Title:           Captain Anonymous - Chapter 18 - The King's New Clothes
Author:          somewritefag
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/Y0q9ssnG
First Edit:      Sunday 9th of August 2015 10:51:06 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Sunday 9th of August 2015 12:19:51 PM CDT

                                Captain Anonymous - Chapter 18 - The King's New Clothes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>When you arrive at Rarity’s place and knock on the door, she lets the three of you in nervously, sensing that something is up. You explain to Rarity what you need from her and hand over your uniform, she begins examining it closely.
 
>”Hmm… at a minimum this could use a clean and press. What was that you were saying about a “dress” uniform?”
 
“It’s a uniform worn by members of the Confederate Navy during diplomatic or special events. It’s different from a regular uniform, and I was wondering if you might be able to come up with something for me.”
 
>”Well, go on darling, give me the details,” she says as she puts on a pair of glasses and grabs some paper to take notes.
 
>Your regular uniform laid out on a table, you go over it with Rarity, explaining to her the difference between a regular and dress uniform. You start at the collar.
 
“Overall, dress uniforms are white, not blue, but they look very similar to this uniform. One difference, is that on the collar here where you see the rank insignia,” you point, “it’s much more prominent on the dress uniform. The design is essentially the same, but the thickness of the embroidery is doubled, and it’s gold thread on a black background instead of white thread on a blue background.”
 
>Rarity takes detailed notes as you continue.
 
“Also, these three little stars you see here next to the chevrons, they’re arranged in a triangle at the bottom instead of alongside the chevrons. This is a crucial detail, if it’s not done correctly it won’t display my correct rank.”
 
>”Not to worry mister Anonymous, I have quite an eye for detail, please continue.”
 
“The collar is a single piece rather than button-down, and the rank insignia is embroidered on both sides rather than just one. The left side of the chest about 4 inches down from the collar and four inches inward from the middle buttons, the medals and honors an officer has been awarded in his or her career are embroidered into the cloth in various colors depending on the accolade. I can draw you a diagram to go by for that. Above that, my name and rank appears. It should read ‘C.N.C. ANON.’ in those exact letters embroidered in black. The most important thing to remember about this part is that the edge of the embroidering is in line with the embroidering on the collar. If it’s off by too much, it will be immediately recognized as a fake.”
 
>”Duly noted, mister Anonymous. What else?”
 
“On the other side of the chest in a similar position, the insignia of the Confederate Navy is embroidered, in either red or purple, both are acceptable. The design is the same as the one on the regular uniform, however it is slightly smaller. It’s also important that this is in line with the collar embroidering.”
 
>”Mhm, I see, I see,” Rarity says as she continues scribbling
 
“The left shoulder bears the insignia of the fleet and starship to which the officer belongs – the same as the regular uniform, but positioned lower, just above the elbow, about a third of the way down the sleeve. When you examine this part of my regular uniform, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get the details right. A series of bars and hashes above and below this insignia indicates the number of years an officer has been in service to the Confederate Navy – you’ll have to modify mine slightly,”
 
>You point to this part of your uniform
 
“In addition to these two long bars above the insignia, you will need to add three hashes below, each a third the length of the bars. This might be the difficult part; on dress uniforms these bars and hashes are metal – silver and gold to be specific, and are pinned onto the uniform. The two top bars will need to be solid gold, and the three hashes need to be pure silver. Can you manage that?”
 
>”It shouldn’t be a problem. This is turning out to be quite an interesting piece, please do go on,” she urges.
 
“The right shoulder patch indicates the officer’s homeworld. You can duplicate the design and position that are on my regular uniform, with the exception that the patch has a black background and all-white embroidering on the dress uniform.”
 
>”Mmhmm,” Rarity nods.
 
“The cuffs are embroidered with the Confederate Navy Colors: red, white, green, blue, and orange, and the same rank insignia that appears on the collar appears on the outside of the cuff just below this embroidering, on both sides. The shirt has four silver buttons down the middle about this big,” you say, drawing a circle on her paper to indicate the size.
 
“Finally, the coattails of the shirt should come down to the knee of the pants, the border embroidered with silver and gold along the inside.”
 
>”Anything else?”
 
“That’s all for the shirt.”
 
>”Okay darling, I think I have that all down. Please, do continue with the next item.”
 
“I will need a pair of white silk gloves that cover half the length of my forearm, but also fit underneath the sleeve of the uniform. The edge of each cuff should be dead even with my wrists, whenever you make your measurements take note of that. On the top of the wrist area of these gloves there should be three gold stars, and there should be fringe along the outside about a half inch in length all the way up to the end. I also need a pair of white silk socks that are long enough to reach half way up my calves.”
 
>”No problem, that should be quite easy.”
 
“The pants are easy, solid white with a crease along the outside of the leg on both sides. At the bottom the fabric is inverted and folded over by about four inches and stitched with white thread to blend in. There should be belt loops around the top all the way around, wide enough to accommodate an inch-wide belt.”
 
>”Mhmm, simple,”
 
“These next parts might fall slightly out of your area of expertise.”
 
>”What are they?”
 
”A pair of solid black leather boots, as shiny as possible when polished, an inch-wide black leather belt, the same as the boots – able to be polished to a nice shine, with a golden buckle, and a hat – for which I’ll provide the details.”
 
>”Hmm, the hat and belt won’t be a problem, and though I’m not a shoemaker, a simple pair of boots shouldn’t be beyond my abilities. Go on with the details.”
 
“The boots are simple, just like I said,” you take off your current boots and set them on the table for Rarity to examine. “They look a lot like these, except, like I said, solid black leather. There is also a hook-and-latch system on the boots and the bottoms of the legs of the pants; about an inch down the outside and the inside of the boot and of the pant legs. There’s a small latch and hook made of silver that keep the pant legs held uniformly in place over top of the boots despite the wearer’s movements.”
 
>”That shouldn’t be a problem,”
 
“I also forgot, there’s a similar hook-and-latch system at the top of the pants here, here, and here, and the inside of the shirt here, here, and here” you say, pointing to your uniform.
 
>You do your best to draw some rough pictures for the hat.
 
“The brim of the hat is solid black with heavy golden embroidering between the brim and the top of the hat. The rest of the hat is white. The back of the hat covers the entire back of the head like this,” you say, scribbling down some more diagrams. Three gold stars on the brim, and the hat is finished.”
 
>”My, it seems like your people go through a lot of trouble for fashion. I can admire that.”
 
“It’s a matter of pride for the Navy. Each dress uniform is custom-tailored for every officer with the rank above lieutenant prior to every special event or diplomatic meeting they attend. Any time an officer is in a dress uniform, it’s expected to fit perfectly, not a single thread or button out of place.
 
>”Goodness. You must have a number of greatly skilled tailors then, to have a new uniform made for every special occasion!”
 
“They don’t usually have to make a new one from scratch, often they can make minor alterations to an existing uniform. I’m going to be honest, Rarity, creating a dress uniform from scratch, as I’m asking you to, usually takes our most skilled tailors at least two days to complete – and that doesn’t mean within the span of two days, that means around 48 hours of actual hands-on work to make sure everything is perfect. I’m going to need this done by the end of the day tomorrow. Can you manage that?”
 
>”Darling, having your uniform as a template to go by as well as your instructions, I can have this entire outfit done for you in three or four hours, very easily.”
 
>Your eyes go wide when she says this.
 
“Are you being serious?”
 
>”Entirely. Fashion is my business after all, it’s second nature to me. I’ve put together far more elaborate outfits in even less time than this one will take me.”
 
“How is that even possible?”
 
>Rarity’s horn glows
 
>”Magic, dear, magic. It allows me to multitask quite a bit and saves me a lot of time, I never work on a single aspect of an outfit at one time, I’m usually working on five or six different parts of it at any given time, sometimes even more when I’m really ‘in the zone,’ so to speak. I’m already seeing how your ensemble is going to come together in my mind. We just have to get your measurements and I can get started.”
 
“That’s amazing. Thank you so much Rarity, this really means a lot to me – to all of us. Now um… I’m going to have to get naked for you to take proper measurements, does that bother you or make you uncomfortable?”
 
>Rarity tilts her head to the side.
 
>“No, why would it? You’re the only one in the room right now that’s even wearing any clothes.”
 
“Right… I keep forgetting you ponies are comfortable running around with no clothes on. I’m still not used to that after all this time. Well, let’s get to it then.”
 
>You unbutton your shirt and remove it, unbuckle your belt and remove your pants and socks, standing in the middle of the boutique completely naked. You allow your arms to hang limp, Rarity circling your body taking what feels like hundreds of different measurements, magically moving parts of your body around as she needs to. It’s slightly uncomfortable when she measures the inside of your thigh up to your privates, but you try to ignore it.
 
>Rarity scribbles down a few more notes, pulling the measuring tape away from you.
 
>”All finished, mister Anonymous, I’ll have your outfit ready by lunchtime.”
 
>You check a clock on the wall as you put your clothes back on. It’s a quarter ‘til 9:00, you had no idea it was still so early.
 
>Twilight gives Rarity a long hug
 
>”You’re the best, Rarity. I can’t thank you enough for helping us like this.”
 
>”Twilight, dear, after all we’ve been through together, this is nothing. Don’t think a thing of it. Now go along, the three of you, shoo shoo shoo, so I can get to work,” Rarity says, already levitating a pair of scissors, various spools of thread and bolts of cloth, preparing to get to work, while simultaneously using the measurements and details you provided to draw up final plans for the outfit with ridiculous speed. You’re amazed seeing her go to work, your jaw dropping a bit before you turn to leave.
 
>You turn to offer Rarity one more “thank you” over your shoulder as you leave the boutique.
 
“I’ve known what a long time what her profession is, but I’ve never seen anything quite like that. She’s amazing…”
 
>Twilight smiles up at you as you walk alongside her and Shining Armor.
 
>”She has a gift, Anon. We’re all gifted in different ways.”
 
>The three of you stop by the train station to get a schedule. The next train to Canterlot leaves at 2:00pm. You go ahead and purchase your tickets in advance before heading back into town. Your next stop is town hall, to speak with the mayor.
 
>”Princess Twilight, Prince Shining Armor, Mister Anonymous, what a wonderful surprise! How may I help the three of you today?” The mayor asks, her demeanor almost excessively chipper.
 
>Twilight speaks first
 
>”Mayor Mare, I know you’re up to speed on the plans Anonymous has made to help us deal with a potential threat from his people.”
 
>”Of course I am. Is there any way that I or the citizens of Ponyville may be of further assistance?”
 
“No, ma’am,” you reply bluntly. “We’ve made some altercations and needed to discuss them with you.”
 
>The mayor sits on her haunches and looks up at you expectantly
 
“Twilight tells me you have an emergency evacuation plan in place for Ponyville,” you begin. The mayor nods her head in response.
 
>”Indeed we do. Why do you ask, Mister Anonymous?” she asks, tilting her head slightly. Why do all these ponies always tilt their heads like that in the middle of a conversation, anyway? It makes them look like confused puppies. You shake your head and continue.
 
“How long would it take to get everypony safely out of town?”
 
>”Our current emergency evacuation plans would take about two hours to complete, but that time could be reduced if the citizens are forewarned and know to expect it.”
 
“I’m glad to hear that,” you reply. “Mayor, I’m requesting that you begin preparations to execute your emergency evacuation plan for Ponyville. Before we carry out our work, I need to make sure the citizens of Ponyville are out of harm’s way. I don’t expect there to be violence but I don’t want to risk it. Spread the word for them to be prepared to be away for at least two days. We have much more work to tend to in the meantime. When everything is ready to go, we’ll send word when it’s time for you to evacuate.”
 
>The mayor’s expression doesn’t changes as she replies.
 
>”Not a problem Mister Anonymous, I shall do so immediately. On behalf of the citizens of Ponyville allow me to thank you once again for your concern for our safety and for all of the effort you’re putting forth to keep us all safe.”
 
“No thanks are necessary. Is there anything we can do to assist with your preparations?”
 
>”Don’t worry about it, we have all of the personnel we need to take care of it. You focus on what you need to do, we’ll be fine here.”
 
“Thank you, mayor. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll leave you to your work.”
 
>”Of course, of course. If there’s anything else I can do for you three, don’t hesitate to let me know. Good luck!” She replies as the three of you turn and begin to walk away.
 
>”Well, I think that’s everything we needed to take care of here in Ponyville for the time being. Everything seems to be running smoothly,” Twilight says as you walk. “We have some time to kill… let’s go back and check over all the equipment and the ship.”
 
>You begin to object but she interrupts.  “Just a quick check Anon, we don’t have to obsess over details, just make sure everything’s right where we left it, and in the same condition we left it in. We really have nothing else to do for the moment, it’s still only 9:30.”
 
>You travel to an area not far from the castle where all of the equipment is waiting and ready for use. You all look over the six platforms, as well as the ship, for about an hour. Shining seems fascinated by your ship, lingering inside as he checks the interior.
 
>10:30 and you’ve gone over all the equipment enough that you’re all bored of it by now. You lean against your ship, one leg crossed over the other, each of the ponies with you sitting on their haunches and looking around. Eventually you speak up to them.
 
“So… are we just gonna sit around here bored to death for the next two hours or do the two of you want to actually go do something?”
 
>”Like what, Anon?” Shining asks.
 
>You shrug your shoulders.
 
“iunno. Twi?”
 
>Her response is almost the same, a simple shrug of her shoulders, nothing coming to mind.
 
“You two wanna play a game or something?”
 
>They both nod.
 
>”What kind of game were you thinking?” Shining asks.
 
>You rub your chin for a while and think for a bit.
 
“Oh, I have an idea! Twi, you have a chalkboard somewhere in the castle?”
 
>”Well of course I do.”
 
“Do you have some kind of timer we can set for say, one or two minutes?”
 
>“Sure, I have a variety of hour glasses in a number of increments.”
 
“Perfect! I have a great idea for a game we can play, I’ve never tried it but it might be fun. Come on,” you say, walking toward the castle and explaining along the way.
 
”It’s an ancient Earth game, I think it was called “Pekka-Shoon Air-Ee,” or something like that. Each of us write down various things on little pieces of paper and mix it all up in a bag or some other container that obfuscates its contents. We take turns drawing a piece of paper from the container, and we have one or two minutes to draw it out on the chalkboard, while the rest of the players try to guess what it is. You can’t give any verbal hints, spoken or written, it all has to be in drawings. If one player gets it right before time runs out, then that player and the player at the chalkboard both get one point. If no one is able to guess it before time runs out, the player at the board loses a point, but you can’t go below zero, no negative numbers. You either keep going until you get tired, or you specify a number of points a player must reach first in order to win the game.”
 
>As you explain the game to them, Twilight retrieves a two-minute hourglass, and the three of you meet in a room in the castle where she has a large chalkboard, larger than you’d expect to find even in a college or Naval Academy lecture hall. She also has a couple of large erasers and an ample supply of chalk.
 
>The two of you spend about fifteen minutes or so writing down different things on little scraps of paper, folding them and tossing them into one of Twilight’s empty saddlebags. By the time you’re finished you’ve got a couple hundred little pieces of paper to select from. You decide to just play until 12:30, and whoever has the most points then wins. It’ll be time for lunch then, and to go check up on Rarity’s progress.
 
>The time passes swiftly, the three of you enjoying yourselves far more than you expected too, nearly exhausting yourselves from laughter, all of your drawing skills quite terrible.
 
>”That’s supposed to be Princess Celestia?” Shining laughs hysterically as the time runs out on your turn, you and Twilight soon joining him
 
“Well hey,” you laugh, “At least I got the part right where she has four legs, wings, and a horn!”
 
>Twilight draws a piece of paper and approaches the board, beginning to draw. You and Shining start shouting out answers.
 
“A sheep! A cloud! Pegasi! Weather Control! The sky! A ball of cotton! Wool mittens! A pillow! A pony with a really fluffy coat standing in the ocean!”
 
>”A turtle! A turtle laying on a blanket! Chickens! A fluffy bunny rabbit! A zoo! Starswirl the Bearded!”
 
>Twilight is overtaken by laughter so quickly she has a hard time continuing to draw. As the last grain of sand falls, neither of you had guessed it right.
 
>”It was supposed to be Cloudsdale,” she laughs, returning to her seat and holding her sides as you all laugh.
 
>By the time 12:30 rolls around, the game ends in a three-way tie, zero all around.
 
>”That was really fun, great idea, Anon,” Shining says, giving you a friendly bump with his rump as the three of you head to the kitchen for lunch.
 
>”Yeah, Anon, that was a blast! We’ll have to remember that game the next time we have a party or something,” Twilight says, nuzzling your hand with a giggle as you walk.
 
>This feels wonderful. The three of you are all relaxed and in a good mood now, a stark contrast to the feelings between you earlier this morning. You each prepare your own lunch. Twilight and Shining Armor make themselves some hay fries and veggie burgers. You settle for a couple of apples, a grilled cheese sandwich and glass of water. The three of you chat over lunch, teasing each other and making fun of your drawing skills, laughing together and doing nothing else but enjoying each other’s company for once. Now THIS feels like some real family bonding. The subject of the plan and the work still to be done never crosses any of your minds.
 
>You finish by 1:00, your good moods still lingering as you make your way to Rarity’s. You wince for a moment before knocking on the door, hoping she did at least a passable job. Rarity smiles when she sees the three of you.
 
>”Oh, come in, come in! Mister Anonymous, I just finished your ensemble, I must say this is one of my finest works yet!”
 
>She leads to something that is covered up, a huge grin plastered on her face as she prepares to reveal it.
 
>”Are you ready to see my handiwork?”
 
>You all three nod excitedly.
 
>”Voila!” Rarity shouts, magically grabbing the drape and tossing it away.
 
>Your mouth hits the floor immediately. You forget to breathe for several seconds. A look of pure satisfaction and a little cockiness falls over Rarity’s face when she sees your response.
 
>”Can I cook, or can’t I?” she says, raising an eyebrow at you.
 
>When you finally catch your breath you can’t stop complimenting Rarity, stammering the entire time
 
“Rarity, this… I… I don’t know what to say… this is incredible!!! How in the world did you get this done so fast!? It’s perfect, absolutely perfect! Flawless! Astounding!”
 
>”Well go on then, Anon,” Rarity says with a soft giggle, “try it on for size. You can stand in the dressing area over here as you change so you can dramatically reveal your fully-uniformed self and dazzle us,” Rarity sits on her haunches, levitating the uniform behind a collapsible privacy barrier.
 
>You take your time and dress yourself properly, with as much seriousness as if you’re about to attend an official ceremony or a High Council meeting. Everything fits absolutely perfectly. Better than any tailor in the Confederacy was ever able to do for you - and Rarity had nothing to go by but a crude description! You still can’t get over it, you’re still in extraordinary awe of her skill, and the uniform feels absolutely amazing on you.
 
>You step out from behind the barrier and salute with a stoic look on your face. All three of the ponies present gasp immediately upon seeing you.
 
>”Now THAT’S a soldier!” Shining shouts excitedly, clapping his hooves.
 
>”Oh…. Oh my… Anon, you look, you look… amazing doesn’t even begin to…” Twilight stammers.
 
>”Mister Anonymous do you mind if I take some pictures? This moment in time needs to be preserved. I’ve never seen you looking more fabulous, darling.”
 
“Sure, Rarity, take as many pictures as you want. I’m still dumbfounded by what a wonderful job you did. If all of your work is THIS good, how are you not filthy stinking rich by now!?” you ask, genuinely baffled that somepony with her skill seemingly works in relative obscurity.
 
>”Oh, go on,” Rarity blushes at the compliment as she retrieves her camera.
 
“No really, I’m dead serious, don’t you dare even try be modest, this is the best work I’ve ever seen in my entire LIFE! I’ve been to every world in the Confederacy, and you put all of their best tailors and designers to shame. If Equestria were a member, Rarity, you’d be rich beyond your WILDEST dreams producing this kind of work,” you continue to gush, every word that comes out of your mouth completely genuine.
 
“You could travel anywhere you wanted to, every single celebrity and public figure would be clamoring for you to craft them a personal wardrobe, and they’d be willing to pay a very hefty premium for such perfection and attention to detail,” you continue, pulling at the uniform in places and brushing off little specks of lint.
 
“You would have nothing but the very most elite of the elite of VIP clients that you could pick and choose from at will, your work would be highly sought after by billions, and you would never work in obscurity again for the rest of your life. Dare I say, the High Council themselves would even be impressed by your work and might seek out your services.”
 
>Rarity’s blush intensifies, giggling profusely and hiding behind her mane as she stares at the floor and looks away from you, still trying to act modest. She appears to be trembling as well. When she finally turns to face you and take her pictures, you see some streaks at the corner of her eyes. Was she crying?
 
“Are you okay, Rarity?” you ask immediately.
 
>She sniffles a bit and levitates a handkerchief, using it to dab at her eyes.
 
>”Quite alright darling… it’s just… I’ve never had a client that was so appreciative of my work and had so many kind things to say… it was a little overwhelming and emotional for a moment, that’s all,” she replies, smiling at you even as more tears threaten to form in her eyes.
 
“Rarity I don’t know how or when, but I’m going to make absolutely sure to repay you for this, I won’t forget what you’ve done for me here today, EVER,” you say, beginning to strike different poses for Rarity as she starts taking pictures, still hearing the occasional sniffle from her. This must be the most appreciated she’s ever felt in her entire life if it’s this emotional for her.
 
>Eventually you notice the clock on the wall.
 
>1:45
 
>Oh shit, the train!
 
“Rarity, I can’t thank you enough,” you say, picking her up and squeezing her with all your might, “I’m so, SO sorry that we can’t stay longer, but we have a train to catch at 2:00.”
 
>Twilight gasps when she notices the time.
 
“We need to get to the train station as fast as we can,” you squeeze her a bit more before setting her back down. You head for the door, Shining Armor and Twilight at your side as you hurriedly leave.
 
>As you make your way out the door you look back over your shoulder at her, yelling “If there’s anything I can ever do for you at all, or anything you ever need or want, don’t hesitate for a moment to find me and ask me. Despite our somewhat checkered past, you have a permanent friend in me from now on, remember that okay? We’ll see you when we get back!”