Fashion Tours and Falling in Love
Pinkie leaped excitedly around the decorations for the party she was throwing for Rarity's very first tour of her newest designs called "Rarity's Extravagant Fashion Debut Tour." Rarity was planning to go to Las Pegasus, then Rainbow Falls, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, and finally a grand show in Canterlot. The tour would start in two weeks and even thought Rarity hadn't hired the required number of models for the tour yet, every show in every location of her tour was already sold out.
She had interviewed and hired nine models and she needed just one more so they could begin rehearsals for the shows. She was slightly disappointed that none of her best friends applied and that for the one-week tour she'd be away from them. At least Starlight and her marefriend Trixie were going with Rarity as models, the former wanting to try something new after graduating from being Twilight's pupil and they wouldn't be gone for long.
Rarity was the first one to show up to the party that Pinkie set up in the bakery, hoping to find the perfect tenth model when the party was in full swing. Soon more ponies began entering the party including the mares that were already planning to be Rarity's models for the tour. Eventually Rarity's best friends arrived too, including Applejack. The orange mare looked very nervous and Rarity approached her.
"Something wrong darling?" Rarity asked, even though in the past few months it wasn't the first time she had asked that question. Applejack had been tense and nervous and Rarity assumed it was because winter was coming and the Apple family produced hardly any apples that season so they had to live off the bits they've earned from the past seasons.
Rarity knew that she'd earn a lot of bits from the fashion show and considered donating some of them to the Apple family. Then they could let the season go by with ease.
"Um, nothing that you need to know." Applejack gave a shy grin and Rarity pressed her head against Applejack's shoulder.
"Dear, remember when you tried to harvest all those apples yourself when Big Mac was injured?" Rarity reminded her best friend. "You couldn't do it yourself. So if you're family is struggling, I don't want you and your family to struggle without anyone helping you."
"Our farm has actually profited greatly from selling our apple cider this year Rarity." Applejack sighed. "It's not the farm I'm worried about at the moment. In fact, I could clear my head a bit. You still hiring models?"
"Oh...yes?" Rarity responded in shock. Why would Applejack want to become a model if she wanted to clear her head? "I have one open spot left and you're free to take it as long as you fill the application form at the table."
"Thanks Rares." Applejack's eyes softened and she walked towards the table. By the end of the night there were dozens of applications in front of Rarity and none of them mattered to her except Applejack's which stood out among the rest like a sore hoof. Rarity already had experienced models with her so it wouldn't hurt to bring Applejack along.
"Attention everypony." Rarity said to all the ponies in the room. "I am ready to announce the models for Rarity's Extravagant Fashion Debut Tour."
"WOOO!" Pinkie screamed excitedly. The rest of Rarity's best friends looked at her with pride, although the expression on Applejack's face looked more heartfelt.
"Um...the mares are Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Berryshine, Night Glider, Derpy, Amethyst Star, Cherry Berry, Ali, and Applejack." Rarity announced.
Ponies gasped in shock, surprised for one of two reasons. Either that the farmpony would want to be a model, or Rarity accepted Ali's form.
Ali was a Changeling that unlike most of the Changelings, didn't open up to love and remained in her black and tarnished skin and wore a red shirt with a yellow star on it to cover herself. Even though she didn't open herself up to love, she wasn't mean. She was just reluctant to open up to everybody.
"She's ugly! How could you even consider that Changeling to be a model?!" A pony shouted. In the crowd, Ali looked at the floor with an angry look in her eyes.
"Why don't you leave her alone? She has as much right to be here as the rest of us!" Night Glider snapped at the pony. Twilight interfered to try and break the two up while the rest of the Mane 6 were congratulating Applejack on the position as model.
"You sure you're going to be OK out there? There's going to be hundreds of ponies looking at you and watching your every move, judging you-"
"Alright Pinkie we get it." Rarity put her hoof over the pink mare's mouth playfully. "Nervousness isn't a word in Applejack's vocabulary, right Applejack?"
"Well almost any word could be in my vocabulary Rarity." Rarity didn't get the answer she wanted but the nervousness was visible on Applejack's face. Maybe she did need to relax, because she was acting a lot less confidant than usual.
Well, fashion tours arehecticbutI'm sure itisn't as hard as keeping the farm up and going. Atleast some of our friends will be filling in for our duties while we're gone.
"Bye Rarity! Bye Applejack!" Their friends called out to them as they got on the train. Soon the train door closed and the eleven ponies sat in anticipation for arriving at Las Pegasus. Some ponies were excited and some nervous as they chatted away.
Applejack sat next to Rarity feeling the nervousness get even more intense. It was surprising that even with her dedication to honesty that Rarity hadn't found her obvious crush on the beautiful unicorn.
And now she was having second thoughts on this whole model thing. It seemed to reveal itself to Applejack as nothing more than an impulse decision done from romantic feelings and nothing more. But she had to put on her best happy face, all she had to do was wear an outfit and walk down a runway right?
Eventually her fears and nervousness towards modelling vanished when Rarity fell asleep on her shoulder and Applejack looked at her peaceful face as she breathed in and out.
I'm doing this for Rarity, and that'll make this all worth it.
Several hours later they got off the train and onto the clouds of Las Pegasus. Applejack cringed as soon as she heard stallions whistle at them and she knew with them dressing up for the fashion show, it was only going to get worse.
The day I'm interested in stallions is the day I sprout wings.
Rarity lead the models to the hotel they'd be staying at for the night and it was organized as five rooms with two beds each. Starlight and Trixie would be sleeping in the same bed so all eleven of them had a bed to sleep in.
Naturally Applejack and Rarity decided to share a room together and Applejack walked into the room first with some of Rarity's luggage only to see one bed instead of two.
"H-hey Rares?" Applejack called out nervously to her best friend who was in the hallway. "Ya sure this is our room?"
"Of course it is! It opened when you used the key didn't it?" Rarity answered as she entered the room. "Why wouldn't it...oh."
"They must've made a mistake." Applejack muttered. "I'll go down there and tell them-"
"It's fine dear. We're best friends, how's sleeping in a bed together going to hurt?" Rarity smiled as she took the luggage and started unpacking. "Just make sure you're showering before you get in the bed."
Applejack looked away embarassed, she wasn't a neat freak but she certainly wasn't a pig. She sighed as she knew that the tension was only going to grow for her.
Fivedays later
After most of the tour and a series of tension-filled moments between Applejack and Rarity, the Fillydelphia show was going to start in a few hours and Rarity and all the models were eating at a big table. Most of them were eating small and careful amounts of food except Ali and Applejack. Ali because the Changeling was a big eater and Applejack because the farm pony always ate a lot after working hard, and wondered why none of the other models allowed themselves to a little more than a few morsels of food.
Amazingly she didn't get nervous when she had walked up on stage in one of Rarity's dresses, no matter how many stallions whistled at her. She now knew for sure that she'd never be interested in such things but this was all for Rarity and her brilliant success. And that's what made it all worth it.
Applejack saw Trixie leaning against Starlight and for the millionth time during the tour she wished that it was her and Rarity doing such things. She was slightly jealous of their solid relationship, even if they'd only been dating for a few weeks.
The reason why they were eating before the Fillydelphia fashion show was because they had to immediately take the train to Canterlot. They'd go to Canterlot's show and then they'd go back home where Pinkie would undoubtedly have a party thrown for them.
"Dude, when are you going to make a move on pretty unicorn over there?"
"She has a name and it's Rarity." Applejack snapped at Ali who was sitting right next to her. It seemed that the peculiar Changeling was the only one that caught on to the tension between the best friends.
"Whatevs. Just remember if you're not going to make a move I'll take her for myself." Ali waited for a hint of anger on Applejack's face before she laughed. "I'm kidding! Besides, if I play my cards right...Night Glider will be the one in my bed tomorrow morning."
"Why is everypony here gay except the one pony that I want?" Applejack muttered with a hoof over her face. Fortunately she was spared from Ali's response when the waiter placed Applejack's food in front of her and three hay burgers in front of Ali who immediately started feasting.
Several hours later the fashion show was done and Rarity was sitting next to Applejack explaining the history of the brand and flavor of the wine bottle in her hooves. As Applejack was vaguely listening, she saw Ali transform into Sugar Belle and scooted closer to Night Glider. Applejack frowned, why did Ali want to be someone else?
Does she not think she can win over Night Glider by being herself?
"So...whatdya think? Should I get a thirrr...bottle?" Rarity giggled, alarming Applejack.
"What? How many bottles of wine did you have?!" Applejack gasped.
"Just two...wenty. I'm kidding, this is my second one dear." Rarity nuzzled her nose into Applejack's neck, making the farmpony feel electricity throughout her body.
"Well, you still have to ask for our rooms and get us situated." Applejack looked into Rarity's puppy-eyes and sighed in defeat. "I'll do it. Just five rooms with two beds each in a row?"
"Make one of those rooms one horse-sized bed for us." Rarity giggled and then narrowed her eyes at Applejack's shocked face. "Oh c'mon, don't tell me you didn't like that night we spent in Las Pegasus. Y'know what they say, what happens in Las Pegasus stays in-"
"We literally slept in the same bed and nothing more." Applejack blushed and noticed that some of the models were glancing at the two. "Get...get it together Rarity. This is your tour."
"S-s-sorry." Rarity gave a hiccup and looked away sadly. "You're right. I'll get us situated and then I'll get drunk to my heart's content. That better?"
"Well, it sounds better then your previous plan to get drunk on the train." Applejack sighed. They got off the train and Rarity bought the rooms for the night and ordered two more bottles of wine before where Applejack's heart began racing when she saw that Rarity had indeed stayed true to her word and before them was one horse-sized bed.
"Rarity..." Applejack could only imagine what the unicorn had in store for them. But...she couldn't. "I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're drunk."
"Dear, I know what I'm doing. I've only had two bottles after all!" Rarity wrapped her hooves around Applejack. "Here, have one bottle."
Applejack opened the bottle and took a swig and immediately feel hunger within her awakening. She scrambled to bring the wine bottle to her eyes and begun to read it: Lust Wine XXL for the Lover's Night.
"Didn't you listen as I was telling you about it. I got the first bottle so I could tell you my feelings for y-you without getting nervous...first bottle wasn't enough. So I had second. I'm stillllllll nervous."
"You have feelings for me?" Applejack took another swig of the bottle and with it left every thought that didn't have to do with Rarity and wantingRarity.
"I do...by the way I didn't actually buy zuh wine bottle, Ali gave it to me. Told meh it waz about time we hooked up." Rarity giggled. "So you still want to hold back or you gonna let us do what comes naturally~"
Applejack closed the bottle and tossed it on the carpet floor before meeting Rarity with a passionate kiss. In a few moments they were on the bed and Applejack stood over Rarity on the bed before the following events would become a blur till the next morning.
"Uh...my head feels like crap."
"I don't feel...so sick. I'll go bring the trash can in case you need to-" Applejack paused and her eyes widened as she remembered bits of details of last night. Did she sleep with Rarity while she was drunk? But she would never do that...right? Did Rarity say something or do something to reassure her that it was OK?
"Applejack, what's wrong?" Rarity asked.
"We slept together." Applejack whispered. "I took advantage of y-"
"No you didn't Applejack. We both drank the lust wine and I confessed my feelings for you." Rarity removed her hooves from her face and looked at Applejack with meaningful blue eyes. "Did I take advantage of you? Like, did you want to do that just for fun or do you feel the same things for me?"
"I feel the same for you." Applejack felt like she should've stopped at that but she kept going. "Over the years I loved that you were confident in your looks and your works of art. You are very passionate about what you love and I wanted to be a part of it, I wanted to be with you. Sorry that I'm not exactly model material but you didn't waste the last slot on me right?"
"Of course not, and you may be too uninterested to be a model, but you definitely have the body for it darling~" Rarity winked at Applejack before she cringed from the hangover. "I c-could use that trash can right about now."
After a few hours of Rarity recovering from her nausea, they joined the rest of the models for breakfast but when they showed up at the table, Ali and Night Glider were the only ones left.
"I take it you two are here late for the same reason we are?" Ali asked with a big smirk. Night Glider narrowed her eyes at Ali and the Changeling gave a sheepish smile.
"What reason would that be?" Rarity tilted her head in an oblivious fashion. "I was getting over a hangover, were you two as well?"
"Um, we hooked up." Ali rolled her eyes.
"Way to keep a secret." Night Glider took both of their plates and flew off.
"Sorry!" Ali called after the blue pegasus before turning to Applejack and Rarity. "I was going to turn into an attractive pony for Night Glider like I do for every pony I've been with but she stopped me and was confused. She asked why I was doing that during an intimate moment and long story short she wanted me for me."
For once during the whole trip, Ali had a serious look on her face. Applejack and Rarity were happy that a Changeling that didn't open herself to love was now on the track to doing such. After breakfast and lunch, Rarity took the models to the Canterlot and Applejack wasn't afraid to be affectionate around her. After all their friends weren't here, they were back in Ponyville where they would tell them about their newfound relationship on their own time.
The show was almost over and Applejack was in an dark purple dress with black patterns waiting to be called up backstage. Rarity was with Applejack and nuzzling against her with the former trailing kisses down her neck. They only had these moments before they'd have to back to Ponyville and keep their relationship a secret in fear that their friends wouldn't accept them for who they were.
Rarity hugged Applejack and pulled in for one last kiss when confetti exploded behind them.
"SURPRISE!"
Pinkie pushed the party cannon away moments later and looked at the two ponies shocked. Applejack and Rarity pulled away right before the rest of their best friends showed up. But they realized moments later that Pinkie wouldn't even consider that they wanted to keep it a secret.
"APPLEJACK AND RARITY ARE DATING!" Pinkie gasped in excitement.
"It looked like they were just hugging to me." Rainbow Dash commented.
"They were about to kiss, I saw it!" Pinkie yelled still excited.
"I...I think I saw it too." Fluttershy admitted.
"Were you two about to kiss?" Twilight finally said. "You don't have to hide anything from us...you know that right?"
"I...I know. We were." Applejack admitted. "We found out our feelings for each other last night and we didn't want to tell anypony. So could you do us a big favor and not say anything."
"Ponyville is accepting, but we can try. Got that, Pinkie?" Twilight looked at the party pony and she gave an exaggerated sigh before collapsing on the ground.
"Alllllright." Pinkie pouted. "I'll try my best."
"Twenty bits says that she'll spill the beans by the end of the night." Rainbow Dash whispered in Fluttershy's ear, earning a soft laugh from the yellow mare.
"I heard that!" Pinkie snapped.
The rest of the ponies backstage kept talking as Applejack was called up, and then all the ponies stood up with Rarity at the front. All of them bowed to the audience as they cheered, and Rarity swore she saw a glimpse of Princess Celestia's rainbow mane in the crowd. The Element of Generosity gave a brilliant and happy smile.
This first tour was truly amazing for so many reasons, and it'll always hold a special place in my heart.
