• Published 9th Nov 2013
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The Epic Quest of Ford Mustang - RoyalRainbow



Over a year has passed since his arrival, and Ford Mustang is prepared to ask Rainbow Dash for her hoof in marriage. But when an unknown force of darkness emerges, it's up to Ford to save not only his loved ones, but the world as well.

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Chapter 31 – Planning for the Big Day

Chapter 31 – Planning for the Big Day

After a couple of days from reconnecting with their friends and family back in Ponyville, while also taking part in all of Pinkie Pie’s parties just like they promised, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash are finally getting started with planning their big wedding event. In their living room, the coffee table is littered with various notes, flyers, and pamphlets. Rainbow is lazily reclined to one end of the cloudy sofa while on the other side of their couch, Ford is glued to a revised checklist that he's been scribbling on his notepad for quite some time.

“Okay, let’s go over this one more time.” he notifies his bored-out-of-her-mind fiancée.

As expected, Rainbow groans from having to endure this tediousness as she whines without even getting up, “Do we have to? If we need somepony to check it over again, we could have gone to Twilight for that!”

With a witty smile, he responds, “Okay then, perhaps you would like to take care of all the planning and paperwork instead of me.”

Her ears perk up before she stares at her smirking partner with the “are-you-serious” look on her face. Without putting up much of a fight on that subject, she gives in with a roll of her eyes as she smirks right back, “Sigh… Carry away, Mr. Wedding Planner.”

After she slides closer to him, Ford smiles over her cooperation as he goes over the finalized checklist one last time. “Okay so… we’ll have our wedding in Canterlot Castle as our sign of our appreciation for the Princesses taking care all of our expenses.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Vinyl and Octavia will be in charge of music.”

“Yep.”

“Pinkie Pie will take care of the wedding cake as well as reception party, of course.”

“Of course.” she smirks knowingly.

“Fluttershy will help out with the flower arrangements.”

“Sure.”

“Applejack will be in charge of all the food the event will cater towards.”

“Mm-hmm…” she concurs as she eagerly licks her chops over the grand feast in mind.

“Twilight Sparkle will conduct the wedding ceremony for us.”

Heh, won’t she be surprised.”

“And Rarity will undoubtedly be the one to create all of the dresses for you and the bridesmaids.”

“Right, so now we’ve finally agreed on everything, what’s the next step from here?”

“Well then… how about we visit some of our friends and discuss them on what we have planned so far?”

Excited to go outside for a change, she agrees, “Yeah, sounds good!” But as they get up from their seats, Rainbow nearly forgets something she wants to discuss first before they head out. “Oh wait, Ford! We forgot one other thing!”

“What’s that, Rainbow?” he asks as they sit back down.

“My… maid of honor.” she answers hesitantly.

“Oh… right. I guess you have a tough choice to make there, huh?”

“Actually, I reduced my choices down to two ponies thankfully. But it’s still so hard to decide from there.” she confirms rather halfheartedly.

“Really? Who are they?”

“Applejack and Fluttershy.”

The speechless Mustang blinks a few times before he responds in an understanding astonishment, “Wow… those really are some tough decisions to make.”

“I don’t know what do from there.” she sighs in a slightly dismayed manner. “I mean… Fluttershy is my very first friend since we were fillies, but Applejack is a lot fun to hang out due to our shared competitiveness and athleticism. Plus, both of them are someponies I would turn to for advice or comfort, whether it’s for Fluttershy’s kindness or AJ’s honesty. They’re both my closest friends and I don’t want to hurt the other if they take it the wrong way.”

Ford ponders on this as he hopes to help resolve this with Rainbow, but he’s afraid on picking one over the other just like Rainbow is. Then he realized that he himself hasn’t decided a “best man” just yet. And upon that realization, a bright smile stretches across on his face as he suggests it to his indecisive fiancée.

“I think I might have an idea that can work out for both of us.”

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With their plans set in motion, they split up to take care of their errands. Ford Mustang would visit Applejack and Pinkie Pie, while Rainbow Dash would visit Fluttershy and Rarity. Late that morning, the Pegasus mare knew exactly on where to find her first friend.

Ever since Fluttershy has moved in with her husband, Big Macintosh, in Sweet Apple Acres, she has converted her old cottage home into a free-ranged animal shelter. So nearly everyday, the yellow Pegasus would take the time to stop by and check on her animal friends, whether they are domestic or wild.

Upon arrival, Rainbow is surprised to see so many animals roaming around Fluttershy’s old home. Even from a bird’s eye view, the blue Pegasus has a hard time counting and verifying every animal off the top of her head. As the multitude of critters continue with their rowdiness, Fluttershy exit out of her former home and hovers around the crowding animals while she carries around two big bowls stacked on top of another.

“Alright, my little friends.” she says to them sweetly. “Don’t push now. There will be plenty of food for everyone.”

Laying them on the ground, the animal caretaker distributes two different dishes: fresh vegetables for the rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ducks, and turtles (tortoises included) and mixed nuts and berries for the other rodents and birds. As the hungry critters happily chow down, Rainbow approaches her pleasant friend.

“Hey, Fluttershy. Seems like you’re as busy as always.” she greets with a smirk.

“Oh good morning, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here on this nice, sunny day?”

“Ooh… nothing much.” the hovering Pegasus answers with a casual smile. “Just going outside for a nice flight and figured that I should stop by and see how one of my best friends is doing.” Then, she looks around the countless critters gathering around as she whistles with astonishment. “Wow… there sure are a lot of animals out here today!”

“Why yes. There was a lot for me to do once we got back to Ponyville. The poor dears have certainly missed me since my absence.” she coos about them in a motherly tone.

“Well since I’m here, maybe I could help you out around here.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you, Dashie!”

Throughout the rest of their morning, the two Pegasi take care of all the regular chores ranging from feeding the rest of the animals to grooming them. Later on, they are in chicken coop as they spread minced corn to the clucking hens, roosters, and chicks.

“So Rainbow, how’s everything coming along for you and Ford lately?” Fluttershy asks before she reverts to her predictable timidness. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Pretty good actually. We’ve confirmed some of our wedding plans and have split up to discuss them with our friends.”

“Well, if there is anything I can do for you, I would be more than happy to help out in anyway I can.”

“I know I can always count on you, Fluttershy. Which is why I’ve chosen you to help out with the flower arrangements.”

“Really? I mean… I really appreciate that, but are you sure that I’m qualified for such a daunting task?” the pink-haired mare inquires with slight uneasiness.

“Of course!” Rainbow nods with an eager grin. “Your knowledge with flowers is only second best to your natural talent with animals! Plus, your attention to detail is just as good as Rarity’s!”

“Umm… okay.” Fluttershy accepts with a bashful smile. “But will it be okay if I ask the girls from the flower shops if they can help me out with this?”

“Sure, the more the merrier!” Suddenly, Dash grins widely as she brings up her reason on why she is here in the first place. “Oh, by the way, I’ve got another job for you!”

“A-another one?”

“Yep! It’s something even more important than taking care of the flowers for me!” she emphasizes greatly.

“More important than that?” Fluttershy’s legs start to shake a little from imagining a heavier responsibility than flower arrangements.

“Mm-hmm… Care to guess on what that is?” Rainbow asks with a teasing grin.

“Oh… I don’t think I want to know actually.” she responds in a quiet voice.

“Being my maid of honor, of course!”

“M-m-me?! R-really?!” she stammers in shock.

“Yeah totally! I know that you would be perfect for this role!”

Frozen with shock at first, the sensitive mare gradually breaks into tears as she turns away shamefully and hides her face with her long, pink hair. Concerned by this, Rainbow approaches her suddenly weeping friend as she does her best to comfort her.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Fluttershy? I thought you would be happy to receive such an honor from somepony as awesome as me!”

In spite of her tears running down her face, Fluttershy is actually smiling gratefully, which adds more confusion over this. “I am happy! Really! It means so very much for you to pick me as your maid of honor!” Then, her smile diminishes as she confesses something to the confusing Rainbow Dash. “It's just that… I honestly thought that you rather choose somepony else since I… I… I picked Rarity as the maid of honor for my wedding!”

“Hey hey… come on now.” the comforting athlete embraces the tearful mare. “I thought we were past that. I know how close you and Rarity have been since when you first moved to Ponyville before me. So it was practically a no-brainer for you to choose her as your maid of honor instead of me.”

“Actually, Rarity made me Pinkie Promised her that she can be my maid of honor once Big Mac and I announced our engagement. She was so excited about it that I couldn’t bear to break that oath for her.”

Rainbow chuckles lightly as she says to her recovering friend. “You really are too kind for your own good, Fluttershy. Well either way, I know that you’ll do awesome as my chief bridesmaid when that day arrives!”

“Umm… speaking of which, was there anypony else you were considering?” she asks concernedly.

Seeing that question as not much of a big deal, Rainbow responds nonchalantly, “Well there was Applejack but…”

“Oh, maybe you should have her be the maid of honor instead of me.” Fluttershy worries immensely. “I mean, I’m certain she’ll do a much better job at it than I will.”

Assertively, Rainbow grabs the shy mare by the shoulders and assures her, “Now you listen to me, Fluttershy! This is my wedding, so I call the shots around here! And if AJ has a problem with choosing you over her, then she’s gonna have to take it up with me, not you!” Fluttershy is quite surprised by that bold statement, so Rainbow eases up by breaking into a gentle grin as she concludes, “So you have nothing to fret about, okay?”

Once she gives it some thought on what Rainbow had to say, Fluttershy lets out a small smile before she nods simply as her answer. Smiling widely over her close friend’s acceptance, Rainbow adds one last thing with an all-knowing wink to her.

“And besides, Ford has it all taken care of.”

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Meanwhile, in the famed farmlands of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Ford Mustang are out in the orchards as the stallion helps out the farmpony with one of her daily chores. Like Fluttershy, Applejack and her reunited family has a lot to makeup with their unintentional absence, so the orange Earth Pony is very grateful for Ford’s additional help as well as for the company. As time went on, they bucked their last trees before they start stacking their baskets of apples onto the wooden carts nearby.

“Thank ya kindly for helpin’ me out with the apples this morning, Ford.” Applejack says with a very gracious smile. “It’s been awhile since we worked together like this, hasn’t it?”

“Eeyup. Just like old times.” he replies with a warm, reminiscing smile on his face. “Heh, I was almost afraid that you would never let me back in the orchards again.”

“So long as ya don’t knock any more trees down like last time.” she smirks knowingly at him.

Almost shivering on that grim reminder, Ford shrugs it off as he says with a reassuring grin, “Trust me, AJ. I’ve got everything under control now.”

“Yeah, Ah’ll bet.”

After a goodhearted chuckle between the two, Ford then takes the moment to share his recent idea regarding with Applejack. “Anyway, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“What is it, sugarcube?”

“Well first of all, Rainbow Dash and I would very much appreciate it if you help out with the banquet for our wedding.”

“Why Ah would be honored to cater for your wedding, Ford! You know you can always count on me and my family whenever ya need something!”

“Actually, there’s something else I need to ask of you.” he states it in a more sheepish tone.

“Yes?”

Hesitantly, he begins his statement while rubbing the back of his head with a fore hoof. “Well… I just want to inform you… that Rainbow’s been having a hard time deciding on who should be her maid of honor… so I thought that it’s only fair to let you know… that we’ve made our final decision with Fluttershy over you.”

She blinks in mild shock over Ford’s news, but to his surprise, AJ bears a comforting smile to the wary stallion as she responds understandably, “Oh, that’s quite alright, sugarcube. Ah ain’t gonna blame you or RD over something as trivial as that. Ah’m sure that Fluttershy will make a great maid of honor for her. Ah mean, Ah’m still gonna be one of the bridesmaids at least, right?”

Uncomfortably, Ford struggles with his hesitant response, “Yeah… about that… we’ve talked about this and we figured that--!”

But once he looks back at Applejack, he pauses on what he is about to say as he sees the vast amount of hurt in those emerald eyes of hers. Despite showcasing her immense frustration on this supposedly heartbreaking decision, her anger wasn’t enough to cover up her hurt feelings as her eyes desperately try to hold her tears back.

While Ford is completely petrified by her mixed reaction, AJ takes the opportunity to demand an answer out of him, “Wh-What?! But why?! Ah’m one of her closest friends! Why would you two decide against that for me?!”

“Because I was hoping to have you as my best mare instead.”

Immediately, all of her negative feelings wash away as Applejack is utterly speechless by Ford’s quiet response. While the orange mare is still recovering from this astonishing revelation, the light blue stallion progressively carries on with a proper explanation to his previous statement.

“Listen Applejack… when I first came to this world, you and your family were so kind to take me in and give me a home during my stay. And later on, you’ve treated and accepted me as a member of the family. Despite all of your teasing I had to put up with, it’s actually one of the many things I’ve enjoyed about you. And what’s more, you’ve been there to give me sound advice whenever I need it the most. To me, you’re the closest thing I ever have as a sister. And it would mean the whole world to me if you would be my best mare for our wedding.”

After he finishes his say in the matter, Ford is quite discomfited by Applejack’s overly blank, wide-eyed expression. Disheartened by her frozen reaction, he lets out a soft sigh before he says to her, “But look… if you really want to be a bridesmaid, I understand. Maybe I’ll just ask Big Mac to be my best stallion instead--!”

At once, the emotional Applejack charges forward at breakneck speed, and she grapples the staggered stallion before lifting him up in the air and tightening up her iron-grip around his torso. As Ford is completely baffled by her sudden change of heart, AJ continues to strongly shake him around while she greatly expresses her overwhelming joy over this honorary position she has just been given.

“Oh, thank you!” she exclaims with a few gratifying tears streaming out of her joyful eyes. “Thank you! Thank you! Ah can't tell ya on how much this means to me! Of course Ah’ll be your best mare!”

Thankful to hear her accepting his offer as the wedding's best mare, Ford happily returns the favor as he comfortingly embraces his sisterly friend. Despite how overwhelmingly strong she is whilst he’s still in her vice grip, he could hardly cares about that as his Draconian Magic can easily adjust his resistance to her strength.

Once they have resolved this over a big, fraternal hug, they finish packing up their overstuffed carts and mosey on back to Sweet Apple Acres. Along the way, Applejack contemplates on something she has been thinking about since Ford and Rainbow’s wedding announcement. With all the courage she can muster, she shares her thoughts with the Pegasus next to her.

“Say Ford… Since we’re talkin’ about weddings here, mind if Ah ask for something that might be a bit foolhardy on my part?”

“Sure AJ. What do you have in mind?”

Embarrassingly, she hesitates on expressing her plan to the puzzling stallion, so instead, she leans and whispers it into his ear. As she explains her hushed proposal even further, his turquoise eyes grow widely as she goes over the astonishing details. Once she is finished, AJ is extremely flustered by what she has just said to him. As for Mustang, he blinks silently over Applejack’s spontaneous idea while bearing a mild blush on his face, but then, he breaks into a wide smile as he reassures the blushing mare with his approval.

“Applejack… I believe we can gladly arrange that for you!”

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After storing up all of today’s picked apples and sharing some well-earned snacks with the Apple Family, Ford flies off towards the next destination on his list: Sugarcube Corner. Just as soon as he enters the renowned bakery, Pinkie Pie exits from the kitchen’s doorway right on time and greets him warmly with an ever-so friendly smile.

“Oh hi, Musty-Wusty! You’re just in time to try out a sample of my latest confectionary creation!”

“Umm… okay, sure. But actually, I came here to discuss something important with you first.”

“Yeah yeah… we can talk about it later once you feast your eyes on this!” the pink pony says enthusiastically as she pushes the Pegasus into her kitchen.

Once they are inside, Ford is about to address his reason for visiting Pinkie Pie today, but suddenly, he is distracted by a wondrous sight that is being displayed on the kitchen’s island table. On the messy countertop is a small cake made up of six layers. Each individual layer matches with every color in Rainbow Dash’s hair. As the stallion’s eyes are fixated on that colorful cake, Pinkie Pie breaks him out his self-induced trance as she skillfully uses a spatula knife to cut a modest slice before serving it on a plate.

“Go ahead, Ford!” she eagerly offers the sample to him. “Take a slice and tell me what you think about it!”

Gingerly, he leans forwards to the tempting dessert just to get a closer inspection of it. With his muzzle inches away from the delectable slice, he can quickly smell the overpowering scent of sweet citrus. Unable to contain his hungry curiosity anymore, Ford dives in and takes a huge bite out of his cake. Chewing it slowly, his mouth is overwhelmed with so many fruity flavors. Along with the citrusy zestiness, he can also detect various berries within that first bite. Lastly, the filling in between the multicolored layers has a familiar, electrifying taste; something Ford hasn’t tasted since his first day of Draconian Magic training in the Everfree Forest.

Once Ford swallows the first piece of his cake, Pinkie Pie then asks with an enthusiastic smile, “Well… what do you think?”

As the baker fidgets in constant excitement, Ford is temporary stunned by the cake’s over-stimulating flavors. Gradually, his shocked face breaks into a very broad smile he expresses his opinion to his anticipated friend, “Pinkie Pie… this cake is the truly most delicious thing I have ever tasted!”

Ha-ha! Success!” she exclaims with a very pleased smile. “I’m so happy that you like it, Ford! It’s a six-layer cake with every color of the rainbow! Every layer has a different flavor.” she points it out from top to bottom. “Purple for blackberries, blue for raspberries, green for lime, yellow for lemon, orange for… well… orange of course, and red for cherries. Plus, between each layer is a spread of Zap Apple Jam.”

Awestricken with the confirmed ingredients, the satisfied taste-tester continues where he left off and feverishly eats the rest of his cake. With each new bite, a different fruit-flavor layer overpowers the others, so the taste is never boring. Plus, the welcoming taste of Zap Apple Jam compliments greatly with the citrusy fruits and mixed berries.

As he finishes what’s left of his cake, he inquires with a satisfied grin, “What’s this extraordinary cake for anyway?”

“For your wedding, silly! What else?” she answers matter-of-factly. “This one is merely a prototype for your super-duper, extra-tasty, colossal wedding cake! I just hope Dashie will like it as much as you do.”

“I’m sure that she’ll love it! Do you mind if I give her a sample of this as well?”

“Of course!” she approves gleefully. “It’s your wedding cake! You and Rainbow can have as much as you like!”

“Be careful what you wish for, Pinkie!” he chuckles in response. “I may not be about to restrain her if she eats the entire thing before we even get married!”

“Oh, I almost forget! What did you want to talk about?”

“Actually, that’s why I’m here, Pinkie. I wanted to ask if you want to be in charge of our wedding cake's creation for me and Rainbow Dash.”

“Wow! What an amazing coincidence!” she reacts in surprise before she leans up close to Ford’s face as she inquires, “Hey, are you psychic or something?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” he answers with awkward uncertainty.

Pinkie Pie just simply shrugs before saying to him, “Well in any case, I’m glad that you’re here right now. I could use some help on thinking some concept ideas for the cake’s overall structure, and your artistic skills might come in handy for that.”

“I think I’ve got some time to spare.”

“Great! Of course, we can’t brainstorm some ideas without a little brain food!” she declares as she pulls a large bowl of frosting. With the bowl in front of them, she then shrieks in a giddy voice, “So who wants some buttercream icing to go with that cake?”

With a chuckling smile, Ford mutters to himself, “I can’t believe Rainbow Dash is missing out on this.”

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…Why do I have a craving for sweets of all a sudden? Rainbow Dash muses to herself as her unexpected sweet tooth gets the better of her. Ugh… wish I was in Ford’s place and heading out to Sugarcube Corner right now! But I got to take care of this first, even though it’s my least favorite thing to do on the list! I just hope he’ll bring something delicious from over there once he gets back home!

Grudgingly, she continues her flight towards the Carousel Boutique as she mentally prepares herself for what’s to come with the last item on the list. Once she lands outside of the store, the bold Pegasus takes a very deep breath as she braces herself for what’s to come before stepping inside.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity greets with a welcoming smile. "What brings you here to my humble abode?”

Without a word, Rainbow reaches inside her saddlebag as Rarity ponders on what her Pegasus friend is reaching for. Once the blue mare finds what she is looking for, she pulls them out and reveals two amusingly large corks. While the seamstress is still puzzled by what the local athlete is up to, Rainbow leisurely closes her eyes and plugs the corks into her ears. Then, with a heavy sigh, she finally makes her reluctant request to the bewildered fashion diva.

“Rarity… I need you to make a wedding dress for me.”

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Presently in Sugarcube Corner, Ford Mustang and Pinkie Pie have been discussing on the wedding cake’s perfect design while the stallion showcases his various sketches to the astonished baker. From his latest sketch, it depicts an elongated dragon with features similar to his former dragon master, Hindel, especially his head, bearded whiskers, and wings. Most of the recent design is a based off a combination of traditional Eastern and Western dragon from the respective mytholologies of his homeworld.

“So Pinkie Pie… what do you think of it so far?” he asks of her.

“Hey, these are really great, Ford!” she praises ecstatically with wondrous eyes. “They’ll be perfect for the blue sky and cloudy pattern!”

“I must admit, I’m getting really excited about all of this.” he nods with a thrilled smile over the design’s development.

“See? I told you we can combine your Cutie Marks into this cake!” she grins with pride as she playfully nudges him. “Hey, maybe we can have them breathe lightning out their mouths!”

But before they can carry on with their brainstorming, the two ponies hear a faintly high-pitched sound outside of the bakeshop as their perked ears try to decipher the unusual, shrilling noise in the background.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!”

“Do you hear something?” Ford asks while turning his head to pinpoint the fading screech outside.

Pinkie contemplates on what that noise could be while rubbing her chin and humming to herself. But then, she perks up with a bright smile as she figures it out right away. “Ooo! Sounds like Rarity has been given a really big opportunity~!”

Thinking over on his friend’s assumption, Ford starts to grin all-knowingly as he realizes on what could cause Rarity to make such an over-the-top shriek. “You know, I think you might be right, Pinkie.”

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Back in the Carousel Boutique, Rarity is completely out of breath as she pants greatly on her elegant couch. As the Unicorn mare recovers from her overdramatic display of enthusiasm while reclining on her splendid piece of furniture, the temporarily deaf Rainbow Dash stares at the melodramatic pony with a deadpan face as she waits for the all-clear.

“You done yet?” Rainbow asks with a raised eyebrow.

As Rarity uses her magic to cool herself down with a levitating fan, she catches her breath before she is well-suited enough to answer with a hasty nod, “Y-yes, I think I’m quite alright now.”

Once the worst was over, Rainbow removes her improvised earplugs before she gets a chance to state her business, “Good, now about the dress--GURK!

But she didn’t get a chance to finish her statement as the Pegasus is caught in a very tight squeeze that can rival with one of Pinkie’s infamous hugs. In the midst of Rainbow’s inescapable struggle, Rarity carries on with her ever-so gratifying hug while squealing in never-ending delight.

“Oh Rainbow Dash! You have no idea on how much of an honor it is to make another wedding dress for one of my very best friends! I mean, I did have high expectations that you would pick me over everypony else, but it still means so much that you would trust me with this enormous task!”

“Umm, glad to hear that, Rarity!” she wheezes in subtle agony. “But… uh… do ya mind let me go first? I kinda need to breathe right about now.”

Seeing on how purple Rainbow’s face is becoming, Rarity immediately releases her before apologizing in a sheepish manner, “Oh yes, of course! Sorry about that, darling. I got… carried away for a second there.”

“Yeah, no kidding!” the Pegasus murmurs to herself as she quickly straightens her aching back. But before she can make a complete recovery, Rainbow Dash's body is suddenly pulled by Rarity’s light blue magic as the fashion designer leads her reluctant friend to her studios.

“Now come with me, Rainbow! We have so much to discuss and not a moment to spare!” she squeaks in everlasting enthusiasm as she forcefully drags her friend against her will.

“Rarity, I just wanna drop by and assign you my dress.” she groans unwillingly. “You don’t need me to go along for the ride. I have total faith in your decisions over something like this.”

“Oh Rainbow Dash, your naivety is simply adorable!” she responds with a chuckling smile before her giddiness over her latest project kicks into overdrive. “This is your wedding dress we’re talking about! The pièce de résistance for your big day! And it’s definitely not something to be trifled with! There are sketches to go over! Revisions to be made! Things to be finalized! Of course, we’ll also need to take a trip to the spa on the day before your wedding! Oh, and then there’s the makeup--!”

“NO! No makeup whatsoever!” she shakes her head furiously.

But the oblivious seamstress pays no attention to Rainbow’s plea as she reassures the reluctant Pegasus with a teasing smile. “Oh come now, Rainbow! Surely you’re not scared of a little makeup--!”

“I SAID ‘NO’, RARITY!”

After screeching at the top of her lungs, Rainbow instinctively summons all of her willpower and miraculously breaks free out of Rarity’s magic. As the unexpectedly petrified Pegasus steps away at a great distance, Rarity diminishes her playfulness and replaces it with a seriously sympathetic expression towards her feathery friend.

“What is ever the matter, darling?” she asks concernedly. “I’ve never seen you this frightened before.”

As the surprisingly frightened Pegasus refuses to speak, Rarity sits down on a sofa nearby and gestures to Rainbow with a gentle pat on one of its cushions while pleading to her in a caring tone, “Please, talk to me, Rainbow. I only wish to help you in anyway I can.”

Gradually, the silent flyer comes closer to her patient Unicorn friend before landing softly on sofa’s plushy cushion right next to Rarity’s. In a manner similar to her first friend she visited this morning, Rainbow then requests in a discouraging voice, “Could you… Pinkie Promise me that you won’t tell this to anypony, not even Ford?”

With an understanding smile, Rarity makes the unbreakable vow between friends while her foreleg goes through its motions, “Cross my heart! Hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!”

With a small smile over Rarity’s reassurance, Rainbow takes a very deep breath and exhales it out as gently as possible before she begins her story, “When I was in high school, there was… one colt I had a bit of a crush on. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s nothing compared to my Mustang, but back then, he was just… so cool! I wanted to get his attention so bad, but I was afraid that he wouldn’t look the other way considering how… tomboyish I am. So I figured that some makeup might add up to my awesomeness. I couldn’t ask for dad’s help since it would be so embarrassing for me. And since I didn’t have a…”

But Rainbow Dash couldn’t possibly finish that sentence as it’s too heartbreaking for her to continue. Noticing the painful truth without so much as another word, Rarity pulls the choked up mare in as the Unicorn comforts the grieving Pegasus with a reassuring embrace.

“It’s quite alright, darling.” Rarity whispers tenderly. “I’m here for you.”

After she has calmed down a bit from recalling such personal grief, Rainbow Dash softly breaks away from Rarity’s comforting hug before she is able to persevere, “Well anyway… I turned to Fluttershy for help instead. The next day, I went up to the colt just to say ‘hi’ and I figure that would be enough to finally get his attention. But instead of complimenting me on my new looks, he just… laughed at me and said that I looked ridiculous. Soon enough, his gawking friends joined in and laughed along with him. Honestly, I really want to smack those jerks for that, but I was so humiliated that I did the unthinkable and ran away.”

Ugh! Boys can be so insensitive sometimes!” Rarity grunts with a roll of her eyes before she rephrases herself with a small smile on the reminder of Rainbow and Fluttershy’s male spouses. “Well… some boys at least. Nevertheless, no pony deserves such cruel treatment like that!”

“It didn’t end so badly.” Rainbow begins to smirk brightly. “Once I told dad the truth when he noticed that I was skipping school, he made sure to teach that punk a lesson he would never forget!”

“Please tell me he bucked him right in the face for that.” the seamstress implores with a twisted smile on her face.

Heh, I wish! But dad did the next best thing by pranking him so bad, he transferred to another school once he got a taste of his own medicine!”

The two friends share a good, hearty laugh together before Rarity comments mischievously, “You're definitely his daughter!”

“Yep, that I am!” the Pegasus responds with a proud smirk on her face.

“Still, I’m awfully sorry to hear you go through all of that humiliation like that. It’s no wonder you never attempted to use makeup ever again.”

“Actually, there’s another reason why I never wanted to touch that stuff myself.”

“I hope it’s not as bad as the first!” she worries slightly.

“It’s not, trust me.” Rainbow reassures with a reminiscing smile. “When Ford confessed his feelings for me, he said that he really likes me for my natural beauty. No stallion has ever said anything nice to me like that before! That’s why if I want to look my absolute best for him, I would rather leave my face just the way as it is!”

“I completely understand your plight, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity says while laying a comforting forehoof on her friend’s shoulder. “In fact, it’s something I can relate with since my dear Applejack has her own display of natural beauty that I admire so much about her. But please, listen to me for just a minute. You don’t need a lot of makeup to make yourself even more beautiful than you already are. Just a simple touchup is all you need to reach your utmost potential. Just out of curiosity, what is it that Ford Mustang always admires about you?”

Thinking it over carefully, Rainbow bashfully replies, “Well… when he gets really sappy at best, he would often comment me on my eyes. He would say stuff like how mesmerizing they are or how they're as pretty as any gemstone he would gaze at.” Then, she looks at her dazzling engagement bracelet as she beams warmly. “Including this ring he gave me.”

With an extravagant gasp that abruptly snaps Rainbow Dash out of her dreamy daze, Rarity quickly grasps the startled Pegasus by the shoulders as she shares her brilliant inspiration, “Then that’s perfect! I think I know what to do from there! Just leave everything to me, darling! Because once you walk down that aisle, you absolutely shine brighter than any rainbow casted in the sky!”

Author's Note:

So within a month at least, I hope to finish the last three chapters for this story and submit them one at a time (for each day). Overall, the story's finale shouldn't take as much as time as the Ford's final battle with Arrogon, nor should they be as extremely long as the climatic two-parter.

So just bear with me for a little while longer. We're almost there!

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