"Applejack, hold still!"

"I'm tryin'! But iffin' you keep on pokin' me like that, I'm gonna move."

Rarity gave a dainty "Hmph!" and set about levitating the pin through the fabric, close enough to graze Applejack's orange coat. "Don't get me wrong, darling- I'm thrilled that you've asked me to repair your dress after...that evening-"

"Well heck, I ain't never had anythin' so fancypants lookin'."

"I know." Rarity deadpanned. "-but if you don't stop fidgeting, I could slip, and I'm absolutely certain you won't enjoy getting a pin through your cutie mark."

"You threatenin' me?" Applejack said, and turned to glare at Rarity.

"No, I am stating a simple fact. If I were threatening you, I'd tell you to hold still or else I would tie you up so tightly you'd hardly be able to blink."

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Don't tempt me." Rarity said, clenching her teeth. She plucked another needle from the pincushion strapped to her front left hoof- but it traveled through the air a little faster than was exactly professional.

"I'll tempt anybody I dang well please!" Applejack said.

"I'm not...interrupting anything, am I?" Both ponies froze as soon as they heard Twilight Sparkle's voice.

"Ah, no." Rarity said. She pulled in a deep breath, and brushed her mane back behind one ear. "I was just trying to fix Applejack's dress. Perhaps now that someone else is here to see, she can actually hold still."

"Less hawin', more hemmin'."

"Ah, right." Twilight said. "Um. I can come back later, if it's more convenient-"

"No no," Rarity said, and slid another pin into place, "I'm sure we're all busy ponies- no reason I can't chat and sew at the same time."

"Oh sure!" Twilight said, "I just thought I'd stop by. As, uh. I just got a letter from Princess Celestia, and she mentioned some news that I thought you'd find interesting..."

"News," Rarity said, "or gossip?"

"There's a difference?" Applejack turned to peek at the two unicorns.

"Of course!" Rarity said, "one's far more entertaining than the other."

"Er, uh. If that's the case, I'm not entirely sure which category it'd fall into..." Twilight bit at her lower lip.

"Maybe we should decide for ourselves once we hear it?" Rarity said, lining up a particularly tricky pin.

"Prince Blueblood is coming to Ponyville."

"OW!"

"Sorry Applejack." both unicorns said in unison.