"Well, I haven't heard too many details," said Rarity, "but from what I understand our Twilight was, for lack of a better word, dumped!'
Fluttershy gasped.
"It was quite scandalous," Rarity continued. She was wearing a fine dress and a rather large hat, and the two were walking down the street towards the train station. "Twilight's date -Octavia, was her name?- ran out on Twilight! For her former marefriend! What nerve!"
"Poor Twilight," murmured Fluttershy.
"And that's not the worst part! Since then, they've been spreading the rumor that Twilight and Pinkie were . . . ahem, involved."
Fluttershy stopped briefly, not understanding, before gasping again.
"It's got to be just a rumor, of course," added Rarity quickly, "but can you believe the nerve of those two? Our Twilight! and Our Pinkie! Impossible," she finished with certainty. Or at least-near certainty.
"Definitely impossible," put in Fluttershy, just as decisively. "Poor Twilight . . ." she murmured again.
"Oh, but at least there's still, oh, eight days left, is there not?" said Rarity airily, climbing the platform steps. "I'm sure we'll all find our proper consorts in time."
"Have you found your . . . consort?" asked Fluttershy. She and Rarity stepped onto the platform, and Fluttershy glanced around, looking for the train.
"Well, not yet, obviously," said Rarity. "But I'll find my proper gentlecolt in soon."
"Should ah give Prince Blueblood a call?" came a sarcastic voice from behind them. Applejack trotted up beside them.
Rarity turned and nearly hissed at Applejack, but caught herself. "Oh, hello Applejack! What are you doing here?"
"Same as y'all, ah believe," said Applejack. "Ah'm headin' ta Canterlot."
This took Rarity aback. "Really! I never imagined that your type of pony would want to go Canterlot!"
"Ma type . . . ?" growled Applejack. "Ah'm headin' up there because we got a contract to supply some food for the Gala we're gonna be goin' to. You're probably just goin' up ta look for a date!"
"How dare you imply that i-" Rarity said angrily. "I just need some supplies for my Gala dress."
Applejack rolled her eyes. Fluttershy, sensing confrontation, tactfully sidled in between the two and said softly, "Um, Apllejack, has anyone in your family got a date? Like, say, Big Macintosh?"
"Um, no," said Applejack, a bit confused. "Why do ya want ta know?"
"Um, no reason," said Fluttershy, grinning a bit.
With a loud whistle, the train drew into the station. "Y'all aren't comin' with us?" asked Applejack to Fluttershy as she got on the train.
"Oh no," said Fluttershy. "I just came to walk Rarity down to the station. Angel's waiting for his breakfast!"
"So that means ah'm stuck with . . ." she turned to see Rarity, trying to climb through the other door, but unable to make it due to the wide brim of her hat. Applejack sighed.
"Ya know ya can just take off the hat!" she called.
"And ruin the ensemble?" asked Rarity indignantly, straining hard. "That'd be simply . . . unfabulous!"
With a pop, she finally made it through the door.
"Celestia help us all," whispered Applejack.
The train ride to Canterlot was exceedingly uneventful, so much so that it probably doesn't need a sentence about it. Oh well.
It took Rarity nearly as long to get out of the carriage as it had been to get on. After finally emerging, she brushed herself off and pretended that nothing had happened. In fact, Applejack had a theory that Rarity did not just deny that embarrassing events happened to her; she forgot them completely. It would explain her ego, anyway.
"Well, ah'm headin' off to the palace," called Applejack, "so ah suppose ah'll see ya on the train back." With very little sorrow, she turned and headed for the station exit. Rarity was almost certainly just as pleased to get away from Applejack; she spun on her hoof and headed away towards the street.
But, of course, the boutique she was intending to visit happened to be on the same street as the one Applejack was taking to get to the palace, leaving the pair of them stuck on a long walk together.
In retrospect, Applejack regretted what she'd said at the station, for it seemed that Rarity was still angry about it. She would've like somepony to talk to, even if it was Rarity.
"Um . . . so what're ya plannin' for the gala dresses?" Applejack asked quietly.
Rarity, surprised, glanced up at Applejack. "Well . . . I was planning on dresses which were rather more elegant than last time- not that you'd want that, you wouldn't even take a skirt last time-"
Applejack glared at her and opened her mouth, but before she could respond, a voice called out, "My dear Rarity! How wonderful to see you!"
Both mares wheeled around to see a jacketed white stallion trotting up towards them. "Why, it's been months!"
Applejack noted a definite glimmer in Rarity's eye as the fashionista said, "Not since the wedding- I've been terribly busy!"
"Coming up with more new designs?" said the stallion, impressed. "Why, I'd have expected nothing less from you!"
A memory popped to the fore of Applejack's mind - she'd seen this stallion, at the wedding, and on Twilight's birthday-
"And you've brought your friend! We've met before, forgive me, I can't recall your name . . ." he continued.
"Applejack," she said, extending a hoof, which, to her surprise, the stallion kissed it. Was that some sort of high society thing?
"But of course!" he exclaimed. "I'm Fancy Pants, we met at the Garden Party. What brings you to this fair city?"
Blushing furiously, Applejack stammered out, "Ah'm, uh, gonna be caterin' for the gala . . ."
"The Hearts and Hooves Gala?" said Fancy Pants. "Sounds magnificent!"
At this point, Rarity spoke up. "I, personally, can't wait! Who are you bring with you?"
Applejack stared. Was Rarity . . . ? Shucks, she thought, of course she is! Look at these two, they're a match made in prissiness.
Fancy Pants blushed himself as he said, "Well, that's a bit of a story, for my dear friend Fleur, who I intended to take, has found her own companion. So I've been looking for another fine mare to accompany me."
Rarity's squeal was drowned out by the noise of bells.
"Oh no!" said Applejack. "Eleven already? Ah'll be late to the palace!" She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hoof thrust out in front of her.
"Never fear," said fancy Pants. "I myself was going to the palace, and I have a cart at the ready." Indeed, as he spoke, a cart drawn by a smartly-uniformed pegasus rolled up alongside the trio. "We'll be at the palace in no time!"
"Gee, thanks," said Applejack, rubbing her mane awkwardly.
"Come along, then!" Fancy pants exclaimed, climbing aboard and proffering a hoof. Getting on, Applejack saw Rarity with a look of decidedly unladylike jealousy on her face, and a rather nasty idea occurred to Applejack.
And everypony knows that nasty ideas are the best ones.
Rarity was indeed rather distraught as she trudged down the street. Well, not distraught, but a bit annoyed. Of course, Applejack, perhaps the most uncultured pony in Equestria, was off with Rarity's best Canterlot contact. And, of course, a very good potential date. In fact, had it not been for Applejack, Fancy Pants would have probably already asked her to come with him to the gala!
Calm down, Rarity, said a little voice in her head. You're friends with Applejack! Remember? You deliberately chose her and your other Ponyville friends over the Canterlot elite! It's not like Applejack was intending to find hitch a ride in a private carriage with Fancy Pants while you were left here in the street to walk . . .
Needless to say, this did not make Rarity feel any better.
Ah well, the voice continued, this way you get to have a nice, refreshing walk through Canterlot's beautiful streets!
At that moment, a cart rolled by, splashing Rarity from head to foot with mud.
You know what, said the voice, Applejack is a [this unladylike word has been censored].
"Well, at least we agree on something," Rarity muttered.
About an hour later, Rarity arrived at the palace, with mud still caked in her mane and coat, bearing her several bags of fabric. Applejack was waiting outside the gate, looking rather pleased with herself.
"Well," said Rarity in an artificially civil voice, "How was it?"
"Applejack grinned. "It went great! We got the caterin' job!"
"Why, that's wonderful!" said Rarity. "Say, has Fancy Pants finished his business yet?"
"Why, indeed I have!" came his voice, as he trotted up beside the mares.
Rarity smiled, for real this time. "Well," she said sweetly, trying to brush the mud out of her mane, "I was just wondering if there was something you wanted to ask me?"
Fancy Pants smiled. "Indeed there is!"
Rarity, fighting to contain her excitement, leaned in closer.
"I was wondering if you could make my date and I a matching set of suit and dress for the gala."
Rarity nearly fell over. "Your- date? I thought you didn't have one!" She barely noticed that Applejack was grinning even more widely.
"Well, yes, said Fancy Pants, "but I've just met a very charming mare, and I knew she was just right! May I present my date, Applejack!"
Applejack flashed Rarity her biggest smile.
This time, Rarity did fall over.
Oy, it's finally done! Sorry it took so long. I've tried my best with this chapter, please excuse me if it feels a bit forced or rushed. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the next chapter done more quickly!
Also, assume nothing until the story is complete. There are many twists yet to come.
Wow, that was short
Sorry, I must have hit "publish" by mistake. Unpublishing now, no harm done.
You, uh, have a little problem with the italics there ... Yeah, I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Rarity seemed pretty shallow. Has she been like that in all previous chapters? It's been a little too long since the last update, and this story is a little too similar to "In One Month", for me to recall. If it weren't for that, I would've felt sympathy for all the junk she went through in Canterlot.
Anyway, I'm still waiting for the narrative to swing back toward Spike. Most of the time, I only read stories like this to see how the Spike angle is dealt with. How long before he realizes (or anyone gives enough of a horseapple to tell him) that Rarity is completely uninterested in him?
1242778 Yeah, I noticed the italics. Don't worry, it's all worked out now.
I've never heard of "In One Month". Anyway, I didn't intend for Rarity to be extremely shallow, but I was trying to give Applejack a reason to want to get back at her, while not making her (Rarity, that is) completely one-dimensional.
Spike's part in the story is coming eventually; I considered putting him in this chapter, but I was having too much trouble finishing the chapter already. He'll be in, hmm, the chapter after next at the earliest.
"Um , , , the , should be ... these are known as elipses.
You also missed a capitalization on Fancy Pants.
the gala!e. This ones obvious.
This chapter, I liked it. Applejack and Fancy Pants, although I'm partial to Fluer, is an interesting ship. Plus it leaves Rarity unattended and kills the two biggest obstacles in Spike's way. Her inner dialogue was hilarious, by the way. Onward!
1242778
Rarity is shallow, and I think it's good for her to start like that. That way we can see the character development throughout the story. She, I have to say, will be one of the ponies I will be intently watching. The other two are Rainbow and Pinkie. However, I agree that Rarity should not be either black or white - she has to be a gray character, one who simply has been looking for love all her life. Desperate, shallow, but not too fiercely based upon beauty. Rainbow should have some history with a colt, who she lies about all the time because their relationship went wrong. Pinkie... is just Pinkie. I can't think of anything for her, so that's why I am curious to see what the author will do with her character. It is a difficult character to toy with.
I agree, the story is similar to In One Month, but without the immaculate detail and grammar unfortunately. The plot though, is stronger in this story so it does have some good points. I think that this author needs an editor to polish up their story so that it can be the best it can be, simply by using a thesaurus and spellcheck. Have a good one, TheTwientist, and your story will creep up the charts. I'm always available, even if school has started.
Yay!
~Muffinz
Well, that was a pretty shitty thing for AJ to do. She saw that one of her friends was sweet on someone, who even she thought was a good match for her, and purposefully decided it would be fun to pick him up instead? Shame on her.
Awesome chapter and a very amusing one too. Bravo to you I hope there's another update really soon.
Rarity: a little bit TOO shallow.
Applejack: completely bloody OOC.
1243294 You flatter me. I'm afraid I might disappoint you; I'll try my best, but I don't think the story will be quite as deep as you're talking about. And I know there are a ton of typos; I want to get to them eventually, but I'd rather actually work on the story right now and I haven't the faintest idea of where to find an editor.
U Mad?
Applejack's actions weren't that bad, in my mind; after all, her blushing around Fancy Pants from the outset of their interactions showed that she harboured at least a little interest in him, and he wouldn't have assented to or requested a date with her if he wasn't similarly intrigued. This particular portrayal of Rarity's character could use a date beyond her comfort zone anyway.
1242778 She IS pretty shallow. She didn't really knew Blueblood before deciding she would marry him. And if I recall correctly she wanted to marry into the royal family, so she is kind of a gold digger.
Applejack trolling!This made my week!
1242778 YES, YES, YEEESSSSS!!!!! Finally some brother agrees with me, damn thank you bro....anyway on with the story...Fluttshy/Big Macintosh? 100% down! Bring it on!!! And Fancy Pants/Applejack? Shit, new but count me in. Poor Rarity, she's my least favorite pony and I feel bad for her...strange and might I suggest that if not Twilight/Spike then maybe some Twilight/Derpy....because Derpy goes well with ANY CREATURE! DERPY!!!!!!! Also, you have got a lot of spelling and grammer errors in this chapter, may ant to fix that.
1243985 I got your back...meaning I'll be your editor.....buuuuuuuuuutttttttttt......in exchange, I hope that you'll make this a Spike/Twilight and Pinkie Pie/Rainbow Dash as it goes on, deal?
Applejack and Fancy Pants, that is certainly an odd pairing. Rarity must be absolutely pissed about that. i hope rarity doesn't do anything she will end up regreting and ruin a friendship
1244976 You're spamming, dude. Reel it in ...
Was not expecting that.
... oh, who am I kidding? I totally was.
Damn you, AJ!
Good, Applejack, good, let the sweet feeling of revenge flow within you...
FancyJack? ApplePants?!?!
"You know what, said the voice, Applejack is a [this unladylike word has been censored]" we all know what you're thinking Rarity.
Rarity,Umad?
How delightfully spiteful... I approve
Hey Rarity!
Yes?
GET... DUNKED ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!