Things Don't Always Go According To Plan
Rarity held her latest creation up to the mannequin. She was trying to finalize it, and ensure that all the hems and stitches were correct. After all, it would not do for the head of a burgeoning Equestrian fashion empire to have one little thread out of place. Every last sew and every last persnickety little thing needed to be proper and perfect. This is for the granddaughter of Flare De Mare! She thought in excitement, and somepony who knows both the sleekness of the Wonderbolts and the beauty of fashion deserves the very best!
She had just finished setting it on the display when her door suddenly burst open. She turned around and prepared to greet her guest when he leapt at her. “You’ve gotta help me!” The stallion said frantically, “please, Rarity, you’ve just gotta help me!”
“Cheese Sandwich?” Rarity asked as she picked herself up and brushed her fur off, “is that you, darling?”
“Yes, Rarity!”
Even though she was irritated about being interrupted, she smiled at her longtime friend. His frizzy, funny mane seemed to be even bouncier than it usually was. She very often thought of him as the male version of Pinkie Pie, and now appeared to be no exception. He still had the same goofy eyes and the same goofy smile as before. But, as the resident observer of all things detail oriented, Rarity could just sense that something was off about him. His franticness was an undertow that his silly personality could not escape.
“Something’s troubling you,” she said simply.
“Thank you, Fashion Designer Obvious,” he said in a snarky way.
“Well!” She huffed, “you don’t have to get rude about it!”
He quickly reeled himself in before he went too far. He needed Rarity’s help, and he didn’t want to push her away. Neither did he want to put a stain on their friendship. So he sighed, apologized, and asked Rarity if there was somewhere private they could speak. She told him they could make use of her bedroom, as she was preparing to close her shop for the day and she was not busy. Her display had been satisfied, and she locked her front door before the two ponies retreated to her quarters.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said, “I…wanna…marry Pinkie!”
Rarity’s mouth fell open. She had never dreamed that this stallion would be capable of romance, let alone marriage! He was just too jovial and too ridiculously immature. She found him funny and a wonderful friend, but she didn’t think he was up to the task of being somepony’s husband. Oh, my Twilight! She said, using the new expression that had swept the nation since Twilight became ruler, he…he’s completely serious! Has Pinkie ever experienced love? Has HE ever experienced love?! Oh, my…and the…they would…HOLY COW!
“Um…darling…are you sure?”
“Yes, Rarity!” Cheese said in desperation, “I NEED Pinkie! I’ve never loved somepony like I love her! The way her eyes bounce in happiness whenever a party’s going on, the way she wants everypony to smile sincerely, the way her cute little nose wiggles when she smells something sweet. Oh, Rarity, I have to have her!”
“Okay, darling, calm down,” Rarity said soothingly, “we’ll get you your mare. I’m not quite sure how…but we will!”
Cheese gave her an odd look. “It’s not about getting her. I already have her. We’ve confessed love and everything. I just need help because I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO PROPOSE!”
His sudden shriek of fright shot through Rarity like a magic blast, and she shook herself a bit. “Darling, there’s no need to yell like that! I’m right in front of you. Now, then. I’m always happy to help a friend with romantic matters, but this is a big step you’re talking about. I had heard rumors that you and Pinkie had been having a small fling. I just never realized it had grown so much.”
She trotted over and magically removed a golden tuxedo from the mannequin. “Darling, this is something special. You are asking the mare of your dreams to share every aspect of your life with you. If she agrees, you’ll become mates. You will eat together, live together, and even sleep together. You cannot enter into such an agreement flippantly. You understand, right?”
Cheese nodded as Rarity magically picked up some measuring tape and took down his dimensions. “Yes, of course I do! I’ve been reading a book on love and marriage, and I understand how huge it is. I just…don’t know if…I can. I know in my heart that I’m ready, and that Pinkie’s the mare for me. I’m just unsure of how to go about it.”
“Don’t worry, darling,” Rarity said as she floated the tux over and put it on him, “just leave everything to me…”
…That evening, a special party was being thrown in the Ponyville Hall. Everypony was there, including all of Pinkie’s friends. They knew what was about to happen, and they’d been forcing themselves to remain silent about it. Rarity had spoken with them beforehand, and they each knew of the part they had to play. Even Twilight, who had rushed to get her daily business done, was able to attend and help out in the special occasion. “I’d like to fall in love with some stallion someday,” she had said, “so I feel that it’s only right for me to help my friends celebrate that same love.”
At the height of the party, the lights suddenly turned low and Vinyl Scratch put on a slow burner. It wasn’t her kind of song, but she knew it would work for this environment. Cheese Sandwich stood alone on the dance floor, all done up in his gold tuxedo. Rarity nodded to Applejack, who bucked down a temporary bridge that hid Pinkie from view. It just so happened to be the perfect length for her to trot down and face him. Fluttershy’s bird friends began singing along with the track. Twilight wove a beautiful heart together above them with her magic, and Starlight magically caused some candles in the room to light.
Pinkie looked shocked at the whole display, but then broke out into a smile when she saw Cheese at the end of the walkway. She trotted over to him, but just as he was about to get down and propose marriage, Fluttershy’s birds became spooked by a small snake that had gotten in through an open door. They flew all around the room, causing Rainbow Dash to drop the rope she was holding. It was keeping the cover over a giant sign that said “Congratulations, Pinkie and Cheese,” and she was supposed to have revealed it after Pinkie answered affirmatively.
This cover landed on some ponies, who became frightened and ran amok. They destroyed all of Rarity’s hard work, and there was nothing the poor fashionista could do. Even Twilight and Starlight, who were normally calm and collected, ran around trying desperately to calm everypony. The inexperienced ruler forgot that she could have caused peace with the stamp of a hoof, so she just went with the first thing that popped into her head.
After a few moments, everything settled down and everypony was able to look at the destroyed party. Pinkie, who hated to see a good party get sent to that big balloon emporium in the sky, sat down next to Cheese Sandwich. She could tell that he was sobbing and that his and Rarity’s perfect plan had gone down the tubes.
“Cheese?”
He sniffled. “Oh, Pinkie…I’m so sorry. I just wanted this night to be perfect. Everything should have gone like clockwork. Rarity said so.”
She smiled and nuzzled up against him. “Oh, Cheese,” she said, “not everything’s gonna work out perfectly all the time. I may be the most hyperactive, party loving, chocolate obsessed mare in Equestria. I may be one of the best two party planners in Equestria. But even I know that a party doesn’t always go the way you plan.”
He turned up and looked at her. “I just wanted to find the right way to ask you…to…to…”
Her smile widened as she thought she had it figured out. “To what?”
“To marry me,” he finally got out.
To his surprise, and great happiness, she wrapped him in an embrace and pulled him into a kiss. The ponies watching broke into smiles, as it seemed the evening hadn’t been a total loss after all. They finally broke apart and beamed at each other. “I take it that’s a yes?” Cheese asked.
“Always, my beloved Cheesy one,” she said, “and this proposal couldn’t have been better. I mean, what better way to propose to the most off the wall pony in Equestria than by doing something so off the wall?! I hope you know how much I love you, and how much I can’t wait to become your wife!”
“I can’t wait for it either, Pinkie,” Cheese said as the two kissed once again.
