess interrupted with a black suitcase and its manual. It looked like just in the movies. After signing the papers, Agate took the heavy object, and laid it down in front of the cardboard box.

"You can keep the suitcase, by the way, think of it as a bonus." Prim pointed out, laughing, as they just watched the two leaving, each other bidding farewell with a simple "Goodbye."

Soon they opened the door, however, the two mares found themselves in front of an iron fence several feet above the ground of the street. The only way was down a narrow staircase that lead them to a small street. There was nothing to do, they had to take it slow, step by step. Rarity rushed down to oversee Agate's actions, who took each step with great care. The wheels of the cart hit the concrete with seemingly serious power no matter how slow she was, but a few seconds it took until she reached the bottom, with all equipment intact.

Finally, fresh mountain air, it was a pleasure to inhale. From the sign across the street Rarity read off the way the Observatory Square was, the way the came from and where they were heading as well. The Sun was settling very soon, the wonderful orange tint of the sky and enormous shadows around and underneath them indicated this. Oh, what could have been the time?

At the end of the street lied a familiar sight, familiar yet different and much more beautiful. Leading the way, Rarity knew where to go, the gap in the fence indicated the road that lead them down. However as she reached the first curve to the right she stopped to the noise of the rolling wheels missing from behind. Curious, she gazed back to see Agate stop just in front to take another look at the landscape. It clearly cast a spell over her, but who could blame her. They had plenty of time now, so the ivory mistress turned back to join her. First thing first, though, she made sure not to leave the cart out of reach, and rolled it in front of them.

The sensation could not be described by mere words. The sepia of the sunset, the gentle mountain breeze flowing in the air, the sound of a piano playing a slow, soft melody from somewhere in a house behind them.

"Did we make it?" Agate asked in disbelief. Her eyes couldn't escape from the grasp of what was in front of her, her mind could believe this was actually happening still. It all felt like some vivid dream.

"Yes, dear, we did it." Rarity comforted her. Yet, for every blessing, there was a curse. All that was left now is the bittersweet ending, a leap into the unknown future, a question she was afraid to ask, but had to "So... what now?"

Three words but it felt like three slingshot bullets to the heart. It snapped the ebony mistress out of the hypnosis in an instant, making her gaze at the twisty road in front of her. She... didn't know the answer.

"Live my life, I guess, maybe saving up some more money for a month or two... I don't know." she confessed, a painful sight leaving her mouth as she returned her attention to the beautiful scenery. Her eyes were dreamy, like one's who have fallen in love, but they emitted heart-aching sadness as well. Only then did Rarity notice what captivated her friend this much, a little village by an enormous forest, cut into two pieces by a smaller river.

"It's all yours, darling." she told her. Agate didn't get it for a brief moment until the seamstress gently rolled the cart in her direction. It took her some extra seconds for her mind to grasp the offer, then put together something coherent her mouth could say.

"I...I'm sorry, I can't." she muttered in shock. Of course she could, but she didn't because she learned it is wrong, especially when it came to this much amount of money.

"Take it, dear, you deserve it." Rarity insisted, her voice being soft, warm, like sand. She knew Agate needed that money by far more than she did. Canterlot despised her, her mother forced nobility upon her, her job, thus her life was on the edge of falling apart even if the smith herself could not see it yet.

"I already owe you too much, Rares, this... this is just too much for me." Agate replied, the tone of voice being all over the place from the mixed emotions. It was true, Rarity taught her so much, she housed her for weeks, paid things instead of her. Stacked with this it seemed simply impossible to repay it all.

"I refuse to take 'no' as an answer, Agate." the fed up seamstress replied, her words being quick and sharp like a rapier.

"I..." the smith replied, trying to understand if this is real and happening.

"I..." she repeated, gazing deep into the ever so beautiful blue rims of the ivory mistress, while hers began glinting and welling up with tears.

"I..." she stuttered, her voice vibrating insecurely, like a bridge whose last rope was about let go in the very next moment.

"I don't even know what to say." she burst out in tears, trying to hold them back with her hooves, rubbing them off. It was no use.

Rarity couldn't help it either, her eyes were glimmering from happiness, as she reached out her hooves to harbor the emotions of her friends. Agate didn't hesitate but charged at her as the two found themselves in the sweet embrace of one another.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you... thank you." Agate sobbed, as Rarity held her thigh to her heart, brushing her mane to calm her down a bit.

Moments like these were what made her life worth living, living on and seeing others being as happy as they can possibly be. This was what was driving her, what made a cornerstone in her morals what it was, what gave her the very element she was the embodiment of: Generosity.