After much waiting and anticipation, the day had finally arrived. CanterCon, Canterlot’s premier media, and fan convention was this weekend, and Fluttershy was practically bubbling over with excitement. She had been attending the convention as a vendor for several years, but last year had been the first year she had worked up the courage to invite her friends to join her. Overjoyed when they had all agreed to attend, she was even happier when they all ended up having a good time, with promises of attending next year made alongside an idea by Pinkie Pie:
“Let’s all go in costume next year!”
And thus, months of planning and costume shopping had lead up to this day. With registration opening in less than an hour, the group had all agreed to convene at Sunset’s loft before driving down to the convention center together.
Sunset was currently in the process of putting on the finishing touches of her costume, adjusting a triangular finned hat with a white feather poking from the top atop her head. She was outfitted in an ashen leather long coat with velvet lining on the inside, with a white scarf dyed red as if soaked in fresh blood wrapped around her neck with an emerald brooch on top, and knee-high black boots. Hanging from her hip in holsters were a pair of silver prop weapons, one a saber and the other a dagger, both with a special clasp designed to connect the two at the hilt into a twin bladed sword.
“And… done.” Twirling around, Sunset gave a dramatic flutter of her long coat’s flaps as she turned to face her friends. “Well, how do I look?”
Applejack glanced up from her spot on the couch. After a moment of looking Sunset over, she said, “Y’all look like some kind of vampire hunter.”
“Well, you’re half right,” Sunset chuckled, tipping her hat up as she looked over Applejack’s costume, still not sure what Applejack was supposed to be. The farmgirl was dressed in a yellow bodysuit with red rubber gloves and boots on her hands and feet respectively. A white sheet was pinned to the shoulders like a cape and a belt with a golden buckle wrapped around her waist. “Are you sure you’re not a dishwasher?”
“Again, I’m a superhero. Can’t ya tell?” As if to illustrate her point, Applejack reached back and flapped her ‘cape’, like she was flying through the air.
“... Riiiggghhht…” Strolling over to the bathroom, Sunset rapped her knuckles against the door. “You okay in there, Fluttershy?”
“Um…” Fluttershy squeaked from inside. “Could… could you come and help me, please? I’m having a… a little trouble with the zipper…”
“Sure, I’m coming in,” Sunset warned as she opened the bathroom door and slipped inside, closing the door behind her.
“This is going to be so awesome!” Pinkie Pie positively vibrated with her usual excitement as she leaned over the couch.
By some form of black magic, her hair had been rangled into a pair of pigtails tied together with an almost excessive quantity of bands and hair ties. The red and black sleeveless vest she was wearing was open to reveal the white tank top she was wearing, a smiling face that looked like it had been drawn in lipstick across the garment. Black fingerless riding gloves covered her hands and forearms with red bands running every few inches along her arms and her pants looked like they’d been sewn together from at least three different pairs, with red leather running down her right leg and black on her left, both switching to the other past the knee with similar coloured boots.
Finally, her face had been painted pale white and she wore a black domino mask over her eyes. “So many people having fun all packed into one place… I can hardly wait!”
“Hold yer horses, Pinkie. If’n yer not careful, you’ll burn yourself out before the first day’s even over.”
“And miss the costume contest!?” Pinkie gasped. “NEVER!”
Walking out from the bathroom, Sunset cleared her throat to get the other’s attention. “May I present… Fluttershy.” Stepping aside, she let the demure girl walk forward, causing Applejack and Pinkie to both stare agasp with a mixture of shock and wonder.
“Wowzers…” Applejack muttered with a whistle.
“Fluttershy…” Pinkie sputtered, her eyes wide as could be. “You… you look… AMAZING!”
“It… It’s not too much, is it?” Fluttershy asked, blushing profusely as she crossed her arms in front of her. In a major departure from her usual look, Fluttershy was dressed in a very, very skin-tight sky blue body suit that hugged her every curve, patches of darker blue bands around her thighs and legs. Her hair had been tied up into a ponytail, with a pair of pink bangs bordering her face. Strapped against her hip was a holster holding a silver prop pistol, and a pink insignia could be seen just above her left breast.
“Fluttershy… I… I mean… Wow…” Applejack sputtered, rubbing her eyes just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. “Dressed like that, yer gonna need a stick to knock all the boys loose, mark my word.”
Fluttershy’s blush only intensified, rubbing her right forearm nervously. “Well, it… it’s not like I’ll be spending a lot of time walking the con floor. I’ll be sitting at a vendor’s booth most of the time, so I wanted something comfortable to wear. Besides…” While still blushing, a glint of cunning flashed across her face. “I guarantee you I’ll get more customers wearing this.”
Sunset whistled. “Right for the throat, Fluttershy. I’m kind of impressed…”
Fluttershy smirked as she crossed her arms behind her back. “What can I say, I feel like I can be a bit more confident when I go to conventions like this. Especially with you girls going along with me.”
“Speaking of the others, where in the Sam Hill are they?” Applejack asked impatiently. “If’n they don’t get here soon, we’re gonna have to fight just to get us a spot in line.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” Sunset said as she walked over to the door, taking a peek through the peephole at whoever was standing on the other side. Smiling, she flung the door open to greet them. “Twilight! You made it!”
“Sorry if we’re late,” Twilight replied, glancing down the hall. “Rarity couldn’t decide on the right accessories to wear.” Compared to her friend’s outfits, the bespectacled girl was much more casually dressed, with a bomber jacket overtop a white open shoulder top with a red splotch and five white asterisks on the front. The white top almost concealed the black short shorts she was wearing, alongside a pair of black thigh-high socks and knee-high black boots. A pair of headphones hung around her neck and Twilight had even opted to wear a long orange wig that ran down her back.
“Why am I not surprised that’s who you decided to go as?” Sunset remarked, grinning mischievously at the newly flustered Twilight.
“W-well, she already has glasses, so… so I figured—”
“Relax, Twilight,” Sunset reassured her. “I’m kidding.”
Twilight huffed, blushing slightly. “You could have said that sooner.”
“Coming through!” Glancing down the hall, the pair saw Rarity stroll down the hall towards them. In typical Rarity fashion, she had gone a tad overboard with her costume, designing every square inch of personally of the blue ball gown she now wore, the hemline trimmed just above her ankles to reveal the white high heeled slippers she was wearing, matching the white gloves covering her hands and arms. Her hair shined like it was woven from amethyst, with a blue tiara holding her hair up in a bun.
“One side, your Highness,” Rainbow grimaced as she pushed past Rarity, dressed in her usual outfit as she carried a duffle bag under one arm. “Yo, Sunset,” she greeted as she walked up to Sunset’s door, looking her up and down. “Sick threads. Mind if I use your bathroom to change into my costume?”
“Be my guest.” Sunset had barely stepped aside to let her inside when Rainbow Dash made a beeline for the bathroom, giving a quick, “Hey, Fluttershy,” before bolting into the bathroom and slamming the door closed behind her.
“Manners, Rainbow!” Rarity reprimanded her as she walked into the room. “Honestly, have you no… no…” Rarity’s train of thought quickly derailed as she caught sight of Fluttershy’s outfit, her jaw hanging open in surprise. “Fluttershy… you… look…
“Adorable?” Sunset offered, pressing a finger to Rarity’s chin and popping her mouth closed. “Beautiful? Sexy?”
“... Yes.”
Fluttershy’s blush returned in full force. “T-thanks…”
“While we wait for Rainbow,” Twilight said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a day planner, “I thought it would be a good idea to go over what everyone plans to do once we get registered. I’ve looked at the schedule for the weekend and prepared a plan based on everyone’s individual interests. I even color coded it!”
“Well, I for one plan to attend the costume panels again this year,” Rarity said. “I learned so much last year, and this year I plan to expand my knowledge of fashion even more!”
“Think my first stop will be checking out the game room and signing up for the tournament,” Sunset replied. “I’ve been practicing for this and I plan to at least make it to the quarterfinals this time, if not take home the trophy.”
“We’ll be cheerin’ ya on, promise. As for me, think I’ll stick with Fluttershy and sit back in that there vendors’ room for a tick. Maybe see if something there catches my eye.”
“All good ideas,” Twilight said, her eyes blitzing back and forth as she jotted down notes in her day planner. “There are few panels on game design I’d like to see, and there’s going to be a trivia show in the main conference room tomorrow afternoon I’d like to participate in.”
“Ooh! I know what I’m doing!” Pinkie announced. “I’m going to see the cartoon panel! It was so much fun last year!”
‘Well…” Fluttershy chimed in, “I’ll be busy in the vendor’s room most of the time, but there are a few artists attending that I’d like to get autographs from. I… may have also brought a few things they could sign, if it’s not too much trouble for them.”
“A ‘few’?” Sunset asked, eyebrow raised skeptically.
“I’m ready!” Everyone turned as Rainbow excited the bathroom in her costume. Much like Twilight’s, hers looked for more casual. She was dressed like a delinquent, wearing a loose black jacket over a red top, a dog tag on a chain hanging around her neck. Her black pants were torn in several places, and a chain dangled from her belt. Finally, she was wearing a black wig styled to look like a greased up pompadour.
Fluttershy gasped, her eyes sparkling as she clasped her hands together. “You went with my idea!”
“Yeah, couldn’t decide what I was going to be, so I thought ‘What the heck?” With a shrug of her shoulders, she stuck her hands in her pockets and glanced around the room at the gathered group of characters. “So, we going, or what?”
“Yes, and not a moment too soon!” Sticking her day planner back in her bag, Twilight quickly checked her phone. “If we hurry, we can make it there before the line-up starts.”
“Well, what are we waitin’ for then?” Applejack hollered, clapping her hands. “Let’s get movin’, hup, hup!” With that, the group traveled as one to the parking lot, where Applejack’s truck was still parked. The seven girls made for quite a sight as they walked through the lobby, earning more than few passing glances, especially towards Fluttershy, who waved back politely.
Yes, this weekend was certainly guaranteed to be an interesting one, one way or another.