A week had passed since Meteorite told Rarity the beginnings of her story. Unfortunately, Meteorite needed more time to sort out the rest of it in her head (six years was a lot to sort out) but luckily Rarity hadn't pressed her for further details since then. Meteorite was tempted to add 'suspiciously' to that, but she attributed that to her previous way of thinking seeping back in as she rooted about her past memories, and forcibly shook the feeling off.
She was done with that part of her.
A sharp whistle brought her out of her thoughts. She looked about the apple orchard she was about to enter, at her co-worker Steel next to her, and looked over where he was looking to see Applejack down the path behind them, signalling with a hoof.
"Meteorite!" she called out. "Yer got a minute?"
Surprised, Meteorite glanced over at Steel in acknowledgment before trotting over.
"What's up, boss?" she asked, giving Applejack a casual salute.
Applejack rolled her eyes with a smile. "Listen, Ah need ya to do me a huge favor. Think ya can handle it?"
Caught off-guard by the request, Meteorite straightened her posture. "Uh, sure, I… think? What do you need me to do?"
"Right," Applejack nodded. "So there's a special order waiting down at Suga'cube Corner, but Ah can't go because Ah'm just too plumb busy, y'hear?"
"Oh! So, you just need me to go there for you?"
"That's right," Applejack beamed.
"Yeah, sure!" Meteorite stood to attention, saluting a bit more formally. "I can do that for you! Um… what am I picking up though?"
Applejack waved it off with a hoof. "Don't ya worry about that."
Meteorite hesitated at her question being dodged. "Uh… yeah, but… like, do I need my saddlebags…? Do I take a cart…? Do I-"
"That's not important!" Applejack snapped, before looking abashed. "Er, what Ah mean is, it'll be taken care of when ya get there."
"Ahh… okay?" Meteorite said with trepidation. "So… when do you need me to go?"
"'bout now would be nice," Applejack said simply.
Meteorite made a strangled squeal as she hurriedly turned to leave, almost falling over herself in the process. "Ah, okay! Um! I'll get going then! I'll be back soon! Hopefully! Bye!"
Applejack watched her quickly flee the scene, and slowly shook her head with a smile.
Something was up.
At the time, Meteorite was more concerned with her duty as Applejack's worker, but now that she was en route to Sugarcube Corner, her mind was allowed to wander and she began to process the encounter.
Something was going on, definitely.
Applejack didn't usually snap like that, especially when pressed for details on how to accomplish a task; she always seemed pleased whenever Meteorite had, presumably taking interest in whatever had been asked of her.
In actuality, Meteorite was fishing for step by step instructions just so she wouldn't fuck things up.
So, with that in mind, there was no doubt, without question, that something was going on with Applejack. Only… Meteorite had absolutely no idea what it might be.
She sighed as she entered the streets of Ponyville. Well, hopefully it'll have nothing to do with her, personally at least. With a bit of luck, she was just a side character elected to get the plot rolling for whatever Applejack-centric episode was to follow.
Or Pinkie Pie, actually, now that she thought about it. She was going to Sugarcube Corner after all. In fact, she was almost there; she could see it coming into view in all its confectionery glory and-
-and looking very closed.
Meteorite fretted, her expression turning into a frown as she slowed her pacing. Sugarcube Corner rarely closed during the day, even during holidays. Heck, holidays were when it was the busiest. She swallowed, fearing her every next step. She was going to have to… do something relevant, and investigate what was going on. She couldn't report back to Applejack that she turned tail and left because she didn't want to get involved.
As she drew nearer, she noted the passing nearby ponies, several of them visibly disappointed by the closed bakery. And beyond them, Meteorite saw a chalkboard set up outside by the entrance. She quickened her pace to get close enough to read the lengthy sign, accompanied by a few sad chalk Pinkie faces in the margins.
'We're so so soooo sorry everypony!' the sign read, clearly in Pinkie's voice, 'I know you were all very excited about stopping by during your busy day, but we are closed today for a very special event! We super duper promise that we'll open to everypony else as soon as we can though!'
"Huh…" Meteorite murmured to herself. "Didn't know you could book Sugarcube Corner for events."
"Not normally!" Pinkie chirped as she sat next to Meteorite.
"Jesus Chris-!" Meteorite flinched. Pinkie giggled in response.
"You sure do say some funny words sometimes!"
Regaining her composure, Meteorite roughly cleared her throat, her face red from embarrassment at being caught out, and a little annoyed at herself for not picking up on Pinkie literally talking while next to her. "Yeah, well… Anyway. So, special event huh?"
"Yes indeedy!" Pinkie nodded cheerfully, before stopping to study Meteorite with scrutiny. "But… oh, you're probably wondering about the thing Applejack sent ya here for, right? Right right?!"
"How-" Meteorite hesitated, knowing full well she was setting herself up. "How did you know I was here because of Applejack?"
"Well duh!" Pinkie grinned, flopping a hoof dismissively. "Why else would you be here in the middle of the day?"
Several reasons, actually, Meteorite deadpanned in her thoughts, but chose to keep quiet. "Well, you're right. I am here to pick up something for her. I just don't know what."
"Don't you worry!" Pinkie beamed, hopping her way to the entrance of Sugarcube Corner and pushing the door open. "Come inside and you'll see!"
"What about the-" Meteorite gestured to the sign, "special event though?"
"Oh, that's okay, it hasn't started yet!"
Amazing how little that helps. Shaking her head slightly, Meteorite cautiously stepped forward. As she reached the entrance she leaned past Pinkie, who was beaming at her, and peered inside. Meteorite was not prepared for what she saw.
The inside was decked out in streamers and balloons, with tables pushed aside, leaving the floor open. A suspiciously familiar-looking banner hung from the ceiling, which read 'W.T.P.E.T.' in large letters, but underneath in a smaller font read '(B.N.R.B.I.W.S.Y.A.B.R.S.I.P.P.)'
And standing underneath in the middle of it all was Rarity, gazing lovingly at the stunned pegasus.
"Wh- Rarity?" Meteorite exclaimed as she stepped inside, looking about the place. "Uh, hi! Sorry, don't mean to intrude," she said sheepishly, "I'm just running an errand for Applejack. You know how it is."
"Oh, is that so?" Rarity said coyly, idly flipping her mane with her hoof. "Imagine that."
That caused Meteorite to pause, eyeing Rarity questioningly. She then took a more drawn-out look around her, taking everything in.
"Rarity, what's going on?"
"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, darling!" Rarity responded brightly, her eyes lighting up. "You see Meteorite, I've been thinking about the first time we met, and well, I don't think it's very fair."
"Oh! Um, I'm… sorry?" Meteorite ventured, feeling very confused by this turn of events.
"For either of us, Meteorite!" Rarity exclaimed sharply, stamping her hoof. Regaining her composure, Rarity cleared her throat softly and continued. "So I thought… why don't we, erm, have a do-over?"
"A… do-over?"
"Yes!" Rarity beamed, lightly clapping her hooves together. "We could pretend to meet for the first time again, a second chance if you will!"
Meteorite furrowed her brow as she considered this. "Well- actually, wouldn't it be a third chance instead? Technically we already first met for the second time when you invited me to come model for you."
"Meteorite," Rarity pouted, "don't ruin this! I put a lot of thought into this! Also, Pinkie and Applejack were very gracious to help out, just so you know."
Meteorite looked back at the doorway and turned in a half-circle before spotting Pinkie nearby, eagerly watching the pair as she sat by her party cannon, her body tensed up like a coiled spring ready to spring forth. Meteorite gave her a long look before turning back to Rarity.
"Ah. Yes. I suppose that's true…" she conceded, "s- so, what, do we just… introduce ourselves again?"
"Oh no no no," Rarity said with distaste as she waved her hoof back and forth. "Darling. It has to be special, yes? Meaningful."
Meteorite nodded unsurely, to which Rarity turned to a nearby table and lifted up a couple loose-leaf booklets with her magic. She floated one over to Meteorite, who hesitantly took it with her wings, holding it in front of her as she carefully looked it over.
"I thought this might come up so I prepared a little something for us to follow!" Rarity explained. Meteorite flipped a page over, reading.
"Is this… a script?" she asked, somewhat unbelieving.
"Mhm!" Rarity nodded proudly, failing to notice the concerned expression on Meteorite as she scanned the next few pages.
"Rarity, I… I don't think this'll work-"
"Oh pf-pft," Rarity scoffed dismissively. "At least give it a shot darling! Trust me, I've read more than my fair share of romantic dialogue," she continued coyly as she placed her hoof on her chest.
Meteorite looked at her doubtfully, her eyes occasionally going back to the script in front of her.
"I just don't think-"
"Ahbipbipbip!" Rarity interrupted, gently placing a hoof on Meteorite's snout. "Meteorite, just try it."
Meteorite swallowed as she glanced up at Rarity, unsure how to tactfully proceed. Eventually she shrugged and sighed. "Okay…"
"Wonderful! Shall we begin?" Rarity beamed, opening her own script. She locked eyes with Pinkie, which was enough of a signal for her to shoot forward, whizzing past the pair in a blink of an eye, summoning a backdrop of the Golden Oaks library interior next to them as she did so. As Meteorite cautiously poked at the backdrop, Pinkie leaned back in from over Rarity, holding a clapperboard at the ready.
"Meeting in the library, scene one, act one, take two!" Pinkie chirped, sounding off with the clapperboard as she retreated into the sidelines. Meteorite regarded her incredulously before focusing on a calm and nonplussed Rarity with the same amount of bafflement. Rarity however ignored her, clearing her throat as she read her line.
"'Well hello, I had not expected to find somepony other than my friend Twilight, here at the library. Are you a friend of Twilight as well?'"
Meteorite felt the desire to shy away from the stilted acting opposite her, but forced herself to look down at her script, if only for Rarity's sake.
"'I'm afraid you're mistaken, I am but-'" Meteorite paused as she read ahead, and looked back up at Rarity with growing distress. "Rarity, this doesn't sound anything like me. I'd never say this."
"It doesn't have to be accurate, darling," Rarity insisted, waving the concern off. "As long as the emotion, the feeling, is there, and real! Now go on, we've barely started!"
Doubtful, Meteorite dutifully carried on reading. "'I am but a… humble patron of the written word.'"
"'Ah of course,'" Rarity read earnestly, "'I should have realized! I do not think I recognize you now that I can see you up close!'" Frowning, she looked up at Meteorite, speaking softer. "Ah, we uh, should have been standing a bit further apart to begin with. No matter, your line now darling!"
Meteorite silently nodded, looking troubled as she read on but opted to say nothing of it as she swallowed. "'No, I shan't think you would. I am a mysterious mare of mysterious origi-' Rarity, I really wouldn't say any of this!"
Rarity frowned at the second interruption. "Are you not enjoying this, Meteorite?" Meteorite let out a tiny agitated sigh as she glanced about the room.
"Not really?" she ventured, "I mean- I… appreciate what you're doing here, it's just-" She looked down at the script in her grasp. "I don't want to… be reading off a bunch of corny lines." She pointedly ignored the ensuing small shocked gasp from Rarity, and looked into her eyes with a smile. "I'd rather just have a normal conversation with you as our 'first' introduction. None of this…" she held the script up by one wing, "...fake-ness. Just us, y'know?"
With a pensive expression, Rarity considered her own script for a moment before folding it close and laying it down on a nearby table. "Yes, of course," she spoke softly. "I'm… sorry darling, I'm afraid I might have gotten a tad carried away with this idea."
"I mean it's a fun idea," Meteorite conceded, smiling warmly. "But… if I'm gonna charm you, I wanna be the one to come up with the one-liners," she finished with a grin.
Rarity softly chuckled. "I suppose so."
A faint flipping of pages from off the side made both of them turn to see a confused Pinkie, frowning as she flicked through her own copy of the script. "So, are you two gonna get to the part where we have the party again or not?"
Rarity shook her head slightly as Meteorite looked back down at the script. "I do apologize Pinkie, but I don't think-"
"Well hang on," Meteorite interrupted, still reading. "Nopony's saying we can't. Besides-" she tapped a page with her hoof, "I do kinda want to do this part here!"
Rarity leaned over to read, and smiled coyly. "Ah yes, I was quite pleased with that bit."
"Shall we… do it anyway?" Meteorite asked, mischievously biting her lip. "Y'know, for fun?"
"For fun," Rarity smiled in agreement, taking back her script and turning to the appropriate page. As she did, Meteorite turned to Pinkie.
"Okay, before we do, Pinkie, I gotta know." She pointed upwards at the banner hanging above. "I know what the first part is, but what's the rest of the acronym?"
"Oh!" Pinkie cheered brightly, jumping up and pulling down the still attached banner and pointed to each letter. "'Welcome To Ponyville Earlier Today'!" Pausing, she then lowered her voice to a loud hush. "'But Not Really, Because It Was Several Years Ago, But Rarity Said It's Play Pretend!'"
Still taking it in, Meteorite silently watched as Pinkie let go of the banner, snapping back to its original position. Eventually, she grinned slyly and nodded.
"You know Pinkie, I wouldn't have it any other way."
Pinkie beamed as Meteorite turned back to Rarity, waiting patiently.
"Shall we begin, darling?" Rarity asked. Meteorite nodded, to which Rarity began reading out loud, a fanciful whimsy to her voice. "'You may call me Rarity, but… what is your name, kind mare?'"
"'I am Meteorite Shower,'" Meteorite responded, now putting on an air of mystery to her voice.
"'What a lovely name!'"
"'Thank you but-'" Meteorite faltered, almost losing her composure. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "'Thank you… but not as lovely as the mare I see before me.'"
Rarity tittered, a tiny blush crossing her cheeks. "'My, oh my!'"
"'Is something wrong… Miss Rarity was it?" Fighting back her grin, Meteorite attempted to lid her eyes seductively, "'At least… I hope it's 'Miss'...'"
And so, the play went on, thankfully chaperoned by a pink pony waiting for her chance at throwing the same party twice.