They filed out of the Spa, thanking all the considerate employees as they went. Twilight felt... Refreshed. She had been so worried this morning, but now everything was clear, she had a plan, and she had a friend who wasn't just supportive, but was going through the exact same thing. Their other friend, however, was fretting about letting slip her own status. After all, they were already on the way to Applejack's- Rarity had "plans" there later that evening, which they now knew was just an excuse. Twilight honestly didn't mind though- In her horseshoes, she would have done the same thing. Probably. Not having, ya know, any experience in that.

But back to Rarity's fretting, which she should really be paying more attention to:
"Mmmh, we hadn't really planned on telling anyone yet, but..."

"Oh Rarity, it's alright- I think it's really good!"

"You do?"

"Oh yes! I'd always worried you two might be, uhm, a bit distant, but it turns out..."

Rarity giggled at this, and loosened up her stride considerably.
"Yes, well, I suppose hiding it for this long was a bit of a poor decision all told. But now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I might as well tell you how it happened."

This would be interesting! The most time she had ever spent with those two alone had been the sleepover, and it had been an absolutely troublesome time, they clashed so much. Twilight thought that, maybe if she found out how they overcame their differences, she might get some insight into what she needed to do!

"Well, it all started when we had a terrible argument..."

--------

She was just so red in the face right now! The Earth Pony before her could not have possibly been less cultured or more rude, and right now especially it was getting to her. She, honestly, couldn't even remember what started it, but they had gotten into a bit of a shouting match.

"Oh yeah? Well you aint ever done a day of heavy lifting in your life!"
"Hmph! And you think heavy lifting is the only hard work there is!"
"You spend all your time making frilly dresses and gowns, alone with a cat!"
"You spend all of your time kicking fruit out of trees, just plain alone!"
"You always dress up so dang pretty you'd think you were tryin' to attract folks!"
"And you do so much work that you look as muscular and toned as a colt!"
"You're the most ridiculously pretty fashionista to ever sew a stitch!"
"You're probably the most ruggedly handsome mare I've ever laid eyes on!"
"Sometimes you distract a mare so bad she accident'lly kicks her brother in the ribs!"
"Well your accent... actually... made me forget what I was going to say next."

They both paused, panting, out of breath, fiercely blushing, and probably not because of the argument. Eyes still locked, neither of them really sure what to do, Applejack spoke first.

"Rarity?"
"What do you want?"
"Don't make me come over there and do all the work myself."

They both rushed into the kiss so fast she had been sure, afterwards, she had chipped a tooth.

--------

Twilight and Fluttershy both stopped at that one.
"That was what led to your first kiss?"

"Oh yes! It... Well, part of what I've always liked about Applejack, even as a friend, is how passionate she is. Even when it's not the right time, she won't hold back what she thinks. She is, after all, the very Spirit of Honesty."

Twilight tried to picture herself and Celestia getting into some equivalent of that situation, and stopped immediately when she blushed hard enough to feel it.

"So what about... the stallion of your dreams?"

"Oh, that? Well, I realized something simple. Not only was Blueblood a complete dolt, but... Marrying into power would just be cheap. I can reach the top of Equestria's social ladder on my own power, or I won't reach it at all. And if that means bringing everypony I know up with me, so be it."

She grinned wide and bright, hugging Rarity with one leg before starting to walk again.
"Now that is the Spirit of Generosity we all know and love. Some, apparently, more than others."

"Ahha, heh... Speaking of which, please allow me to break the news to Applejack. We had been putting no small amount of effort into hiding our relationship."

A minute or two later, they had arrived at the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, where they could hear the sounds of fruit being worked over, moved from place to place, and... the occasional rubbery bouncing noise. Huh.

At the barn, Applejack rushed out to greet them, taking a break in between jobs.
"Well howdy there girls! What brings ya out this way?"
Twilight noticed, now that she knew to look, the way Rarity's smile twitched just a hint wider at the sound of Applejack's heavily-accented voice.

"I am dreadfully sorry to say this, Applejack, but it seems that the jig is up."

The other pony smacked herself on the forehead and sighed.
"Aw really? Why'd you have to go and tell'em?"

Rarity made a gesture of mock offense.
"Tell them? Oh no-no-nooo. They figured it out themselves, actually. And since they did, I can feel entirely free to do this."

She stepped forward and planted a gentle kiss on the other mare's cheek, causing her to put a hoof up to that spot with a thoughtful expression.
"Ya know, ah reckon that's the first time anypony else saw that."

"Mmmhmm."

Twilight rolled her eyes and stepped forward, interrupting the couple's locked eyes- No sense in letting things get any more involved in the middle of the barn doors.

"So, Applejack... Why hide it? I'm just curious, honestly."

"Well, ah... Ah didn't want you girls ta think any less of us, gettin' into a relationship and all that when we're all such close friends. It woulda been a mite bit weird."

"Uhm, well, if it's any consolation Applejack, I don't think it's weird. I'm happy for you."

"Me too! You really shouldn't have worried, we're you're friends! We always support you."

They all had a quick hug, a moment of camaraderie, before the sound of bouncing rubber and squeaking wheels drew closer.
"Oh, here comes Big Macintosh!"

And so he did, yoke and harness in use, hauling a large circular trampoline... On which Pinkie Pie was happily bouncing, giggling away, somehow managing to always fall where the trampoline was, even as it moved along. They all ran forwards to greet the new arrivals, Applejack looking a bit angry.

"Pinkie Pie get down from there! You could hurt somepony!"
The other pony just laughed, landing cleanly on all fours on the ground before spontaneously hugging Applejack.

"I'm so glad you two finally spilled it!"

"Wh- Now how in tarnation did you even know? Heck, how'd ya know we told 'em?"

Pinkie just points to her mane, which swayed back and forth for a moment, with no breeze.
"Pinkie-sensed it!"

Applejack suddenly went wide-eyed.
"So that means you told..."

Big Macintosh just shook his head and went to put away the trampoline.
"Oh hay. That... Oh, ah am gonna get such a talkin-to..."

Rarity didn't seem to be listening, already walking over to Applejack's brother.
"Excuse me, Big Macintosh, I hate to be a bother, but since you, ah, already know about our situation, would it be alright if I stayed over at Sweet Apple Acres sometimes?"

"Rarity! You're just gonna make things-"

"Eeyup."

She stopped.
"...Wait what?"

Even Rarity seemed surprise to have gotten approval. Big Macintosh just pulled the long stem out of his mouth and looked at them both.
"Miss Rarity, if you take care of the rest of your life even half as well as you run that boutique of yours, my sister's in good hooves. Speakin' a which..."

He reached over to Applejack, pulled her hat away, and ruffled her mane a bit before putting it back.
"Proud 'a ya, sis."

And for the second time in as many minutes, everyone was smiling and laughing and happily chattering away, while Twilight contemplated how weird it was going to be to write another friendship report so soon after sending one this morning.

--------

"So wait, you and Applejack? Seriously?"
Rainbow Dash had been filled in pretty quickly after she arrived from Cloudsdale with news of a rescheduled storm coming this evening, and was now looking at Rarity in shock.

"Yes, and for quite some time now."

"Well... Dang! Glad to see you two workin' something cool."
She smiled at Dash- Always quick to dismiss something as unimportant or sappy, but when she said she was happy, she meant it. So everyone had been informed, and now she could get down to her real objective for today-- Although first, she'd have to make sure Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie had no idea what they were getting up to. Hmmm... Ah!

"Girls, I hate to break up the celebratory atmosphere, but unfortunately, Twilight, Fluttershy and myself have an engagement tonight- The Spa ponies invited us to a bit of a shindig in Canterlot."

Between the others’ distaste for going to the spa for treatments, and the sour feelings about Canterlot ever since the travesty that was the Gala, it ended up being the perfect excuse- The others all made their muttered excuses and wished them well, and Pinkie suddenly tried to start a spontaneous party to "counter-balance the party they're going to!", and with that, they made good their escape.

Fluttershy gave her an admiring glance.
"That was really quick thinking, Rarity."

"Oh, wait until you see how I'm getting us into the Royal Palace."

"Oooh, that sounds li- you're going to what!?"

--------

They all stepped off and thanked the colts pulling the carriages up and down the mountainside to Canterlot-- It didn't seem to be bustling today, for which Twilight was especially thankful. She had absolutely no idea what Rarity was trying to pull, how she planned to get them inside, or what they were even going to do once they got in! What if they got caught? What if they accidentally snuck into a guard room? What if they... walked... straight up to the gate?

A quick tug on her friend's mane, and a hurried whisper into her ear.
"Yes darling?"

"What will you do!?"

"Well, I do believe I'll get us inside. Just allow me a moment."

And with that, she strutted up to the guards as plain as day, a broad smile on her face. There was a conversation, which somehow started at a bare whisper and managed to get even more quiet as time passed, and the guard suddenly got an extremely nervous look on his face. He went inside, and a bit of time passed. He returned with a stern-looking office-mare, the conversation started up again, and then Rarity went inside, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy alone.

She knew that this couldn't exactly be easy for the easily-frightened pony beside her, so she stood close to her, laid a comforting head on her shoulder. Fluttershy smiled, and they stood that way for a while, until the stern pony came out again, looking fairly confused, with Rarity beside them, wearing the most triumphant little grin.

The cold-eyed clerk cleared her throat and spoke, surprisingly loud.
"Ahem. I am officially pronouncing a scheduled meeting between the Princess Luna of Equestria and the unicorn Rarity of Ponyville, along with guests. The meeting will be in one hour's time, over a light lunch on the Eastern Tower Observatory."

Her jaw dropped as the clerk went back inside and Rarity strutted up.
"I truly hate to gloat, but I did tell you I would manage."

"...Rarity, what did you do?"

"Not very much at all, Twilight! It's just that, ever since the Gala, I've been making some time to do, ahem, 'special orders' for some of the colts and mares here in Canterlot, building up a little portfolio of contacts... And, of course, favors."

Fluttershy giggled and flapped her wings in a fit of energetic glee.
"Oh Rarity, I... thank you! This is going to be so... oh. I... Oh now I'm nervous."

"Don't worry a single feather, Fluttershy- I happen to have a friend nearby who will lend us some outfits for just such an occasion- You'll do beautifully."

Twilight was surprised- Had Rarity been planning to do something like this? Was she just over-prepared? Or was it something in her nature, to be so generous as to do favors for, and receive favors from, the palace guards? No matter the reason, she was glad- They were a bit closer to...
Oh.
"Oh, now I'm nervous."

--------

Velvet seemed like an extremely nice mare, and had outfitted them without much issue at all. And if Twilight noticed a certain... suggestive nature to the outfits on the shelves, or the items in the back, she certainly didn't say anything. After all, it was probably just her over-active imagination. Heh... Hehe.. No, that was definitely a switch, there was a crop, and she could see a bridl- OK, don't focus on that anymore. So what if she happens to supply things like that?

In no time at all, they were walking through the halls of Canterlot Keep, decked to the nines, Rarity all smiles and glamour, Fluttershy quiet but stoic, and Twilight herself... Well, she was honestly a lot less nervous than she had been. They were going to meet Princess Luna, after all, and they'd had a perfectly enjoyable and casual time on Nightmare Night. So this wouldn't be any different- If anything, it would be less formal, because it wasn't even Her night. Or night at all.

There was no reason to worry.

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