//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Gala Dress // Story: The Story of 3 Hearts // by Flutterbat276 //------------------------------// I flew out of the TARDIS doors to head to Ponyville. It wasn't too far away, so I didn't mind the short flight. I walked into Rarity's boutique to pick up my order for my gala dress. "Rarity? You home?" No response from the unicorn I was searching for. I figured she was asleep, seeing as it was around nine in the morning. I knocked again and a bright green glow illuminated inside the window as the door opened to the boutique. "Oh, hello Sweetie Belle! How are you this morning?" I asked. She had her mane done in a ponytail and her flank bared a new cutiemark. It was the shield and a music note. "Oh, hi Derpy! I'm good, thanks. How's about yourself?" asked the mid sized pony. "I'm great, thanks. Recovery has gone well and I can fly well. I can't remember some things like the recipe for Banana Berry muffins or Blueberry, which is sad cause I love Blueberry muffins!" I said. "Sorry about that Derpy. Well, come inside! It's a bit chilly out there," said Sweetie Belle. A small brown colt came up holding a GameColt sysem. He had a propellor hate and his mane were a lighter shade of orangey brown than his coat. "Hello, Button Mash. How we you?" I said as I walked inside the boutique. "I'm good Derpy. You doin okay after recovery?" Button asked, putting the GameColt away in it's case. I nodded and asked why he was at the Carousel Boutique. "My mom got cancer last week and had Rarity take me in. She's been in the hospital undergoing a kidney transplant. They're having a hard time finding a donor with her blood type of O negative. She can't take blood from anypony other than that of her own, at least that's what the doctors told me," said Button, starting to choke up. "But I've been okay here, ever since Sweetie and I have been a thing." "That's so sad Button. I'm so sorry about your mom. I hope she does well. And that's great! You two are an item?" I said, pointing a hoof between the two ponies. "Well, yea! He asked me to be his marefriend one day when we got milkshakes. Here we are ten months later!" said Sweetie Belle, embracing her colt friend into a hug. He happily hugged her back and after a moment they let go of each other. "Derpy! Oh thank goodness you're here! I have your order ready upstairs!" Rarity called from the steps. Her mane was a bit messy, but otherwise she was her usual picture perfect self. Her makeup on point and coat groomed. "Morning Rarity. I see you've been asleep," I said as I walked up the stairs. "Heavens no! I've been up working since late last night. I took a couple naps in between my work, but otherwise I've been working nonstop on your dress to make absolute certain your onehundred percent satisfied with it!" Rarity said levitating a comb through her mane. "Oh you didn't have to do all that. I could've waited another day or two. After all the gala isn't until this Saturday, which is almost three days from now!" "Darling, this is fashion! Besides, if I waited and it wasn't to your liking I would have no time on my hooves to redesign the dress. Also I have me and my friends' dresses to worry about too. It was no trouble at all dear Derpy," Rarity said, finishing her mane. "Okay, I see your point," I said. "Now, what do you think?" Rarity levitated a maniquin with my dress to the middle of the room. I stared in awe at the dress in front of me. "It's perfect! Thank you Rarity!" "It was my pleasure darling. I also heard you had somepony going with you, somepony special perhaps?" Rarity said, winking. "You mean the Doctor? Yeah, why?" I asked as I started to try take the dress into the fitting area. "I've heard you have a thing for the stallion. He is easy on the eyes, so I don't blame you," Rarity said. "I think that you misunderstand this relationship we have. You see-" I never finished my thought. "Wait, relationship!" Rarity exclaimed, nearly making her voice crack out of its usual British flare. I blushed realizing what I had just said. "N-no! Not like that Rarity!" I argued. "So he and you are friends?" Rarity asked in a tone that told me she didn't believe me. "Yes. Just friends going to hang out at the gala. It's nothing more or less. Just. Friends," I said. "Alright. I see...but I can't help but notice that your face is a delightful shade of pink now," Rarity said looking at me. I had gotten the dress on and my face was burning up pink. My ears felt like they were the same way. "I-I am?" "Yes. Yes you are. Now be honest Derpy. Do you like him as more than a friend or not?" Rarity asked me. "N...yes..I do. He's all I think about. Even in my coma I only thought about him. Even having a whole dream about a relationship I fantasized with him! We were going to be married, but I woke up right before the kiss happened," I said reluctantly. Rarity stared at me. "What?" "Darling...I thought I knew what love was, but I apparently didn't! You are truly in love with this Doctor, aren't you?" Rarity said. "Yes. I'd trade all the muffins in the world for him. If it meant he'd be happy, I'd do anything. And what do you mean 'you thought you knew love'?" I asked her. "I always had crushes on ponies, like Trenderhoof and BlueBlood. It never lasted long and I moved on fairly easily. I guess it was just a silly filly crush, but never a true feeling of love or connection," Rarity said glumly. She gasped, "Derpy! I know what you must do! You must tell him how you feel before somepony else does! The gala is the perfect opportunity! Take it and he may actually like you back!" "Rarity, it's awkward now. We aren't dating, but he's already kissed me when I woke up! I thought it was just him being excited, but I don't know for certain. What do I do!" I exclaimed. "Darling he's kissed you! On the lips!?" "Yes!!" "Darling he probably does like you!" Rarity said just as excited as I was the moment he did kiss me. "Maybe, but knowing him, he probably was just excited," I said, blushed deep red. "He likes you, no doubt, but you could ask him at the gala to be certain if you so desire." "I will," I said remembering the gala dream I had in my year of coma. I sighed and took off my dress. Rarity levitated it and put it in a bag. "You said something earlier Rarity about him?" "Easy on the eyes?" Rarity asked. "No, before that," I said "Oh yes, I made him a tuxedo for the event. I hope he likes it, but it's nothing too extreme. A simple modern British type with the tail. Would you like to see it?" Rarity explained. "That'd be nice, thank you," I replied. She led me out of the room. I was flying holding the bagged dress in my hooves. "Here it is! What do you think?" Rarity said, opening a curtain to a tuxedo of her description. I noticed that the tail would reach the floor in its current state. "Rarity, do you mind trimming the tail down a smidge? It's a bit long," I said. "Sure thing darling," said Rarity, her horn illuminating as she cast a spell on the tuxedo. "An inch or two, Miss Doo?" "Um, maybe a half foot will do." "Alright, six inches off the tail we go!" Rarity said, her horn lit up bright. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light of her horn. When I opened my eyes, the tail was shorter, fully stitched and unwrinkled. I looked at Rarity, whose mane was messy and her horn smoking the massive exertion of magical energy. It was like my dream with the wedding dress. "Rarity! Are you alright!" I said, seeing her a little shaky. "Never better. Anyways, that is a new spell Twilight and I have been preparing for ages! She calls it 'Spell 23R' which I believe stands for Rarity! I am 23 years old after all," Rarity said, getting up shakily. I helped her up and got her to her room to lay down. "Thank you Derpy. Have the suits on me. You move had a rough week so far and I know you don't have a job to work at for now," Rarity said. "Are you sure? I have a few bits that you can take for your work!" "No no, it's on me. Have them!" "Well, alright Rarity. Thank you for your generosity!" She giggled at me and said, "Darling, that's why I represent the Element of Generosity!" I left after a small charge with Sweetie Belle and Button Mash. As I walked into the TARDIS, I was surprised by confetti and balloons all around me!