3A/N – Yay! More reviews! Sort of….more than I have on any other story! Which is kind of sad but whatever! I thank those that review and I indulge every other reader to review (since I know there's a lot of those, they do make traffic stats for individual stories *non-rude glare*)
Also, on a completely different, I have realized that I have so far thrown Applejack under the bus. She will get the same treatment as Rarity and will receive an OC of her own. In fact, I think that might be the next story.
Response to Reviews – I already responded to the second person who reviewed my story, but as for the first person, that whole "nobody" thing with Shadow has since been changed to "nopony", as well as every other "_body" phrase in the story. Good eye by the way!
Title – Anything You Can Do…
Rated – PG/K+ for Mild Violence, Mild Crude Language, and References to "Things"
Summary – When Rarity begins working on some dresses for the Pegasus' in town, Shadow trots in wanting a tux. After some argument, the two challenge each other to make the better dress for their Pegasus friends. Will the master prevail, or does Shadow pick up the upset?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Much like any other day in Ponyville, this day was filled sunshine and happy ponies. Applejack was back at her farm, bucking those apples twice as hard to fill up from the party from yesterday. Twilight and Spike were at the library, helping Zecora out with some history lessons she required for a spell. Pinkie was making some pastries for the Pegasus Ball, at the request of the Mayor of the Pegasus cloud city. Yes, everypony was busy with their own thing, Rarity included.
At Rarity's boutique, she found herself dashing all over the shop at three different dresses. Near a table, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, holding hooves, sat above Scootaloo, who looked on in amusement at the lady's quickness.
"Ooh, this Pegasus ball is going to be so awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Well, I guess it'll be fun," Fluttershy said, hiding her face in her hair.
"Fun? Fluttershy, it'll be more than fun. We're going together, it'll be fantastic!" Rainbow called out.
She easily beat Scootaloo and Fluttershy in exclamation. Upon her reply, Fluttershy got her hair out of her face and looked at Rainbow.
"If you say so Dashy," she said.
Back with Rarity, she was working on a green dress, no doubt for Fluttershy.
"Oh, Rarity, you really don't have to go through all this trouble for us. We could just wear the dresses we wore to the Grand Galloping Gala," she said.
Rarity laughed at the thought. Fluttershy hid behind her hair at the response.
"Oh no Fluttershy, that's way too tacky. You need all new dresses, and I'm here to please," Rarity said.
"Oh…okay, but only if it's not too much trouble," Fluttershy said.
Once more, Rarity laughed at her friend's tentative concerns.
"Not at all Fluttershy. It's my job to make new and grandeur fashion for aaaall the ponies in Ponyville. What kind of seamstress would I be if I didn't do that?" Rarity asked rhetorically.
Obviously, the art of rhetorics falls dear on one pair of ears.
"A bad one," a sarcastic voice spoke.
Bright Shadow opened the door and stepped inside.
"Hey, Shadow!" Scootaloo called out.
"Hey Shadow, how was your guy's night?" Rainbow asked.
"Eh," he said as he shrugged. "As good as it can get with four guys in a town called Ponyville."
The three pegasi laughed at the statement. Rarity, on the other hoof, was less than comedic. She sighed before she responded to Shadow.
"Yes, yes, that's all very nice, but is there a reason you happen to make yourself known in my store?" she asked through fake smiles.
Shadow responded to her in his usual faux butler accent.
"Oh, of course, Miss Rarity," he said.
This caused Rainbow and Scootaloo to chuckle to themselves. Fluttershy smiled, but tried to hide it behind her hair, unsuccessfully. The three of them together earned a glare from Rarity.
"First of all, might I say that you rock those glasses perfectly," Shadow said.
Rarity looked on unimpressed at Shadow. Behind her red working glasses, she raised an eyebrow.
"Second of all, I would like you, Miss Rarity, to work on my tuxedo for the Pegasus ball," he said.
Rarity looked on at Shadow a bit more with the same expression. It didn't take long for her to release a laugh, as graceful as ever, from her lips. It took her a bit to recompose herself. After wiping a tear from her eye, she responded.
"Oh no, Shadow, I just don't make tuxedoes. I'm a dress making pony," she said.
A clipboard with a paper on it, located behind Rarity on a table began to shine before it floated over to Shadow.
"Hmm, says you're making a tuxedo for Doctor Whooves," he said.
By the entrance door, Doctor Whooves himself trotted in. Rarity quickly closed the door on him. She laughed a bit once more.
"Okay, but even if I wanted to help you, which I don't, obviously, I'm just too busy today to even start on it," she said.
"Says you're only working on Rainbow's, Fluttershy's, Scootaloo's, and Whooves'," Shadow said.
Rarity squinted her eyes as she stared at a smiling Shadow. Her horn started to glow as the clipboard returned to its table. She turned around to continue working on Fluttershy's dress as she replied.
"Yes, and I'm too busy trying to make them look perfect, so if you don't mind, I'd like to retain my focus on my specialty: dress-making," Rarity said.
Shadow scoffed at her before turning his flank in her direction. He began to trot out of the store while he spoke.
"Bet I could make a better one," he said.
A piece of Rarity's hair popped out of place as she squinged her face together in various contortions. Fluttershy hid her hooves around her face as she bowed down. Rainbow chuckled at Shadow's response. Scootaloo looked on, worried at what might happen.
After taunting Rarity with the ultimate response, he had stopped leaving. While the ponies couldn't see it, he was smiling from ear to ear at his response.
Rarity flung around to face Shadow. She even ran in front of him, getting nose to nose. As she spoke, she backed him up into the store.
"Are you actually insinuating that you know a thing about fashion?" she asked.
Shadow chuckled at her question.
"What do you think my cutie mark stands for? I'm willing to try anything, and I'm a master at a lot of things. The mark itself stands for multiple stars, and a star is high in the sky, as high as you can go. And thus, I have gotten as high as I can go at a lot of things. What makes you think making dresses are any different?" Shadow challenged Rarity.
Rarity backed away from Shadow a bit. She then made her away around him, back to Fluttershy's dress.
"Oh please, you don't know a thing about the poise and the regality of making dresses," she said.
Her flank was to Shadow as he replied. He had an eyebrow raised at her incessant put-downs.
"You are a master at designing formal attire, I will give you that much, Miss Rarity," he said.
It was Shadow's turn to place himself in front of Rarity and back her up a bit. Their nose to nose position returned as he backed her up to the center of the shop. In the background, we could see the pegasi watching in amusement.
"But this ball is just a little get-together for all the pegasi in Equestria, and thus, does not require formal attire. So, my challenge is this, can the great Miss Rarity make something a little bit less than formal, or is she just a stuck-up, albeit noble, dress-maker who can't lighten up a bit?" Shadow asked.
Rainbow and Scootaloo gave an "ooooh" at Shadow's challenge. Shadow himself smiled at Rarity's flustered response.
"Well, I…but…but…" she stuttered.
She shook her head quickly before kneeling down her front hooves in a challenge stance. She glared at Shadow's eyes with her usual indignation and displeasure.
"Oh…it-is-on!" she said.
Rarity then appeared right in Shadow's face. The sudden appearance surprised him a bit. He backed up just the slightest as she spoke.
"If you really think you're that much better at informal attire, than how about we each design Rainbow's, Fluttershy's, and Scootaloo's clothes for the ball. At the end, they pick which one they like best. If you get two out of three right, I will design for you my best tuxedo," she said.
Shadow smiled at the idea of a sweet victory.
"But if I win, which I will, obviously, you must go to the ball in the most hideous dress that I have ever made," she said.
The thought of Shadow in a dress disgusted himself as he made a "yuck" face. However, this thought brought giggles to the mouths of the three pegasi. Shadow held out his hoof.
"You're on," he said.
Rarity looked at Shadow with a raised eyebrow. She was confused at the hoof.
"You're not going to spit on it?" she asked.
"That's a guy thing…and apparently a Rainbow and Applejack thing. Plus, it's gross," he said.
She looked at Shadow a bit before smiling. It wasn't an arrogant smile, but a simple sincere smile. It soon disappeared when she shook his hoof. Now it was an arrogant smile.
Music began to play in the background. (Done in the vain of "Are you in or Out?" from the third Aladdin movie)
"I remember a time, when the line was design, not this kind of a battle of form," Rarity said.
She was fixing up Fluttershy's dress. She studied it carefully before using her horn to tear off the bottom skirt. She did this on "form."
"I'd go through and halt and take care of a fault, and see the smiles on their faces are warm," she continued.
After a quick transition, we saw her finish a part of Rainbow's attire, but when she looked over at her; she was focused on Shadow, who had managed to finish hers already. In anger, Rarity tore the bottom half off.
"But along came this colt who's the world's biggest dolt, and challenged me to a game of design," she said.
Another transition and we see Rarity trying to focus on Scootaloo's gown, but is interrupted by numerous tools being thrown over her. Scissors, glue, fabric. After the fabric, she looked over and saw Shadow working hard on the exact same pony's. This was on "game of design."
"This is just the beginning, you know that you're winning, Rarity just relax, it'll be fine," she said, worried.
She then sighs and looks down at the floor in disappointment. She also leans the side of her head against the leg of the horse model.
"Is this in or out?" she said.
She was contemplating a red and blue fabric in both of her hooves.
"Have to know without a doubt," she said.
She then threw both behind her in frustration. This caused an easy transition as the fabric flowed into the camera.
"I can't believe this guy, is turning the eye," she said.
She looked over at Shadow before her eyes widened.
"Of the timid and picky Fluttershy," she said.
Fluttershy was focusing on a dress made by Shadow, still on the horse model. He looked over at Rarity with a smile.
"Is this yellow—or—green," she thought.
She was holding one fabric again, staring at it closely.
"Does Scootaloo's dress have enough sheen?" she asked herself.
She was staring at a small horse model. It had on it a small orange gown. While staring at it, Rarity moved a lamp so that it could shine on it.
"He's messing with the master, he thinks he's strong and stout," she said.
After the action before, she looked past the horse model, focusing on Shadow's side.
"Go orange or purple, are they in or out?" she asked herself.
She looked at him trying to get the right angle of sight at a horse model of his own. This caused her to smile a bit.
After a bit of music played, Rarity shook her head quickly. She then scowled at her opponent. This was followed by another transition.
"I can't believe this pony, even thinks that she knows me, she's as stubborn and prissy as can be," Shadow said.
He was working on Rainbow's dress. He snuck a look up at Rarity before looking right down. However, something caught his eyes. He glanced back up at his opponent, who had managed to get Rainbow's attention with some rainbow fabric, not stitched together or anything.
"As I work on this hem, she's just rubbing it in, sort of reminds me of…me?" he asked.
After the above, he was still focusing on Rarity and Rainbow. She had glanced over at him while Rainbow was distracted. He had an eyebrow raised at her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back before another transition.
"I've worked on some stitchin, but not in a competition, feels like I'm in over my head," he said.
He was sewing some fabric together but stopped and stared forward. He put his hooves behind his head via stress. Transition!
"Have to work out the grooves, she has me in her hooves, I should've just gave up instead," he said.
He works on some green attire before glancing over at Rarity…and effectively dropping his jaw. We go over and see an orange dress glows in the light. Scootaloo looks on in amazement while Rarity glances at Shadow with an arrogant smile.
"Is this in or out?" he asked.
He was floating some glitter and glue in front of his face.
"Does Rainbow like it with or without?" he asked.
He then makes a bunch of the glue get on a blue dress before adding a bunch of the glitter on it, all with a wary look on his face.
"Our animosity's an atrocity," he said.
Two fabrics were located on one table. One of them was snipped with a bunch of circles in it; the other had half of it missing.
"Why can't there be any generosity?" he asked.
After a transition, he looked around his workplace for something. A pair of scissors floated in front of him. He looked over at Rarity who smiled lightly at him. He responded back with the same smile before grabbing the scissors out of the air.
"Don't know the latest trend," he said.
Shadow put a piece of fabric around the flank of the horse model. This was followed by shoving it off in another transition.
"What does Ponydona recommend?" he asked.
He got out a magazine that read "Ponydona" as the title.
"Did you see my dress? Looked like a rainbow trout," he said.
He looked up at Rarity, who was placing a small tiara on the small horse model's head. She glanced over at him and smiled.
"Man this sucks. Are they or out?" he asked.
He moved the magazine so it blocked his view of Rarity. This caused her to lose her smile and gain a frown.
More music played and a transition happened. The two of them were working on two different models.
"Do you think he knows that I'm lost?" Rarity asked.
That was with Rarity working on one closely.
"Do you think she knows that I'm a mess?" Shadow asked.
That was over with her.
"I could ask him/her but at what cost?" they both asked.
They walked over to grab the scissors. Rarity placed her hoof out first but Shadow grabbed it at the same time. Looking up, they were both surprised.
"Does he know that bad is my dress?" she asked.
They looked at each other and smiled. He let her have it as she walked away.
"Is there always this much stress?" he asked.
However, when he went to use it, it was gone. It floated over so it was right in front of Shadow. He grabbed it in his hoof and smiled at Rarity. She looked on in a huff.
"Is this in or out?" they both asked.
By now, the pegasi were waiting by the table.
"I really just want to shout!" Shadow exclaimed.
He ripped off a dress from a model before tossing it aside. This was followed by pulling at his mane.
"Why is she so great?" he asked.
"This dress, I hate," she said.
After a transition, they stopped and glanced over at each other and their dresses. They both faked a smile at each other.
"Why can't this hemline just keep straight?" they both asked.
Rarity went behind her model, her hair long since ruffled, and repeatedly facepalmed herself. Shadow went behind his and banged his head against his model. Transition!
"Is this out or in?" he asked.
He was looking at the Ponydona magazine before looking up at Rarity.
"I have to perfect this stupid trim," she said.
She was trying to get a piece of fabric on Fluttershy's dress. Transition!
"Do you think he'll/she'll notice if I try and pout?" they ask.
They both contemplate this thought. This is followed by both ponies glancing over at each other. Upon seeing their glance, they quickly retract behind the pony models.
"Do you think that she…?" he asked himself.
"Did he see me?" he asked.
"Is this innnn orrrr ouuuuut?" they asked.
Following the song, and one final transition, we find both ponies back in the boutique. Rarity was on one side, hair now fixed. Shadow was on the other. The sweat on his head could fall to the floor and make a puddle.
"Okay then ponies, I will go first," Rainbow said.
She trotted over and looked at both dresses. A small transition later, she was seen in Shadow's attire.
The skirt was rainbow colored, as expected, but the small glitter located at various points across it gave it a shine when seen in the light. The skirt itself went just over the tail. It stopped a bit off the tip, leaving a small portion of the tail revealed to the world. The top was a white blouse. The front was open on the top just a bit, but all the same didn't reveal anything too bad. After examining it, we got another transition to Rarity's attire.
Rarity chose the same style of skirt but opted instead for sleeveless spaghetti top. It was also white, but allowed Rainbow more comfort when flying. She also had a small, Greek-inspired wing accessory fitted right around the ear, much like her Gala dress.
After examining both dresses, she made her decision.
"I choose Rarity's," she said.
Shadow looked down, clicking his hooves on the floor in anger. Rarity smiled at Rainbow in victory. Fluttershy trotted over, and after a transition, we could see her in Rarity's design.
Rarity made Fluttershy a green skirt with some flowers located at various points on it. The skirt itself stopped just below the tail. Her top was just like the skirt, giving it the illusion that it was a dress when it was not.
After another transition, Fluttershy had put Shadow's design. Much like Rarity, the skirt went down just below the tail. However, Shadow's design had the skirt cut diagonally across so that the entire left side of her body, and in turn, her cutie mark, was revealed. The tip of the tail was also revealed a bit. The top was much like Rarity's, with flowers located on the shoulders. The only difference between the two being that the top had folds that were put in, giving it numerous vibrations when shook. Shadow also put a rose in Fluttershy's hair.
After Fluttershy contemplated between the two, she decided.
"I choose Shadow's, sorry," she said.
She hid behind her hair, looking away from Rarity's direction.
"Whyyyyy?" Rarity asked.
She added a bit of her whining self onto the question. Not to mention the fact that she pouted in Fluttershy's direction.
"Both of your attires displayed a more spring color to it which is good but with Shadow's the skirt itself revealed not only my cutie mark but also my tail leaving the potential open for the crowd to contemplate. My top was both good but I reeeeally like the flowers on Shadow's. Plus, the rose in my hair is a finishing touch," she said quickly and without pause. "Oh! But, you know, yours was good too."
With that, she returned to her usual shy self, hiding behind her hair. Rarity growled in Shadow's direction as he laughed at Rarity's misfortune.
It was down to Scootaloo. Both of their dresses were good looking and fitted her style. They were both gowns instead of skirts and top. (And for the sake of retaining some manhood, I will not describe them.)
Wearing Rarity's dress, Scootaloo thought long and hard.
"I can't decide!" she exclaimed.
"What?" both Shadow and Rarity shouted to her.
"They were both good, and I thought they both were great…but I don't know which one to wear," she said. "Sorry."
Both Rarity and Shadow sighed. They also both looked down at the floor, still in sync.
"Wow! I guess a draw means Rarity makes the tuxedo," Rainbow said.
This caused Shadow to look up with a smile.
"Um, but shouldn't that also mean that he wears Rarity's ugly dress?" Fluttershy asked, still hiding behind her hair.
This thought got Rarity up with a smile. Shadow's smile turned into a frown quickly. Shadow sighed before looking over to Rarity. She followed suit.
"Okay, compromise. Since it's a draw, how about I take you to the ball," he said.
Rarity gasped at the mere thought of this.
"Not as a date or anything! I just take you there. When there, you can 'mingle' all you want," he said.
Rarity looked at Shadow a bit. Looking up, she thought long and hard about this before answering.
"Alright, I'll go. I'll make you your tuxedo and my own dress. That way, we both win," she said.
They looked at each other, content with the deal. After a bit, they begin to blush at the circumstances.
"I mean…uh…you win. I mean, why would I win," she stammered.
"Well…uh….I'll just leave you to it then?" he asked.
With that, Shadow rushed out of the boutique. After Shadow had left and the door was closed, Rainbow walked up to a still blushing Rarity.
"Shadow and Rarity, sitting in a tree," Rainbow said.
Rarity used her hoof and pushed her away. Rarity herself looked away while smiling.
"Shut up!" she shouted.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A/N – 1. My computer was stupid so there may or may not be some mistakes, grammatical or canonical or otherwise. 2. I have officially named the Shadow/Rarity relationship: Sharity. Easy, simple, and effective.
And I think it's safe to say that the majority of what I just posted was either A. complete bullshit, or B. the gay side in me.
And just so we can make it clear for or 4chan trolls, I am not gay. I'm straight. I met some guy on YouTube (on a My Little Pony video nonetheless) who assumed I was gay. His reasoning being that I was 17 and didn't know what I was yet. Trust me, I'm straight.
Now that that's out of the way, excuse me while I go read a bunch of Blade comics, go play Duke Nukem, and watch Apocalypse Now, the unrated version.