Appledashery

by Just Essay

Fitting

Rainbow Dash rung the doorbell to the Carousel Boutique.

She stepped back, stretching her wings in and out while standing in her yellow delivery apron.

At last, Rarity opened the door to the noonday light. She smiled the instant she saw Rainbow. "Greetings, Rainbow Dash. Timely as ever." She stifled an airy laugh, eyeing the mare's work gear. "And I see you've yet again brought the jaundice-inspired mode of dress that they've ceremoniously slathered you in."

"Yeesh." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "When you know how to rub it in, you know how to rub it in."

"Now, is that any way to speak to a respectful client?" Rarity batted her eyelashes.

"Heh. Right. I get it." Rainbow smirked as she trotted over to her wagon and hefted a brown package over her flank. "I'm surprised, Rarity. You ordered standard shipping for this... whatever-this-is."

"Yes, so?"

"I mean, like, you almost always order first-class," Rainbow said as Rarity held the door open for her. She trudged into the Boutique, laying the large box down in the corner of the interior design room. "Or premium. Or—heck—anything that can afford a slightly prettier, even shiny packaging."

"Well, in truth, Rainbow," Rarity said, levitating a pen as she scribbled her name on the delivery mare's work order. "What contents of the package don't matter nearly as much as the means of conveyance."

Rainbow stood up straight, blinking. All of the sudden, her ears and wings drooped simultaneously. "Ughhh... Rarityyyy..." She looked over with dull eyes. "Was this yet another excuse to trap me inside your Boutique?"

Rarity tilted her chin up with a dainty smile. "Guilty..." She capped the pen. "...as charged." A wink. "Darling."

"Rarity, please. We've been through all this before." Rainbow waved a hoof. "If this is yet another scheme to get me into a dress you're modeling or fix me for a date that I have no intention of going on—"

"Is this your last delivery?"

"...huh?"

"Is this your last delivery of the day, Rainbow Dash?"

"Er... yes." Rainbow blinked. "Why?"

Rarity trotted past her. "You're right. I did arrange this so I could see you."

"Uh huh." Rainbow turned to glare at her. "What for?"

"Why..." Rarity reached her desk and pivoted about with a graceful pose. "...so I could see you."

Rainbow blinked.

"And don't you think that it's somewhat odd... and a tad bit dismaying that it would take such a bizarre act of comical subterfuge to make such a thing happen?" Rarity smiled daintily. "A simple visit?"

"I..." Rainbow grimaced. "Rares, I-I don't what to say. I mean..." She gulped. "I certainly hope you don't think that I'm not—"

"No guilt trip intended, darling. I know you've been a busy mare these past few months." Rarity cleared her throat, fluffing her mane as she glanced aside. "A very... very busy mare. But nevertheless..." She looked at the pegasus. "Don't be fooled by the magnificently ludicrous gap between your brutish athletics and my eloquent mannerisms. There's no amount of contrast between you and yours truly that would change the fact that I absolutely adore your presence... and would greatly like to have a simple conversation with you. Here and now." She smiled. "As friends."

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but she faltered. Soon, she plopped back on her haunches and tugged her apron off with a limp gesture. As her eyes met the floor, the moistened slightly, and she murmured aloud: "Is... has it really gotten that lame?" Her voice was thin, raspy. "I... I know I've got a lot on my plate. Like... seriously a lot. But... but it was never meant to make me a stranger. I mean..." She sniffled. "I-I'm still the Element of Loyalty... r-right?"

A soft white hoof rested on Rainbow's shoulder.

The mare looked up, ears folded back.

Rarity bore an elegant smile. "And you've never stopped. Please, Rainbow Dash... by all means..." She hummed to herself as she returned to her workbench and resumed working on an alteration job. "...tell me. What's been on your mind as of late."

Rainbow cleared her throat. "Just... that simple? You wanted to chat?"

"Mmmhmmm..." Rarity continued to grace the Boutique with a generous smile.

The pegasus exhaled, her wingtips relaxing with more potency than Zecora's potion would muster. "Well... uh... wh-where do I begin?" She stood up, her dimples rosy. "First off... you ever been to Fillyda?"

"Oh, heavens no!"

"Heh heh heh..."

"But please, do go on, dear..."

Comments

[zaponator]

Oh yeah, there are other mane ponies besides Rainbow Dash and Applejack...
Kinda forgot about those.

[viofriedsevey]

For some reason I'm addicted to characters with a huge secret that they realize causes problems with their relationships, but try to ignore. Obviously whats going on with me is a massive fucking far cry from rainbows secrets, but I'm about as closet Brony as they get. I've had like 1 friend in the past 3 years even know about it, and moving through multiple schools, states, then living on my own through those 3 years has made me go through a lot of friends. My family doesn't know either. Truthfully, it's starting to become kinda weird, since this has now become a huge part of my life. The majority of my inspiration for various things comes from My little pony. I guess I 'm in the same mindset as Dash, It's just easier if no one knows. Especially the group of people I'm usually around, good lord I played football not too long ago in highschool, if the team found out... Hmm. Strange how relateable this is. You always get me thinking, and rambling Skirts.

[Lord Dragon]

5986324 Lal.

[Autumn Rush]

I really like conversations between Rainbow and Rarity. They don't really interact with each other much on the show so these moments between them are nice and interesting.

[FloydienSlip]

5986414 Seconded.

[HopelessRomanetic]

Wouldnt it be nice if she told Rarity? I mean, Rarity has an obvious abundance of relationship advice, due to her love of romance novels. Dont you think she can help Dashie with AJ?

[Lightning Bearer]

Yeah, it's kind of hard to imagine Rarity in Fillyda. Not impossible, though. I'm picturing a large, cushion-laden cart covered in a ridiculous amount of mesquito nets, and Rarity lying inside with a fan held in her magic, complaining incessantly as Sweetie Belle pulls her.

[Cotton Fluff]

For the first half of this chapter, I expected this conversation between these two to go in a totally different direction with how Rarity was acting. I wonder if Rainbow will try to either subtly or not so subtly get Rarity's advice on her situation or if she will just talk around the issue.

5986414
Yeah it is neat to see these two interact with their opposing natures, always a good source of (minor?) conflict and potential humor

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5986500 While that may be true, Rarity unfortunately has the tendency to go a bit...oh, shall we say, overboard...when it comes to romantic things.

And while she might be able to help out romantically, the way that I read her, she tends to think of stallions more than she does mares when it comes to romantic pair-ups. (I mean, wasn't she the one who was trying to hook Rainbow (or was it AJ?) up with Stu awhile back?) So I'm not sure if she'd be able to help Rainbow on that score.

Also, we all know that she's a notorious gossip, and I just have the feeling that nothing short of a Pinkie Promise would keep her from spilling the beans about what Rainbow would tell her to a certain orange-coated cowpony.

Fluttershy, yes. Rarity? Uh...no.

Okay, I could be wrong about that last, but, even if Rainbow confided in Fluttershy in the last chapter (which surprised me to now end, in a way), somehow I just can't see her doing the same to Rarity.

Even if she does tell her even more of what happened to her, AJ and the others down in Fillyda.

[HopelessRomanetic]

5987609
Hahahha i guess you're right.
I have this totally insane feeling though where I want everything out in the open yet i still want some mystery so tha this book wont ever end. Ahahahaha

[Sheendough]

5986501 *mosquito.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5987765 Thanks.

Yeah, that makes two of us.

On the one hoof, I want Dash to 'fess up to AJ, but on the other hoof, I want this whole thing to keep going for...however long!

Are we both inane for wanting that?

Good grief. I just realized something. This story is like the infamous "This is the Song That Never Ends" from the old Sherrie Lewis and Lampchop TV series from back in the day.

It just goes on, and on, and on, and on.........

[Sharp Quill]

5987609

(I mean, wasn't she the one who was trying to hook Rainbow (or was it AJ?) up with Stu awhile back?)

Ahem. Rainbow and me. Remember I had to pose in a Wonderbolts outfit?

(BTW, SharpDoo)

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5988257 D'oh! You're right, Sharp Quill! I totally forgot about that!

Silly me.

Ah, yes. I remember that one, too, now.

[MidnightReflection]

Rarity cleared her throat, fluffing her mane as she glanced aside. "A very... very busy mare. But nevertheless..." She looked at the pegasus. "Don't be fooled by the magnificently ludicrous gap between your brutish athletics and my eloquent mannerisms. There's no amount of contrast between you and yours truly that would change the fact that I absolutely adore your presence... and would greatly like to have a simple conversation with you. Here and now." She smiled. "As friends."

Uhh... I think I read into that too much. Maybe Rarity figured out that RD likes mares somehow... and for some reason is into her? I don't know. I'm just rambling. But I just want to be clear that the story began by stating that the story would end with cuddles; it did not specify between whom. So it could very well be Rarity and Dash. I would not care for that though. Thousands of Appledash just for Rarity to interrupt it all...

And I think we are definitely coming up to a big arc soon. Either Don Canter and his goons attack Ponyville... or Rainbow Dash flies West. OR maybe Rainbow Dash flies West, and while she is gone Ponyville is attacked by Don Canter and his goons... AND Aataxe and his brood of dragons! So Rainbow Dash flies West, meets many new creatures, scales mountains and crosses deserts, meets many powerful matriarchs, maybe even finds a massive kingdom near a massive crescent shaped body of water in the middle of a massive forest... a huge ancient dragon... then finds out that Aataxe wasn't even home and has to go back to Ponyville... which has been destroyed. Distraught that she couldn't save her friends and she failed them, she flies North for 6 chapters until she reaches the edge of the world and just disappears. This whole story was just a freaking troll fic...

[Lightning Bearer]

5987772

Gah. Must've gotten my wires crossed with "mesquite". That's what I get for working in a deli.

[Sheendough]

5988490 I'm fearing that the cuddles will be between her and Scootaloo or between her and Epcot.

[arancaytar]

More Slice of Fuzzy :3

[SnowOriole]

"There's no amount of contrast between you and yours truly that would change the fact that I absolutely adore your presence... and would greatly like to have a simple conversation with you. Here and now." She smiled. "As friends."

awww :")))

[bronyheat]

I missed these slow burn conversational scenes with friends. Skirts handles the slow, slice of life moments just as well as the pomp and explosionstances, but honestly sometimes its nice to pull the hoof off the gas for a bit.