//------------------------------//
// Show  
// Story: In the Background of the City 
// by Zeck 
//------------------------------//

	Fancy Pants barely registered the Fashion Week contest as it played out before him, Fleur, and all the other ponies who were in attendance. His ears briefly paid attention when Suri’s name was called, but he paid her no more mind once the first model wearing ‘her’ design stepped forward. 
No, Fancy Pants was focused on something much more fascinating. Down in the very front row, a row reserved for very important ponies, there was a gap in the crowd. A very large gap, one that looked as though a small group of ponies had failed to arrive. To miss such an event when one had a ticket to it was baffling, but for an entire group, with prime seats, to miss this event was beyond reason. 
Although, the same thing had happened last night at the musical. There had been a rather large gap in the audience, right near the front, and Fancy Pants was certain that those seats were the ones he had given to Rarity for her friends. So he believed it was safe to assume that the missing ponies for Fashion Week were the same as the ones from the musical, but that only raised more questions.
Rarity had been fiercely devoted to her friends when Fancy Pants had first met them, and he had seen her come in to the theater earlier today with her new outfits, but she had been alone.  And that only made the question of why a group of ponies, especially friends, would miss such an important event all the more curious.
Fancy Pants hoped the reason was not because Manehattan was starting to get to Rarity as it had to so many other ponies. That would be a true waste.
“Ugh, what a dreadful mare,” Fleur said from beside him, tilting her head so that it rested on his overcoat. “The beauty of those outfits is wasted on me, I fear. Knowing the truth about them just puts me in a sour mood.”
Fancy Pants looked to the stage and saw that Suri’s (Coco’s) outfits were still being paraded in front of adoring fans. The crowd was going wild over the outfits, and for the second time in as many days, Fancy Pants found himself growing worried. He did not dislike the designs himself, but Fleur had the right of it; the truth behind them ruined them. However, other ponies did not know the truth, and without that tint, the outfits were marvelous. Rarity would need to bring something beyond imagining if she hoped to win.
“And now, Rarity from Ponyville, with her new line—and I mean brand new—Hotel Chic.”
The curtain pulled back to reveal a pony with…was that a lampshade on her head? Fancy Pants stared at first in confusion, but he felt Fleur light up next to him at the sight of the model. While her outfit was a bid odd, he had to admit that it worked. The next pony walked out, wearing what appeared to be curtains sown together in such a way as to appear to be a plated dress with a military-style overcoat. The crowd gasped in awe, and then broke into applause as more and more of Rarity’s outfits made their way onstage. 
But Fancy Pants was no longer looking at the outfits. He was looking at the white unicorn who was peering around the curtain in the back. It was fascinating watching her. Her eyes lit up at the sound of the applause, and for a moment, she appeared to be the happiest pony in all of Equestria, but then her eyes found the empty hole in the stands, and her expression suddenly looked dreadful. So, that spot had belonged to her friends. Now, it was just a matter of what Rarity would—
Rarity bolted down the runway, knocking one of the models over as she leapt off the stage. Everypony gasped, expect for Fancy Pants, who merely smiled, and Prim called after Rarity, but the unicorn did not look back.
“What ever was that about do you think?” Fleur asked as she, like so many others, watched Rarity dash out the door. 
“Oh, nothing too worrisome I suspect,” Fancy Pants said. “Just a mare remembering who she is, and what she truly values.”
“You don’t say,” Fleur said, gazing at Fancy Pants for a moment before returning her attention to the fashion show. “A pity. I believe she stood a good chance of winning too.”
Fancy Pants let out a small chuckle. “My dear Fleur, she has already won.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Look at the judges.” Fancy pants nodded to his left, indicating three of the biggest fashion ponies in Equestria: Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, and Photo Finish. “Judges are supposed to be unbiased, and I am certain all three of them will claim to be so, but do you honestly believe they were here for any other pony besides Rarity?”
“I’m afraid I do not follow,” Fleur said as the crowd began to recover from Rarity’s shocking display. Prim was on stage trying to reign the show back in for the closing ceremony.
“Allow me to explain,” Fancy Pants said as he straightened his monocle again and Fleur rested her head on his shoulder. “Hoity Toity is the pony who discovered Rarity. He could not stop talking about her dress designs when he returned to Canterlot after his little excursion to Ponyville. Sapphire Shores wanted to see this new marvel for herself, and you know what she is like when she hears about so-called new talent.”
“She likes to test it for herself,” Fleur said with a soft smile.
“Precisely. How Miss Rarity managed to find so many gems for those…shall we say, tasteful, outfits of Sapphire’s I will never understand, but Sapphire was impressed as well.”
“That leaves Photo Finish, and you know as well as I do that she is not as easily impressed as the others,” Fleur said, a frown crossing her elegant face. Photo Finish had pushed her in ways she’d never been pushed when she had first started her modeling career. 
“Indeed you are correct, my dear,” Fancy Pants said, rubbing her head gently to calm her. “Photo Finish was not impressed with Rarity’s designs in the slightest. She had seen them all before—she claims, anyway—and there was nothing new about them. However, she does owe Rarity for something else, though she will never admit it.”
“What is that?”
“Fluttershy.”
“That lovely pegasus model who left the business almost as soon as she got started?” Fleur asked. Leave it to her to remember Fluttershy right away. Fleur remembered every model that became nearly as famous as she did.
“Yes. Photo Finish wasn’t impressed with Rarity’s outfit, but she was impressed with Rarity’s eye for quality. Photo will claim that she is the one who discovered Fluttershy, but she knows the truth of it. Rarity is the one who brought Fluttershy to Photo Finish’s attention, and in doing so, made Photo Finish realize that Rarity did indeed have a future ahead of herself. Again, she’ll never admit to any of that in public, but she knows that Rarity has an eye for ‘ze magicz’! Judging by her reaction, I think it is safe to say that Rarity did not disappoint her.”
Fleur giggled at Fancy Pants’ impression of the photo pony, and at that moment, Photo Finish stood and walked to the stage. She gave Prim a small piece of paper, then turned—with precision that rivaled even Fleur’s best spin—and returned to her seat.
“Attention Ladies and Gentlecolts,” Prim said, raising her voice slightly so that the rest of the crowd fell silent. “This year’s winner, by way of our judges, is…Rarity from Ponyville!” The crowd erupted into cheers and stomping hooves, so much so that Fancy Pants felt his seat shaking beneath himself. He smiled when he saw Fleur whistle with glee, something she rarely did.
“Now, if she was actually here,” Prim said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, that pony has no sense of presence or timing. Well everypony, thank you for coming. I’m afraid we may have to cut the award ceremony a bit short, but please feel free to ask questions of any of our designers and—has anypony seen Suri? Please do not tell me she’s missing too. Oh, how dreadful…”
“Come my dear,” Fancy Pants said, rising and offering his hoof to Fleur. “I think it is time for us to take our leave. Perhaps we should go find Miss Rarity and inform her of the good news.”
“Of course, darling.” Fleur rose and the two of them walked out of the theater. They entered the lobby, and their good moods were immediately soured as they heard a familiar voice.
“Got it?” Suri was saying as Fancy Pants and Fleur entered the lobby. “That’s the story we’re sticking to. Her friends just asked about her, and we told them she lost and left in a huff. If we’re lucky, they’ll let it slip that Rarity lost and she’ll be so crushed that she won’t show up for her prize, and it will be mine!”
“But what about—?” Coco started, but Suri silenced her with a look. With that, the two of them turned and walked away, no doubt heading backstage to bask in false praise.
“Ugh, I cannot stand her!” Fleur said. “When are you going to do something about her? Surely with your influence you could do something.”
“Indeed I could,” Fancy Pants said as dozens of ideas flowed through his mind. “But that would make me no better than her, would it? Using lies and underhanded tactics to get what I want.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Fleur said, a hint of disappointment sounding in her voice. 
“Now come along, we really must find Miss Rarity,” Fancy Pants said. As he headed for a door, a thought began to form in his head. He looked back in the direction Coco had gone. As far as he knew, that was the first time Coco had ever tried to stand up to Suri. Perhaps the time was getting near. “Fleur, my dear, might I ask something of you?”
“Certainly,” Fleur said in that wispy voice she used whenever she knew Fancy Pants needed something from her.
“When we do find Miss Rarity, would you be kind enough to not mention her winning?”
Fleur gave him a puzzled look, but then she smiled. “This is another one of your little schemes, isn’t it?”
“Quite so, I’m afraid,” he replied with a grin. He looked back the way Coco had gone, hoping that perhaps something was about to happen that he had been waiting on for a long time. “And if it works, Coco will benefit the most.”
“Oh, that would be marvelous,” Fleur said as they exited the building. They did not need to walk far in search of Rarity. The rounded a corner on the street and, just as when Fancy Pants had first met the unicorn, she bumped right into him.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t—oh! Fancy Pants! Miss Fleur!” Rarity said with a polite nod to each. “A-A pleasure to see you both again so soon. Fancy Pants, I really must thank you again for giving me those tickets.”
“Think nothing of it, my dear,” Fancy Pants said. “Though, I fear your friends were absent from the showing.”
Rarity’s face drooped even lower than Fancy Pants thought possible. So, her friends’ absence was her doing after all. “I’m…afraid that was my fault. And now I fear I may have lost them for good.”
“Now now, my dear,” Fancy Pants said and he lifted Rarity’s chin. “I am certain your friends will forgive you if you’re sincere. Wouldn’t you agree, Fleur?”
“Most certainly,” Fleur said. Then, with a grin, she added, “Although, a little apology gift would not harm the matter.”
“Splendid idea!” Fancy Pants said, and indeed it was, as the idea came into his mind. “How about you take your friends to a private, exclusive showing of Hinny of the Hills? I can have the cast ready to perform again this afternoon.”
“Oh, but I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Rarity said. “I-I mean, how will the actors get paid? I can’t ask them to work for free just for my friends.”
“Hm, you make an excellent point,” Fancy Pants said, pretending to think as he scratched his chin. “Ah! I know. How about you make all the costumes for my next show? You do such marvelous work, and I’m certain the exposure would only help your blossoming career. Why, just think! You could live here in Manehattan while you worked! It would be a splendid opportunity for you to immerse yourself in the culture here.”
Rarity made a face at that remark, and Fancy Pants had to make sure to keep the smile off his face. Good. Manehattan hadn’t gotten to her in the wrong way. The idea of staying in the city for an extended time was dreadful to her, but could she put that aside for her friends?
“I…I would be delighted, Fancy Pants,” Rarity said with a forced smile. “My friends, assuming they’re still my friends anyway, will be thrilled to see the show. I just hope I can convince them to come back. If I’m lucky, maybe their train to Ponyville hasn’t left yet. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go speak with Prim before I go! Thank you again!” 
Fancy Pants and Fleur stepped aside and Rarity dashed past, rounding the corner and vanishing from sight. “Dear, what if her friends really have left for Ponyville?” Fleur asked. “I doubt they could get back here in time for the musical.”
“Oh, I think it’s safe to say that they are still very much in Manehattan,” Fancy Pants said as a familiar group of rustic ponies—painfully out of place in the big city—came around another corner and began walking toward him and Fleur.
“Princess Sparkle,” Fancy Pants said as the group approached. He and Fleur bowed, and Fancy Pants smiled when he saw Twilight recoil slightly at the praise and display. The power had not gone to her head, it seemed. That was good. “And friends! A pleasure to see you all again,” he said as he stood back up. 
“Um…th-thank you, sir,” Twilight said, blushing and looking at the ground. “Nice to see you and Fleur again too, Fancy Pants. We were just—”
“Have you seen Rarity?” the pink pony, Pinkie Pie, asked suddenly, putting her head between Applejack’s and Twilight’s heads. “We missed her show and then we heard she lost and then she stormed off and we’ve been looking everywhere trying to find her and we’re starting to get worried that she went back home and is locked in her room again and is becoming a crazy cat pony all over again!”
How in Equestria did Pinkie Pie talk so fast? Fancy Pants blinked once and cleaned his monocle again to allow his brain to catch up. “Why yes, as a matter of fact, you just missed her,” he said.
“She was returning to the theater,” Fleur said. “She said she needed to speak to Prim before she left for Ponyville. She was trying to find all of you.”
“Ponyville?” Applejack said.
“Oh no, we gotta stop her! Come on!” Rainbow Dash said and bolted around the corner.
“Oh…oh my,” Fluttershy said. Fleur smiled at her and the yellow pegasus blushed, then followed her friend.
“We need to hurry,” Pinkie Pie said, tugging on Applejack’s mane with her teeth. 
“Hurry up, Twi,” Applejack said, breaking into a run.
“Um, excuse us,” Twilight said with a quick bow. “Thank you for your help!” And with that, she was gone with the others.
“Still a lively bunch, are they not?” Fleur asked with a smile.
“Indeed. Now, you and I are needed at the musical theater. We have to get the actors ready for one more show, and if I have played my cards correctly, I believe we’ll be seeing something very special.”