“Keerthana!” Rarity calls to me from behind.

I turn around and see her trotting up to me. “Oh, hey,” I say, “What’s up?”

“Where’s your friend Will?” she asks.

“He left a few hours ago on a train back to Minos. Why?”

“Aww!” she pouts. “I was hoping he could join us!”

“Join us?” I ask. “What are we doing?”

“You can’t be serious!” she exclaims in surprise. We both stare at each other for a few moments, then she sighs, slightly irritated. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“As serious as I am confused.”

“We need to get your dress together!” She starts pacing in place nervously. “Oh, the Gala’s coming up in a few weeks, and I haven’t talked to you about what you’re wearing, so I don’t know if you have something, or if you have something from Earth, or maybe if-“

“Slow down, antsy,” I say, holding up my hand. She stops pacing in place, but she’s still got “nervous” written all over her face. “Start over.”

She closes her eyes and takes a few calm breaths. When she opens her eyes again, she seems much less rushed. “The Grand Galloping Gala is in two weeks, and we’ve got to have you looking your absolute finest for the occasion.”

“Why me? Why are you trying me to look presentable?”

“Oh, but it won't be just you!” she reassures me. “The Grand Galloping Gala is the most important and formal event in all of Equestria, we all have to look absolutely stunning!"

“All? All of us are going?”

“Of course!” she says, as though I should know that. “The Princess invited Twilight, all of us, Spike, and you! It’s going to be so exciting!”

“I guess I could go for a party,” I say.

Rarity’s face lights up as she takes my hand in her hoof. “Oh, this will be so fun! Do you need something to wear?”

I look at the UN jumpsuit I’m wearing, which is one of many I had them send me. “I’m guessing this will be a bit fancier than what I’m wearing?”

“Is that you asking for me to make you a gown?” she asks, excited to make me one.

“I, uhh,” I look at her, and she’s giving me wide, puppy-dog eyes. “Sure?”

She nearly faints at this information and leads me to Carousel Boutique. When inside, we go to her workroom, where she pulls out various measuring tapes and things to take notes on.

“I’ve never designed anything for a human before!” she says excitedly. “This will be so much fun! Now, if you would be a dear, please take your clothes off so I can get some measurements?” She turns around, looks at me, then quickly turns to the stairs. “Better get a stepstool. I’ll be right back!”

I obey her orders and unzip the jumpsuit, letting it fall to the ground. I very unceremoniously throw it onto her bed, happy that I’ll soon have something else to wear, even if it’s for one night.

Rarity comes back a few moments later, stepstool in her magical grip. “What’s that you’re wearing?” She starts looking at me really strangely.

I nervously sigh, not wanting to go have to explain this to her. “Rarity, we’re both women. Look at where they are on my body. Can you guess what they’re used for?”

“Oh,” she says. “Oh!” She blushes, embarrassed that she asked. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s fine. So, measurements?” I say, trying to change the subject.

“Right!” She seems happy that we’re no longer talking about my underwear. She places the stepstool off to the side, takes a measuring tape, and wraps it around my waist.

“So what exactly is the Grand Galloping Gala?” I ask, trying to make the situation less awkward.

“It’s only the biggest party of the year!” she says with child-like wonder. “Everypony who’s anypony goes!”

“What about somepony who’s not a pony?” I joke.

She giggles and moves onto my leg. “I guess they can come, too. We went last year and it was absolutely dreadful, we were all too busy with our own wishes that we didn’t stop to have fun! We’re all going to be together for tonight, and there will be a few…modifications after last year.”

“What happened last year?”

“It was not very pretty,” she says, trying to skirt around the topic. “We’ll have to tell you sometime."

“Will we be able to do anything in Canterlot while we’re there?” I ask eagerly. “I really want to go there, it seems like a really cool city.”

“Oh, it is divine!” she exclaims. “It’s so sophisticated and cultured, a pony would have to spend their whole life there to experience everything!”

“I take it you’ve been?”

“Maybe,” she smiles.

“So what exactly is there to do at the Gala?”

“Not much normally,” she says. “But the Princess promised that it will be lots of fun this year!”

“I sure hope so. I need a distraction.”

“Distraction from what?”

I bite my lip. “Nothing.” I know for sure I couldn’t tell her about everything Will told me a few days ago.

She puts down the tape and looks at me. “Is something troubling you, darling?”

“I’m fine. I’m just…thinking about home, that’s all.”

“I understand.”

Part of me wants to yell at her for trying to help me when she can’t, but I go with my better judgment and let it slide. I know that she really is trying to help.

She pulls over the stepstool and steps onto it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just have to measure your chest..."

***

The day of the Gala arrives, and I go to the boutique in the middle of the afternoon. When I walk in, Rarity’s putting a few finishing touches on a bright pink dress on a pony mannequin, and I can only guess that it’s what Pinkie will be wearing.

“You said you had the dress ready?” I ask.

“Ah, yes!” she proclaims. “I do!” She levitates a small piece of white cloth over and ties it around my eyes. “But it’s going to be a surprise!”

“Is this necessary?” I ask.

“But of course! Everypony enjoys getting a surprise new dress!”

“It’s not really a surprise,” I point out. “I knew you were doing this for me.”

“Well, yes, but you don’t know what it’s going to look like!” She grabs my hand and leads me through the store and into a room.

“Okay,” she says excitedly, “Take it off!”

I take the blindfold off and am shocked by what I see.

“Well?” she asks, looking for my approval, “How is it?”

“I…” I look at the dress she’s made for me; a long, light purple dress that seems to be shimmering by itself. It connects over the left shoulder, leaving the right one unexposed. The high heels are a similar color and sparkle subtly, as opposed to the wavy effect of the dress. The design itself is incredibly plain, and yet she’s made it stand out so much. “…It’s amazing…”

She squees and goes over to the dress, rubbing her hoof on it gently. “I was hoping that you’d love it! Oh, it took me forever to get the spell to make the light ripple without any additions right, but it was worth it!”

“It’s amazing. Especially for someone who’s never made a dress for a human before.”

Rarity blushes. “Oh, it was nothing. I just wanted to capture the spirit of your kind; elegant and flashy, yet mysterious.”

“I really don’t think I’m that mysterious.”

“Oh, but you are!” she insists. “You’re different than anything else on this world, you came just out of nowhere one day, and the way you act, the way you conduct yourselves, is so…different than anypony I’ve ever seen.”

“How so? I mean, if I was so different, I never would have fit in with you.”

“You’re…” she spends a moment with her hoof on her chin, “…Unpredictable. And I can tell it’s not just you, it’s all of your kind. When I would look at those human fashion magazines you’d give to me, trends would just change instantly and change back a few years later. Even in your fashion you’re unpredictable.”

“Rarity!” I hear Twilight’s voice from downstairs. “We’re here to get ready for the Gala!”

“They’re here!” she chimes. She levitates my dress off the human mannequin (which I have no idea how she got) and over to me. “Put it on in here!” she orders. “I’ll come and get you soon, and we’ll have you make a grand entrance for everypony!” She runs out of the room.

I rub my hand over the dress and feel it. It’s soft and thin, yet seems surprisingly sturdy but moveable. I gently place it on the bed and start taking off the jumpsuit.

***

I spend about half an hour sitting in Rarity's workroom, waiting for some kind of word from her to come out.

“Okay!” I hear her whisper from the other side of the door. “Let’s see it!”

I open the door and elegantly step out, pretending I’m a model for her. Her jaw drops, leaving a gaping hole at the bottom of her head. “Well?” I ask. “Looks like you like it.”

“Like it?” she asks. “I love it! Adore it! Oh, it is simply fabulous!”

“You made it,” I point out, “So I’d hope that you love it.”

“Well yes, but on you, it looks even better!” she cries out with delight. “Let’s go show everypony else!”

She starts walking through the boutique, and I follow her. Eventually, we get to a room with lots of chatter on the other side of the door. Rarity whips around to face me. “Okay,” she whispers, “I’ll cue you in.”

She opens the door and clears her throat. “If I may have your attention,” she proclaims, “Miss Keerthana Griffis, the first human ever to be attending the Grand Galloping Gala!”

I glide in, trying to look as graceful and elegant as possible. As I move, I can hear all the other ponies gasp in excitement as they see the dress.

“That’s amazing!” Twilight says.

“You look so pretty!” Fluttershy coos, staring at the dress.

“You look like a portal!” Pinkie blurts out.

“That’s exactly the look I was going for!” Rarity chimes in. I look down at it and realize I do sort of look like a walking portal. Clever. “Okay everypony,” Rarity continues, “We’ve all still got to get ready. We all need to do our hair and put on some makeup before we go!”

“Nah,” Applejack says, “Ah’m good without any a’ that froo-froo stuff.”

“Oh Applejack, it’s no trouble!” Rarity says in a bit of a nervous chuckle. “I mean it.” She smiles fairly menacingly at Applejack, making it clear what she wants.

“Eh, sure,” Applejack reluctantly agrees.

“Perfect! Let’s get started!”

Author's Note

So turns out I posted this chapter right at midnight on July 4th.

To any and all Americans, be sure to wish the USA a happy 237th birthday. Fly the Star Spangled Banner proudly!