There were two days left until the Grand Festival. Things had been quiet since the hearing and no other noble or Berten had caused any trouble for us. Duke Terluff spent the day after the hearing having a romantic outing with his wife while I spent an inordinate amount of time in front of a mirror to make sure my face was unblemished. Daylight and the others had been a bit shocked at my appearance when I first came back but were relieved when I explained the situation to them.
Now once more the six of us worked tirelessly to complete the lineup for my fashion show. Duke Tulepule had come by yesterday to tell me that the fashion show was scheduled for the evening of the second day of the festival and he was going to make certain that it was advertised as an event the King and High Priest would have to come to.
Today would be a busier day than normal since despite all the work that still had to be done for the dresses and other clothes I was making it was more important to let all of our comrades in arms know just when the fashion show was happening. I would have to go and meet with everyone again to give them the timetable of events and tell them just when they need to act.
Duke Terluff had also set things up with a sympathetic overseer of the male slaves and now I had a direct line to them as well. I was happy to learn that Captain Anchor’s crew was alright. We had convinced them to fake not working any longer to get them down below in those fighting pits with Captain Anchor and now they would be part of the revolt down there.
“I’m starting to get sore over here.” Soleil said from her workstation and stretched her neck.
“Well me too but we’re almost done with all this.” Gertrude said to her. “Sorry Rarity but I’m gonna be really happy when I don’t have to make clothes anymore.”
“Ditto on that.” Cinder said while Spine nodded in agreement.
Daylight Gleam just gave me an apologetic smile and a shrug of her shoulders.
I huffed at their disregard for my career and hobby. “Please darlings, you just have no appreciation for fashion because all you’ve done is the busy work side of things. What if I helped you come up with your own designs and we made them together? I’m sure I could get you to love fashion.”
“Another day, maybe.” Gertrude chuckled. “I promise I’ll enjoy the fashion show at least.”
“Well we’ll all enjoy that.” I said. “But perhaps not just for fashion-related reasons.”
There was a round of smiles and knowing looks from my friends. The excitement in the room was palpable, we were so close now and nothing could stop us!
“Since you all know what to do here I should probably get started on visiting our other friends. I’ll be back here later tonight and we can put the finishing touches on everything together.” I said.
“Go on then, we’ll hold down the fort.” Daylight Gleam said.
With a smile and a wave of my hoof I left the office to go meet with the others. It was a good feeling, knowing that this would finally be over, that every poor slave would be set free and all of my new friends would be okay. And not only had we not had any trouble from Berten or any others it was in fact pretty much the opposite, since the hearing a number of nobles who weren’t even in on our revolutionary plans came to apologize to the Duke and I and express their favor.
I wonder if they’ll be happy or upset when they see what happens at the festival?
While I walked to the slave quarters I took curious note of how many trolls I passed gave me a wide berth, and whenever I made eye contact they would bow their heads and show me reverence. It seems after the hearing and word about it spread I was actually even a more respected and possibly even feared figure. They had all heard what happened to Duke Tylark when he tried to bring down Terluff and I, no one wanted the same thing to happen to them.
Of course being my pleasant and friendly self I gave them all happy smiles and waves. I’d be giving ponies a bad name otherwise.
One of the trolls I passed by happened to be an overseer who I had worked under before Duke Terluff took me in. He looked worried to see me but I just walked on by with a playful giggle.
“I’m hardly going to bite, darling.” I told him.
He still wanted nothing to do with me and I continued to make my way alone to the entrance to the female slave quarters. The first gate of iron bars that blocked them off were currently unlocked and so I just walked inside. The female troll behind the desk that sat in the middle of this dividing area recognized me well by now and there was no need for either of us to say anything to the other, she rose out of her chair and unlocked the second gate behind her and I walked right on into the slave quarters.
Pushing open the doors and waiting for them to swing back shut behind me I announced my arrival. “I’m back, everyone!”
There were a number of hellos and waves, some other greetings, generally smiles all around. Not a great reaction but better than before at least. The slaves were certainly happier to see me than the last few times I came in here.
“Can you all gather up here, please? I have some important news!” I said to them.
It was nice that they listened to me now so I didn’t have to have Gertrude here. Soon enough a whole assembly of every slave in the female quarters was standing before me.
“Alright ladies, good news, in two days the fashion show I told you all about last time is going to happen!” I happily told them, and was pleased to see quite a few new smiles and excited murmuring among them.
“Yes you all know what that means now.” I grinned. “We know for sure when we must act.”
“So everyone is going to revolt and break out of here at the same time?” A griffon asked me.
“That is correct. The fashion show starts in the evening, I have it on Duke Tulepule’s word that it will begin right as night falls. So for all of you that means that as soon as it’s night time you do your part. I and my friends will take care of everything else at the festival.” I told them.
“We’re really getting out of here?” A pony asked with hesitant hope.
Now who could blame her for not wanting to get her hopes up? A lot of what I was saying probably sounded too good to be true. I had no idea how long she or any of the others had been here but now all of the sudden I’ve arrived and I’m saying it’s going to be over? I felt for them all, I truly did.
“Yes. I promise.” I answered.
I gave them all the most genuine and sympathetic smile as I could. “I’ll see you all again in two days. When we’re free.”
Birdseed was as grumpy as ever but I didn’t even mind since now I got to reunite with Kingbolt, Fair Wind and the others. It was good to see them all doing well and they were just as happy to see that I was okay. I didn’t have all the time in the world to chat with them though so a longer reunion would have to wait until later, right now I was here on business.
“Oh joy, what news does our beloved savior have for us today?” Birdseed sarcastically asked.
“Stop that.” Harlequin Black playfully smacked him on the head.
“Thank you, Harlequin.” I said and stuck my tongue out at Birdseed, who just grumbled and rubbed his head.
Duke Terluff was able to set things up for us down here so that the fighters were already practically free (little did the nobles who still came to watch the fights know) as all the guards and overseers who worked here were paid off or brought to our side. Harlequin Black and the others had made their rounds through every group of slaves and let them in on things as well. Now they were just waiting for the Grand Festival and their time to bust on out of here.
So suffice to say they were not standing behind the bars of a cell this time but were pleasantly out in the open under the stadium with me. A lot of the other slaves who had been down here were mingling about, some recognized me but I had never spoken with anyone else here, they really only knew me through Harlequin Black and the others.
“But you are here to tell us your plans, right?” Captain Anchor asked.
“Yes.” I replied, a happy smile on my face. “The fashion show will happen on the night of the second day of the Grand Festival, right as it begins you all already know what to do. I don’t think you’ll face much of any resistance considering that most guards will be out at the festival and not in the castle and so many of them are with us now anyways. And if things all go as planned there shouldn’t really be anything you need to do once you’re out, I should have everything already taken care of on my end.”
Captain Anchor frowned a bit and kicked at the dirt beneath his hooves. “I still don’t know how much we can trust that troll friend of yours...”
“Darling, please, none of this would be possible without him.” It’s not like I couldn’t understand why the captain had such a distaste for Terluff and all the other trolls but it was still upsetting to me, Terluff was a good friend of mine now. “I promise he can be trusted, you’ll see.”
The captain shared a look with his crew before turning back to me. “Alright, I guess I’ll trust you on this. Not much of a choice anyways.”
I stepped forward to give him a hug, really they all could use a big Pinkie Pie-style group hug right now. “Thank you.”
“You’ve done some great work here, Rarity.” Harlequin Black said off from the side. “I knew you could do it.”
“Well I have you to thank for planting the idea in my head.” I told him. This smiling pony that stood before me was still quite the enigma, I wasn’t sure just what he was thinking but he was always friendly and did nothing but help us all.
“You’re the one who brought it all together though. Slaves and trolls, no one but you could’ve done it.” He gave me a wink.
I decided I might as well accept the praise and bask in the glory and fluttered my eyelashes at him. “Yes, well, I am rather special aren’t I.”
I’m fairly certain that I saw Birdseed roll his eyes out of the corner of my eye but I didn’t make a fuss over it.
“So you will make sure everything is timed right and coordinated down here?” I asked Harlequin. “Since you’re the one that’s been going to all the other fighters I’m counting on you for this.”
“No need to worry, I’ll make sure everything happens just as planned, no matter what.”
It was said in the same tone and with the same smile as always but I feel like there was something he was getting at that he wasn’t telling me. But Captain Anchor was still here and I knew I could trust him to pull through. And honestly what happened in this huge fighting pit didn’t have anything to do with what I would be doing at the fashion show, not really at least as long as everything went well, it was more for the benefit of the slaves down here than anything else.
“Yes I bet everything goes off perfectly without a hitch. Because plans never go awry or anything like that.” Birdseed said from the side.
I was about to respond to his snide remarks when we were all interrupted by something else.
“Exactly! Pony gets it!” A huge yak said as he came up behind Birdseed, another right on his heels. “Plan will go off perfectly cause yaks here and yaks best at everything!” The two yaks stepped to Birdseed’s sides, putting him between them and started stomping the ground, causing Birdseed to be shaken about like he was in the middle of an earthquake.
He looked absolutely miserable.
Oh well.
“Yaks will smash trolls! Yaks will smash trolls!” The two chanted in unison while Birdseed struggled to stay standing. “Pony friend will join us!”
Harlequin Black and the crew looked on in amusement with me for a time, it was nice to have some moments of levity before things got serious. Since the yaks didn’t seem to be settling down anytime soon I decided that I might as well take the opportunity to say goodbye for now to the others. I still needed to get back up to my office and my other friends to make sure the dresses are finalized. With a fond farewell and trades of good luck (since the next time we’ll be seeing each other will be after this whole adventure is over one way or another) I left the basement of the stadium and returned to the actual castle. Good luck Captain, and Harlequin, and the crew, the other fighters, and even you too Birdseed.
My friends stood by the mannequins that were fitted with the lineup for the fashion show as I stalked past each and every one of them. My expert divining eyes searching over every inch, thread, and seam of the clothes we had spent our time making and preparing for this most special of occasions. As I wanted, my friends were all wearing the clothes that I had made for them too. Even though they wouldn’t be modeling anything at the show (the hearing and the day I spent after it had thrown away my plans for that) I wanted them to look as nice as possible.
Dukes Terluff and Tulepule would both provide the models for these dresses while I officiated the event. Soleil, Spine and Cinder will be passing out drinks in the crowd, always staying close to where the King and High Priest are sitting. Gertrude and Daylight will be helping me behind the curtain, making sure each dress is on correctly and that they’re all taken care of.
But enough about that. I still had clothes to inspect.
We had all done an excellent job. Although I don’t think any of the outfits made for the fashion show are quite as spectacular as some of the ones I put so much more individual focus and effort into they are still great and I would be happy to include them in any one of my stores. The trolls especially will be awed by what the six of us have put together.
And yes I do intend to give my friends full credit, they’ve come a long way in their skills despite their fairly apathetic views to the art of the dress and I would never have been able to do all of this without them.
“Everything is looking good so far.” I said as I continued to slowly circle each dress and closely appraised them. “I don’t see any mistakes or hanging threads. Stitching is at least adequate across the board as well.”
“You taught us well.” Soleil said proudly, petting the scarf wrapped around her neck.
“And as I said I would like to be able to teach you even more.” I said without taking my eyes off the dress I was currently examining. “In the future I hope.”
Not only had we made a variety of different styles and clothes for all sorts of creatures instead of just trolls (most of which unfortunately would not be modeled at the show now) but I had even made sure to use every sort of material I could get my hooves on. The best velvet, satin, silk, chiffon, and cashmere as well for things like sweaters and shawls. It’s a shame I wouldn’t be bringing back anything I had made here to Equestria. I won’t even be able to take pictures of any of it, my sketches and notes will have to do I suppose.
“Good enough for your fashion show?” Daylight asked with a playful grin on her face.
I giggled a bit. “Barely. You know how high my standards are.”
This would be one of the most important events I’ve ever put on in my life and even if the actual clothes themselves were not the important part, even if they just had a small role to play and some… cynical folks might even call them superfluous I could just not allow myself to do something major like this and not throw my all into it. My pride simply didn’t allow it. The artist in me didn’t allow it, not when I had so many ideas in my head, so much inspiration and the capability to make anything I wanted right in front of me.
“Are you about done looking things over cause I want to rest already.” Gertrude said, yawning into her talon. “I mean, if there’s anything more we gotta do before the show I’d like to know now.”
“Oh Gertrude, you always know just how to try my patience.” I responded to her in jest. “It looks like we won’t have any last touch ups or fixes to do but I’m still looking things over.” I tapped a hoof to my chin for a second. “But I suppose I can understand where you’re coming from.”
With a smile I turned to my five friends. “You can all get some rest, if there is anything that needs to be done I’ll take care of it. You’ve earned it.”
Gertrude pumped her fist in the air while Daylight raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure?” Daylight asked. “We can always do more, it’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t want you exhausting yourself either.”
“Hey if she’s offering don’t try and dissuade her now.” Gertrude said to Daylight and gave her a bit of a stink-eye.
“I’m absolutely sure, darling.” I stepped between her and Gertrude and put a hoof on each of their shoulders. “Consider it a gift. And besides even if I need to stay up a little late myself there’s still another full day before the Grand Festival. Tomorrow we can all relax. Now hurry up you five! Get some sleep, Rarity’s orders!” I shepherded them to their beds that still crowded my small office and turned back to go finish my looking over of the outfits for the fashion show.
“Relax” tomorrow I said. I’d try.