//------------------------------// // Team Fashion // Story: Pony Tails // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Over in Manehattan, the newest addition to Saddle Row, Rarity For You, was abuzz with activity. After their highly successful opening night (and a decent review), the store had rapidly become the go-to place for fashion in Manehattan. Coco Pommel, who had missed out on the opening following a nasty cold, had settled into the groove quickly in her role as store manager. "Thank you for shopping for us." She told their latest satisfied customer. "Thank you." The mare smiled. "This dress'll make me look just great at my office's party..." "Another satisfied customer." Coco smiled. When Rarity had approached Coco about handling the day-to-day running of her latest boutique, Coco was only too happy to accept. Rarity had helped her so much in the past, and Coco felt the least she could do was take charge of her latest venture, and ensure that it was as successful as possible. Of course, her falling sick on the day of the grand opening was something of a setback. Though things turned out okay, Coco still felt guilty over not being there for the big, spurring her to give her all in the role of manager. "Coco! Coco!" A voice rang through the store. "Oh no..." Coco groaned, recognising the tone. Plaid Stripes, the store's youngest employee, bounded over to Coco, flashing her braces in a wide grin. "Yes, Plaid?" Coco sighed. "I just had the greatest idea!" Plaid smirked. "And what would that be?" Coco asked, bracing herself for the worst. "Self-heating boots!" Plaid blurted out. "For those cold winter mornings, when your hooves are freezing, and they need to warm up fast. Put a fire crystal in the soles, and whammo! Instant heat! Pretty smart, huh?" "But... wouldn't they get uncomfortable after a while?" Coco asked. "All that heat can't be good for your hooves..." "...Well, we could work that out in the beta-testing." Plaid shrugged. "I know you have lots of ideas, Plaid." Coco declared. "But just having an idea doesn't make it a good one." "...Are you saying self-heating boots aren't a good idea?" Plaid frowned. "Yes, I am." Coco nodded. "For starters, where can we find so many fire crystals?" "Well..." Plaid frowned. "And fire crystals don't exactly have an 'off' button, you know." Coco pointed out. "Yeah, that's true." Plaid admitted. "But we could work out all those bugs, easy!" "Or not." Coco frowned. "Some bugs aren't so easy to work out." "Yeah, but a good idea's worth working for!" Plaid insisted. Coco grit her teeth. She was normally a patient, sweet-natured mare, but something about Plaid and her kooky ideas (and her unshakeable belief that they were all brilliant) really chipped away at her patience. She had been at first perturbed that Plaid had been added to the workforce (albeit by coercion), but didn't think it would be a problem at first. How wrong she was... "Yes, a good idea is worth working for." Coco nodded, exercising her remaining patience. "And while I'm sure you have many ideas, that doesn't automatically make them good." "...What's that supposed to mean?" Plaid frowned. "Well, to be perfectly honest, some of your ideas are... less than promising." Coco tried to put it as gently as possible. "Oh, yeah?" Plaid frowned. "Such as?" "Well, glow-in-the-dark teeth, for starters." Coco pointed out. "Why would anypony want their mouth to be constantly glowing?" "Uh, because it'd be cool!" Plaid said petulantly. "Well, I'm afraid 'cool' isn't the same as 'useful'." Coco declared. "The fashion industry isn't just about making things that look good, but things that are both comfortable and functional. I hate to be blunt, but a lot of your ideas fail to live up to either requirement." "Says who?" Plaid pouted. "Says me." Coco replied. "And who made you the ultimate authority in fashion?" Plaid sneered. "Look, Plaid." Coco tried to stay cool. "Think of this boutique as like a sports arena. All of us working here are like a team, all working together, combining our strengths and making up for each others' weakness. We're all on the same team, Plaid. So we should all just stick to our strengths, in order to maximise our chances for victory." "So you're saying my ideas aren't a strength?" Plaid glared. "No." Coco answered. "Just not your... best strength." "Excuse me?" Plaid growled. "Well, to be perfectly honest, a lot of your ideas are all that well-thought-out." Coco said bluntly. "You could even say they haven't been thought out at all." "Hey! Don't diss my ideas!" Plaid yelled. "Or what?" Coco frowned. "You'll tell your father? I know all about how you only got this job because he threatened to raise the rent on this place if Rarity didn't!" "S-so?" Plaid pouted. "It all worked out, didn't it? Besides, that was just an empty threat! I'd never let daddy actually do it!" "If you say so." Coco mused, not entirely convinced. "Besides, I've had good ideas!" Plaid insisted. "Remember the spoon clothes?" "I'll admit, those were useful." Coco declared. "But pogo boots? Neon contact lenses? Collapsible hoop skirts? Those are all ridiculous ideas!" "Or maybe you're just not open-minded enough to appreciate them!" Plaid huffed. "Don't blame me for your lack of vision!" "Well, considering I'm the manager, I still get the final say on things around here." Coco said firmly. "And I say you should give those ideas of yours a rest. If not for me, then for the boutique. Before we end up as a laughing stock." "...Have it your way." Plaid pouted, tears in her eyes. "I'll be in the back if anypony needs me... and even if they don't!" Plaid stormed away. Blue Bobbin, one of the store's salesponies, joined Coco at the counter. "Well, that was quite the... spirited debate." She admitted. "Was I too harsh?" Coco asked, feeling guilty. "Plaid's still just a filly, after all..." "She definitely needed to hear some of that." Blue Bobbin declared. "Things can't always go the way we want them, despite what her father has led her to believe." "I know that better than most ponies." Coco sighed. "And the sooner she learns that, the better. I just hope the lesson sinks in..." But it appeared the lesson wasn't sinking in as fast as Coco hoped. An hour passed, and Plaid was still sulking in the back room. Coco toyed with the idea of talking to her, but felt it was best that she come to terms with things herself (and she doubted her presence would be welcome, anyway). In the meantime, there were still customers to attend to. As the doorbell rang, Coco looked up to greet the new customer. "Welcome to Rarity For You." Coco declared. "How may I help..." Coco trailed off, as her blood ran cold at the sight of the latest visitor: Suri Polomare, her former employer. "Well hello there, Coco." Suri smiled a sickly sweet smile. "It's been a long time." "Suri." Coco said flatly. "The last time I saw you, you up and quit on me." Suri's smile remained, but her eyes narrowed menacingly, as she approached the counter. "Looks like you've done pretty well for yourself since. Running the hottest new fashion outlet in Manehatten... I wonder, does everypony know what a backstabbing little deserter you really are? I doubt they'd be willing to even step hoof in a boutique run by an ungrateful turncoat like you." "Ungrateful?" Coco growled. "For what? Making me do all the work? Having to watch as you fleeced everypony around you? Working for you brought me nothing but shame." "Ooh, look who's grown a spine." Suri's smile gave way to an amused sneer. "Pretty high and mighty, considering you were pretty much given all this by that second-rate seamstress, Rarity." "Rarity is ten times the designer you are." Coco snorted. "She's opened three boutiques now, and one in Canterlot. What about you, Suri? How many boutiques have you opened?" "That... that's none of your business!" Suri snarled. "Besides, Rarity isn't here right now. It's just you and me. Just like old times... Before you quit on me, you sorry little traitor!" "What's going on?" Plaid entered the store, drawn by Suri's outburst. "Who's this?" "Just an old friend of Miss Pommel's." Suri sneered. "And who might you be?" "I'm Plaid Stripes." Plaid introduced herself. "I work here." "Oh, how terrible for you." Suri grimaced. "It must be awful working under a pony like Coco." "You can say that again..." Plaid glared at Coco. "I'm not interested in bringing up old wounds, Suri." Coco declared, trying to ignore Plaid's angry gaze. "Don't flatter yourself." Suri sneered. "You're less of a wound, and more of a worthless scab. You've only gotten as far as you have because other ponies were stupid enough to feel sorry for you." "That's not the reason why." Coco tried to stand her ground. "Isn't it?" Suri grinned. "You're such a sad, pitiful charity case. It's no wonder you bought into Rarity's cheap ideas of compassion and generosity." "They're not cheap..." Coco faltered. "And I owe Rarity for helping me finally get out from under your hoof." "Is that why you're working here?" Suri asked. "Of course. Who else could Rarity trust to run her sad little store but a hapless little stray like you? A loyal dog, jumping through hoops for her new master." Coco couldn't say anything in her defense. Suri's words were cutting through to her core. "It doesn't matter what position you luck into." Suri snarled. "You'll always be that same pathetic, spineless mare I tried to instruct in the ways of fashion... to my regret." "Hey, leave her alone!" Plaid suddenly growled. "Excuse me?" Suri frowned. "You heard me." Plaid spat. "Where do you get off, insulting Miss Pommel like that?" "What do you care?" Suri asked. "You were just talking about how much you hated working for her." "But at least I'm not calling her mean names!" Plaid shot back. "She deserves far worse, believe me." Suri sneered. "She's nothing but a joke in the world of fashion... with a bad punchline." "Look, I don't know who you are, but I know Miss Pommel is a really great manager." Plaid growled. "And I'm actually pretty lucky to be working with her." Coco was shocked. After their argument before, Plaid was the last pony she'd expect to come to her defense. "Well, of course you'd think that." Suri smirked. "You're too young and naive to know any better. And judging by your ensemble, you clearly know even less about fashion than she does, which is really saying something." "Hey!" Plaid scowled. "Don't knock the threads!" "It figures Coco would have a pony with even worse fashion sense working under her." Suri sniggered at Plaid's vest. "Did you buy that monstrosity, or did you actually make it yourself? It's debatable which option is more ridiculous. And are those spoons you're wearing on your ears? What kind of fool accessorises with cutlery?" Plaid shrank back as Suri relentlessly mocked her fashion choices. "That's enough, Suri." Coco said firmly. "You can insult me all you like, but I won't stand for you tormenting my co-workers." "Neither will we." Blue Bobbin declared, as she and the rest of the salesponies joined them. "So that's how it is?" Suri sneered at Coco. "You can't face me alone? You need help?" "You say that like it's a bad thing." Coco frowned. "It is." Suri snorted. "Because you aren't strong enough to stand on your own four hooves. Never were." "Oh, I can." Coco nodded. "But there's nothing wrong with a little support." "You tell her, Miss Pommel." Plaid grinned. "Well, I don't need any support!" Suri declared... though she took a step back as she did. "You always told me it's everypony for themselves out here." Coco glared at Suri. "But you were wrong. Here I am, standing with my co-workers, all united under a common goal. With them by my side, I feel strong enough to do anything. Meanwhile, you're all alone. Nopony to help you. Nopony to have your back. Nopony, period." "Pretty lame, if you ask me." Plaid jeered. "Why, you..." Suri snarled angrily. "And in case you haven't noticed, this isn't a library." Blue Bobbin added. "If you aren't going to buy anything, then kindly leave." Suri stood there for a moment, glaring angrily at Coco and the others. "...Fine." She spat. "I don't want to spend another second in this dump! And if I ever see any of you again, it'll be too soon!" Suri marched out of the store, slamming the door as hard as she could. "Well, that's that, then." Blue Bobbin declared, as she and the others went back to work. "Thanks, Plaid." Coco declared. "After what I said to you before, I'm surprised you were willing to back me up." "It's like you said: We're all on the same team." Plaid smiled. "And I wasn't about to let some prissy mare insult one of my teammates, or our hometurf." Her smile became a frown. "Besides, you were right about how I only got this job because daddy stepped in. I've just always wanted to get into the world fashion. Ever since I was a filly..." "I felt the same way when I was your age." Coco admitted. "It was my dream. And honestly, I had a lot of big ideas myself back then. Even ideas that some ponies would call 'strange'." "Like what?" Plaid asked. "Like sequin-studded yokes." Coco cringed at the memory. "Yikes, that is strange!" Plaid giggled. "Well, I know that now. But at the time, I thought it was a brilliant idea." Coco grinned. "I guess maybe self-heating boots aren't that great an idea..." Plaid admitted. "Maybe we could do something with those collapsible skirts, though." Coco suggested. "They would help save on closet space..." "Whatever you say, boss." Plaid grinned. "But for now, let's stick to our strengths: Helping ponies find their perfect outfits. "My thoughts exactly." Coco nodded. A new customer entered the store. "Ooh, speaking of which..." Plaid grinned. "I think I'll let you handle this one, Plaid." Coco declareed. "Really?" Plaid grinned. "Thanks, Coco!" As Plaid rushed over to greet the customer, Coco smiled to herself. 'This might just work out after all...' She said to herself, as Plaid went to work helping the customer choose her outfit.