//------------------------------//
// Regal Customs Ball 
// Story: Lady Applejack 
// by Seanessy 
//------------------------------//

“Greetin’s! Ah’m Applejack, and if’in Ah might say, it sure is a pleasure makin’ yer acquaintance… darling!”

“No, no, NO!” Rarity bellowed, slamming her hooves on the table as she attempted to steady her breathing. Her mane was tousled from tireless pulling that came with each failed attempt at to correcting the simplest phrase. “We have been at this for over two hours, Applejack! You haven’t made the least bit of progress!”

“Well Ah’m sorry, sugarcube! All this “talkin’ up” nonsense and lookin’ at the shape of my mouth ain’t makin’ a lick of sense.”

“”I’M!” “TALK-ING” “LOOK-ING” “ISN’T” UGH! JUST…FORGET IT!” Rarity wailed as she stormed away and sat down at one of her working stations, folding her forelegs and burying her head into them.

Applejack marched over, ready to give the unicorn a piece of her mind on how she was making a mountain out of a molehill, but as she approached, the sniffling and soft weeping erupting from her finicky friend softened her gaze. “R-Rarity?”

“Just forget it Applejack, it’s hopeless…”

“Whaddaya…Ah mean…ahem…what do you mean?”

The unicorn raised her head, cheeks soaked with the tears cascading from her eyes. “It just wasn’t meant to be! There’s clearly no possible way I can get you to act and behave like a Canterlot pony by tomorrow.” Rarity buried her face back into her hooves and continued to weep. 

Applejack rested a hoof on her shoulder and rubbed it gently.“Ah’m tryin’ my hardest, sugarcube, honest Ah am…”

Rarity looked up into the sincere country pony’s eyes. She wiped away her tears and sniffled. “I know. I’m sorry I’m being so short with you, this just…”

“Means a lot to ya…Ah know.” Applejack continued, flashing her friend a warm smile.

Rarity smiled back and then sighed. “I just wish there was some way we could correct your vernacular.”

Applejack’s mind dwindled as she rubbed a hoof against her chin. “Would it help if Ah talked like Ah was from Manehattan?”

Rarity cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Manehattan?” 

“Yeah, y’all ain’t never heard how the ponies there talk?”

“Well, no, I’ve never been there, darling.”

Applejack began clearing her throat. 

Rarity approached a nearby mirror to adjust her mane. “Although I highly doubt that their dialect is even close to th–“

“Quite the contrary dear, one could argue that Manehattan would, in fact, rival Canterlot in a competition of colloquial speech.”

Rarity eyes widened and she ripped a clump of strands out her mane upon hearing the light and bouncy tone of voice that caressed her ears. She turned around slowly; a befuddled glance stapled upon her face as she looked at Applejack. She blinked a few times and raised a brow before slowly approaching the earth pony. “Applejack…?”

“Yeah?” the orange mare responded back in her normal dialect.

“Repeat exactly what you just said, the way you said it again, please.”

Um, alrighty…” Applejack cleared her throat again, “Quite the contrary dear, one could argue that Manehattan would, in fact, rival Canterlot in a competition of colloquial speech.”

Rarity darted her head left and right, eyes jumping around the room then back at Applehack to ensure she wasn’t in some insane dream. “Greet me like I’m somepony you’ve never met before in that same voice.”

“Greetings my fellow equine, might I say it is simply splendid to make your acquaintance. However do you do?”

“APPLEJACK!”

The earth pony jumped back in shock, confusion froze on her face. “What? What’d Ah do?!”

“Nothing! That’s how I’ve been trying to get you to speak for the past few hours! You mean to tell me you can just turn it off and on at a mere whim?!”

“Well, yeah, when Ah was a filly, Ah used to wanna live in the big city and be one of them hoity toity stuffed shirt ponies. So, Ah moved in with my Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehattan for a while until Ah realized it wasn’t fer me. Once Ah moved back on home on the farm, there was no need fer me to talk like that anymore, so Ah stopped.”

“Then why did you let me waste all that time trying to teach you to speak properly, when you already knew how to do it?”

“Y’all were sayin’ all this nonsense about “talkin’ up” and lookin’ at the shape of my mouth. Ah don’t know, Ah just thought it was somethin’ different ya was lookin’ fer.”

“No… I… you…” Rarity’s desperate attempt to find words led to a hoof to the face. She let out a half exasperated, half relieved sigh. She couldn’t fathom why this should’ve taken so long but at least it showed signs of hope. “Applejack, darling, do you think you’d be able to withstand an entire night speaking in the Manehattan vernacular with no imperfections?”

“Ah think I can manage that.”

“Hmmm,” the finicky unicorn said, eyeing her country companion, “Just to be cautious, starting at this very moment, I want you to continue to speak in that dialect until after the Regal Customs Ball is over, alright?”

“Can do, sugarcube! Ah mean…ahem…certainly, dear.”

Rarity rubbed her hooves together and smiled. “This just might work after all.”

Over the next several hours, Applejack was able to prance with perfect posture, tête-à-tête in a tidy tongue and master the art of upmarket manners. She mentally praised herself as her sense of triumph was heightened by the glow on the unicorn’s face every time the earth pony would accomplish another task to Rarity’s liking.

As the moon’s gleam began to fill the sky, Applejack silently grazed over the mountains of reading material Rarity had provided for her. She rubbed a hoof across her face as the long day of beauty school, started to weigh down on her. A loud yawn escaped Applejack’s mouth and she covered it up quickly. She peered over her shoulder slightly, not wanting to give away her fatigue. The day had been equally draining on both of them but Applejack knew she at least had to get a decent knowledge of the basics of fashion before she called it a night. Light snoring slipped softly into her ear as her eyes fell back on the page. She looked over her shoulder again to find a slumbering unicorn, hooves stretched across a beautiful sparkling blue dress with silk white lace.

Applejack stood up and walked over to examine the outfit. A mixture of royal blue fabric complimented the glistening light blue dress all kissed with tiny crystals that twinkled like stars in the light. The white lace cutely attached to give it that extra glow; evening wear that would surely stand out and no doubt a gown of pure stylishness that screamed beauty.

“Yer really gonna “wow” ‘em with this one, Rarity.” The orange pony said silently to herself.

Applejack grabbed a blanket and gently cast it over Rarity. She yawned and walked back over to the book she had flipped open. She plopped down and allowed her eyes to dance left and right against the letters of the pages until her eyelids became too heavy and closed for the night.

“Applejack, wake up, darling.”

The orange mare let out a loud snort, then her head suddenly snapped up. She looked down at the book realizing it wasn’t even half way finished. She glanced at the clock and gasped before looking back at Rarity. “Huh., wha? How long was Ah sleepin’?” She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Ahem, I mean, how long have I been asleep?

Rarity shot her friend a warm smile. “Almost the entire day, I woke up and finished our outfits, and you were sleeping so peacefully with your head in the books, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you until now.” Rarity trotted over with a gleeful look. “I can’t believe you got through all them!”

“Say what now…Ah mean…ahem…I beg your pardon?”

The book Applejack had fallen asleep on began to glow and levitated towards her courtesy of Rarity’s magic. 

“Couture Sewing Techniques” by Claire Stitch. This is possibly the most advanced book I have, and there is no way you could’ve understood it unless you read all the other books first. You’ve read all the way up to the thirty second chapter. That’s two chapters ahead of me, Applejack!” Rarity used her magic to bring the book back to her and flip through the pages, a smile beaming across her face. “I’m so impressed!”

Applejack opened her mouth to speak but Rarity cast the book aside and trotted up to her.

“So, when I discovered how hard you had been working on these books, I decided to let you rest, if you’re that far ahead, you won’t even have to worry about conversing with the other ponies tonight.”

“Um, Rari−“

Applejack’s attempt to correct her friend was, again, swallowed by Rarity’s ongoing enthusiasm.

“At first I thought about quizzing you, and then I thought to myself: “Rarity! How could you? Applejack has been working her flank off just to make sure she’s doing everything perfectly, and you should at the very least trust her with the ability to retain information on her own.”

“Rar−”

“I want to apologize for that thought even crossing my mind to quiz you. I’m so thankful you’ve worked so hard to help me, darling. I can’t express it enough. Tonight is going to be just…perfect! And I owe it all to you!”

“Ra−”

Rarity embraced her earth pony friend with a loving hug. She sniffled a bit as tears started to build up in her eyes. “You’re a wonderful friend, Applejack. The best a pony could ever ask for.”

“I…Ra…I…th-thanks sugarcube…”Applejack said as she uncomfortably hugged back. She bit her tongue in disgust as her brain screamed at her to tell the truth; her heart however was steadily persuading her that if she doesn’t say anything, it’s not a lie. The sincere look of friendly affection beaming from Rarity’s eyes into Applejack’s as the hug broke only made the desire to tell the truth less viable. Like a bad case of acid reflux, Applejack swallowed hard to prevent it from escaping her mouth.

Rarity rushed over to one of her mannequins and levitated a dress from it. It was the blue one Applejack had seen last night. The earth pony stared in confusion as the dress levitated in front of her.

“Well? Try it on, darling.”

Applejack’s eyes widened and she backed away in protest. “I can’t. That’s your dress.”

“What? No, no, no. I made this for you,” Rarity levitated it back to her and spun the floating piece of work in a 360 degree fashion, admiring it once again. “I wanted to show my appreciation for how hard you had been working, so I pulled together all of my knowledge and skill and made, what I believe to be, my best work ever.” Rarity smiled and sighed happily. “And I want my best work to be worn by my best friend.”

The dress skated across the sky and back to Applejack. The orange mare lowered her head and stifled a gag, the truth soaring up her esophagus like a rotten apple. She swallowed again and took a deep breath. 

“Applejack, are you alright, darling?”

Applejack’s eyes began to water, she wasn’t entirely sure if the tears coming were due to devastating guilt, or overwhelming honor. Either way, she couldn’t stop them. “I’m…I’m fine.”

Rarity noticed the tears and moved the dress back to the mannequin. “Applejack! What’s wrong? Oh, you hate the dress don’t you? I knew I should’ve asked your opinion, but I was so confident you’d like it!” Rarity stormed away and stamped at the ground. “I’m so foolish, I shoul–”

“It’s fantastic, Rarity.”

Rarity spun around and trotted back over to Applejack. She nudged her head up. “Y-y-you really mean it? You’re not just saying that?”

“It’s the most beautiful thing, I’ve ever laid eyes on, sugarcube. I don’t deserve to wear it.”

“Applejack! How could you say such a thing?  As hard as I’ve worked you? You are more than deservi–“

“NO AH AIN’T!” Applejack exclaimed, a searing pain starting to shoot up through her head. She lowered her head and looked away, “Ahem, I mean…no…I’m not.”

Rarity stood shocked at the orange mare’s sudden outburst, then her gaze softened and she smiled. “Oh, Applejack, I know what this is about.”

“Ya…Ah mean…you do?” Applejack felt the squeeze of cold horror latch onto her heart yet she couldn’t help but hope Rarity would guess correctly.

“Yes darling, you’re nervous. You’re worried that something might go wrong due to the limited time we’ve had to prepare.”
A sense of dread and disappointment washed over the earth pony. She lowered her shoulders and her head again. Rarity put her hoof under Applejack’s chin and looked her in the eye.

“I have faith in you, darling.”

Applejack’s bottom lip began to quiver as Rarity lowered her hoof. She had to tell her. “R-Rarity, I…”

“No matter what happens tonight, Applejack, I’m just glad you’ll be there with me.”

Applejack sank her teeth into her lower lip, slackening the quiver. Tears burst from her eyes and poured down her cheeks. 
Rarity smiled and nuzzled her friend gently, before wiping her tears away. “Come now, let’s do your hair.”

--

Rarity’s horn casted a slight glow as her pocket mirror once again flew out of her pocket. She turned her head to the left and to the right, raised and lowered her eyebrows, opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, inspected her teeth and checked the inside of her nose. When all was to her liking she slipped the enchanted mirror back into the confines of her silky fuchsia dress tattooed with gold lace decorated with the occasional ruby and sapphire gems, only to return it ten seconds later for another self-inspection.

“Rarity, dear, you simply must relax yourself.” Applejack said, articulating in her new distinctive and high class vernacular.
Rarity sighed and put the mirror back into her dress. “I know, darling, but I’m just so nervous! What if I stutter when introducing myself, or when talking with the other ponies about my designs? I’ll look uneducated. What I get a stain on my dress and don’t notice? What i–”

“Things will go swimmingly, my dear. You’ve been to several establishments much like these in the past, and this one will be just as successful.”

Rarity smiled and shook her head. “You’re right, look at me, driving myself into a nervous wreck while you’re here supporting me and having more confidence in me than I do in myself.”

“Even the best and brightest ponies need a helping hoof, dear.”

“Thank you, Applejack.”

“My pleasure.”

Applejack raised her nose in the fastidious manner that mocked Rarity’s then threw her well-known warm country smile and a wink at the unicorn before emitting a snicker.

“Rarity?” an elegant deep voice rang through the air. 

Rarity and Applejack both turned their heads. Before them stood white unicorn colt with a light blue mane, tail and mustache and three regal crowns tattooed on his flank. His chest protruding proudly as the three golden buttons on his white shirt glistened in the moonlight. He took a moment to adjust his purple tie and run his hooves across his black tuxedo. 

A dazed smile etched across Rarity’s face for a split second before she cleared her throat. “Fancypants, how do you do, darling?”

“Ah, I’m quite well, my dear, how are you?”

“I’m absolutely lovely.”

“Splendid, I must say, I’m so glad you could make it tonight.”

Rarity raised a brow. “Oh? How did you know I would be attending?”

Fancypants gives the white mare a sly smile. “Who do you think is in charge of the guest list for this event?” He took the mare’s hoof and kissed it gently, “I had to invite one of the most fashionable ponies in all of Equestria, not to mention, my favorite party guest.”

Rarity blushed and her eyes fluttered. She bit her lip to silence herself, but that didn’t stop the goofy chuckles she was emitting. Applejack cleared her throat and Rarity snapped out of her trance. “Oh, Fancypants, this is my escort, Applejack. She’s–”

“Ah yes, I do remember her. From, that day you made that simple yet wonderful dress for your other friend, oh dash it all, what was her name…Twilight. I say, how do you do Miss Applejack?”

“I’m splendid, thank you for asking.” Applejack said proudly.

“Do forgive me for saying so, but I did not quite take you for a pony interested in fashion when I first met you. Your demeanor struck me to have more of a southern charm.”

“Oh, well, looks can be rather deceiving.”

“Quite right, tell me, what do you think of the designs of Aqua Di Mare? I assume Rarity and I still have consenting opinions of them since we last talked,” the colts eyes gazed over to Rarity who gave a small nod then back to Applejack, “but I seem to have acquaintances who just can’t seem to understand common sense.”

Not too long after Fancypants finished his sentence, several other ponies crowed around them. A brown pony with a gray mane and tail and a monocle spoke up. “I’m sorry Fancypants, but I think your keen eye for detail is getting a tad hazy.”

“Non-sense, let’s hear from the guest of one of the most prestigious fashion designers in Ponyville. Applejack?”
Small beads of sweat began to protrude through the pores of Applejack’s forehead. She cast a glance at Rarity whose calm and confident smile only quickened her heartbeat. The fastidious group of ponies leaned in, awaiting her answer. She used all the strength inside her to keep her legs from shaking. She took a deep breath and exhaled. The wrong answer would ruin everything. But what was the right one? Regardless, she had to say something.

“Well, while I’ll agree she has a keen eye for individualism and style, it is that quality in her work that, if too heavily pursued, will set her up for a failure.”

Silence overcame the entire circle. Applejack gulped as the ponies continued to stare at her, some in disbelief, others in sheer bemusement. Fancypants merely laughed. The brown pony glared at Applejack.

“You really have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?”

Applejack’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth, she licked her lips and tried to reply but she felt her vernacular slipping back to its normal manner. “Ah…um…Ah, uh…”

“Oh, give it a rest old sport!” Fancypants exclaimed. Applejack’s body relaxed a bit as the white colt put a foreleg around her and Rarity. “It’s like I keep saying, she’s trying much too hard to start her own avant-garde movement. Yes, it’s new and exciting, but it’s much too flashy. Ponies want simple and familiar with a slightly different take on things. That’s what’s in right now.”

The brown pony snorted and raised his head up before walking away.

“Ah, some ponies simply can’t face the truth. But it’s like I always say, the omission of the truth will destroy everyone and everything we hold dear.”

Applejack curled her lips and looked down at the ground.

“If we refuse to acknowledge it, than how can we live with ourselves?” Fancypants finished before hearing a couple of ponies call for him. “Ah, I must run along, you ladies enjoy yourselves!” 

Rarity bit her lip and let out a small squeal before  giving her friend a quick hug. “You were amazing!”

Applejack let out a deep sigh,“Rarity, dear, can we… go somewhere private?”

“Is everything alright, darling?”

“Yes, I…I just need to talk to you, alone.”

--

The two ponies sat outside on a balcony, the moon casting it’s luminous bright rays upon the entire city. Rarity hadn’t taken her eyes off Applejack who had done nothing but shake her head since they sat down.

“Rarity. I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I…I didn’t know the answer to Fancypants’ question.”

“What are you talking about, your answer−”

“I guessed.” Applejack said as tears began to well up in her eyes. Her forelegs began to shake violently as she replayed the situation in her head, only with the wrong answer. The pressure of ruining the night hadn’t manifested until right then, when she sat in front of several faces, hanging on her every word. She could’ve destroyed everything, just like that. It wasn’t a risk worth taking again. “Ah, ah didn’t know the answer.”

Rarity raised a brow and put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “Applejack, darling, it’s okay−”

“No, it ain’t okay!” Applejack exclaimed. She realized her voice snapped back in its southern accent, but she didn’t care at this point. Nopony else was around to hear them. “Ah…ah’m a liar.”

“So, you didn’t know the answer to one question and luck was on your side. Honestly, Applejack it’s fine.”

“IT AIN’T FINE!”Applejack’s lips quivered and her right eye twitched a bit. 

Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and gasped. “Oh dear, Applejack. You’re shaking, darling.”

Applejack licked her lips and looked away from her friend.

“I’ve stressed you out. Oh, that’s why you’re feeling like this. I pushed you too hard. Applejack, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to be so sel–”

“Ah didn’t read the books, Rarity!”

Rarity blinked. “Wh-what?”

“Ah…Ah ain’t read the books.”

“But… I saw yo–”

“That “Couture” book, was the first one Ah opened…Ah was tryna understand it but it was just a bunch a gobbeldy gook. Ah took a break and saw you were sleepin’ and Ah looked at this here dress ya made me that Ah thought was yours and when Ah went back to readin’, next thing Ah knew, y’all were wakin’ me up.”

Rarity bit her lip and looked down at the ground before looking into Applejack’s eyes. “You lied to me?”

“Ah didn’t rightly lie. Ah more so, didn’t correct ya on the truth…but Ah wasn’t tryin’ to! Honest! Ah was gonna tell ya, but you were all happy when ya thought Ah had read all of them books. Then ya made me this dress, talkin’ about how proud ya were of me…Ah…Ah just didn’t wanna let you down.”

Rarity let out a sad sigh. “I wish you would’ve just lied to me. At least then I would’ve known you respected me enough to make an effort to come up with something to fool me.”

Applejack looked at Rarity who’s azure eyes that had been beaming a delightful pride were now casting a ice cold gaze. “R-Rari–”

“Instead you treat me like a filly, keeping the cold truth away from me in fear of how I’ll react. Taking for granted my maturity, casting aside the fact that we’re both ladies, but rather, keeping secrets like a school pony. And here I thought…at the very least, you respected me.”

Applejack lowered her head and sniffled. 

“Don’t cry, it’ll ruin your makeup.”

“How can y’all ask me not to cry after ya just said that?”

Rarity turned away as her country friend sobbed softly. Applejack kept her head angled in a way so the tears would hit the ground without running down her cheeks. 

A few minutes passed and Rarity turned back around. Her gaze softened at the country pony. Applejack gave up hours of time and effort, all for this one night; taking it so seriously that she didn’t want to do a single thing to ruin it. And here Rarity was, being petty, saying hurtful things. Tears began to build up in her eyes and she blinked them away and sighed. 

“Applejack, I’m sorry. I should’ve have said that.”

Applejack didn’t raise her head.

“You have been more than cordial with meeting my demands, and I’ve ask a considerable amount from you. With as much emphasis I put on the importance of this day, you were just trying to keep me happy. While I’m still not happy with you keeping the truth from me, your intentions were good and you’ve already gone above and beyond the call of a friend.”

Rarity used her magic to pull a cloth from her dress and gently dab the corners of Applejack’s eyes as she lifted her head.

“So…y’all don’t hate me?”

“Of course not. I could never bring myself to hate you, darling”

Applejack rubbed her hooves together and cast up an innocent glare towards her unicorn friend. “A-and ya don’t think Ah’m the worst friend ever?”

“I’d be an ignorant foal to let such a thought even cross my mind.”

Applejack sniffled and a smile slowly etched across her face to mimic the one her friend was sporting. “Ah’m sor−”

“You have nothing for which to be sorry, darling.”

Applejack looked down and let out a deep sigh. She cleared her throat stretched her neck and beamed a confident smile at her unicorn friend. “Shall we continue this lovely evening, my dear?”

“Let’s.”

----