The Apple family house sat old and sturdy in the noonday sun. With the cutie mark crusaders out making trouble elsewhere, the rickety wooden house sat in a relatively calm silence. Or at least until Granny Smith, a short elderly woman with white curly hair, wrinkles, a bad hip, and a toothy smile stuck her head out of kitchen window, loudly banging an old rusty cowbell and calling her grandchildren in for lunch.
Lunch was a normal affair for the family, a quick meal with a bit of discussion about the the work everyone would do after putting the dishes away. Once it was all taken care of, Applejack, a tall muscular woman with a long blonde ponytail, bright green eyes, and a light speckling of freckles and her brother, Big Mac, a man even larger and more muscular than his sister with a short dirty blonde mess of hair and a large chin stuck on a permanently content looking face, made for the back door when suddenly there was a knock on the front. AJ stared at the door, puzzled while her grandmother answered the knocking. They weren’t supposed to have visitors today. Big Mac, on the other hand, just shrugged and continued outside.
“Well hi there dear, whaddya need?” Granny Smith asked the unknown guest. From where Applejack stood she couldn’t see outside the small crack in the door Granny had opened, “well a hollerin’ hootenannies, ‘course ya can,” the old lady said before turning to yell into the living room, “Applejack!”
AJ stood in shock for a moment, the person wanted to see her? If that was the case it couldn’t be a business visit; those people only came to see Granny Smith, even if they did spend most of the time with Applejack. Her next guess was that it must be Rainbow Dash coming by just to “see what’s what”. With a sigh, AJ walked towards the front door. She told Rainbow to let her know at least a day in advance before coming over, as her family worked on a tight schedule.
“Ah’m right here Granny, no need to yell,” AJ told her grandmother as she placed a hand on the partially open door, “now why did you want to see me?”
“Oh sorry, I didn’t see ya there,” AJ’s grandmother said laughing aloud at how silly she must have looked, “you have a visitor, one of your friends from town.”
“That’s what I thought,” Applejack muttered to herself before opening the door all the way, “Rainbow, how many times must I tell you to not show up unannounced?”
“Not Rainbow Dash darling, but good guess,” the visitor corrected as the front wooden door lightly banged against the inside wall, “and I am sorry, I will be sure to call ahead next time.”
The farmer looked out in surprise, as the last person she’d expect to see stood in front of her. Rarity was wearing a white silk sun dress with a purple frilly trim, a large white sun hat, white high heels and white gloves. Her long lavender hair was curled just the way she liked it and hung over her left shoulder. All this combined with good lighting from the sun, a light dash of makeup, and a bright smile somehow managed to make the fashion designer look better than usual, and she usually looked quite good.
“Sorry Rares, that was a little rude ‘a me,” Applejack apologized, smiling right back at her friend, “what brings you ‘round these parts? I thought you didn’t like the long walk out here from Ponyville.” Though the statement was partially true they both knew that Rarity’s limited visits had to do with avoiding how dirty the walk was.
“No need to apologize dear, the fault lies with me, and the walk stopped bothering me a few days ago, when I found a very useful spell in a book from Twilight’s library,” as Rarity explained, she lightly glided her hand from her thigh all the way down to her shoes, a light blue glow emitting from her hand the whole time. Each time it went over some dirt or grime it would lift from her clothes before falling to the ground. All the while Applejack stared in amazement and when the seamstress had finished, she stood up and continued talking, “as for why I’m here, since you recently agreed to be my model in an upcoming fashion show for me, it is about time we started outfitting the dresses.”
“Oh right, it completely slipped my mind,” Applejack felt a little bad telling Rarity that, but it was true and you could hardly blame her. It’s not like she was looking forward to it. “Sorry to tell ya sugar, but ah’m mighty busy today. If you could come by tomorrow, at this time, Ah can make room in the day.”
Rarity looked devastated, and Applejack felt a guilty blush start to fill her cheeks. Granny Smith suddenly cut into the blonde farmer’s relief, “nonsense, you girls go have fun. I’ll just tell Big Mac to move his worthless flank double time,” she said, adding emphasis with a light whack on Applejack’s behind with her wooden cooking spoon and a smile at Rarity. Rarity’s face lit up and she did her best not to jump up and down with excitement, but it came out as her shaking her hands frantically and letting out a high pitched squeal.
“Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much!” Rarity wrapped her arms around the elderly woman bringing her in for a tight hug.
“Oh it’s no problem ‘tall,” Granny Smith said after being released from the tight grip, “I’d do anything for ma granddaughter’s favorite friend.”
“Oh, I am her favorite you say?” Rarity said in a sly tone as mischievous looks appeared on both her’s and Granny Smith’s face. Applejack looked at both of them, feeling worried.
“Yep, she talks about you the most, and besides that hooligan Rainbow Dash she spends the most time with you,” and with that the blonde's grandmother left, leaving her granddaughter to turn the colour of some of the apples they sold.
“That is some interesting news, I never knew you cared so much,” Rarity teased, politely giggling behind the back of her delicate hand, “Do not worry darling, I may be a gossip but I have the good graces not to tell the other girls.”
“Ha ha ha, the two of ya just fancy yourselves to be so funny, don’t ya,” AJ replied in an indignant tone, “now let’s get to work. What did ya do with yer supplies?”
“Right here darling,” Rarity answered, stepping aside to reveal to Applejack’s dismay a precarious pile of boxes, mannequins, one clothing rack, and a dressing screen.
“If you needed all this stuff you should have just called me over,” Applejack couldn’t fathom how the scrawny girl in front of her moved all that.
“Please, it was nothing,” Rarity brushed away AJ’s concern giving a halfhearted snap of her fingers and suddenly all the items were floating covered in a light blue glow, “see a lady can take care of herself, anyways I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well I’m certainly surprised,” Applejack said stepping back from the doorway to give Rarity and all her stuff room to enter the house.
“And I am thoroughly pleased by that,” Rarity was standing in the center of the living room all her things she brought floating around her as she examined the room, “darling, you may want to step out for a second while I set up, it can get messy. Also do you mind if I move some of your stuff around?”
“Well not really, I guess,” AJ spoke honestly as she backed into the kitchen, “just make sure ya put it all back when you’re done or Granny Smith will have a fit.”
“Fear not, this mind forgets nothing, even the tiny details,” Rarity told Applejack tapping her forehead with one slender finger, “now, if you please. Remain silent for a moment, this takes some concentration.”
AJ watched from the kitchen completely entranced, as Rarity got to work. She looked like a conductor standing in the center of the room, moving her hands to direct all the objects around the room. Not only was the sheer number of things she held astounding, everything she brought with her plus anything else in that room that wasn’t bolted down or on the wall, including a couch, coffee table and book shelf but she managed to keep the objects moving around to different places at a blinding speed without once having them bump into each other. Starring for a few more moments the farmer eventually noticed something else, Rarity was humming to herself as she set up. Applejack smiled to herself as she thought that her friend likely didn’t even notice she was doing it. Closing her eyes and listening to the song the blonde let the next few minutes float by unnoticed, it was a rather cute song.
Once everything was finished the room looked completely different, most of the furniture had been moved to the hall leading to the second floor stairwell, the only thing that remained was the couch which had been repositioned to face a tiny stage surrounded by mirrors in the center of the room. Next to the stage was a small stool, and scattered around the room were open boxes filled with all kinds of supplies, a range of fabrics, a large variety of sewing needles, and strings of different size, shape, colours. These items however were not confined to just to their boxes as they lay along the floor, or draped across mannequins, on the far side of the room was the dressing screen, and a small foldable table with a large stack of papers on it all appearing to have many different and unique sketches on them.
“Wow that certainly is an impressive job you did with just your magic,” Applejack said walking into the room and looking around, “I think Twilight would be hard-pressed to do half as good a job.”
“Thank you darling, but it’s really nothing,” Rarity said approaching AJ and wrapping her arm with the farmer’s. When they stood next to each other Applejack couldn’t help but notice her heavy breathing, the spell must of taken more out her than she was letting on, “now if you would be so kind as to follow me, we can get started.”
Rarity led Applejack to the other side of the room pushing her friend behind the dressing screen, and tossing her a small white night skirt. “Strip to your undergarments and put this on.”
“Why this,” AJ asked examining the thin fabric not looking forward to that being all that’s between her and other people’s eyes.
“That or nothing sweetie,” Rarity answered sounding as though she did feel a bit bad for AJ even if it was diminished slightly by a giggle, “sorry but at least it is better than your undergarments.”
“Fine,” Applejack sighed hanging the skirt over the divider and looked down to start unbuttoning her top only to see a blue glow had already covered all the buttons on her top and even the one on her jeans and was getting to work, “what the hell?!”
AJ turned around quickly and saw the fashion designer standing behind her miming the action of undoing a button with a sly smirk on her face. “My apologies darling, but you were taking a while and we do not have all day,” Rarity explained grinning innocently.
“Rarity,” Applejack spoke slowly glaring daggers at the mischievous girl, “get outta a this room and if i see ya perverted ass again I’ll kick it back to ponyville!”
“No need to get forceful Applejack,” Rarity joked as the farmer pushed her out of the living room, “I was just having a bit of fun.”
Once AJ had finished changing she called Rarity back into the room. When Rarity first saw her friend she gave disapproving tsk before using magic to remove Applejack’s hat and set it down on a rack near the front door. Quickly the seamstress led her to the center of the room and placed Applejack on top of the stage. Gingerly Rarity sat on the stool behind AJ and magiced over a few supplies, a mannequin, and a sketch from the bottom of the pile (which to AJ’s surprise did not cause the rest to topple) with a dress design from multiple angles on it, and a pair of red rimmed glasses she placed on her face.
Getting started right away Rarity pulled up a light airy orange fabric, a measuring tape, and a pair of scissors. She would take a quick measurement of Applejack then cut the fabric accordingly. Observing the work through one of the mirrors Applejack couldn’t help but once again be impressed by the work her friend was doing, and there was that song again. However impressed AJ was she did however eventually succumb to boredom and began to gaze around, her attention resting on the sketch of the outfit currently being made, before the dressmaker gently adjusted her back to her original position.
The sketch appeared to be a light orange skirt with spaghetti straps and a small plain sun hat of the same colour. It appeared rather simple to Applejack especially by Rarity’s standards. In all honesty AJ appreciated the simplicity of it, it may even have been something she herself wouldn’t mind wearing, but it still confused her why Rarity would make something like this.
“That’s, uh, an interesting design,” AJ said her face scrunching into an awkward forced smile, “what was the inspiration?”
“What is the matter,” Rarity questioned making eye contact with Applejack in one of the mirrors, who quickly looked away, “I can read you like a book, so you might as well tell me your issue now rather than later when I can no longer fix it.”
“Well I was just thinking it looked, kind of, a, simple for you,” Applejack admitted looking at her shoes, “sorry.”
“Is that it,” Rarity said before tossing her head back with a loud, high pitched, throaty laugh. After noticing she blushed slightly and finished her laugh with quiet controlled giggle using her hand to cover her mouth, “sweetie there is no need to be sorry for something like that, it is actually the point of the outfit.You see I am trying to corner a potentially massive market before most people even realize it exists.”
“What market would that be?”
“The crystal empire,” Rarity answered with a triumphant gleam in her eye, “people are obsessed right now, as I was for a bit, and are trying to recreate the imagery and style of the place, and are flooding the market. But what they all fail to notice is that the people of the Empire are surrounded by those beautiful crystals all the time and are having the same reaction to our bright monochromatic colours in our culture. So I am currently working on a line specifically to capitalize on that.”
“Well aren’t you just as clever as a fox,” Applejack complimented smiling brightly, “I might even pick up some myself, they look right up my alley.”
Rarity gasped, “Do you really mean it? I would love to sell you some dresses darling.”
“Yeah,” the farmer said simply to Rarity's delight before adding, “but if I were to speak truthfully, ever since I took over the spending budget here I’ve always hated buying clothes,” AJ said with a shrug, “I would literally just stop buying clothes all together and do my farm work naked if I could.”
“I would like to see that,” Rarity whispered to herself.
“Pardon?” AJ asked turning to face Rarity with a raised eyebrow.
“Who would not like to see that,” Rarity joked, “people would pour in from all over to see the sexy young farmer doing physical labor in the fields, naked as the day she was born. Think of what it would do for your sales.”
“Yeah and then my equally naked gran would walk by and scare them out of sex for the rest of their perv lives,” Applejack laughed loudly, continuing to speak as she wiped her eyes, “or even better my bare butt brother shows up and chases them off!”
“Oh dear, please have mercy,” Rarity called between gasps for air while nearly tipping over the stool, “I do remind you I am trying to concentrate on keeping sharp scissors a float near you.”
“Well then be careful,” Applejack said looking around in mock concern, “Ah don’t feel like getting poked because you’re having a giggle fest.”
“Please, I haven’t had an accident like that for years, and it was my sister, and she deserved it.”
AJ calmed down slightly before the statement sunk in and she turned around looking worried, “wait, really?”
“No it was a joke,” Rarity said, getting back her composure and starting to work again, “well, mostly a joke.”
Being content with the relaxing work , and listening to Rarity’s work song, AJ stood there, for a few moments before a question crossed her mind, “why me?” The farmer asked the fashionista over her shoulder.
“Hmm, let me see,” Rarity thought aloud, tapping her chin as her magic continued to work in the background, “well a few reasons I guess. What specifically do you mean?”
“Why me, over any of our other friends?”
“Well that one is easy,” Rarity perked up with a bright smile, “we all remember what happened when Fluttershy modeled for me, and never would something like that ever happen with you, I mean that as a high compliment of course. Pinkie doesn't have the focus or patience for this; she would have been out the door to do something more flashy and fast paced five minutes in. Twilight doesn't have the same natural confidence as you, and Rainbow Dash just does not have the body for this, but do not tell her that. I am perfectly happy letting her believe she did not get asked because I knew she would turn down such ‘girly’ activities.”
“I won’t tell her, I swear,” Applejack said, head still spinning from the nice things Rarity had said about her, “but what do you mean she doesn't have the body for it?”
“She has a flyer’s body,” Rarity said shaking her head in disappointment at the thought, “lean, small, and flat. You on the other hand have a body that is strong, big, and well if you do not mind me saying darling, rather full. Much more appealing to look at as a model”
“Thanks, ah guess,” AJ said suddenly feeling much more self-conscious about the amount of clothes she was wearing. Still feeling the need for a better answer Applejack pressed on with more questions, “but I still don’t get why me specifically, why not just hire a model?”
“Oh please darling, you're a much more interesting person to talk to than those airheads. Also I fear there may be a slight chance I could not afford it, if I wanted to that is."”
“Can’t afford it!?” AJ blurted out in shock, nearly toppling off the stage, much to Rarity’s worry, “last I checked you were making outfits for Sapphire ‘Most Famous and Rich Musician Currently Recording’ Shores, how is anything out of your budget?”
“Well simply put dear, sometimes these elements can be a curse as well as a blessing,” Rarity sighed sounding rather depressed, “but on the bright side, there is not a thing I enjoy more than seeing a customer’s face light up when I tell them the price is half as much as anywhere else for twice, if you do not mind me sounding a bit conceited, the quality.”
“It’s not conceited when it’s the truth,” Applejack comforted before getting a stern, serious expression, “though ya still shouldn’t be bankruptin’ yourself!”
“Oh it is nothing I cannot handle, dear.”
Applejack didn’t believe her, and it just didn’t seem fair for her hard working friend to no be getting what she deserved. After a few moments of thinking it over Applejack came to a decision, “why don’t ah do the price adjustments for your products? Ah could help make them much fairer for you.”
“Are you sure?” Rarity asked, feeling guilty about the idea of a friend doing something like this for her.
“It would be no trouble at all, sugar,” Applejack said, giving her friend a smile.
“That would be wonderful,” Rarity said starting to get that overly excited gleam in her eye that AJ couldn't help but get a bit worried over whenever she saw it. Luckily the seamstress was able to hold herself back and continued talking in a normal, if a bit of a high pitched and happy tone, “but one issue, do you know anything about economics behind selling dresses?”
“Well no, but ah didn't know anything about the economics of produce when ah was suddenly forced to carry most of the farm’s responsibilities. All ah had were books and Granny telling me everythin’ she knew. After a few months ah was adjusting the prices myself, and going to town to sell our wares. It wasn’t perfect at first, but it was better than nothing and with time it improved to a smooth run,” AJ glanced up at a large crack in the ceiling, “a relatively smooth run. And with you helping out it should go even easier then when ah started.”
“Applejack, I never knew. That is amazing!” Rarity said putting a hand to her mouth, she looked on the verge of tears, “well then it is final, I would love for you to assist me in selling dresses. Of course now I need some way to pay you back.”
“Shucks Rares, there's no need for anything like that-”
“Oh, do not be ridiculous,” Rarity interrupted, jumping up and giving AJ a big hug from behind, making the farmer smile contently, “but we can worry about that later, right now I need you to get us some drinks while I start sewing this together.” The seamstress added moving the cut fabric over to her folded table.
After Rarity released her grip on AJ, the farmer happily hopped off the stage, relieved to just start moving her stiff muscles again as they ached from standing still for so long. Moving quickly across the room, Applejack realized she actually was quite thirsty, who would have thought standing around for a few hours could be so tiring. On her way out of the room she caught something strange out of the corner of her eye, and could of sworn Rarity was looking at her, with a devilish grin.
Creaking across the wooden floor, Applejack opened the old, loud, and leaky fridge in the kitchen and grabbed a jug of fresh homemade lemonade. Looking at it with a light smile she thought of how people often forget they grew more than apples on this farm. She poured the cold drink into two plastic cups, emblazoned with little cartoon characters. They were for her sister but since they were also the first cups AJ saw they were the ones she used. Before leaving she grabbed a few ice cubes from the freezer above the fridge and dropped them in the plastic cups.
“Hello darling,” Rarity greeted from the couch when her friend entered with drinks. The fashionista was relaxing on the couch, laying in a rather appealing position giving Applejack a half lidded stare, and atop her head sat AJ’s hat and her own had been moved to the rack.
“Very funny,” AJ said shaking her head with a bemused grin, “now quit joking and give it back.”
“Who’s joking here darling?” Rarity teased lazily using magic to move the glass towards her, “Oh lemonade not the fine wine one would want for a moment like this but I guess it will have to suffice.” Rarity thought aloud under her breath to quiet for AJ to hear after taking her first sip.
“Come on now give me my hat,” Applejack quickly walked over to the the couch, arm outstretched to grab it.
“I doubt I will,” Rarity was smiling slyly and laughing aloud now as she quickly sat up, placing her drink on the floor and lifted the hat off her head, suddenly holding it as far behind her as she could, “why not just come and get it, cowgirl?”
With a low huff AJ set her drink on the floor, hopped onto the couch and began reaching for the hat. Every time she came close Rarity would move, forcing the farmer to start moving close to Rarity’s side of the couch. Eventually after much shuffling around from the both of them, with a great smile Applejack was about to reach the hat as Rarity had nowhere to move it. Suddenly to her dismay a light blue glow enveloped the hat and floated it far from the farmer.
“I know a way you can get the hat,” Rarity said in a sultry voice, Applejack looked down when she heard it, and for the first time realized that in the attempt to get her hat, she had ended up straddling Rarity. With a deep blush it started sinking in just how close the two of them were, and just when she thought the tension couldn't get higher Rarity finished her thought, clearly enjoying every word of it, “you can kiss me.”
Staring deeply into those powerful blue eyes in front of her Applejack found herself leaning forward. Suddenly there was the loud noise from the back door slamming open on the other side of the house and AJ leaped up in shock to disastrous effect.
Granny smith and Big Mac rushed into the living room when they heard a massive crash. Staring in disbelief at the sight before them, the couch tipped over, Rarity overturned with it, AJ’s hat laying on her face, lemonade spilled all across the floor, and Applejack stuck half way into the box a few feet away.
Once over the shock Granny Smith finally spoke, “what happened in here?” She asked still not believing her eyes.
After a short pause Rarity lifted the hat off her face and spoke in a tried, strained voice, “massive disappointment.” Was all she said before groaning and placing the hat back down.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading!
This is my first time making any of my writing be seen by public eyes, and I hope it was relatively enjoyable. If there is anything about the story you had issue with please tell me, it is the only way I can hope to improve. I'd just like to request any criticism be polite and respectful.