The very next day, Sunset explained to Rarity that she had already made plans, and thus, would not be able to make it over to the boutique. Rarity ended up taking the opportunity to present her progress to the rest of her friends. They all gathered at their usual spot in Sugarcube Corner, and Rarity looked more than excited to share her news.
“So, how’d it go?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow scoffed and leaned back in her seat with her feet on the table like she usually did. “I bet she messed up somehow. I still say that we just give up.”
“On the contrary, Rainbow Dash, It’s quite the opposite." Rarity pushed Rainbow's feet off the table like she usually did. before continuing. "I have actually managed to convince her to participate in the upcoming fashion show being held in our fair city.”
“Waitwaitwait, since when was there a fashion show?” asked AJ.
“Since a few weeks ago, when I convinced my family to host one,” she said, proudly flipping her hair.
“Is that why you sent us in first?”
“Well, I needed some time to put everything together, but trust me I had every bit of faith in all of you. Besides, I’ve always wanted to make designs for a fashion show, I just never had the opportunity, or model. And now I have both! This is perfect!”
Rainbow cheered sarcastically, “Woo, hoo.”
“Well at least you got somethin' out of it. Apple Bloom’s been puttin' up a whole mess’ o’ wards, charms and garlic, just cuz she’s afraid that Sunset’s gone an cursed the farm.”
“Wait, isn't garlic, like, for vampires?”
“She didn't want to take any chances.”
Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. “Actually, there was a huge fire a few days ago-”
AJ held her hand up to stop her. “Please, don’t talk about that… they got half the west orchard.” she mumbled angrily.
“Well burnt forests and fashion dreams are great an all, but who wants to hear about the new Daring Do book coming out next week!?” she declared.
“Oooh I do, I do!” Pinkie cheered.
“It’s gonna be so awesome, we finally get to find out what Spirit Shift’s amulet does, and how it’s connected to Daring’s!”
“Ohh, maybe he’s her long lost brother or something!”
“No way, it’s probably part of some ancient set that’ll decide the fate of the world!”
“Do you think that he’ll be a permanent member of the cast?”
“God, I hope so! He’s so friggin awesome!”
“Did you read about the time when he-”
While Pinkie and Rainbow droned on about possible outcomes to be revealed in the upcoming books and how awesome the new character was, Fluttershy scooted closer to Rarity so she could hold her own quiet conversation. “So, how is Sunset doing?”
“She’s coming along beautifully," she squealed. "She even visits me everyday to keep me company while I work. Though she does keep to herself most of the time.”
Fluttershy smiled softly. “Well, she probably just enjoys being in someone else’s company, I know that I do sometimes.”
“Maybe, but it also seems that she’s purposely trying to distance herself from others." Rarity thought about her time at school. She could count on one hand the times that she had seen Sunset out in the open outside of the classrooms. "I haven't even seen her go anywhere other than where we take her. She’s always in the library when one of us goes looking for her.”
“Shoot, maybe she just likes tah read,” Applejack chimed in.
Rarity sighed and leaned back, gazing at the ceiling. “I know that, but still, if she’s going to make any friends she needs to get out more.”
“That’s not gonna be so easy with the entire town on her case,” Applejack muttered.
“I suppose not, but I sincerely hope that this contest will get others to view her differently.” Rarity stood up and began to bid goodbye to her friends.
“I’m sure it will!” Fluttershy assured her as Rarity exited the store.
~~~
*Ding*
Rarity’s phone let out a small chiming noise. Taking off her work glasses, Rarity reached over and unlocked her phone.
“Sunset?”
Sunset sat her book down on the table and turned around to answer the one calling her. “Yeah?”
“I just got an alert from the ones in charge, sign ups for the contest have begun.”
“Okay, so?”
“So? So you need to go down there and sign up!”
Sunset deeply frowned. “Can’t you just sign up for me? It was your idea.”
“No, you need to do it personally,” she insisted.
Sunset groaned and relented. Closing her book, Sunset got up and made her way to the boutique’s exit, but before she could leave, Rarity called out once more. “Oh, one more thing, when you see the sign up sheet, could you take a picture of it? I would like to know whom you’re up against.”
“Alright,” Sunset groaned, her tone was one of someone clearly about to do something that they didn't want to do.
After leaving the shop, Sunset quickly made her way across town. Obviously in a hurry to get it over with. She had already walked some distance when she stopped and realized something. “Wait, where did Rarity say they were holding sign ups?” she wondered aloud.
Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out her phone to call Rarity when she realized something else; she didn't know her number at all. Sighing, she put her phone away.
“I could just go back and ask her, I guess.” Turning around, she began to make her way back to Rarity until, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted several girls coming out of the nearby city hall. They were all talking excitedly about what they would wear and who would make it for them.
Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to check it out she waited until all of them left before entering the building herself. In the corner of the entrance hall sat a large board hung up on the wall. On it, sat various alerts, job listings, and town wide announcements. Eventually, Sunset found what she was looking for, the signup sheet for the upcoming fashion show being held in the next three weeks.
She wasn't surprised to see how many people had already signed up for it, seeing as the only contests that are usually held in Humanville were the occasional school contests. Without thinking twice about it, Sunset quickly located an empty slot on one of the pages and signed her name with the pen sitting on a nearby desk. Pulling out her phone, she also took pictures of all the sheets with names on them to show Rarity when she returned. Finished with her business, Shimmer made her way back to the entrance.
Just as she was about to reach for the handle to leave, the door opened outward to reveal two excited girls, one with red hair streaked with light red. She wore a pale yellow blouse with an image of a rose on it. The other girl had very curly spring green hair and wore a light pink dress with a picture of a daisy. Their conversation quickly came to an end when they froze up at the sight of Sunset.
Sunset's face went blank. She knew what was happening. It wasn't the first time that people would freeze up at the sight of her. She also knew that it wouldn't be the last. “Excuse me,” she said. Both girls instantly moved out of her way as though they were scared of what she would do to them. Already used to this kind of treatment, Sunset said nothing. Instead she rolled her eyes and quickly made her way back to Rarity’s place.
~~~
Rarity turned at the sound of her door opening. “Welcome back, how was your trip?”
“Like walking on broken nails.” Taking out her phone she began to search for the recent set of pictures. “By the way, you forgot to tell me exactly where the sign up sheet was,” she said handing the phone over.
“Terribly sorry," Rarity apologized. She reached out and grabbed the phone from Sunset. "Are these the pictures of the sign up sheet?” Sunset nodded. “My word,” she gasped, scrolling through the pictures of the various filled up sheets, “I never dreamed that so many girls would enter so quickly.”
“Isn't this cheating somehow?” Sunset wondered. Walking back over to her seat, she sat down and re opened her book.
Rarity stopped to consider her question before shaking her head. "I don’t think so. I just have their names. It's not what they’re going to be wearing or anything,” she said, continuing to look through the names.
“By the way, that isn't a complete list. When I left others came in to sign up,” Sunset muttered.
Rarity's smile grew wider as the thrill of the competition excited her. “Oh my, the competition will be stiff won't it?”
“Just means that I have a smaller chance at winning,” Sunset remark.
“Well you are playing fairly this time.”
“I guess. So how’s the design coming along.”
Rarity beamed in excitement. “Coming? It came!” she said, holding up the finished design.
Sunset gave her a complete deadpan gaze.
Rarity realized what she just said and blushed slightly. “Oh just take the sheet!”
Sunset did in fact, take the sheet, her jaw dropped at the finished blueprints for the dress, it was stunning to say the least.
“What did you say the prizes were again?”
“My dear, we're not doing it for the prizes, we’re to doing it to change the town's opinion of you
Sunset crossed her arms, and raised an accusatory eyebrow. Rarity’s professional facade broke, and her eyes began sparkling. “But if you must know, first prize if you win both best dress and best model, are featured articles in several prestigious magazines, and tickets to this year's Grand National Gala!” she said, almost dancing in place.
“Yeah, that sounds about right. Geez, no wonder there are so many entrants,” she muttered, taking her phone back.
Rarity turned away from Sunset, and began to gaze into space. “Just imagine, I would stroll through the gala. Everyone would gaze in awe and wonder, ‘who is that mysterious girl?'"
Sunset stared at her dumbfoundedly. “Are you serious?”
Rarity ignored her, and continued her fantasy. “They would never even guess that I was just a simple girl from little old Humanville. Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would get an audience with President Sombra himself.”
“Please stop,” Sunset pleaded.
“He would be so taken with my style and beauty, that he would introduce me, to him! His son, the most handsome, elegant, eligible, bachelor in Canterlot! Our eye’s would meet, our hearts would melt. Our loins would catch fire in each other's presence!”
Sunset slammed her hands over her ears and made her way towards the door. “Nope. NOPE! I am NOT listening to this!”
“The very next morning, he would ask for my hand in marriage, and of course I would say YES! We would have a national wedding befitting that of royalty!” she began giggling. “Which is what I would feel like upon marrying him. The man of my dreams!” Rarity instantly snapped out of her fantasy and nervously coughed into her hand.
“Ahem, of course, I mean that none of that compares to … making… the town…. Sunset? Looking around she soon found that she was completely alone in her boutique, the door swinging lightly. Rarity grimaced and glanced down, embarrassed. “Oh… I did it again didn't I?”