The big day has arrived, and you’ve spent it getting ready. You had your suit hemmed at Rarity’s boutique, gotten your mane trimmed, and even bought new cologne from Zecora.

“Liberally apply this brew, and your night will be good as new!” you recall her saying.

This confused you. You asked her if this was some form of magical time-travel cologne, and her response was just as cryptic.

“No, no, my friend; and no need to be sour! It simply means you must reapply every other hour!”

You were not all about this riddle garbage. Next time, you think you might just go to the drug store. Though, to the zebra’s credit, it did smell pretty good.

After a quick flight (or a hitched lift and a little magical manipulation), you find yourself on Rainbow Dash’s front porch. After much thought, you had sided against bringing flowers; it would have been too forward and mismatched with Rainbow Dash’s personality. However, you hadn’t come empty-hooved.

You rapped on her cloud door. “Hey, Rainbow Dash,” you call, knowing that she’d appreciate the informality. “I’m here!”

“Alright, alright, hold your horsefeathers,” she calls back raspily. “I’m on my way!”

A few crashes and bumps later, and Rainbow Dash peeks her head out around the door. “Sorry, I had to feed Tank!”

“Not a problem,” you respond, taking out a big bottle of cider from your bag. “This is for you!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes light up upon seeing the cider, and her body tenses up as she nabs it with a hoof. “No way; this is craft stuff! Thanks a bunch!” She looks up at you with a half-guilty, half-mischeivous grin. “You mind if I down it right now?”

“By all means!”

Rainbow Dash uncaps the bottle in a practiced motion and begins chugging the bottle. However, the use of her second front hoof allows the front door to swing open slowly, revealing her in a stunning purple, blue, and green dress trimmed with golden cloth and fastened around her barrel by a bold orange and red swath of fabric.

You take the time to look more closely at her visage as well as she chugs down the bottle. Her manestyle seems to flow more freely than usual, which you didn’t even know was possible. If that wasn’t enough, she’s got on thick eyeliner and magenta eyeshadow, and might even be wearing lip gloss! Who in Equestria could have gotten her to wear makeup?

...Rarity. Probably Rarity.

Rainbow Dash finishes the bottle, belches casually, and tosses it haphazardly onto her floor, where it rolls into one of the piles of trash that has developed. “That was pretty good,” she sighs in satisfaction. She looks at you curiously for a moment, and you wonder if you’ve been caught staring.

“So, what’s up?” she asks, a hopeful smile on her muzzle.

To compliment Rainbow Dash, proceed to Chapter 22.

To skip the compliment and head right out, proceed to Chapter 23.