//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: What Do You Do With A Drunken Pegasus? 
// by Donraj 
//------------------------------//

	Things had improved greatly for Fluttershy since bringing Rarity in on the arrangement. Having a friend who knew her secret to help plan dates and avoid awkward questions made life much easier, and Fluttershy had to admit that Rarity knew how to make her marefriend look like a goddess. It had been embarrassing to have an audience the first time Rainbow Dash had decided to have sex with her right in the middle of the boutique but Rarity had been very understanding and Fluttershy trusted her unicorn friend implicitly. Especially when she insisted Fluttershy had imagined all those camera clicks.
"Oh Fluttershy, darling," Rarity said as Fluttershy joined her in the waiting room to the Ponyville spa. "I just received the most wonderful news."
"Oh, how lovely," Fluttershy said happily. "What was it? If you don't mind me asking," she amended quickly.
"Well I've been sending out pictures of my latest line of pegasus outfits to various interested parties as feelers and I finally got a bite! The Saddle Arabian in Las Pegasus wants to display them at a private showing! Representatives will be coming from all corners of Equestria and even further! This could be my chance to become an international sensation!"
Rarity beamed. Fluttershy put on a happy expression but inside something nagged at her. Pegasus...
"You weren't...I'm sorry, you weren't going to ask me to model again, were you Rarity? Because I don't think..."
"Oh heavens no darling," Rarity said immediately. "I would never dream of putting you through that again."
Fluttershy began to relax. "Oh good. Well then congrat-"
"I want Rainbow Dash to do it," Rarity continued without missing a beat. Fluttershy went rigid.
"It would only be for a short time!" Rarity insisted before Fluttershy could regain the faculty of speech. "But she's simply perfect for this line, and what's more she's hugely popular in Saddle Arabia. Their delegate is a huge fan."
"A fan?" Fluttershy whispered, wishing she was somewhere else.
Rarity nodded. "It appears that stories have spread about the battle in Canterlot and now we have admirers." Her face scrunched up as if she had tasted something sour. "And for some reason Rainbow Dash is their favorite."
"Dashie is a very nice pony," Fluttershy agreed happily.
"Apparently racing is a very esteemed sport in their culture," Rarity said. "Thus the ensemble I have planned."
Fluttershy pawed at the floor. "I don't know..." she said reluctantly.
Rarity went in for the kill. "They'll have a huge open bar. The Saddle Arabian moguls never miss a chance to indulge outside of their homeland."
Fluttershy perked up slightly. "Well, I suppose Dashie would like that," she admitted.
"And it's not as if she doesn't have the free time," Rarity wheedled. "She might even land a paying contract!"
"Dashie does love the spotlight," Fluttershy admitted.
"So you'll do it?" Rarity asked with a beseeching look that Fluttershy noted was a carbon copy of Sweetie Belle's. Her resistance crumbled.
"Alright," she said. "I'll talk to her about it."
Rarity's face lit up with joy. "Oh I just knew I could count on you, Fluttershy! I've already made the arrangements and you won't have to worry about a thing. We'll have a private cabin on the zepplin and enough alcohol to keep her buzzed for the entire trip."
Fluttershy felt her fears ebb away. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


†


"You sneaky little pink-maned hippy ewe rat pot pusher!" Gilda roared at Fluttershy as the hundreds of ponies crowded into the room stared at them both. Their eyes seemed to bore into Fluttershy like so many grotesquely protruding penises. Erect penises, with eyes on the ends of them. Scary eyes, all of which were looking at her.
Fluttershy cowered and tried to hide behind her mane. Most everypony present thought it was adorable and at least three fashion photographers started to get ideas. Rarity stepped forward to shield her friend.
"Madam, I do not know what grievance you feel you have here, but this is not the time or the place!" she said with flawless faux upper class disdain. "I must ask you to depart."
"Why you skank ass-"
Gilda tensed her hind legs and pounced, wild with fury and determined to inflict bodily harm. Unseen force caught her in mid leap and held her there. She glared at Rarity, whose horn was not was not sparkling. Which meant...
A pegasus pony in an expensive dress stepped out of the crowd. She was flanked by a pair of hard-looking unicorns in very well-tailored suits whose horns were glowing. None of them were smiling.
"Lemme go you stupid dweebs! When I get my claws on you I'm going to-"
Gilda's talons raked at thin air as she ranted. Midway through a threat to do something especially nasty the barely visible telekinetic energy holding her suspended inverted and then slammed her down hard into the marble floor of the ballroom. Gilda wasn't sure if the cracking sound came from her head or the floor. Either way she was jerked back up before she could recover enough to check. Gilda decided to just hover and flail quietly for a minute instead. 
The pegasus in the dress gave the griffin a dirty look and then turned her gaze to Fluttershy, who appeared to be attempting to actually cringe her way through the floor in order to escape the situation. The other pegasus sighed and tapped an elegantly shod hoof twice. The two unicorns snapped to attention.
"Take the gatecrasher to the security room and detain her while I work out how best to notify the police and respect all of her rights."
The two nodded and turned. Gilda also turned and began levitating in front of them as they made their way out of the room. The crowd parted seamlessly for them. The pegasus mare didn't watch them go. Without sparing Gilda another glance she walked over to Fluttershy and laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. Fluttershy looked up timidly. The other pegasus smiled comfortingly. She helped Fluttershy up and then turned to address the crowd.
"She wasn't wearing a dress."
The deadpan non sequitur drew the intended barks of laughter from the crowd and soon the tension drained from the room. The pegasus mare waited and spoke again just as the noise level ebbed.
"We'll take a thirty minute break until the next performance. Refreshments will be available on the main floor."
The room began to empty. The pegasus mare turned back to Rarity and Fluttershy. This time her expression was not reassuring.
"Mind telling me what that was about?" Peacock Prism, organizer of the fashion expo, asked coldly. Fluttershy started to freeze up again but Rarity stepped in all smiles and conciliation.
"I'm afraid that griffin is a former friend of our model and that she holds something of a grudge against Fluttershy here," Rarity said. She lowered her voice. "I believe she wanted to be more than friends and didn't take rejection well."
Peacock Prism's look softened. "Not the first mare we've had on the runway with a stalker problem. I'll make sure it's taken care of. She won't be bothering you again."
Rarity sighed with evident relief.
"Thank you madam. Would it be possible for us to check on Rainbow Dash? I believe she's still backstage."
Peacock Prism waved a hoof dismissively. "Feel free. Just make sure she's ready for the show and the interviews afterward."
"Certainly dear. We'll just...what was that about interviews?"
"Journalists from the city papers have her booked and we promised the Saddle Arabian delegation a private meeting with her. It was all in the packet."
Peacock Prism arched an eyebrow. "You did read the packet before signing the release forms, right?"
Now it was Rarity's turn to freeze. "Yes," she said with a forced grin. "Of course we did."
"Glad to hear it. Anyway, take care of business."
Peacock Prism waved at one of the guards in the back of the room to let the two through before turning and leaving, clearly having dismissed the matter from her thoughts. Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other and spoke at approximately the same time.
"Oh dear."