Chapter 4: Captured Images
Rarity runs off to check on the other floats to see if they're ready for the show. Vignette leaves the scene as well. Wire Wolf and the others are starting to grow concern about the social media star. Of course, Rarity seems to like Vignette a lot, it will be hard to tell her about their doubts about her. They decide to wait, and see if what the suspicions are true.
As the others get on the float, Rarity is hard at work to get the costume designs done for the parade in time.
"One hour until wheels up, everyone! The light parade waits for no one! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!" Rarity calls out to the employes who are running around. Rarity also signs a signature, and clap her hands.
"Big night tonight, Rare. Perhaps the biggest of all time. Definitely the biggest of your life. I'm excited for you," Vignette happily says.
"You're not worried? Not that I'm worried. Unless you're worried, in which case, I'm very, very worried!" Rarity says, acting like there is nothing to worry about
"There's no room for self-doubt. You've gotta get rid of it faster than a pleated cargo skort," Vignette says.
The two shiver in reply about the cargo skort comment.
"So I love everything you've done here. One thought – do we want the costumes to have lights on them? You've got time. I think we should start from scratch," Vignette says, looking at the dress
"Huh?" Rarity reacts, and comes to a stand still
"B-T-Dubs, every amazing fashion vlogger and SnapGab celeb's gonna be here tonight! No presh," Vignette says, and ruffles Rarity's hair a bit.
Then leaves the scene
Rarity begins to shake and quietly says in fright, "Really? 'Cause I'm feeling presh."
Then notices something, and angrily says, "Why am I seeing neon pink and yellow on that dragon's tail?! Is this a beast of legend or a safety vest?!"
On the Rainbooms' Float, the employees are measuring the others outfits for the show. Rarity walks over to see how everyone is doing. She can see that three out of the eleven members are here. She looks at the base to see Applejack is not here.
Rarity sighs, and says, "I suppose Applejack has better things to do than final fittings and sound check!"
"Don't be mad at her. She's still out trying to find Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who aren't here either, by the way," Sunset says.
"And I'll bet Shadow's with her," Twilight says.
But Rarity angry yells, "Do not tell me who to be annoyed with!"
The girls flinch a bit to see Rarity getting stressed.
Pinkie jumps down from the float to Rarity, and says, "I know you're stressed, Rarity, but I'm sure you've got something totally amazing up your sleeve!"
She then looks at Rarity's arms to find sleeves, "You did remember to wear sleeves with amazing things up them, right?"
Rarity shows a blunt look on her face.
Suddenly, they hear a female wester accent screaming, "Stop!"
The employees gasp and look to see Applejack.
Realizing her mistake, Applejack says, "Oh! Uh, not everybody stop. I just meant my friends. Y'all keep doin' what you're doin'. Sewin' up them, uh, clothes."
Applejack then walk toward the others to tell them what she has seen.
Rarity asks in stress, "Where have you been?!"
"Nobody go anywhere with Vignette, understand?" Applejack says.
Vignette looks to see Applejack from the room, and closes the window.
Everyone answer no or not sure. They are confused about it.
Vignette can see that Applejack is aware of what she is doing. She then notices Rarity's phone on the charger and gives her an idea.
"You can explain yourself after the parade. I'm sure…" Rarity begins to say.
But Applejack says, "No, Rarity. Vignette is evil!"
Hearing the door close, the girls look to see Vignette has step out of the room
Upside down, Pinkie loudly whispers, "Applejack, she can hear you!"
Applejack walks to Vignette, and says, "She's done somethin' to Fluttershy. And I saw her from the security office when she made Rainbow Dash disappear with her phone! Ten eggs in a chicken coop says it's Equestrian magic."
"Oh, honey, delusional isn't your color. You're an autumn," vignette says, messing with Applejack's hair.
"If you're so innocent, then how do you explain this?!" Applejack angrily says, and takes the phone from Vignette's hand.
"Say goodbye to your mannequin thingy!" Applejack says, pointing to the dress.
She press the button, but it only takes the picture.
"Uh, hang on. Watch it... disappear!" Applejack says, and tries again.
But the phone takes another picture.
"Uh, I think I hashgabbed my SnapTag or all in the... Ugh. I can't figure out these new, fandangled apps. Ugh. I sound just like Granny Smith!" Applejack says in an annoyed look
"I just saw your friends. They're in wardrobe, and they're fine," Vignette says, taking the phone away from Applejack.
"Are you sure?" Rarity asks.
"And looking good in your costumes, by the way," Vignette says, flattering Rarity and making her blush.
"Applejack, the parade is less than an hour away, and…" Rarity says in a panic.
But Applejack interrupts, "This is bigger than the parade, Rarity!"
"Nothing's bigger than the parade, Applejack!" Rarity angrily shouts.
"I know you didn't just say that about your missing friends!" Applejack angrily replies.
Vignette walks past them, and says, "I'm gonna let you two sort this out amongst yourselves."
She then turns to see the girls having tension. Vignette snaps her fingers and waves he hand, telling them to leave. What girls don't know is that Shadow is walking into the building to see what's going on. He decides to listen in to what is happening.
"Applejack, admit it! You don't care about my parade!" Rarity accuses.
"'My parade?!' This isn't about you! She's done somethin' to our friends!" Applejack angrily says.
"Is this about our friends or about you and Vignette? Ever since she gave me this opportunity, you've been jealous because she sees my potential but she didn't hire you!" Rarity shouts in anger.
"You guys, stop!" Twilight says in concern.
This isn't like you!" Sunset adds,
Then Applejack angrily shouts, "You're so blind, you can't even see she's usin' you! You only like her because she's always blowin' smoke up your chimney! But that's what she does to everyone! YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL!"
Applejack becomes stunned to say that to Rarity. Even Rarity and the others are shocked to hear this.
Applejack walks past Rarity in guilt, and say, "Maybe I should just... go."
Maybe you should," Rarity replies.
Applejack continues to walk away feeling ashamed for have saying that
Falling Star calls out, "Applejack, wait!"
Rarity begins to sob and runs into the room to cry.
"Rarity!" Pinkie cries out.
Pinkie jumps off of the float and about to go after Rarity, but Vignette comes over and stops her.
"Waiting is for waiters, ladies. We're better off without her," Vignette says, wapping Pinkie with her arm.
"We?" Twilight questions.
"The Throwbacks, formerly known as the Rainbooms," Vignette answers, tapping Pinkie on the noise. Pinkie escape her embrace and go back to the others.
While everyone is not paying attention, Shadow sneaks past them, and goes in the room Rarity is in. Shadow slowly closes the door behind him, and turns to see Rarity sobbing. He can remember Maria cry a few times, and he is able to help her get through her problems. He decides to help Rarity
Shadow walks over, "Rarity."
Rarity sits up and turns to see Shadow.
She shows a small smile, "Hello Shadow. I was wondering where you were."
"Around. I… I also caught into your little argument with Applejack," Shadow says.
"Oh, you heard that?" Rarity asks, feeling sadden.
"And you both are right about what you say," Shadow says.
Rarity wipes a tear from her eyes, and asks, "What do you mean?"
"Well for one, Applejack is jealous of Vignette. It may not look it, but I can tell that she's worry you will be dumping her for Vignette," Shadow says.
"But… I would never do that," Rarity says.
"Yes, but you did. Applejack is right about two things. Every since we came here, you've been focusing on the parade more than the whereabouts of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. What's more, Vignette seems to give you a lot of compliments and flattering, but doesn't give you enough caring on your stress," Shadow says.
"But Vignette told me that Rainbow and Fluttershy are getting ready," Rarity says.
"But did you actually saw them?" Shadow asks.
Rarity admits, "No."
"Now here is an important question for you. Who would you listen to and who would you believe? A girl who has been friends with you for a long time, or someone you just met and filled your heads with so much flattering," Shadow questions.
Rarity thinks about the question very hard. She admit, Vignette does seem like a nice girl. But the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes who her belief should lie with.
"I should have at least give Applejack the benefit of the doubt," Rarity says in remorse.
"That's right. And here's the other thing Applejack is right about. There's something you need to see," Shadow says, showing Applejack's phone.
While Shadow is showing Rarity the film he has taken, Sunset, Twilight, and Sunset are having a disagreement.
Not pleased by this, Sunset sternly asks, "Hang on. Why does we' include you?"
"Obviously, somebody needs to fill Applejuice's spot. And since it's so last-minute, we are lucky to have someone with as much vision and talent as moi," Vignette says.
"Uh... you?" Pinkie questions.
And not just that! We'll be playing a song I wrote!" Vignette says with pride.
"Okay. One: you are not in the band! And two: we are not performing without Applejack. ," Sunset says with a serious looks.
"Which is her name, by the way. Not 'Applejuice.'" Pinkie adds with an angry look on her face.
Then Twilight says, "And you know what? She's not usually one to make things up, like, ever"
Sunset glares at Vignette, and says, "So all that stuff she said about you…"
Vignette is simply typing on her phone, and says, "Eh. Is true."
Just as the girls are ready to grab her, Vignette uses her phone to digitized them and suck into her phone.
Vignette looks at her phone, and says, "Now let's see if this Equestrian magique is all it's cracked up to be."
Vignette uses her phone to restyle Sunset look into something of a royal princess will wear. Then she does the same thing to the others.
"Now then... That's better," Vignette says.
While Vignette is using her magical phone. Shadow is showing Rarity the recording from the security system. Rarity watches them very carefully, and gasps in shock to see Vignette uses her phone to suck Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash inside.
"It… it can't be," Rarity shockley says.
"I'm afraid it's true. Applejack and I found it on the security cameras," Shadow says.
"Then that means… Applejack was telling the truth, and I chose Vignette over her," Rarity says with guilt.
"We need to find Rainbow and Fluttershy. I have an idea Vignette knows, Shadow says.
Rarity nods her head, "You're right."
She then uses her phone to make holographic projections of Sunset and the others the way she wanted. She makes Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight into the looks she wants them to be, as well as everyone else.
Vignette smiles, and happily says, "I wish I'd had this thing years ago! Think how perfect my life could've looked!"
Just then Rarity comes out of the room with Shadow.
Vignette squeals as she wraps Rarity in her arm, "Rare, you're not gonna believe this!"
Rarity looks to see the girls excluding Sun and Adagio on the float, but she is very confused about.
"What? What is this? What am I looking at?" Rarity asks.
"Your friends, but better! Now we can make the parade exactly how I want it!" Vignette happily explains, and wrap her arm around Rarity's shoulder.
Hearing this statement, Rarity asks, "How you want it? You said you hired me for my vision!"
"Well, I needed your vision to bring out my vision. But now there's an app for that," Vignette explains, and looks at her phone.
Rarity turns to the holograms and touch one of them to see what they really are.
Rarity turns to face Vignette, "Vignette, wh-what is going on here? Where are my friends?!"
"Like, trapped in the internet as zeroes and ones or erased from existence or something? Mmmm," Vignette answers, still typing her phone.
"What?!" Rarity exclaims in shock.
Then Vignette explains, "See, like, my phone became magique or something, and now it has this power where whenever I take a picture of something and it disappears. And then I can customize them with a swipe of my finger and make them real again, or... real enough, but hey, blah-blah-blah, O.M.G., I'm boring myself to death just talking about this stuff."
Rarity is feeling all kinds of emotions: shocked, angry, ashamed, and most of all foolish. Vignette has been using her for her own social media fame, and is using her friends to increase her success even more. Applejack has been telling the truth the whole time, and her friends are in trouble, real trouble.
Shadow steps in, "So that's what this is about. You just want Rarity and the girls to make your SnapGab more successful. You never cared about Rarity and the others at all. And you continue to flatter Rarity so she will do and believe what you said."
Rarity is shocked to hear Shadow talking to Vignette like this. She can tell that he's standing up to her.
"Oh why are you being so like negative? I was only helping Rarity make her friends more popular. Now if you don't mind, we have a parade to start soon," Vignette says.
"I do mind you phoney," Shadow says in anger.
Rarity steps in and demands, "Bring back our friends this instant!"
"Fine. If you wanna be with them so bad, I'll do you one last favor, and let your um, hedgehog go with you. You're welcome," Vignette says, having her phone ready to take a picture.
Rarity and Shadow gasp in shock, and Vignette takes her picture.