How did ah get mahself into this one? Applejack stood in the middle of Rarity’s boutique. Try as she might, Applejack couldn't understand half of what Rarity was spouting off.
“Now darling, this really isn’t so hard. You push the pedal down here, and that makes the machine run.”
Word word word word word, Really Rares That’s... Applejack blinked. How did she manage to get recruited for a project like this? How did... the last twenty-four hours happen?! One moment she was on her farm, the next working Rarity’s boutique, then Twilight was an alicorn? What the hay happened?!
“Are you even listening? We don’t have much time ‘till the coronation!”
Applejack nodded. “Uh... tryin’.”
Rarity sighed. “Really, if something like... that,” her ears laid back, “happened again...” She trailed off shivering.
Applejack blushed, tipping the brim of the hat down to cover her face.
“Now, I know you look fine in brown, but for Twilight’s coronation dress, we need a color that would go fabulously with her coat.” Rarity eyed the fabrics on her shelf.
“Uh... the purple one?” Applejack supplied.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “No, That would blend in! I would no more put her in purple than I would put you in orange! At least not as the main color, darling. The color of your coat must be at most an accent color!”
Applejack blinked. “Alright.”
“Aha! I know! This will be just FABULOUS!” Rarity gushed, holding up in her magic a pink colored silk. At least Applejack thought it was silk.
“If ya say so, Rares,” the orange farm mare said, somewhat confused.
“Oh! It will just be fabulous. Now go get me... oh, yellow. Twilight looks just perfectly alluring in yellow, don’t you agree? Yellow ribbon. It will look just gorgeous!”
Applejack scratched the back of her head. “Sure, Rarity.” She shook her head. How had she gotten drafted into helping Rarity with such an important project like a coronation dress or, more importantly, Twilight’s coronation dress? There was no way she could do this! Didn’t Rarity figure that out yesterday?
She walked slowly over to Rarity’s collection of ribbons. There were hundreds. Applejack tilted her head in confusion as there were almost 30 different shades of yellow on the shelf. “Uh, Rarity, which yellow?”
“Unmellow Yellow, darling.”
Applejack turned to look at her. “Which is that?”
“Just pick the one that is the same color as your tail.”
Applejack groaned. “Alright Rarity...” That narrowed the search down to four.... or was it five? “Uh, Rarity? Why don’t ah bring a couple... and let ya decide?”
“That’s fine, darling... just bring it over here.” Rarity’s attention, however, was very much on a group of white fabrics. Applejack shook her head and brought the three she thought were best and laid them on Rarity’s sewing table.
Rarity, having chosen her white cloth, turned and looked puzzled at the ribbon lying on the table. “Did I say ribbon, darling? What was I thinking?” She shook her head. “This shade, but fabric. Make sure it’s the same texture as these two. Mixing types is not fashionable in the least.”
Applejack nodded, still very puzzled. How did ah get myself into this?
The group followed Twilight into her treehouse after waving a quick goodbye to Princess Celestia. They were all still somewhat in awe by the goings on of the day.
Applejack had been walking the closest to Twilight, being the steadying force she always was, ready just in case Twilight needed to talk. Rarity was going on and on about how fabulous Twilight looked with her wings. Rainbow Dash was telling Twilight all about the “awesome” adventures they were going to have flying. Fluttershy was following silently, obviously lost in thought. Pinkie Pie.... well she was just being herself, jabbering about the wings, working Applejack’s farm, and trying to plan the entire coronation, including streamers and balloons and music... and everything else Pinkie Pie would talk about. Which was everything.
Rarity’s starlit eyes twinkled as she gazed about, Spike now resting on her back. “Oh darling! I can’t believe it! You are a princess!” she repeated for the hundredth time.
Twilight rolled her eyes, her head dropping a bit. “Yeah,” she said simply.
“That what I was going to say! We need a party, A Ponyville- No! Equestria-sized party!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Of course, darling,” Rarity sighed. “It’s called a coronation.”
Pinkie Pie did several cartwheels around the room, giggling and chattering.
Twilight and the others shook their heads. “Um, Twilight,” asked Spike. “If you are a princess now, what does that mean... about everything else?”
Twilight sighed and hung her head. “I don’t know, Spike. We’ll... just have to see.” She laid her crown on the table in the center of the room and sat down. Applejack sat down right beside her.
“Are ya’ alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
Twilight nodded. “Long day.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Really!” Her voice cracked. “We just traded jobs so you could get a pair of wings!”
“Not funny RD,” Applejack snapped.
Pinkie Pie snorted. “It was almost funnier than... when we turned GRAY!”
Everypony’s ears went back. Dash cringed, Applejack hid behind her hat, and Rarity and Fluttershy both blushed.
“Uh, Pinkie...” Twilight suggested. “Let’s not think about that.”
Pinkie continued to giggle. “Why? It was funny.”
The others just shook their heads. Rarity started to slowly just meander around. Applejack turned her focus back to Twilight. “Twi, ya don’t have ta be so tense! You’ll get through it. You’re Twilight Sparkle!"
Twilight sighed, pulling one of her wings around so she could look at it. “I guess.”
“AHHHHH!” A blood curdling scream echoed about the library. Five ponies leapt to their hooves, the dragon to his feet, as they thundered up the stairs.
Rarity stood before Twilight’s closet, holding up one of the outfits with a look of horror on her face. “OH DARLING! This is The. Worst. Possible. Thing that could ever happen!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, the group coming to an abrupt stop. “And what is that?”
“You can no longer wear ANYTHING I have ever made you.”
Twilight was taken aback.
“PPPFT!” Dash fell to the floor rolling in laughter. “That! THAT! Rarity!”
Rarity shot Dash the death glare. “Yes! Twilight not only has outgrown all of her clothing, but until I get wing holes in them, she won’t be able to wear them!”
“Twi didn’t grow that much,” Applejack stated flatly.
“Yeah,” Pinkie said, grabbing one of Twilight’s wings and pulling it out. Twilight glared and forcefully removed Pinkie and folded her wings.
Pinkie, completely unfazed continued without interruption. “Only about a lot.”
Rarity glared, Rainbow Dash laughed, Twilight rolled her eyes, and Applejack gave Pinkie the stink eye.
“Um... if”
“Darling! You are a Princess now! I will not have you wearing malfitting clothing.”
“Guys...”
“Really Rarity.” Rainbow Dash shot back. “All that screaming over a DRESS!”
Rarity put her hoof to her forehead. “Dash! How could-”
Twilight laid a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “You are right, Rarity,” she said, trying not to laugh at the antics of her friends. “It is horrible! And-”
Rarity stopped her. “Darling! I could not possibly forgive myself if I did not remedy this situation.”
Twilight smiled. “Well then Rarity, w-"
“Of course, darling! We can’t have you running around with your wings pinned down and the dress too short! That just would never do! And that is why I’m going to get Applejack to help me.”
“What?!” they all cried together.
“Why am ah gunna help? Ah don’t remember volunteerin’. Don’t ya remember today?!”
“Of course, darling, I remember today! Dear Applejack, the only way we can prevent you from... destroying my shop again is to teach you how to sew. And I can’t think of any other way to do it!”
Applejack was at a loss for words. “Me! Ah... don’t know, Rarity, if that’s uh... good idea.”
“Nonsense! It’s a very good idea. And while we are at it, we’ll make Twilight’s coronation dress,” Rarity cooed, collecting all of the outfits from Twilight’s closet and packing it it into a chest.
The others were speechless.
“Besides, darling, we have helped you with your farm enough times. It’s time you learned the magnificent art of sewing.”
Rainbow Dash leaned over to Applejack and Twilight, her laughing fit having ceased. “Didn’t she learn anything today?”
Twilight and Applejack exchanged glances. “Obviously not.”
Applejack still, almost twenty-four hours and two ruined outfits later, was very confused. What had Rarity been thinking?!
CRACK!
Applejack was yanked away from the machine by Rarity.
“Hey!” Applejack exclaimed. “What happened?”
Rarity swished her tail. “You were pulling to hard on it, Applejack. The machine doesn’t like that. You have to be gentle with it.”
Applejack sighed, and sat back down beside Rarity. She watched as Rarity worked the machine with the precision only accomplished after years of use.
“Now, darling, first of all, you need to allow the machine to move the fabric. You are directing, not moving.”
“What?”
Rarity shook her head. “I know you are a pony that likes to show off your muscles.”
“Ah do not!”
A giggle was heard from the front door. The two mares glanced up as three streaks, orange, yellow, and white, were seen making a quick retreat.
The friends looked at one another, then shook their heads. “Alright Rares. So Ah... guide....” She gulped.
“Of course, darling, don’t let your thread get tangled either, and make sure you keep a five eighths inch seam allowance...”
Applejack’s head spun as Rarity went on with the little rules. How did she remember all this?
“RARITY!”
“What is it, Applejack?”
“Um...” Applejack held up the piece she had been working on. “Ah think ah have a problem.”
Rarity smiled. “You ran out of Bobbin.”
“Bobbin?”
“Of course, darling. Bobbin! The bottom thread! How else do you think this works?”
--------------
“Pin it twice, sew it once, darling!”
Rarity sighed. “Applejack, you can’t just grab fabric and sew it together! Trust me, the seam ripper is a dreaded tool to use. Now, the way you prevent having to use it is by using lots of pins.”
“Won’t it poke ya?” Applejack asked.
“It might!” Rarity answered. “But that is part of sewing.”
“Heh, Ah’m guessin’ ya’ve never been poked.”
“Quite the contrary.” She turned her hoof over and pointed out a couple pin prick scars. “You just cover it with hoof polish and nopony will ever know.”
--------------------------
Slowly, the dress shaped together. Applejack frequently found herself, seam ripper in hoof, taking out basting stitches as Rarity called them, loose seams that she had put in so to make a ruffle, or hold a couple more challenging seams together.
Frills and ruffles, stitch by stitch, the pink, yellow, and white gown came together. Applejack, all the while gaining a greater understanding, and appreciation of Rarity’s line of work.
With a great deal of anxiety Applejack stood beside Rarity waiting to see Twilight’s reaction to the final product. The Dress, last night, had been a wreck. Applejack was almost biting her hooves in fear of Twilight’s reaction.
“Easy, darling. You did a fine job,” Rarity reassured her.
“Ah ain’t sure about that, Rarity. Ah sure made a lot of mistakes.”
“It was indeed rocky, but it came out well,” Rarity reassured.
Applejack studied Rarity for a second before pulling her hat down. Sighing, she fought her body’s desire to fall asleep. How did Rarity do this?
She snapped to attention as the bell on the door chimed, and the rest of the group and Spike entered.
“I’m so excited!” Pinkie blurted out, bouncing about the shop in a fit of ADHD.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she strived to look cool. “It’s just a dress, Pinkie,” she said, unsuccessfully keeping her own excitement from her voice.
Applejack glanced to the big, white sheet that kept the gown from view. “Ah just hope you gals ain’t too disappointed,” she said, gazing at her hooves.
“Applejack darling! Don’t say such things!” Rarity chided her. “It’s fabulous.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ah guess.”
“Don’t worry Applejack, I’m sure it’s pretty...” Fluttershy soothed.
“Heh, it’s just a dress,” Dash added.
Twilight smiled, “Don’t worry Applejack, you had a good teacher. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“So, darling, are you ready for the big reveal?” Rarity asked.
The group nodded. With a flourish of her magic, she revealed not only the elegant dress, but five more for the rest of them.
Ooos and awes, and several gasps went around the group. Rarity quickly busied herself with double checking fits on all of them. Even Rainbow Dash had nothing negative to say about the dresses.
---------------
Applejack was the last to leave the shop.“Rarity,” Applejack began. “Ah... have a question. Um... well...” She removed her hat. “Did ya... fix the dress last night?”
Rarity blinked. “What makes you think that, darling?”
“Well, um... it looked different, that’s all.”
Rarity nodded. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Yes Applejack, I did. No offence, but I did go back over it last night, redoing all the worst areas. It is still your work, I just... fixed the noticeable spots.”
Applejack nodded. “Thanks... Ah guess... ah...” She sighed.
Rarity nodded knowingly. “Don’t worry, Applejack, I won’t tell.”
Applejack opened her mouth to protest, but Rarity shooed her out the door. Applejack shook her head. “Ya’ can tell if ya wish. Ya know ah hate tellin’ lies... but, thank ya for... fixin’ it.”
“What are friends for?” Rarity cooed.
After a quick farewell, Applejack departed to her own home to finish preparing for Twilight’s big day.