Beauty is in the Eye of the Tiger

by GlueFactory

Chapter 3

Applejack wasn't prone to groaning, but being sandwiched between Rarity and Fluttershy, who bounced around like two fillies in a candy shop with her in tow, was as good a time as any.

“Soooo it went well?” said Twilight.

Applejack pried herself loose from the impromptu group hug.

“If you'd call it that. Applebloom was a titter, all: 'What a great idea! You're soooo pretty Applejack!' Ehcccch. Then Granny Smith chimes in sayin' that she used to win beauty contests left and right and had a whole stable of gentlecolt callers....”

“Well that's kinda sweet,” smiles Twilight.

“And kinda gross,” added Rainbow Dash, under her breath.

“I’m looking to Big Macintosh for some support. What do I get?” said Applejack.

“Yup?” asked Twilight.

“'Yup,” said Applejack.

“That's great,” said Pinkie, bouncing between Twilight and Rainbow. “They think you can do it.”

“An' how do you expect me to do it?” said Applejack, getting more flustered. “Ah' don't know nothin' 'bout prettifying.”

It was then she noticed Rarity and Fluttershy approaching her from both sides.

“What now?” Applejack asked.

“Oh Applejack, dear sweet Applejack,” said Rarity, putting a hoof around her. “You have nothing to fear.”

“I don't?”

“Rarity and I made a promise that whoever was chosen for the pageant, we'd do anything and everything to help,” whispered Fluttershy.

“This includes you,” said Rarity. “So no need to fret, we'll whip you into grade A pageant material.”

“Well now, hold on,” said Applejack, moving away from the two. “I'm not one for puttin' on airs. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it honestly. Got it?”

Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged the briefest of glances before they smiled at Applejack, Rarity’s smile being the more tighter of the two.

“Oh ho ho, of course,” she said.

“We won't make you do anything you don't want,” cooed Fluttershy.

“We just want to make sure the judges see the... best parts of you,” added Rarity.

“The best parts?” Applejack gave it a seconds thought. “Alright, when do we start?”

AJ's remark made Rarity give an excited bounce.

“Excellent,” she said. “We can start right now.”

“Right now?” asked Fluttershy.

“Right now. We have only the rest of the week until the pageant so we need to get cracking. We can start with that....”

Applejack couldn't figure out why Rarity was pointing towards her head. Then it dawned on her...

“My hat? Uh uh, no way no how.”

“Well,” whispered Fluttershy, glancing towards Rarity. Her voice couldn’t help but shake as her volume decended into tiny squeeks “That's okay.... um.... you don't have to... if you... don't want to..... win....”

They everypony else strained to hear Fluttershy, Applejack made out enough. She responded by shooting a stink eye to no one in particular.

“Oh............ alright,” she relented.

Fluttershy gave a nervous smile to Rarity who was hoof-pumping outside of AJ's sight.

“Y-you.... you could leave it back at the farm,” reassured Fluttershy.

“Heck no,” said Applejack. “Last time I did, Applebloom used it when she lost her slop bucket. I think I'd better leave it with you gals.”

“Ooo ooo,” said Pinkie, bouncing toward Applejack. “You can leave it with-”

“Me!” interrupted Rainbow. AJ found her head bare as Rainbow swooped down and carried her hat skywards.

“Hey,” shouted Pinkie.

“Rainbow,” yelled Twilight.

“Wha?” said Rainbow, the hat in her mouth. “She asthed.”

“It's okay,” said Applejack. “You listen here Rainbow, you take good care of her y'hear?”

“Duh, easy peasy jeez-lawezzey,” said Rainbow as she spun the hat around her hove as she headed off.

“And don't you go wearin' it either,” called Applejack.

Again, Applejack found herself surrounded by her new two-pony fashion team.

“All right,” said Rarity. “Let's get to work.”

“Hooray,” quietly cheered Fluttershy.

“Hooray....” groaned Applejack.

For Applejack, the last two days felt like a montage.

She first found herself in front of a mirror at Rarity's boutique. Excitedly, the unicorn had a whole swath of haircare products ready.

“Ready to get let that mane down?” asked Rarity.

“Let's just get this over with,” replied Applejack.

“Oh tut tut, Applejack. We just need to smooth out those knots and cut out those nasty split-ends.” Taking out a full-bodied brush with her magic, Rarity began to comb. Or tried to comb....

“Grrrrf. I must ask... rrrrrf. How long..... oof, since you last combed your mane?

“Let's see. How long ago was the last Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Almost a..... rrrraagh, a year.”

“Well then, longer then that, I think.”

“You think? Applejaaaeeee.....” Rarity trailed off as she found her brush devoid of bristles.

“What? Done already?”

“Yes. Done,” said Rarity flatly, tossing the now bare bush aside. “Fluttershy's waiting outside.”

Outside, AJ stood perplexed as Fluttershy rolled out a long wide stretch of paper with hoof marks dotting across it.

“Hate to tell you hon,” said Applejack. “But someone done walked all over your paper.”

“Its a dance sheet,” answered Fluttershy. “It'll teach you all the popular moves, and help you practice how to be light on your feet. This is the Trottingham Two-Step.”

“I don't think I need a piece a paper to teach me dancin',” laughed Applejack.

“But it's really useful, just one try?”

“Fine.”

“Okay, I'll go first to show you.”

Fluttershy effortlessly twinkled her hooves across the parchment. She turned, spun and neatly landed on the other side with nary a wrinkle on the sheet.

“See? Easy. Now it's your turn.”

“Kay. Here goes...”

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Despite Fluttershy taking cover in a nearby bush, Applejack looked mighty proud of herself.

“That wasn't hard at all,” she stated.

Until AJ looked at the tattered, flaming remains of the dance sheet.

“Uh. Heh heh, whoops.”

“It's okay,” said Fluttershy, gingerly getting back up. “That was quite...... graceful?”

AJ crooked an eyebrow her way.

“Maybe,” Fluttershy continued. “Just for fun we'll try it a few more times.”

The spa went just as swimmingly for Applejack, first getting a manicure.

“This should smooth out those tough ol' hooves,” said Rarity.

On AJ's hooves, both her and Rarity found out that, yes, even a nail file can catch fire with enough speed and friction.

AJ could also count herself the first in the spa's history to injure several massage ponies trying to loosen up her back. Fluttershy almost went horse with the apologies.

Back at the boutique, Rarity attempted to get one thing accomplished for Applejack. Sitting at a table, Applejack watched as Rarity cracked a raw egg into a glass. Her grimace increased with every egg, from two, to four and finally to eight raw eggs swimming in a glass.

“Blech,” said Applejack, until she started scratching her chin. “Oh, I get it.”

Rarity turned away in order to read more of her book,”The Perfect Facial.”

GULP GLUP GULP

Her eye twitching, Rarity slowly turned to see an empty glass and Applejack wiping her mouth.

“Ok, what else ya got?”

Rarity didn't reply. She’d already passed out.

Comments

[Onyx]

That ending