Applejack stopped beneath the green shade of the trees outside the boutique, massaging her shoulders. She had just finished hauling a fresh load of apples to the market stall and wasn’t looking forward to hauling the bits back later. The wagon they used to carry product had broken the other day and she had yet to get around to fixing it. The cool breeze felt good on her back so did the few drops of rain that pattered on her withers.
The brief drops made her look up through the leaves with concern. The weather pegasai didn’t schedule any rain today and she had already done the day’s watering back at the orchard The clear blue skies met her gaze but a charcoal grey thundercloud and the barest banner of rainbow tail slipped out of sight around the boutique. The earth pony narrowed her eyes to the chuckles coming from around the corner, knowing that the pegasus was up to no good. She sighed, adjusting her hat, before she trotted around the boutique to catch up.
She got around the wall just in time to see the snickering pegasus shove the dark grey nimbus into the boutique’s open window. She inhaled ready to admonish the pegasus for her chaotic antics but Rarity’s humming, accented by her graceful hoofsteps as she sauntered across the boutique, caught her ear. She stepped closer to Rainbow and tapped her on the shoulder.
“What in the hay do you think yer doin, Rainbow?”
“Oh hey Aj, did you come to watch?”
Still floating above the ground a smirk on her lips she rubbed her hooves together.
“This is going to be so funny,”
The marshmallow unicorn was oblivious to their hushed whispers and continued pandering about the boutique. From this point of view, the mares could see her picking up various bolts of cloth and running her hooves across the fabric before either dismissing it or putting it in the telekinetic cloud of fabrics that floated above her. As always the unicorn was styled to the nines with delicately coiffed hair, sharp eyeliner, and her signature light blue eyeshadow. Near the window were several ponnequins in various states of dress. Close examination of those not standing bare would reveal the flash of pins hidden among all the folds and fabric changes indicating these were works in progress and not finished pieces like the ones that sat up front in the window displays. The puff of cloud Rainbow had been pushing earlier shivered with weight above the ponnequins ready to release its deluge, little sparks racing along its surface.
“Get that out of there right now, Rainbow! “
Applejack wished she had brought her lasso with her to rope the cloud back out into the open. She had nearly climbed into the window to try and grab it herself but the pegasus pulled her back as the nearest bare ponnequin glowed with a pale blue light.
“Quiet she’ll hear you.”
Rarity had walked near the window her focus on draping some of the cloth atop the new ponnequin. As she observed the fabrics she stood directly under the mini storm. Applejack held herself rigidly quiet aware that startling the unicorn now could result in her accidentally setting off the cloud above her. Rainbow Dash seized the opportunity to dart in and lightly tap the cloud quickly before darting back out the window leaving nothing but a breeze in her wake. The brief knock on the cloud was all the signal it needed to let out a flash of stored lightning with a deafening loud crack that caused the unicorn to jump up in the air with a screech dropping the remaining bolts of cloth across the ponnequins and the ground. The mare swung her fierce blue gaze at the window as rain poured down over her and her designs.
Rainbow had fallen to the ground with laughter and even Applejack had a hard time repressing a snigger. The rain and static made bits of Rarity’s hair stick out and her eyeliner drip down across her white fur. However, the earth pony thought better and tried to hide her smile behind a hoof though she always found it amusing when mares freaked out about their precious manes and makeup.
“Grrr - AAAPPLEJACK! RAINBOW-DASH!” Her horn glowed anew and she dragged both mares in through the window. “Look at what YOU’ve done!”
“Now hold on an apple-pickin’ minu-”
Rarity’s eyes were ice-sharp and fierce up close as she got up in each of the mare’s faces. Her voice was shrill with anger. She jabbed a damp hoof at Applejack’s chest.
“Those were dresses that were specifically ordered for the Manehatten boutique’s Broadway collection. And now they are RUUUINNED!”
Rarity turned away from them continuing to whine about the dresses refusing to listen to Applejack’s protests.
Great going Rainbow. Now she thinks I did this too.
Applejack turned her head to skewer Rainbow Dash with an admonishing look but the pegasus was shaking herself off and readying to fly back out the window. With practiced ease, the mare caught the Rainbow’s tail and pulled her back into the boutique.
“Oh no you don’t”
“Hey!”
Rainbow’s struggles caused them to both tumble into the nearby ponnequins further creating a mess of the shop. Some of the fabric got knocked off the models and fell across the mares. The resulting noise gave Rarity pause. She turned around ready to launch another tirade, the towel she was using to dry her face off was left hanging behind her. The entangled mess of pony and cloth gave her a smirk and her eyes grew thoughtful.
“Well, I suppose I could forgive you if you two would agree to a favor for moi.”
She started righting the models that were knocked askew and spreading out damp fabric onto a pole rack she pulled over.
“You see darlings I have been rather lacking lately for inspiration and I think you are exactly what the doctor ordered.”
Applejack shivered at the smirk on the unicorn’s face and dismissed her other plans of a short nap among the hay bales.
