//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Rarity // Story: Nice Catch // by Night Princess //------------------------------// Twilight, as responsible as she was, didn't send the letter to Princess Luna. Instead it was sent to her Celestia, who just assumed it was a friendship report and read it. When she finished, she called her sister to her bedroom immediately. "Luna, Twilight Sparkle sent you a letter." The Princess of the Night seemed surprised. "Thank you, sister. What did she say?" "Something about you needing to do a better job choosing the dates." "Celestia!" Luna's lip extended, as it always did when she pouted. "I told you not to snoop through my mail! I don't read Twilight's letters to you!" "I never said you couldn't." Luna stuck her tongue out at her sister and then read the letter. "What are you doing to those ponies?" Celestia asked suspiciously. "Rewarding them. I'm arranging some blind dates. But they don't seem to be going too well." Luna pouted again. "She said Rarity was next? Oh, I have a suggestion for her date. I saw her talking with him once on Canterlot, and they looked like they admired each other." "Perfect! I'll talk to him immediately. I'm sure he'll be very pleased." ### Rarity was very excited for her date. Her dress was pale blue silk and dotted with shimmering diamonds. A silver tiara sat in her uniquely styled mane.  "I look fabulous," she said to herself. "This date absolutely cannot go wrong." Luna had told her to meet the mystery stallion at the Foal's River, which began in the Ponyville woods. A perfectly romantic place. Taking a taxi so she wouldn't get her dress dirty, Rarity began to wonder who her stallion would be. Luna was told to choose a gentlecolt, so he must become type of royalty. Oh, she couldn't wait!  She stepped out of the taxi in front of the river. It was surrounded by trees and beautiful flowers. Birds chirped, bees buzzed, and the sun shone through the trees. A gondola floated in the river, waiting to be used. It was beautiful. And romantic. And Rarity was alone. Where was that handsome stallion Luna promised? "I'm here, Miss Rarity! I'm not late, I'm right on time and not at all late!" "Oh no," Rarity mumbled. A colt stepped into the  clearing where she stood. He was wearing a dirty, sweaty white shirt and purple tie that looked like he slept in it. He smiled, revealing a huge buck tooth.  "Howdy, Miss Rarity!" "Hayseed Turnip Truck." She forced a smile. "Why, shucks, you remember ol' me! It's been a while, hasn't it, Miss Rarity. Since we met that time in Canterlot!" Rarity sighed. Of all the hillbilly, rednecked stallions, Luna had to chose him? Well, at least he was kind at least a little bit gentlecolt-like.  Hayseed helped Rarity into the gondola, and stepped in himself. He grabbed the oar and, wobbling, stood up. "Well, here we go, Miss Rarity!" He plunged the oar into the water and began to paddle. However, he only stuck the oar into the water on the right of the boat so they were turning in circles instead of going down the river.  "You look mighty purty, Miss Rarity! Didja make the dress yourself?" "Yes, yes I did." Rarity could only wish that this was all a mistake and her Prince Charming would appear in Turnip's place.  "I reckon all the colts you know are fallin' all over you, and you pick me to go out with!" Rarity was listening. She was imagining her knight in shining armor rescuing her from dragons calling her beautiful, fabulous, and treating her like a lady. "I really am honored, Miss Rarity! You're a real beautiful mare, and I'm a lucky guy!" The gondola spun in circles faster and faster as Hayseed Turnip Truck nervously paddled harder. Rarity was shaken out of her daydreams as the boat spun. "Slow down!" she yelled, but Turnip continued. "I know you know all those fancy-pantsy stallions, and you coulda picked one of em'-" he rattled on.  The boat continued to spin faster and faster, until Rarity leapt up and grabbed the oar from his hoof. The boat toppled over, sending both Rarity and Turnip into the freezing water.  She gasped for air and struggled to reach the riverbank. Turnip put his arms around her and swam as fast as he could until she was safely on land. She sputtered for a moment and tried to catch her breath as Turnip jumped on the shore next to her.  "Are you all right, Miss Rarity? I'm  so sorry, honest, I just don't know what went wrong..." Rarity stood up and brushed herself off. Her dress was drenched and ripped, and her hair was a mess. "Good day, Turnip," she said, walking away. "Goodbye." ### "Luna promised to send a stallion you knew and liked! She promised!" Twilight paced around the library frantically.  Rarity was wrapped in a blanket in front of the purple unicorn's fireplace. "I do know him. I met him in Ponyville about a year ago." She sneezed and moaned a little.  "But he wasn't a royal gentlecolt like she told me she'd give you!" Twilight groaned. "And Applejack is next. How is she supposed to get a perfect stallion for Applejack, the hardest of all of us, if she couldn't get your stallion right? This is an absolute disaster and if we don't do something the whole town could be affected!" "Twilight, you are overreacting. How in Equestria is the whole town going to be affected?" "I...don't...know! But I don't want to find out!" Twilight banged her head on the library wall. "We can't very well stop the Princess from setting up blind dates," Rarity pointed out.  The other unicorn lit up. "Rarity, you're a genius!"  "I know, darling."