Chapter 22 – Be Prepared

The next morning, Applejack and I are doing our usual chores out in the orchards as we finish bucking our last remaining apple trees for the day. To my surprise, Applejack is more motivated than ever she clears out one tree after another. And even though she’s always in a happy mood when it comes to working on the farm, this time however, she’s in even higher spirits than ever. I can only imagine as to why that is considering what I’ve witnessed last night.

“So… I take it your date went well last night?” I ask her grinningly.

“Golly, Ford! What can Ah say?” she responds ecstatically. “It went off better than what Ah’ve expected!

“See, what did I tell you?” I boast mildly. “If you just be yourself and have fun, it will all work out in the end!”

Suddenly, I am pulled in by Applejack for a nicely firm hug. “Ya know, Ah can’t thank ya enough for all that you have done for me last night!” she says to me with a gleeful smile. “Ah owe ya big time for everything!”

“Nyah, don’t worry about, AJ!” I respond humbly as I pat her back. “I’m just glad to do whatever I can to help you two out!”

After her tight embrace, we finish applebucking our last trees before loading the fruitful baskets onto a wagon nearby. As we load our baskets, I take a moment to consider on telling AJ the truth about my romantic interests with Rainbow Dash. Sure, she’ll more likely tease me about it like before, but seeing how Applejack has always been there to give me sound advice and support, I figure that she might be best to help me sort out my thoughts on this matter.

“Actually Applejack… there’s something I want to talk about.”

“What is it, sugarcube?”

“I think… I think I’m in love with Rainbow Dash.” I confess hesitantly with a bashful blush. She stares at me with a blank face for such a few second, but eventually, she breaks into that devious smile I used to despise so much.

“So, it took ya that long to figure it out, huh?” AJ says to me teasingly. Usually that would bug me severely, but instead, I simple just roll my eyes before I began to chuckle.

“Okay okay, I get!” I reply with a chuckling smile. “I’ve been a bit too stubborn to see it for myself, alright?

“Don’t Ah know the feeling!” she chuckles to herself. “Listen, Ford. Ah know that Ah’ve teased ya a lot about this, but Ah’m really happy for you, and Ah’m glad to hear that you’ve finally admit it to yerself! Ah hope you know that Ah only want what’s best for you, that’s all!”

I’m touched by her kind and honest words as I go up to her to give her a gratifying hug before saying to her sincerely, “Thanks, AJ.” In response, she just pats me on the back gently as she welcomes my embrace.

“So, have ya told Rainbow yet?” AJ asks after we finished our second hug.

“Well... no, not yet.” I answer timidly. “But last night, Rainbow Dash gave me an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, so I figure that this coming weekend might be the best opportunity for me to tell her my feelings.

“Hey, that sounds like a good idea!”

Soon enough, we finish loading all the baskets on the large, wooden wagon. After strapping our harnesses, we steadily pull the wagon and its precious cargo back to Sweet Apple Acres.

On the way back home, something else pops into my head. I may like Rainbow Dash a lot, but does she share the same feelings for me though? I mean, I know that she enjoys my company since she agreed to go on that date with me last night. But I begin to worry if that’s as far as it will go between us. I glance at Applejack thinking that maybe she knows something Rainbow that I don’t. It might help me ease some of my worries at least.

“AJ, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot, Mustang!”

“Do you think…” I inquire nervously. “…Rainbow Dash likes me the same way?”

Applejack is very quiet as she thinks greatly about this. As she’s in her own deep mediation, I wait anticipatively for any kind of hopeful answer from her. Finally, she answers, “Hmm… Sorry, sugarcube. Ah can’t say.”

“Oh.” I say to myself in disappointment as I lower my head upon hearing that.

“But in my honest opinion…” Applejack continues reassuringly. “…Ah think you and Rainbow Dash have something special going on there. So Ah think it’s worth a try for you to show yer feelings for her when the Gala approaches. And besides, you got me and the gals to help ya out. And you know that we’ll all be there rootin’ for ya.” she ends it with a winking grin.

After hearing her encouragement, my confidence begins to soar as a determined smile emerges on my face. “Thank again, Applejack! And you’re right! I’m not going to let this opportunity pass by me! But first things first!”

“And what’s that, Ford?” Applejack inquires with a grin.

I simply say to her with a smirk on my face, “I’m gonna need a suit!”

Since I’ll be attending to Gala, I’ll definitely need to something nice to wear for such a formal occasion. So of course, the best place to get my tuxedo is at Rarity’s Carousel Boutique, which is also the only clothing store that I know of in Ponyville. Plus, Rarity’s my friend, so she’ll know what’s best for me on what to wear for the Gala this upcoming weekend.

After entering her establishment with the hanging bell chiming in on my arrival, Rarity does her usual, cheerful greeting, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything’s chic, unique, and magnifique!”

“Good morning, Rarity!”

“Why hello, Ford Mustang! What can I do for you?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just here to purchase a tux for myself, that’s all.”

“Well, luckily for you, we have a fine line of tuxedos and their assortments to mix and match with--!” Just as she is about to show me her wears, she stops dead in her tracks before slowly turning around and asking me with shrunken pupils and a puzzling smile, “Wait a second, would this by any chance be for the Gala this coming weekend?”

“Uhh… yeah… how did you guess?” I ask back puzzlingly.

But she didn’t answer. She just keeps staring blankly at me as a soft smile begins to creep on her face. Suddenly, she gasps exaggeratingly in delight as I swear I could see something twinkling beneath those big, blue eyes of hers. In an instant, Rarity rushes to the front door as she quickly flips the welcoming sign from “OPEN” to “CLOSED.”

“Quickly, Ford! To the inspiration room!” she frantically declares to me as she gallops ahead of me.

“Wh-what about your customers?” I ask shockingly.

“They can wait! This is a crisis that must be dealt with!” She responds in her usual melodramatic fashion. “Now come! We must hurry!” Using her magic, she pulls me along for the ride as she speedily leads me to her studio.

“There! All done! Now then, Ford Mustang… look and behold!” Rarity announces with pride and joy after adjusting my bowtie.

In less than a half-an-hour since she started the design for my tuxedo, I finally get to look at myself from one of the mirrors. I am completely stunned from what I see before me: I see myself wearing a very sleek, black tuxedo with a shiny, cobalt blue vest over a white, collared shirt and a traditional, black bowtie. This suit also has elastic holes on the sides to allow my wings to move more freely. But it isn’t just the wings that are comfortable with this change of clothes, every else just fits perfectly! It isn’t too tight, and it isn’t too loose; this one is just right!

“Wow, Rarity!” I awe ecstatically as I pose in front of the mirror. “I’ve worn a lot of your jackets before, but this is the nicest one ever! It’s like it was specifically made for me!”

“Well of course it is, darling!” she responds gleefully. “I’ve custom-made it just for you!”

“How did you accomplish this so quickly?” I ask her in amazement as I continue to look at my new tux. “You haven’t even taken any measurements for me yet!”

“Oh my dear Mustang! You give me far too little credit!” she states that proudly. “I was able to create this in a jiffy because I knew what your measurements were when you tried on my suits the first time you came here!”

“So… does that mean you were checking me out before?” I ask her with a cheeky grin.

Rarity giggles a bit at my teasing before replying with grin, “Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear! Besides, I’m already seeing somepony!”

“Heh, so I’ve heard.” I chuckle softly back.

“Anyway, I take it you’re going with somepony as well?” she asks me with an all-knowing grin.

“Umm… yeah… Rainbow Dash.” I reply with mild hesitation and a low-toned blush. “She gave me an extra ticket to the Gala and asked me to accompany her.”

“Oh, how wonderful! And so romantic, I must say!” she exclaims with glee. “Why, I bet you will sweep her off her feet when you take her to the Gala’s ballroom for some nice, slow dancing!

“Wait, slow dancing?” I repeated with startling, wide eyes.

“Why yes! It is a simply must-have for all couples to partake it in! Ooh, I can’t wait to have my fair share with Applejack this weekend when we go to the Gala together!” she envisions to herself with a dreamy smile.

“Uhh… That’s great to hear, Rarity, but I can’t do slow dancing that well.” I admit fearfully.

“Oh, Mustang! There’s no need to be so nervous about it.” she reassures me tenderly. “You did pretty well with your dancing during your welcoming party as well as Rainbow Dash’s birthday party.”

“Yeah… well, that kind of dancing is meant to be loose and carefree! This kind of dancing is… well… different!” I respond edgily.

“Hmm… I see. Hang on for just a moment, Ford! I’ll be right back!” Rarity says to me before leaving the room in a merry trot. As I stand in place, I puzzle for a bit on what Rarity has in mind for me.

“Ah! Here it is!” She says jubilantly outside the inspiration room before coming back in. Using her levitating magic, she carries with her a record player and an enveloped record.

“What’s all this for?” I ask with curiosity.

“Well, we can’t start our dancing lessons without some appropriate music, now can we?” Rarity answers with an enthusiastic grin as she sets the record player near the wall of opened room. And with the record in her magical grasp, she places it delicately on the player before setting the needle on its starting position.

Once the soothing, classical music starts to play, she turns around and says to me with an eager smile, “Now, let’s begin, shall we?”

And so from there, my private lessons on ballroom dancing begins, led by the prodigious fashion designer herself, Rarity! During our session, we start off slow as I carefully follow Rarity’s instructions whilst I mimic her steps. For the most part, it’s usually just stepping back and forth as we sway along with the music’s melody. At first, I start off very clumsy since I’ve never done slow dancing on four legs before, so I may have stumble a few times during our routine. But under Rarity’s guidance, I’ve learn to compose myself better without having to rush myself for each step I take. After a half-an-hour, I’m making exceptional progress with my dancing routine.

“So, how am I doing so far?” I ask Rarity without breaking my concentration during our latest dancing sequence.

“Oh, you’re doing splendid, darling!” she praises me. “If it’s alright with you, I can schedule a few more practice sessions with you this week before the Gala comes up.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Rarity.”

As we continue our waltz, I almost forget to ask Rarity an important question regarding with my purchase. “By the way, how much do I owe you for this suit you made for me?”

“You don’t owe me anything, Ford.” She dismisses it with a modest smile. “It fact, this is my own way of saying thanks for what I owe to you.”

“If this is still about saving Sweetie Belle and her friends, that’s already been taken care of months ago.”

“It’s more than that, darling. You’ve helped me achieve something on what I’ve longed for so many years.”

“And what would that be, Rarity?”

“Finding my very own special somepony.” she answers with a blushing smile. I just smile back warmly at her gratitude for me.

“Oh! Let’s finish it off with a spin and you catch me as I fall!” she instructs gleefully.

I willingly oblige as I spin her around with one fore hoof, and with that same hoof, I hold her carefully whiles she leans back in a dramatic posture. We stare at each other for bit as we sweat and breathe heavily from our lessons.

“You know…” I state with a grin as I try to catch my breath. “…for something considered as “slow” dancing, this sure does tire you out greatly.” Rarity giggles lightly in the midst of her panting.

“AHEM!”

Rarity and I swiftly turn our heads to the source of the noise as we stand still in our finishing poses. There at the doorway stands Applejack, who’s leaning against it with her hooves crossed over and a picnic basket next to her.

“Am Ah interruptin’ something?” she inquires teasingly with a smirk on her face.

“Applejack!” Rarity gasps surprisingly with a heavy blush as she hastily gets herself back up on all four hooves. “This… this isn’t what it looks it!”

“Yes it is.” I add to her claim with a mischievous smile.

“Quiet you!” Rarity snaps at me, but that did little to prevent me and Applejack from giggling at this awkward situation we were just in.

“Darling, please believe me!” Rarity explains her actions pleadingly. “I was just giving Ford Mustang some private lessons--! Oh wait, that sounded a bit raunchy, doesn’t it? I mean lessons in dancing! I was only doing this as a good friend, nothing more! Granted, he is quite handsome for a stallion, but I would never think about cheating on you--!”

Rarity’s rambling lips have finally been silenced by a bold kiss from her marefriend. All that tension that Rarity has been needlessly building up starts to melt away she embraces AJ with open forelegs. I smile tenderly at this lovely scene before me, but then I start to get wide-eyed and my wings start to stiffen up as their passionate kissing intensifies greatly. As the great George Takei would say in this kind of situation: Oh my.

At last, before things start to get too awkward for me, they break up their kiss before Applejack says grinningly to her dazed marefriend, “Calm yerself, sugarcube. Ah know that you mean well. Ah didn’t mean to get you so upset like that.”

“So umm… what brings you over here today?” Rarity asks after composing herself.

“What, am Ah not allowed to see my marefriend every now and then?” Applejack inquires with another teasing grin.

“Well, I mean, of course you can! I didn’t mean it like that--!” Once Rarity finally gets the joke, she just rolls her eyes as she continues with a sarcastic smile. “Oh, very funny.”

“Anyway, Ah came over to see if you wanna have a picnic with me at the park today.” AJ explains as she points to her stuffed picnic basket nearby.

“Oh, that sounds lovely! Is it lunchtime already? In any case, I would be happy to go out with you!” Rarity says happily as she briefly nuzzles with her marefriend.

“But first, Ah was wondering if ya don’t me cuttin’ in before we head out for lunch together.”

“Oh, Applejack! I thought you would never ask--!” Surprisingly, Applejack walks pasts Rarity as she approaches me all of sudden.

“So, how about it, Ford? Mind if Ah have this next dance with ya?” AJ asks with a mischievous grin.

I follow along as I bow lightly to Applejack while I answer grinningly, “Not at all, AJ!”

With the music still playing in the background, I present my fore hoof to the farm pony, and she accepts it as we dance slowly with one and another. As Applejack and I dance away while chuckling to ourselves, we can see Rarity dumbstruck as she is force to sit out on this one.

“APPLEJAAAAAACK!” Rarity whines overdramatically from being left out from her dance partner.

With a chuckling grin, Applejack looks back at Rarity and says reassuringly, “Don’t ya worry yer pretty, little mane, Rarity! I’m just saving the best for last when we go to the Gala this weekend!”

Less than one week later, it’s the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, and I’m in the farmhouse right now putting the last touches to my formal attirement. With a slightly frantic glance, I look at a clock nearby. I sigh in relief as I have half-an-hour left before it strikes at seven this evening. That gives me enough time to go over a mental checklist with myself.

Tuxedo: Check!

Blue Boutonniere Pin: Check!

Combed Hair: Check!

A White, Thornless Rose as a Present to Rainbow Dash: Check!

And last but certainly not least, my Golden Ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala: Check!

Okay, I’m all set, and with plenty of time to spare! Other than me, Applejack and Big Macintosh are just about to leave to pick up their respectable dates tonight as well. We say our sincere goodbyes to Granny Smith and Apple Bloom, who is having a sleepover at her home with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, before the three of us head out on our separate ways. The two farm ponies make their trek on the ground, whilst I take it to sky as I head straight to Rainbow Dash’s house.

Right on time, I land softly in front of Rainbow Dash’s doorway. With one fore hoof, I remove my prized rose that was delicately clutched between my teeth and place it in the inside pocket of my tux. After taking a deep, calming breath, I approach the door with my head held up high before ringing its doorbell.

“Come in!” Rainbow Dash calls out to me from inside. I beam greatly over hearing her voice as I open the door gently.

Once I close the door behind me, I get a better look around her dim house. It is indeed very spacious inside with nothing but cloudy interior design and cushy furnishing. Her house is like a mansion with its reminiscently Greco-Roman architecture and its surprisingly luxurious furniture. Makes me wonder how she was able to achieve all of this for herself.

As I continue to wait around for Rainbow Dash, I search around to look at anything interesting in order to help pass the time. In the midst of my search, I spot a framed photograph standing on a small table near one of the couches. Without touching it, I take a better look at the picture: it shows Rainbow Dash as a cute, little filly, who is excitingly hugging her grinning dad as they smile to the camera. Little Dashie is wearing a Wonderbolts T-shirt, and a Wonderbolts visor that depicts the iconic goggles with her frizzy rainbow hair sticking out of her hatwear. In the cloudy background is what looks like a race track that must have been used by the Wonderbolts during that day.

As I smile at this adorable picture, a thought pops into my head. Where is Rainbow Dash’s mom? From all of the episodes I have seen, I have never heard any mention of her mother. She could have been the one to take the picture of Rainbow and her dad, so that might be a possibility. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if something happened to her mother or not.

“Good evening, Ford Mustang.” a sweet voice breaks me out of my distracted train of thought.

I turn around and look up at the source that is coming from the top of the staircase. My jaws unhinges as my awestricken eyes are fixated on what I see before me. There she is, Rainbow Dash, in a most stunning, beautiful, shimmering, light purple gown with silky, silver sandals on her fore hooves similar to the golden ones she wore during her first night at the Gala. I also marvel at what she has done with her mane. It isn’t that much different from her usual hairstyle, but the why she combed her top portion and the lower portion around her shoulder neatly makes it look much softer and more feminine. That kind of touch up just makes her all the more beautiful!

As she glides down the staircase elegantly, I am completely mesmerized as I see how her flowing, glistening gown shifts into waves of alternating shades of purple. I swear it almost feels like time is slowing down for me as I continue to look at her marvelous dress, which is like a lavender, auroral sky filled with nothing but twinkling stars. After she makes her graceful landing right in front of me, I slowly break out of my trance as I smile warmly at her presence.

“Good evening, Rainbow Dash.” I finally respond as I courteously bow before her.

“Sorry it took me so long, Ford. It’s been a while since I’ve worn something as nice as this.” She says cheerfully as she admires her dress a bit while doing an aerial twirl.

“Well, I say it was well worth the wait. You look amazing!” I compliment her astonishingly.

“Th-thank you.” She says with a tender, blushing smile. “You're not so bad-looking yourself!” I blush a little as I check myself out for a bit.

“Oh, I got you something!” I say to her before reaching inside my jacket to retrieve my floral gift. As I bow lightly, I hand over my white rose to her. She gasps at the uniquely colored flower before accepting it with a gentle smile.

“Aww, you shouldn’t have!” she says cooingly.

“Too bad. The floral shop doesn’t accept refunds once a purchase has been made.” I kid a little. She giggles from my joke before gazing at the purely white rose and softly inhales its sweet fragrance.

“Thanks, Ford. It’s very beautiful.” Rainbow says to me with an affectionate smile. “Though… I wish I can take it with me. I don’t have a vase around here to put it in.” I think a little to see what we can do about it. Then, I recall what Octavia did when she gave one of her roses to Vinyl Scratch at the Canterlot’s amphitheater months ago.

“I might have an idea.” I suggest to Rainbow with a bright smile. “May I?” She nods in responds and hands me back the rose. Thankfully since this flower doesn’t have any thorns, I can clip a bit of the stem off with my teeth and discard what is left into a trash can nearby. Then, I carefully insert the shortened rose right between Rainbow Dash’s right ear and her nicely brushed mane.

“There! Does this help?” I ask her.

Rainbow blushes lightly as she caresses the delicate, white petals of her rose. After that, she gazes at me with a wide, kindhearted smile and answers, “It’s perfect!” Then, she nuzzles me lightly as I break into a relaxing smile before leading her out of the door.

Once we are in a good clearing outside of her home, I turn around and ask her chivalrously with an extended foreleg, “Well then, shall we get going, milady?”

Rainbow giggles lightheartedly at my courteous gesture before she wraps a hoof around mine and responds enthusiastically, “Gladly!” With warm smiles and our hooves intertwined with each other’s, we take off into the nightly sky as we fly casually to our next destination: the Grand Galloping Gala.

And by the end of it all, I’m going to see to it that I will make it the best night ever!