//------------------------------// // Photo Finished // Story: AppleShy: The Series // by solsticebrony888 //------------------------------// Fluttershy took one last deep breath causing her whole upper body to bend back, just for her to relinquish a soft "Wake up, Applejack," “PURPLE APPLES?!?!?" The orange pony shouted, simultaneously jumping up out of their bed, startling the Pegasus almost to a squeak. Once Applejack got a hold of herself, she spoke, "Um, Sugarcube what time is it?" The orange pony rubbed her eyes with her hooves. "Um, 8:15," "Consarnit! That's barely nuff time to eat breakfast!" "Oh no, It's ok, I made us some toast with um, apple sauce topping, I think you'll love it!" Pegasus gently flew downstairs to get the food she prepared for them, followed by Applejack. "Ya always talk 'bout me treatin' you so well, and yet look at this delicious breakfast ya made me? Ah'm the spoiled one!" Applejack complimented, not wasting any time to dig in to her food. "I'm just returning the favor," she mused while giving Angel the rabbit her morning carrot. After breakfast the two mares got ready and got over to Rarity's house as fast as the two could. When they got there, Rarity was delighted to see the two arrive exactly at 9, she never saw Applejack as the punctual kind of pony. She greeted them kindly at the door, but was obviously happier that she had a chance to impress Photo Finish again. The photographer pony gasped when she saw them arrive. "AH, It's Flootershai and Appajack. Just in time! Time for ZE MAGIC!" She enthusiastically motioned them over next to Lyra and BonBon who already had dresses on for photos they had taken before. Applejack realized what she had got herself into right upon entering the door. A dress wearing photo-shoot. This is like the last thing she'd ever think about doing. And It's not like it wasn't obvious in the first place. Anythin' for Fluttershy she kept telling herself. "You two look absolutely beautiful!" Complimented Fluttershy upon the sight of Lyra and BonBon. They both said ‘Thank you’, nearly in unison. "Appajack! Flootershai! Put these on, then come back when you're done, you will pose with Lyra and BonBon, Ya?" Applejack sighed noticeably loud while Fluttershy gladly accepted it. They both got a fancy saddle, obviously made by Photo Finish and not Rarity. Who makes a saddle to sell? The earth pony thought to herself as she put it on. "Brilliant! Magnifique! Ok Lyra and BonBon put yours on too!" And the two went in the dressing room to do so. "Ah have ta ask, Ah'm sorry, but why'd ya design SADDLES of all thangs?" "Don't question the designer, because I am also ze photographer!" The confused Applejack gave up on reasoning with her. She now dreaded the day before her. Once Lyra an BonBon returned, Photo finish ordered them all up onto the stage for the pictures, then gave them a scene. "OK! Photo Finish wants you to be cowmares! Ready to buck anything in your path on ze FOM!" Piece of CAKE! Applejack thought to herself, immediately starting, motioning out to Fluttershy how to do it. "Goot Flootershai! GOOT!, Nice BonBon! More Attitude Lyra!" She focused her attention on Applejack, with a sudden appalled look on her face, "Appajack, VAS IST THAT?" The earth pony stood confused, "What is what?" "You're doing it all wrong!" She said, smacking her lips as she studied Applejack’s pose. "How am AH doing it wrong? Ah'm the only one here that's ACTUALLY a cowmare!," After holding it in for a minute, Lyra busted out laughing AT Applejack. The orange pony just tried her best to ignore it. "Just be a cowmare! Up in ze hills! Imagine!" Photo Finish did a terrible job at visually explaining what she wanted Applejack to do, giving the orange pony a really confused look on her face. Lyra, after halting her previous fit of laughter, was barely able to stifle another. Applejack sighed and put up another pose, something Photo Finish must have been satisfied with, because she ended up taking several photos. Regularly she changed orders, and each time she did, she criticized Applejack on something that the orange pony considered herself a natural at. To add to her humiliation, Lyra nearly passed out due to laughter each time, without even being told to stop by anypony. Applejack was able to bite her lip at Lyra's laughter, but it was getting to her quickly. When Lyra and BonBon were in the dressing room to change into yet another outfit, Applejack brought it up to Fluttershy, "Can ya believe that Lyra was laughing at me the whole time? Ah never really liked her ta begin’ with, now ah can't even stand her!" "Oh Applejack, I'm sure means nothing by it," Said Fluttershy, while adjusting her mane after putting on another outfit. "She was looking at me when she was laughin', right in ma eyes! And she wasn't even tryin' to hide it," Fluttershy sighed, "Well please try to um have a good time..." "Ah'll try..."She said unconvincingly. Just then the two other mares returned from the dressing room. Lyra whispered something to BonBon while glancing at Applejack. The orange pony stared her down. "Ok, girls, Photo finish needs all four of you to get really close, like a, PARTY. And you guys just had a great time, and you're eh, group hugging! Make ze magics happen!" To Applejack's dismay, Fluttershy and BonBon were the first to start in the 'hug'. Applejack slowly and begrudgingly 'hugged' Lyra. "Appajack, HAPPIER! Ist a PARTY!" Lyra chuckled, while the orange pony just forced a smile. Fluttershy sighed noticing the orange pony's obvious discomfort caused by being near the blue unicorn. "I am done!" Photo Finish said abruptly. Within half a second, her assistants appeared at her side, carrying her camera. She left without saying a word. "Thank Celestia that's over," Said Applejack as she hopped off the stage and looked for her hat. Fluttershy frowned, "It wasn't...that bad," "I agree With Fluttershy," Said Lyra, purposefully directing her voice towards Applejack, "I, at least, had a GREAT time," Applejack ignored her once more still trying to find her hat in a pile of clothes. When she looked back at them she saw BonBon wasn't very happy with the behavior of the all-blue mare.it made her feel like she wasn't the only pony here that was upset. She was even impressed at herself that she was able to not explode at Lyra's rudeness. But then Lyra began again, "I have to say, though, when Photo Finish was telling Applejack how to be a cowmare, I nearly died in laughter when she couldn't do it right!" "Now look here, Ah did it perfectly, she just doesn’t know what a REAL cowmare looks like!" "Well duh, this is a PHOTO SHOOT, you're supposed to look pretty when you do it, not be EXACTLY like a cowmare," Bonbon murmured and tried to get Lyra to stop, feeling the tension rising steadily with Lyra’s persistent rudeness. Insulted, Applejack rebutted, "We wasted our time here, and Ah ain’t gonna waste my time on this foal, that plays a FLUTE. Ah did nothin’ to deserve these random insults" "It’s called a Lyre, get it righ-" BonBon shut her up before she could finish. "I-I'm sorry, sometimes Lyra gets a little competitive, Hehe!" BonBon said awkwardly, while forcefully keeping Lyra from talking. "It wasn’t a competition!!” Applejack exclaimed, then calmed down ,”Ah just want to get home or go to the farm or somethin', come on 'Shy, lets change out of these dress thangs and lets go," Before they could even start, a white pony rushed in "Girls, Girls! What's the matter here?" Rarity looked confused, finally back from whatever she was doing while they modeled. "Nothin at all, Rarity, me and Fluttershy are just 'bout to go home," Rarity shook her head, "Oh Applejack, you do know you're the worst liar here," She turned her attention to Fluttershy, "What happened Fluttershy? I know I can trust you," The shy Pegasus sighed, "Applejack and um Lyra were arguing because Lyra was laughing at Applejack for not doing well in the Photo shoot, and um..." "So it was Lyra and Applejack? BonBon, what did you see?" Lyra pouted with her fore-legs crossed and watched BonBon with a glare. "I saw Lyra laughing almost every time Photo Finish would criticize Applejack and then she insulted Applejack afterwards, " BonBon put her head in her hooves out of embarrassment. "Oh gosh. That's so foalish of you two. And it's nothing even worth holding a grudge against each other for. Come on, apologize and get this nonsense over with," Begrudgingly the two slurred 'I'm sorry' while avoiding eye contact. "Now now, don’t be such fillies about it. I mean really, I could barely even hear you two! Say it like you mean it," Applejack went first, acknowledging that Rarity was right, ”A-Ah’m sorry, Lyra, Maybe ah overreacted a bit. Ah may not like this fancy shmancy modeling hay, but ah really was tryin’” The blue pony sighed and went next, ”I am sorry too... I honestly don’t know why I was laughing so hard. Wasn’t even that funny. I do things without thinking, a LOT,” She emphasized with dramatic nods from BonBon ,”And honestly I think you did good, So...yeah. I’m sorry or whatever,” The two ponies gave each other a half-hearted hug, still not fond of each other in any way. BonBon lifted her head, feeling a little less embarrassment at the crass behavior of Lyra. Fluttershy was impressed with how fast Rarity fixed the situation. She went over to talk to white unicorn. At that same moment, the orange pony went back to change, still planning on going home right after. “Um, thank you Rarity. You handle things so well,” “Psh. You don’t have to thank me, darling. I can’t let two good friends of mine argue like that! It’s bad for business...” Fluttershy smiled, ”Thanks for letting us use your home to model, um today, ” “My pleasure! And besides, I think I finally have made a break-through with Photo Finish!,” She squealed a little in excitement, ”I’m so excited!” “Oh congratulations Rarity! It’s about time she saw your talent!” After a hug, Rarity continued, ”Next week, she’s going to have me design some clothing for her models to wear in a photo shoot! And between you and me, I think it’s because her own Fashion Designs aren’t doing too well. Either way, she chose me!” “I’m so happy for you. It’s always good to see somepony get the break they deserve!” Applejack made her way out of the dressing room, with her hat on and was obviously waiting on Fluttershy to go. The shy Pegasus changed and came back in a few minutes, all while Applejack was waiting slightly impatiently. Yeah, her day wasn’t THAT bad, but she still wanted to take a nap and start over later. She adjusted her hat a little right as Fluttershy came out. “Time ta go darlin’” She then faced Rarity, BonBon and Lyra ,”See ya’ll later, Ah need to take a nap. Sorry again, you two,” She closed the door and left with a sigh of relief. The two ponies made their way home a little faster, Rainbow Dash must have been planning a big storm, the black clouds seemingly getting bigger every second. Fluttershy giggled causing the earth pony to look at her suspiciously, ”Ok, What’s so funny, sugarcube? ”The shy pony grinned, ”Um, I want you to do something, ok?” “Sure thang darlin’” The Pegasus giggled uncontrollably. “Pose like a cowmare,” Applejack face hoofed.