Happiness and Tears
RDcrystalheart
Chapter 11: Love All Around
"You look gorgeous, darling!" Rarity exclaimed, admiring her work as she stared at Applejack. The orange mare blushed lightly, before bowing in respect.
"Gotta thank ya' again, Rarity," she said. "Without you, I don't know how I would look right now."
"Oh nonsense, I'm sure you'd have looked splendid, even without my help!" Rarity said, before a certain cyan mare entered the room. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened upon seeing her best friend in her dress.
"Wowie, AJ," Dash said, whistling. "Key won't be able to take his eyes off of you."
"Oh shut up," Applejack mumbled, though she had to admit her dress did look amazing on her. It was a long white one, with light frills on the edges. She had a small cowboy hat on her mane; an ivory one. "Don't you two have to get ready too?"
Rarity's eyes widened. "Oh you're absolutely right!" she exclaimed, looking over to Rainbow Dash who just shrugged.
"Eh, I'm in no hurry to get in a dress," she said. Rarity rolled her eyes.
"Isn't there somepony you'd like to impress tonight?" she asked with a knowing look. Dash quirked her eyebrows.
"What? Who?" she asked, clearly confused. Rarity chuckled.
"Applejack told me all about your crush for that Wonderbolt boy," she said. Dash's eyes widened as she looked over to the cowgirl who was silently laughing.
"What?!" she exclaimed. "What are you talking about? I don't-"
"Oh darling, don't even try denying it," Rarity said, before ushering them both out the room with a frantic wave of her hooves. "Now go on, I put your dress in the spare room upstairs, best get ready, don't you think?"
"Yeah, whatever," Dash said dumbly, opening her wings and taking off into the air.
Rainbow Dash admired herself in the mirror of the small room. Her dress was absolutely perfect, and suited her quite nicely, too.
It was a simple white dress with a light pink tinge to it. Two long golden shoes covered her front hooves, and her mane was held back with a brace resting behind her ears. Her mane was combed out and down, pulled forward and the top resting on her forehead. Her wings were freshly waxed and polished, giving off a shine of their own.
She truly looked stunning.
"Lookin' beautiful, Princess," someone chirped from the doorway. Dash's eyes quickly widened as she immediately registered the voice and turned around to lay her eyes on a baby-blue colt. He was wearing his Wonderbolt formal attire suit, and hosting a smirk on his lips.
Dash groaned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, turning back around to fix the golden brace in her mane. Soarin raised his eyebrows.
"The wedding's about to start, and ponies were beginning to wonder where you were," he said. "Never did I imagine you were up here fixing your outfit."
"Oh shut up," Dash said with a roll of her eyes. She propped up and trotted over to him. "Let's go then, shall we?"
Soarin nodded, before pulling something out of his suit.
"Before we do, I wanted to give you this," he said. Dash gasped as a giant red rose emerged in his hooves. He smiled, before clipping it onto the front of her dress. She blushed.
"Oh... I... thank you," she mumbled, her face turning bright red. Soarin's smile widened cutely.
"No problem, Dashie," he said, pecking her cheek.
I knew it! I just knew it! Dash thought to herself. He really is after my shop. All this intimacy... this affection... there's only one real solution for it all...
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss," Twilight said, closing a heavy book and watching Applejack and Key close the gap between them.
Dash grinned widely, looking upon the scene. She was so proud of her best friend; she knew she couldn't be any happier.
"You look... engaged," Soarin piped up from besides her. Dash rolled her eyes.
"AJ did it. She actually did it!" she exclaimed, squeeing in delight, and choosing to ignore the stallion's remark. Soarin smirked.
"Oh? Were your expectations for her that low?" he asked with a cunning smile. "What a friend you must be."
"Oh shut up," Dash repeated from earlier.
Later on, Dash made her way to the refreshment table, where she immediately began picking up some random junk to treat herself.
"Quite the sweet-tooth, aren't we Princess?" Soarin said, coming up from behind her. Dash groaned.
"Why are you here anyway? How are you in any way related to the bride and groom?" she asked. Soarin chuckled fondly.
"Well, as a matter of fact, Applejack herself invited me," he replied causally. Dash's jaw dropped. "She said I should take it as an opportunity to spend time with you, actually."
"What?!" Dash exclaimed, slumping down in her place. It made so much more sense now...
"Look, what you want from me... I can't give you," Dash said, sighing. She needed to get right down to business. Soarin hummed in confusion.
"What? Why not?" he said, taking her hoof and giving her a lustful expression. Of course, he had thought she was talking about something completely different. Dash's body twitched beneath him.
"I just.. can't, okay? Dad wouldn't let me," she said, thinking up a lame excuse. Soarin rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry," he started in a husky whisper. "I'll get permission from him."
"No, Soarin. I'm sorry, but my shop is mine, and I'm not going to let you-"
"Wait... your shop?" Soarin cut in. "Who said anything about your shop?"
Dash sighed in frustration.
"You did! Remember? All this intimacy... this affection, you really thought I didn't notice any of it? Seriously?!" she softly yelled. Soarin grumbled something under his breath; it was inaudible.
"Oh come on..." he said. "I'm being so obvious it's hard to be more discreet!"
"Agh, just leave me alone, and remember, you're not getting my shop," Dash said finally, turning and trotting away from him. But she didn't get very far before Soarin grabbed her hoof and pulled her back towards him.
"Hey hey, where do you think you're going? I wasn't finished with you, you know," he whispered. Rainbow Dash gasped as she was released from Soarin's strong hold.
"Uh..." she stammered out. Soarin's face suddenly erupted in the biggest smirk he could muster.
He quickly reached into his suit and pulled out a velvet box, opening it, and showing what was inside to the mare. Dash gasped as she saw a golden ring.
"Wha... w-w-what?" she gasped out. Soarin smiled cheekily.
"Seems like a wedding is the perfect place to propose a wedding, eh?" he asked, looking at Dash's heavy blush.
"S-S-S-Soar-rin?" she said, stuttering. Soarin held his pose for a little while longer, before he burst into a fit of giggles.
"Just messin' with ya!" he said, pulling another large smirk as he saw her face turn bright red in embarrassment and anger. Dash quickly looked away.
It was a hayfry. Soarin had tried to trick her with a hayfry.
"Haha, very funny," Dash mumbled in annoyance. Soarin laughed.
"Y-Y--You're right! It-It-It is funny!" he exclaimed. Dash rolled her eyes, before crossing her hooves and attempting to walk away again. Unfortunately, Soarin grabbed her hoof again.
"Soarin, let go of me," Dash said. Soarin shook his head, and pulled her closer, she was facing away from him, and his chest touched her back.
"Listen..." he whispered. "Listen real closely..." Dash looked up into his eyes with a confused look. "That shop of yours... that I'll end up getting anyway."
Dash smiled upon hearing his teasing remark, she gave him one final look, before twisting out of his hooves and trotting away with a small grin.