Disclaimer I do not own My Little Pony and I never will. But it’s in good hands, which is more than I can say for my other favorite shows.
Applejack is in the hospital and Rarity won't leave her side until she gets better.
___________________________________________________________________________________
It was a terrible accident. Twilight was away on Princess business during this year's winter wrap up. So none of the ponies were organized. In fact this year they were way more unorganized. The field plowers were rushing, last minute like usual, and Applejack was trying to direct them. She ended up getting trampled badly.
The moment that Rarity found out will be one she will remember for a long time. She was busy working on an order when Rainbow Dash busted through her door, without knocking.
"Rainbow Dash I insist that you at least knock, or otherwise give notice of your presence before entering my establishment. Certainly don't come flying in here with no regard for anything in your way. What if I had a customer in here? What would they think? Why I'd be rui-"
"AJ's in the hospital." Rainbow blurted out hoping that it would stop Rarity's rant. She was not expecting Rarity to faint clear to the floor, without even conjuring a fainting couch for herself. "Oh man." Rainbow Dash would have just left her there, she would have if she didn't know how freakishly close Rarity and Applejack were. Instead she just waited until Rarity came to, which was only a few minutes.
"Did.."Rarity took a deep breath as she sat up. "Did you say." She paused. "That Applejack is." She closed her eyes tightly. "In the hospital?"
"Yeah, she was run over by the winter wrap up plowers, first I went over to that bench you are usually at making bird's nests why weren't you there?"
"Oh well I finished early... APPLEJACK IS IN THE HOSPITAL!" Rarity's shouts shook the entire Boutique.
"Yeah, come on we're meeting the rest of the girls there." Rainbow indicated with her head for Rarity to follow her.
Every pony else was already there by the time Rarity and Rainbow Dash arrived. Even Twilight who got special permission from Princess Celestia to see how Applejack was. Fluttershy was chewing on her own hooves, Twilight was reading a huge book about medical practices out loud and Pinkie Pie was actually listening to her, while sucking on a lollipop. Rainbow Dash decided she might as well sit down but Rarity had other ideas. She approached the very first nurse pony she could find.
"Where is Applejack? I demand to see her!" She said narrowing her eyes at the poor pony.
"Uh-Uh I'm sorry but no pony is allowed to see her right now..." The nurse skittered away as fast as she could under Rarity's glare. After she was gone Rarity huffed.
"Does no pony understand the word demand?" She asked herself, and then she began to pace. Rainbow eventually started listening to Twilight's reading if only to stop the dizziness she was feeling watching Rarity. Fluttershy was turning green herself. Rarity's pacing kept getting faster and faster.
"It says here that a broken ear is easily fixed and doesn't take as long to heal as say a broken hoof, now isn't that interesting?" Twilight asked. "And here is a diagram of the lungs. I never realized anatomy could be so interesting. Oh Pinkie here it talks about how eating too much candy can damage your stomach lining...”
"WHO CARES ABOUT PINKIE'S STOMACH LINING RIGHT NOW?" Rarity shouted, shocking every pony. "APPLEJACK IS HURT. ISN'T ANYPONY ELSE WORRIED ABOUT HER?"
"Oh..." Fluttershy barely said. "I am. I am worried or rather I was worried and now I'm just nauseous..."
"Rarity every pony is worried." Pinkie Pie said. "But we all show it in different ways. Twilight is reading so she'll know more about Applejack's medical state knowing about it helps Twilight feel more like everything will be alright. Fluttershy was chewing her hooves, because it's a nervous habit and the repetition makes her feel better. Rainbow Dash is worried but she isn't going to show it, so she is distracting herself by trying to fall asleep to Twilight's reading. I was eating candy because it always makes me feel better, and Rarity... you were pacing because out of all of us Applejack means the most to you because you lov-"
"Do not finish that sentence Pinkie Pie." Rarity said eyeing Pinkie Pie with a glare that would have turned that nurse into ashes. Pinkie Pie however did not bat an eye.
"Oh did you not want any pony to know? I understand love is scary and-"
"Pinkie Pie I am most certainly not in love with Applejack." Rarity said and Pinkie Pie cocked in head in confusion.
"Yes you are." She said matter of factly. Rarity opened her mouth to protest but Pinkie continued. "I do understand why you acted that way Rarity, but we all care about Applejack and we are all scared, but you shouldn't yell at any pony simply because they cope differently than you do.” Every pony was shocked especially Rarity, she was not used to being dressed down by Pinkie Pie. But it was just what she needed. A few tears escaped her closed eye lids and she started wubbling.
"Oh dear, I'm so, I'm so sor-sorry I didn't Twilight I'm so so-sorry I don't know what came over me I-" Rarity was cut off by Pinkie Pie crashing into her followed by Twilight, than Fluttershy and lastly Dash who had rolled her eyes as if to say What the hell before happily jumping on the pile. All of her friends murmured their apologies and forgiveness to Rarity as they removed themselves from the pile. "Well Thank you all I feel a little better now.." Not a moment later the nurse from earlier approached Rarity with the same level of carefulness that a zoo keeper would before placing food in front of a lion.
"Uh...Ma'am Miss Applejack is ready to receive visitors now." She said, Rarity smiled at her.
"Oh Thank you. I apologize for earlier darling why don't you come into my shop sometime I'll give you a free scarf." This seemed to settle the nurse a little as she trotted away. Rarity turned back to her friends. "Come on girls let's see Applejack."
"Actually Rarity." Twilight started. "I think maybe you should talk to Applejack first."
"You should definitely talk to her." Pinkie Pie agreed.
"I don't know. I don't really think there is anything to talk about." Rarity said.
"Of course there is Rarity." Fluttershy said.
"You can't keep all that love bottled up inside Rarity, it's not healthy." Pinkie Pie said.
"I do not love her." Rarity said. But her friends all gave her a look and Rainbow Dash had the audacity to say what the look meant out loud.
"Oh plahlese!"
"Okay. I have feelings for her. Happy?" Rarity asked.
"Love feelings." Pinkie Pie said before laughing.
"Alright Pinkie. Alright."
"So you'll go in then and you'll tell her?" Pinkie asked.
"We'll see. I'll just go in now shall I?" Rarity passed through the doors to the hall that Applejack was occupying. Pinkie Pie squealed after Rarity was out of ear shot.
"Ooooo I'm so excited." Twilight raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Applejack will be okay."
Rarity slowly pushed open the door that the nurse told her was Applejack's. The room was incredibly dark. It sure could use some color. Rarity thought to herself. There lying on the plain dreary white bed was Applejack, her forehead was bandaged her left front leg was bandaged and her right back leg as well. She smiled weakly from the bed at Rarity.
"Hiya Rare.." She sounded so weak it absolutely crushed Rarity. "Where are the rest of the girls?"
"Hello darling. The girls thought that I should come in first. How are you feeling?" Rarity asked.
"Ah' reckon Ah'm sore." Applejack said and Rarity chuckled a little as she walked closer to the bed. She couldn't begin to hide the tears that had formed the second she saw Applejack in that bed. "What's wrong sugar cube?" Rarity shook her head a few times. "Come on Sugar cube tell me."
"It's just. How could you be so reckless?" Rarity asked.
"Ah' weren't bein reckless Rare I was just helping get the snow cleared from mah fields." Applejack explained.
"Still couldn't you have done it safely out of harm's way?"
"Ah' 'pose I could've but Ah didn't think of it at the time."
"Well maybe before you go and do something stupid you could consult me about it and I'll advise you on a safer approach." Rarity said.
"And why should ah ask your permission before Ah' do somethin, last time I checked it twas' my life. " Applejack snapped.
"It may be your life Applejack but other ponies are affected by your choices. What if after you were crushed you became paralyzed who would help Big Mac on the farm? Who would catch me when I fainted and didn't have a fainting couch nearby? Who would win the prize money at the rodeos?"
" Ah'm sorry Rare. Really. But ah don't see what the big deal is. Ah'm not paralyzed, Ah'm fine, ah can get back to bucking those trees in two weeks, you'll hafta wait for catching for a little longer than that, and the next rodeo ain't for six months. It's fine. Ah'm fine."
"But you almost weren't. Don't you see that Applejack. I was so worried about you."
"Yer very dramatic about everythin sugar cube ah doubt this was much bigger for you than when you fergot to bring yer spring hat to the festival that one time."
"How dare you say that to me?" Rarity said. "You may not realize it Applejack but when something really is the worst possible thing I never say it out loud because that would make it real. I get worked up over the small things because they can be easily fixed."
"That makes no sense."
"Of course it wouldn't make sense to you. The point is I was terrified and you haven't seen what I'm like when I'm that scared. But the girls did and I am positive that they will tell you that it was not the same as when I forgot my spring hat. Honestly Applejack how can you think that I'd be so shallow?" Rarity asked.
"Ah...well Ah don't know. Ah guess I don really get ya sometimes." Applejack admitted.
"Yes well. You completely ruined the moment. I can't possibly tell you what I was trying to tell you. You simply are the most frustrating pony I have ever met." Rarity turned to leave when Applejack called her name ever so sweetly.
"Rarity." Rarity turned slowly at Applejack's call.
"Yes darling?" It was at this terribly inconvenient moment that the rest of their friends decided to knock on the door. Twilight peeked her head in without waiting for a response from either pony.
“Is it alright if we come in?” She asked. Applejack nodded and Rarity couldn’t bring herself to protest. Twilight carefully entered the room and so did Fluttershy, but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow dash made no such attempt. Pinkie Pie bounced in the room like a Yo Yo with the largest smile on her face. Pinkie Pie though good at reading certain things in ponies could not at this moment read the situation between Rarity and Applejack and the tension clouding the energy in the room.
“So Rarity, did you tell her yet?” She asked in her overly cheery manner. Rarity rapidly shook her head, which was supposed to signal for Pinkie Pie to shut up, but Pinkie Pie would do no such thing. “Why not? Bottling up all that lov-“ Rarity shoved her hoof in Pinkie’s open mouth so fast that the force of it almost made Pinkie Pie bleed.
“Pinkie we really need to talk about social appropriateness.” Twilight said. But at that point all the damage had been done. Applejack kept opening and closing her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
“It’s a little late for that now Twilight. Besides dear maybe you aren’t the best teacher for that.” Rarity said.
“That’s right Twilight.” Pinkie said. “You are a little socially awkward yourself; Rarity would probably be the best teacher. And since she would be the best teacher it’s really her fault if I embarrassed her. Don’t you think Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked. It was at this moment that Applejack found her voice.
“Ya love me?” Every pony turned to her, except Rarity who held her head down, and suddenly found the pattern on the tile very interesting. In fact she was starting to consider coming in to give the next decorating crew a few pointers on what could improve the rooms. She specifically thought it might be nice for them to get rid of the drab whiteness. Rarity was starting to feel like she was drowning in it, the white tile and walls, definitely not question slash statement from Applejack that currently held the whole room in silence. When she finally looked up their friends had left them alone. She hadn’t even heard them leave or mutter their goodbyes and see you latters. Though she wanted to tear her eyes away, applejack’s murky green’s held her captive. It was ironic now that she was worried about Applejack being paralyzed as she suddenly found she could no longer move her hooves, they seemed glued to the drab tile. “Ya love me?” Applejack repeated.
“I...I…” Rarity had probably stuttered more times in that day, than she had at any other occasion. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to move her legs again. One hoof in front of the other she watched to Applejack’s bed without opening her eyes. Once she felt the fabric of the sheet against her leg she found that it was safe to open her eyes. Azure latched onto green and for a whole minute neither of them said a word. Rarity eventually realized that it was her turn to speak as she had not answered Applejack’s question. But she couldn’t instead she leaned over the hospital bed careful not to put too much pressure on the bandaged areas, closed her eyes and placed an incredibly light kiss on Applejack’s lips.
“Did’ya just kiss me? Because ah almost didn’t feel it sugar cube.” Applejack asked a playful smile on her face. “Try that again with more feelin.” Rarity did as requested. Somewhere in the hallway Pinkie Pie felt a shift in the energy in the room and cheered. Just kidding she was totally watching through the window.
Author's Note
Let me know if I should make any improvements. Did I do characterization well? How about dialogue? Description?
Also do you guys think a story with a Southern Belle and a farmer girl would be too much like Rarijack or do you think I could change enough to make it unrecognizable.
