//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Dress to Impress... Oh Boy... // Story: The Royal Apple // by Mister E-Nonymous //------------------------------// Chapter 9: Dress to Impress... Oh Boy... Sweet Apple Acres... July 25th, 10:00 AM... (Apple Shine's Point of View) Next week was the day Princess Celestia was going to see how I was doing in this world. When she comes, I'm gonna ask her if there was any progress of sending me back home. I was wondering for weeks now, but I guess things take time. I just finished up bucking all of the apples from one tree. But then I was called over. "Hey, Apple Shine! Come over here!" "Coming, Applejack!" I responded. I then started walking towards her voice and when I reached her, I saw that one of her friends was standing right next to her. The white unicorn with a curly purple mane. I believe her name was Rarity, after hearing about her from Sweetie Belle. "Apple Shine, you remember Rarity, right?" she asked. "Uh... yeah," I said. "Just barely." "Yes, yes," Rarity said. She then looked at Applejack. "True, we haven't made a proper introduction." She then turned back to me. "Anyway, Twilight told me that Princess Celestia is going to come to see how you have been adjusting. So, I'm here to prepare you in something... formal." I was confused, yet nervous about this. "Wait, what?" Applejack sighed and said, "Trust me, Apple Shine. When she's like this, there ain't no stopping it." I then started running, but I was stopped. I was lifted into the air by light blue magic. I was struggling to get out of it when Rarity said, "I'll be sure to bring her back with the perfect ensemble for the occasion that's coming next week." "Help me," I said. "It's okay, Apple Shine," said Applejack. "You'll be just fine." That didn't make me feel better. Rarity then took me away from Sweet Apple Acres. This time, I didn't actually want to go anywhere, but I had no choice now. Why couldn't I've been sent home before this happened? Carousel Boutique... 10:20 AM... We eventually arrived at a place that looks like a carousel. I was confused about it until Rarity took me inside of it. "Welcome, Apple Shine, to Carousel Boutique," she said to me. I looked around the place and got nervous. This wasn't just an oddly shaped building. It's a fancy dress shop. She closed the door and locked it before I got put down. I tried running for the door, and tried opening it with my hooves. "Don't be scared, Apple Shine," Rarity said. "I'm just going to make the perfect ensemble for you when Princess Celestia arrives to check on you." "You're not going to put me in a dress, are you?" I asked her. "Why, of course. Even a young alicorn must impress Princess Celestia with how good she looks. Let's get started." I wasn't paying attention to her. I was looking for another way out of there. I went into a room, but there was no way out when I went through the door. This room was full of fabrics. "Uh oh." I then heard hoofsteps coming towards me. I had no choice but to hide. I hid behind some fabrics on a low shelf. Hopefully, Rarity won't find me here. I heard Rarity's hoofsteps coming this way. "Found you," Rarity said. I was then lifted by my tail, and was hanging upside down in front of Rarity's face. "Now, Apple Shine, you really shouldn't run away like that. I must insist on giving you the perfect outfit for the occasion." "Please don't," I said. "I'm a boy, remember?" "Not at the moment, darling," Rarity said. She then looked at the fabrics I was hiding behind, then she looked back at me, and back at the fabrics, then back at me. She did that multiple times. She then smiled, got some twinkles in her eyes and said, "I-dee-a!" That made me a little more nervous. "Please don't," I tried saying to her, but she ignored me, and grabbed the fabrics I was hiding behind. The colors of the fabrics were green, blue, two different colors of brown, red, white and yellow. I was getting a lot more nervous about what was happening. 11:55 AM... "I'm almost done," Rarity said when she was braiding my mane and tail. "Just hold still for a little bit longer." I was so embarrassed. If Jerry or Peter knew I was wearing a dress, they would never let me live it down. When I eventually go back home, I'll just say that I was still a boy here and not a girl. Even if I am a pony. Rarity had me dressed up in a dress that almost looks like a cowgirl outfit. A yellow collar with a clip that looks like a red apple, a brown saddle strapped over a green torso that has holes for my wings, with a blue skirt, that almost looks like jeans, with red apples on it, and some green at the end of the skirt. She even had a cowgirl hat on my head with a crown on in the middle with an Apple Symbol on top. "There," Rarity said. "You, are simply divine, darling." I looked in the mirrors I was standing in front of. I saw myself, but I looked... beautiful. I was amazed on how I looked. Rarity then said, "But, it needs... something." She looked down at my hooves, and then said, "Oh, I know the perfect thing." She then walked away, and came back with two small, brown cowgirl boots with a single apple on each of them. She levitated my legs and put the boots on my forehooves. Then she put me down. "Oh, it's perfect! Princess Celestia is going to be astonished by how you look." I then blushed embarrassingly. I didn't want to be in this outfit. Rarity saw me and asked, "What's the matter?" "I'm feeling embarrassed," I told her. "I used to be a boy. If Jerry and Peter knew about this, they'll never let me live it down." "Oh, darling," Rarity told me, "I'm sure those two will never find out. Besides, you should embrace on how lovely you look." "It's supposed to be a casual visit," I told her. "Princess Twilight said that Princess Celestia would be coming to the Acres for a casual visit. She said nothing about it being a fancy meeting. I really don't like this." I was blushing having to be dressed up in a dress. Just then, my stomach growled. "Oh, yes, it is about time, isn't it?" asked Rarity. "Here. Let me get you out of that outfit, then after lunch, I shall take you and this divine outfit back to Sweet Apple Acres. But first..." Rarity then levitated a camera and took a picture of me in the outfit. I was embarrassed about this. "Alright. Now to get that lovely outfit off of you." She then started taking the outfit off of me, starting with the saddle. Sweet Apple Acres... 1:00 PM... Rarity took me back to Sweet Apple Acres with the outfit on a small manikin that looked like a pony. I was really embarrassed about it. Just then, I saw Applejack coming out of a storage place that lead under the barn. She saw us, walked over to us and asked, "So, how'd it go?" "It was astonishing, darling," Rarity said. "Behold, the outfit I made for Apple Shine." She then showed the pony manikin with the outfit I was wearing. Applejack smiled and said, "This outfit looks amazin', Rarity. However, this is a casual event. Not the Grand Galloping Gala." "Oh, I know," Rarity said, "but I thought that Apple Shine's beauty should shine brightly." She then showed the picture of me in that outfit. Applejack whistled and said, "Wow. She looks amazin' in that outfit." She looked over at me and said, "Apple Shine, why don't ya go on and do the rest o' yer chores. Ah'll be back ta see how ya've been doin'." I then rushed back to the chores I've been doing, hopefully not to be forced to go through that again. (Third Person Point of View) Applejack and Rarity went inside and headed towards Apple Shine's room. "So, have you told her yet?" Rarity asked. "Ah've tried," Applejack said. "We've all tried. But every time we tried tellin' her about her old body or... parents... we kept getting interrupted. Last time Ah tried, Ah was interrupted by Rainbow Dash doin' her Sonic Rainboom, again." "Oh, I understand the feeling," Rarity said. "But still, I insist on telling her before it's too late." "Ah'll try," Applejack said to her. "Hopefully, Ah won't get interrupted." The two of them stopped in front of the door to Apple Shine's room. "Well, here's her room." The two of them then walked into the room. Rarity looked around, smiled and said, "This is quite lovely. A quaint little room for a little filly." She walked over to the bed, felt it and asked, "Is this a princess worthy mattress?" "Davenport recommended it," Applejack said. "Even gave us a discount since Apple Shine is a princess." She then sighed. "Even though she ain't okay on being a princess." "Do tell her soon, Applejack." Rarity put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "She must know." "Ah know," she said. She then sighed. "Ah just don't know how she'll respond." Rarity felt sorry for Applejack and said, "Yes. I'm sure she'll not respond well with this. Comfort her when you tell her." Applejack nodded. Then she walked over to the window, looked out it and saw Apple Shine continuing her chores. Apple Bloom walked up to her with a juice box. Apple Shine then took it, and drank out of it. (Apple Shine's Point of View) Apple Bloom just handed me a juice box. It was really hot out already. I really needed it. "So, how did it go?" Apple Bloom asked me. "It wasn't like I had a choice," I said. "I didn't want to be there, but did Rarity listen? No. Plus, this meeting with Princess Celestia is supposed to be casual." "Guess when Rarity starts on something, it's hard ta get her ta stop," said Apple Bloom. "Ah'm sure ya'll get used ta things here." "I don't wanna get use to it," I told her. "I just wanna go back to my world in my original body. I've been here for almost three weeks." "Ah know," said Apple Bloom. "But, there had ta been some upsides for ya." I thought about it. I then smiled. "Well, I guess it was fun learning magic and trying to fly." I then started flapping my wings, getting about two feet off the ground. "I still haven't gotten over my fear of heights. So I intend to fly up to 10 feet." "Yeah, good call," said Apple Bloom. "Scoots is gonna be mighty jealous." "Apple Bloom! Apple Shine!" Applejack called both of us. "It's a scorcher! Get ya flanks inside!" We headed inside while Rarity was heading out. Somehow, she was prepared for a hot day. I really hope that I'll be going home soon.