The Prima Donna and The Tailor

by L0rd0f7hund3r

6 Two Months Before the Winter Concert

October was proving to be less like winter, although some early snow falls could have been evidence contrariwise. The prelude of an early winter sparkled in the air. Thankfully, there was no school on Saturdays. The dull sunlight of the day found the Crusaders, Twist, Silver Spoon and her coltfriend Snips, and Stitchen Time all frolicking in the remaining snow. The field they now inhabited was a distant part of Ponyville Park and was now coated thickly with snow.

They were playing hoofball, three to a team, with Twist acting as referee. Spoon, Snips, and Bloom were on one side; Sweets, Stitches and Scoots played the other side. Bloom's team was winning, thirty-five to three. Scoots may be a premier athlete in her own right, but that didn't make up for Sweets complete lack of coordination. Stitches wasn't so bad, he just ran a little on the slow side. Snips proved a highly effective blocker while Silver was an excellent receiver. Blooms years of farm work made her passes both accurate and fast.

It was coming close to noon; the Crusaders and friends had been playing for nearly three hours. Apple Bloom decides that fair is fair and ends the game. She decided it was no use to run up the score and it was a friendly game, besides. The string of ponies dusted themselves off and made their way to town square. Midday shoppers and ponies on errand mill about the busy center spur of town. Shop doors open and close with brightly ringing bells. At kiosks lining the square, vendors of every type are shilling their wares; Bloom catches a cheery Applejack selling apples from the orchards and gives her a wave.

"Ah, apples…" Stitches moans, "I don't know about you guys, but I could eat a minotaur right now."

Bloom replies, "Yeah, Ah know what yer sayin'. Maybe we should stop some'ere and get some vittles?"

"I'd like that," Scootaloo says, "but I don't have any money on me. Could somepony-?"

Sweetie Belle shakes her head, "Don't worry, Scoots, I'll cover for ya. Again…"

"How about we go Dutch on that bill, Sweets?" Silver proposes.

"Seriously?"

Silver nods, "You ain't the only one with bits to spare."

"I dunno about that…"

"Oh," interjects Twist, "why don't we stop by the bistro! I heard they have these new apple fries that are divine!"

Nopony seems to object to that.

"Okay, let's go to the bistro!" Bloom declares, and the string trots off to the other end of the square.

Once there, the find the place is only just beginning to see business. Few of the outdoor tables are filled; drifted in snow covers many of them. Silver, Twist and Bloom go to two near the building itself and clear the cold flakes from the around the table. When the chairs are fully clear of powder, the rest of the group takes a seat. Stitches taps on the window when he sees a waiter passing by an empty interior table. The service unicorn is outside quickly, brandishing a tablet and a pencil.

"Good afternoon, my name is Brass Platter and I'll be your waiter today. How may I serve you?"

He hands out menus as he speaks and then awaits their orders.

"I'll take the vegetable stew." Scootaloo says.

"An excellent choice, <mademoiselle,> for the weather."

"I'll have a carrot crepe, please. Snips and I can share." Silver Spoon says.

"Do ya'll have anythin' like fritters here?"

"Why yes," Brass Platter confirms, "may I suggest the <tempura> with a side of coleslaw and apple fries?"

"Okay!"

"And for you and your beau, <mademoiselle?>"

Sweetie blushes red at the statement. She looks at Stitches, seated to her left. His face is equally as red, although it looks like he may be slightly pleased.

"Uh, I'll have the <tempura,> too. Stitches?"

"I'll uh- I'll have the orange parfait and could I get that with a large nutmeg muffin?"

"Yes, of course, <monsieur,> you can. And for you?"

Twist says, "Apple fries and keep 'em coming!"

"Yes, very well. And would anypony like to drink the house special of the day? We are serving a warm apple cider; very good for the cool weather. It has a very eloquent bouquet…"

A round of polite but annoyed confirmations is heard. Brass Platter takes this all down, bids them a polite goodbye and heads back inside.

"Mmm, I can almost taste those apple fries…" Twists says hungrily.

"Those do sound mighty good," Bloom replies, "Mind if Ah snake a few?"

"Be my guest!" the peppermint stick-ed filly replies.

"It's kinda funny," Stitches muses, "that the waiter thought Sweetie Belle and I were together."

Knowing glances are exchanged between everypony save Sweets and Stitches. Sweetie Belle blush becomes deeper than before; she hasn't been this embarrassed in a long time. To her right, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are holding in laughter.

"Oh, yeah, I can see it now," Sweets deadpans, "Me, this scruffy-lookin' velvet herder and a dog named Chewie."

Incredulous, Stitches retorts, "Who's scruffy lookin'?"

Silver can't help but guffaw at the scene. Meanwhile, Twists looks like she's adding things up in her mind.

"I'd say the chances of Sweetie Belle and Stitchen Time getting together are as about as high as the odds of successfully navigate an asteroid belt: 3,720 to 1.

Stitches replies, "Never tell me the odds."

"Can we get off this topic, please?" Sweets says.

"Oh, look, soup's on!" blurts Bloom.

Sure enough, Brass Platter is back, followed by two wait staff, both are unicorn mares. He bears a tray with their drinks; the mares are transporting a large tray loaded with food. The concierge then distributes both drinks and meals. Once everypony has their repast, he bows and leaves, the mares following him.

"You know," Twists says, "the uniforms those mares wore was actually kinda cute."

"Yeah, they are," Stitches adds, "kinda have a mind to make some of those for next Nightmare Night."

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!" Silver exclaims, "That's in two weeks, isn't it?"

Snips nods, "Do you have your costume ready, Spoonie?"

"Actually, I haven't given it any thought, Snippy."

"Well," muses Stitches, "I could sew up your costumes for ya. Maybe you guys would like to go as a maitre'd and a waitress?"

"Oh, I love that idea! What about you, Snippy?"

"I'm down with that."

"Excellent," Stitches says, "now I just need to get the fabric together… I think I have enough thread… Sweetie, do you think your sister has a Ponyquin sized for fillies?"

"Uh," stammers Sweets, "I dunno. I've never seen Rarity making foal clothing before. She made a few dresses for me for Hearth's Warming, so maybe?"

"I should go and ask her," Stitches says, a nervouscited air in his voice, "oh, Celestia, a chance to speak with the Element of Generosity! I can hardly wait…"

"Ah just hope she isn't in full tilt mode," Bloom says, "when she's like that, you can bet she won't even hear a word ya say."

Twists, who is eating while the others talk, asks Scootaloo, "Are you gonna eat those?"

"Uh, yeah! Why else would I order them?"

This reminds everypony at the table that their lunch is getting cold. The next half hour is filled with chewing and the sounds of cutlery striking fine china. When all the plates are cleared of food and the glasses are emptied for the third (and for some, the fifth time,) everypony relaxes a little more. The checks shortly and Silver is as good as her word about splitting the check with Sweetie Belle.

"Okay, so it's twenty-two bits… Horse feathers, is that expensive! Okay, if you can contribute eleven bits, Sweets, I can pitch in the other eleven. Snips, are you paying for me?"

"Yeah, I just got my allowance and I can cover this. Might leave me strapped for a while, but I can survive."

"Don't worry about it," Spoon says, "If you need a little extra, I'm sure I can lend you some."

"And I can pay you back the usual way?"

The pair exchange a coy glance. Did they just share an inside joke?

"Yes, yes you may." Spoon replies.

"Okay, everypony, ante up." Stitches announces.

Rarity was indeed at full tilt. She was fervently at work making a series of dresses for a "very important client." She wouldn't elaborate who. She did however, loan Stitches a foal sized Ponyquin to make his costumes. She also expressed a budding interest in the tailor pony's skill. The she was back to work again, her glasses trembling at the end of her muzzle.

"Wow," Sweets remarks, "that's the most Rarity's spoken to anypony when she's working like that. Are you sure you aren't some Canterlot native dressing down to fit in, Stitches?"

"I can assure you, I'm not," Stitches says, "I've never even been to Canterlot."

"Well, that is a shame, Stitches."

DeeTee comes from around the corner. Unlike the last time Sweets encountered her, Diamond appears wearing a genuine smile. Her posture seems to be a lot less hostile, inviting even.

“You’ve never been to Canterlot, have you, Stitches?”

"Uh, no, I haven't, Diamond."

"Well, you know," Dee Tee coos, "my father attends the Nightmare Night celebration in Canterlot. He usually takes me with him and this year I can invite a guest."

"A guest?" Stitches croaks.

Dee Tee nods, "I was thinking, if you aren't doing anything special for Nightmare Night, you could come with me! You could meet all sorts of important ponies, maybe even show off some of your work. Oh, and you can bring a few friends along, if you want."

"What's this about, Diamond?" Sweets growls.

"About?" Dee Tee purrs, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just offering a chance in a lifetime to dear Stitches here. So what do you say, huh? Will you come?"

"I dunno," Stitches says, "I kinda wanna stay here for Nightmare Night… I'll consider it, Diamond. If my plans for then fall apart, I'll come."

"Splendid!" Dee Tee rings, "Be at my house by six; any later and we might not be there."

Stitches nods; he notices the sizable vein throbbing underneath Sweets carbuncle.

"Ciao!" Dee Tee says brightly and the filthy rich filly trots off.

"What. was. that. about?" Sweets seethes.

"Didn't you hear?" Stitches says, "Diamond invited me to spend Nightmare night with her in Canterlot! It's a little unusual, but that might actually be fun!"

"Stitches, don't you get it?" Sweets snarls, "She's up to something, I just know it."

"Sweetie Belle," the tailor pony murmurs, "Are you- jealous?"

Sweets is startled by the question but she quickly regains her composure.

"JEALOUS?! Oh, please, Stitches, I couldn't be less jealous."

"Are you sure?" Stitches asks, "because you look kinda jealous."

"Could we please not follow through that thought?!"

Stitches stifles a giggle under a hoof.

Comments

[L0rd0f7hund3r]

4607630 Yes, I did. I'm still doing the editing for the rest of the story. So, there should be more chapters upcoming.

[Darkheretic]

Why does it say this story is complete?

[L0rd0f7hund3r]

4607869 It was complete until I started breaking the story in chapters. I was getting some complaints about the story being too long. (20,000+ words and a single chapter. Can you say, wall o' text?)

[Darkheretic]

4607907 so if I wait a few days the whole story will come out complete?

[Theponywriter22]

Nice star wars quotes there

[L0rd0f7hund3r]

7734777 I try.