//------------------------------// // Sorry for Party Dashin' // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// “In a week?!” Photo Finish stammered, nearly stumbling across the second story of the Paint Bucket Flat. “Ach je! Are you meanink to tell me zat your finely cultured friend made zis resplendent dress in less zan seven days?” “Mmmmm... maybe...” Rainbow once more pretended to examine her purse with bored eyes. “Why, is that... like... special or something?” “Shpecial?! Meine darlink Firefly, es ist absolut erstaunlich!” Photo Finish beamed, her blue cheeks turning red in the strobing party lights. “I, Photo Finish, have nefer before seen a mare arrayed in somesink so radiant and beautiful!” Photo trotted a tight circle around the pegasus, all the while gawking. “And yet—ze simplicity! Ze elegance!” She squealed like a filly, her blue hooves dancing in place. “Mmmm!... ze m-magiks!” “Hmmm... is that all?” Rainbow half-yawned. “I gotta admit: this was all pretty-last second. I have a dozen more dresses way better than this one, and they took only five days to make. If you ask me, Rarity's been slacking.” “Shlackink?!” Photo Finish did a double-take. “I vould absolutely love to see vat she makes on a day ven she ist wunderbar!” Rainbow Dash thinned her eyes into a thousand-mile stare while daintily raising a hoof towards the ceiling. “Meh.” “Well, I for one think that it's the most gorgeous gown of the evening,” said a certain sandy-haired unicorn with spectacles over his enchanted eyes. He leaned into the conversation, smiling warmly at Rainbow Dash's face. “A beautiful dress... for a most beautiful mare...” “Uhhhhh...” Rainbow Dash's wings drooped as she recoiled slightly. “Okaaaaaay...” Clearing her throat, she turned back towards Photo Finish. “So—like—are you some sort of dress-maker yourself or something?” “Vat?!” Photo Finish leaned back, blanching. “Have you not heard?!” She slapped a hoof over her own chest. “I am ze one and only Photo Finish! Ze queen of ze art magiks between here and Neighremburg!” “Why, nopony would even be having this party if it weren't for Fraulein Finish—” Trenderhoof began. “Ja, sanken sie, magazine huffer!” Growling, Photo shoved the stallion's face away and shuffled up in front of Rainbow. “Auf wiedersehen vith you! Ahem.” She leaned so close that Rainbow could see her glittering headband reflected in the photographer's shades. “I, Photo Finish, and troubled that you have not heard of meine vork, Fraulein Firefly. A mare of your fashion sense and shtature! Vhy, you must have a very high taste in... in...” “Awesometopia,” Rainbow Dash said. “I don't blame you for not having heard of it. The real name is... uhm... too much for the normal Equestrian tongue to pronounce.” “It must be far away too!” Trenderhoof cooed, suddenly to Rainbow's left. She tilted her head away from him just as he said, “I mean, for a kingdom to contain such living treasures of majesty...” He sighed warmly. “I wouldn't be surprised if it was located on the dark side of the moon.” “Erm... it's n-not,” Rainbow stammered. “It's overseas. Y'know, across the ocean... bordering... uhm... Bodaciousopolis...” She blinked. “...and the Wickedsich Archipelago.” “How delightfully exotic,” Photo Finish murmured out loud. “You must travel around a lot.” “Eh... yes and no.” Rainbow sighed, slinging her purse to her far side. “This is my first and only time in Manehattan. The city lights are swell and all, but it's such a huge friggin' place. Quite frankly, I feel lost here. I'd kill to have a tour guide, but I can't stand the smell of most of the... erm... plebeian masses who fester here.” “Say no more!” Photo Finish hooked one forelimb with Rainbow's. “Photo Finish has made zis place her second home! I even have ein haus in den himmel!” “Er...” Rainbow's muzzle scrunched. “Huh?” “She means that she has an apartment uptown,” Trenderhoof explained. “Tollwütiger Hund!” Photo shoved him back with a flounce of her multi-colored skirt. “Backen sie up into a manure barn!” “What's his deal, anyways?” Rainbow murmured. “Do not mind ze drone! He has a different fetish every Tuesday! Bah!” Photo dragged Rainbow across the balcony. “Leten sie Photo Finish show you meine friends!” Shuffling up to a group of richly dressed ponies, she grunted loudly. They all swiveled to face her with a start. “Ja... Zis is Fraulein Firefly from Awesometopialand.” “Actually... uhm... it's j-just 'Awesometopia—'” “Sie ist eine prinzessin!” Photo beamed. “Isn't it wunderbar?” She turned to Rainbow. “Firefly, I vant you to meet meine schöne companions of ze art magiks. Zis is Fleur Dis Lee, heir to ze Grand Lee Fortune...” “Mmmm... a pleasure to meet you. “...Fraulein Swan Song, community leader and prodigy of ze musiks...” “Charmed...” “And, last but not least, A.K. Yearling, Manehattan's most talented novelist...” “So nice to meet you, Ms. Firefly.” A tan pegasus adjusted her glasses with a smile and raised a dainty hoof towards her. “Awesometopia? Please, tell me, is that somewhere beyond the Mid-Atlantrot Ocean—?” “Uh huh. Whatever.” Rainbow turned with a yawn. “Books are boring. What I came for was art. But, for some reason, I'm not seeing a whole lot of it.” “Vhy, of course not!” Photo Finish gasped. “Because you must have valtzed right past meine exhibit vithout knowink it!” She smirked as she tugged Rainbow towards a descending flight of stairs. “You must come vith me! You cannot guess how long I, Photo Finish, have vaited for an outside pershpective to judge meine vork! Free of all of ze banal trifialities of koddlink platitudes and pretense!” “Yes...” Trenderhoof stumbled to keep up, as did the other members of Photo's clique. “I would love to hear your commentary on modern photographic art!” He beamed. “Especially with the refined words of an overseas princess!” “Uhhhhhh...” Rainbow's eyes twitched. She smiled as she stumbled down the stairs alongside Photo's bouncy figure. “You b-bet!” She gave her purse a slight jostle. “I'm just... chock-full of words to fling at your pictures... uhm...” Her lips twisted: “...gurlfriend?” Photo Finish giggled.