Applejack needed to visit her tailor much more frequently as the days went on. It was hardly the most beneficial of ways to spend her day, but she knew it was a necessity. Rarity was more than welcoming of her presence, even though it meant a lot of hard work and other orders pushed back. It was quite the fortunate set up really and neither Applejack, nor Butter, knew what they would do if it were to change. Applejack would likely resort to locking herself back up in the barn some more. As much as Applejack enjoyed having her own personal tailor, she hated how reliant she was becoming on others. It was totally against her character, which painted her as a strong and independent woman. She wasn’t against a little help now and again, but when it seeped its way into every little thing, it quickly grew annoying.

Twilight could have offered some assistance if she wasn’t so busy, but any solution would only ever be temporary. Chemical or magical, whatever the solution, it would need repeat applications to be considered successful and that was a worse life in her opinion. Besides, Butter would likely have a strong opinion against her undergoing such a procedure, as he considered her to be perfect in every way. That was just another example of her life being ruled by others; in this sense it was more of the perils of a relationship. Still, she tried to maintain a degree of independence, even if it was becoming more and more difficult to do so. She could still get around town without too much difficulty and people weren’t exactly fleeing at the sight of her, so she still had the odd moment of small mercies.

On this particular day, in the present, Applejack awoke just like any other. Her back ached from the terrible position she had slept in, and bits of straw were jabbing and sticking to her; again like any other morning. Butter clearly had the better sleeping arrangements, as he got to sleep on her instead of the straw-filled bedding. He even got the blanket, as it was more of a hand towel in comparison to Applejack. Thankfully, the barn was well insulated; a surprising quality for a barn to have, but a necessity for one made to live in for her. Still, she was grateful to get into her clothes and warm herself up a little more. She shimmied herself to the edge of the bed and twisted her chest to one side. Butter was rudely awakened as he rolled off her and flopped into a patch of straw. Applejack gave him a morning pat and rose out of bed. She’d folded her clean pair of clothes up and left them on the couch. She used to put them on the bed, back when it hadn’t degraded to its current condition. After coming to the conclusion that there was nothing worse than clothing covered in straw however, she’d begun leaving it on the couch.

She crossed the barn to the couch and reached down to pick up her clothes off the couch. She put her flannel down on the back of the couch and unfurled her jeans. Say what you like about Rarity and her passion for the high class, but she could certainly craft clothes of the common pony just as well. She lifted a leg and shoved it into the respective hole, feeling the material squash up against her legs. It seemed a little tighter than she recalled, but given her seemingly never-ending growth, that was to be expected. She slid her other leg into the remaining hole and pulled the garment upwards. She managed to get the waistband as high as her thighs before she began to struggle. Flesh began to roll up and over the top of the jeans, making them dig into her skin. An appreciate whistle from a watching Butter didn’t help matters either, as she fought back against the jeans. It was like trying to dress up a pig; so much huffing and panting, wriggling and writhing, squealing and grunting. A regular sized person would have simply removed the jeans, having deemed them too small and gone to fetch something else. As it was, Applejack only had two outfits made for everyday wear and tear anymore, so she really needed them to fit. The thought of wearing her dirty clothes was not a notion that she wanted to entertain at all.

Gradually, she pulled the jeans higher, sliding them just a little bit further up her thigh. Alas, that was where she called it quits. Any further and she would either have torn them asunder, or lose feeling in her legs. Neither of which was a very attractive option. She slipped out of them, fighting the same fight that she had when trying to get them on. At least in this one the fight was easier, instead of getting harder the longer it went on. Once they were off, she kicked them behind her, sending them sailing over to the bed to smother Butter. She didn’t care where they landed, even as they made contact with Butter and he whimpered as a result. She hoped that she could at least salvage the shirt so she didn’t have to go completely naked. Her arms fit snugly into the sleeves of the shirt and she successfully managed to do up some of the buttons. Once again, she experienced some of difficulty, this time when she got to the buttons over her breasts. She struggled to pull them close enough to one another so that she could fasten them. Each button closer to the centre of the shirt, the more resistance she was met with. The fabric even began to creak ominously between her shoulder blades.

This time she was successful though, and her hard work actually paid off as she was, for all intents and purposes, wearing it. She did however, need to take short, sharp, lungful of air, as a big breath could ruin the shirt. Applejack spun around on the spot to show Butter her crowning glory. Even managing to time it right, so that he poked his head out from under her jeans, just as she turned. There was no applause though, as Applejack momentarily forgot the most important rule when dealing with tight clothing; always use slight movements. There was no telling just how fickle a tight garment was going to be whilst it was being worn. Some could take a great deal of punishment, whilst others could only take the smallest amount. In the case of Applejack’s shirt, it was a sudden onset of jazz hands that were the cause. The shirt caved to the might of her chest, with the buttons popping off and flying in all directions. Some of the more stressed buttons were fired through the walls of the barn, like little plastic bullets, leaving tiny streams of light in their wake. Applejack’s face fell, as she could only watch as her shirt was torn to shreds. She was allowed a small moment of mirth when one of the buttons hurtled towards Butter and smacked him square in the forehead. He flopped back into the pile of denim, muttering something about the multiple Applejack’s swarming around his head. Applejack rushed to his side, sitting him up and checking to see if a visit to the doctor was on the cards.

After a few questions and a lot of moving her fingers in front of his face, it was decided that he was fine. He’d have a slight bump on his forehead for a day or two, but other than that he’d be the same old Butter. Applejack was glad, partly because she was in no state to be rushing him down to Ponyville General with the bare minimum of clothes on. The Mayor had already cautioned her a few times on the grounds of indecent exposure, thanks to previous clothing malfunctions. The last thing she wanted was to be spending the night in lockup by her lonesome. With extra emphasis on the lonesome part; no doubt the cell would have to be specially constructed just for her, and thus likely outside and away from everyone. Still, Butter was moderately fine, so now she just had to figure out what she was going to do about the clothing situation. It seemed like she was going to have to wear her slightly bigger, but unclean outfit to go and request more clothes from Rarity. The main reason why such a thing didn’t please her was because of the activities she had done in that outfit. Lots of hard labour in the middle of an especially hot week, which resulted in a great deal of sweating from her. Not exactly the most pleasant of things to get back into, but if that’s what it took then she would soldier on. She walked to where the outfit lay; by the door, exactly where she had discarded it the night before.

The smell hit her instantly, with days of labouring and sweating rushing up to greet her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and bent down to pick up her dirty shirt. The odour grew more pungent the closer she got to the pile and once she had hold of the shirt, her eyes shuttered in reflex to avoid watering up. There was no way that she was going to be wearing this outfit again, not even for a second. She would much rather go semi-naked and in tattered rags than go and stink to the high heavens. She only possessed one other outfit however: an ill-fitting bikini. It had been designed to last, given that it wasn’t very often that Applejack or Butter went swimming. So the decision to make it a little looser fitting, so that she could grow into it, was made. Applejack toyed with the idea in her mind; perhaps the Mayor would be more understanding of that? It wasn’t exactly like she was walking around nude, or even in a bra and panties, the last pair of which she had outgrown as recently as a few days ago. It was a swimming costume, and as far as they knew, she was heading for a swim. That reassurance settled her mind, with the premise that she would opt for the bikini today, and only then for meeting Rarity. Once she had new clothes, they’d be going straight onto her body. No messing around; it’d be goodbye to the revealing bikini and hello to normality. She could just send Butter, but given that she would need a new set of measurements, it was easier to go on her own. She could bring Butter along as well though so that way she wouldn’t have to endure the stares on her own.

“Alright, Butter, time t’ go t’ Rarity an’ git some new gear. Git yerself dressed an’ ready t’ go, ah’m not gonna wait around.” Applejack ordered, already turning to find her swimsuit.

Butter stood up and gave Applejack a mock salute, before scurrying off to get ready. No less than ten minutes later the pair were dressed and ready to go. Applejack in her blue, apple-speckled bikini, and Butter in his chef’s jacket and brown trousers. She would have preferred that he was wearing his swimming shorts or something akin to her outfit, if only to build credit to the illusion she was hoping for. But she wasn’t about to force him, and besides it felt too close to lying for her tastes. Butter left the barn first, followed by Applejack a minute later, taking the time to have a final think about any alternatives. When she couldn’t think of any, she threw caution to the wind and left her rustic sanctuary. The pair strode confidently through to the centre of Ponyville. The stares and comments began almost instantly, with Applejack already being subjected to comments about her ill-fitting outfit. As they passed the Town Hall, the feelings of unease began to increase. The Mayor resided at the Town Hall, and all it took was one look outside her window and Applejack would likely end up locked up. But then they passed by without harassment, and they both gave a sigh of relief. Applejack was grateful when she reached the Carousel Boutique without incident. Now she could finally get herself a new outfit and get things back to normal. Butter, as usual in moments like this, took it upon himself to knock for her. He raised his hand to do, but paused as something near the handle caught his eye.

“What’s th’ matter?” Applejack asked, seeing him stop.

Pulling the note off, Butter read through it first before looking up nervously. “Uhm, well, you might want to read this…” He said, holding it up for her to take. While the writing was small for her large eyes, her vision was still good enough to make out the refined, looping handwriting of Rarity.

To Whom It May Concern,

As you may or may not be aware, it is the Canterlot Fashion Week all this week. As such, I will be spending the entire duration of the week in Canterlot, in the company of Princess Celestia herself. I apologise in advance for any inconveniences that this may cause. Normal service will be resumed the moment that I return to town.

Rarity

Applejack froze, the note falling out of her grasp and into the breeze. A bit of quick thinking from Butter saved Rarity’s note from being lost, as he snatched it out of the air. While he stuck the note back to the door, Applejack tried to come to terms with what it all meant for her. With no tailor, she was essentially without clothes for an entire week. That was not an option she had considered before and she didn’t like it one bit. She had been hoping to avoid walking back through town in nothing more than her bikini. Even as she stood outside Rarity’s boutique, she could feel the eyes of everyone in town on her back. Things were going to need a dramatic rethink if she was going to continue walking around town. She couldn’t spend all week, strutting around like some swimming champion who was having a hard time accepting retirement. For now, she needed to get back to the barn so she could find something else to wear. Though what that was going to be, was a complete mystery. There was nothing coming to her mind, nothing useful at least. She occasionally thought about using the cushions of her couch as her equivalent of the ‘urchin potato sack’. She was quick to dismiss it each and every time it arose, though each time it seemed just a little more viable. Butter escorted her back through the town whilst she continued to think. Her latest idea involved using the straw from her bed to cover herself up. As much as she hated the feel of loose straw against her body, it was a solution. Even if it didn’t seem to be that much of a step up from the bikini.

She didn’t even realise that they had returned to the barn, she was so deep in thought. While Butter returned to bed, the hour too early for his liking, Applejack sat herself down on the couch and resumed thinking. There was only a limited amount of things she could use. Aside from stripping planks out of the walls to make a box, she was essentially out of materials. She spared a glance to Butter, fast asleep almost within seconds of returning to bed. That was when she received a spark of inspiration. Butter had the answer all along, or rather, he was sleeping on the answer. She had considered using the straw from the bedding, but she hadn’t thought to use the bed linens themselves. It seemed like such a simple idea. The linens were already big and baggy due to all the straw they held; surely she could do something with it. There was only one way she was going to find out and that was to put it into practice.

She made her way over to Butter and pulled the linens out from underneath him. Another rude awakening for her unfortunate lover, but this was a state of emergency, even if he didn’t share the sentiment. Butter rolled onto the excess straw without even opening his eyes. He even started chewing on bits of straw in the process, mumbling about needing more ketchup. Applejack set to work on the outfit, wrapping it around herself. Her first use for it looked like something one might wear upon getting out of the bath. It started from being tied around her waist, but once she remembered her chest, she soon raised it higher. Now, while it still looked like something from a recent bathing session, it also resembled a short dress. The problem was that tied up as it was, it left her lower body completely bare. That, combined with the lack of underwear, meant that if she was to sit down, she might end up showing more than she intended. So she would need something else that covered her lower body. There had to be a style that could accomplish that. She tilted the linen a little and wrapped it around one shoulder, tucking it into her front. This gave the bottom more length, and came to cover a suitable amount of her flesh. Provided she could find some kind of clasp, this might be the outfit she was looking for: a toga. It ran down most of her legs, stopping at her knees in a v-pattern. It left one shoulder bare but covered her chest well, leaving the top of her cleavage exposed but at her height would hardly matter. It seemed almost regal in a way. Like what one of the Princesses might wear, or had worn in the far past. The toga didn’t give her the same level of manoeuvrability as her usual outfit, but it would suffice for walking. She’d just have to remember not to take on any laborious jobs for the time being. Big Macintosh could handle things himself; the stoic stallion had been slacking off since she’d begun to grow anyway.

She’d debut the outfit the next day, after the town had a little time to relax from her bikini display. All she needed was for her to find a clasp and it would be perfect. Unlike the rest of her outfits, she knew exactly what to use right away. There was an old belt she owned that was no good to her anymore; she’d broken it early on in her growth. She kept it around for a little memento of her old height, but the buckle would make a fine clasp. She located it with ease and threaded the material through the buckle. Securing it with a knot, she now had her new outfit sorted. Moving over to the bed again, she gave Butter a nudge to see what he thought about it. He simply gave her a half-hearted thumbs up before rolling over again and returning to sleep. It seemed he was determined to get his usual amount of sleep, disruptions be damned. No doubt he would be in for a shock when he woke up later when he saw her looking so regal. Applejack pondered how others might see her in this outfit. Some might refer to her in the sense of a Goddess, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Someone as big as her, taller than the Princesses, wearing something akin to the legends of old? Perhaps, if she had been born with some kind of magical ability, then she’d be more inclined to think of herself along the Goddess route herself. At the end of the day she was just glad that she had something she could actually go and visit Rarity in. It was a load off her mind, regardless of its less than stellar origins. With nothing else in mind for the day, she set off to tell Big Mac the news and then settled in for some time at home. That, and when Butter awoke, he was certain to find something for them to do together.

The next day came around fairly quickly; she wasn’t even sure she had slept. It felt like she had blinked and all of a sudden it was the next day. There was a definite difference in the scenery though, most notably the fact that Butter was knelt at her feet. It was a rather peculiar sight to be sure, but she soon felt his reason for being down there. He was kissing her toes; assumedly he was still thinking she was asleep, no doubt playing out a little fantasy of his. She sat there and allowed him to continue a little more, enjoying the alien sensation somewhat. She’d never really had much experience of this kind, but she couldn’t deny that it was a little exhilarating to say the least. Eventually, she gave Butter a little heads up, giving a yawn and stretch to show that she was awake. He quickly sat up, his cheeks blushing profusely as he tried his best to look casual. A sly smile showed him that he’d failed, but that there were no negative feelings from the mare. It was perhaps a closely guarded secret of his, or perhaps he was just taken in by the Applejack’s new outfit. She didn’t care really; he wasn’t hurting anyone, so she was fine with it. Even as Butter began to try and explain himself, she held up a hand to silence him. Perhaps that played into his fantasy or something, because he shut himself up rather quickly.

“Mornin’, Sugahcube.” Applejack greeted. “Fancy seeing you up s’ early.”

“Morning Applejack. Yeah, I uh, just wanted to admire your new outfit some.” Butter turned his head slightly as she snickered. “What? You look stunning…where did you say you got it again?”

“Ya really don’t ‘member?It’s th’ bed linen – maybe y’d recognize it if’n ya slept on it ‘stead of me. Don’ worry, ah’ll put it all back once ah git some more clothes.” Applejack stretched, which got an amusing noise from Butter. “Speakin’ o’ which, ah need t’ head into town t’ see whut time Rarity wus gettin’ back.”

“It was at the end of the week.” Butter reminded her.

“Ah know, but ah wus meanin’ whut time, not th’ date.”

“I don’t think that was on the note…”

“Well, it won’t hurt t’ check, right?”

“Are you sure? You seemed a little distant yesterday after you read the note.”

She had, but today she felt oddly energized. “Nah, it’s all fine. C’mon, let’s git movin’.”

“Alright, Go…! I mean, Applejack!”

Applejack smirked and got to her feet, leaving the barn first this time. Butter followed after, keeping pace quite well against Applejack’s longer stride. This time when she walked into town, she was still talked about, but this time in a more positive light. Comments were made about how much of an improvement the outfit was over her previous choice, with some even commenting that they’d want one for themselves. Instead of receiving glares and evil stares, she received smiles and pleasantries. The walk over to Rarity’s was a much more calming occasion now, which Applejack was entirely pleased about. She could even stroll past the Town Hall and wave at the people in the windows, hard at work. She couldn’t help but wonder what Rarity would make of this outfit she had crafted herself. Perhaps, she would be inspired to create her own range of items along the same sort of line. Applejack couldn’t help but find it a little funny to have a load of people all dressed like Goddesses or citizens of the ancient past. When they reached the boutique once again, Applejack read the note, checking for a possible date. After a few moments passed, Applejack gave the note back to Butter, who put it back up on the door. Acting like they had gotten the information they required, Applejack led Butter back through town, this time much slower and with a few stops

She wanted to make sure that as much of the populace got to see her as possible. She was feeling a well of confidence; somewhat unusual for her these days, but she was happy to ride it for as long as possible. Plus, it was rather fun to make Butter get a little jealous of all the attention she was getting now and again. She did notice that he blushed a few times, when some of the citizens bowed in response to her presence. It was no different than they would if they were in the presence of a Princess, but Applejack enjoyed the attention all the same. Well, enjoyed was perhaps too strong of a word. Her size was still presenting a little bit of a problem in terms of the confidence thing on a whole. Still, after having Butter put on his little show of affection, and the way the town seemed so positive and welcoming of her and her new outfit, it did make her feel better. If this was going to be how things were going to be for the rest of the week, then she was more than happy to wait for Rarity to get back. She wouldn’t even mind if she overstayed a little...