//------------------------------// // Getting Ready // Story: Down to Earth Family // by Zenaron //------------------------------// Chapter 13-Getting Ready On the road to Ponyville “How do you wake up this early every day?” Rainbow Dash asked as she muffled a yawn. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were trotting down the main path to Ponyville to pick up Scootaloo and Applebloom from Rarity’s house. Both of them enjoying the company of the other mare that they now knew loved them in return. “Don’t worry about it Dashie yah get used it.” Applejack said with a slight smile as her cheeks reddened slightly. “If you say… wait did you just call me Dashie?” Rainbow Dash asked with a slight blush of her own.” Applejack gave a slight nod of her head. “Ah thought that ah might start callin’ yah that, considerin’ that you’re my special somepony and all. That is if it’s okay with you of course?” “Yeah totally, now I just have to come up a good pet name for you.” Rainbow Dash said with a devious smirk. Applejack just shook her head and smiled. The two continued on the path for a while longer, without talking until Rainbow Dash decided that it was time to breach a subject that she thought needed to be addressed. “So… now that you’re my special somepony we should do stuff together right, like dating and stuff like that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she glanced over at Applejack. “Ah reckon that we probably should.” Applejack responded non-committedly. “So maybe you and I should go on a date tonight?” Applejack stopped suddenly and tapped her chin with her front hoof. “Ah don’t think ah’m doin’ anythin’ tonight.” “SOOOOO…?” Rainbow Dash asked as she leaned toward Applejack and raised her eyebrows twice. “Alright, fine ah’ll go on a date with yah…” Rainbow Dash suddenly interrupted Applejack by flaring her wings and leaping into the air and began to celebrate loudly. “YEAH! WHO’S THE MARE I’M THE MARE.” “ON ONE CONDITION!” Applejack interjected, bringing the prismatic pegasus’s celebrating to an abrupt halt. Rainbow Dash looked down at Applejack surprised at first, and then puffed her chest out in a challenge. “Bring it on I bet I can take care of it in no time flat.” Rainbow Dash said with a brash shake of her head. Applejack smiled softly and shook her head at her marefriend. “Ah need to harvest the rest of Sweet Apple Acres first. And if you could help me after we pick up the girls it would go a lot faster, and then ah would be more than happy to go on a date with yah.” “Sure thing, so we pick up the pipsqueaks, do some applebuckin, and then we can go on a date. Sounds like a piece of cake, I’m in.” Rainbow Dash said as she did a small loop in the air and landed softly next to Applejack. “Alright then, glad to hear that I can count on my mare friend to be there for me.” Applejack said with a tilt of her hat at Rainbow Dash. Then Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a playful bump. “Hey want to have a quick race to Rarity’s?” Rainbow Dash smiled widely as her wings buzzed from excitement. “Oh you are so on! Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because we're dating.” Rainbow Dash said as she spread her hooves apart and squatted down closer to the ground in a ready position. “Ah wouldn’t want it any other way Dashie.” Applejack responded as she mirrored Rainbow Dash’s actions. “On the count of three.” Rainbow Dash gave a short nod and slitted her eyes in concentration. “Alright then, one, two… THREE!” Applejack hollered as she and Rainbow Dash bolted away from their starting positions and sped their way through the last few hundred yards to Carousel Boutique. The two mares stayed neck and neck the entire race. Sometimes one would pull ahead, but the other would quickly make up the distance. They continued until they were only feet away from the door, both coming to a halt at the same time. They both looked up at each other barley breathing hard and both laughed. Applejack was the first to stop laughing and looked at the door. “Alright let’s not keep her waitin’.” She said as she lifted a hoof up and knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened and the two mares took a startled step back from the sight that was in front of them. Standing in the door way was a disheveled looking Rarity. Her mane was a wreck, with strands sticking out in random directions, and instead of its usual swirled puffy style was somewhat deflated. She had a wild look in her eyes as she looked at the two startled mares in front of her. “Why Applejack, Rainbow Dash how nice of you to stop by, how are you doing on this…fine day?” Rarity asked as one of her eyelids twitched. Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof up to her face to try and hide her huge grin, but after a second look at Rarity she let out a loud snort before she started rolling around on the ground laughing. “Gee Rarity we’re they really that bad?” Applejack asked not being able to hide the smile that wanted to disparately show on her face. Rarity was about to responded when there was a loud crash from the kitchen. They all three looked in the direction of the kitchen before Rarity turned back and gave Applejack a look that said that yes it really was that bad. Applejack shrugged her shoulders and waved a hoof in the direction of the loud noise. “What in tarnation are they doing in there?” “The girls decided that they wanted to make breakfast.” Rarity said with a heavy sigh before turning around and trotting towards her kitchen. Applejack quickly followed after her, and after Rainbow Dash composed herself, she too trotted in after them. The three mares stopped in the kitchen doorway and looked around. The kitchen looked like a tornado had gone through it. The floor was littered with pots and pans, and what appeared to be a thin layer of flour. The counters were covered in discarded mixing bowls, and the remnants of different concoctions the three filly’s had prepared. Standing next to the cooking range on top of three small stools were the three fillies in question each of them covered in splotches of pancake batter. “What in tarnation do you three think your doin’?” Applejack asked as she ventured into the room careful not to step of any of the fallen cookware. The three fillies turned and looked at the three older ponies. “We're making breakfast sis, do yah want some?” Applebloom asked with a sweet innocent smile. Applejack took a hard long look at the black objects on the plates that the girls had finished “Preparing” and shook her head. “Nah ah’m fine girls, besides we need to get a move on if we plan on finishing up harvestin before noon.” “Aaahhh,” Scootaloo and Applebloom chorused in disappointment as they hopped down form the stools and strode over to the three older mares. “Once we're done with the harvest y’all can go do some crusadin’.” Applejack said with a smile. The two fillies returned the smile and nodded there agreement. “So… are you two planning on doing anything special tonight?” Rarity asked glancing over at Rainbow Dash and Applejack with a small smile on her face. The two looked at each other and blushed slightly before turning back to their friend. “As a matter of fact, Rainbow and ah are goin’ on a date tonight.” Applejack said as her cheeks brightened slightly more. Rarity let out a high pitch squeal of delight and lightly pranced over to Applejack and clapped her hooves together. “Oh how wonderful, where are you two going, what are you planning on doing, come on give me some details?” As Rarity danced around the other two mares like Pinkie Pie, none of them noticed the slight wink the three small fillies exchanged. Once the three were sure they were all on the same page they each let out a small giggle. “Well we really haven’t talked about it yet. Ah guess we we're just goanna go to the local café.” Applejack said with a shrug of her shoulders. Rarity’s eyes widened suddenly and she gave the two an admonishing look. “Now that most simply will not do, but not to worry, I know just the place for the two of you, and I will set up the reservations for you.” “Uh… gee thanks Rarity that’s really nice of you.” Rainbow Dash said as she brushed the back of her head with her hoof. “Think nothing of it my dear.” Rarity said as she gracefully tossed her mane back. “Applejack don’t forget to come by before your date like we talked about.” Applejack smiled and nodded her head in understanding. “Rainbow Dash do you have anyone helping you get ready for tonight?” Rarity asked with a slight frown trying to think of a way to help both of them without them seeing each other. “Yeah Fluttershy said she could help me get ready.” “Excellent, well I shouldn’t keep you, I have some work to do and I must get to it.” Rarity said before she turned around and started making her way to her workshop. “But what about breakfast?” Sweetie Belle asked looking at her sister with a slight pout on her face. Rarity paused and took a long hard look at the most likely inedible food on the plates and shook her head. “I’m sorry Sweetie Belle…I’m not hungry right now, and I have a lot of work that needs to be done.” “Oh…Hey can I go help Applebloom and Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked with a sweet smile. Rarity’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “What a marvelous idea that would get you out of my hai….I mean that would leave me free to finish my work. That is if it’s okay with you?” “Sure the more the merrier, well come on those apples ain’t goanna harvest themselves.” Applejack said as she turned and started to trot toward the front door. Rainbow Dash quickly followed after her with the three fillies following close behind. The five made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres and formed a straight line in front of Applejack awaiting her instructions. “Alright here’s the plan, Rainbow and ah are going to do the apple buckin’ while you three load up the baskets with any stray apples that yah find on the ground, and put the baskets on the cart for Big Macintosh, got it?” Rainbow Dash saluted while the three fillies nodded their understanding. “Then let’s get to it.” Applejack announced as they each quickly moved to their positions. “Hey Applejack I bet I can buck more trees then you can.” Rainbow Dash called from a nearby tree with a challenging smile on her lips. Applejack tilted her hat farther down and smiled in return. “Alright Dashie ah’ll take that bet, loser has to pay for dinner tonight.” Rainbow Dash blushed slightly at the nick name, before her confident smile returned and she nodded her agreement to the terms. The two of them took their positions at the nearest trees, spun around and in unison bucked the trees with a resounding slam, followed by the sound of cascading apples thudding into the baskets waiting bellow. Rainbow Dash looked up to see that she had gotten all the apples in one buck. A smug smile spread across her face and she through her mane back in a small triumph. Until she heard another loud slam from farther down the row of trees. She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. Applejack hadn’t bothered to stop and see if all the apples had fallen from the tree, knowing full well from years of practice that they had, and was already on her third tree putting her two trees in front of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits, before she quickly galloped down her row trying to catch up to the pace Applejack was setting. The three crusaders were quickly trying their best to keep up to the two competitive mares. A few hours later Rainbow Dash had been able to slowly creep back up to Applejack’s pace, until they came to the last two trees in the field with the shining red fruit still in their branches. The two mares glanced at each other and galloped as fast as their legs would carry them to the two trees and in unison turned and bucked the trees. Rainbow Dash looked up at Applejack’s tree and then her own and groaned loudly. While Applejack’s tree was bare, her own tree still clutched on to some of the sweet apples in its branches. “I lost.” Rainbow Dash said in disappointment as she kicked a nearby rock. Applejack smiled at her sulking marefriend and trotted over to her. She stopped right next to Rainbow Dash and bent down giving her a light kiss on the check. “Don’t worry about it Dashie, thank yah for helpin’ it would have taken me twice as long by myself.” Rainbow Dash’s cheeks darkened and she scratched the back of her head. “Hey it’s no big deal.” “Come on lets go help the girls pack up the baskets so that we can get ready for our date tonight.” Applejack said as she turned and slowly started walking back down the path to where the crusaders were trying to load the heavy baskets into the cart, swaying her hips slowly as she went. Rainbow Dash started walking behind her a goofy grin plastered on her face as she kept her eyes on the lovely view in front of her. After another thirty minutes they had finished loading up all of the baskets of apples and taken them to the barn for storage. “Applejack can we go crusading now?” Scootaloo asked as her and the other two looked up at Applejack with pleading eyes. Applejack looked over at Big Macintosh; he smiled and gave a short nod of his head. “Alright ah guess.” Applejack said as with a wave of her hoof. “YES!” the three girls chorused as they clapped their hooves together before they turned and cantered away laughing excitedly. Applejack shook her head and smiled at Rainbow Dash. “Ah swear those three never run out of energy.” “Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said with a nod as he pulled the wagon into the barn. “So…I guess I’ll pick you up at Rarity’s at seven?” Rainbow Dash asked with a nervous smile. “Sounds good to me, ah’ll see yah then Dashie.” “Great I’ll see you then.” Rainbow Dash said before she leapt into the air and flew towards the outskirts of Ponyville. Once Rainbow Dash was a ways away she started to think through her list of things she needed to do. “Okay first I need to go do some flying practice, then I need to go see Fluttershy so she can help me get ready for tonight, then I go pick up Applejack and have the best date ever.” Rainbow Dash started doing flips and spins through the air in excitement. She felt a deep fluttering in her chest every time she thought about the date she was going to be going on with the orange cow pony. The feeling just drove her on, as she started flying faster while doing even more flips and spins with practiced grace. Applejack watched Rainbow dash fly away until she was just a speck on the horizon. Once she was out of sight Applejack turned to help her brother out of his harness. “So you’re goin’ on a date with Rainbow Dash tonight?” Big Macintosh asked as he stretched his strained neck. “Yap, once we're finished with the rest of the chores ah’m supposed to go to Rarity’s so she can help me get ready.” Applejack said as she made her way out of the barn and looked around the farm to see is she could find anything that needed done. Big Macintosh gave a slow nod of his large head and chewed slightly on the piece of straw in his mouth. The two Apple siblings made quick work of the remaining chores and before too long they heard Granny Smith ring the triangle shaped bell calling that it was time for dinner. They slowly trotted over to the house and washed up before heading into the kitchen to find Granny Smith and the three crusaders waiting for them. “Howdy y’all sorry if to keep yah waitin’” Applejack said as she sat down in her usual spot. “No need to worry we haven’t been waitin’ long, well now that we're all here dig in everypony.” Granny smith said before they all started to dig in. After they had all eaten their fill and cleaned up, Applejack started making her way into Ponyville. Just before she got into the town proper she saw Twilight with a huge smile on her face carrying a very large package with her magic. “Howdy Twilight what yah got there?” Applejack asked as she trotted the rest of the distance to get a closer look. “It’s something from Princess Celistia, do you want to come help Pinkie and I open it.” Twilight asked while trotting in the general direction of her house. Applejack shook her head. “Sorry I have to go see Rarity about helpin’ me get ready for my date with Rainbow Dash tonight.” “Oh, good for you, I hope you have fun tonight.” Twilight said with an understanding nod. “Thanks Twilight,” Applejack said as she continued to trot next to Twilight, when suddenly a sly grin grew on her face. “Speakin’ of havin’ fun, ah’ve noticed you’ve ben spendin’ a lot of time with Pinkie recently, and if ah didn’t know any better ah would think that you have strong fillin’s for our pink friend.” Twilight stumbled and almost lost her magical hold on the large box and tried to hide the blush that sprang to her checks and tried not to look Applejack in the eye. “Why Applejack…what makes you say such a silly thing like that.” Twilight said trying to recover before Applejack noticed. “Ain’t goanna work sugarcube ah can tell that your lyin’ to me.” Twilight looked up at Applejack with wide eyes before she looked down in embarrassment. “How could you tell?” “Because you two have been actin’ like Rainbow Dash and I did. So have you told her how you fell yet?” “No,” Twilight said with a heavy sigh. “Well why not?” Applejack asked as she turned to face Twilight. “I don’t know. I don’t even know if it would work between us.” Twilight said with a sad look on her face. “Besides what if it didn’t work? I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” “Now don’t think like that, ah’m sure it would work out.” “But what if it doesn’t? There are so many things that could go wrong.” “Twilight ah think your thinkin’ about this too much. Love ain’t somthin’ that you can just analyze so easily, there's a lot more to it than if yah like somepony.” “I guess,” Twilight said sounding very unconvinced. “Hey just think about it alright, if yah want I can come over tomorrow and we can talk some more.” “Thanks Applejack I would like that.” Twilight said as she gave Applejack a big hug. Applejack returned the hug and smiled at her friend. “It’s what friends do for each other.” Twilight nodded before the two continued on down the path in companionable silence until their paths diverged. They gave each other one last wave before Twilight turned toward her library and Applejack to Carousel Boutique. Applejack lifted her front hoof and lightly knocked on the door. After a few seconds the door swung open and Rarity stepped out with a large smile on her face. “Perfect timing, let’s get going.” Rarity said as she stepped to the side and started down a path into Ponyville. “Wait I thought you’re goanna help me get ready for tonight?” Applejack asked with a confused expression on her face. “That is precisely what we’re doing; trust me darling I’ll make you look so irresistible that Rainbow Dash won’t be able to take her eyes off of you.” Rarity said barley pausing to answer Applejack’s question before she continued on. “Well if you say so.” Applejack said as she fell into step behind Rarity. After they had walked a good distance from Rarity’s shop Applejack couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “Rarity where are we goin’ anyway?” “To the spa of course dear we have to make you look your very best and the spa is the best place to start.” Rarity said as she turned the corner that led to the Ponyville spa. Applejack stopped and looked at the building with a slight scowl of disdain. “Well let’s get this over with.” she said as she continued through the door Rarity held open for her. Fluttershy’s Cottage “Rainbow Dash hold still I’m almost done.” Fluttershy said as she flew in place and continued to braid Rainbow Dash’s mane. “Ugh, you said that like on hour ago. It’s almost seven a clock and I can’t be late for Applejack and I’s first date, that would be so not cool.” Rainbow Dash said as she tried to restrain herself. Fluttershy smiled at her colorful friend and quickly tied the braid into place with one last twist of the tie. “Done, here let me get you a mirror.” Fluttershy said as she gently landed and grabbed a small hand mirror and handed it to Rainbow Dash. “…Do you like it?” Rainbow Dash took a moment to take in everything that Fluttershy had done. She had braided Rainbow Dash’s mane so that the green, blue, and purple colors spun around in a tight spiral. Fluttershy had also brushed her hair until it shined and sparkled in the dying sunlight. She combed back Rainbow Dash’s front bangs and held them up with a magenta hair clip that brought out the brightness of her eyes. She moved the mirror around to get a better look at the rest of herself. Fluttershy had helped her preen her feathers until they shined, and she was clad in the dress that Rarity had made her for Shining Armor and Cadence’s wedding. A rainbow colored gown that seemed to flow into the cloud at the hem. “Is it ok?” Fluttershy asked for the third time without Rainbow Dash responding. “I…” Rainbow Dash started at her reflection with a blank look on her face. Fluttershy took a tentative step back afraid that she had done something wrong. “I look awesome!” Rainbow Dash announced so suddenly that some of the birds in Fluttershy’s cottage took off in surprise. “Thank you so much Fluttershy I couldn’t have done it without you.” Rainbow Dash said as she scooped Fluttershy up in a big strong hug. Fluttershy smiled in delight and hugged her back. “You’re welcome Rainbow Dash.” She said before letting go and glancing at the clock on the wall over a beg picture frame window. “You’d better hurry its three minutes till seven.” “Right I’ll see you later Fluttershy, thanks again.” Rainbow Dash said as she leapt into the air and flew a lot slower than her usual pace being careful not to undo Fluttershy’s hard work. At exactly seven a clock Rainbow Dash lightly landed in front of her distention. She looked at the door and took three long deep breaths to calm her nerves. Once she was breathing normally she lifted a hoof and knocked on the door. After a few seconds passed the door glowed and magically opened to a dark room. “Now presenting you’re date for the evening Mrs. Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said with a showmen’s flair as she turned the lights on and Applejack stepped out. Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped in amazement. Before her stood the mare that she loved, but she barley recognized her. Applejack’s trademark Stetson was gone reviling her beautiful golden straw colored hair that seemed to shine and sparkle. Two long strands from the front were pulled back and tied together behind her head to keep the rest of her long hair flowing down her back and out of her face. Applejack had a small amount of eye liner and mascara that seemed to make her dark green eyes leap out and grab whoever met there gaze. She wore the dress that Rarity made her for the royal wedding, a brown stitched saddle that led into a dark red satin with gold lining that ended in a green satin with a gold border and the hem was ornamented with cyan colored disks that matched Rainbow Dash’s coat. “Well by the look on your face ah must look pretty good am ah right partner.” Applejack said as she slowly sauntered over to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash finally was able to close her mouth and nodded her head vigorously. “You look great Applejack.” Applejack smiled as her checks went a slight shad of pink. “Thanks, you look pretty good yourself.” Applejack said as she looked Rainbow Dash over and winked at her. “Well shall we get goin’?” “Uh, yeah totally let’s go.” Rainbow Dash said as the two walked side by side down the path to the restaurant. Rarity watched them walk a little ways before she turned and went back inside a happy tired smile on her face. The two mares were so immersed in each others company that they didn’t notice Rarity watching, or the three small figures in the shadows that trailed slowly behind them.