Rarity let out a small, elegant sigh as she looked off into the distance. Nothing but cloud homes floating above empty fields as far as the eye could see. Each one was eye catching in some form or another. One house had large cloud statues of pegasi holding spears standing by the door while another one had what looked like a rainbow lake in the front lawn. Rarity had to admit to herself that she was a tad bit jealous of pegasus ponies for being able to live like this.
One house, in the distance, caught her eye. This home seemed to stand alone just outside the aerial city that Rarity was drifting through via hot air balloon. Unlike the other homes she had just passed, Rarity saw that it was made of dark, brooding thunder clouds. It was tall, perhaps three to four stories in height but lacking any windows for the light to enter. It was as if some dark and sinister pony lived there.
And that was Rarity’s destination.
As the balloon slowly floated towards the aerial dwelling, Rarity rolled her eyes as she remembered how she had gotten in this situation. Rainbow had come crashing into her shop claiming she needed a huge favor. Apparently she had a cousin who would be going to some sort of big event in the near future that would require her to wear a fancy dress. Naturally, Rarity told Rainbow that she would simply love to make the dear a stunning gown of this special evening and would get to work as soon as she stopped by for a fitting.
And that’s when Rainbow threw in the big catch. Apparently Rainbow’s cousin was far too busy with her work to leave her house for anything. She was so busy that she had a carrier come by every so often and rush it to her office since she couldn’t waste any time doing it herself. So, with this being the case, Rarity would have to go to her.
So here Rarity was with a cloudwalking spell cast on her thanks to Twilight as well as having all of her items enchanted so that they wouldn’t fall through the clouds. Rarity had brought with her measuring tape, several sketch pads, dozens of colored pencils, and dozens of fabric pieces so that she could see how it contrasted next to the cousin’s coat. With all of this, she would be able to get what she needed in this one trip.
Soon enough the balloon stopped as it lightly hit the edge of the dark cloud. Taking a breath, Rarity tied the balloon to the cloud before she exited, using her magic to carry her material. Quickly she made her way to the door and knocked on it. At first nothing seemed to happen, so after waiting for a couple of minutes Rarity knocked on it again, but with a bit more force this time.
“Coming,” groaned a voice from the other side followed by the sounds of several locks being unlocked. The door then opened to reveal Color Scheme, Rainbow Dash’s cousin. Having known Rainbow Dash for a while and also having met several of her relatives, Rarity was prepared for some of her features like a multicolored mane. However, it was a bit different than the rest of her family. Rarity could not help but turn her head to the side as she stared at that tie dye styled mane with blood red being in the center followed by dark green, purple, and finally black. In Color’s mane were several paint brushes and pencils sticking out all over the place. Her coat was a dark, midnight blue and her half opened eyes were gold. Oh, and she was a bat pony it seemed.
For a moment, Rarity just stood there unable to keep herself from staring. There were several smears of smudged ink and pencil lead on the mare’s face. Rarity’s attention was also drawn to the smudge on the mare’s wings and coat. Color Scheme either didn’t notice due to her apparent fatigue or just didn’t care. The bat mare just used her hoof to rub the sleep from her eyes before yawning loudly, showing off her fangs in the process.
“Oh, pardon me,” said Rarity as she suddenly collected herself. “My name is Rarity. Your cousin Rainbow Dash said you needed a dress made.”
There was another yawn from Color. “Ahh, was that today?” she asked. “Listen, I’m a little backed up right now and don’t really have the time. Could you swing by tomorrow or something?”
Rarity raised an eyebrow at this behavior. She had just rented an air balloon to fly her here, something that was slightly more expensive than she would have liked, all to help out a family member of a friend. It…slightly irritated her. With that aside, however, Color’s tone did sound apologetic. And, judging by her appearance, she looked like she had been pulling all-nighters for a while. That or she worked at night and Rarity had just woken her up.
“Well, perhaps I could darling,” said Rarity slowly. “But, ah, when do you need the dress by? Don’t want to wait too long now, do we?”
There was another yawn. “Oh, right,” said Color as she seemed to wake up slightly. “The party is the day after tomorrow.”
“WHAT!?” shouted Rarity, her eyes widening. After taking a deep breath, Rarity marched right up to Color. “If that’s the case then I’m going to need all the time I can get. I am here now and I must insist that we begin right away.”
Color shrugged. “Alright I guess,” she said while stepping to the side to allow Rarity entrance. “Not that I want to go to this stupid party.” That last part was muttered under her breath, but Rarity could hear it clearly. There was a clear edge of annoyance to it as well as something else that Rarity couldn’t put her hoof on.
Perhaps if she had more time to think about it she would have discovered the hidden emotion. Yet as soon as she saw the inside of Color’s house Rarity’s brain stopped working. It was like an explosion of color and style had occurred. This room, the family room she presumed, had bright red walls with dark green rugs on the floor. There were several pink tables as well as an orange sofa that looked like the one her parents used to own when she was a filly. As soon as her brain processed all of this a hoof shot up towards her mouth to keep herself from vomiting up all over the floor.
As Rarity took a deep breath, she spotted Color heading to the second level. Hoping it was less, er, colorful Rarity quickly trotted up the stairs to catch up. As it turned out the upstairs hallway was even mare bizarre than the main floor. Bright neon colors were everywhere with no rhyme or reason. Some colors would stretch down the hallway for several feet only to stop suddenly allowing a completely different color to carry on in its place. It was simply too much for Rarity’s sense of fashion to take all at once. Thankfully Color walked into one of the rooms and Rarity quickly followed.
This new room was far less assaulting on the eyes. From the floor to the ceiling there were various sketches of ponies in many different positions that Rarity could have sworn she had seen somewhere. The floor was littered with trash such as crumpled paper or empty coffee mugs. The only place that seemed to be in any way tidy was an artist’s table which was placed across the room from the door. Rarity could see that everything from pencils to tubes of paint had been arranged meticulously around a stack of lined paper. Next to the desk was a table containing an automatic coffee machine that was making more of the dark liquid. Once inside the room, Color Scheme made a beeline straight to the desk where she then picked up a pencil with her mouth and began to write.
“Ah, excuse me,” said Rarity as she stood by the door. “But what are you doing?”
“Working,” replied Color, neither turning to look at her nor spitting out the pencil to talk.
“Well that will make it a little difficult for me to do my job,” said Rarity with an uncomfortable laugh.
“Just do the best you can,” said Color. “I really need to get this done if I’m going to make my deadline.”
The next hour or so was taxing on the white unicorn. Since Color Scheme insisted on working, Rarity decided to save getting her measurements for later opting instead to design the outfit first. This proved to be challenging for many reasons. Firstly, whenever Rarity tried to get any input from Color she always got a very vague answer just like certain multi-colored maned pegasus she knew. Everything was always ‘I guess’ or ‘Whatever’. The second biggest problem was when Rarity tried to see how the different colored fabrics would clash against Color’s coat. Sometimes this wasn’t a problem as Color would just sit there while Rarity would pull out one of her sample cloths and hold it up next to the mare. The problem was that every once in a while Color would suddenly get up, look at one of the sketches while muttering something under her breath, and then return to her spot in front of the desk while Rarity tried her best to do her job.
Still, despite all of this, Rarity did not give up. She knew that she needed something that would contrast nicely against Color’s midnight blue coat so that she could avoid a wall of utter darkness. In the end, Rarity decided to go with taxichariot yellow which would help the bat pony really stand out in a big way. She then decided that adding three oval alabaster stones with the two on the outside being smaller than the one on the inside would be a nice touch. Color Scheme certainly didn’t object to this. In fact, when Rarity showed her the design she actually paused for a moment or two to look at it with slightly widened eyes.
Ok, now for her measurements, thought Rarity as she went to get her measuring tape. As her back was turned, Color suddenly got up and walked out of the room. When Rarity turned around and saw that her client was gone she let out annoyed groan before heading out of the visual safety the room provided and back into the hallway.
Thankfully a loud noise at the other end of the hallway alerted her to Color’s location. Galloping quickly, Rarity got to the room and looked inside to find a storage room of some kind. There were long cardboard boxes stacked on top of each in stacks of three and four. Each one had something written on them that seemed to be some kind of code. One read ‘X-Ponies 32-76’ while another read ‘All New, All Different Bearcat 1-11’. Standing in the middle of the room was Color Scheme looking through an open box while using her leathery wings to help shift through the items within.
“Aha!” she said triumphantly as she pulled out a thin book in what appeared to be plastic wrap. “I knew it was in here somewhere.”
“Excuse me,” said Rarity causing the other mare to look at her as she approached. “I think it’s time I got your measurements. Once I’m done I’ll be out of your mane until the dress is finished.”
“Er,” murmured the bat mare as she looked from Rarity to the book and then back to Rarity. “I sort of have to read this right now.”
Rarity’s eye twitched slightly, but took a deep breath to compose herself. “Darling, time is running out and this part will only take up maybe fifteen minutes. The sooner I get this done the sooner I can make your dress.”
“Well I need that time to read this for work,” said Color as she held up the book while she yawned. Now Rarity could see it clearly it took every bit of willpower she had not to roll her eyes. It was a comic book: the X-Ponies. Naturally Rarity had never read one of these books before, even after she was stuck in one of Spike’s Power Ponies comics. She still found comics to be rather silly things, instead preferred to read old mystery noir.
Rarity was about to argue her point once more but stopped herself. She could plainly see it in the other mare’s eyes that she was dead set on this and would not listen to Rarity’s reasoning. If she did, they would most likely waste more time going back and forth thus angering both sides. This meant Rarity would have to get…creative.
-x-
“Could you turn the page?” asked Color as she stood in the middle of the room. Rarity let out an irritated sigh. Without looking up from measuring Color’s waist she used her magic to turn the page of the comic floating in front of Color’s face.
It was an odd situation for Rarity. She was used to dealing more difficult customers during their fittings, but they were usually foals who wanted to go out and play rather than getting fitted for a gown. However, she didn’t often get this kind of behavior from an adult. Color seemed to get irritated every time Rarity asked her to move a certain way in order for her to get the best measurements. Then, while Rarity was trying to do her job, Color would interrupt her because the page needed to be turned. Still, this solution allowed both parties to continue with their work and allow things to proceed.
“Ok,” said Color Scheme to herself, Rarity only half listening as she wrote down some measurements. “So that’s what I said back then. Good, this won’t give me any trouble then.”
“So,” said Rarity, hoping to strike up a conversation. “What is this gown for, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Nothing major,” replied Color nonchalantly. “Just some fancy awards ceremony.”
“Oh my,” exclaimed Rarity as she brought a hoof to her mouth. “Are you up for an award or something?”
“Yeah,” said Color with another tired yawn. “I’m usually up for one every year, but I never attend. If I win something I have somepony else pick up my award and mail it to me.” Suddenly, Color’s tone shifted. It became a bit more hostile and, while Rarity couldn’t see it, she was certain that Color Scheme’s eyes had narrowed. “This year, however, I’m being forced to go even though I have a ton of work that needs to get done so I can meet my deadlines!”
“Well I can understand that darling,” said Rarity in a soothing voice. “You won’t believe how many times I had to work an all-nighter in order to finish my work before the client arrives. I know there is nothing more unprofessional than having to miss a deadline.”
Color’s tuffed ears perked at this. Slowly she turned her head to look at Rarity. Her eyes seemed to have widened a bit and they contained a bit of curiosity in them while giving Rarity a once over. It was almost as if she was reevaluating Rarity.
“I never thought that somepony like you might have that problem,” said Color. “I mean, can’t you just magic up a dress or something like that?”
“Of course not,” said Rarity, shocked at the idea. “I can’t just make something out of nothing! Magic doesn’t work like that! I have to still operate the machines, sew and stitch, and a slew of other things just like anypony else.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” said Color quickly. “I’ve…seen unicorns take the material and then create whatever they wanted in an instant. Using magic to get a high quality item without any real effort and more quickly. I just…” As Color trailed off, Rarity pursed her lips. There was a hint of bitterness in the mare’s voice at the subject of using magic like that.
“Well,” said Rarity as she continued to take Color’s measurements. “I too have heard about ponies who do that. And, frankly darling, I find their work to have…less passion. Not that their work doesn’t look good, but you can tell when somepony has put their heart and soul into creating something and, well, ponies who take the opposite approach to their work don’t have the same heart. To me at least, it feels more like it was on an assembly line.”
Color nodded her head. “A lot of ponies seem to want things done quicker nowadays,” she said as a blush of embarrassment appeared on her cheeks. “Sorry for thinking you were like that. I’m just so used to seeing it that I sometimes jump the cloud.”
“It’s alright darling,” replied Rarity. “I know some ponies think like that. Let’s change the subject. Where is this little event going to take place?”
“Canterlot,” said Color. “No big deal real-”
“CANTERLOT!” squealed Rarity loudly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You are going to be going to an awards ceremony in Canterlot?! You have the chance for your work to be recognized in front of the height of Equestrian society?! Oh how I envy you.”
“Really?” said Color. “Then do you want to go with me? I’m allowed to bring a guest.”
“I…well,” began Rarity. The idea of going to Canterlot, in one of its spacious, grand dining halls would have been a dream for the fashionista pony. It would be a chance to meet with some more of high society and perhaps try to get more clients. Or she could just go and enjoy herself. However… “I couldn’t. Surely you must have somepony who you would prefer to share this with? Perhaps a family member or a special somepony?”
Color shrugged. “Not really,” she replied. “My family digs what I do, but they wouldn’t be comfortable going to one of these things. Just think of this as a bonus for finishing a rushed job.”
“Well if that’s that case,” began Rarity calmly before jumping into the air. “I’D LOVE TO GO! Oh, sorry about that.”
-x-
The sun was beginning to set the next night as Rarity and Color Scheme flew in a chariot towards Canterlot that had been supplied by the bat pony’s employers. Color was dressed in the gown that Rarity had finished around noon that day while the white unicorn was dressed in a purple gown of her own creation. Rarity watched with pride as Color’s hoof ran down the fabric as a smile crossed her lips while they flew.
As they neared their destination, Color Scheme seemed to become more withdrawn. When they had first gotten into the chariot, the two had conversed pleasantly with each other with Color yawning every so often. Not that Rarity blamed her since the bat pony still had dark circles around her eyes and had the scent of coffee on her breath. However as Canterlot came closer into view, Color seemed to appear more worn and less talkative. She just seemed to stare at the city with a look of utter loathing on her muzzle. Rarity did her best to talk to the other mare but was rewarded with silence.
Soon the chariot entered the city and Rarity became transfixed on her surroundings. All around her were tall, majestic buildings that towered over the smaller homes she was used to. Gold and ivory seemed to be everywhere that she looked. She could see all the sites clearly like Restaurant Row, the Fountain of the Two Sisters, and so much more. It was enough to make the dressmaker forget about her traveling companion for the moment.
Eventually the chariot began to slow down a bit as it headed for a building that looked like it had been partially built into the mountain’s side near the castle. It was a large, white, circular building at least four stories tall with a golden dome for a roof. Along the upper most floor Rarity could see a walkway with a marble railing that would allow any pony a simply marvelous view of the city as well as the valley below. In front of the building, torches and searchlights illuminated the entrance while ponies walked into the entrance on a long red carpet. It look a large amount of self-control for Rarity not to jump up and down in pure excitement as the chariot landed.
As the pair walked down the red carpet, Rarity looked around to see in anypony was covering the event. Oddly enough, there were only a few press ponies milling about with their notepads and cameras levitating in their magic. Normally, a large event like this would have more ponies trying to cover it. Perhaps, she considered, they were inside already and they were late.
Come to think of it, she didn’t know what Color Scheme was getting an award for.
As they pair approached the rather large and imposing doors they were greeted by a unicorn stallion. His coat was a dark blue and a short cut black mane. He was wearing a pinstripe black suit and a rather…unsavory tie for an event like this. It looked like the kind of tie a pony would wear on Nightmare Night: bright orange that clashed with his suit decorated with black bats. Just looking at it made Rarity shiver.
“Color Scheme, so glad you could make it,” he greeted the bat pony in a cheerful tone and a warm smile. Sadly, this was not shared by said mare. Color had also noticed the tie and looked at it with great disdain. In a sudden motion she swung a foreleg and grabbed onto it.
“What the buck is this Box,” she growled in a low tone so passersby wouldn’t hear them. However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t see them as Rarity noticed a few unicorns hurrying past they while doing their best to make it look like they didn’t see the scene unfolding.
“Ha, ha,” laughed the stallion named Box nervously. “Well I, er, thought I would support you tonight. I mean this is going to be a big night for you and I am your cham-” Whatever he was going to say was cut off as Color pulled on the tie with a sudden jerk, her eyes burning dangerously.
“Is this so kind of sick joke?” she asked in a hissing tone. “It’s bad enough you told me I had to attend, but now I find out that you of all ponies are mocking me?! How could you even consider something so offensive would support me in any way?”
“Acrk,” groaned Box as he tried to get some air. “Sorry, urk, wasn’t thinking. Air.” With that, Color let go of her hold, allowing the stallion to gasp for the air he dearly needed. When his breathing had calmed down he down he gave Color a weak smile which resulted in her rolling her eyes and looking away. Sensing the tension, Rarity took a step forwards.
“Ah good evening my dear,” she said politely. “My name is Rarity and I am Miss Color’s guest for this event.”
Box brightened when he heard her name. He began to look her over, as if seeing for the first time while his smile grew larger. “Y-You’re one of the Elements of Harmony,” he exclaimed. “Oh this is perfect. I know a lot of ponies inside who would love it if you would consider allowing your likeness to be-”
“Not tonight Box,” said Color cutting in. “She is here as my guest for this…waste of time. Let’s go Rarity.” With that, Color began to march into the building with Rarity following after her with the door opening magically for them. Before they closed behind them, the white unicorn looked behind her to see Box looking down at his tie with the saddest expression she had ever seen in her life.
Now inside, Rarity saw before them a long hallway with a high, arched ceiling. Marble pillars were stationed evenly and in between them on the walls were various portraits of famous ponies who had made their marks in pony culture. Authors, singers, and actors alike dreamed of the day that their talents would be honed enough for them to one day be immortalized in here. As the two walked down the halls on a red silken carpet way, Rarity could hear Color muttering to herself. The words ‘stupid’ and ‘Box’ were repeated very often as well as a few more descriptive phrases that she didn’t feel like repeating.
“So,” began Rarity nervously. “That stallion out there. He seemed…nice. A little odd given his choice of fashion, but nice.”
Color stopped in her tracks and, for a moment, Rarity feared she might be the target of this bat pony’s anger. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Color turned around with a look of shame and embarrassment on her face.
“Sorry about that,” she said while averting her gaze to the ground. “Box is a great stallion and a really good editor, but he has a bad habit of not thinking about things and I’m already stressed as it is and might miss a deadline for the first time in my career and-”
“Darling,” said Rarity as she gently held up a hoof to silence the other mare, a disarming smile appearing on her face. “Please calm down and take a deep breath. You’re a positively nervous wreck and we can’t have that on your big night.”
Color nodded and did as she was asked, taking a deep breath before exhaling. “Yeah, that does make me feel a little better,” she said while giving Rarity a half smile. “I just…really don’t want to be here.”
“Oh there, there now,” said Rarity as she moved to Color’s side and patted her gently on the back. “Just relax. Forget about work for just this night. I’m sure they’ll understand since you were forced to come here.”
“Ladies,” said a stallions voice behind them, caused them to jump slightly. The two turned around as one and saw a unicorn in what appeared to be a server's uniform of a white shirt and fancy black vest. “If you would please follow me I will lead you to the dining hall where refreshments are being served before the main event.” The stallion then gestured towards a single set of open doors. Smiling, Rarity followed the stallion as he led them a few yards.
What she saw inside, however, caused her smile to falter. From what she could see, the room contained mostly stallions in shabby suits levitating their drinks with their magic around wooden circular tables. Most of these stallions seemed to stay in large clusters or groups with very little mingling occurring. There were some others who were dressed in an attire more suited for Nightmare Night, skin tight outfits with bright color themes and masks. Banners hung from the walls with various logo’s and company names like ‘Dazzle Comics’ or ‘Canterlot Comics’. Turning her head slightly Rarity noticed a sign that read ‘Welcome to the Equestria Comic Book Award Ceremony’.
“Oh dear,” whispered Rarity as Color Scheme walked up next to her. “I can see why you didn’t want to come.”
“Hey, is that,” said a stallion loudly, stopping Color from speaking. Rarity turned her head and saw a unicorn stallion with paint smudges on his suit looking at them. He galloped over to them and as he drew closer Rarity could make out the lines on his muzzle more clearly, showing that he was much older than the two of them. “It is! Color, it’s been too long!” With that the unnamed stallion wrapped his hooves around Color, getting a gasp from Rarity from this sudden show of affection. She thought for a moment Color would snap at him, but instead she laughed, returning the hug.
“Dynamic Pose,” giggled Color sincerely as they released each other. “I haven’t seen you in so long.”
“Well you should really get out of that house of yours sometime and visit us at the office,” said Dynamic warmly. “The only way we know you're still alive is when we see your name on the comics. You need to get out and stretch your wings a bit.” He then turned to look at the group he had left. “Hey everypony! Color’s here!” He had shouted this part so loudly that all conversations in the room ended. Those in the group belonging to Dynamic looked at them and seemed overjoyed as they pulled Color into their ranks, making a scene that looked very much as if they were welcoming back a long lost war hero. Rarity also noticed from of other groups that some were pointing at Color while talking in low whispers for some reason.
Now, Rarity felt very alone and uncertain as to what she should do. While she had been to many parties before, she usually had a good idea of what topics would be acceptable for the occasion and how to approach new ponies. This group, well, she honestly didn’t know what to do. She knew very little about comics or the industry and the only pony who could help her was trenched deep within a crowd of stallions. Part of her wanted to find Color and cling to her for dear life, but hearing the mare laughing loudly made the white unicorn reconsider.
I don’t want to ruin her good time, thought Rarity as she looked around. Soon she spotted a table just past one of the larger groups full of drinks and small snacks. Feeling slightly parched she began to trot towards it, maybe even get Color a drink as well so she wouldn’t look so pathetic running towards her in front of all these gentlecolts.
Before she had made it halfway to her destination, she felt a hoof suddenly slap her flank. She yelped in shock and a brief sting of pain as an empty glass floated in front of her. She turned her head to see that the magic belonged to an elderly stallion in his sixties judging by the silvery strands making up most of his once blond mane as well as his wrinkly beige coat.
“Come on,” said the stallion smugly while shaking glass in front of her. “Be a dear and get daddy another drink. Punch.”
Growling, Rarity took the glass in her own magical grasp and threw it to the side. “Oh, I’ll give you some punch alright,” she exclaimed as she pulled back a hoof to the still smiling stallion. She was about to deck him with all her might when a smaller, younger looking stallion jumped in front of her and separating her from the offending target.
“He’s sorry, he’s sorry,” said the stallion frantically, sweating up a storm. Around them, many other stallions turned to look at what was going on. Many of those were looking at the elder stallion with some disgust, muttering that ‘he’s doing it again’.
“Sir, please move while I teach this mule some manners,” demanded Rarity.
The elder stallion looked a little confused. “What? I thought this fine flanked mare was part of the service,” he said before a cocky smile appeared on his face. “Unless, of course, you all got me some ‘special service’ for when I win my award tonight. I’ll be sure to put her to good use all night.” For a moment, Rarity stared at him with her face red in anger before her eyes darted at the stallion holding her at bay.
A simple spell would easily move him out of the way, thought Rarity savagely. Then I would be able to teach this ruffian a thing or two about how to treat a lady. It was then that Rarity noticed the looks all of the other stallions were giving them. Wide eyed and hopeful to see the two brawl. Turning her head to look at the group Color was in, she saw only a few of them glancing in her direction. But if I do that, I’ll cause a scene. That wouldn’t be proper and might ruin the night for Color. So, Rarity lowered her hoof and began to walk away.
“What’s wrong little filly?” laughed the stallion, his voice ringing in her ears as her eye twitched.
For the next several minutes, Rarity stared at the long table full of snacks. Not only did it have a delicious looking punch, but also chocolate covered strawberries and roses, small cucumber sandwiches, roasted baby carrots on toothpicks, and a wide array of other tasty treats. Just as she was about to get a cup of punch she heard somepony walking next to her.
“Rarity?” came the surprised voice that was rather familiar to her. Looking to her side and then downwards, Rarity saw that the somepony turned out to be somedragon. Spike was standing there with an empty glass in his claw, dressed in one of the nice suits she had made for him some time ago, looked up at her with his mouth hanging open.
“Spike, what a pleasant surprise,” said Rarity as she got herself a glass and used her magic to refill Spike’s at the same time. She smiled at him, delighted to see a familiar face.
“I…Wow, I didn’t know you were a fan of comics,” said Spike as he seemed to recover from the shock of seeing her here.
“Oh I’m not really,” admitted Rarity. “A client invited me as her plus one. Just between you and me I feel a little lost here.” She then paused for a moment. “Spike, why are you here? Were they selling tickets or do you personally know one of these ponies?”
“Naw,” said Spike with a wave of his claw before puffing out his chest to make him seem more important. “I’m going to be one of the judges tonight.”
Rarity stared at the small dragon, hesitating on what to say. It was hard to believe that Spike would be made a judge of any contest. She knew he liked comics, but that alone hardly seemed to qualify him for something big like this. This led Rarity to two very good possibilities. The first was that he was lying, trying in a vain attempt to impress her. The other option was that Twilight pulled a few strings, using her princesshood to get him this spot.
Spike apparently noticed the doubt on her face as he began to frown.
“You don’t believe me, don’t you,” he said, his face falling slightly.
“I’m sorry Spike,” replied Rarity, deciding to be honest. “It just seems…unlikely that someone as young as you would be allowed to judge something like this.”
“Oh,” replied Spike. “Well that’s easy. I entered a contest and won!”
“I beg your pardon?” said a slightly confused Rarity.
“Well from what I’ve been told the ponies who are in charge of organizing this event wanted to try something new this year,” explained Spike before taking a sip of his punch. “Normally they get three comic book critics, but this year they’re only going with one. The other two spots are going to be filled by a celebrity and a member of their target reader. I just sent in a postcard and was picked at random.”
“Well congratulations Spike,” said Rarity happily. “So who is the celebrity?”
Instead of answering, Spike turned around and pointed to a corner of the room. Following the path of the finger, Rarity looked up and gasped. Princess Luna was standing there, flanked by two of her guards, as she spoke pleasantly to a somewhat familiar blue unicorn stallion and a more recognizable mare: A.K. Yearling! Also known as Daring Do!
“Spike,” said Rarity quickly. “Why is Princess Luna here?”
“Because she’s going to be one of the judges tonight,” said Spike with a shrug.
“But she’s a princess,” said Rarity in shock.
“So?” replied Spike, “Princess Celestia judges stuff all the time as well. Art contests, hedge sculpture contests, a lot of cake tastings. Princess Luna said that she wanted to do something like that as well and she really got into comic books after that first Nightmare Night. I heard from Shining Armor that she wanted to know more about what the common pony liked and he lent her some comics from his personal collection. Since then she’s been an avid reader.” He gave a laugh. “I heard that Shining Armor was upset that he was considered.”
“I had no idea,” said Rarity as she stared at the moon princess, who was smiling happily.
From there, the conversation between the two carried on without any other incident with Spike talking about what would be happening during the awards. The way it worked was that there were several categories like best new series, best-selling issue, best story line, and so on. Those that won would not only get a large trophy and bonus, but also their award would be labeled on their work when it went to trade paperback. The judges had already read all of the nominees and had already written the scores on cue cards with a grading scale of one to ten. But before that score was to be announced, the heads of the company had requested that they explain their choices making it sound like one of those cooking or talent shows.
Spike also helped point out something that Rarity had noticed when she came in: the groups. Each one held ponies from the different companies with the two largest being Dazzle (the group Color was currently in) and Canterlot. Both of them had a fierce rivalry with each other, always trying to prove one was better than the other. Sadly, before Spike could talk anymore on this subject he was pulled away by an official for the awards ceremony.
Thankfully Rarity was not by herself for too long after Spike’s departure. Daring Doo and her friend soon approached where she was standing, allowing Rarity to see that the stallion turned out to be Twilight’s father, Night Light. After talking for a bit, Rarity discovered that he was the president of Night Light Publishing, the company that published the Daring Do series. This explained a lot, in Rarity’s opinion, about her purple princess friend. As they began to talk, the conversation turned from pleasantries to the reason they were here.
“Daring Doo is going to have its own graphic novel,” exclaimed Night Light with a grin. “It’s an idea that me and Miss Yearling have been considering for some time now. And with the recent boom in comic book popularity, we agreed that now was the best time. And, naturally, Miss Yearling here gets to pick who will be working on it. So here we are, meeting with some of the best in the industry.”
“The only problem is trying to find the right talent,” said Yearling, sounding slightly annoyed. “Both Dazzle and Canterlot comics are nipping at our hooves to get us to use one of their companies. And some of the talent we have talked to has been, well…”
“Unsatisfactory,” supplied Rarity, trying to fill in the gap.
“More like dull to insulting,” said Daring as rolled her eyes. “I mean, most of these stallions are good but none have really grabbed my attention, ya know? Their art is good, but it doesn’t stand out the way I want it to. And some of them are like Sexist Comment.” As she said this, Daring pointed at the stallion who had slapped Rarity’s flank.
“Don’t worry,” said Night Light sternly, his smile vanishing as he glared at the stallion. “After hearing some of his ‘ideas’ I won’t let him come anywhere near your character. Shameful shine wants to change Daring Doo into a prostitute who was inspired by a stallion to ‘dabble’ in archeology as he put it.”
“Disgusting,” growled Daring as she turned her head to look away from Comment. Rarity nodded in agreement as she could not hide the disgust from her face. How could anypony think something like that would be a good thing?
She could almost picture it clearly in her mind, the excitement of a filly…no, Rainbow Dash when she hears that there will be a graphic novel of her hero. Waiting, counting the days until finally the book is published before heading up to some midnight launch dressed as Daring Do. Quickly buying the book and heading home to read it with all the excitement ready to burst from her chest only to be crushed by the changes.
“Well,” said Night Light with a cough. “I think we shouldn’t be standing here all night. There are still many more ponies to speak to after all.”
“And more autographs to get for your son,” said Daring as she elbowed Night Light who took it with a grin. “See ya around Rarity.”
As the pair left, Rarity turned to look at where Princess Luna had been standing only to find it void of any royalty. Frowning in disappointment, Rarity pondered what to do when Dynamic Pose walked up to her with a large grin on his face.
“What are you doing by yourself all the way over here?” he said with a jolly laugh while getting two cups of punch. “Come on, the real party is over here.” Then, before Rarity knew what was happening, she was being dragged by the stallion into the Dazzle group. It wasn’t long before she found herself standing next to Color who took one of the punch cups Dynamic had gotten.
“Hey Rarity,” said Color who grinned as she took a sip of her drink. “Thought you got lost.”
“No, no,” said Rarity quickly. “I just didn’t want to intrude on your little reunion.” To her surprise, everypony around her laughed loudly.
“Oh no need to worry about it, miss,” said a unicorn stallion with a burly beard. “Any friend of Color is a friend of ours. Mare’s a legend around the office.”
Rarity’s eyes looked at the bat pony brightly. “Really?” she asked instantly receiving nods from all around her except for Color Scheme.
“Oh stop,” said Color, her smile fading a bit as she waved a hoof. “I’m nothing special.”
“Then maybe you should swing by the office a bit more often instead of staying in that house of yours,” laughed another stallion. “Then you can stop us from telling the newbies all these tall-tales. Some of those lads believe us when we say that your pen can stop time!” Rarity looked around as all the stallions laughed, clearly not getting the joke. However, she did notice that Color seemed to look away a bit. In fact, it looked like she mouthed ‘I wish’.
“I do believe that, since this is a special occasion, we should have a pre-victory toast in honor of our returning comrade,” said Dynamic loudly, raising his cup of punch high into the air. Color’s cheeks seemed to be burning red.
“I-I don’t know if I’ll win,” she said while looking away. However, every stallion seemed to ignore her comment as they raised their punches while saying ‘To Color,’ in unison.
“Well they certainly think you’re going to win darling,” said Rarity as she joined in. “So, what category are you in?”
“Best mini-series,” muttered an embarrassed mare who was looking at her hooves. “I…saw the sales charts and I know it sold well but…”
“Seven hundred and fifty thousand copies of each issue,” said the bearded stallion smugly while gesturing with his drink. “That is something to be proud of! I only wish my books did half as well as yours.”
“Look, I appreciate the vote of confidence,” said Color as she lifted her head slowly while fighting back a yawn, “But I don’t know who I’m going up against. And if I lose after you all-” All the stallions began to laugh, cutting her off. Color and Rarity looked at each other in confusion, wondering what was so funny.
“You don’t know?” asked Dynamic, while doing his best to calm down his laughter. Color shook her head, earning around round of laughter from most of them. “Oh, my dear. You have nothing to worry about this year. Not when you’re going up against Sexist Comment!”
Rarity watched as Color’s face looked more confused than before. Both mares then turned their heads to look at Comment and his group. Said stallion seemed to appear like he was standing a bit away from everypony else and was about to slap the flank of one of the costumed mares walking around. Thankfully for the mare, the smaller stallion from before grabbed his hoof to pull him off to the side.
“Really?!” asked Color in utter disbelief. “Canterlot Comics is hoping to win best mini-series with New Dawn: Bat Stallion?”
“I take it the book wasn’t that good?” asked Rarity, giving Comment another glare.
“That’s being kind,” said Dynamic. “The ‘New Dawn’ series was supposed to be sort of a jumping on point for new readers. Retelling the origins of several of Canterlot’s flagship heroes with modern storytelling. Sexist Comment was given Bat Stallion and, well, sort of went off the deep end with it by making the characters talk and act like in another series he did: Vice Town.”
“It’s not even finished yet,” commented the bearded stallion while shaking his head. “Only Celestia knows what they’re playing at.”
“I heard it was Sexist’s editor who pushed for the book,” said a random stallion in the crowd. “Rumor is that he thinks Bat Stallion’s popularity might help it win.”
“Yeah right,” said Color with a small smile.
“Hey, not to sound rude or anything, but what brings you out here tonight?” asked the bearded stallion. “Haven’t been to one of these things in a while. Usually Box accepts your awards for you.”
Color let out a groan of annoyance. “I had to,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Box said this year it was mandatory. Otherwise I’d be at home right now making sure I didn’t miss my deadlines.” As she said this, both mare’s noticed something odd around them. All the stallions began to look at each other with clear confusion in their eyes.
“Is something the matter?” asked Rarity.
“No, not really,” said Dynamic as he scratched the back of his head. “But, um, I’d never heard that this was going to be mandatory this year. I mean nearly all of us show up every year so-”
“It isn’t,” a stallion over to Rarity’s left. Looking over at him she saw him holding an invitation in his magical aura. “Says right here that you don’t have to attend and that somepony else can pick up your award for you. Box either read it wrong or he lied to you.”
A light clunk followed by a swish pulled Rarity’s attention back towards Color Scheme. The mare was trembling from head to hoof, her pupils becoming the size of pine needles as she stared in front of her. Her mouth was hanging limp, and Rarity was sure this wasn’t because she had dropped her punch. Then Rarity and all the other stallions watched as tears began to pool up in her eyes.
“Box, how could you…” was all Color said as the hue of her coat began to dull.
“Um,” began Rarity in an attempt to a potential disaster. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. I am sure there is a reasona-” But Rarity was not able to say anything further as Color suddenly took a step forwards, crushing the plastic cup under her hoof. Color’s coat was regaining its color as her eyes narrowed and her pupils were replaced by flaming slits. She opened her leathery wings before giving them a few powerful beats to get her into the air. Like a dragon searching for more treasure she looked around for the target of her anger while Rarity and the others tried in vain to calm her down.
It was then that the doors opened. Standing there was Box, minus his tie. Color noticed him instantly, letting out a raging hiss before shooting towards him at a speed that would make her cousin green with envy. So fast that Box didn’t have time to register that his life was, seemingly, in danger. He only reacted when Color wrapped a hoof around his neck and flew off into the hallways, the doors slamming shut behind them.
The majority of the ponies in the room stared at the door in silence for a moment before looking at each other awkwardly. None of them spoke about what had just happened, but it was clear that none of them wanted to be anywhere near Color until she cooled down.
All but one. Rarity quickly galloped to the door, opened it, and began to run down the hallway as fast as she could in the hope that she could stop the mare from killing Box. While the building was large, Rarity soon found that she wouldn’t have to search blindly, for she could hear Color’s loud, angry voice echoing throughout the building.
“…any idea what you have done!?” came Color’s voice down the hallway leading deeper into the building. Rarity turned and soon found the two around a corner which peaked around. Box was pressing himself against the wall staring at Color whose rage seemed to allow her to push past her fatigue. “I have two comics I have to finish by the end of the month and I had to bust my flank all week so I would have time for this stupid award! I don’t have time to waste for things like this!”
“Look I-I did this with the b-best of intentions,” stammered Box. “A.K. Yearling is l-looking for somepony to do h-her graphic novel-”
“NO!” screamed Color, stomping her front hooves as she did so. “I-I can’t take another book! I’m already writing, drawing, and coloring four books! Do you have any idea how hard that is while making sure I don’t miss my deadlines?” She then took a step back, her eyes narrowing at the stallion with contempt. “Who am I kidding? Of course you don’t have any idea.”
“Look Color,” said Box with a small gulp as he pried himself away from the wall. “I really do think this will be the best for you. I know you’re a fan of Daring Do so I know you will respect the character. And if you get this, the higher ups will love you even more than they do now. They’ll understand if you’re a little behind-”
“DO YOU WANT ME TO LOSE MY JOB?” screamed Color, tears threatening to appear in her eyes. Soon her body began to shake hard while wrapping her chest with her wings. “I-If I miss a deadline, that’s it. I’m done for.”
Box frowned. “You know that isn’t true,” he said while stepping closer to her. “Sometimes these things happen. They used to happen-”
“That’s right,” snapped Color. “That used to happen all the time. And you know why they don’t happen anymore?”
“Please Color,” begged Box, not answering her question. “A.K. Yearling will only agree to do this project if she picks the artist. Nopony will fire you if you get chosen. And if you’re that worried then let me help you. I can talk to some of the other editors and find somepony else to take over your books for a bit. Or maybe split up the work a bit. I can get you a colorist in a snap. Or maybe somepony to help you write. I could help you if you just let me.”
“How many ponies at Dazzle don’t need help?” demanded Color, flapping her wings so she could hover in the air. “The moment the boss finds out that I’m not pulling my weight like everypony else then I’m done for. Finished! And I won’t let a moron like you ruin everything I have worked for my entire life!” With that, Rarity pulled her head back just before Color came zooming past her. She either didn’t notice Rarity pressing herself against the wall or simply didn’t care. All that she knew was that Color wasn’t going back into the dining hall, but instead into a clearly marked bathroom.
-x-
It was about an hour until the awards were being hoofed out. Everypony was gathered into a large auditorium with a rounded ceiling on the third floor. They all sat on fine silk pillows looking down upon a stage where several pedestals held various trophies. On the far left side of the stage sat Spike, Princess Luna, and a stallion named Linkara. He was a brown unicorn with a darker brown hat, matching vest and glasses.
During that period, Rarity had done her best to try and figure out if what Color said was true. She asked several of the stallions Color worked with and even some from Canterlot Comics. Yet when Rarity asked them if they would be fired for missing a deadline, they seemed confused that she would think that. Some, like Dynamic, had even laughed at the thought since that sort of thing (according to them) still happens from time to time due to various reasons. And their bosses wouldn’t over react to a single missed deadline.
Now, sitting on either side of Rarity as the host took the stage, were Color and Box. Ever since their fight, Box had been moping about the dining hall while looking utterly destroyed. Color, meanwhile, had remained in the mare’s bathroom until Rarity collected her for the award ceremony.
Once the award ceremony began, Rarity saw that it was just like Spike had said. Each category had at least two nominations and usually they were from Dazzle and Canterlot. The three judges would then go over each nomination one at a time. Linkara would talk about the art, story, dialog, and so on. Princess Luna brought in a mare’s perspective on what was going on as well as talking about her own enjoyment. Spike did what he could to try and add in anything else before they moved on.
Finally, the last category was announced. As the stallion mentioned X-Ponies: Era of Nightmares, Color began to mutter to herself.
“I’m going to lose points for my art,” she whispered more to herself while cringing. “Not photo-realistic enough or not detailed enough or something like that.” Rarity, for her part, reached over to place a hoof on the other mare’s shoulder hoping it would calm her down. Color flinched before her head snapped in Rarity’s direction, making said pony think that the bat mare would yell at her or worse. Yet that didn’t happen. Instead, Color’s eyes seemed to soften a bit while she took a breath.
“X-Ponies has gotten a lot of attention these days and it’s hard not to see why,” began Linkara. “This story highlights the writer’s skill at weaving a well-paced story in only six issues. The characters are for the most part likeable and the villain is interesting. However, with that said, some of the characters felt a little annoying. Not enough to drag the story down, but I believe it is worth mentioning. The dialog was easy to read, but didn’t need to dumb itself down for the reader. As for the art, you can tell this was mouth drawn.” At that moment, Color seemed to cringe. “And it is a welcome change. Nowadays it feels like every unicorn out there has learned the mind image spell to create quick and easy, photo-realistic pictures. Don’t get me wrong, they look good. But when every comic looks the same a pony craves something fresh. The art really works with the story, a mix of cartoony yet dark when it needs to be and is consistent. It’s not lazy either. I’ve seen bits where ponies will leave the background blank in order to save time, but this comic adds just the right about of detail so that no panel feels wasted. I give it an eight out of ten.”
Rarity looked over to her friend to find Color holding her hooves to her mouth, tears of joy flowing down her muzzle as those around her patted the bat mare on the back.
“I must agree that the art and story are commendable,” said Princess Luna, giving the audience a nod. “X-Ponies is a series that I have always enjoyed, and this was no exception. While I am a bit…miffed by the villain’s name, it is not enough to berate the book. Another positive I must give the story is that there are no pointless character deaths, ones that only exist to show that the villain is a powerful threat. Instead the author allowed the villain to be threatening by her actions and intent alone. There was only one death, and she went down in a blaze of glory rather than a whimper. The only problem I truly had with this were a few flank shots. I generally look down on these, but at least they were few and far between. I too will give this an eight.”
“Well I really liked it,” said Spike simply. “This was my first time reading X-Ponies, yet I wasn’t lost. I was introduced to the characters real quick. And, well, the only thing I have to add that hasn’t already been said is that there are several references to earlier stories. All of which sound awesome. Not only do I want to keep the issue I was given, but I want to hunt down the stories mentioned to start up my own collection. So I give this a nine!”
“That’s twenty five out of thirty for Color Scheme and X-Ponies: Era of Nightmares!” exclaimed the host happily. As the crowd applauded, Rarity looked over to see an overjoyed expression on Color’s face. Tears were now flowing freely, which she did her best to hide. “Now for Sexist Comment and New Dawn: Bat Stallion!”
Linkara let out a groan. “Where do I even begin with this…mess,” he said while shaking his head. “I’ll get the good out of the way because, honestly, there’s not much I can say about this story positively. The art is the best thing about this comic, but that’s par for the course nowadays. It looks nice and detailed, but it can’t save it from the awful, terrible dialog that is injected into every single page. Some sentences are repeated constantly for seemingly no reason while others have Bat Stallion talking about Canterlot like it’s this thing he wants to rut. The characters are either idiots or worship the ground Bat Stallion walks on. The plot, well, let’s just say that it took five issues before the author remembered there was one. I give this a one out of ten.”
Luna gave a nod. “I also found this to be a disheartening read,” she said simply. “Mares in this comic exist to be sex objects for Bat Stallion. There is a page in the first issue where all the word balloons are sex near a mare’s flank while she talks about super hero’s…sizes. On a more personal level, I take great offence to having both me and my sister in this story praising Bat Stallion for killing several of our guards followed by us not focusing on our jobs but instead imaging what he would be like in bed. Other heroes are brought into the story for seemingly no reason, being portrayed as ineffective. I truly wish I could give this a zero, but since that is not allowed it will receive a one.”
“I’ve read Bat Stallion before, but I don’t know who this guy is supposed to be,” said Spike, his tiny arms crossed as he scowled. “The Bat Stallion I know would never, ever kill somepony because then he’s no better than those he fights against. He wants to make the world a better place using everything he can. But in this book I saw him kick guards in the neck with his hind legs, drug a criminal before throwing him into a river while shackled, abuse those around him like his sidekick and butler, and just act like a jerk. I’ve seen bullies on the playground act more mature than this guy. In the end, he feels like he’s just some crazy pony who’s just dressing up like Bat Stallion. There were one or two moments that I did like, but in the end this book just made me feel unclean. I agree that this book deserves a one.”
A few stallions applauded, but it was clear to Rarity that they were doing it just to be polite. While the three had been talking, the white mare had noticed many heads in the crowd nodding with their judgements about the series while a few whispered to each other.
After a moment or two, the host asked for Color to come down. As soon as the bat pony stood up, she was met by with applauds from almost everypony in the room. Looking at her face, Rarity could see that it was full of happiness and joy. As Color took her trophy, Rarity saw out of the corner of her eye something that unnerved her for some reason. It was Sexist Comment and he was smirking. It was an arrogant one, the type where the owner knew something that everypony else didn’t.
Whatever, thought Rarity as she turned her head to look at Color Scheme as she accepted her award. Who cares what a mongrel like him thinks.
-x-
“I can’t believe it,” said Color. The awards ceremony had ended several minutes ago leaving the room devoid of almost everypony. All that remained were Color and Rarity both sitting in their seats. After Color had gotten her award she had just stared at it for the longest time with a tired, yet profoundly happy smile on her face.
“Believe it my dear,” said Rarity with a grin. “You won.”
Not taking her eyes off the trophy, Color shook her head. “It’s not about that,” she said. “They…They liked my art. I put so much time and effort into it, trying to make it stand out while everypony else uses that, er, same style. It’s been so long since…” Color’s words trailed off as more tears appear on her face.
For a moment, Rarity just sat there. She had no tissues to give her or anything like that. So, instead, she placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. And when the bat mare looked at her, Rarity just smiled before nodding.
“I…I think I need to talk to Box,” said Color, somewhat out of the blue as she stood up. “I have to apologize to him. I’ve…I’ve been nothing but a wreck for a long time. W-Working extra hard a-and not getting enough sleep.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” replied Rarity as she also got up and the two moved towards the door.
Without another word, the two walked back to the dining hall. As they did, Rarity noticed that Color’s eyes seemed a bit more closed than they were before and her movements seemed to sway. Her leathery wings were also somewhat hanging from her side, almost dragging on the floor. Rarity had known that this mare was tired, both physically and emotionally. However, now it seemed she was running on fumes and seemed like she might pass out at any moment. Rarity vowed she would stay with this mare until she finally got some well-deserved rest.
As the two entered the dining hall they began their search for Box. This wasn’t easy since there was more going on than before. Reporter ponies were talking to both the winners and the losers, to see how they felt about the awards this year as camera’s levitated in the air.
“I’m not surprised I didn’t win,” came the voice of Sexist Comment, catching the attention of both mares. “Given who I was up against.”
“I see,” said the reporter as he wrote something down real quick.
“I mean honestly, of course they’d pay off the two judges to ensure that the only mare here won,” continued Comment calmly, as if it were the most natural reasoning in the world. Rarity stood there as shocked as the reporter whose eyes had gone wide and jaw left hanging. The air went still and the voices around them went very deadly quiet. Some of the stallions around Comment moved away, doing their best to not be associated with him.
“A-Are you sure about that?” asked the reporter.
“Of course,” said Comment as he looked at the reporter as if he were a foal. “We all know that Color Scheme is nothing more than Dazzle’s token mare. Why else would they keep her around? Her so called ‘art’ or ‘storytelling’? What a laugh! What she does, mouth drawing, is something any foal can do and nothing more. She’ll never have the skill that a unicorn of my caliber possesses. But Dazzle can’t fire her or else she’d probably sue them. And the same thing would probably happen tonight if she didn’t win. The officials don’t want any bad press so they bribed two of the judges. Of course there was no need to bribe Moon Flank. Mares will stick together. Also it helped that she was a bat pony freak of nature.”
Rarity let out a growl and was about to let that swine of a stallion have it, but a sob stopped her. She looked over to her side to find Color with a hurt expression on her face as she backed away. Rarity opened her mouth to tell her that Comment wasn’t worth listening to, but the bat mare had turned around and run out the door before the words could escape her lips.
“For the love of Celestia, SHUT UP!” roared a voice. Rarity, who was about to run after Color, paused when she heard that voice. It was Box’s. Looking around she spotted Box marching over to Comment while his face was contorted in anger. The reporter pony took a few steps back, writing down everything that was going on as Box stopped in front of Comment.
“You. Lost,” breathed Box. “Don’t you DARE claim it's some sort of conspiracy when you know perfectly well it isn’t.”
Comment laughed before looking around. “I don’t see that little mare anywhere,” he said smugly. “So you can drop the act. Everypony in this room knows you only support her in the hopes of spreading the little whore’s legs an-” Comment was cut off as Box lunged at him, his expression the very definition of unbridled anger, and tackled Comment to the ground.
As much as Rarity would have loved to watch this, and perhaps help, she knew she had a friend to help. Galloping as quickly as she could, Rarity left the dining hall to begin her search.
For several long minutes, Rarity searched every hallway and room she could find on every floor. Finally she came across something near a stairway: Color’s trophy. The symbol of her victory looked like it had been thrown against the floor in a fit of anger as it was now broken in two. Using her magic, Rarity picked up the pieces before looking up at the stairway. Believing this was the way she went, Rarity hurried up.
As it turned out, the stairs took Rarity up to the walkway that overlooked Canterlot. Despite the situation, she paused for a moment to stare out at the beautiful city spread before her. Actually, it wasn’t just the city but also the fields, valleys, rivers, and everything else her eyes could make out under the full moon. At that moment, Rarity couldn’t help but think that the only place a pony could get a better view would be the highest tower of the castle.
When the moment passed, Rarity’s ears picked up the sound of a mare sobbing. Turning her head slightly, Rarity saw Color was only a few yards away. The bat had her upper body on the marble railing, head pressed against her forelegs which were resting on said railing. Rarity took a deep breath and then, calmly approached the mare.
“Darling,” said Rarity once she was next to her, placing a hoof on the crying mare’s shoulder.
“I knew it,” came a muffled sob. “I knew it was too good to be true!”
“You…You don’t believe what that filthy animal said was true, do you?” asked Rarity. Color lifted her head to reveal a face covered in tears. Her eyes were still barely open, but the unicorn could see that the red in her eyes.
“I-I work so hard,” sobbed Color. “I do everything I can so I won’t get fired. I-I take every job they give me and do the same work as the others. Everypony else uses magic to draw and color and print. I have to keep up but it’s so hard. And I’m the only one who has to do it.”
As another sob escaped from Color, Rarity came to a realization. One that she hadn’t realized until now. Both companies looked like they only employed unicorn stallions. The only exception seemed to be Color.
“It…It hasn’t always been like this, has it?” asked Rarity.
Color shook her head. “Nooo,” she wailed. “There used to be some more of everypony. W-When I started I was the only bat pony. But when new magic came up…” She trailed off as more tears began to fall. “They…They started to miss their deadlines and then, over a couple of weeks, they were gone. N-Now there’s only me. May-Maybe Comment’s right and they only keep me around-”
“That’s nonsense and I will not allow you to finish that sentence!” snapped Rarity, startling Color. “Look, I don’t know what is going on in either company's hiring policies or why you’re the only mare. But I saw how all those stallions in there were treating you. It’s clear that they admire all the hard work you do. They respect you darling.”
Rarity paused for a moment as she showed Color her broken trophy. The bat mare watched as Rarity’s magic brought it back together and, temporarily, made it whole once more. When she was done, Rarity took it in her hooves and placed it in front of Color.
“Color Scheme, you earned this,” said Rarity. “I know it as do all of those ponies down there. The only one who is saying otherwise is the one who didn’t win this award.”
“B-But,” began Color as she looked down on her repaired trophy.
“No, I will not hear any ‘buts’,” said Rarity firmly. When she spoke again, her tone became kinder, gentler. “Dear, you are tired. You have pushed yourself to your limit and you’re not thinking clearly. A nice rest and you’ll realize that everything that two bit piece of-”
“ENOUGH!” came the roar of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“Wh-What was that?” asked Color.
“That sounded like Princess Luna,” said Rarity. “But why would she need to…Oh my gosh! Box! As soon as you left he went to confront that filthy Sexist Comment! They started a fight and-” Rarity didn’t have to say anymore. Color’s eyes widened as a shot of adrenaline filled her and she shot past her friend. Rarity picked up the trophy with her magic before following. Both mares galloped down the stairs and back to the dining hall.
Once there they found Box and Comment separated on opposite sides of the room. Comment looked uninjured, yet was frowning as both Luna and some stallion in a fancy suit were talking to him. Judging by their expressions, they were having very strong words with him. On the other side of the room, Box didn’t look so good. He had bruises all over his body, a bloody lip, and a black eye. Several ponies, including those Rarity had met, were holding ice packs against his body with their magic.
As soon as Color saw Box, she rushed over to him. Once she was by his side, she took one of the ice packs floating in the air and applied it to his body herself.
“Guy never stood a chance,” said Dynamic as Rarity came closer. “He landed a single punch and then Comment just held him to the ground with a spell before wailing on him. He…He had this look on his face, like he was relishing every blow. Then Miss Yearling stepped in and pushed him off. By the look of things, Sexist Comment was going to do the same to her if Princess Luna hadn’t separated them.”
“Oh my,” said Rarity, holding a hoof to her mouth.
“Box, you stupid fool,” whispered Color through gritted teeth.
Box let out a groan. “Just wanted to help,” he said with a groan.
“And look where that got you,” said Dynamic with a frown, turning his head to look at the fallen unicorn. “He was just a moron spouting nonsense. Had you left it alone, the papers would have played him up as a sore loser or something like that. Now, instead of covering the awards, they’ll be covering this schoolyard brawl!”
“And he’s lucky I’m not firing his sorry flank,” came another voice. Now approaching the group was a pink unicorn stallion with a blond mane and matching beard, wearing a very fancy suit. As he walked he carried an air of authority while his face looked like he was trying to mask his anger. Beside him was A.K. Yearling and Night Light, trotting a few steps behind him.
“Who’s that?” whispered Rarity to Dynamic as the stallion stopped in front of Box.
“That’s Editorial Mandate,” replied Dynamic in a low whisper. “CEO of Dazzle.”
“Boss, he said-” began Box as he tried to get up, but Color and the others kept the stallion down.
“I don’t care what he said,” snapped Editorial. “He could have been degrading my mother or Celestia for all I care! All he was doing was spewing garbage that wasn’t worth dung. If what he said did get printed, it would have most likely given Canterlot Comics a bad image. Now we have this: one of my top editors starting a fight and getting his flank kicked.” Editorial paused for a moment before looking around. He then leaned in close to say something else in a lower tone. “That said, I’m glad somepony finally took a shot at that moron. If it wasn’t for my position, I would have done it years ago!” He then winked at a surprised Box and Color.
“Now then,” continued Editorial in a loud voice again. “Princess Luna has decided that, since you were standing up for a friend and you were brutally beaten beyond anything that can be considered self-defense, you will not receive any jail time. However, you are to report to her once you are better to begin some community service. I expect you to do this without complaint or else you will be suspended without pay! Am I clear?”
“Yes sir,” said Box.
Editorial then shifted his focus to Color causing her to cringe slightly under his gaze. “As for you Color Scheme, I feel there is something we should have discussed a while ago. When you requested to start working from home three years ago, I gave it my blessing since I knew you had a lot on your plate and you were a hard worker. In those three years your work came in on time and retained a consistent quality so there was no reason to question if what I had done was wrong or not. Tonight, however, has been different. All night I have had ponies coming up to me and telling me that you look like you're about to pass out. That, combined with that outburst with Editor’s Box, has got me concerned. Is there something going on that you’re not telling me?”
Color didn’t answer. Instead she lowered her head, looking downward. Rarity watched as Editorial just seemed to wait while growing slightly annoyed with each passing moment. Believing that Color was not going to say anything, Rarity spoke up. When she did, all heads looked at her. Most of them were curious to find out what she had to say. Color just had a look of betrayal on her face, mouthing at the white unicorn to stop talking. But Rarity refused. She told them everything she had seen since first meeting Color all the way to her confession on the fourth floor.
When she was done, Rarity saw all heads turn to look at a scared Color Scheme. Their faces filled with concern. Editorial, however, was going through a mix of faces. He started out with confusion before taking on a face that looked like he was remembering something. Finally, the head of Dazzle looked like he had found the missing piece to a complex puzzle.
“Color, if you needed help all you had to do was ask,” said one stallion.
“I-I need to pull my own weight,” said Color.
“There’s no shame in asking for assistance,” said Dynamic. “And nopony here would ever think any less of you for missing a deadline every once in a while.”
“But-” began Color in a panicked tone.
“He’s right,” said Editorial, cutting off Color before sighing. “I should have known. You asked to start working from home right after it happened.” There was a slight pause. “It’s true that we have been hiring more unicorns who can use their magic to produce higher quality art. Marketing came to me and told me that, at the time, sales on comics with art like that were selling higher. We proceeded like this, but I wasn’t about to let go of our non-unicorn staff. Yet some heard about this change and left in a huff. The others who didn’t know about this, well I found out that they were coming up late because they were skipping work to go partying. Came into work with confetti in their manes when they told me they had various family emergencies. So I fired them.”
Color looked at her employer, wide eyed and mouth hanging open. “You mean…?” she asked.
“Color Scheme, I’m going to have to insist that we make some changes,” said Editorial calmly. “I’m going to put you up in a hotel for the next couple of days so I can make sure you’re resting. Then, after a couple of days, you are to report to my office so we can decide which titles you’re going to drop.” Color opened her mouth to object, but Editorial held up a hoof to silence her. “I refuse to allow you to put your health in jeopardy any more than you already have. For a while, I think it would be better if you worked on two books instead of four. And one of those titles looks like it’ll be Daring Doo.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” said Miss Yearling as everypony looked at her. “I saw some of your stuff kid and, after hearing those judges, makes me think you might be the one. There are still some things I’d like to go over with you. Once you’re rested of course.”
Color Scheme gave her a tired smile before nodding.
-x-
After the incident with Sexist Comment, the party was over. Ambulance ponies soon arrived on the scene to rush Box over to the hospital in ensure he was alright. Color, despite needing to take it easy herself wanted to go with them to make sure her friend would be alright. She was told that only family members were allowed to be in the chariot with them and the visiting hours had passed. She had wanted to argue, but Box told her he would show up at her hotel as soon as he could to let her know he was alright.
Shortly after that, Rarity helped Color Scheme to their provided chariot. The plan was it would first stop at the hotel before taking Rarity back to Ponyville. As they took off, Rarity saw that Sexist was being taken away by the Canterlot police. This put a smile on the mare’s face. When she turned to see if Color was watching this she saw that Color was asleep, holding the trophy in her hooves while mumbling thanks to Box.
You rest now darling, thought Rarity as she sat down beside the bat mare as they flew off into the starry sky. You have earned it.