A Fatal Blow
After their talk in the meeting chambers, the four ponies went their own ways. Copper Hollow and Noble Edict headed back to the barracks to inform Rollin Fields, Cassia Sprig, Almond Wheeler, and Paisley Branch that the task force’s meetings had been cancelled until further notice. Sir Haywood McCrank trotted upstairs to his room and found the spyglass, the piece of the cloth, and the sliver of metal. He then proceeded to insert the three objects into a large envelope, seal it up, and address it to the Intelligence Bureau. Bronze Star went to Dapple Rhomb’s office to inform her that Noble Edict and the other security officers would not be gathering at the building for a while. The purple mare acknowledged this and adjusted her employer’s schedule accordingly by omitting the task force’s meetings from it.
By the time she was done modifying the timetable, Sir Haywood McCrank had come back downstairs to send away the envelope with the objects. He knew the embassy had its own private mailing system, but he was not quite certain how to use it. This was actually the first time he had ever needed to mail anything from Ponyville.
He noticed that Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb were still in the latter’s office. Haywood McCrank swung by the room and asked them where the mail receptacle was. Bronze Star would have told him. Dapple Rhomb went one step further and offered to send off the envelope for him. The superintendent accepted this offer appreciatively.
The purple mare took the envelope from the indigo stallion and headed out the front entrance to drop the envelope into the mail receptacle. Once she was outside, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank talked about their plans for continuing the investigation until they heard back from Agent Dread Naught. They knew it would not be easy to carry it on without corresponding with the town’s security force on a regular basis. Sir Haywood ultimately concluded that they would have to rely primarily on the vigilantes for information for a while.
They wrapped up their conversation by the time Dapple Rhomb came back into the building. Which was somewhat peculiar, as their conversation had not started until after she went outside, and it had lasted more than twenty minutes. Normally, it only took Dapple Rhomb about two or three minutes to use the mail receptacle.
When Bronze Star saw his secretary again, he asked her what took her so long. She merely claimed one of her closest friends had walked by the embassy when she was outside. She had not seen this friend in a while, and the two of them had taken a moment to catch up. She had only meant to talk for a minute or two, but the conversation ending up lasting for nearly a half-hour. When she realized how long she had been outside, she hastily told her friend that she had to get back to work. They said their good-byes, and her friend headed back home.
Bronze Star was content with this explanation. All the same, Dapple Rhomb apologized for being negligent. The gold stallion assured her that everything was alright. After all, Dapple Rhomb had been working very hard lately; he felt she was entitled to have an unannounced break once in a while.
Nothing much happened that day. Everything was pretty much business as usual for the three ponies at the embassy. Dapple Rhomb went back to her house at five o’clock like she normally did. In the early evening, Sir Haywood McCrank left the building and visited each member of the task force at his or her house. After gathering up some notes on each member’s observations from the past week, he headed back to the embassy to assemble the task force’s newest report.
The following morning, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank woke up early like they always did. The indigo stallion headed out to the new predetermined drop site. He found the vigilantes’ report there, and he exchanged it for the task force’s report. Then he swiftly returned to the embassy. He and Bronze Star planned to go over it later. For now, they were needed elsewhere in Ponyville for a much more personal affair.
By the time they had finished eating and getting ready for the day, Dapple Rhomb had arrived at the embassy. Bronze Star notified her that he and Sir Haywood would be going out for a little while. He instructed the purple mare to just carry out her regular duties and to take messages if somepony came by while they were out. Dapple Rhomb guaranteed him that she would do just that.
The prince and the investigator then left the embassy and made their way to Carousel Boutique. Applejack, Copper Hollow, Twilight Sparkle, Noble Edict, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were already there. Because they were standing outside, one might assume that Rarity was not yet finished with the outfits. She actually was; she just wanted to wait until all nine of her friends arrived to present them.
As soon as Bronze Star and Copper Hollow joined the group, Twilight Sparkle lightly tapped on the door with her front hoof and called out “We’re all here, Rarity!”
A couple seconds later, Rarity answered the door. She had been working all night, but she did not seem tired or worn out in the slightest. She smiled at her friends and told them “Everypony, close your eyes.”
All nine of the ponies complied with this request, including Copper Hollow. Once they all had their eyes shut tight, Rarity told them “Alright, now follow the sound of my voice.”
The three stallions and the six mares entered the building one at a time. When they were all in, Rarity closed the door and moved to the front of the group. She then guided them to the back room. They were all moving blindly, but Rarity managed to get them all to walk in a straight line. Except Pinkie Pie; instead of walking, she bounced.
As Rarity brought the nine ponies into the back room, she commented “That's it. Keep them closed. Don't look. Okay, you can look now!”
At that moment, all nine of the ponies were standing in a semi-circle. At the white mare’s request, they simultaneously opened their eyes. They were greeted with an impressive sight. In front of them were nine mannequins; each one displayed a different outfit.
Rarity then announced:
“These are your new outfits. What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, are they not? Bronze Star, doesn’t this cloak look as though it was MADE for a Royal? I hope so; because it WAS! And Twilight! I made this dress for you and I designed each outfit theme to perfectly reflect each pony's unique personality. Sir Haywood McCrank, I know you have no shortage of suits, but this one would make a fine addition to your collection. I used a deft combination of leather and velvet! Oh, it took me forever to get the colors right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I did it. Oh, and it turned out BEAUTIFUL, don't you think? Noble Edict, just look at yours. It really says ‘I’m a Lady,’ and by that, I mean ‘a Lady of Celestia’s court.’ Copper Hollow, since you and Noble are going together, I made you an ensemble to match hers. Only yours has a much more masculine tone to it, huh? Ooo, and I know you are going to love yours, Fluttershy. It just sings spring! And Pinkie Pie, look! Pink! Your favorite! Aren't they all amazing?”
None of the nine ponies answered her straightaway. Each of them took a minute to study the mannequin that held the outfit that was meant for him or her.
Copper Hollow was the first to give a response. He stepped forward, smiled brightly, and declared “Rarity, this… this is incredible. You did a spectacular job.”
“Thank you, Copper,” Rarity said appreciatively.
“It’s the truth,” the copper stallion pronounced, “You certainly got that ‘masculine’ part right. This tuxedo looks as though it says ‘You don’t want to mess with me’ and ‘Would you care to dance?’ at the same time.”
“Oh, I agree,” Noble Edict coincided, smirking, “I’m getting the exact same impression from my outfit. I don’t wear dresses often, but I’ll definitely make an exception in this case. You did even better than I was hoping for, Rarity. I can hardly wait to try it on.”
Rarity grinned widely at that.
Sir Haywood McCrank was the next to voice an opinion. He approached the tuxedo Rarity had made for him, briefly looked it over, and stated favorably “I haven’t put mine on yet, but I honestly believe this may be my new favorite suit.”
“I didn’t know you had favorites, Sir Haywood,” Rarity commented.
“When you have as many suits as me, you’re inclined to choose favorites,” Sir Haywood proclaimed, “At any rate, I’m deeply impressed with the results of your effort, Rarity. You must have gone all out.”
“You could say that,” the white Unicorn remarked candidly.
Bronze Star trotted over to the mannequin that displayed his regalia and the new cloak. He examined the cloak closely. It was not the Shroud of Valor, but it looked just as majestic and striking. It matched his soft shoes, vest, and crown perfectly. The gold stallion smiled and said “If I had known a cloak would go this well with my regalia, I would have gotten one long ago. I’m so pleased with this that… Rarity, you know that dream you have about getting to design clothing for the Equestrian Royalty?”
“Yes, it’s my greatest ambition,” Rarity thought aloud.
“Well, you may have just earned yourself a very high-status addition to your list of regular customers,” Bronze Star solemnly pronounced.
Rarity was absolutely elated to hear that.
So far, four of the nine ponies in the room had approved of their outfits. The other five Element Bearers still had yet to speak their minds. Bronze Star, Rarity, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank turned to look at the five mares and looked for their reactions.
At the present, they just remained staring at their own dresses and blinking. There was an awkward period of silence as Rarity waited for them to express their thoughts.
“Wow... They're...” Twilight Sparkle tentatively began.
“Yeah, they're...” Rainbow Dash uneasily added in.
“They sure are... sumth'n,” Applejack declared.
“Yes!” Twilight Sparkle conceded, “Something.”
“I love something!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully pronounced, “Something is my favorite!”
“It's... nice,” Fluttershy softly murmured.
Evidently, the five of them were not as thrilled as the other four. Rarity noted they seemed somewhat dissatisfied, and she asked apprehensively “But what's the matter? Don't you like them?”
“They're very nice...” Twilight Sparkle claimed.
“And we're plum grateful 'cause you worked so hard on them,” Applejack asserted.
“Mine's just not as cool as I was imagining,” Rainbow Dash said straightforwardly. The others glared at the cyan mare in disbelief. She casually and bluntly stated “She asked.”
The five mares turned back to Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle professed “I guess what we're all saying is that they're just not what we had in mind.”
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie collectively said “Yeah” in agreement.
Although they did not say anything, Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Noble Edict were all somewhat appalled by the mares’ intransigent reactions to their outfits. Especially Bronze Star; he was even a little disgusted. He would have expected them to be more appreciative and receptive of the white mare’s work.
Rarity herself did not seem as bothered by her friends’ dissatisfaction as the actual fact that she had dissatisfied them. As a firm believer in the policy “the customer is always right,” she did not blame them for feeling underwhelmed. Even so, she was determined to remedy this problem. She approached her workstation and edgily muttered “That's okay. Not a problem. There's plenty more where that came from. They were only a first pass. You're my friends and I want you to be 110% satisfied. Not to worry, I'll redo them.”
The five mares could tell she was under a bit of distress. Fluttershy took a step closer and tranquilly declared “Oh, Rarity. You don't have to do that. They're fine.”
“I want them to be better that just fine,” Rarity sharply countered, “I want you to think they're absolutely perfect.”
“Are you sure?” Applejack stated in concern, “I mean, we wouldn't wanna impose.”
“Oh, it's no imposition,” Rarity firmly maintained, “Really, I insist.”
The five mares looked back and forth between each other. After some more silence, Twilight Sparkle turned to face the white Unicorn and told her “Well, in that case... Thank you again, Rarity.”
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash all nodded in agreement. Then the five young mares turned around and started trotting away. Once they left the room, Rarity swiftly got back to work. She grimaced and mumbled worriedly “What have I gotten myself into?”
Sir Haywood McCrank, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Bronze Star stayed with the fashionista for a little while longer.
“I can’t believe what I just witnessed,” Noble Edict crossly uttered.
“Neither can I,” Copper Hollow conceded, “You’d think they would have been a lot more thankful than THAT.”
“No, it’s not their fault,” Rarity claimed as she began stitching two sheets of fabric together, “I should have asked them what they were specifically hoping for. Instead, I just assumed they would like whatever I made for them.”
“Well, the four of us certainly did,” Haywood McCrank pointed out. Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict lightly mumbled in agreement.
“That does give me some reassurance,” Rarity disclosed, looking over her shoulder, “However, even if I take your opinions into account, my approval rating is only four out of nine at best if I simply make assumptions. That is totally unacceptable.”
“I understand your position, Rarity,” Bronze Star proclaimed, “Still, you should not push yourself so hard. You just spent the past twenty-four hours creating nine different complex outfits, and now you plan to remake five of them right away. That seems like far too much work for one pony.”
“No, I would say it’s about the equivalent of what you accomplish every day at the embassy, Bronze,” Rarity debated.
“That’s not a good analogy,” the gold stallion refuted, “A few weeks ago, I went through a period when I was struggling just to get through the day. If I hadn’t hired Dapple Rhomb, I probably would have driven myself to total exhaustion. Plus, you remember what happened when Applejack overworked herself?”
“It would be hard to forget,” Rarity candidly murmured, “However, in addition to Applebuck Season, she had a number of other things going on at the exact same time. Other than designing and improving these outfits and organizing the fashion show, I have nothing on my agenda this week. Because of that, I’m sure I can remain properly focused on my work.”
“If you honestly believe that, then I trust your judgment,” Bronze Star remarked, “Just promise me that you will not push yourself too hard. Otherwise this situation might end the same way as the one with Applejack.”
“Well, none of us would want that,” Rarity rigidly claimed, “Unless, of course, you happened to be in the area.”
“Huh?” Bronze Star said in confusion.
Rarity just smirked and explicated “I don’t have to remind you that it was because of you that we did not lose Applejack that day.”
The gold stallion quickly realized what Rarity was implying. When Applejack collapsed and stopped breathing at Sweet Apple Acres, he had saved her by repeatedly administering CPR. That was one of the many factors that had enabled Bronze Star to develop an excellent reputation for himself in Ponyville. Still, he just felt lucky that he had successfully performed CPR once. There was nothing to indicate that it would work a second time. Even so, several of the townsfolk had faith in his ability to make it work. Clearly, Rarity was one of them.
After reflecting on this matter, Bronze Star lightly chuckled and told the white Unicorn “Still, let’s try to avoid any scenario that involves somepony passing out.”
“Alright, that’s reasonable enough,” Rarity plainly remarked.
There was another short pause. The only noise in the room was the sound produced by Rarity’s sewing machine. About a minute later, Copper Hollow stated “Bronze Star told us that once you were finished with all the outfits, you were going to have a fashion show with them.”
“That is true,” Rarity affirmed, “I still wish to have the fashion show sometime soon. It just needs to be postponed for a couple days.”
“Where did you plan to hold it?” Noble Edict enquired.
“Here,” the white mare bluntly replied, “Ideally, I can set up a stage and a walkway by the back entrance to the Boutique. There’s plenty of empty space surrounding the building. Well over a hundred ponies can gather there. Assuming they all stand, that is.”
“Looks like you’ve got everything in order,” Noble Edict noted, “Still, it sounds like a lot of additional work. Could you use a couple extra pairs of hooves to help you prepare for the show?”
“Only if you wouldn’t mind,” Rarity replied.
“Sure, I’d be happy to assist,” Noble Edict asserted.
“I’ll help, too,” Copper Hollow proclaimed, “If this thing’s going to be as big as you’re suggesting, you’ll need somepony to maintain order. You never know what might happen at these fashion shows; sometimes things can get out of hoof. Between the two of us, Noble and I should be able to keep the event safe and secure.”
“That sounds great,” Rarity stated approvingly, “We’ll still need to find a way to advertise the fashion show to the public. That’s the only way we’ll get enough people to attend.”
“Well, when would you like to hold it?” Haywood McCrank queried.
“Assuming the girls all like their outfits the second time around, I’d say… two days,” Rarity conjectured.
“That’s a little too soon to make flyers,” Bronze Star perceived, “The next best thing would be to spread the word the old-fashioned way. We could go door-to-door in Ponyville and let everypony know about the fashion show directly.”
“I’ve always found that to be an effective method for delivering news,” Sir Haywood thought aloud, “Given the circumstances, I believe I could undertake this task.”
“I’ll give you a hoof, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star proposed, “I’ll see if Spike could help us, too. He shouldn’t have anything going on this week, and he’s got plenty of experience in delivering messages. Theoretically, the three of us should be able to inform everypony in Ponyville in a matter of hours.”
“Well, knowing Spike, he would probably jump at the chance to help me,” Rarity hypothesized, “But are you two certain you wouldn’t mind paying every house in Ponyville a visit? Despite this being a small town, thousands of ponies live here.”
“It would be my pleasure, Rarity,” Haywood McCrank claimed.
“Mine, too,” Bronze Star agreed.
“Thank you so much,” Rarity told them appreciatively. She thought about everything they had discussed thus far, and then she announced “With Copper and Noble getting everything set up and organizing the event, Bronze, Sir Haywood, and Spike spreading the word and bringing in the crowd, and me managing the outfits and presentation, everything for the fashion show should be ready by the day after tomorrow. We’ll hold the fashion show in the early evening, say at eight o’clock.”
Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank had no objections to that proposal. However, Bronze Star did have a problem. It pertained to his last discussion with the Firebrand Regiment. At the end of his written conversation with SIG Sauer, the pine green Unicorn had requested that the prince speak with him and the other members of the Regiment again in exactly one week at the same time. That was five days ago, meaning that the Regiment would be expecting the gold stallion to contact them in two days at eight o’clock sharp. Unfortunately, that was the exact same time that Rarity had proposed for the fashion show.
“How about seven o’clock?” Bronze Star coolly suggested, “I’ve got something I need to do at eight o’clock that can’t be moved forward or backward at all. I’m assuming the fashion show won’t last more than an hour, right?”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Rarity confirmed. She thought for a moment, and then she declared “Very well, Bronze. Seven o’clock works for me.”
Fortunately, it worked for Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank, as well.
Soon after all these arrangements were made, the gold stallion, the red mare, the indigo stallion, and the copper stallion decided to leave Carousel Boutique and carry on with their day. While they had the option to take their new outfits home with them, Rarity requested to hold on to them until after the fashion show. The four ponies were mostly fine with this proposal, but Bronze Star asked to have his regalia back so he could return them to the embassy. He had no intention of wearing them out in the open, especially not at a fashion show or any other public event. Rarity did not protest, as she respected the prince’s desire for confidentiality.
After leaving Carousel Boutique, Bronze Star swung by Golden Oaks Library. He apprised Twilight Sparkle and Spike of Rarity’s plans. The lavender mare was already aware of the fashion show, and she had mentioned it to her assistant. Bronze Star explained that he was there to seek out Spike’s aid so that they could let everypony in Ponyville know about the show. As he and Rarity had predicted, the baby dragon was more than willing to offer his services in this endeavor. Twilight Sparkle was proud of him for that, and she let Bronze Star borrow Spike for the afternoon.
The two of them met up with Sir Haywood McCrank in the town square. From there, they used a map of Ponyville to divide the town into three equally-sized sections. They then split up and each of them went to one of these three sections. They approached every house and building to inform the inhabitants of the fashion show. Although they were just acting as messengers, they took notes on anypony who seemed very interested by this news.
By the late afternoon, the two stallions and the baby dragon had notified virtually every pony in Ponyville of the impending fashion show. Secretly, Spike had an idea to inform somepony outside of Ponyville of the fashion show, as well. He was not going to bring this up to anypony else just yet; he planned to do it as a surprise favor to Rarity.
When they were finally finished, Bronze Star, Spike, and Haywood McCrank stopped by Carousel Boutique to let Rarity know. The white mare was very grateful for their work. Unfortunately, publicizing the fashion show was the least of her worries at this time.
Rarity had spent most of that day making modifications to the other Element Bearers’ dresses. To ensure that she got everything right this time, fashionista spoke with each of the five mares separately. But even when focusing on one gown at a time, this endeavor proved to be very difficult.
Surprisingly, Fluttershy turned out to be the strictest of them. She had provided some criticism for nearly every single aspect of her gown. Although she was trying to be polite, she recommended a massive number of alterations to her dress. The other four mares were not as fastidious, but they were still quite demanding. Applejack suggested modifying her duds so that they were prepared for any sudden change in weather that might have occurred at the Gala. Twilight Sparkle wanted the star patterns on her gown to be properly aligned with the actual constellations in the night sky. Pinkie Pie was primarily focused on adding and removing ridiculous party-related adornments to her dress. Rainbow Dash did not have any specific requests; she merely said that her outfit needed to be “about 20% cooler.”
Throughout this process, Rarity reprised the musical number she had sung the previous day. At one point, each of the other five mares contributed a lyric to the song. However, during this new rendition, Rarity sounded a lot less composed than before.
After another whole day of stress, exhaustion, backbreaking work, and countless revisions, Rarity was finally done. However, she was less than pleased with the end results of her second attempts. In the late evening, she visited all nine of her friends and asked them to come see her the following morning.
Early the next day, the ten ponies assembled at Carousel Boutique. Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow arrived first. They got a glimpse of the new dresses Rarity had made for the other mares, and they were downright flabbergasted. And not in the good way. Based on how uncomfortable Rarity seemed around the dresses, she was not too thrilled with how they turned out, either.
After getting a closer look at the dresses, Bronze Star was convinced that one of two things must have been true. Either the other mares had very vivid and wild imaginations, or they had no sense of fashion whatsoever. He was hoping for the former.
Before long, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash showed up at Carousel Boutique. Once they got there, Rarity led them to the back room again. She did not bother asking them to close their eyes this time. She just wanted to get the presentation over with as soon as possible.
Once they were all assembled in the back room, Rarity had the five mares stand in front of five mannequins that displayed the new versions of their dresses. She meekly stated “Okay. I did exactly what each of you asked for. Now don't hold back. Let me know what you really think.”
The five mares were absolutely delighted with what they saw.
“Oh my!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
“It's... perfect!” Fluttershy proclaimed.
“It's cool!” Rainbow Dash thought aloud.
“Why, they're the best duds I ever did see,” Applejack declared.
“It's exactly what I asked for!” They all happily yelled in unison.
Rarity lightly grinned at that, but despite the fact that she had finally satisfied her friends, this accomplishment had only provided her a modicum of relief. Inwardly, she was nowhere near as ecstatic as her friends were.
“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle told the white mare.
“Are you as happy with them as we are?” Pinkie Pie queried enthusiastically, “Huh? Huh? Huh?”
“Well, I'm... happy that all of you are happy,” Rarity pronounced, “I'm just relieved to finally be done.”
Considering the hectic working conditions she had been facing, nopony could blame her for saying that.
Just then, Spike abruptly rushed into the room. After stopping to catch his breath, he announced to the ten ponies “You are never gonna believe this! You've heard of Hoity Toity?”
“The bigwig fashion hotshot in Canterlot?” Twilight Sparkle presumed.
“Uh-huh,” Spike affirmed. He turned to Rarity and disclosed “He heard about your fashion show. Well, maybe I happened to mention it to him... He's coming here all the way from Canterlot to see your work, Rarity!”
Everypony but Rarity seemed downright amazed to hear that.
“Whoa, Nelly!” Applejack decreed, “You could sell a ton o' dresses to this guy. Your business will be boomin'!”
“Wow!” Twilight Sparkle cried.
“That's so cool!” Rainbow Dash called.
“I don't believe it!” Pinkie Pie shouted.
Rarity had by far the least enthusiastic reaction to hearing that news. She muttered anxiously “Hoity Toity? He's coming here? To see THESE dresses?”
“Yep!” Spike confirmed, seeming unaware of Rarity’s uneasiness, “Get ready for all of your dreams to come true.”
At this time, Rarity did not look her best. Her mane was disheveled, and there were circles under her eyes. Spike meant for this bit of news to excite the white mare. Instead, it just made her feel even more uptight, and it did nothing to improve her morale.
After a short pause, Bronze Star stepped forward and pronounced “Now that Hoity Toity’s coming here, I think it would be for the best if I stayed out of the fashion show.”
“Why’s that, Bronze?” Fluttershy queried.
“I personally know Hoity Toity,” Bronze Star expounded, “He’s designed clothes for a lot of the Canterlot elite and for the staff of Canterlot Castle. In fact, he was the stallion who designed most of my regalia. Specifically, he made my soft shoes and my vest. Somepony else made my crown. At any rate, I’ve met with Hoity Toity enough times than he knows exactly what I look like. If he sees me while he’s in Ponyville, he may be able to recognize me, even without my wings and horn. That’s a risk I can’t afford to take.”
“If that’s what you wish, then I understand, Bronze,” Rarity proclaimed, even though she seemed a little bothered by the gold stallion’s choice.
Sir Haywood McCrank then stepped forward and declared “While we’re on this subject, I’ve chosen to withdraw from the fashion show, as well. I’ve thought about this carefully, and I have decided it would be unprofessional for a federal investigator to take part in this sort of event. Especially since I, too, am acquainted with Hoity Toity. I don’t need him telling everypony in the capital city that one of the Intelligence Bureau’s top members is flaunting his fashion style in public.”
“Very well, Sir Haywood,” Rarity tensely avowed.
Since Noble Edict and Copper Hollow planned to help Rarity organize the fashion show and monitor the actions of everypony who attended it, they would not have any time to participate in the actual show. So they had to back out of it as well.
Rarity became very distraught when this development occurred. The only good outfits she had made for the fashion show were the cloak for Bronze Star, the suit for Sir Haywood McCrank, the gown for Noble Edict, and the tuxedo for Copper Hollow. Now all four of them had opted out of partaking in the fashion show. So all she had left were the five disasters of dresses she had created for Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.
It was far too late to cancel or reschedule the fashion show, though. Everypony in town was expecting it to take place the following day, and Hoity Toity was coming all the way from Canterlot to witness it. So Rarity and the others had no choice but to go through with it.
On the plus side, they managed to get the best disc jockey in Ponyville, a mare named Vinyl Scratch, to handle the musical accompaniment. Vinyl Scratch came very highly-recommended by fans of classical music and fans of contemporary music alike. Worst case scenario, her appearance at the fashion show would probably be its only saving grace.
The fashion show would be held in less than thirty-six hours. Carousel Boutique still needed to be prepared for it. Copper Hollow and Noble Edict stayed at the shop to help Rarity set up the portable stage and walkway. Everypony else headed home.
Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank spent the rest of the day and most of the next day at the embassy. Bronze Star concentrated on his duties as the ambassador to Ponyville, and he closely read the most recent news reports from Canterlot. Dapple Rhomb assisted him every step of the way.
Haywood McCrank spent most of the day reviewing the latest update from the vigilantes. They had not produced anything very notable this week. Apparently, a few of their own members had entered the Running of the Leaves, as well. However, unlike the task force, they had not seen any suspicious figures, and they had not acquired any physical evidence that anypony had been using Whitetail Woods as a hideout. Still, they advised the members of the task force to be more wary whenever they directly investigated another location in the future. They seemed to be addressing Bronze Star more than anypony else when they gave that recommendation.
Other than that, there was nothing in the vigilantes’ report that was very useful or noteworthy to the investigation. Then again, the task force had been unable to dig up any prominent leads, either. Sir Haywood McCrank hoped that Agent Dread Naught would soon yield some favorable results from the clues he had sent him. Because until Sir Haywood heard back from his colleague, the investigation into the murder plot would be stuck at a dead end.
When Bronze Star read the news report from Canterlot the next morning, he discovered that Hoity Toity would be arriving at Ponyville at around six o’clock in the evening. He made a note to get to Carousel Boutique before then. That way, there would be no chance of Hoity Toity seeing the prince in the daylight.
Dapple Rhomb got off work at five o’clock as usual. A few minutes after she left, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank departed from the embassy, as well. When they got to Carousel Boutique, Copper Hollow and Noble Edict were already there. They had set up the stage and the walkway outside of Carousel Boutique. They were standing along the sides of the walkway. Vinyl Scratch was present, as well; she had set up her DJ station near the back of the walkway. When she saw Bronze Star and Sir Haywood arrive, she just smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.
The gold stallion and the indigo stallion then entered the building. Straightaway, they encountered Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. They were in the process of getting into their dresses. Astoundingly, none of them seemed the least bit perturbed by how strange the dresses looked, even though they were actually wearing them now. Spike was also setting up a microphone near the back entrance. He had volunteered to handle the announcing for the fashion show. Luckily, the baby dragon would doing this task by himself. The fashion show would not be utilizing any of Pinkie Pie’s esoteric comments from the Running of the Leaves.
Rarity was near the front of the building. She looked as though she was trying to hide. All things considered, nopony could blame her. For some reason, she had the sink from her kitchen by her side.
When Sir Haywood and Bronze Star approached the white mare, she just looked up at them and smiled weakly. There was a short period of silence, and then Sir Haywood said “Well, Rarity, good luck.”
“I’m going to need a Tartarus of a lot more than luck, Sir Haywood,” Rarity drily remarked.
“We still have the option to call this whole thing off,” Bronze Star proposed, “Hoity Toity never travels anywhere unless he intends to stay there for several days. The townspeople aren’t going anywhere, either. We’ve got time to fix this problem.”
“No, we don’t,” Rarity argued, “It’s now or never. We won’t get another chance after today. It’s better to show the people something of poor quality than nothing at all.”
“I don’t know about that,” Bronze Star proclaimed.
“Actually, she may have a point,” Haywood McCrank contended, “I have a similar policy. When conducting an investigation, it’s better to have bad intel than no intel at all. At least with unreliable information, one would be able to rule a few things out.”
“I’m not sure that logic would really apply here, Superintendent,” Bronze Star muttered drily.
“We’ll just have to wait and see, Your Highness,” Sir Haywood supposed.
After this conversation ended, some ponies started appearing outside Carousel Boutique. Over the next hour and a-half, the crowd grew progressively larger and larger. A few minutes after six o’clock, the Sun had begun to set. A train from Canterlot pulled in at the depot at approximately the same time. That was the train Hoity Toity was due to arrive on.
Hoity Toity himself showed up at Carousel Boutique at about five minutes before seven o’clock. He was an Earth Pony with a phthalo bluish gray coat, a light sapphire bluish gray mane with light gray stripes, and grayish cobalt blue eyes. His cutie mark was a paper fan. By then, scores of ponies had gathered around the stage and walkway of Carousel Boutique. Noble Edict and Copper Hollow were preoccupied with chaperoning them all.
Rarity approached the back entrance of Carousel Boutique, right where the stage had been set up. She pulled back the curtains slightly and peered out. Hoity Toity was sitting on a pillow near the very front of the walkway. Rarity spotted him almost immediately.
She gasped and mumbled anxiously “There he is!”
She backed away from the back entrance and started taking in deep breaths. After a few moments, she managed to calm herself down, and she told herself “Okay. Relax, Rarity. Your friends like their outfits and so will he.”
Just then, the lights in Carousel Boutique were extinguished.
“UUUAAA, what's wrong with the lights?!” the white Unicorn shrieked in alarm. Then she remembered that this was part of the arrangement. She uttered serenely “Oh, yes. That means the show's starting. Good.”
Once the lights were all out, Vinyl Scratch cued the music. She had composed it and recorded it herself, and it really matched the overall jovial mood of the fashion show. Of course, there was a huge possibility that the mood would change completely once the show actually began.
As the music played, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie walked out onto the stage. They were still standing in the dark, so nopony could see the mares or what they were wearing. For now, they were simply getting into position.
Shortly after this, Spike appeared at the head of the walkway. A spotlight shined on him in such a way that only his silhouette could be seen by the audience. He picked up his microphone and buoyantly announced “Since the beginning of time, the elite of Equestria have longed for pony fashions that truly expressed the essence of their very souls. Patiently waiting decades -- no, centuries -- for the perfect pony gown. Today, at long last, Equestria, your wait is over! Let's hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville's own Rarity!”
More spotlights started shining, and the five mares stepped out onto the walkway one-by-one. Ironically, the music jerked to a halt at almost the exact same time. As a result, every little thing that was said by the people on the ground could be heard. Nopony was impressed or captivated by what the mares were wearing. They just murmured amongst themselves in shock and astonishment.
Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were near the back end of the walkway. They were standing behind the open curtains and inside Carousel Boutique so that nopony could see them. They watched the whole show as it took place in front of them. They could already tell that it was not going well.
The indigo stallion leaned over to the gold stallion and whispered “Sir, prepare for a whole lot of cringing.”
“Way ahead of you, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star grimly thought aloud.
By now, the five mares had reached the front of the walkway. A rotating platform had been placed on this part of it. Once all of them were standing on the platform, it began spinning clockwise. Since the mares were directly facing the audience, they soon noticed the expressions of on the other ponies. At first, they were perplexed by how disgruntled everypony looked.
Why's everypony lookin' at us like that?” Applejack muttered quietly.
Twilight Sparkle looked herself and the others over, and she finally realized how outlandish their clothes really looked. She uttered nervously “Oh dear.”
“You think we overdid it?” Rainbow Dash theorized.
“Nah,” Applejack claimed. She paused for a moment, and she looked down at her galoshes. Then she mumbled “Okay, maybe a little.”
So all the mares had realized that they had gone overboard with their special requests, but it was too late to prevent a wave of embarrassment.
Hoity Toity stood up from his seat and announced in great displeasure “Oh, those amateurish designs look like a piled-on mishmash of everything but a kitchen sink!”
Many of the ponies in the audience laughed at that shot. Inside Carousel Boutique, Rarity still had the sink from her kitchen by her side. She casually pushed it away with her back hoof. In another time and place, that might have been funny to her.
Hoity Toity was not finished there. He continued berating with “It's a travesty, it's what it is. Those outfits are the ugliest things I've ever seen, oh for shame. Who is responsible for subjecting our eyes to these horrors? Not to mention wasting my valuable time.”
All of a sudden, another spotlight shined on the back entrance to Carousel Boutique. Rarity scurried away from it and turned to face Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, and her cat Opal. She beseeched them “Oh! Hide me.”
The two stallions were more than willing to carry out that request. Unfortunately, before they could, Spike called out “Come on out and take a bow, Rarity. You worked really hard for this.”
Rarity was still considering the idea of hiding, but Spike had already broadcasted to the audience that she had been the one who designed the dresses. Now that they all knew, there was no real point in hiding any more.
The white mare sighed, lowered her head, and slowly trotted outside. Once she was on the walkway, one of the spotlights shined down on her. As she moved down the walkway, Spike cheered her on with “Yes! Alright, woohoo! Go, Rarity!”
The baby dragon was the only person there who was really looking on the bright side. Hoity Toity and everypony in the audience felt aghast, the five mares on the platform felt awkward, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank felt uncomfortable, and Rarity felt downright humiliated.
After a couple minutes of this, Noble Edict and Copper Hollow decided to intervene. The two of them climbed onto the walkway and approached Rarity. The red mare gently escorted the white mare back inside Carousel Boutique. The copper stallion covered them and announced to the spectators below “Alright, people, show’s over. You can all go home. Now get the Tartarus out of here.”
Some might have viewed that last statement as rude or offensive, but after what the townsfolk just witnessed, they were delighted to leave the area. The crowd quickly dispersed, getting smaller every second. Soon, Hoity Toity was the last pony left on the ground. He just shook his head in disapproval and trotted away from the scene.
Once Rarity was back inside Carousel Boutique, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank approached her and tried to comfort her. At first, the white mare gave no reaction to anything the stallions did at all. Then she burst into tears, galloped to her room, and closed and locked the door when she was inside.
Bronze Star, Spike, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow thought about going to her to try cheering her up, but Haywood McCrank advised against that. He claimed that Rarity needed some time to be by herself. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie reentered the building soon after.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Applejack commented.
The others sadly nodded in agreement.
“Is there anything we can do for Rarity?” Twilight Sparkle asked hopefully.
“No, I’d say you’ve done quite enough already,” Haywood McCrank snapped, a note of anger permeating his usually stoic voice.
“How about you throw away those ‘dresses?’” Bronze Star scathingly remarked, “Or better yet, burn them.”
“I’d be happy to find some kerosene and a match,” Copper Hollow bluntly conceded.
“Let’s not do anything now,” Noble Edict proposed, “Rarity’s state-of-mind is probably very fragile at present. If we try to get her to feel better right now, we may just end up making things even worse.”
“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest,” Haywood McCrank thought aloud, “We should just leave Rarity alone for now.”
The other nine ponies and the baby dragon accepted this idea.
After a brief pause, Bronze Star looked up at the clock on the wall. It was a quarter to eight. The gold stallion looked around at the others and informed them “I need to get back to the embassy. I’ve still got some business there that I need to get done.”
“Alright, we’ll see you around, Bronze,” Copper Hollow acknowledged.
After bidding his friends good night, Bronze Star hastily left Carousel Boutique. He got back to the embassy within ten minutes. After checking in, he headed up to his room, locked the door, and covered the windows. Next he reached under his bed and pulled out his strongbox. He then found the key, used it to unlock the strongbox, and removed the magic blackboard, marker, and washcloth.
When all this was done, it was exactly eight o’clock. Bronze Star got settled on his bed, placed the blackboard on his lap, and promptly wrote this sentence on the surface:
Omicron-11, reporting in.
When he was finished, the words faded away. Bronze Star patiently waited for a response. Then these words appeared on his blackboard:
This is Omicron-10. Everything alright over there?
Bronze Star was amused by the casualness of that statement. He erased it with his washcloth, and then he wrote down:
Yes, we’re all doing excellent. Relatively speaking, that is.
He included the second comment to account for Rarity’s dilemma. Before those two sentences disappeared, he wrote a third one under them:
How are things going up there?
SIG Sauer’s answer came through ten seconds later:
We’re all getting by very well. We’ve got a lot to talk about.
After reading this, Bronze Star wiped the blackboard clean and wrote down on it:
Indeed we do. Before we get into any of that, could you give the blackboard to Omicron-9 for a moment? I have something I’d like to tell him.
Certainly, sir.
Bronze Star waited for a minute, and then another sentence appeared on the blackboard:
What is it you have to tell me, Your Highness?
The gold stallion recognized it as Walther’s writing. He then erased the sentence and wrote:
I simply wish to congratulate you, General.
Congratulate me on what?
Last week, I saw that article on you in the international section of the Canterlot newspaper. So you’ll be at the Best Young Flyers Competition as both a judge and an honored guest, huh? That’s quite a way to celebrate 30 years in the Wonderbolts.
I wholeheartedly agree. I must admit, though; I was a little surprised when I received the invitation.
I’m not surprised at all. You’re probably the most famous and most capable active living member of the Wonderbolts. You have plenty of achievements to show for your three decades of service.
I appreciate that, sir.
Well, it’s true. Are you looking forward to putting on your old uniform?
Yes, very much. I just hope the uniform still fits me.
I wouldn’t worry about that. I know it’s been nearly seven years since you last put it on, but I can tell that you haven’t let yourself go. Besides, you never really take the uniform off.
Exactly, sir. That’s a sentiment I have always embraced.
Bronze Star paused here for a few moments. He considered changing the subject, but then a thought occurred to him. He wrote down the following sentence on his blackboard.
Do you know whether or not Fleetfoot will be there?
This sentence disappeared like all the previous ones. Bronze Star had received a response to all of those sentences within fifteen seconds. However, he went an entire minute without getting any feedback this time. Bronze Star was concerned that his last sentence might have upset the mahogany Pegasus. Luckily, that notion turned out to be unfounded. After that minute, this came through:
I’ve been told that Captain Spitfire will be attending. Since Fleetfoot is her Second Lieutenant, it is very probably that she will be there, as well.
Are you going to… make contact with her?
If she’s there, I’ll certainly try. But there’s no way of knowing whether or not she’d actually want to see me.
The only way you’ll find out is if you utilize the direct approach. You can’t expect her to come to you first.
I don’t expect that at all.
Then it’s up to you to make the first move. You need to be the strong one here.
With all due respect, Your Highness, that process is not as simple as that. When was the last time you had to make amends with an estranged family member?
Bronze Star could not deny that argument. Walther made a very fine point. He sighed and wrote:
I apologize, General; I know I have no business meddling in your personal life.
No, it’s quite alright, Your Highness. You’re just hoping that I’ll be able to resolve the quarrel between myself and my daughter. I actually appreciate your words of encouragement. Even so, I do not want to risk making things worse with Fleetfoot by approaching her before she’s ready to forgive me.
I understand, Omicron-9.
Bronze Star sat still for another minute. Then he added this:
That’s all I wanted to tell you. Please return the blackboard to Omicron-10.
I shall.
Bronze Star leaned back against his pillows and waited. Thirty seconds later, he received this:
What should we address first, Your Highness?
Bronze Star rubbed his chin in contemplation for a minute, and then he put down:
I’ve been reading the papers every day, and I’ve noticed that the power failures in Hoovston have stopped. Do I have you to thank for that?
Actually, you should first thank our field operatives. Then you should thank the electricians in Hoovston. Then you can thank us.
I see. So, how did you manage it?
We had our field operatives file anonymous tips to the Hoovston Police Department. In those tips, they suggested the possibility that somepony had broken into the electricity network and that he or she was purposely draining power from the electricity network for his or her own gain. The police followed up on those tips and discovered that the provided information was correct. Subsequently, they shared these revelations with the employees of the power stations. The stations’ board of directors quickly busied themselves with remedying the problem.
What exactly did they do?
They’ve added an additional firewall to the network’s failsafe program. Now whenever somepony tries to slice into the electricity network and redirect any part of it, the failsafe program activates straightaway. The new firewall has imposed another level of security that makes it virtually impossible for somepony to redirect the failsafe program.
Even somepony as proficient and experienced as Livewire?
Yes, even a veteran electrician like him. The new firewall was designed with a different type of code than the code that was used when the electrical upgrades were first installed in Hoovston. In other words, it uses an encryption algorithm that Livewire is unfamiliar with. He would be totally unable to bypass it, and even if he tried to, he would risk exposing himself in seconds.
That is fantastic. While we’re on the subject, do we now have some hard evidence that Livewire was responsible for the power failures?
Actually, yes; we do. Obviously, Livewire has noticed that Hoovston is no longer experiencing any more power failures. As you know, when the power failures were taking place, Livewire seemed to be the only person in Hoovston who was not the least bit frightened or alarmed by them. However, now that they’ve stopped, the roles have been reversed. While everypony else in the city is relieved that the power failures have ceased, our field operatives have reported that Livewire appears to be agitated and restless. He does not have any everyday problems that those negative emotions could be attributed to; no debts, no obligations, or anything of the sort.
He’s realized that his ingenious plan has encountered an unexpected setback.
That’s our guess, too.
That settles it; he’s the culprit.
It would seem so, Your Highness. However, according to our field operatives, he has refused to give up his scheme just yet.
What do you mean?
A couple days after the power failures stopped, Livewire went near one of the city’s power stations. He’s been spending more time in that general area every day.
What’s he doing there?
Our field operatives have been unable to determine that. They reported that Livewire has started going inside various buildings for whole hours. These are buildings that he was no business being in. However, we know he must be doing something when he’s inside them. Every time he goes into a building, at some point, all the lights flicker at the same time. But they only flicker for a brief moment. If you blinked at the wrong time, you could miss it. Even our field operatives almost did not notice it at first.
Peculiar. And this happens every time Livewire goes into a building?
ALMOST every time. The sole exception is the hotel Livewire’s staying at. But that hotel is more than two miles away from the power station. All the other buildings Livewire has entered in the past week are only a few blocks away from the station.
What could he possibly be up to?
Alas, we have no idea. Even Omicron-7 cannot venture a guess.
Bronze Star took a moment to reflect on this matter. He then worked out a new strategy, and he continued writing on his blackboard:
Tell the field operatives to get closer to Livewire. It is imperative that that they find out what he is scheming. Have them get within reaching distance, if that’s what it takes.
Are you certain that that’s the most prudent course of action, sir?
Yes, absolutely. We cannot let Livewire continue to temper with Hoovston’s electricity. At least not before we determine what his main goal is. Our only option is to close in around him without actually approaching him. Once the field operatives learn what he is up to, we can decide what to do about it. If need be, we’ll bring him in.
After these instructions disappeared, Bronze Star waited for them to be acknowledged. As he anticipated, he had to wait for a while. He assumed that the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment were discussing them amongst themselves. It was probable that a few of them had some uncertainties about his orders.
Ultimately, he was given this response from SIG Sauer:
As you wish, Your Highness. I’ll dispatch your new orders to the field operatives. I’ll ensure that they get close enough to Livewire to determine what he’s up to.
Good. Just be sure to advise the use of caution. I do not want Livewire to think he is being watched or followed.
Yes, sir.
The matter of Hoovston had pretty much been fully addressed by this point. Bronze figured they may as well move on to the next topic of interest. After wiping away those last two words, he wrote down the following declaration on the blackboard:
Now would be a good time to discuss the issue I mentioned in my last letter to Lord Bellerophon.
After receiving this message, SIG Sauer responded promptly with:
I assume you mean the matter which pertains to the whereabouts of one of the conspiracy’s ringleaders?
Precisely. And not just the ringleader, but the person who started the conspiracy in the first place.
You mean Esopus Spitzenburg?
Yes. I’ve discovered out he will be coming to Ponyville in a little more than a month.
Bronze Star assumed that SIG Sauer and the other members of the Regiment were surprised to hear this, as the pine green Unicorn did not respond for almost thirty seconds. After that, he sent this message to the young prince:
How did you manage to acquire this information?
Applejack told me it herself. Don’t forget that Spitzenburg is a member of the Apple Family; he’s Applejack’s great uncle. Apparently, he and a few more of her relatives have plans to visit her here in Ponyville soon.
That’s rather intriguing, sir. We have our best field operatives watching over Esopus Spitzenburg for the past five months, and the information they’ve acquired from him is trivial at best. In fact, Spitzenburg is so good at keeping his calendar private that we’ve never been able to uncover any of his long-term plans. Yet you were able to do that just by talking to one of your friends.
There are times when a friendly conversation can be more enlightening than a background check.
Perhaps. Still, you managed to acquire some pertinent information that even our most resourceful field operatives couldn’t.
It gets even better than that. Applejack actually wants to introduce me to him personally.
How convenient. She saved you the burden of having to ask to meet him yourself. Still, may I ask why she wants to introduce you and Spitzenburg to each other?
Well, according to her, I’m a lot like him.
That’s quite an alarming allegation.
She meant that as a compliment. Applejack has a lot of respect for Esopus Spitzenburg. She clearly doesn’t know anything about his criminal activities.
I doubt anypony in the Apple Family is aware of Esopus Spitzenburg’s role in the conspiracy. We’ve noticed that of all the conspirators we’ve identified so far, none of them are directly related to any of the others. In fact, no two of them even live in the same city.
The conspiracy was probably organized that way so that the people involved in it would never allow their personal feelings to pose a problem.
That would certainly make sense. Mixing family and work can often produce… undesirable results.
Unless the family runs an enterprise, like Applejack’s. Or a country, like mine.
True, Your Highness. But let’s get back to what you were saying before. Now that we know that you and Esopus Spitzenburg will be in the same town in about a month, how should we prepare for this?
For now, I do not want you to do anything.
What?
I would like to handle this matter myself. I’m going to try to get close to Esopus Spitzenburg while he’s here. Who knows; I may be able to get him to reveal some pertinent information. Our field operatives might not even have to do any work.
Sir, I admire your bravery and your drive, but I must protest. Putting you and Sir Raoul Jowl in a room was one thing. It is another entirely to put you in a room with Esopus Spitzenburg. There’s no telling what could go wrong. We cannot put you in that sort of danger. I mean, this is the very stallion who instigated a conspiracy to murder this country’s supreme leader.
You think I’ve forgotten that? As you know, that “supreme leader” is also my own mother. If I had the option to kill Spitzenburg myself, I would take it without hesitation. Of course, I don’t have that option, but I do have the next best thing. I have the opportunity to investigate him on a personal level. According to Sir Haywood McCrank, suspects are always far more cooperative when they do not even know they are being monitored or interrogated. If I can manage to get on Esopus Spitzenburg’s good side, there’s no telling what we could learn from him then. Let me do this, SIG. I know I can do it.
Bronze Star almost never addressed the members of the Firebrand Regiment by their actual names whenever he communicated to them through his blackboard. The only times he did were when he was trying to speak to them as a friend, or when he was reaching out to them.
He must have succeeded here, as he received this after a long hiatus:
Alright, Your Highness. If this is what you want, I have no right to deny you this chance.
Thank you, SIG. I greatly appreciate you giving me it.
Bronze Star leaned sat up on his bed and rubbed his temple to think. Then he finished up the written conversation with this:
In the meantime, I’m going to see what else I can learn about Esopus Spitzenburg from Applejack. I’m sure she’d be happy to share more details about her relatives’ upcoming visit. Whenever she tells me something noteworthy about Esopus Spitzenburg, I’ll be certain to share it with the rest of you. I’ll keep you apprised through the blackboard, so make sure one of you keeps it close-by at all times. Understood?
Understood, Your Highness.
Outstanding. Omicron-11 out.
After those last few words faded away, Bronze Star returned the blackboard, marker, and washcloth to the strongbox. Then he locked it back up and hid both the strongbox and the key in their regular hiding spots.
Bronze Star made a note to ask Applejack about Esopus Spitzenburg in the near future. If he had nothing else on his agenda, he would have talked to her about this subject the following day. However, before he did anything else, another of his friends needed his attention.
The next day, Bronze Star stopped by Carousel Boutique to look in on Rarity. The white mare had locked herself in her room, and when Bronze Star tried talking to her, she did not respond.
Over the next two days, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Sir Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Copper Hollow, Pinkie Pie, Noble Edict, and Rainbow Dash all visited Carousel Boutique at different times to check up on the fashionista. She did not speak to any of them.
On the third day after the fashion show fiasco, all nine of the ponies went to see her at the same time. Once they were all gathered outside her bedroom, Pinkie Pie approached the door and knocked on it with her front hoof. She called out “Rarity? You okay in there? You haven't come out for days.”
This time, Rarity finally gave a reply. She proclaimed drearily “I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again! I used to be somepony. I used to be respected. I made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now everypony is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!”
As the white Unicorn broke down sobbing, Twilight Sparkle attempted to cheer her up with “You're not a laughing stock, Rarity...”
“She kind of is,” Rainbow Dash countered. A few of the others glared at her for being so insensitive.
“And whose fault is that?” Copper Hollow remarked sardonically.
“Hey, it’s not just mine this time,” Rainbow Dash uttered defensively.
“Shhh!” Twilight Sparkle urged them. She turned back to the door and pleaded to her friend “Come on out and talk to us.”
“Leave me alone!” Rarity cried sorrowfully, “I want to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh, listen to me, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'M SO PATHETIC!”
“Now what do we do?” Twilight Sparkle inquired.
“Uh... panic?” Fluttershy suggested worriedly.
“That's your answer for everything!” Rainbow Dash said crossly
“Well, we can't just leave Rarity like this,” Applejack perceived.
“Indeed, we cannot,” Haywood McCrank concurred.
“She'll become a crazy cat lady!” Pinkie Pie declared.
“She only has one cat,” Twilight Sparkle pointed out.
“Give her time,” Pinkie Pie debated.
“Well, if need be, we could break down the door,” Noble Edict proposed.
“That’d just make this thing even worse,” Bronze Star contended.
“He’s right,” Haywood McCrank coincided, “Rarity has to come out on her own volition.”
“Anypony got any ideas?” Applejack queried.
“I’ve got nothing,” Rainbow Dash commented.
“Me either,” Fluttershy pronounced.
“Well, I know we’ll think of something,” Copper Hollow asserted.
“Yeah, we have to,” Bronze Star agreed.
The nine ponies stood in silence for a while as they contemplated their options. After a short period of quietness, Twilight Sparkle proposed “What if we did her a favor?”
“Like what?” Noble Edict inquired.
“Rarity was busy making our outfits that she didn’t have time to complete her own,” Twilight Sparkle apprised them.
“I think I know what you’re implying,” Haywood McCrank presumed, “You believe that if we finish Rarity’s dress for her, we might improve her morale?”
“Exactly,” Twilight Sparkle confirmed.
“It’s certainly worth a try,” Pinkie Pie commented.
The nine ponies then headed downstairs to Rarity’s workshop. In the back of the room, they found a few sheets of fabric that had been partially stitched together. Applejack, Bronze Star, and Twilight Sparkle recognized them as the ensemble Rarity had been working on when they visited her six days ago. It was the dress she had been making for herself for the Gala.
“There it is,” Applejack informed the others.
The nine ponies approached the sheets of fabric and looked them over. So far, this was all Rarity had completed for her dress.
“Looks like she didn’t get very far along,” Rainbow Dash thought aloud.
Noble Edict noticed a few sheets of paper on the wall behind the sewing machine. She trotted over to the papers, removed them, and studied them. They were very detailed drawings of very well-designed outfits. She recognized all but one of them as the original outfits Rarity had made for her friends. The only one she did not recognize bore a slight resemblance to the sheets of fabric near the sewing machine. Noble Edict quickly concluded that it was a sketch of what Rarity envisioned her own dress to look like. The red mare held up the drawing and pronounced “Luckily for us, she made a sketch.”
“That’s good,” Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, “If we can follow it closely enough, we may be able to finish the dress by ourselves.”
“Only one problem; there’s no instruction manual,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.
“Right,” Bronze Star muttered, “Does anypony here know anything about making clothing?”
At first, none of the ponies said anything. All nine of them just looked around at each other, hoping one of them would have some experience in this field. Eventually, Fluttershy stepped forward and softly revealed “Actually, I… I know how to sew.”
The others all turned to her, surprised. Copper Hollow asked in interest “Really?”
“Yes,” the yellow mare quietly confirmed, “It’s a bit of a hobby of mine. I can’t guarantee anything here, but I’ll see what I can do for Rarity’s dress.”
“Be our guest, Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie bade her.
Fluttershy spent the next half-hour working on Rarity’s dress. She was very careful and delicate with the sewing machine. She paid attention to every inch of fabric, every pattern of color, and every single stitch to ensure that she did everything just the way Rarity would have done it. When she was finally finished, the other ponies were very much impressed with the final product. They complimented the shy Pegasus on her ability. She just blushed heavily and looked down at the ground.
“There’s just one thing I don’t get,” Copper Hollow murmured, “What’s with the crown adornment?”
“It’s probably there to add a touch of majesty,” Twilight Sparkle propounded, “You see, the whole reason Rarity wanted to go to the Gala in the first place was to meet Prince Blueblood.”
“Yeah, I remember you telling me that,” Bronze Star recounted, “All I can say is that I pity Rarity.”
“How come?” Rainbow Dash inquired.
The gold stallion scoffed and disclosed “Not many people know this, but my cousin’s a hardcore douchebag.”
The other eight ponies were somewhat stunned by that remark. Even more alarming was how bluntly and seriously Bronze Star had presented it.
“Is that so?” Applejack asked her coltfriend.
“Ho, yeah,” Bronze Star affirmed, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the heart to tell Rarity that. She may have to learn that the hard way when she actually sees Blueblood at the Gala.”
“At any rate, we need to make sure she’s still willing to GO to the Gala,” Twilight Sparkle illuminated.
“Right,” Noble Edict coincided, “First things first, though. How are we going to get Rarity to come out of her room?”
Rainbow Dash ended up being the one who found a solution to this issue. There was a tree outside Carousel Boutique that directly faced the window to Rarity’s bedroom. Rainbow Dash suggested that they take Rarity’s cat Opalescence, put her up in a tree, and wait for Rarity to come out to rescue her. This plan may have seemed like a longshot, but Rarity was a very caring pet owner. If Opal was in distress, Rarity would not hesitate to come to her aid.
After placing Rarity’s dress on one of her mannequins, the other ponies moved the mannequin outside to the base of the tree. Then Rainbow Dash searched the building for Opalescence. Once she found the cat, the cyan mare flew her up to the tree and placed her on a thin branch. Luckily, Rarity’s window was open at the time.
Opalescence gripped the branch, stared at the ground below in terror, and began meowing restlessly.
A few seconds later, Rarity appeared at her window and stated “Huh? Opal?”
Opalescence did not respond to her mistress. She just continued meowing in fright.
“Opal, how did you get up there?” Rarity called out worriedly “Hang on, you poor dear! Mama's coming!”
A few seconds later, Rarity rushed out of Carousel Boutique. She was clad in a fluffy pink bathrobe, and she wore pink fuzzy slippers on her front hooves. Her mane looked rather unkempt, as well.
As soon as she was outside, she spotted Rainbow Dash on the same branch as Opalescence. The white mare glared up at the cyan mare and yelled “Rainbow Dash?! How dare you strand my poor Opal in a tree?”
Rainbow Dash just smirked and gestured to the ground, saying “Well, how else were we gonna get you out here to show you this?”
Rarity redirected her gaze from the top of the tree to its base. When she saw her Gala dress on the mannequin, her jaw dropped in amazement. “What is it? It's not... You...”
As she was gasping, Pinkie Pie happily told her “We all finished your dress for you.”
“Thanks to Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewing,” Applejack added in, looking to the yellow mare.
Fluttershy just blushed again and gazed at the ground for a moment. Then she looked up at Rarity and asked her “Do you like it?”
“Like it?” Rarity repeated in disbelief as she approached the mannequin, “Like it?!”
“Uh-uh,” Fluttershy said anxiously, “She doesn't like it.”
“No, I don't like it,” Rarity thought aloud.
“Awwww...” everypony mumbled in disappointment.
Right then, Rarity’s expression brightened up immensely. She turned to her friends and joyfully announced “I LOVE IT!”
“Yay!” everypony cheered in unison.
Rainbow Dash picked up Opalescence, brought her down to the ground, and placed her on her mistress’s back. Rarity studied the dress and observed “You ponies did an amazing job. It's exactly the way I imagined it.”
“We just followed your brilliant design,” Fluttershy remarked.
“Like we should have let you do for our outfits,” Twilight Sparkle candidly professed, “Those first dresses you designed were perfect.”
“I could have told you that five days ago,” Noble Edict proclaimed, “That’s why I didn’t ask to have mine redone.”
“We're so super sorry,” Pinkie Pie said apologetically.
“You worked really hard to make our dresses exactly the way we wanted them,” Rainbow Dash observed glumly, “We all saw how well that turned out.”
“Oh, I forgive you,” Rarity assured her friends.
“Well, that's mighty big of you,” Applejack said in admiration.
Just then, Rarity abruptly returned to her distressed mode and cried “But my whole career is still ruined!”
“Oh, right.” Applejack frankly stated, “That.”
Twilight Sparkle thought for a minute, and then she countered with “Maybe not.”
Rarity looked to her and asked “What do you mean?”
“Hoity Toity is still in Ponyville,” Twilight Sparkle apprised her.
“He is?” Rarity inquired.
“Yeah, he’s been staying in the most expensive suite in the apartment complex,” Noble Edict expounded, “Apparently, he’s not going to leave town until he sees something that’s fashionable enough to get his attention.”
“We could make that work to our advantage,” Haywood McCrank recommended.
“Just what I was thinking,” Twilight Sparkle conceded, “How about we give the fashion show another try?”
“What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“We could hold another fashion show,” Twilight Sparkle proposed, “This time, we’ll use the first round of dresses Rarity made for us.”
“That’s a good idea,” Applejack commented, “However, after what happened the other night, I doubt we’d have a very large turnout.”
“She’s got a point,” Rainbow Dash agreed.
“Then let’s not make it public,” Pinkie Pie advised, “We can hold it exclusively for Hoity Toity.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Fluttershy uttered softly.
“Yeah, I’m for that,” Copper Hollow proclaimed, “If there’s no crowd to organize, Noble Edict and I could partake in it, too.”
“I’d like that,” Noble Edict said approvingly.
“That’s wonderful!” Rarity exclaimed.
“If Hoity Toity will be the only person present at the fashion show, I suppose I could participate, as well,” Haywood McCrank remarked, “I could just make sure he does not mention me specifically.”
“That’s great, Sir Haywood,” Rarity stated, grinning widely.
“Looks like we’re all in,” Pinkie Pie declared giddily.
“Except…” Applejack countered, looking over at Bronze Star.
Everypony turned to the gold stallion. He rubbed his chin for a moment as if he was deep in thought. A few moments later, he began with “Actually…”
He paused again, and then he looked around at the other nine ponies and told them “Don’t get Hoity Toity just yet. I need to get something from the embassy.”
Everypony agreed to stand and wait. They watched Bronze Star as he galloped away from the scene. Twenty minutes later, he returned to Carousel Boutique with his strongbox.
“Alright,” Bronze Star stated, “I’m in.”
“Weren’t you concerned about Hoity Toity recognizing you?” Twilight Sparkle recalled.
“Yeah, I was at the time,” Bronze Star answered her, “But don’t worry. I have a plan.”
Nopony asked what he meant, as the gold stallion seemed confident with himself.
Rarity brought her dress back inside Carousel Boutique. Twilight Sparkle went to get Spike while the other eight ponies followed the white Unicorn inside. Once the lavender mare and the baby dragon returned, the group began making preparations for the second fashion show.
Rarity dug up the first dresses she had created for Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle, and she distributed them to their respective owners. She also got out Copper Hollow’s tuxedo, Noble Edict’s gown, Haywood McCrank’s suit, and Bronze Star’s cloak.
While the nine of them got into their outfits, Rarity asked Spike to head over to the apartment complex and find Hoity Toity. By using some pleading and persuasiveness, the baby dragon convinced the fashion representative to give Rarity a chance to redeem herself.
By the time they got back to Carousel Boutique, everypony else had gotten dressed up. They had also set up the stage in the front room, complete with curtains and a canopy. At the moment, they were all standing behind the curtains so that they were concealed from Hoity Toity’s view.
Rarity stepped backstage for a moment to tell everypony how the fashion show would go. They would each present themselves one at a time, and there would be music playing in the background. Spike was in charge of managing the music, and all the music was leftover from the previous fashion show. Every time another pony stepped on stage, the music would change.
Originally, Rarity planned to present herself last. However, Bronze Star requested that he go last instead, and that Rarity present him in a specific manner. This was part of his plan. The white Unicorn agreed to this proposal.
Once they had discussed everything, Rarity went back out to see Hoity Toity. She waited for him to give the signal to begin.
“All right, I haven't got all day,” the fashion representative pronounced, “Take two.”
Rarity stood in the center of the stage, and her horn started producing an aura. The aura grew larger and brighter, and soon the whole room was encompassed by it. New age music started playing in the background.
Soon the light generated by Rarity’s magic aura dimmed. Rarity was not standing on the stage; Twilight Sparkle was. She was surrounded by waves of shooting stars. When they dissipated, she turned to her side and smiled at Hoity Toity.
The phthalo bluish gray stallion lowered his sunglasses and commented in interest “Hello... Oh, this can't be the same designer.”
The new age music was then replaced by country music, and Applejack sauntered onto the stage. Visions of apples danced around her, and she looked as though she was brandishing a lasso. She waved her front hooves and smirked at Hoity Toity.
The fashion representative smiled and pronounced “Simply magnificent! And I suddenly have a fierce craving for some Dutch apple pie, candied apples on a stick, apple turnovers, apple cobbler...”
As he went on, the country music was replaced by jazz music, and Copper Hollow entered the stage. All around him were images of ceramic bowls and metallic vessels. As they faded away, the copper stallion turned to Hoity Toity and smirked down at him.
The phthalo bluish gray stallion rubbed his chin and pronounced “Oh, this is excellent; we’ve got costumes for both sexes now.”
The jazz music was then replaced by pop music. Illusions of candy and party decorations covered the stage. Pinkie Pie swiftly entered amidst them. Despite the fact that the candy was illusionary, she tried to eat a couple of them. After that, she smiled with her mouth open at Hoity Toity.
He exclaimed excitedly “Brilliant!”
The pop music was then replaced by rhythm and blues music. Noble Edict was the next one on stage. She was surrounded by waves of papers, badges, and cabinets. Once they disappeared, she struck a rather sultry pose and gazed in Hoity Toity’s direction.
This gesture had a pleasing effect on the fashion representative. He wryly observed “Oh my, this is getting invigorating.”
All of a sudden, there was a crash of thunder that took him by surprise. The rhythm and blues music was replaced by rock music, and Rainbow Dash had her turn. There were clouds, bolts of lightning, and rainbows all around her. She hovered in the air for a minute, and then she landed on the ground and smirked at Hoity Toity.
“Oh, spectacular!” Hoity Toity proclaimed.
The rock music was then replaced by metal music. Sir Haywood McCrank came on the stage next. Although the music did not seem compatible with his persona, it did go well with his presentation. Sir Haywood was immersed in a sea of illusions of tall buildings and case files. He calmly trotted to the head of the stage, straightened out his cufflinks, and stood up tall and proud.
Hoity Toity was surprised to see Sir Haywood there, but he was even more mesmerized by his new suit. He commented in astonishment “Unbelievable; they make clothing for everypony here!”
The metal music was then replaced by soul music. Fluttershy had her turn now. She closed her eyes, flew into the open, and delicately landed on the center of the stage. All around her were imaginary plants and animals. When one of the fake butterflies landed in her mane where her butterfly-shaped brooch was, she opened her eyes and grinned.
Hoity Toity was absolutely amazed by this point. He announced cheerfully “Now this is a fashion show! All of these dresses and suits are absolutely amazing. Who is responsible? Step forward, show yourself!”
The soul music was then replaced by classical music. The light blue aura from Rarity’s horn reappeared. Once again, it encompassed the entire area for a while. When it clearly up, Rarity was on the stage. During the show, she had gotten dressed in her own gown. She stood in the center of the stage and gradually withdrew the magic aura. Applejack, Copper Hollow, Fluttershy, Sir Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle gathered behind her in two rows.
Once the magic aura had vanished altogether, Hoity Toity shouted “Brava! Brava! Magnifico! Encore!”
Rarity looked as though she was going to cry tears of joy. She looked back and forth between Hoity Toity and her friends, and she stated appreciatively “Oh, thank you. Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!”
Hoity Toity remained smiling and he professed “This must be the most well-executed fashion show I’ve seen in a good long time. You didn’t even use any professional models, but your presentation and musical accompaniment was exquisite.”
“I am so pleased to hear that,” Rarity pronounced, “However, it’s not over just yet. We have a special guest who has yet to go.”
Hoity Toity raised an eyebrow in interest and remarked “Oh? Who might it be?”
Rarity just looked over her shoulder and called out happily “He’s ready for you!”
The classical music had stopped playing long ago, and now alternative music was playing in its stead. An image of Canterlot Castle appeared on the stage. After a few seconds of inactivity, Bronze Star burst through the illusion. He was clad in his regalia and his new cloak, and his wings and horn were visible. While he was alone backstage, Bronze Star had transformed into his Alicorn form.
He hovered in the air for a moment and used his magic to completely pull away the curtains. Then he landed next to Rarity at the front of the stage.
Hoity Toity was downright stunned to see Bronze Star there. He uttered in surprise “P-P-Prince Bronze Star?”
The gold stallion just smirked and said casually “Good day, Hoity. Nice to see you here.”
The phthalo bluish gray stallion bowed to him for a moment, and then he stood up straight again and declared “L-likewise, Your Highness. But at the risk of sounding too inquisitive, may I ask what are you doing here?”
“That’s a fair question to ask,” Bronze Star asserted, “So I’ll give you an answer. I sent Sir Haywood here a few months ago on a classified assignment. He’s kept me updated on both his progress and his relationships with the locals. Not too long ago, he informed me that a number of the town’s residents would be attending the Grand Galloping Gala, and they included all six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I requested a meeting with all six of them, which Sir Haywood arranged. At that meeting, I got to know them on a personal level. At one point, Rarity offered to make me something of my own to wear at the Gala. I decided to accept, and she made me this cloak.”
He then stepped forward, turned to his side, and queried “What do you think of it?”
Hoity Toity approached the stage, lowered his sunglasses, and took a closer look at the garment. After that, he looked up and told both Bronze Star and Rarity “It’s astonishing. Not only is it well-made and extravagant, but it also matches your vest and soft shoes perfectly. I’ve never seen anypony make an original creation that went this well with any of my own creations.”
“Then you like it?” Rarity assumed hopefully.
“Oh, I certainly do,” Hoity Toity affirmed, “Rarity, you are anything but an amateur. However, I’m still a little perplexed on why didn’t you mention earlier that Prince Bronze Star would be here.”
“She and I wanted this to be a surprise for you,” Bronze Star claimed, “In exchange for that, I would ask that you not tell anypony that you saw me today. Nopony outside this room can know that I was here. Not even Princess Celestia or the Royal Guard.”
“Very well,” Hoity Toity acknowledged, “Nopony other than those present will find out.”
By now the fashion show was over. Everypony kept their outfits on for a while and simply lounged around in them. Twilight Sparkle had Spike draft another letter to Princess Celestia about friendship. The lesson she had learned today was about how to properly express appreciation for a favor.
At the same time, Hoity Toity was discussing business with Rarity. The phthalo bluish gray stallion told the white mare “Rarity, my congratulations to you on a most impressive fashion debut. Would you do me the great honor of allowing me to feature your couture in my Best of the Best Boutique in Canterlot?”
Rarity gasped in delight at that prospect.
Before she had a chance to respond, Hoity Toity added in “Now, I'll need you to make a dozen of each dress for me by next Tuesday, as well as a score of each tuxedo and a hundred of that superb cloak.”
Rarity’s delight swiftly changed to worry. She looked as though she was going to faint when she heard that request.
Bronze Star could plainly see that she was distressed. He trotted over to her and patted her on the back. He then cockily remarked “Hey, nopony ever rose to greatness without going through some pain and strife.”
“That isn’t exactly reassuring, Bronze,” Rarity irately commented.
“Sorry,” was all he said in response.
Fluttershy approached Rarity and sweetly offered “If you want, Rarity, I could give you a hoof.”
Rarity turned to the yellow mare and stated happily “You’d do that for me, Fluttershy?”
“Of course,” Fluttershy confirmed, “You’re my best friend.”
The white mare was touched by that. She smiled and remarked “That means a lot to me.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Fluttershy reminded her.
“In fact, we could all drop in and give you a hoof,” Noble Edict proposed.
“Yeah, it’s the least we could do,” Pinkie Pie conceded. There were strong murmurs of agreement all around the room.
“Well, I would certainly be grateful for any extra help,” Rarity thought aloud, “Alright, it’s a plan. Thank you all so much.”
“Anytime,” Applejack told her.
After a while, Hoity Toity decided to head back to the apartment complex. Just before he left, he announced to the other ten ponies that he would be going back to Canterlot later that day. He also mentioned to Rarity that he looked forward to receiving his order next week, and he stated that he was going to tell all of his colleagues about her fantastic outfits. Rarity was a little nervous about that first point, but she was thrilled by the second point.
Shortly after Hoity Toity left, the ten ponies got undressed. Rarity told her friends that if any of them did not want to take their outfits home with them, she would be willing to hold on to their outfits until the night of the Gala. Most of them decided to leave the outfits in her care for the present. Only Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Fluttershy decided to take theirs home.
After Bronze Star packed up his regalia and his new cloak in the strongbox, he changed back into his Earth Pony disguise. Then he and Sir Haywood McCrank decided to head back to the embassy. The gold stallion asked Sir Haywood to go outside first to see if Hoity Toity was in the area. Once the indigo stallion confirmed that the phthalo bluish gray stallion was nowhere in sight, he and Bronze Star stepped out of Carousel Boutique and began making their way back to the embassy.
On their way, Haywood McCrank turned to the younger stallion and commented “Now that was a… rather pleasurable experience.”
“I agree, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star pronounced, “You think Hoity Toity bought my story?”
“Well, you were fairly convincing,” Haywood McCrank disclosed, “If I didn’t know the truth, I think even I might have believed you.”
“Good, then I’m sure Hoity Toity did,” Bronze Star concluded. After a short pause, he remarked “At any rate, I’m glad we were able to fix Rarity’s problem.”
“As am I,” Haywood McCrank stated, “This is one scenario where everything ended well for all parties involved. Especially Rarity herself.”
“Unless you count the massive order Hoity Toity placed,” Bronze Star pointed out.
“Oh, yeah; that might be a slight problem,” Haywood McCrank conjectured, “But as long as everypony helps her out, she should be alright.”
Bronze Star lightly nodded at that. After another pause, he smirked and thought aloud “And who knows? She may even make the front page of the newspapers tomorrow.”
“That’s certainly a possibility,” Haywood McCrank conceded, “You never know what you’ll read in the papers these days.”
Ironically, at that exact time, the two of them walked past a newsstand. Right then, dozens of ponies were gathered around the foundation, trying to get their hooves on a newspaper as soon as possible. There was no line; just a massive, disorderly crowd. The vendors were struggling to keep up with all their customers.
“What do you suppose is going on over there?” Bronze Star queried.
“I’m guessing a really groundbreaking piece of news just arrived,” Haywood McCrank hypothesized.
“Well, whatever it is, everypony seems to want to know about it,” the gold stallion noted.
“I’ll go check it out,” the indigo stallion declared, “You go on without me, sir,”
“Alright, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star conceded, “I’ll see you later.”
Haywood McCrank headed over to the newsstand while Bronze Star made his way back to the embassy. Dapple Rhomb was there, working in her office. Bronze Star quietly trotted upstairs to his bedroom and hid his strongbox under his bed. After that, he went back downstairs and got to work with his secretary.
Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb spent the next twenty minutes reviewing several business letters that had arrived that morning from the capital city. They had been receiving a lot of those recently, mostly due to Princess Celestia’s sudden interest in Ponyville. Bronze Star made a note to bring them up at the next meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council.
After those twenty minutes were over, Sir Haywood got back to the embassy. To be more precise, he burst through the front door and galloped inside. When he heard Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb talking in the latter’s office, he immediately went there.
The gold stallion and the purple mare were alarmed by the indigo stallion’s current appearance. He looked as though he had sprinted there all the way from the newsstand. He actually had. His suit pants were wrinkled, his tie had been loosened, and his collared shirt was stained with sweat. His breathing was quite labored, too. His most notable feature was his facial expression; he looked absolutely shaken.
“Sir Haywood, are you alright?” Bronze Star queried in concern
Haywood McCrank held his front hoof up to show that he needed a moment to catch his breath before he could answer. Once he managed to respire normally, he reached into his suit jacket and removed a newspaper. He held it out to Bronze Star and told him edgily “Sir, you… you need to see this.”
The gold stallion tentatively took the newspaper into his front hooves and looked down at it. On the front page, there was a picture of a building. Bronze Star recognized it as one of the power stations in Hoovston. But the station looked as though it had been struck by an earthquake, and it was surrounded by wreckage and many different groups of ponies. Above the picture, the headline read: Terrible Tragedy Befalls The Citizens of Hoovston.
The newspaper had the current day’s date, but the picture’s timestamp contained the previous day’s date. A lengthy article had been printed under the picture. Bronze Star anxiously began to read it. With every word he read, he felt himself become more wrought with shock, despair, and disbelief.
When he was finished reading, he got up from his chair and sternly announced “I’ll be in my quarters. Until I come out, do not interrupt me for anything.”
Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb only nodded in acknowledgement.
Bronze Star ran upstairs and hurried into his bedroom. After locking the door and covering the window, he took out his strongbox and got out his blackboard, along with the marker and washcloth. Then he wrote on the surface of the blackboard:
Is anypony there? Anypony at all? Please, respond.
Shortly after the words disappeared, he received this answer:
Omicron-3 here, sir.
The writing was in fact Peacemaker’s. Bronze Star was relieved that the Firebrand Regiment had followed his request for one of them keep their own blackboard on-hoof at all times. He then erased these words and wrote down on his:
Are the others close by, Major?
Not five seconds after these words faded away, the physician replied with:
Yes, Your Highness. We’re all in the Compartment right now.
Alright, have everypony assemble around the blackboard. And please, hurry. This is urgent.
Right away, sir.
Bronze Star then set down his blackboard and impatiently waited to hear back from the Firebrand Regiment. About three minutes later, he received this message:
This is Omicron-10 reporting in, sir. The entire group is accounted for. We’ve been expecting to hear from you.
Bronze Star was intrigued by that last statement. He wiped his blackboard clean and wrote down:
So you know about Hoovston?
Ten seconds later, SIG Sauer sent him this:
Correct. I assume you found out just now?
Yes, I read about it in the afternoon papers. But according to the picture and the article, the disaster happened last night. Have you had time to look further into it?
Indeed, we have, sir. We’ve already investigated the incident thoroughly.
Incident? This was no incident. It was a bona fide catastrophe. Make no mistake about that.
As you say, Your Highness.
That aside, I still want to hear the tale from you. What the TARTARUS happened?
Well, since you’ve read the article, you know that the press is trying the pass the event off as an unfortunate accident. However, as I’m sure you’ve already deduced, it was no accident. It was Livewire. He was the guilty party here.
That’s what I assumed. We knew he was plotting something, but how could he have caused this?
We were uncertain at first, but by combining our own findings with the reports from the field operatives and Omicron-7’s expertise, we uncovered how he accomplished it.
Tell me what he did. I want every detail.
Very well. Let me take a moment to get my report ready.
Bronze Star sat down on his bed and waited for his trainer to send him more. A minute later, SIG Sauer began his lengthy explanation:
Firstly, you should know something about the power station whose picture was in the newspaper. It’s the same power station that Livewire had been spending so much of the last several days around. All the buildings he had visited over those days received their electricity directly from that specific power station. We were able to determine the reason why the lights flickered momentarily in all those buildings whenever Livewire was inside them. He had somehow tapped into each building’s individual grid. He did that so he could gain access to the source of the building’s power in the station’s network. Once he had that access, he could control each building’s flow of electricity any way he wanted. He would not even have to be in or near the building to redirect its power. As long as he was near a foundation that received its energy from the same power station, he could manipulate the power from any of the buildings whose grids he previously sliced into. Do you understand all of this so far?
I get the gist of it; Livewire was able to control the electricity of every building he hacked into, and he could do it from anyplace close-by, as long as he was at a building that received its power from that one specific power station. But how did that allow him to do… what he did?
Last night, Livewire released a complex program into part of the network that was operated by the power station. Once this program was in the network, it immediately caused an overload in all the electrical devices in every building he had already sliced into. The overloads were so powerful they caused all the devices to – for lack of a better word – explode. That action by itself did plenty of damage to the city and its inhabitants. But it didn’t end there. After all the electrical devices in those buildings had experienced an overload, Livewire’s program redirected the flow of electricity in all those buildings to its source. In other words, they channeled all the electricity straight back to the power station. Keep in mind, we’re talking about more than thirty volatile waves of electricity here, and all of them were being focused on one location. All that electricity in one place posed a massive problem for the power station’s mainframe. The failsafe program could not compensate for the sudden increase in energy, and within minutes, the entire facility experienced a critical failure. It ultimately resulted in what can only be described as a huge electrical blast. The blast encompassed the entire station, and it caused every single device to short-circuit. Finally, the station itself completely lost power, as did every building that had been relying on it for electricity.
After reading this report over thoroughly, Bronze Star erased it all and wrote:
I can only imagine how devastating this must have been to the city and the people. What sort of repercussions is Hoovston facing?
Over two square miles of Hoovston are without electricity, heat, or other forms of power. Many of the buildings in the danger zone have been deemed uninhabitable or unsafe. At present, a number of people have been unable to find shelter or work. Several people have lost their jobs altogether, and a few smalltime corporations have gone out of business.
What about casualties? The article contained no mention of how many people were physically affected by this disaster.
Well, they’re waiting until they have an exact number to release the casualty list. The official tally has not been taken just yet. But we have already acquired some estimates. Currently, more than ten thousand ponies have been injured, and several dozen more are missing or unaccounted for.
Alright. And how many dead?
SIG Sauer did not reply to that straightaway. After a minute of inactivity, Bronze Star repeated:
How many dead?
This time, he got an answer. SIG Sauer sent him this:
There are over six hundred confirmed fatalities.
Bronze Star dropped his marker when he received this response. He stared at that number in absolute shock for over a minute. He tried to convince himself that he was reading it wrong, but he was not. His eyes never played tricks on him.
When he finally came to his senses, Bronze Star picked up his marker and wrote:
More than six hundred ponies are dead?
Yes, and the number continues to rise as more of the injured succumb to their wounds. The final number of the deceased could be anywhere between eight hundred and one thousand.
Bronze Star felt a jolt of rage flash through him at that revelation. He made up his mind right then, and he wrote down on the blackboard:
That settles it. This cannot go unpunished. I want you to find Livewire and bring him in immediately.
Unfortunately, that’s impossible, sir.
Why?
If you looked in the obituaries, you’d know. Livewire was killed in the blast.
He was?
Yes, and according to eyewitness testimony, he was one of the first to die.
Bronze Star was both upset and annoyed to learn this. Then something else occurred to him. He wrote:
What about the people who were monitoring him?
Three of the six field operatives who were watching Livewire were killed, too. One of the survivors has been hospitalized, and another is still in shock. The last one was able to provide us with a vivid firsthoof experience of the whole fiasco. She believes that this was Livewire’s plan all along. To use Hoovston’s revolutionary electricity network against it and turn the city into an impoverished wasteland.
We’re damn lucky that he only succeeded in doing that to part of the city. Still, that’s no consolation to make up for this huge loss of life and property. Needless to say, we cannot allow something like this to ever happen again. EVER.
We all agree with you completely. So we all feel the need to ask you this: Are you certain you’ll still be able to handle the affair with Esopus Spitzenburg without any assistance?
Bronze Star paused for a minute to think about this, and ultimately, he wrote:
Yes, I am. I want to investigate him personally. Before today, I already had a personal quarrel with this stallion for planning to overthrow my mother. Now that he’s responsible for bringing harm to so many innocent people, he’s made this thing even more personal. The only way I can ensure that Spitzenburg himself causes no suffering is if I can keep an eye on him myself.
Very well, Your Highness. But as an extra precaution, we should probably give you some tips and guidance on how to properly observe a suspect without the suspect being aware of your intentions.
I would like that, too. However, that is a topic that cannot really be discussed over the blackboard. For this matter, I should probably meet face-to-face with at least one of you.
That’s what we were hoping for. Who would you wish to meet with and when? We can all make ourselves available to you at any time.
Let me think for a minute. I’ll get back to you.
Alright; please, take your time. We’ll stand by.
Bronze Star spent the next few minutes pondering on which member of the Firebrand Regiment would be the most ideal one to meet with for this issue. All ten of them had some degree of potential.
SIG Sauer was typically his first choice. He had known the pine green Unicorn longer than any of the others. He could find a solution to nearly any problem, and he was the leader of the Firebrand Regiment. However, despite his extensive list of capabilities and accomplishments, he had a tendency to very direct when confronting suspects. Since Bronze Star needed to use an indirect approach when investigating Esopus Spitzenburg, this was one situation where SIG Sauer would not be the most ideal advisor. Bronze Star decided to go with one of the other nine members of the Regiment.
Heckler had plenty of experience in acquiring all sorts of information, but he normally did it when there was a table between him and the suspect, and they were in a dimly-lit room. Koch was an expert in accumulating knowledge, but he was much better at gathering it from objects rather than ponies. Peacemaker was very qualified at getting suspects to talk, but a lot of the time, he was using his medical knowledge to coerce them into cooperating or trying to save their lives. Glock knew how to approach suspects without tipping them off, but gathering information from them subtly was not his forte. Beretta had faced more suspects in the field than any of the others, but most of the time, she was forced to kill them. Caracal seemed the most promising, as she had gone undercover many times, just like how Bronze Star was masquerading under a different identity in Ponyville, but these operations of hers needed to be arranged weeks in advance, and Bronze Star did not have weeks. Ruger was arguably the most intelligent of the lot, but she had almost no experience in directly pursuing suspects. Carabine was well-versed in both ways to befriend suspects and ways to get information out of suspects, but unfortunately, he was not excellent at employing both strategies at the same time.
That just let Walther. Bronze Star thought about this, and he felt as though the General was the one best suited for this job. After all, he was charismatic, cunning, resourceful, smart, and he had a rather charming personality. Plus, Bronze Star might have had an opportunity to meet with him at someplace other than Ponyville or Canterlot.
Once he was finished going over his options, Bronze Star wrote this on his blackboard:
Is Omicron-9 still going to the Best Young Flyers Competition?
The words gradually vanished. Ten seconds later, he got this response:
He says “Of course.”
Then how about I meet him there before the actual competition? If we both get there early enough, he can debrief me on everything.
Is that wise, sir? Especially when considering your current… disposition?
If you mean my lack of wings and a horn, that’s no problem. I could just go as myself.
He did not get a response to that for almost a whole minute after that. Evidently, he had surprised SIG Sauer and maybe a few of the others, as well. Ultimately, he was given this:
Are you certain there aren’t any unacceptable risks in that idea?
Yes, I am certain of that. Think about this. Nopony in Cloudsdale has seen me in my Earth Pony disguise, so I wouldn’t risk exposing myself. Besides, my mother attends the Best Young Flyers Competition every year. I doubt anypony would question why her spirited, physically-active son would choose to attend it, too. Most of all, I find it unlikely that anypony would wonder why a member of the Canterlot Royalty was talking to a veteran Wonderbolt in public.
Those are all excellent points, Your Highness. Alright; I’m convinced you’ve got the situation under control. The General says he’ll be prepared to meet with you sometime before the Competition begins.
Excellent. I look forward to it.
Bronze Star paused for a short time after this. Then he wrote down:
If the situation in Hoovston gets any worse or if anything else pertaining to the conspiracy comes up, please inform me straightaway. I’ll check my blackboard as often as I can.
Very well, Your Highness. Until next time.
After erasing that last message, Bronze Star placed the blackboard, marker, and washcloth back into the strongbox, locked it up, and pushed it under his bed. He then sighed and sat down on his bed. He looked down at the newspaper.
He still could not believe it. In one day, six hundred souls had been lost, and countless more had been ruined. All because of one stallion.
That was what disturbed Bronze Star the most. There were only twenty people involved in this conspiracy. One of them had defected to the government, and two of them were dead. But one of the dead ones had managed to bring a wave of destruction to one of the largest cities in the country. Bronze Star did not even want to think of what the rest of his co-conspirators were capable of. There was a chance that all seventeen of them might end up inflicting an equally large amount of damage to the people of Equestria. Or they might do even worse than Livewire.
Regardless, Bronze Star was not going to let them succeed. He vowed that once all seventeen of the conspirators were identified, he would bring them to justice, and he would make them pay for all the wrongs they had done. At this point, he was even considering the idea of having all of them executed without a trial.
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5808276 It's ironic that you should mention that. When I first started writing this story, I originally intended for Noble Edict to be an undercover member of the Nightmare Moon cult and ultimately an antagonist. But as I developed her character in the first ten chapters, I became progressively more fond of her, and I eventually decided that she would not be a traitor in any way. So if you're still expecting her to stab Bronze Star or anypony else in the back, you can put those qualms to rest; that won't happen. There will be a few double-crosses in this story, but Noble Edict will not be one of them.
Aside from that, even if Noble WAS working for the cult, what reason would she have to kill Raoul Jowl? The Nightmare Moon cult and Raoul's conspiracy are two entirely different matters; the only thing they have in common is that Bronze Star and the Firebrand Regiment are actively working to bring them both down.
At any rate, thank you for your reviews thus far. I hope you're enjoying the story.