The Prima Donna and The Tailor

by L0rd0f7hund3r

5 Rejected

As the week wore on, the weather managed to improve. It was starting to feel a little more like Autumn now, although the leaves were as green as ever. The wailing winds started coming out of the West, melting what snowfall had come to Ponyville; the city streets were reduced to muddy paths with the newly melted slop. Ponyville High was the same as it ever was: fashion fads, emotional roller-coasters, misplaced desires, amped charges of estrogen and testosterone.

Stitchen Time was making himself more at home in Ponyville. He was now friends with Sweetie Belle and her gang, including the posh Silver Spoon. Of course, Diamond Tiara was winding the rumor mill, an attempt to punish Stitches for declining her about something. The violet filly was always vindictive, but she was taking things to an extreme that painted her in an unhealthy light. Things like rumors of filly-fooling among the Crusaders, The student body dismissed that idea; all three Crusaders had dates of the opposite sex during the Spring Formal. Hell, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were kissing their respective dates (Button Mash for Bloom and Chip Mint for Sweetie) at the dance! That probably wouldn't have stopped ponies from wondering, especially with Silver Spoon in their circle.

Diamond Tiara also tried to prank the Crusaders. Scootaloo fell victim of a cream pie loaded on a spring. Dee Tee had managed to get it loaded into Scoots locker. When the Pegasus opened it, SPLAT!, she was hit with the pie. Scoots was pissed someone would do that, but named no names. Apple Bloom was the victim of an itching powder attack. Her gym uniform was coated in the stuff while she was not watching. Only a quick dive in the school fountain kept Bloom from scratching her coat off. Dee Tee saved her best trick for last. She sent an anonymous letter to the Carousel Boutique with Sweets name on it. She was supposed to show up at a certain place at a certain time. Sweets never did show up for the prank, though. Something about an exploding mailbox… For the most part, The Cutie Mark Crusaders (and assorted allies) just ignored her foolishness.

If it's Wednesday, then it's Choir before lunch for both Sweetie Belle and Stitchen Time. Ms. Flat has procured a new piece for them to sing and this one will be performed at the Winter Concert. Parts were handed out to everypony in the class, although some were grumbling about a certain lack of variety in certain areas. (The basses were only singling on one half of a very high scale. The Altos were reduced to being a rhythm section for the sopranos. They complained that at least the tenors had a melody…) The real surprise about the new selection was that it had a duet in the middle, just before the bridge. Sweetie Belle was naturally going to be the female lead in that duet, but to her astonishment, Stitchen Time was made the male lead.

"This is new…"

"Cool! You and I have a duet! I bet it will be awesome."

Sweetie gives him a nervous laugh. All of her laughing towards Stitches have been nervous as of late. Bloom and Scoots put it in her head that he had a crush on her. There was plenty of evidence to that thought. She remembered when he first spoke to her. He called her pretty, although that may have been a Freudian slip. He returned her cloak to her when she left it in Sugar Cube Corner. There were also the little things that few would notice. How he would wait for her and her friends at the school gate, how he let her have his chocolate pudding the one time he brought his own lunch to school. (He admitted later that he really, REALLY liked chocolate pudding.) The idea was reinforced with this latest incident.

"Well, at least ya got somepony to beat off all them other colts." Apple Bloom remarked later.

"That's what I'm afraid of. What if the other colts find out? Those guys can get feral sometimes."

"You mean, they just might beat the stuffin' outta ole Stitches?"

Both Bloom and Sweets nodded.

"Oh, I hope it doesn't come to that." Scootaloo pines.

"Doesn't come to what?" asked Stitchen Time.

The Crusaders, momentarily startled by Stitches, swoop up on him and embrace him tightly. He blushes furiously. The attention they are giving him is more feminine attention than he has gotten anywhere. Not even his mother fawns over him this much. Stitches makes a note to declare this day the best day ever…

Diamond Tiara is waiting outside the school next to her carriage. She gets driven to and from school; she sees this as a sign of her superiority. Today, though, the carriage is there to make an impression. She is after Stitchen Time. The colt has spurned her advances so far, but she’s committed like you read about. She wants him. Before, she could charm any colt or stallion with but a few batted lashes and a slight flash of cash. She is also genuinely attracted to Stitchen Time, though. He has a certain- something that she finds infinitely appealing.

She doesn't want to resort to bribery or seduction. She has to do without those tools now. She'll charm him the old fashioned way. All she has to do is wait for the colt to show… Sure enough, he does. He is plodding in the crisp autumn air, looking all the innocent. She will make him less so. She whistles at his direction. Stitchen looks around, unsure where the whistle came from. Diamond then beckons him with a hoof. He sees this and comes her way. Few of her fellow students take notice. As he approaches the carriage, Diamond puts on her most winning smile. Today will be the day she wins him over.

"Hey there, Stitchen, how do you like the carriage?"

The skittish colt says, "It's- really nice. Is it yours?"

"Yes it is! My Daddy has it sent especially for me. And I was thinking, maybe you don't wanna hike to your house in this weather. I could take you…? It's a really big carriage and I think the two of us can fit in real nicely."

"That's fine of you, but I'm okay. I like the weather today. Very crisp…"

"Aren't you cold?" Diamond implores.

"Nope. My winter coat grew in a few weeks ago. I'm all kinds of warm right now."

"Oh," she says dejectedly, "well, if you ever change your mind-"

Stichen is already gone.