//------------------------------// // Rarity Takes Moreton Bay Bug, Prologue // Story: Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 4 // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight Gets a Puppy Season 4 By TDR Rarity Takes Moreton Bay Bug, Prologue [ Get it cause this is a generosity episode and the title is a shellfish/selfish! HA!] [Don't patronize me.....] [Friendship express. One week after the CMC won the right to carry the flag. Start of Fall] “Thanks for inviting me along on this trip Rarity. I've never been to Manehatten before.” Fireball offered waving a dark orange wing from her seat. “It's quite alright darling, I had purchased tickets for everyone earlier on and with Applejack, Spike, and Rahs not coming, I had some extra tickets.” “And that those extra tickets conveniently add two models for you to show off your new line...” Sombra grumped. “As well as get us to carry the three tons of things you brought along was just a happy coincidence was it?” “Eeeyup.” Big Mac nodded with a frown. “Come on it should be fun,” Twilight giggled, wondering what Rarity had set up for Mac. Neither of them were willing to tell her, and she really wanted to see her colt friend in a suit. “Of course it will be fun, even with a different crew than our usual trips. I mean this is the week of the Cherry Festival and Applejack finally managed to ask Rahs out for it.” Pinkie Pie added. “Mmmmmmm.” Big Mac growled debating on whether or not he should have done more to harass Rahs. He needed to be careful though, as he expected AJ would kick his flank if he ran Rahs off before they had a date. “I know, but far be it for me to stop something romantic.... well.... it's a farm festival...... So.. maybe... interesting? From happening.” Rarity shrugged.” Though Rahs did recommend Hinny in the Hills on Bridleway for us while we are here.” “Everyone recommends Hinny in the Hills, it's been the hottest musical this season.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “It's also mostly sold out everywhere.” The others stared at her. “Oh for the love of..... Keep in mind who I am dating. We see a lot of stuff with visiting dignitaries and his parents.” Dash sighed.” It's not all action and adventure and dropping off perfectly good airships with nothing but a sheet in a backpack to keep you from smearing across the ground.” “Oh wow, is our Rainbow Dash becoming, shock, awe, horror, cultured?”Fireball mocked tossing her blonde mane a little, the red streak falling over her eye. “Don't even.”Dash snorted glaring at the other pegasus. “So how was it?” Fluttershy asked working to defuse the situation. “Not as bad as some of the other ones I've seen.” Dash shrugged. “I'd say it was pretty good actually, music was pretty catchy.” “Rahs was able to get a set of tickets for us, evidently he knows one of the lead actors.” Rarity grinned. “Shirley's in it?” Twilight asked. “I did not know that.” “At any rate this fashion week is going to be the best.” Rarity giggled. [Dodge Junction, the next morning.] Rahs stepped off the train, stretching a little, his ears perked up as he looked around. A large gathering of ponies milled around the station, with a few who hadn't ridden on the train with him from Ponyville giving him a wide berth. The town was much bigger than he thought, though it had the same feel and much the same look as Appleoosa, a large orchard took up most of the view as the train pulled into the station , though with cherries rather than apples. Also unlike Appleoosa a large river ran alongside Dodge junction allowing for river traffic and a second side of the city was built across the river, one that looked more like Neigh Orleans with how the structures were built. The rustic western town and bayou like structures seemed to blend together the closer one got to the river, until the architecture could have been it's own distinct style. Had Twilight been here, she would have explained how during the Griffon War of the North, a force of griffons had sailed around the continent to attack from the south west, raiding Neigh Orleans and burning the city to the ground before being driven off. While most of the population opted to rebuild in the same spot, a large group had traveled inland and found themselves in a newly founded Dodge City, where they settled down. This of course lead to some arguments with the locals, a few fights, and lawsuits over the land. All of that was pushed under the rug when a messenger from Princess Celestia had brought a royal statement to the town that simply read 'Deal with it, or else'. Given the state the Princess was in due to the war with the griffons, none of the locals wanted to know what would happen if they pushed that 'or else' so they simply split the town using the river as a divider and left it at that. Over time what started as two separate towns on either side of the river eventually built up and became one that was renamed Dodge Junction to note the joining of the two towns into one much larger one. The Neigh Orleans side was still called the Prench quarter by some of the older locals, and the dialect shifted dependent on what side of the river you were raised on, but aside from that the town functioned quite well as it's own thing. Rahs perked his ears, amber eyes looking over the multitude of booths and stages set up all up and down the streets of the place. Even the river was chock full of ships, enough that you could walk across them to the other side without getting your hooves wet. And every one of them almost had their own little shop or make shift restaurant on board. A few of the ships seemed to be just moored rather than set up for the festival, including a large fancy, modern looking one, called 'Song Fishies' that drew the eyes over the rest of the ramshackle craft. The smells of the place were indescribable as if every food and spice in creation were layered atop of one another without blending and every breath of air brought a new scent. Of course all of it was underlined by the scent of cherries which was fitting. Rahs hadn't expected too much out of this date, but then again, Sunset had surprised him as well. Right now his curiosity was pinging him something fierce about this place, there was likely no way a full day would allow him to see or sample everything. While Maredi Gras might have been a bigger party overall, there was plenty of that style mixed in with the Cherry Festival and you would have to be dead inside not to feel the electric excitement filling the air. Still the goal for this was to meet Applejack here at the train station and the date to last the whole day before they caught the train home back to Ponyville. Granted Sunset had offered to keep an eye on Applebloom and Spike if they wanted to get a room there, she had also added a 'hint hint, nudge nudge, saynomore squire' comment after that. Rahs really didn't understand that mare. Sunset seemed just as interested in getting Applejack to be his mare friend as she was at making herself his mare friend. Twilight had suggested she was playing the long game, which given her mother... err father... made some sort of sense. So there he was dressed in a rather nice red long coat with gold trim, a fancy dress shirt, and a nice pair of slacks. Rarity had insisted on setting up for him for this date with plans to make a number of other outfits for his other dates, particularly after he had worn his usual attire going out with Sunset and Rarity lost her mind about it. He was still pondering this when Applejack trotted up. His gaze immediately was drawn to the mare. Rarity had clearly gotten to her as well. Not that Rahs minded in the slightest. The orange furred mare was dressed in what Rahs considered a rather sheer black dress that clung to her form, attaching at her throat and covering her chest while leaving her shoulders bare. She wore black stockings on all four legs that left her hooves bare. Silts ran up the sides over her back legs showing hints of her cutie mark without revealing it. She had on a bit of make up and a black choker around her neck with a simple apple shaped gem at her throat and a pair of small silver studded earrings in each ear. Her hair was unbound and hung down her back falling lightly over her shoulders as she moved, the whole outfit seeming to be of Neighjing design. Rahs continued to stare a little longer before noting the gem gave off a faint scent of magic as well. Applejack noticed the staring and turned a bit red as she chuckled. “Too much?” Rahs shook his head quickly, ears flattening to his head even as his tail tip whipped fast enough for the glowing crescent to be a blur. “Woof!” Rahs offered. Applejack blushed a little more. “Thank yah.... ah figured ah'd get a little bit gussied up here for this date. Course seems it got away from me a bit when Twi, Sunset, and Rarity got involved.” “Bark?” Rahs asked moving a bit closer trying to seem calm though his tail whipping clearly showed he wasn't. “Yeah Twi was worried about that too since ah still ain't got full control of tha changing. So she and Sunset rigged up this doohickey.”Applejack offered tapping the gem dangling from the choker with a hoof. “In case ah change from too much magic being around. Dunno how this getup looks if ah'm changed though, whatcha yah think?” Rahs was about to reply when Applejack shifted to her Witch-Jack form. If anything the dress seemed even tighter on her now, the leggings seemed to turn into finger-less gloves, and stockings that left her rear paws and front claws bare. Her ample chest strained against the front of the dress as the lower portion, which had hidden her cutie mark before, hiked up her hips to show off her marked flank now, turning into a much shorter and much tighter dress as she shifted and rose shakily on her back legs. Rahs' eyes went wider as he fought back a bit of drool, he quickly pulled a handkerchief from a pocket to stem the obvious nose bleed, though he didn't take his gaze from her. “Ah take that it looks good then?” Witch-Jack grinned.