Kydose’s thoughts were lost in a sea of pearly white and violet, with an occasional splash of royal blue. The mysterious mare consumed his vision, and all he could think about was how he was about to meet her, what she would sound like, the first things he’d say to her. So enamored was he with her visage that he lost track of the passing seconds, which turned to minutes.

Once he realized what was happening, Kydose quickly shook his head, breaking himself out of the spell she had put him under. However, the damage was already done. To his terror, when his eyes darted back in the direction the white mare stood, she was gone.

Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no! Kydose thought, his heart racing. He glanced around, hoping that she had maybe just stepped to the side somewhere, but it was hopeless. She was nowhere to be seen. Kydose’s heart sank as all the hopes and aspirations he had built up slowly crumbled to pieces. How could you be so stupid!? he thought, biting his lip out of frustration. 

Silently he fumed, his hoof being ground ever so slowly into the dirt below him. After spending several moments stewing over his foolishness, another thought occurred to him. What am I going to do now? Do I just forget her and move on? He glanced upwards, towards the spot the mare once stood. As he imagined her still standing there, something else caught his eye. To the right were the stallions she had been speaking to. Maybe they know something.

Taking a breath, Kydose steeled himself and worked up a small well of courage, then walked towards the group.

There were three of them standing there, idly talking to one another. One of them was a faded yellow, with a wavy brown mane and three blue horseshoes adorning his flank. The second was a pale blue, and the spikes of his shaggy black hair bounced as he excitedly talked about something Kydose couldn’t make out. The third, standing silently and with a slight smile, had both a blue mane and coat, contrasted by golden eyes. As Kydose approached them, they all looked towards him and he suddenly felt smaller.

Out of the group, the yellow one seemed to be the most receptive to a stranger. Kydose cleared his throat. “Hello, my name is Kydose. I’m new in town, and I had a question concerning the white mare you were just talking to.”

“Well hey there, Kydose,” the stallion spoke, raising a hoof out and looking to Kydose with cheery blue eyes. “Name’s Caramel. Glad to see a visitor in town! I’m so used to seeing everypony I normally do, so it’s nice to find a new face. Whatcha need to know about that pretty filly?”

Kydose tentatively shook the stallion’s hoof, if only out of politeness. “I’d like to know where she went.”

“Well, I’m not sure where she is right now, but I know where she’ll be later,” Caramel said, looking in the direction she had walked off. “Tonight is the Grand Galloping Gala, so she’ll probably be getting ready for that. Only a few hours from now, in fact.” He then nudged the stallion to his side. “Me and Lucky here are gonna be driving her and her gals to it.” Lucky cracked a smile, but remained silent.

Now I’m getting somewhere. “Do you know how I can get to the Gala?” Kydose asked.

Caramel turned and pointed to a mountain range in the distance, where a large castle was visibly clinging to the rock. “Just follow the roads up to Canterlot. It’s that big city in the mountains way over there. Ain’t actually as far as it looks, to be honest. You could probably get there in under an hour if you fly.”

Kydose gulped at the mention of flight. I’d fly if I could, he thought, but thinking was all he did. He didn’t dare mention the disability in front of strangers.

“Of course, if you wanna do that you’ll need an entry ticket. Can’t get in without one.” With a chuckle, he added, “knowing Canterlot though, looking good will be more important.”

Kydose contemplated his options now. All that was separating him from the mystery mare was a ticket. He knew the ticket would be nearly impossible to acquire, especially this close to the event, and even more so because it was invite-only. Looking good, however, would be doable. He tried to remember how many bits he had left, and determined it would be more than enough to rent a suit just for tonight. The ticket… the ticket he would handle when the time came.

He nodded his head and looked to Caramel. “That was just what I wanted to hear. Thank you for your time.”

“Any time, friend,” Caramel said, with a grin.

With another nod, Kydose was off. The stallions behind him waved, then went back to their discussion, but Kydose was too involved with his thoughts to wave back. All he had on his mind now was the Gala, and how he was going to find his way inside.

So, ticket and a suit, he thought, trotting along the dirt road. One of those things I can get, but the other... his mind trailed off as he became lost in the logistics of the plan. Perhaps I can talk to that couple I overheard earlier and buy one of their– no, nobody in their right mind would give up entry to the Grand Galloping Gala. Maybe I can just… forge one? No, that’s completely ridiculous. His snout scrunched up as he pondered over the dilemma.

"Ugh, it’s just no use," Kydose finally said, letting out a sigh. "There’s no way I’m getting a ticket." Pausing for a moment, he produced his pouch of bits and undid the string, then took a look inside. "Hrm... one hundred... one-fifty... two hundred..." After a bit more silent counting, he sighed again. "Barely enough for a few nights at an inn, let alone the most anticipated event of the year." He frowned, staring dejectedly into his bag of coins.

That was when he remembered what Caramel had said about Canterlot. "Then again, maybe I don’t need a ticket after all," he said, with a smirk. Before long, he was back on the move, heading towards the marketplace at a steady pace.

If I’m lucky, I may be able to sneak into the Gala. The guards will be busy making sure the guests and princesses are safe, so security outside just might be low enough for me to slip by. Kydose grinned, becoming engrossed in his plan. Not to mention the crowds... I just hope I'm right about all this.

Looking upwards, Kydose realized he had already made his way back to the center of town. The market was still busy, but there were far less ponies walking about than there were earlier. Many of the stalls were closed for the day, leaving behind empty and locked up shops.

He took a quick look around and was surprised to see the mare from earlier was still there, gathering up her carrots and putting them away. Maybe she'll know where I can find a boutique he thought, trotting towards her. If she didn’t have an answer, he wasn’t sure who else to turn to.

She spotted him on his way over and gave a cheery smile, accompanied with a wave. "Well hey there," she said, taking a break from her packing. "What brings you back to my lil’ ol’ stand? Came for a snack?" With a quick flick of her hoof, she had a carrot in her hoof and presented it to him.

Kydose gave a light chuckle and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no, though they're looking just as tasty as they did earlier. What I'm really here for is to ask you a question."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, tilting her heading to the side and leaning against the table. Without any thought, she took a crunchy bite of the carrot she held. "What can I do for ya?"

"Well, I'm not sure if you'd know the answer to this, but so you know where I can buy a suit?" He tried to hide the desperation on his face, but felt he was doing a poor job of it.

The mare tapped her hoof against the ground and furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmm..." After a moment and another bite of her favorite vegetable, her face lit up and she exclaimed, "aha! I don't go there much at all, but I know some friends who do. It's called The Carousel Boutique. I can give you directions if you'd like."

"Oh, yes, that'd be great!" Kydose said, with a bright smile.

"Okay, so, you head north of here, then make your way over the bridge and past the town hall, then you..."

As she went on with the explanation, Kydose couldn't help but feel a familiarity with it. His ears perked up as he listened more intently.

"...and it's like a big carousel, with colors and horses on top–"

"I know where you're talking about!" Kydose interrupted, his eyes groing wide. He had admired that building from the moment he saw it, but had no idea it was actually where he was looking for this whole time. "Thank you, but I need to get there now," he said, turning away and near-galloping the direction he had come from.

"You'll have to ask for Rarity!" she called after him, waving as he ran off.

"Thanks!" He yelled back, and within a moment’s time he was out of the marketplace and heading back to the boutique.

Kydose glanced to the sky as he ran, taking note of where the sun was in the sky. Time's running out, he thought, watching the slowly setting sun. I need to be quick about this. With all the strength he could muster, he charged toward his destination.

- - -

It had been a long time since Kydose ran that fast. So long, in fact, that he all but collapsed at the door to the boutique, panting and wheezing into the cool ground. Must remember… to pace myself… he thought, taking in as much fresh air as he could. He knew he probably looked ridiculous lying there, but in the back of his mind he knew that it would be worth it in the end. It was a small price to pay to meet the mare of his dreams.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Kydose stood up and brushed himself off, then cleared his throat. He waited a moment, then knocked on the door three times and took a step back. Several seconds passed. Then another several seconds. “Hrm.” He frowned, then leaned forward and knocked again, only to quickly be met with a voice from behind it.

“Just a second!” the voice yelled, high pitched and squeaky. Kydose couldn’t help but feel the voice sounded off, but he couldn’t put his hoof on why.

He heard some faint hoofsteps from inside, then a few moments later the door opened to reveal a small white filly with light green eyes and a two-toned mane of pink and purple. That’s when he realized what was odd about the voice: It was rather young.

“Yes,” she said, with a wide grin.

“Would you happen to be Rarity?” He looked over the small pony and had a good guess at what the answer would be, but he had to make sure.

She shook her head and her smile began to fade away. “No… Rarity is just my older sister.”

“I see,” Kydose replied. “Well, could you get her? I need to buy something and I’m in a bit of a hurry.” As if to make his point, he began to tap one of his front hooves against the ground.

“I would, but she’s not here right now. Sorry,” the unicorn said, glancing downwards.

Kydose sighed, feeling his hope start to drain. “Alright, well… would you be able to help me, then?”

Her grin instantly came back, and the filly seemed like it was the happiest moment of her life. “Of course! Come right in.” She stepped aside, allowing Kydose to walk in, then closed the door behind him.

Just as he imagined, the shop was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. Glancing from display to display, he began to think it was more beautiful on the inside. The decor and style of the outfits was nothing short of astounding, and each new piece seemed to complement the last.

“My name’s Sweetie Belle, and I’ll be…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze glanced towards Kydose’s flank, and her eyes widened as she noticed it was completely bare.

Kydose cocked his head to the side and stared at the transfixed filly. “Is, uh… something wrong?” he asked, with a hint of concern. He turned his head to look at his side, but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

Her eyes darted from his flank to his face several times before she pointed and sputtered out, “y-you don’t have a cutie mark!”

He couldn’t help but blush out of embarrassment. “I… No, I don’t,” he replied, completely taken off guard. With a quick look, he saw that she didn’t have one either. They were both blank flanks.

Sweetie Belle did nothing short of bounce to his side, looking at the part of his flank where there should have been a cutie mark. She seemed mesmerized by its missing status, and there was a giant smile on her face. Kydose wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

“How long have you been looking for your talent?” she asked, looking up to him with bright eyes.

Longer than I would like, he thought, with a frown. “A long time,” Kydose replied, trying to keep the details to a minimum. “So I’ve been traveling a lot.”

“Like, all over Equestria?” The filly bounced in front of him with a spring in her step. She shifted her body so her flank was in view. “See, me and my friends have been looking for our cutie marks for a long time too, and we even made a group called the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” She suddenly gasped, and Kydose could almost see the lightbulb above her head. “If you’re looking for your cutie mark, maybe you should join!”

Kydose sighed and glanced downwards. “Yes, all over Equestria, but it’s for more reason than just finding my cutie mark. I’d… rather not talk about it.”

“Aw, why not?” she asked, pouting and looking up at him. “I bet you have all sorts of cool adventures and stories to tell! Come on, you’ve gotta have one.”

He took a deep breath, as his patience with the small unicorn was quickly fading. “I appreciate the interest, but I have personal reasons for traveling that I don’t want to share,” Kydose said, in a soft voice. “They don’t bring back the best of memories.”

“Oh…” Sweetie Belle said meekly, pawing her hoof at the ground. “Sorry…”

“It’s alright. Now, how about business?”

The filly instantly perked up and smiled at him. “Okay! What can I do for you today?”

“I’m... looking for a suit,” he said, eyes gazing around the room. Catching himself almost get lost in the beauty, he shook his head and looked down at the unicorn. “Yes, a suit. Something inexpensive but nice looking.”

Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically and then hurried off to a nearby table, rummaging through the contents of its’ drawer. After a moment, she came trotting back with measuring tape over her back and a notepad in her mouth. Setting the pad on the ground, she took the tape and started measuring around Kydose’s hoof. “Okay, this is what my sister normally does…” She looked at the number and jotted down, then moved to a completely different leg.

“Uh, I was looking more for something already made…” he said, with a sheepish grin. “I’m a bit short on time, you see. Do you have anything like that?”

She pulled the tape away from him and pouted. “Aw, the measuring is my favorite part…” she mumbled, tossing the roll on the ground. “But if you want one, I think Rarity has some premade outfits around here. Let me see…” Sweetie Belle trailed off as she stepped away from Kydose and wandered throughout the boutique. After a minute or so, she jumped up and waved him over. “We’ve got some here!”

Kydose walked to where she stood and was met with a semi-circle of mannequins, all dressed up in pre-made suits. They ranged from simple to elegant and flashy to modest, but there seemed to be something for anypony. “Wow, these are all excellently crafted,” he said, looking over the designs. “And they all look great.”

“That’s Rarity for you!” Sweetie chirped, hopping over to one of the mannequins. “Some ponies don’t believe it, but she’s the best designer in all of Equestria. One day, she’ll be really famous for making clothes!”

“I believe it,” Kydose said, looking at the myriad of suits before him. Unfortunately, he had to pick one, and he had to pick it soon. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell the sun was getting dangerously low.

He stepped towards the nearest suit and began to look over it. Hmm… A bit too flashy. May draw attention. Also, red might not look good on me. Just to confirm his thoughts, he moved his foreleg near the suit’s arm to compare the colors, and it was as he had expected. Approaching the next suit, he went through a similar process, going over the pros and cons and deciding which one would be best.

After going through all of them, he stepped back to the middle and looked over them. All of them had their ups and downs, but one in particular had caught his eye, and it stood right in front of him. The mannequin wore a suit consisting of a short black coat with long lapels. On top was the white collar of a simple, two button undershirt. Then, adding just a touch of flair, a deep blue three-petaled flower acted as a brooch, holding the lapels together. It was a modest outfit, but it would get him into the Gala.

“I’d like this one,” Kydose said, approaching the suit and gently stroking the left lapel. It was like silk under his hoof, soft and gentle to the touch. “It’ll be perfect.”

Sweetie Belle nodded, then trotted to the suit and rummaged through the undershirt. Kydose was about to ask what she was doing, but she pulled out a small slip of paper with a number on it. Ah, price tag, he thought.

“Okay, this one is… two hundred and ten bits,” she said, showing him the tag.

Kydose visibly cringed, but he knew it was his only chance. Hopefully I can return it later… he thought, as he produced his money pouch. Opening it, he poured it out into his hoof and counted up the coins until he got to two hundred and ten. After giving the small pile of bits to Sweetie, all he had left over was one measly coin, which he slipped back into the bag with a frown.

“Thank you, sir!” Sweetie Belle practically skipped away from Kydose with the coins, humming as she did so.

As she was putting away the money, Kydose began taking the suit off of the mannequin and putting it on himself. Fortunately, there was a mirror nearby that he could use to adjust his look with. As quickly as he could without damaging anything, he slipped the undershirt on and buttoned it, then folded the collar down. After it was even, he put his legs through the holes in the jacket and pulled it up, then did some tricky adjusting with his teeth to attach the lapel. He took a look in the mirror and found that for his first time putting on a suit in recent memory, it didn’t look that bad.

“You’re putting it on right now?” Sweetie’s voice came from behind him, and Kydose could see her standing near him in the mirror.

“I told you I was a bit short on time, didn’t I?” He shifted the flower as he spoke, then the rest of the suit until it was even. He took a quick glance at his mane and decided to slick it back a bit using his hoof. It was a temporary solution, but it did the job for now.

Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going, anyway?”

“The Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Oh, my sister went there!” Sweetie exclaimed, hopping in place. “She’s so lucky. I wish I could have gone with her, but she said it was only for adult ponies.”

Satisfied with his look, Kydose spun around and gave her a soft smile. “Well, it’s good that you were here, otherwise I’d be out of luck. You’re a good businessmare.”

Her eyes immediately lit up at the compliment. “You really think so?!” she asked, leaning so far forward on her hooves Kydose was afraid she might fall over.

“You sold me this suit, didn’t you? I’d say that’s a success.” He then glanced out the window, and a twinge of fear struck through him. “Unfortunately, I have to go now, or I’m going to be late,” he said, heading towards the entrance. I hope I can get there in time.

Sweetie nodded and followed him to the door. “Oh, alright. Thanks for coming to the Carousel Boutique, mister.”

“And thank you for the lovely outfit! Maybe I’ll visit again someday.” With that, Kydose opened the door and headed out. By that point, the day was at it’s final moments, with nothing but a soft orange glow in the sky. Before long, the moon would be out and the Gala would start.

Kydose looked in the direction of Canterlot, finding that the city was illuminated on the mountainside. It’s light twinkled against the dark mountain like a beacon in the night, guiding him to where he needed to be. How fitting, he thought, beginning his journey down the road. The trot quickly became a full gallop, and before long the quaint town of Ponyville was behind him.

As he stared at the city of royals with a fire in his eye, Kydose could only think one thing.

I’m on my way.