romance Princess Charming

[Carl Poppa 464]

It was simply dreadful!  The dress was utterly ruined in a moment or less, quite the tragedy, and indeed, the worst possible thing that could have happened on this night.  For weeks, Rarity had slaved away to create the absolute perfect dress—it had fit her form nicely, it had been adorned with the exact right amount of sequins, the appropriate number of ribbons, and the ideal quantity of exquisitely dainty lace; the colors had complemented one another perfectly and the feathered boa she had so lovingly and painstakingly crafted had been the only accessory capable of doing the luxurious gown justice.

 

Shredded silk trailed after the distraught unicorn pony as she fled the scene of her total humiliation in tears, feeling as though her heart were as torn and egregiously maimed as her craft, which being in such a sorry state, lost swaths of ripped fabric and loose sequins, like gleaming tear drops, on the stone floor of the elongated corridor behind her galloping hooves that created a frantic echoing drumbeat that rang throughout the hallway.  She need not see her visage to know that it too was marred by streaming mascara and tear streaks, tainting her carefully prepared beauty and removing the faux eyelashes from her right eye and carrying them down her chin until they caught on her ruined boa about her neck.

 

An ethereal glow began emanating from her horn as she neared the door to the dressing room, a matching glow sparking up around the door in question before flinging the wooden portal around on its hinges just long enough for the miserable pony to burst through before slamming shut and returning to its normal, pallid, and placid appearance behind her.  She collapsed heavily to the dingy carpeted floor with a heartbroken wail.  Despite her unattractive heaving sobs and extreme despair, she was not so upset to fail in noticing the low class decorum with which she found herself surrounded.  What a terribly uncouth place!  Even in her disheveled state, her presesnce alone, ruined make up and destroyed outfit as it were, added quite obvious and rather copious amounts of class to the room.

 

“Rare!  I’m sorry!” came the brash voice of Rainbow Dash through the wooden door.  Rarity let out an exaggerated groan to let that ruffian know just how furious and distressed she truly was.

 

“Oh go AWAY, Rainbow Dash!  You are most certainly, without a doubt, the very LAST pony I want to see at the moment!” the unicorn exclaimed dramatically.

 

“Come on, Rarity, it’s just a dress,” the pegasus pony in the hallway groaned.  Appalled and completely horrified, the white pony gasped audibly, swirled around, and before she knew it, found herself standing firmly in the open doorway of the dressing chamber, staring, retribution burning in her eyes, into the smug countenance of Rainbow Dash.

 

“If there is a phrase that should never be uttered, darling, it is the one you have just said!  JUST A DRESS?!  Even if it were acceptable to say such an awful thing, this most certainly is NOT ‘just a dress’!  I’ll have you know I spent countless sleepless nights fashioning this outfit for the sole purpose of having THE absolute best garment possible for your big performance, but clumsy buffoon that you are, you had to go and RUIN IT!!!”  What had begun as an angry tirade had transformed into distressed shrieks of unmitigated sorrow that she simple could not bring herself to hold back.

 

“What?” the pegasus asked softly.

 

“I know how important today is for you and I wanted to look my best for it,” Rarity sobbed pathetically as her knees gave out on her and her body sagged, her friend’s lightning fast reflexes allowing her to catch the upset unicorn.

 

“Oh come on, Rarity, you always look your best!  It’s not the dress that made you look better, it’s the other way around,” the brash pony said without so much as a moment’s pause, as if it were obvious, and patting Rarity on the back with a gentle hoof.  The unicorn’s breath caught mid-sob and she became very aware of Rainbow’s forelegs around her, holding her up off of the dirty floor.

 

“Oh… do you mean that, Rainbow?” she choked in a barely audible whisper, inadvertently holding her breath as she awaited response.  A faint flutter erupted in her chest.

 

“Of course I mean it.  You put so much time into your appearance, but you don’t need to,” Rainbow Dash replied simply.

 

“Oh darling you mean well but you simply must learn to utilize tact.  It is imperative that I spend time on my appearance,” Rarity moaned, breaking away from the other mare and their embrace and stepping back far enough that she could actually gaze upon her friend.  In that moment, she couldn’t help noticing how dashing and charming Rainbow Dash appeared in that particular stance—her hooves were spread apart, her knees locked, head held high with pride, her mane seeming to fall in an elegant, yet disheveled array—radiating strength and kindness; it was precisely the posture a gallant and noble Prince Charming would take when attending to a beautiful maiden such as herself.

 

“Sorry,” Rainbow was saying, “I just meant you always look great, so who cares if anypony else thinks otherwise?”

 

Rarity felt herself blushing as myriad butterflies began to dance and twirl in the pit of her stomach, catching her only slightly off guard.  She had longed to find her very own Prince Charming for such a long time, and though she had been unsuccessful in her endeavors thus far, she had been privy to many crushes—predominantly on upper crust, high class gentlecolts in possession of a certain level of refinement and dignity which was beyond lacking in such a brazen and adventurous individual as Rainbow Dash.  However, it was true that the blue pegasus mare did share several common characteristics with the ideal of the perfect stallion; she was fiercely loyal and undeniably brave, she was courageous and noble, heroic and caring… she even boasted that roguish charm stereotypical of the lovable rogue.  Were she a stallion, in fact, Rarity may not have been surprised by her sudden interest in her friend.  She’d never expected her Prince Charming to be a mare, but perhaps that was precisely why she’d had such rotten luck all this time.

 

“Oh Dashie, surely you realize I must look my best to feel my best,” she replied, attempting a haughty tone but failing due to her… preoccupation, instead managing to sound somewhat melancholic.

 

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I get it.”

 

“You’re impossible.” Kiss me.

 

“I’m just not into fashion.”

 

“I live for it, darling, and today… you killed it.”

 

“Rarity, sheesh, I’m trying to tell you you didn’t need to get all dressed up for my benefit,” groaned Rainbow Dash in exasperation.  An idea came to the unicorn then, and she turned her back dramatically, taking a few steps into the room again, hanging her head for effect.

 

“Oh but I did, Dashie darling,” she murmured.  In truth, she had the tendency to go over the top like she had tonight for any event, particularly those in which her friends starred, but she could use this to her advantage if she played her cards right.

 

“But why?!” the pegasus snapped.

 

Rarity swiveled back around theatrically to face the other mare, clapping a hoof to her forehead, and cried, “Rainbow can’t you see?!  Stop being so daft and kiss me already!”

 

Blinking stupidly, the blue pony simply said, “Huh?”

 

“Don’t be a fool, darling, I simply mean that while you lack poise and tact, I still find you to be exceedingly… awesome,” the unicorn answered, figuring some of her feelings out as she went along.

 

“Well, I am awesome,” Rainbow agreed.

 

“Oh yes, and wouldn’t you say that my elegance and grace compliment your awesomeness quite nicely?”

 

It was Rainbow’s turn to blush, “I guess so.”

 

“Well then?”

 

For a moment, Rainbow Dash simply blushed profusely, stammered and scratched at the back of her head nervously with a hoof.  Then, abruptly, she lurched forwards and planted a quick kiss on Rarity’s expectant lips before racing out of the room with a red face.  Rarity smiled, no longer so upset about what had transpired as she had been, closing her eyes to reflect upon the brief kiss.

 

 Not long thereafter, Twilight Sparkle’s voice reached the unicorn’s ears with a sense of urgency, “Rarity!  Rainbow Dash is about to perform the Sonic Rainboom!  Aren’t you going to come watch?”

 

She opened her eyes to peer at the violet alicorn who was stepping into the doorway and replied, “I’ll be along in just a moment.”

 

“Alright, see you outside.”

 

With that, Twilight trotted down the corridor from whence she came, leaving Rarity alone again.  The unicorn pony slipped out of her tattered gown, wiped the make-up off of her face with a rag, and reapplied her fake lashes to her right eye before following hurriedly after her friend.  She hoped that it would please Rainbow Dash to see her watching without being “unnecessarily” dressed up, and wished that they’d have another moment alone soon, one in which her Princess Charming wasn’t so clueless and awkward.

 

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A/N: This was written rather quickly and isn't the best, but I hope you all enjoy it, anyway.