//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Those We Leave Behind... // by Dreadnought //------------------------------// Rarity loved autumn. The trees turned the most gorgeous shades of red, orange and yellow as the warm, sunny days of summer gradually slipped into the snowy days of winter. Fillies and colts returned from a long vacation to start a brand-new school year. The summer leagues held their crowning championships while other sports began playing their new seasons. Autumn also featured the harvest festivals, the Running of the Leaves, and the fun of Nightmare Night. Then of course there were countless fall galas to attend. But the thing Rarity enjoyed most of all about autumn was the fashion. She drew inspiration from the season to create the most amazing outfits, catering to every taste, budget and occasion. Her regular fall line of clothing reflected and perfectly complemented the beautiful colors of the leaves. Her foal clothing sales saw a boost, as mares and stallions brought their children in for new school clothes before the start of the semester. Fans of winning teams came in for clothes to wear during the playoffs, while others stopped by to purchase new merchandise for the start of hoofball’s regular season. Then there were themed garments worn at the festivals and the fabulous costumes of Nightmare Night. Society ponies came into her boutiques to purchase new gowns and formal attire for the different balls held throughout the season. And finally, the drop in temperatures made for something Rarity always relished: sweater weather. Yes, other seasons had their perks, but fall was the best of all. Rarity stood in the front of Canterlot Carousel, carefully arranging a new window display announcing her new fall line was ready. Humming to herself, she made sure that everything looked just so. She surreptitiously glanced out the window onto the busy street and observed passing ponies already taking an interest. When the attire went on sale on Monday, she expected the store to see heavy traffic. “Bobbins and bodkins, Rarity!” came a voice from behind. “That is sure to draw in customers,” praised Sassy Saddles. “It’s easy to create an amazing window display with clothes as fabulous as these!” replied Rarity. “This year’s line is the best I’ve done,” she boasted. “And not just your fall line,” added Sassy, “we’ve also been selling out of Canterlot Wondercolts merchandise. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how did you manage to get a license? The league is very choosy.” “Actually,” admitted Rarity, “I was asked by the league.” Pausing a moment to see the confused expression on her employee’s face, she continued, “The commissioner’s wife is a frequent patron of my Manehattan Boutique.” The two shared a laugh. “Bust my buttons! You sure make connections.” “A good businesspony knows how to network,” winked Rarity. Suddenly the front door burst open and a blur shot past the two unicorns, crashing into racks of clothing. Though buried by dresses and accessories, Rarity could tell from the rainbow-colored tail just who the perpetrator was. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing wrecking my store!” The mass of clothing rose and the pegasus underneath struggled to get free. “Rarity! You have to come right away!” “My, what’s happened?” asked a concerned Rarity. “There’s been an accident at the Cutie Mark Day Camp! Sweetie Belle has been rushed to the hospital!”