Sum times, ya get yerself so deep in the muck, yah gotta have some help climb'n back out. An' sumtimes, taint nobuhdy 'round ta help.

The first thing Applejack noticed was that the bed she lay on was far softer than her own. The blankets were smooth, silky and didn't feel scratchy. The second thing she noticed was a splitting headache. Damn it Rainbow, why'd I let ya get me drinkin' like that? It took a few seconds after she became conscious before she would risk opening her eyes. The room was clearly not her own, but the quick, blurry glance she took before closing her eyes to shut out the intense light of mid-morning wasn't enough to know whose. Despite being large enough for three or four ponies, she could tell she was the only one resting in it. Neasua crept into her gut, and the orange mare laid as still as possible to try and suppress it.

"Applejack... darling? Are you awake yet?" Rarity's voice floated into the room. She sounded nervous and tired, but Applejack's mind was too focused on trying to remember why she was in Rarity's room to notice. Then her mind flashed back to their kiss.

"Applejack, I'm going... I'm going to regret this in the morning. I just want to say sorry now." Rain pattered around them as the two mares stared at one another.

"Lesh talk about somfin elsh." The orange mare wasn't quite sure she heard her right, but she also want's entirely sure Rarity had spoken at all.

"Come, we should get out of the rain."

Everything else was covered by a black curtain in her head. Applejack tried to sit up, but her headache was still too strong. "Here, have some tea. We need to talk, when you're up to it." The white mare placed a small cup of tea into Applejack's hooves. "Do be careful not to spill any, pl... Oh, never mind, the blankets, the sheets, they're all ruined anyway." Still, she did her best not to spill. Opening her eyes, the hungover pony saw that the sheets were slightly muddy, wrinkled and extremely dirty.

"Did ah do that?" She felt guilty staring at the bed. The tea seemed to be clearing up the hangover well, better than anything she'd ever had before."Wha's in this tea?"

"It's a recipe I learned from Zecora. Perfect for hangovers, no? And actually, we did that... I was perhaps less than clear minded enough last night to ensure our hooves were clean." Her white cheeks were accented as a pink blush blossomed across them. "Applejack... This, us, it shouldn't have happened. It's not how a lady should act." Applejack felt like a cow had bucked her in the gut, and she nearly doubled over as the words continued. "It wasn't right of me to lead you on like this, and it wasn't right to do as we have. I'm truly sorry, but what would you're family think? Or mine? I suspect even our friends wouldn't be comfortable with it." She paused, hoping the orange mare would do something to free her from the cinder blocks of guilt piling up with each word, but Applejack seemed unresponsive, nothing but pain showing on her face. "It's not fair, but that's how it is. Ponies... They just don't understand. It's to far beyond what they're used to. I wish so much that things could be different."

The words had become to much for Applejack to bare, and she began to drowned them out. Ah new this would happen. I shoulda known. I shoulda never let her do this to me. Rarity continued to speak, but the words no longer broke Applejack's shell. She zoned out, barely noticing that Rarity's lips continued to move. "Ah get it. Somepony like you, it wouldn' be easy, bein' who you are."

"Applejack, this isn't who I am. It can't be. It was nothing but a mistake, something that should have never happened." She paused before realizing how it had sounded. "Applejack, I don't mean you were a mistake, just that this was. Please, understand. It's better, for both of us. It can't be this way."

Applejack simply stared out the window. The bright sun the peeked through was offensive. She knew it wasn't the hangover that made her hate the happy daylight that made her nauseous. Sliding her hooves out of the bed, she attempted to stand. Weak and wobbly, she attempted to steady herself, ignoring the white mare staring at her with eye's glistening. Had she looked, Applejack may have seen the pain in that rested so openly on Rarity's face, the tears barely contained. She stared instead out the window.

"Applejack, I'm sorry..." Her sorry trailed off,and she left the room. Applejack stood in the room, shaking with anger at a rejection she wasn't prepared to handle. How could ah be so stupid? O'course she'd never want ta be with a farm pony like me. Fought as she could to stop it, a single tear rolled down her cheek and onto the wood floor, turning it a slightly deeper brown. As she regained her strength, the mare clambered down the stairs of Rarity's home and out the front entrance of her boutique.

It was cooler than she had expected, but the gentle breeze helped relieve her headache a bit, and she made her way slowly out of town along the same path she'd used the night before. Over the small bridge, the soft trickle of the stream an annoying ring in her ears. The smell of apples as she neared the orchard turned her stomach, reminding her of the taste of alcohol from the night before, and she had to rest against an empty tree until her stomach settled enough to move further along. The house moved into view as she shambled along. Through the front door, Applejack began to feel dizzy again, the distance closing faster than she felt it should have.

"Have a good night, Applejack?" Granny Smith sat in her same rocking chair, hooves still knitting as if she'd only been gone for a few minutes. "Di'jew remember tha yarn?" She shook her head and stumbled up the stairs to her room. "Well, tha's all right. You go on and rest, big day tomorrah. We'll be finishin' up tha harvest soon. And try not to be too hard on yourself."

Applejack flopped into bed, releasing the tears she couldn't hold back any longer. Ah knew better. Ah should'a never been so stupid. She lay in bed, silently crying as she fell asleep.

Author's Note

I'm not really sure about this one. I know where I'm going, but I don't know if I got Rarity's character right given the situation. As always, I welcome any suggestions or criticisms you have.