This chapter happens three weeks after the last one and made from the episode "Rarity Takes Manehatten"
**Manehatten**
"Come along, my friends!" Rarity calls for all of her friends that have accompanied her to the soon to be fashion show. "I found us a place to stay only a block from the train station in the very heart of this glorious metropolis!"
With several of her bags strapped to his back, Engineer walks up besides Spy with: "Good thing Zecora agreed on looking after Logan. I don't think I could've kept track of my boy in this buzzing place." He points out. At least there's no car here, but still a lot is going on in one of the large cities of Equestria. Speaking of staying behind, "Any idea why Down Under declined?"
It does not come as a surprise for him that Sniper refused to come. "That bushman feels more at home in the wild." Engineer replies that remark with a chuckle and: "I think Fluttershy is the same." both look over to said pegasus and although she seems excited to watch that show Rarity got the tickets for, it's clear she does not enjoy the big city.
Rarity takes the lead and the others follow through the buzzing streets of Manehatten, right over to their hotel for the next couple of days. Rarity gives the piccolo a gem for payment, insisting he keeps the whole deal, much to his joy. With the bags in their rooms, they head out to sightsee.
"I want to see all of the famous landmarks of this glorious metropolis!" She tells her friends excitingly and levitates out a map for the city, where her smile drops in confusion. "Huh, this is much more complicated than expected…" she muses to herself, not entirely sure where they are on the map. She still tries and the others follow. They pass a light-orange pegasus playing on guitar in the street, and after have given him a couple of bits for cheering up the street with some lovely music. Rarity returns to the map in an attempt to figure out where they are. "Now how to reach the Time Square?"
"Down this street, turn to the left at the end, and you should be able to spot it from there." The musician stallion replies, pointing the direction.
Rarity thanks him, and starts to trot down the instructed path. Twilight, on the other hand, notices something about this guitar playing pegasus, recognizing him as one of her brother's guards. And it seems he too realizes who she is as he stops playing with; "Oh, it's you." he smiles with a slightly titled head. "Is it just me or do we keep bumping into one another?" she smiles in return.
"Uh, do you know one another?" Applejack asks a bit confused.
The pegasus stallion turns to her, "Sort of." and puts down his guitar with; "Maybe it's best I properly introduce myself. I'm Flash Sentry, one of Shining Armor's guards at the Crystal Empire."
"So, what brings you here Flash?" Demo asks one he presumes would be a young man if Flash Sentry was a human.
"I live here." Flash replies simply.
Hearing that and trusting one of Twilight's brother's guard ponies, Rarity gets an idea. "Say, Mr. Sentry," she walks back over to the resident of Manehattan. "I don't suppose you could be our guide for today?"
Flash lets out a small laugh, "Not at all!" he packs his stuff. "Let me return my guitar and I will give you all a worthy tour of this city." As promised, he does just that. The first stop is Time Square. Here he points at the theater. "The country known Hinny of the Hills is playing. Unfortunately, the tickets have been sold out for weeks." he explains and adds as moving on, "So sadly, getting the chance to watch it is very slim."
"Well, Rarity here just happens to have gotten the tickets." Rainbow Dash boasts to the other pegasus, pleased to see him taken off guard by this and turns to Rarity that tries to be humble about it.
"It's nothing, I simply gave some designs to the costume designer, and he pulled a few strings."
Flash whistles at this, "You sure got friends at the right places." and resumes the tour with; "Next stop: the Mare of Liberty!" He didn't notice how a certain olive-green pegasus face lit up by those words.
Thanks to their surprising tour guide, they got to see pretty much everything, and later that night; "And this is where I will end the tour." Flash declares as they return to the Time Square, he turns to the group. "Hope you enjoyed it." They all voices they did, Flash smiles and begins to walk home, calling; "I'll see you in the Crystal Empire!"
The group head to the hotel; on the way though, Rarity stops at one of the designer stores where a beautiful dress is on display. She sighs and wonders to her friends. "Would my dresses be displayed on the most glamorous shopping thoroughfare of the most glamorous city in Equestria if I win this fashion show?"
"It would be wonderful if that happens." Fluttershy voices, with Demo adding: "Ay, your clothing deserves the attention." Both knowing that Rarity makes clothing that seems to fit whoever takes them on.
Hearing that fills Rarity with a childhood excitement. "Oh, it would be my dream come true!" She cries out, ever since she was quite young. Rarity dreamed of her designs be displayed and worn by ponies all over Equestria. Winning this show can very well be the first step towards that dream.
Not one much for fashion, but know a thing or two about spreading the word of one's work. "I get the excitement, but surely you have already gotten plenty of attention from the clothing you made for several big names. Like Sapphire Shore and what about the dress you made for princess Cadence?" Engineer speaks up, one, from what he understands, is a famous pop star and the other is god darn royal.
Her partner is correct there, but "Sapphire Shore and Hoity Toity influence are only mostly valid in Canterlot, and nopony is asking who designed a princess wedding dress." Rarity replies, turning her gaze back to this beautiful dress. "I have no wish in relying on a princess vote— no offence Twilight, darling."
"None taken." Twilight Sparkle smiles and will say that her respect for their designer friend has increased a margin. "Most ponies would've, but not you."
"Yeah, gotta respect that." Applejack says, and knows a thing or two about spreading out the business, refusing to let the princesses pull strings for Rarity success did make it harder for the unicorn, but, in Applejack's eyes, much more legit.
Rarity beams, turning to Twilight as their alicorn friend asks: "Is there anything left to do we can help you with?" She ponders for a moment but nothing comes to mind of the possiple help she would need.
"No, the dresses are all completely finished, all made from a fabulous new fabric I've been developing for months." She moves her hooves from how she mentally projected her newest designs. "Stretchy, but not clingy. Shimmery, but not showy."
"Sounds like something I would wear." Spy remarks, he is, after all, one who only wears flawless designs and Rarity has become one of his favorite go-to designers. And speaking of which, "when will this show of yours start?"
"Midday tomorrow." Rarity replies and confidently, "Plenty of time to bring the clothing over."
**Next day**
Out of sheer bad luck, everyone forgot about the clock and Rarity understandable got in a tizzy. She ran out, calling for a taxi, but each of the taxi ponies refused to take anything other than the pony in front of a huge line. That didn't help the situation "Oh, my ribbons and threads. The runway ballroom is across town! If I don't get there, I'm disqualified!" She cries to her friends and looks ready to collaps in her usual exaggerated manner at that sheer thought.
It's a long shot, but "I might be able to teleport you there," Twilight suggests, but has to warn Rarity. "but I might take us somewhere entirely. It's hard to teleport without knowing the location."
Rarity begs her to try, and Twilight teleports them both away.
All the others can only hope they got there, but right as they are about to calm down, Spike asks, "Anypony else got a sneaking suspicion we're forgetting something?"
Silence, then as if the realization hit them all like lighting. "The dresses!"
Not wanting to let such a silly thing disqualify Rarity, "I'll bring them to her." Engineer votes himself and reaches for the clothing, but Spy stops him with a slap over the talon.
"Let me pack them for you. These are delicate and your rough and oil-filled hands will only ruin them."
That comment offended Engineer, he does know how to clean his hands, but Spy does have a point; these dresses aren't exactly sturdy machines. "Fine, just do it quick." he tells the changeling.
"I'll help." Fluttershy offers and as gentle as Spy, packs the dresses and with them properly strapped to Engineer's back yet still in a manner that won't ruin Rarity's dresses, their horse-bird friend takes off.
Unaware that she has forgotten the very thing that would let her join the fashion show, Rarity gallops inside the reception where she tells the mare sitting there. "Good day, I'm here for Fashion Week."
Not even looking up from her writing desk. "Everypony's gathered in front of the runway and about to start, so you'll just have to bring your dresses along with you and store them backstage later." The receptionist replies in a bored manner.
Only there, Rarity realizes that she has forgotten her clothing for the show. "My– My dresses!" She turns to Twilight, that has the same face of shock, "How could I possibly forget them?!" she gasps and drops to her hooves, crying up to the sky like this is the end of her world. "I'm dooooomed!"
Right that moment, Engineer bursts through the door, calling, "Rarity, you forgot your dresses— I came as fast as I—"
"You're a life savior!" He almost stumbles over from having his partner hugging his neck and chest. He smiles somewhat awkwardly down to her. "Well, couldn't let such a simple thing put you down. But um, we had to remove them from the rack."
That snaps Rarity back to reality and back to this worried excitement, she turns to the receptionist, who, once again speaks without looking up from her work. "There are extra racks in the changing room."
"Better get them settled before the show." Twilight Sparkle says and trots to the instructed spot.
"Thank you so much!" Rarity calls right as she runs after Twilight. The moment she finds one, levitate her fortunately neatly folded dresses onto it and covers them so no unnecessary dust will get onto them. With them set, Rarity thanks her friends before she hurries out to the stage. The others are already waiting with their line of designs. Only there, she can breathe out a sigh of relief, though quickly replaced with joy. "I made it! And with seconds to spare!" She exclaims and with this crisis everted, she turns to the other designers, greeting them. "Hello, everypony. Pleased to meet you all—"
"Rarity, I presume."
Turning away from the other designers, Rarity smiles to this elderly pony. "You must be Prim Hemline, the host of this grand event." And asks out of politeness but mostly so to get to know the host of this event. "How do you—?"
But Prim Hemline is not doing this to get friends and stops these needless pleasantries. "Miss Rarity, how is it that all your competitors are here half an hour early, and yet you arrive seconds before we begin?" She asks, walking over to this designer with hooves lifted high, stopping before this young mare, who of course, has no good excuse. Typical small town ponies. "Don't make it a habit." She warns the young unicorn and then turns to addresses all the fashion designers. "Once we're done here, you're to finish setting up backstage, so you'll be ready for your run-through appointment." She stops before Miss Rarity, telling her hard, "You show your designs last." Reminding her once again, "We keep to a precise schedule, so let's try to be more than a few seconds early, hmm?" she then walks back to the others that came in a better time-scale. "Tomorrow is the contest to see which one of you gets to stay to meet top designers all across the city." She leaves them, adding the hard but true fact about this business. "The rest of you must go home early. Dismissed!" and with those words, leaves the stage.
Every designer pony hurries to their appointed rooms for last-minute preparation. Rarity checks her dresses and is so glad her friends were there to help. What would she have done without them? A chuckle followed by one who looks a bit familiar. "I'm so glad you made it, Rarity!"
"Me too," Rarity admits to this familiar face, "things got a bit out of hoof, but it all got sorted out." she glances back to where she can see her partner and Twilight speak with one another at the reception. "Oh I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends."
The pink mare smiles in a manner of amusement over something. "Don't you remember me? Suri Polomare from the Ponyville Knitters League?"
Oh, that's where she recognized the face! "Of course, of course!" Rarity now feels embarrassed she didn't realize it before now. "I– I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. You haven't been back in years!" Perhaps that's what made her once fellow designer fade a bit from memory.
"Because I moved here to make it in the big city." Suri laughs to herself, waving her hoof that's it's not a big deal, "Okay?" and right as Rarity is about to congratulate her, Suri goes in for a hug, catching her more than a little off guard. "Ooh, it's so good to see you!" At least she steps back from the sudden break of personal space. "And now here we are, competing!" Suri laughs again, "okay?"
"Oh, of course, quite exciting, isn't it, darling?" Rarity smiles, still a bit caught off guard by the sudden hug but she brushes it off to that's Suri Polomare simply glad to see a familiar face. She notices Engineer has stepped inside and calls for him; "Oh, could you be a dear and help me get these to my given room?"
"Sure thing" Engineer nods, goes over and rolls the rack of clothing to the room.
"Quite the unusual apprentice you got there, okay?" Suri laughs to herself.
"Oh, no no. He is just a friend helping out." Rarity friendly corrects Suri, "Engineer is, well, an engineer." And a creature from another world but best not to confuse the other mare about that. Rarity giggles at that thought. "Well, good luck!" She wishes the other Suri and heads after her partner.
"Oh, I don't need luck." Suri replies in an assuring manner, she is quick to ask Rarity "Would you like a hoof with your things?"
There isn't much need with Engineer around, but it would be nice to catch up with Suri and how life here in Manehatten has been for her. "I think I got everything covered, but you're welcome to accompany me." Rarity replies and Suri Polomare does so. Inside the changing room given to her for the show, Rarity decides to introduce her old classmate to her dear partner. "Engineer, this is Suri Polomare. She used to live in Ponyville."
"Hello there, Miss Polomare, it's mighty nice meeting ya." Engineer smiles and offers his talon to this other mare.
Suri takes it, "Likewise," after a single shake, let's go and turns to the dresses Rarity made. She gasps at the sight. "My, your collection is gorgeous!"
"Oh now, I'm sure your collection is equally lovely," Rarity brushes the praise off and if remembering correctly, Suri is just as good at creating wonderful designs as her. "If not more so— oh, Engie, did Twilight return to the hotel?" she asks, just now remembering that she kinda left Twilight at the reception.
"That she did, wanted to tell the others you made it." Engineer replies while taking the rolls of fabric Rarity brought in case she needed to do quick changes.
Suri walks over to take a better look at these all purple with fabric that seems to have some sort of magical effect sewed into them. "It's alright, but nothing like this!" She briefly touches the fabric and is surprised that there isn't any magic-infused, making them more unique. She turns to Rarity, currently standing near that weird creature. "Take my culottes, for example – they are simply crying out for just the right accent, but I haven't the slightest notion where I—" right there, she notices the roll of the same fabric in this Engineer's talons. "Actually... just a touch of this fabric could be perfect with it." She touches the clothing again and without missing the beat, "Oh, hey, would you mind terribly if I took a swatch?"
"Oh, not at all!" Rarity replies, not seeing that her partner no longer has that friendly expression on his face. She tries to levitate over the whole roll of fabric, but her partner has too good of a grip around it. She chucks it up to the workout his job requires. "Oh, would you mind?" She asks him.
This Suri seems friendly enough, but Engineer has been dealing with enough sleazy people in his career never trust anyone with his machines' blueprints. "Let me handle the swatch." he tells his partner, keeping up the friendly voice. "Best you make sure everything is ready for the big show."
"Oh, yes, of course." Rarity smiles; she levitates a pair of scissors over to her partner and goes over to her dresses. Best to make sure everything is perfect.
Engineer cuts off a piece of the roll, one big enough to get an idea of the fabric but too small for other uses. He hands this to Suri, and she takes it with a smile. "It's very kind of you— well, I better get back to my own dresses," she turns to leave. "It's been nice catching up with you, okay?"
"Of course." Rarity smiles, it does drop when she notices a minor but stil crucial mistake in one of her dresses. Figuring Suri has already left, "Oh, Engineer, could you give me the thread? And a needle."
"Sure thing." Engineer replies, reaches for the materials and walks over to hand them to his partner.
Halfway out the door, Suri stops, for a moment watching the two work on the dresses before her brown eyes avert to the roll of unique fabric.
This chapter is very much like the original episode, with only two major changes. one is Flash Sentry inclusion, mostly because I want to expand his character a bit more than the show did. and the other, Suri wasn't given a whole fabric roll. Engineer made sure of that, but doubt that's going to stop that mare.
