Apple from a Seed

Chapters

...and Some Hard Work...
...and then in Time...
...a Seed Can Bloom
A Tree Begets a Seed
It Starts with a Little Love...

...and Some Hard Work...

Steam billowed from the tracks as Rarity stepped off onto the train platform on the outskirts of Appleloosa. Even under the shade provided by the awning overhead, the heat was baking deep into her coat through the breezy sky blue sundress she’d decided to wear, making it cling to her in uncomfortable places. It made her sick to her stomach to even consider it, but she might even be sweating!

As she lowered her carry-on hoofbag to the floor in the grip of her azure magic, she withdrew an ornate paper fan she’d bought in Canterlot a few years back and began idly flapping it to send a pleasant breeze across her face. They’d been in Appleloosa for less than five minutes and she could already feel her makeup starting to run. She should have known to wear the sweat-resistant brands she used for working out but they just didn’t have the same shine her regular ones from the Ponyville Day Spa did. Wherever Aloe and Lotus bought them Rarity didn’t know, but at the prices they charged it was a steal!

She had made it one of her life’s missions to find out where they bought their products, yet every time she asked either of the sisters, they’d simply smile a knowing little smile and assure her it was a family secret. Perhaps they had family back home in Stalliongrad that produced it? Or maybe a family friend that they imported from? Or even perhaps–

A sudden loud thud next to her brought her back to reality. Applejack was standing there, her brow sweating profusely as she leaned against a large trunk standing upright on its side. She wore a distinctly unamused frown on her face that caused her brow to wrinkle and the corner of her mouth to twist downward adorably.

“Ya’know, Rares, Appleloosa ain’t changed since the last time we were here. There’s still a whole lotta dirt and dust; you’re gonna get your clothes all mussed up again,” she groused, nudging the trunk with her elbow. It was so heavy it didn’t even budge.

“Give me some credit, Darling!” Rarity sang, batting her eyelashes coquettishly, causing Applejack’s hardened frown to falter. “Twilight taught me a spell that should keep all my wonderful ensembles sparkling like new! I’ve already taken the liberty of protecting everything I brought with me. It should last all weekend as well.”

Applejack recovered from Rarity’s wiles quickly enough, used to them as she was. “That’s another thing. We’re only gonna be here two days! Did ya’ have to pack enough to last you a month?”

Rarity sighed, lamenting her marefriend’s lack of foresight. “Darling, please! One must never be unprepared. What if the protection spell fails and I need to change into something else? Or what if I need to wear something to match a theme? A lady must look her best in every situation!”

“Rares. Nopony in this town wears clothes,” Applejack groused, waving a hoof around them. Rarity didn’t need to look around to know that every pony out and about on their day wore little. Perhaps there was a hat here or a vest there; all for the more utilitarian purpose of blocking out the sun or dirt than for fashion’s sake. It wasn’t Canterlot, after all.

Rarity sniffed, turning her nose up snootily. “Doesn’t mean that I can’t.”

“Whatever you say, Rares,” Applejack grumbled, rolling her eyes as she bit the trunk’s extendable handle and returned it to its wheels. Pausing to settle her own saddlebags more comfortably on her back, she began leading the way off the station. Realizing her pouting was being ignored, Rarity picked up her hoofbag and trotted to catch up. A wisp of her magic against the back of the trunk lightened the load Applejack was pulling and, both smiling, they shared a nuzzle.

Until a levitating paper fan appeared in front of Applejack’s face. She wanted to roll her eyes again until she felt a refreshing breeze across her face. Grudgingly, she allowed Rarity to fan them both.

As they made their way through town, Rarity couldn’t help but think that Applejack had been mistaken when she said the town hadn’t changed over the years. A decade ago, when the town was first being founded, it had been nothing but sand and tumbleweeds as far as the eye could see. Now, thanks to agricultural endeavors and generous irrigation, flora had flourished, turning the rundown western town into a lush country paradise. It was practically unrecognizable.

But despite the physical changes, the ponies that lived there were certainly the same. Every semi-familiar face, and even most unfamiliar ones, offered welcoming smiles and good tidings as they passed. Ever socially-conscious, Rarity couldn’t help but respond in kind to each one.

As they passed the more bustling part of Appleloosa, if one could even call it that, the sweet scent of fresh apples began to pervade the air and as they reached the far outskirts, an entire orchard sprawled across the horizon. Hundreds of trees rolled over the hills, blending together to create an ocean of green, dotted here and there by yellows and reds like flecks of paint flicked off the tip of some grand artist’s brush. Above, the morning sun made the sky burn gold.

Rarity couldn’t help but notice a new light in Applejack’s eyes and a vigor in her step that hadn’t been present only moments before.

Braeburn’s old green ranch house was thankfully on the closest side of the orchard, leaving the last leg of their walk mercifully short. Though the building itself retained many of the Apple Family standards –such as earthy, natural colors and, of course, apples painted everywhere– several additions had been made over the years to accommodate its newest resident. Most notably was the series of rings hovering in the air above the backyard, each fashioned out of fluffy white cloud.

As Applejack attempted to haul the trunk up the much-too-small stairs, Rarity stepped past her to ring the doorbell with her magic.

“The doorbell? Really, Rares?” Applejack asked from behind her. With an amused sigh, she brusquely threw open the door and barged on inside. “Knock, knock!” she called out to the empty living room. Shaking her head at her partner’s impropriety, Rarity followed suit regardless.

Throughout her life, whispered amongst the more unsavory circles she found herself socializing with, Rarity had heard certain things about stallions like Braeburn. Many of these things she found simply misguided and many others she found blatantly ridiculous, such as their supposed predilection for interior design. For, she thought, one need look no further than Braeburn’s living room to see that orientation does not also bestow any sense of composition or theme.

The living room had, in its origins, been fashioned with Apple Family charm and tempered with the coarse sensibilities of a frontier town. Simple wood flooring with woven wool rugs interspersed for the slightest bit of comfort, all hoofmade by the ponies of town, of course. There was little throughout the house that did not serve some functional purpose, a few picture frames in the hall being the most prominent, though the majority of them had the blue and white swirling designs typical of Cloudsdale stylings. A small collection of cowpony hats and lassos hung from hooks upon the wall, and upon Rarity’s first visit she had mistaken them for decoration. After commenting on the notion, however, Braeburn and Applejack were quick to assure her that they were very much used and not just for show, much to their amusement.

After wheeling the trunk just far enough into the room so that it wouldn’t block the door, Applejack flopped down onto the austere wooden couch, using a fluffy white throw pillow to brace her back. The instant she leaned back upon it, she let out a long, relieved groan.

“I don’t know what this is, but it’s nice…” she mumbled blissfully.

Intrigued, Rarity stepped closer to the couch and found another one. It was spherical and made of a plain white fabric. It was cute in a simple way, but there didn’t seem to be anything particularly special about it.

That was, until she poked it with a hoof. It was surprisingly cool to the touch, as though it had been sitting in the freezer for a few hours.

“Nifty, isn’t it?” asked a deep voice behind her.

She let out a surprised squeak as she whirled around to face a handsome pegasus stallion. He was using a wing to run a towel through his dark blue mane, which was slicked with sweat against his brow. Though she was happy to see him, sneaking up behind her, combined with the unmistakable scent of sweaty stallion beginning to fill the room, made her nose wrinkle.

“Hello, Soarin’. Wonderful to see you,” she said. She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bravely offering a foreleg for a hug. Instead of accepting, Soarin’ just laughed and waved her off.

“I know I’m a mess, Rarity. Let me take a shower first and then you can hug me, alright?”

She immediately let out a relieved breath. “Oh thank you, darling!”

“Well, I ain’t shy! C’mere, Sugarcube!” Applejack said, standing from the couch and pulling him into a hug that squeezed the breath out of him. “Little sweat never hurt nopony!” She cracked a sly grin over her shoulder. “’Course, she don’t complain when she comes over after I’ve been workin’ all day.”

Rarity gasped. “Applejack! That is hardly appropriate given present company!”

If anything, Applejack’s grin only widened at her mortified tone. “Why not? We’re all adults here, ain’t we? ‘Sides, you think he don’t know that you like to…” –she turned to Soarin’– “how do you pegasi put it? ‘Ruffle my feathers?’”

“Applejack…” Rarity warned, her tone burning with murderous intent. Soarin’ subtly tried to back away as Applejack burst into a fit of laughter but her strong foreleg wrapped around his shoulders made it impossible.

Just before Rarity could have a conniption, a series of hoofsteps sounded from the other room. A corn-yellow earth pony stallion poked his head through the door, his face lighting up as his eyes fell on the scene.

“AJ, Rarity! I thought I heard you two!” he cried as he galloped in and joined Applejack and Soarin’ in their hug. “How you two been? Didja have a nice ride up? No problems or nothin’?”

“Nah, it was uneventful; same as usual,” Applejack assured him as they pulled apart. “An’ we’ve been doing just fine. Farm’s running smoothly for once; almost enough to make me think something’s just waitin’ to go wrong. I gotta good feeling, though. I think this year’s gonna be a good harvest.”

“No kiddin’? It’s been the same over this way!” Braeburn said, his good cheer proving infectious as it began to force smiles onto all their faces. Even Rarity’s; her lingering displeasure over Applejack’s teasing starting to fade.

Braeburn and Applejack launched into conversation about how their respective farms were doing and their plans for the coming harvest season, leaving Soarin’ and Rarity alone in the dust. Chuckling to himself, Soarin’ turned to her.

“Well, they’re going to be at it for a while. Let me get your trunk and then I’ll go take a shower. Make yourself at home, Rarity. What’s ours is yours,” he said.

“Ever the gentlecolt! Thank you very much, darling.”

After a light lunch spent catching up with each other, Applejack and Braeburn went to tour around the orchard. Rarity was sure that as soon as they reached the first tree Applejack would be unable to resist offering to help out and the two would be busy for the rest of the afternoon. It left Rarity and Soarin’ alone, and they spent the time in the backyard, chatting over iced lemonade at a shaded patio table. By the time the sun was starting to set over the horizon Braeburn and Applejack finally made it back and they left to share a bath while Rarity and Soarin’ began preparing dinner.

As they all sat down at the small kitchen table with steaming plates of mashed potatoes with garlic, honeyed carrots and bowls of salads with an assortment of fruits, an uneasy silence fell over them. It seemed through some unspoken cue they all knew it was time. Yet at the same time, nopony wanted to be the first to start.

“Is the, uh… food good?” Braeburn asked hopefully, looking at everypony while he awkwardly pushed the carrots on his plate around with his fork. “I hope you aren’t, umm… underwhelmed, Rarity.”

“Whyever would I be underwhelmed?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“W-well, down home cooking isn’t exactly five-star cuisine or nothin’.”

Soarin’ gave him a deadpan glance. “Braeby, you do realize she helped cook this, right?”

“I just want to make sure she’s comfortable while they stay here!” Braeburn groused, exasperated. Under his breath he grumbled, “And don’t call me that.”

Rarity grinned mischievously as she raised her fork to her mouth. “Braeburn, darling, are you trying to say that I’m picky?”

He bolted upright, his eyes wide as saucers. “Of course not! I just thought that a mare as… cultured as you is probably used to the type of food you’d get in Canterlot’s fanciest restaurants! Probably makes our food seem pretty boring in comparison…”

“Well, thanks, dear,” Soarin’ groused. “If my cooking’s so bad then you can do it next time!”

“Now, Soar, you know that’s not what I meant! I just– urk!” he was cut off as Soarin’ shoved his fork, carrying a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, into his mouth.

As Braeburn fell into a put-off silence to chew, the rest shared a round of laughter at his expense.

Calming down, Applejack wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. “As much as I like us all teasing my cousin, I think it’s time we got down to business and talk about things.”

Her suggestion silenced the room. You could have heard a pin drop as everypony took in turns to stare at their plates, hardly daring to look up at each other for more than a second. Only Applejack was able to bear the awkward weight hanging heavy in the air.

She huffed when it became clear no one wanted to be the first to speak up. “Oh come on, y’all. There ain’t no point in drawing things out and fretting about it all weekend. We might as well just get it out of the way, right?”

“You know what, you’re right,” Soarin’ suddenly said, looking up from his plate. “I’ve never been one for beating around the bush and I don’t want to start now. I take it you’ve thought things over?”

“We have, but uh… We weren’t really able to come to a decision yet…” Applejack said, sadly looking at the table.

“It’s just a lot to ask!” Rarity cut in suddenly, unable to stop herself. “It’s not like you want her to lend you some money. Carrying a foal takes eleven months! And countless doctor visits! Not to mention… money for those visits!”

“If it’s money you’re worried about, we’re prepared to pay for all your medical expenses, of course!” Braeburn said hopefully. He glanced at Soarin’ for support and at the same time their hooves clasped on the table. “And Soarin’ has connections through the Wonderbolts! He can get you in to see any doctor you want. We want nothing but the best for the both of you and the foal!”

“But,” Soarin’ cut in gently, giving Braeburn a meaningful look, “if you have a doctor you prefer in Ponyville, we’ll be fine with that, too. The important thing is we want you both to feel comfortable doing this. Having you as our surrogate isn’t our only option and we don’t want either of you doing something you aren’t okay with.”

“Of course,” Braeburn said, nodding emphatically.

“It ain’t just about that,” Applejack said. “Rares’s just worried.”

“Of course she is,” Soarin’ said, drawing everypony’s attention. He shrugged under their scrutiny. “Hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, miscarriage… There are a lot things that can go wrong. She has every right to worry about your health, AJ.”

“You’ve done your research,” Rarity prompted.

He nodded. “Brae and I went to talk to a doctor a few weeks ago. We wanted to know exactly what we were asking of you. And we know it’s a lot. Which is why neither of us would blame you if you didn’t want to do it.”

“I want to help you both, but…” Applejack said morosely, her eyes flicking in Rarity’s direction.

“But I’m stopping you, right?” Rarity asked.

“No, Rares. You know I don’t think of it like that. I’m not about to go and do something like this if we ain’t both on-board!”

Before Rarity could open her mouth to retort, Braeburn beat her to it. “Please don’t fight. W-we didn’t wanna cause nothing like this.” The regret in his tone was enough to give Rarity pause. “This isn’t worth gettin’ you two in a tizzy. There are other options for us.”

“Now, let’s not jump to any hasty decisions,” Soarin’ offered. “Nopony has to decide anything tonight. We have all the time in the world for this, so why don’t you two take your time to talk things out. We’ll still be here when you’re ready. For now, though, why don’t we just finish dinner?”

Though she knew it was just an attempt to dissuade an argument, Rarity couldn’t bring herself to start things again. So instead she returned her attention to her plate and only the sounds of clinking forks broke the silence pervading the room.

When they had all finished, Braeburn wordlessly began collecting their dishes and taking them to the sink to clean. Applejack eagerly hopped out of her seat to help and Rarity couldn’t help but feel it was so they wouldn’t have to talk. Sniffing primly, she stood from her seat.

“I’m going to step outside for a moment. Get some fresh air,” she said to nopony in particular. Without waiting for a reply she turned on her hoof and left the room.

As she stepped out onto the porch, the cool evening air embraced her, enough to make her coat feel alight without making her shiver. The sun had mostly set behind the wall of trees before her, leaving only a few scattered rays to keep the night from truly setting in. There was a swing suspended to her right and she sat glumly upon it, leaning her head against the chain it hung from.

A pathetic sigh escaped her as she watched the sun continue on its lonely path. Despite the fact that it wasn’t cold, she almost wished she had brought a jacket.

Or a sweater.

Or a fashionable cardigan. She looked quite fabulous in the blue and purple one currently residing in her closet back in Ponyville.

Anything that could have dulled the cold in her stomach.

“What am I doing…?” she whispered.

“Sitting on a swing?” an unexpected voice answered.

She nearly jumped out of her seat as Soarin’ seemed to materialize next to her. She hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said chuckling. “I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you were okay out here.”

Rarity looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. “Y-yes, I’m fine. Just getting some air like I said.”

Either not noticing her dismissal or outright ignoring it, Soarin’ nodded flippantly. “Yeah, I hear that. I need to get out and feel the wind through my feathers every now and then. Dunno how you unicorns and earth ponies can stand being stuck on the ground all the time.”

Something about his complete lack of concern made her smirk despite herself. “I know the feeling. I’d be lost without my magic.”

Soarin’ let out a bark-like laugh. “And here Braeby’s always telling me he feels sorry for me!” He put on an exaggerated accent that Rarity assumed was supposed to mimic Braeburn’s drawl. “’Soar, you jus’ don’t get it! You spend so much time up in them clouds you cain’t even feel the earth ‘neath yer hooves!’”

That actually got Rarity to laugh in kind, though she tried to hide it behind a hoof. “Applejack tells me that I hold my horn so high in the air my hooves don’t touch the ground anymore!”

“Earth ponies, am I right?” Soarin’ said, shrugging. “Hey, you mind if I sit with you for a while? I brought tea!” He gestured with his chin to a plate on his back holding two steaming cups.

She nodded and scooted over more for show than necessity as he removed the plate from his back and sat it on the porch’s railing. Carefully, he picked up one of the cups between both hooves and made to pass it to Rarity but, grinning, she used her magic to pick up the other cup. Chuckling, he shrugged and sat down next to her.

Rarity blew gently across the surface of her tea, breathing in the scent of jasmine and smiling to herself. “I didn’t take you for the type to enjoy tea.”

“Misty got me into it a while ago. One of her husbands owns a tea shop back in Cloudsdale,” he said, looking like he was meditating over his cup. “She used to bring in this special blend he makes. I have no idea what all was in it, and she’d never tell, but it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“Back in Ponyville, there’s this zebra mare that lives out in the woods near town. Her name’s Zecora; she’s a good friend of ours. She grows her own tea herbs. Her blends are simply divine. I’ll have to introduce you next time you visit.”

Soarin’ chuckled softly. “It’ll probably be the next family reunion before we can make it over there. Brae can’t leave his babies unattended,” he said, gesturing to the sea of trees before them.

“Applejack is exactly the same way! Did you know she actually has to go around to particular trees, each one she’s named, I should mention, and tell them goodbye? It’s like some enormous ordeal every time we go anywhere. At least she’s gotten better over the years. It was much worse back before Apple Bloom started helping more around the farm.”

“Brae has like… twenty employees to help him keep this place running nowadays and it’s like he thinks everything will fall apart if he spends more than five minutes away. You know how hard it is to get him just to spend just one weekend away whenever I have a show?”

“Probably about as hard as it is to get Applejack to go to any fashion show I’m not participating in,” Rarity gushed. “I realize she only goes to support me. And so watching other designers showing off would just bore her to tears, but…” She trailed off as it dawned on her she didn’t even know what she wanted to say.

“But you wished you had a little more in common?” Soarin’ offered.

“Sometimes, I suppose,” she said thoughtfully. “It would be nice if we enjoyed more of the same things… We could go to plays or concerts more often, or… I don’t know, maybe I could do more around the farm? You know, I’ve thought about starting a flower garden outside the Boutique. I thought it could help me understand her more, you know?”

“I could see you with a giant flowery sunhat and like, silk gardening gloves out in your backyard digging through the dirt.” The thought was apparently funny enough he nearly had to sit his cup down because his shoulders were shaking.

Amused but feigning affront, she stuck her nose in the air dramatically. “Please! Even I’m not that bad, darling. I may appreciate looking as fabulous as possible, but Applejack has taught me the benefits of being practical. I would probably select a nice pair of cotton canvas gloves instead. Just as fashionable yet much more durable!” She smirked sideways at him. “Though the hat does sound wonderful!”

“You want a hat?” Soarin’ asked, gesturing back towards the house with a wing. “Brae’s got an entire closet filled with them. Only problem is they’re all the same kind. I mean it, design, color, style… They’re all identical.”

“Ha! Applejack has exactly the same! What is it with these Apples and their hats?”

Soarin’ laughed quietly as he looked far into the horizon. Though he was still smiling, a note of introspection entered his voice. “How’d a couple of ponies like us end up with ponies like Brae and AJ?”

A thought dawned on Rarity. “You know, Applejack never told me how you and Braeburn met. Do you mind if I ask how a Wonderbolt met the owner of an apple orchard in a town like this?”

Applejack barely even registered the heat of the water her hooves were submerged in as she rinsed a plate absent-mindedly. The coarse sponge strapped around her hoof seemed to work of its own accord, scrubbing little circles onto a plate that had long been cleaned. A sigh escaped her lips as she caught sight of the sky outside through the small window before her; the setting sun had painted the evening a deep royal purple.

And so it was with a startled gasp that she was snapped out of her thoughts as something collided with her flank. She looked down to see a familiar cutie mark.

“Bit for your thoughts?” Braeburn asked. He was half a leg deep in the sink next to her, a dishcloth wrapped around his hoof as he dried the last plate Applejack had passed his way. It seemed like they’d barely started and yet already she was on the last dish.

She shrugged, unsure what to say to him. “Nothin’, really.”

“AJ, you’re just as bad a’ liar now as you were when you were five and telling me you didn’t know how my hoofball got popped.”

Applejack nearly dropped her plate in her haste to glare at her cousin. “That was over twenty years ago, Brae! Are you never gonna let me live that down?!”

He stopped what he was doing to raise an eyebrow at her. “You popped a hoofball just by sittin’ on it, AJ.”

Her face burning, she scowled and roughly shoved the last plate into his side of the sink for drying to the sound of his laughter. She tugged the sponge off her hoof and sat it on the counter while pulling the plug from the sink to let it drain. Without anything else to do, she propped her head up on a hoof and stared out the window.

“C’mon, talk to me, AJ,” Braeburn whispered, like he was afraid of being overheard. “Keeping it all bottled up ain’t gonna do you no good.”

Applejack couldn’t help a perturbed sigh. Braeburn always was too nosy for his own good. “Just don’t know what to do. I wanna do what’s right, but… I’m not sure I know what that is right now.”

“What’s right is standing by the one you love,” Braeburn said simply without looking up from his work.

“At the cost of lettin’ down your family?” Applejack countered.

Rarity watched Soarin’ recline into the swing, getting a little more comfortable as he mulled over her question. “How we met, huh? The high-flying Wonderbolt and the frontier-hardened cowpony… It does sound like it’d be quite the story, doesn’t it? Well, the truth is it’s actually pretty simple.”

“Let me guess,” Rarity interjected. “Braeburn was a fan that approached you after a show? You were stricken by his rustic charm and took him out to dinner? Or no, I’m thinking something more informal. A nightclub, perhaps? Or a bar?”

Soarin’ nodded, looking impressed. “Wow, Rarity, you’re pretty good at this. You got it all right! Except for what you got wrong, of course.”

Rarity huffed impatiently. “Well, fine! Have your laugh and tell me how it really happened, then.”

“Aww, and here I wanted you to keep guessing!” Soarin’ began to tease until Rarity turned her death glare on him. “Fine, fine… You were partially right. We did go to a bar the first time we met, but he wasn’t a fan. Hell, he didn’t even know my name!”

“Really?” Rarity asked, intrigued. “I’ll admit I’ve never exactly been, uh… the biggest fan of the Wonderbolts, but I at least knew your names. Though, of course, that might be Rainbow Dash’s doing… She used to talk about you non-stop.” She paused to tap her chin with a hoof thoughtfully. “But then how did you meet?”

Soarin’ took a long sip of his tea before answering. “I was taking a train from Canterlot to Las Pegasus for a show when we had to make an emergency stop here in Appleloosa. Turns out some sheep had decided to camp on the rails and refused to move.” He laughed at the memory. “Anyway, I’d never been here before and I was going to be stuck for a while at least so I thought I’d see what Appleloosa had to offer. I managed to find our only bar: Old Bailey’s and, thinking a drink sounded good right about then, I went inside.

“Wouldn’t you know, I was there less than half an hour before the doors opened and this handsome little cowpony strolled in. He sat himself at the opposite end of the bar from me and started chatting up the bartender while he whittled away at a whiskey.”

He leaned closer to Rarity and flashed her a knowing wink. “Between you and me? Just one look at that face: those green eyes, that long, flowing mane, that little smile of his? I was hooked.”

“Awww!” Rarity gushed, swooning at the idea. “Love at first sight? How romantic!”

Soarin’ jerked back upright. “No, nothing like that! I just wanted to sleep with him!”

It felt like she’d been slapped in the face. She was about to reprimand him when she saw he was grinning and she settled for rolling her eyes instead.

“Sorry, but it really wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that,” he said, stilling smiling. “I just thought he was cute and wanted to spend some time with him. Maybe have some fun. I bought him a round and then he bought me one and… I don’t know. We were talking one minute and then the next he was taking me back to his house. Little did I know I’d one day call it my own, too.”

He fell silent as he stared into his tea cup with a small smile on his face. Rarity could swear she felt her heart melting a little at the sight.

“Anyway, I ended up deciding to take a later train so that I could spend the whole weekend here!” Suddenly he laughed aloud. “Even then I still nearly missed it!”

Rarity coughed behind her hoof to hide her discomfort. “Braeburn must be, erm… quite the lover,” she tried to say diplomatically.

Realization dawned across his features. “Sorry if that was too much information,” Soarin’ said, scratching the back of his head with a wingtip abashedly.

“No bother, darling. So it was just a fling at first?”

“Yeah. It was fun and we both liked each other so we decided I’d swing by whenever I was in the area. Then I started stopping by when I was on break between tours… and then I was coming by every weekend. I don’t really know where it changed, but I know the first moment I knew I wanted to be with him.”

“Oh? When was that?”

“AJ, you aren’t going to be letting me down,” Braeburn said, clearly stressed. Sighing and hanging his head, he tossed the dishcloth down and took a step to the side until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. Reluctantly, Applejack leaned against him and, after a moment, he against her.

“Do you remember that Hearth’s Warming years and years ago when we were little? I think you were about eight or nine?” he asked, his voice suddenly growing quiet and wistful.

Applejack smiled when she remembered the day in question. “Yeah, I think I know the one. We’d found where Ma and Pa hid the presents that year and sneaked a peek at them. But I tore the paper on one and Pa found out. When they called us into the living room and they was just sitting there with Granny Smith frowning like that? I thought we were goners!”

“Do you know why I told them I did it?” he asked.

“’Cuz you were older and you felt responsible. I would’ve done the same had it been me and Apple Bloom!” she said, not following.

“Well, yes, that’s true,” he conceded, nodding. “But it’s also because I love you and I didn’t want you to get in trouble.” He sighed. “The point is, AJ, that I love you. You and Mac were my best friends back in those days. Hay, you were practically my brother and sister! I woulda done anything for either of you. And that’s still true today.”

Applejack let out a delighted awwww! as she tousled his long mane. “I know you do, Brae! And I love you, too.” She pulled him into a hug, squeezing him for all she was worth and getting just as much in return.

“Thanks, AJ,” he said gently over her shoulder. Eventually they had their fill and pulled away, though they both still wore dopey smiles that only made them feel even better inside. After finding his voice, he continued. “The reason I bring all that up is so that you know I care about you. And I care about Rarity, too. That’s why I want you to forget about the whole surrogacy thing.”

“What?” Applejack asked, stunned. “But what about starting a family with Soarin’? If I don’t do it, how can you have a foal related to the both of you?”

He shrugged as his gaze turned away from her and out the window again. “It ain’t that important. Sure, it was a nice idea, but it isn’t worth you and Rarity fighting over. There are other options for us, AJ! We can try to find another surrogate; there’s an entire registry for it that we can sign up for. Or we could adopt. There are plenty of foals out there that need a home. So don’t you worry about us, AJ. We’ll be fine.”

He finally turned back to her, smiling hopefully. And though all of his words had been genuine to Applejack’s ears, none of them had made her feel any better.

“It just don’t feel right…” she mumbled towards her hooves.

“I think it was about two years after we first met,” Soarin’ said, standing up and sitting his now-empty cup on the porch railing. He walked past Rarity to the corner where he pointed out to a tree that sat a little apart from the rest. It was nestled close to the house and several plump red apples hung heavy from its branches. “I had just gotten done with a two-month tour through the Griffin Kingdom and I was on the first train headed this way. When I got here, though, Braeburn had this little sapling waiting for me. ’I’d like you to help me plant this,’ he’d said. Now, I’d never planted a tree before, but I figured how hard could it be?”

“Oh no!” Rarity said dramatically. “It’s not good to tempt fate, you know!”

“Tell me about it!” Soarin’ said as he rolled his eyes. “To make a long story short I somehow ended up coated in mud while he’d barely broken a sweat! But…” –his voice grew soft and tender– “we had a newly-planted sapling. Then he tells me he picked that one because it was my favorite: honeycrisp. Perfect for eating raw, he said, so that I could just grab one for a snack while I was doing my flight practices. And it was close to the house so that I wouldn’t have to go far to grab one while I was staying here.” He smiled fondly as he stared at the tree. “It would be our tree. One we grew and took care of together. He told me I’d have to stop by more often so that I could help him with it.”

Rarity gasped as she put two and two together. She could feel her eyes misting as she put a hoof over her mouth. A memory jumped to mind. Ponvyille Park caught in a sudden spring shower. The raindrops pounding a tiny drumroll on a metal gazebo roof. Manes slicked onto wet coats. Breath fogging in the chilly air.

A first kiss she’d never forget.

Unaware of what she was feeling, Soarin’ continued. “It just kinda hit me then, you know? The whole time I’d been coming to see this little house in this dusty little town as home. And there was nowhere I’d rather have been than here.”

Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat as he finished. “Th-that’s so very romantic. You both are incredibly lucky to have each other.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been a lot of places. Toured to every major city in pretty much every country of the world. I’ve met a lot of ponies. Lotta non-ponies, too. I wouldn’t trade Brae for any number of them.”

He slowly returned to the swing to sit next to her once again. “But I don’t think I’m any luckier than you and AJ are. You two love each other a lot; I can tell.”

It was Rarity’s turn to smile fondly. “More than I ever thought possible.” The image of Applejack’s grinning face flashed through her thoughts. The way she screwed up her eyes when she laughed or fidgeted with her hat when she was nervous… She loved it all.

But then the memory of dinner followed, threatening to ruin her good cheer. “I’m sorry for earlier, by the way. The way I acted is not the way I would like others to see.”

“What? Acting like you care about your loved one’s health?” Soarin’ asked honestly.

“You know what I meant. Put whatever pleasant spin on it you like, it was still hardly ladylike. I’m… letting my fears get the better of me. I don’t mean to, but… Well, I suppose nopony means to. I just don’t know what to do and the thought of something happening to her…”

“Scares you shitless?” Soarin’ offered. Though more vulgar than how she would have worded it, she couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He brushed her shoulder with his wing reassuringly. “Rarity… I didn’t come out here to tell you what to do or how to feel. The last thing I want to try to do is to talk you into something you might regret. What you decide has to be between the two of you.”

“That’s big of you,” Rarity said, sniffing as she tried to clear her eyes. “Not that I would have expected less, but I suppose with as badly as your letter made it sound you wanted this I would have thought you’d fight harder.”

He seemed to consider her words for a moment as he sat in silence. When he finally spoke it was low and more serious than Rarity had ever heard from him. “When I asked Braeburn to marry me, I did it because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And I knew there would be hardships. Foals would be one of them. It was entirely possible we’d never be able to have one. And I married him anyway.”

He turned to look at her, his eyes burning in the moonlight. “We want foals. More than we’ve ever wanted anything! And we’d love them the same whether they were related to one or both or neither of us! But Braeburn, he… He’s proud of being an Apple. The thought of his foals carrying on the family’s bloodline means something to him. He’d never say it out loud –not even to me– but he wants it. He wants it so bad that the thought of not being able to give that to him kills me.”

The sudden intensity in his expression died down and he backed away. “I’m sorry. So much for not trying to influence you, huh?” He looked so dejected Rarity couldn’t help but slide along the swing closer to him.

“Nonsense. I know what you were trying to do. And I think you’re a very sweet stallion, Soarin’.” She smiled and gently nuzzled his cheek. “I’m proud to call you my cousin.”

He laughed awkwardly before finally giving in and returning her affection. “Cousins, huh? Do we count as cousins?”

Rarity waved her hoof in a nonchalant, vague gesture. “Haven’t the faintest, darling. I’m sure the Apples would consider us as such, though.” She paused to breathe in the night air. Suddenly it seemed just the tiniest bit sweeter, like all the apples in the orchards had chosen that one moment to release their fragrance. “And thank you. I think I know what I need to do now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” she said, slowly rising to her hooves. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with My Darling.”

While Braeburn finished drying the last few dishes, Applejack sat at the table and watched. Her thoughts were still torn, racing miles in every direction but leading her nowhere. Her hoof tapped a tuneless rhythm upon the tabletop while Braeburn hummed some song she didn’t know. She only knew that it was one he’d known ever since he was little and always did it when he was worried.

Or when she was.

She sighed in frustration and shook her head. Fretting wasn’t going to solve anything. She just had to figure out which was more important. Not letting down her cousin or not letting down her marefriend.

To think she once believed going off on adventures and saving Equestria was hard.

If she knew anything, though, she was never going to be able to make that decision alone. There was no way she could choose between Braeburn and Rarity like that. Which meant she and Rarity were just going to have to find some way to compromise.

If that were even possible. How did you compromise on whether or not to have a foal for somepony else? Have half a foal? The thought got her to laugh until the mental image set in. That just made her want to cringe.

Still, she needed to talk to Rarity; that much she knew. She stood with the intention of trying to find her when she heard the front door open in the other room. Only a moment later the mare in question stepped into the room.

“Rares, I–”

“Applejack, we–”

Rarity actually laughed after they spoke at the same time. Smirking herself, Applejack gestured for Rarity to go first.

“Could we talk, darling? And Braeburn?” she asked, turning to the stallion that was trying vainly to appear busy drying an already clean glass. “Thank you so very much for having us over. I apologize for how I behaved during dinner. It was quite lovely.”

“Uh… No problem!” he said, taken aback.

Realizing that was all she intended to say, Applejack nodded dumbly and Rarity soon led her out of the kitchen and towards the guest room. She sat herself upon the bed while Rarity closed the door and slowly walked over to sit next to her. As one they leaned into each other and Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Rarity’s shoulders.

She wasn’t sure exactly what to say now that the moment was there. Apologize? Beg her to reconsider?

What she didn’t expect, however, was for Rarity to start things off.

“I’m sorry, darling,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for how acting like I did and for how I’ve been fighting you about all this. I haven’t been very supportive.”

“But Rares–” Applejack started but Rarity held up a hoof to stop her.

“Please allow me to finish. I’m afraid, Applejack. All I can see in my head are images of you sick or wanting to keep the foal and… I’m just not ready for that. I know I’m being unreasonable, but I can’t help it!” She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “With all that said, I’ve decided what I want you to do, darling.”

A rock settled in the pit of Applejack’s stomach at her words. It was starting to look like there wouldn’t be much of a compromise possible after all.

“Alright, Rares, I getcha. I’ll tell them–”

“I want you to do it. I want you to have the foal for them.”

Applejack stopped short, blinking in confusion until the shock wore off. “What?!”

“Like I said: I want you to do it,” Rarity said simply. “Be honest with me, Applejack. Putting what I want aside, do you want to have a foal for Soarin’ and Braeburn?”

She didn’t need time to think about it. “I can’t say I want to go getting knocked up, but I do want to help them start their family. Braeburn’d do the same for me.”

“And would you not, if you chose not to do this for them, regret it later?” Rarity continued.

Applejack couldn’t meet her eye, instead looking down to the floor. “Y-yeah, I probably would…” she mumbled. Rarity nuzzled her cheek sweetly.

“That’s alright, darling. It’s who you are. You couldn’t do something you felt would let your family down. It’s one of the things I love so much about you! And it’s also why I can’t stop you. Because you will regret not helping them. And one day, you may realize that I was the one that stopped you. I don’t want you to resent me for that.”

“I wouldn’t, Rares!”

“Regardless, I want you to do this. And I will stand beside you and support you every step of the way. We’ll do this together, alright?” Rarity asked, giving a small smile.

Applejack let out a contented sigh. “Alright. And Rares? I know you’re scared and that a part of you doesn’t think this is a good idea. And so I’ll support you, too, okay? Like you said: we’ll do this together.”

Rarity barely held back a sniffle as she wiped away a tear before it could try to fall. She threw both of her forelegs around Applejack’s shoulders, pulling her close.

“Thank you for understanding, Applejack. I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too, Sugarcube,” she said, squeezing her back. “Now what do you say we go tell the prospective parents the good news? Hope you’re ready to have your lungs crushed with hugs!”

To Applejack’s disbelief, Rarity managed to smile even wider. “I think, just this once, I can handle it!”

...and then in Time...

A steady tick-tick-tock was the only sound that registered in Rarity’s ears anymore. They’d spent the last hour-and-a-half listening to their lawyer prattle on about the terms of the surrogacy agreement Applejack was about to sign. Though their lawyer, a balding earth pony stallion dressed in a starched white suit vest that went quite poorly with his fading brown coat, had done his best to get through the specifics of the agreement in a timely manner, it still seemed to be taking all afternoon and she wasn’t even sure how close he was to being done. And though she liked to consider herself an intelligent mare, much of the legalese still went quite over her head. She quite wished he would get on with the laypony’s version.

Next to her, Applejack was fidgeting with her hat in her lap. She’d been respectful enough to remove it when they entered Mr. Hockran’s office, for which Rarity was both appreciative and slightly surprised, though now she had taken to wringing its edge under the table as her agitation mounted. If Rarity was lost by the flow of large words coming out of their lawyer’s mouth, she was quite sure Applejack was in the same boat.

Unlike Rarity, however, Applejack’s patience could only last so long. Clenching the bridge of her nose in frustration, she sighed. “Hold up, Mr. Hockran, you’ve lost me. Can’t you put it in Equestrian for us non-lawyers?”

Across the table, Braeburn let out a relieved exhale and leaned back into his seat. He clasped Soarin’s hoof as he said, “Yes, please! All this legal jargon’s going over my head.”

The lawyer frowned; his squat, pudgy face wrinkled in annoyance at being interrupted. He was quick to replace it with a passive, easy-going smile that Rarity could see through in an instant as the sort one wears to mollify a customer.

“I must stress that this is a legally-binding document. You all must abide by this terms and it is in your best interests to know exactly what it says. However, if you wish, I can give you the general idea,” he said in his deep baritone. Rarity had, when they first entered his office and began speaking with him, found his tone and enunciation quite charming, his words putting her at ease and making her feel more comfortable seeking his council. Over time, though, nerves had won out and her tension was growing once again.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Mr. Hockran,” Soarin’ said, his tone carefully measured and polite. “I’m pretty sure we all know what we’re getting into, this is just more of a formality for us. We’d just like to get on with things.”

Despite essentially being told to hurry along, Mr. Hockran smiled, this time quite genuinely. Rarity had to give it to Soarin’; he could be quite clever when he desired.

Before them, the lawyer nodded and shuffled his papers back into order before dropping them to the table. “In effect, Ms. Applejack will carry a foal for Mr. Soarin’ and Mr. Braeburn using artificial insemination utilizing Mr. Soarin’s sperm. They have allowed Ms. Applejack her choice of medical facilities and personnel for the duration of the pregnancy. As well, they have offered to pay all of her medical expenses until a time of three months after delivery. Upon the foal’s birth, Mr. Soarin’ and Mr. Braeburn will be the foal’s legal guardians. In the eyes of the law, they will be the foal’s parents, not Ms. Applejack.” He turned to give Applejack a meaningful look. “Do you understand? You will have no rights regarding this foal.”

Applejack visibly swallowed before nodding weakly. “Y-yeah, I understand. It’ll be theirs, not mine.”

Mr. Hockran nodded in turn. “Good. Well, that’s the general idea. All of this is explained in more detail in here–” he tapped a hoof on the stack of papers “–which I’ll provide both of you copies of before you leave. Does anypony have any questions?”

Rarity looked to her marefriend. For just a moment, a thousand questions and doubts and fears raced through her mind. But try as she might, the words just wouldn’t come out. Little good it would have done anyway she thought, as Applejack was already set in her path. They’d made their decision long ago and now she’d have to live with it.

But looking at the mare next to her, always a beacon of warmth and a rock of dependability; now it was Rarity’s turn. This was her chance to pay back the strength Applejack had always shown to her.

Another gentle squeeze of her hoof was enough. Applejack looked to her, uncertainty etched across her brow. But then their eyes met and all the worry melted away. A small smile bloomed across her face and she nodded gratefully.

“No, we’re good,” Applejack said to the lawyer. The confidence in her tone swelled. “We’re ready to sign if Soar and Brae are.”

The two stallions shared a look before Soarin’ spoke slowly. “Well, we are, but… are you sure you don’t want more time to think about it?”

“Nah,” Applejack said, shaking her head with a smile. “I wouldn’t have even come this far if I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it. And I ain’t never been one for worrying over details, so it don’t matter to me too much what this hear contract says. All I need to know is I’m havin’ a foal so you two can have your family. Can’t say anythin’ else matters.”

Rarity could only watch as both of their faces lit up at her words. It was like their dreams were coming true before her very eyes, leaving her awestruck as the lawyer walked everypony but her through where to sign.

When it was all over and the last signature was scrawled, the lawyer gathered up his things while Applejack spit out her pen and rolled her jaw.

“I ain’t written my name that many times since school,” she muttered.

“Well, everything looks to be in order so you’re done for now,” the lawyer said jovially. “I’ll get some copies of your agreement for each of you. You can wait in the lobby or in here, if you’d prefer. I’m sure you’d all like a minute alone.”

After congratulating the prospective parents he excused himself and left the room. Rarity had barely had the time to turn back to the group when she found herself nearly being trampled by a yellow body that threw itself past her towards Applejack. Braeburn had his forelegs around her marefriend’s neck like a vice while he furiously nuzzled her cheek.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he babbled incessantly all the while. Applejack looked frozen in shock at the sudden invasion of her personal space, but once she recovered she let out one of her deep belly chuckles and returned his hug full-force. Rarity couldn’t help but smile watching them.

“If you couldn’t tell, we do really appreciate what you’re doing,” a voice said. She hadn’t even noticed Soarin’ step towards her. He smiled in amusement as he glanced sideways at his husband. “I think Brae’s gonna start crying any second now.”

“I am not!” Braeburn snapped, though Rarity thought his voice sounded thicker than usual and as he pulled away from Applejack he was quick to wipe his eyes.

Soarin’ smirked and bumped his flank against Braeburn’s. “Sure you’re not, Braeby. Just like your cutie mark’s not an apple, right?”

Braeburn shot him a chilling glare in return. “Keep talking, pardner. I won’t make you any more of my special apple pie.”

The grin fell from Soarin’s face like he’d been slapped. His wings drooped dejectedly as he looked to the floor. “Yes, dear,” he mumbled.

After a moment he perked back up, however, as he and Braeburn returned their attention to Rarity and Applejack. “I really don’t know how to thank you enough,” Braeburn said.

“Nah, think nothing of it, Brae. You know I’d do anything for you,” Applejack said. Feeling a rush of affection for her selfless, brave and, at times, infuriatingly stubborn marefriend, Rarity leaned against her side.

“Indeed,” she agreed. “We’ll always be here for family, won’t we, darling?” Applejack nodded in agreement. “Well, we should probably be going. I’m sure you both must be ready to head home and we need to schedule somepony a doctor visit, I suppose.”

“Aww, nonsense!” Applejack said. “They didn’t come all the way out here to Ponyville just to head right back home afterward! You both gotta at least stay the night at the farm! I know Mac would be happy to get to catch up with you both. Between you and me I think he gets a mite lonely at home with just us fillies around.”

“I guess we can take the train back tomorrow…” Soarin’ said, looking to Braeburn for confirmation who nodded. He made to say something else until something must have dawned on him and his eyes widened. His next words were whispered and awestruck. “Do you think Granny Smith might make some pie…?”

After a series of laughs, Applejack managed to calm herself enough to say, “Sugarcube, for somepony who likes her bakin’ as much as you do, all you gotta do is ask!” She turned towards Rarity as much as she could with their bodies pressed together. “You’re coming, too, right?”

Rarity blinked in surprise. “I suppose I could. I assumed you’d want some time with your family.”

Applejack frowned in turn. “Of course I do. That’s why I want you there,” she said simply before playfully nudging Rarity’s side. “C’mon, we’ll stop by your place and see if Sweetie Belle’s free, too. I’m sure Apple Bloom would love to have her there.”

And so it was two apple farmers, one a small town country mare and the other a rough and tumble wild frontierscolt, and a world-renowned Wonderbolt led the way out of their lawyer’s office with Rarity trailing behind. An odd bunch to be sure, but a more honest or good-hearted group of ponies Rarity doubted could be found. Each one of them, despite how little she knew Braeburn and Soarin’, were slowly becoming more important fixtures in her life than she would have ever expected.

Somewhere along the way, these three ponies had joined her family.

– Five Months Later –

The little bell over the Carousel Boutique’s front door tinkled, signaling the entrance of another customer and drawing Rarity from her work. Dropping the thread and needle to her worktable and levitating off her glasses, she shook her head to clear the stress of prolonged focus and checked her appearance in a nearby mirror to make sure she still looked fabulous.

“Be right with you!” she called out as she hurriedly fixed a few out of place hairs in her mane. She had barely finished when she whisked herself out of her private workroom and into the showroom. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!”

She paused in her slogan when she recognized the only pony standing in the room. Applejack was pretending to idly look at a display ponnequin bearing a recently finished taffeta ball gown. Rarity knew she was pretending by the fact that Applejack would never be interested in a dress with that many frills and also by the amused smirk she wore.

“Ya know, I’ve always wondered,” Applejack said, not looking away from the dress before her. “Do you say that whole slogan every time somepony comes in here? Don’t that get old?”

Rarity sniffed imperiously at the attempt to get under her skin. “I’ll admit it’s a bit of a mouthful, but it’s the Boutique’s tagline! Greeting every customer with it provides brand consistency to returning customers and informs new ones of what to expect. It would be quite unprofessional of me to not say it!”

Applejack just chuckled and rolled her eyes to Rarity’s displeasure. “Whatever ya say, Sugarcube. Anyways, I’m here like ya asked.”

Rarity blinked as she tried to remember what she was talking about. “Oh yes; your suit for the Equestrian Farmer’s Convention! I was going to hem it up for you. I assume you brought it with you?”

“’Course I did!” Applejack countered, fishing a pristine white box out of her saddlebags. Rarity took it in the grip of her magic and floated it over. Minus the beautiful red ribbon, it looked exactly the same as when she’d given it to her only a few months ago.

“Have you never worn it?” Rarity asked, disappointed. She’d worked very hard on it; using a very carefully designed blend of silks and cottons to maximize its aesthetic appeal while also leaving it comfortable to wear. It was elegant enough to suffice for most public events barring a Grand Galloping Gala, while also subdued and practical enough that Applejack would actually wear it.

Applejack shuffled her hooves nervously under Rarity’s question. “I ain’t had much chance to. It’s too nice to just wear around town or at the farm and I haven’t gone anywhere in a while.”

She looked genuine enough, Rarity thought, and she meant well. Rarity could forgive her, but not without having a little fun first. She huffed as she took the box away and stalked back towards her workroom. “Hmph! See if I ever create anything nice for you again!”

Once she was around the doorway where Applejack couldn’t see her, she turned around and waited patiently. A soft sigh sounded from the next room before hoofsteps came closer to the door.

“C’mon, Rares! I just wanted ta keep it nice–!” Applejack started, but was cut off as Rarity took her chance. The moment her face appeared through the door Rarity darted forward and kissed her freckled cheek. Applejack froze mid-thought as she processed what happened. To add fuel to the fire, Rarity seductively trailed her tail along Applejack’s side as she sidled forward to drop the box onto her work table.

“I suppose I’ll forgive you this time, Darling,” she simpered as she withdrew a measuring tape from off a nearby ponnequin. “Now, saddlebags off, if you will!”

By then, Applejack had recovered from her little stunt and shook her head while grinning amusedly. “Do you really need to get my measurements again? Didn’t you just do that a couple’a months ago for the Gala?” she asked as she slid her bags to the ground.

Rarity floated the tape over to her flanks as she pondered how to respond. “Well, you see, Darling… Your measurements tend to… vary a little more than the rest of the girls’.” Even as she said it, she knew she hadn’t been as successful as she’d hoped.

She could feel Applejack’s raised eyebrow bearing down on her as she asked. “And what exactly are you tryin’ to say?”

Rarity decided to continue focusing on taking Applejack’s measurements while she agreed to remain still, jotting each number down onto a small notepad for later. Hips, flanks, inseam, tail diameter… the motions going by in a blur as she worked on autopilot. “I only mean that you tend to fluctuate slightly! It’s understandable really, when you think about it. You have differing workloads throughout the year, as well as changes in diet and the like. You don’t micromanage your nutritional intake and exercise like Rainbow Dash or Twilight does. And there’s nothing wrong with that,” she impressed, cutting off the interruption she knew Applejack was about to give. “You’re a very healthy mare, Darling, and you know I think you’re beautiful exactly as you are. It just means I need to take your measurements more often to stay up-to-date!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity caught Applejack blush and huff in embarrassment like she did every time she called her beautiful. Even after all the years they’d been together she still couldn’t take a compliment about her looks and Rarity adored that about her.

Another idea, far more naughty than the last, took hold in Rarity’s mind as she jotted down the last measurement she needed. As she withdrew her measuring tape from around Applejack’s thigh, she allowed the slick fabric to drag along her underside. A twitch of her magic readjusted it from the crease of her thigh to between her voluptuous mounds. At the same time, another burst of magic pinched ever so lightly against one of her nipples.

The combined touches nearly made Applejack jumped out of her hooves. “C-consarnit, Rares! If you just wanted the chance ta feel me up, couldn’t you have waited ‘til after I was done with work for the day?!”

Her words said no, but the way her legs spread slightly told Rarity all she needed to know. Smirking to herself, she gave another tug on Applejack’s nipple before pulling away, taking the tape with her. Applejack grunted in disappointment as Rarity walked away looking at her notes.

“Could you warn me next time you feel like teasin’?” Applejack grumbled, leading Rarity to smile.

“But Darling, then it wouldn’t be as fun!” she said. She carefully replaced the tape on the shelf as she looked over the measurements before something dawned on her. She flipped back in the book to look at the last time she’d measured Applejack and, sure enough, the difference was clear. “This can’t be right…”

“Somethin’ wrong?” Applejack asked, concerned.

“You’ve gained three inches in your waist since last time…” Rarity said, mystified. She knew how to use a measuring tape; there was no way she’d gotten it wrong. “You fluctuate, but never this much. Not in only a few months.”

“Well, I might’ve had a few more slices of pie than usual,” Applejack said apologetically. “Granny’s been teaching me and Apple Bloom her secret recipe and we’ve had ta practice! You know how it is!”

Rarity barely heard her. Instead, her attention was focused on Applejack’s midsection. Something didn’t look quite right. She was indeed a little rounder than usual, if only barely noticeably, but it was limited to only her stomach. Her thighs and flanks were largely unchanged from the last time she’d measured her. If she had merely gained weight, that sort of distribution didn’t make a lot of sense.

Unless…

Once the realization had dawned, Rarity hastened to the other side of her workroom to pull over a large wheeled mirror. She positioned it in front of Applejack before moving to stand out of the way behind her.

Leaning over Applejack to look at her reflection in the mirror, she asked, “Do you notice anything different, Darling?”

Applejack met her eyes in the mirror for half a second before looking herself over. “Umm… not really?”

“Come on, Darling! Look closely!”

“I… didn’t condition my mane this morning?”

Rarity frowned and shot her a sideways glance. “Really?”

“What?” Applejack asked, indignant. “You know how hard it is to wash your mane without magic? I’m not gonna do it twice every morning!”

Rarity made a mental note to buy her a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner while simultaneously sighing at her obliviousness. “No, Darling. Look here,” she said, trailing a hoof along the curve of Applejack’s belly. “See anything different here? Because I do.”

She watched as Applejack took a second look in the mirror, raising a hoof herself to touch her stomach.

“Well, I guess I am putting on a little…” Applejack started to say before trailing off. A look of confusion crossed her face until suddenly her eyes widened. “You don’t think…?”

Rarity smiled as she grabbed Applejack’s hoof with her own. “I do think, Darling.”

“But it’s only been four months! I shouldn’t be showing yet, right?” Applejack asked, a note of unease in her voice.

“The doctor said you could show as early as three months, right? I think even Mother started showing around now when she was with Sweetie Belle if I remember correctly and, no offense to her, she’s a little… rounder than you are. I’m sure this is nothing to worry about!” she said, nuzzling Applejack’s cheek. “Are you excited?”

Applejack’s disbelieving gaze was locked on her stomach like she couldn’t comprehend what she was looking at. “Yeah, I guess so… It’s kinda just unreal, y’know? Like, I’ve known the insemination took ‘cuz the doctor said it did, but… I don’t know how to put it.”

“It’s like it’s real now?” Rarity supplied.

“Yeah…” Applejack muttered. She fell silent and Rarity was happy to just stand with her, rubbing their hooves slowly across her stomach, knowing what was happening within. After a time, a small smile bloomed on Applejack’s face. “Rares… I’m pregnant.”

Rarity leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Yes, you are. We should write to Braeburn and Soarin’. I’m sure they’d be delighted to know.”

If anything, Applejack’s smile grew even wider. “You’re right, we should! Hey, you got a camera around? We should send ‘em a picture, too.”

“I’m sure we’ll find one,” Rarity said, thinking of her newest employee. He loved to take pictures. “But we can worry about that later as there are more pressing matters to attend to for now.”

“What’s that?” Applejack asked.

Rarity beamed wide into the mirror. “You need maternity clothes!”

Her excited was met with only a put-upon groan.

– Five More Months Later –

Rarity had always thought Sweet Apple Acres was a remarkably beautiful place, particularly when the sun shone its golden rays along the treetops, painting the sky into a glorious royal purple backdrop. The trail leading from the front gate to the house was dusty, as it always had been, though she no longer minded having to wipe her hooves off later.

It was simply too nice of an evening to worry about such things. It was a pleasant end to a pleasant day; a crisp breeze blew, signaling the coming cold weather of Winter but she felt warm and cozy with a steaming casserole dish balanced upon her back. She had worried that the Prench endive gratin might be somewhat more exotic than the Apple Family was used to, but after one smell of the melted cheese and spices, she was sure it would go over just fine.

She had to wait for only a scant few moments after primly knocking on the front door for it to open, revealing an elderly green mare wearing a faded apple-printed orange shawl around her shoulders. The old mare broke out into a wrinkly grin at the sight of her.

“I figured it was you! Come in, come in! When’re you gonna learn you ain’t gotta knock ‘round these parts?” she barked, ushering Rarity inside.

“Well, I’d hate to just barge in unannounced …” Rarity started to plead before realizing it was pointless. Granny Smith had already taken the gratin dish from her back and was making off towards the kitchen.

“Nonsense! Family’s always welcome here!” Granny Smith called out as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Following behind her, Rarity found the kitchen bustling with activity. Big Macintosh, large and handsome as ever, was hovering in front of the stove, alternating between stirring a few different pots. After sitting her casserole on the table, Granny Smith moved to the oven to take out a fresh loaf of bread, filling the entire kitchen with its delectable scent. One sniff was enough to leave Rarity’s mouth watering.

While they were working, Apple bloom was setting five places at the table. No longer the young filly she once was, she’d grown into a fine young mare. She had recently replaced the old pink bow she used to wear with a bandana of the same color tied around her neck. Years of hard work had developed her body from a scrawny filly’s into a strong mare’s, much like her older sister, though she’d retained her adorably-youthful face.

The last member of the Apple Family, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Applejack?” Rarity asked.

Big Macintosh began whistling an innocent tune, staring pointedly at the food while Apple Bloom snickered to herself. Granny Smith ignored her altogether.

“What? What is it?” Rarity asked, perplexed.

“Oh, jes’ Apple Seed bein’ ornery today,” Granny Smith said, smiling to herself.

“’Ornery’ don’t cut it.”

Rarity turned to see Applejack standing in the doorway. She looked less-than-stellar; there were bags under her eyes and her mane was messy and unbrushed like she’d just woken up from a nap. The not-insignificant swell of her belly was noticeable even from the front, leaving her to lean tiredly against the doorframe for support.

“She’s been leanin’ on my bladder all day,” she muttered, smiling despite how exhausted she looked. “I swear it seems like I’ve had to get up every five minutes to pee.” She groaned as she stood straight again and Rarity rushed to her side to support her.

“Here, you should sit down, Darling. You don’t need to be on your hooves any more than you have to,” she said, attempting to guide Applejack to a seat at the table.

Applejack frowned but did as she was told. “I can handle walkin’, Rares, I’m not helpless yet! Everypony leadin’ me around, fussing and fretting like I’m gonna pop any second!” She looked down at her round stomach, rubbing a hoof over it. “You hear that, Apple Seed? You need to hurry up and get out of there before I go stir-crazy!”

“You still thinkin’ it’s gonna be a filly?” Apple Bloom asked, sliding into a seat across from her.

“With as much trouble as she’s causin’? You betcha,” Applejack said. “Making me sick, giving me weird cravings, cramps and aches all the time? Only a filly causes that much trouble, Ma always said.”

“I still say it’s gon’ be a colt,” Granny Smith chimed in. She was putting the finishing touches on a spread of bread, butter and cheeses that she brought to the table on a platter. “I had your pappy, his brother and sister and I watched your momma have all three o’ you. Jus’ you wait and see; it’ll be a colt.”

“I betcha twenty bits it’ll be a filly,” Apple Bloom said slyly.

Applejack flashed her a scowl. “We’re not bettin’!”

“I’ll match that,” Rarity said. Apple Bloom laughed as the subject of her sister’s ire shifted. “What about you, Macintosh? Want in?”

The stallion in question kept his eyes averted as he carried a heaping pot of vegetable stew to the table and placed it delicately in the center. “Eeenope.”

“Smart colt,” Granny Smith said as she patted his shoulder warmly. “I’m in, though! Heehee, I betcha all fifty bits apiece!”

Rarity couldn’t hold back a giggle as Apple Bloom and Granny Smith burst into a fit of laughter. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Big Macintosh grinning as well, though he remained silent as ever.

“I can’t believe y’all are joking about this,” Applejack groused.

“Lighten up, Darling,” Rarity said as she nuzzled her cheek, much to Applejack’s annoyance. “It’s all in good fun!”

“’Good fun’ my tail. You ain’t the one luggin’ around a bowling ball.”

With all of the food spread out on the table, everypony took their seats; Rarity next to Applejack and Big Macintosh next to Apple Bloom with Granny Smith at the head. There was no such thing as passing food or waiting your turn at the Apple dinner table. Instead, much to Rarity’s initial consternation the first time she’d joined them for dinner, everypony reached to grab whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, and fighting over the last slice of Granny Smith’s bread was not only expected, but encouraged.

Not to say that Rarity partook in any such brutishness. But she couldn’t deny there was a certain… rustic charm to their behavior. Though it had taken some getting used to, she had actually grown to love the informality so inherent in how they interacted with each other.

“Wow, Rarity, this is really good!” Apple Bloom said through a full mouth of the casserole. Beside her, Big Macintosh nodded heartily.

Before Rarity could respond, Applejack beat her to it. “Endive Gratin, right?” she asked to Rarity’s surprise. “Yeah, she’s pretty good with her Prench cookin’. Though don’t ever let her talk you into trying escargot. Trust me, you’ll regret it.”

Rarity hid her mouth behind a hoof to cough, but mostly to hide the growing pink blush on her cheeks. It had been during a romantic little vacation to Manehattan where they’d found an adorable prench bistro. She’d ordered the dish not knowing what it was and spent the rest of the night sick with embarrassment.

And actually sick. She’d insisted bravely, or perhaps naively, to at least try one bite of what she’d ordered and promptly spent the rest of the night locked in the filly’s room. It had been quite the damper on an otherwise wonderful weekend.

“Right… anyways,” Apple Bloom said, continuing past Applejack’s words rather than taking the bait, for which Rarity was thankful. “You’re a pretty good cook, Rarity. You should make stuff more often!”

“You just want more free food,” Applejack said, pointing at Apple Bloom’s plate, which was already heaping with second helpings.

Apple Bloom grinned in return. “Well, I won’t say you’re wrong! But I just thought that since she went through the trouble of bringing something I could at least let her know I liked it!”

Though Rarity appreciated the comment, she couldn’t help but feel like Apple Bloom was going somewhere. Perhaps it was her sly grin that reminded her of Opal when she’d gotten into something she knew she wasn’t supposed to or the leading inflection in her tone, but regardless it left Rarity wary. Beside her, Applejack seemed to feel the same if the wrinkle in her brow was anything to judge by.

Apple Bloom, however, seemed entirely unconcerned. “Honestly, I think you’re pretty lucky, Applejack. Rarity’s a great cook, she’s creative! She’s real patient and a whole lot less stubborn than you! I think she’d make a great mother someday.”

A devilish gleam sparked in Apple Bloom’s eye as she spoke. And though Applejack furiously gestured for her to stop, it was too late. She turned to Granny Smith.

“Don’t you think Rarity’d make a good mom, Granny?” A small thud under the table prompted her to gasp in pain and reach down to rub her hindleg while AJ grinned evilly.

“I think she’d make quite a good momma, if she and AJ ever decide to give me some great-grandfoals!” Granny Smith said. She paused to point her fork at the two of them dangerously. “Y’ain’t goin’ ta be young forever. Take it from me and have foals while ya have the energy to keep up with ‘em. You don’t want to be my age and try to keep up with a rambunctious filly sprinting around like a spring chicken! Why, after Apple Bloom was born…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity watched Applejack slowly slide down her chair as far as her stomach would allow. She sighed in defeat and set herself in for Granny Smith’s story. Rarity really couldn’t blame her. Granny Smith could be long winded at the best of times and once she really got going, there was no stopping her until she ran out of steam. And tonight it looked like she had plenty of steam.

It was going to be a long night.

***

“Oof, what a night!” Applejack grumbled as she sat herself down at her vanity. She looked like she could barely keep her head up as she pulled the tie from her ponytail and let her mane fall free. Once done she propped her forehead on her forehooves and sulked.

Rarity closed the door softly as she watched. Without being prompted, she opened one of the vanity’s drawers and withdrew a brush, with which she began meticulously undoing the tangles ever-present in Applejack’s mane. She hummed a simple tune as she worked.

“I’m sorry about Granny,” Applejack mumbled through her hooves.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Darling. If we’d been at my parents’ home I daresay my mother would have done quite the same. Besides, it’s hardly the first time.”

“I know that, but…” Applejack trailed off with a sigh, her shoulders slumping pitifully. “Yeah, you’re right. I just hope it didn’t make ya uncomfortable.”

Rarity’s careful motions slowed as Applejack’s words struck her like a buck to the stomach. That little detail had been a point of contention a couple of years past when they were still new in their relationship and though they had settled things and were content for the moment, Rarity wondered if perhaps Applejack was reconsidering.

It might be time soon for them to have that conversation again. But Rarity knew she wasn’t ready for foals any more than she was the last time they’d discussed it. She didn’t have the time to raise a foal, not while she was running the Boutique! Not to mention all the responsibility involved! Oh no, definitely not yet.

And yet as she looked at Applejack, her love and her life, she could feel her heart breaking.

Suddenly, Applejack leaned away from her and grunted as she made to stand. “I think I’m ready for bed, Sugarcube. I can barely keep my eyes open.”

Rarity started when she realized she had long since finished brushing her mane and was now uselessly running over the same part. She released the brush onto the vanity, deciding to put it away in the morning. Her mind was crying out for sleep and she wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed, dignity be damned.

By the time she’d removed her makeup (honestly, she couldn’t let it smear across the pillow!) and made for the bed, Applejack was still in the process of getting herself settled. As the months had progressed and her stomach grew, she’d had more and more trouble getting comfortable, eventually having to bring in numerous extra pillows to prop up her head and legs. It left her lying somewhere between her side and her back in a veritable nest of cushioning. It made cuddling with her rather difficult, but Rarity still managed to find enough space to snuggle up to her back.

Despite how tired she felt, sleep didn’t come to Rarity. She didn’t want to toss and turn for fear of disturbing Applejack, but no matter how she fluffed her pillow and squirmed and wriggled, sleep never came. Finally a sigh escaped her lips.

“You can’t sleep either?” Applejack suddenly whispered.

Rarity’s ears flattened in shame. “I didn’t keep you up, did I?” She could feel the vibrations of Applejack’s soft chuckle through her back.

“Nah. Li’l Seed’s picked now of all times ta start kickin’. Feels like she’s gonna be a drummer one day, the way she’s goin’ at it!”

That perked Rarity back up. “Oh, the baby’s kicking? May I?”

“Sure,” Applejack whispered, taking Rarity’s hoof in her own and guiding it to a spot just under her navel. Not even a second passed before she felt the little thump-thump right against her hoof. She may not have been overly-excited for Applejack to be having a foal, but Rarity couldn’t deny every kick she got to feel sent a little flutter through her heart.

“She’s going to be a little troublemaker, isn’t she?” Rarity whispered in awe. “Or she could be a little angel. She could grow up to be anything… What sort of pony will she be? I suppose we won’t really know, will we?”

With a grunt of effort, Applejack lumbered to roll over to face her wearing a frown. “Rares, do you… do you regret having to give the foal up?”

“No,” Rarity said immediately before doubt began to wriggle into her mind. “I mean… I suppose I’ve just gotten used to the idea of you being pregnant and to think that in just a few months everything will go back to normal…”

“Rares, we can’t keep it,” Applejack said. “It’d break Braeburn and Soarin’s hearts!”

“I wasn’t meaning we should, Darling! It’s just that after going through all of this, don’t you think it’ll be… strange?”

“Yeah, it prob’ly will be. But what else can we do?” Applejack asked. After a moment of thought, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Do you want foals now?”

Rarity knew she should say no. She knew she wanted to say no. It was what she would have said any single other time she was asked that question. She had answered that question before, years ago when they had talked about the topic the first time.

Yet this time the word just didn’t want to come.

“I don’t know…” she finally mumbled, more to herself than Applejack. She was barely even paying her any attention. Instead, she couldn’t stop thinking about the little life growing in Applejack’s womb; the culmination of two stallions’ dreams and one mare’s selflessness. And with every kick of those tiny hooves, everything began to feel… right?

“I always thought I wanted to be a mother. But it was always eventually; after I was a world-famous fashion designer. Once the Boutique was successful. Once I was married to the pony of my dreams. It was always something I wanted tomorrow, not today. But now that I’m thinking about it… I don’t know what I want.”

She nearly jumped when Applejack’s hoof touched hers again. She looked up into those gorgeous emerald eyes just in time to be pulled into a kiss. Her mind blanked as she tasted the farm-ripened taste of apples on her lips, and smell the telltale scent heavy in her mane.

Applejack.

How perfect a name for her mare. She was so inundated with the very essence of her namesake fruit. It was so intrinsic to her very being; her body, her life and her passion. And in that moment, even though she’d understood before, she now understood the name Granny Smith had given to the baby: Apple Seed.

Not just the beginning of a new pony’s life, but the beginning of a new life for everyone involved as well.

A seed of change.

Maybe…

A seed of hope?

She couldn’t be sure just yet, but perhaps the seeds had been planted.

When at last Applejack pulled away from her and they both fought to regain their breath, she left a loving nuzzle on Rarity’s cheek. “There ain’t no reason you have to decide tonight, Sugarcube. What we have… I’m in it for the long haul. ‘S far as I’m concerned, we have all our lives to figure out if and when we want foals. And I’ll gladly wait ‘til you’re ready, alright?”

Rarity felt her heart melt. “I should’ve expected you to be understanding, Darling. I’ll try not to keep you waiting long, alright? I love you.”

“Love you, too, Sugarcube. Now how ‘bout we try to get some sleep, alright?”

Nodding her agreement, Rarity helped her shift her pillows around to match her new position and settled in beside her.

“Night, Sugarcube.”

“Good night, Darling,” Rarity replied, kissing her cheek. Then she leaned down to kiss her stomach. “Good night to you as well, Apple Seed.”

Then, snuggled next to the one she loved, she finally felt at peace enough that sleep began to take hold. The warmth of Applejack’s body was more comforting than any blanket, and the swell of her belly let her feel every breath her lover took.

It was utter bliss.

Until a tiny hoof kicked her stomach.

– One Final Month Later –

Applejack had had just about enough.

She was tired of being cooped up inside all day with nothing to do but lie around and watch the sun inch across the sky through her window. She had to get up and do something or she was gonna flip her lid.

Now, she knew her fussy, if well-meaning, marefriend had a point. The doctor told her it’d be unhealthy for her to stress her body too much. So she would just have to do something easy. Surely organizing the surplus apples in the barn would be fine, right? She could sit down the whole time and the heaviest thing she had to lift would be the empty barrels she planned to sort into. She could even leave what she’d finished for Apple Bloom and Big Mac to take care of later.

It was a fool-proof plan!

Of course, she hadn’t expected how tired the walk to the barn would leave her. She was already half-out of breath by the time she got the doors open, but that wasn’t so bad. Once she’d had the chance to sit back down she’d feel fine again in no time.

She trudged to the far side of the barn where they kept the spare barrels, grabbing the rope handle of one by her teeth. Tugging it from the stack, she jumped as much as she could when it slid from her grip and crashed to the floor.

“W-whew…! Darn thing’s heavier than I remember…” she said as she looked it over. Thankfully it was unbroken. Grabbing the handle again, she dragged it over to where she planned to work. Repeating the process until she had as many barrels as she needed, she sat herself on a hay bale and let out a relieved sigh. “You need to hurry up and get out of there, Apple Seed. All this lazin’ about is making me soft!”

She set about her sorting; apples for the marketplace in one barrel, ones for cooking that would later be delivered to various eateries around town in another and the ones for shipments in yet a third. It was tedious work, but it needed to get done. It was also something she didn’t have to actively think about, having done it so many times before that she could sort in her sleep, for which she was thankful. Apple Seed had kept her up late again last night and she didn’t think she had it in her for more mentally-demanding work.

About half an hour passed before a strange noise drew her attention. It was a soft hissing, so quiet it was barely audible over the birds chirping outside. Amidst it, every few seconds was a drip-drip-drip.

Her first instinct was that Winona had followed her into the barn and was currently making a mess. It wouldn’t be so bad; the floor was covered in hay that’d soak it up. But last she had seen, Winona had been begging Granny Smith for treats in the kitchen. She hadn’t even followed her outside.

She was halfway looking around the barn for a leak when she felt something wet on the hay bale she was sitting on. With some difficulty, she stood and saw a dark wet spot where she’d been sitting. Reaching back, everything under her tail was soaked, with even more leaking out of her by the second.

For half a second she thought she’d had an accident. The baby had made it difficult to hold her bladder before, but she’d never completely lost control without even feeling it. She didn’t even feel like she had to go.

So, what was…?

“No…” she gasped, unbelieving. It couldn’t be. It was a week too early. Apple Seed couldn’t be coming already!

But try as she might, she couldn’t reason away the wetness on her hoof and flowing down her hindlegs.

“Big Mac! Granny! Help!”

Author's Note

Whew... This chapter took a while!

Sorry for the delay in this chapter everyone! :fluttershysad: It's been a long few weeks and this chapter was really kicking my butt for the most of it. Real life loves to stick it's nose into my business and interrupt all my finely-laid plans. Stupid real life. :ajbemused:

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

...a Seed Can Bloom

Rarity had been pouring over her latest creation for what felt like hours. Lace, no lace, satin or cashmere, summer or winter colors; no matter what she tried something always seemed not quite right. Sapphire Shores had wanted something different this time. She was redesigning her image, she had said when she placed the order, and wanted something ‘elegant and beautiful, something an old-fashioned lounge singer would wear today.’

That meant she had to take the style of the day and rework it with modern influences. Or she could take a modern dress and add features of yesteryear’s fashion; either would give her drastically different results and she had to decide which was closer to what Sapphire Shores was wanting.

All the while still trying to make it as fabulous as a design of the Carousel Boutique demands! She had to get this right. Her reputation was riding on it. And Sapphire Shores had been such a long-time customer, Rarity practically considered them friends. She couldn’t let her down.

“Hmmm, what do you think, Opal? Is the cayenne too drab for a main color? Should I have gone with the ultramarine velvet?”

Unfortunately, her design partner seemed more interested in sleeping upon a sun-warmed stack of fabrics on her worktable. Opal’s only response was a bored “mrowl”.

Rarity hmmmed in thought as she looked the gown over again. “Ugh, you’re right, of course. I should have gone with the velvet. Well, this morning has been a complete waste!” Using her magic, she whipped the dress off the ponnequin and flung it aside to deal with later. Then she began rifling through her fabrics. “Now, where did I leave it…?”

Opal gave another annoyed mrowl as Rarity lifted her from her resting spot.

“You know, Opal, I wouldn’t have to move you if you didn’t sleep where I was working!” Rarity tsked before she finally found the velvet. “Ah ha! Now, let’s try this again, shall we?”

She had just gotten a length spread out on the table and her pattern pinned in place atop it when she heard the front door of the Boutique crash open loud enough to rattle the window next to her.

“If that’s Rainbow Dash breaking my door’s window again I’m going to make her pay for it!” she groused as she took her glasses off and set them aside. Putting on her best professional smile, she called out, “I’ll be with you in just a moment!”

When Rarity opened the door leading into the Boutique’s showroom, she expected one of three things: a hasty customer who simply hadn’t paid any attention to how rough they were with the door, Rainbow Dash come by to rave about how her Wonderbolts Training was going or Scootaloo expecting to see Sweetie Belle. The latter thought brought a smile to her; it was a wonder what a special somepony could do to make one care about their appearance.

Or perhaps ‘significant other’ was more appropriate for her.

What Rarity didn’t expect was the distraught face of her marefriend’s little sister to place itself within inches of her own. Even less did she expect Apple Bloom’s hooves to grasp her face by the cheeks.

“Rarity, ya have to come quick!” she screeched, her eyes wide and panicky. “It’s the baby! It’s already comin’!”

“W-what?” Rarity stuttered. The world seemed to slow around her as she tried to process.

“AJ was out workin’ in the barn when her water broke! The contractions were already startin’ by the time Big Mac found her!”

Finally gathering herself, Rarity nodded. “Where is she now?”

“Big Mac’s already takin’ her to the hospital. Granny’s following behind as fast as she can and they told me to come get you!”

“Then let’s go; we’ll meet them there!”

To Rarity’s immense surprise, the hospital’s lobby looked almost… pedestrian as she entered with Apple Bloom hot on her tail. There were no ponies rushing about looking harried or panicked, there were no warning codes being read over the intercom; it was almost as though it was just any other day.

A few bored-looking ponies were sitting in the boring lobby chairs reading boring magazines while a bored nurse looked over paperwork behind the front desk. Looking across the utter mundanity of it nearly gave Rarity a sense of vertigo.

It was almost like the world wasn’t about to change irrevocably.

Once the sensation had settled enough for her to regain control, Rarity made for the front desk. Her approach got the nurse’s attention, who looked up from her work.

“Oh, Miss Rarity! I was told to expect you. You’re here for Miss Applejack?” the white earth pony nurse asked. At Rarity’s nod, the nurse pointed down the hall. “She’s already been taken into a delivery room in the maternity ward up on the second floor. You can take the elevator just over that way.”

“Is Dr. Stable here yet?” Rarity asked. For the first time she regretted getting a doctor from Canterlot, even if he was supposedly one of the best in Equestria.

Unfortunately, the nurse shook her head. “Last I heard he was on his way, but the nurses up in Maternity will know more.”

She had barely even finished before Rarity and Apple Bloom were off down the hallway. Rarity somehow made it first and primly, if firmly, tapped the up button. When an elevator didn’t immediately open, Apple Bloom began furiously pounding the button over and over again. A ding sounded behind them and they practically jumped through the opening doors.

What felt like an age later, the doors opened again and they stepped out.

“It says Maternity’s this way,” Apple Bloom said, looking at a directory board. “This way!”

She led the way down the hall with Rarity following closely behind. They dodged around ponies as fast as they dared, neither wanting to be away from Applejack any longer than they had to but not wanting to accidentally bump into somepony and cause trouble on the way.

They turned a corner and spotted Big Macintosh pacing back and forth in the middle of the hall. His mane was a mess, looking as windswept as Rainbow Dash’s often did, and he was missing his yoke entirely. Rarity had a passing thought that he looked rather smaller without it.

Almost frail, even.

“Mac!” Apple Bloom shouted as she dashed towards him and threw her forelegs around his neck. He half-heartedly patted her back as Rarity caught up.

“Macintosh, where’s Applejack? How is she?” Rarity asked in a rush.

Big Macintosh nodded towards the door he had been pacing in front of. “Granny’s already with her. Ah was jus’ waitin’ for you two.”

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Apple Bloom shouted as she pulled away and barreled through the door without so much as a knock.

Shaking his head disapprovingly, Big Macintosh gestured Rarity forward. “Uh… Ladies first…” Too eager to see her marefriend, Rarity barely paid him any heed as she followed Apple Bloom inside.

The delivery room was as vaguely ‘welcoming’ as any hospital room was. The walls were a soft pastel green with decorative floral prints near the bottom of the wallpaper. Cabinets lined the ceiling along the opposite and left wall from the door, likely filled with an assortment of medical tools designed to handle a number of potential situations. A matching row was set underneath with an empty counter above.

The room was dimly lit, just enough to be comfortable and relaxing without hindering one’s sight. The room also had a lot of floor space, likely to give the doctor and nurses ample room to move around and work.

Covered by a thick green blanket on the delivery table rested Applejack.

Rarity’s first thought was that she looked awful. Her face was contorted in a grimace of pain as she clutched her stomach. She was lying on her side with Granny Smith wiping the sweat from her brow. Her entire body was dripping, leaving her fur matted and damp.

Rarity was at her marefriend’s side in an instant, clutching her hoof within her own. Her free hoof joined Granny’s in stroking Applejack’s forehead, paying no attention to the sweat getting on her pristinely-painted hoof.

“Oh, Darling! Are you alright? How are you feeling?” Rarity whimpered.

“Like Mac’s g–argh!– got my belly in a bear hug!” she gasped. After a few moments the pain seemed to pass and she relaxed, panting. She gave a light, breathless laugh. “Good thing he was always the weak one!”

Big Macintosh, who had settled himself opposite Rarity and above the table, rolled his eyes but remained silent as ever. Apple Bloom, leaning against the table next to him, bounced on her hooves anxiously.

“Is there anythin’ I can do, AJ? Can I get ya something? Water? Food?” she babbled.

“N-no, I’m fine, AB. Thanks, though,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Why don’t you go get her some water, in case she wants it later?” Granny Smith asked anyway. Apple Bloom darted off like her tail was on fire, slamming the door behind her.

Rarity turned back to Applejack with a stern frown. “Apple Bloom told me you were out in the barn working. What were you thinking?!”

Applejack rolled her eyes and sighed. “I was just sortin’ apples, Rares. Not exactly labor-intensive work!”

“You were out in the barn by yourself! What if Macintosh hadn’t heard you? You could have been out there alone for Celestia knows how long! What if–!”

A large red hoof came to rest surprisingly gently atop hers, cutting her off. Big Macintosh’s face was impassive as he shook his head at her. Realizing he had a point, she sighed to herself.

“Yes, of course. Now is hardly the time for that, I suppose. Is there anything I can do for you, Darling?” she asked.

Applejack grinned ruefully. “Not unless you can use your magic to get this thing outta me right now!” But then as she tried to shift herself up higher on the table she winced again.

“Another contraction?” Rarity asked. “How far apart are they? Where’s the doctor and nurses?”

Applejack shook her head and tried again to inch herself higher up the table, this time successfully. “Nah, just a sore back. Contractions are comin’ every few minutes, but they ain’t so bad. Nurse said I still have a way to go before we’re to the pushin’ part.”

“But where are they?” Rarity pressed. It was Granny Smith that answered.

“The nurse left jus’ a minute ago to check on the doctor. Said he should be arriving any minute now.”

Rarity fell silent, unsure of what else to say, and so she settled for continuing to rub her love’s back. Even after Apple Bloom returned with a bottle of water, there was little to do but wait for the doctor to arrive.

Like Applejack had said, every few minutes another contraction wracked her body, leaving her trembling and whimpering until it subsided. Every one, even though they only lasted half a minute each, felt like an eternity to Rarity as she helplessly watched.

The entire room breathed a sigh of relief when the door finally opened and a brown-coated unicorn stallion came in with a nurse carrying a medical clipboard in her mouth right behind him.

Dr. Stable was a curt stallion, offering little more than a nod as he took the nurse’s clipboard in his magic and limped over to the counter to read it. His right hindleg was in a brace with two metal rods, one to either side, that kept it rigid and straight. Unlike any other time they’d met with him, he didn’t wear a lab coat, instead choosing a pair of simple green scrubs. She guessed they’d likely be more practical for delivering a baby.

Things probably got… messy.

She tried not to think about it as the nurse set about checking Applejack’s blood pressure and heart rate. Instead she focused on not snapping at their doctor. Walking into the room, on today of all days, and not even introducing himself or saying a simple hello?! How rude!

But it wouldn’t do to be too upset with him. He’d been like every time they’d met with him. Though his bedside manner perhaps wasn’t the best, it was simply how he was. It helped that he was one of the most highly-regarded prenatal care providers in Canterlot.

Once he’d apparently read enough of his file, he wheeled over a stool Rarity hadn’t noticed before and sat by Applejack’s side with Apple Bloom giving him room.

“Good afternoon, Miss Applejack, Miss Rarity,” he said to each of them in turn before nodding to the rest of the family. “Looks like today’s finally the day, eh? How’re you feeling?”

“C-can’t say I’m feeling great, doc,” Applejack choked out as another contraction began to take hold. Rarity could feel her shaking as she fought not to scream aloud, instead leaving a long, low groan to fill the room. She clutched her stomach and rocked her flanks as the pain continued to build.

All Rarity could do was continue to rub her back.

Useless. Completely and utterly useless.

And yet she didn’t stop her massage to wipe the tear rolling down her cheek.

“It’ll be alright, Darling. You’re doing great! I love you so much,” she whispered in Applejack’s ear, even if she couldn’t be sure her words were even heard.

After countless agonizing seconds, the pain evident in her expression began to fade and she relaxed, panting and exhausted.

“The file said your contractions are coming roughly five minutes apart?” the doctor asked.

“Yes,” Granny Smith answered for her, as Applejack was still too winded to do so herself. “Though they’re comin’ closer now. A little over three.”

He magicked over his clipboard and made a note. “Alright, I’ll need to check your dilation. If you’d like privacy…” he trailed off, his point implied as he glanced pointedly at the gathered family.

Applejack shook her head, finally gathering herself enough to respond. “N-no, they’re all stayin’.”

Dr. Stable looked up, blinking over his clipboard. “For the… whole delivery?”

She nodded in return before smiling tiredly at each of them. “Bringin’ a new little one into the family needs family around. It’s how we’ve always done things, ain’t that right, Granny?”

“Durn tootin’!” Granny Smith said proudly.

Dr. Stable just shrugged noncommittally. “If that’s what you wish, as long as they stay out of the way once things get going.” He stood from his stool and limped around to the tail of the bed where he lifted the sheets up to expose Applejack’s lower body. “Now I remember the cervical checks haven’t hurt for you in the past, but they can still be uncomfortable. Just try to relax and keep your tail raised, alright?”

Rarity purposefully looked away as the doctor set to work. She could feel Applejack’s body tense as his magic slid inside her. Having some other pony feeling around down there had always made her uncomfortable.

Perhaps in an effort to distract herself, Applejack looked to Apple Bloom. “When I start pushin’, I want you to stay up here, alright? I don’t want you anywhere near the tail of this bed, you hear me?”

“What?!” Apple Bloom said. “AJ, I’ve helped you birth pigs on the farm. This ain’t gonna be nothing I haven’t seen before!”

“This ain’t the same! These’re my nethers we’re talkin’ about and you don’t need to be seeing ‘em like that!” Applejack countered.

“Then what about Mac? How come you aren’t telling him too?!”

“Fine!” Applejack huffed, rolling her eyes. “Mac, you too!”

“Eeyup.”

Apple Bloom looked ready to argue again but Granny Smith cut her off. “Now that’s enough, Apple Bloom. Your sister’s got enough to deal with as it is; you mind her now.”

“No fair! Nineteen and still everypony treats me like I’m a baby…” Apple Bloom pouted.

Rarity smiled at the exchange. Apple Bloom’s outburst and everypony’s reactions, though not exactly what she thought she would have wanted at the moment, felt like a little touch of familiarity amidst all the uncertainty.

By then, the doctor had finished. “Looks like it’s going to be lively in here tonight,” he said as he straightened. “You’re two centimeters from full dilation, Applejack. It won’t be long now. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, doc,” she said. The resolution in her voice was definite, and Rarity couldn’t help leaning in to kiss her temple.

Dr. Stable cut a rare smile. “Alright then. We’ll finish getting all the equipment in here and then we’ll be set to go. Get ready everypony, we’re about to have a baby.”

“Alright, Applejack. Push!”

A scream, forced through clenched teeth, tore into the labored air. Rarity could no longer tell how many hours she’d sat in that damned delivery room. Time had lost all meaning as she watched and listened to her lover suffer. Every screech, every whimper, every pained moan ripped into her heart and frayed her nerves until all that was left was a jittery, cold emptiness. She wanted to go home. Or back to work. Or to just run and keep running until she left the entire world behind.

Anything to get her away from the shame she felt at having no way to help the pony she cared for more than any other in the world.

Applejack; her beautiful mare. The strongest pony in her world. Her port amidst the storms of life. Her guiding star when she was lost. She was the one Rarity relied on to get her through the tough times. And when her fears over her place in the fashion world or for the Boutique’s future started to run wild, Applejack was the one that kept her grounded. How in the world was she supposed to do that when she felt like she was falling apart as well?

“You’re doing great, Applejack!” Dr. Stable said. “Now, again! Push!”

Applejack braced herself for another go, only to give another pained scream and collapse back onto the table. “I… I can’t!”

“Applejack, you can’t give up now. The head’s about to crown; you need to keep pushing!” Dr. Stable warned.

She just shook her head pathetically, letting her eyes close as exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Cursing under his breath, he turned to the gathered family instead. “Somepony’s got to get her pushing again!”

“Now, Sugarcube, you ain’t the sort to be givin’ up!” Granny Smith gently chided, wiping her granddaughter’s brow lovingly. “I know it’s hard, and I know it hurts, but you gotta keep going.”

“I j-just can’t, Granny!” Applejack whimpered. Her brow was furrowed tight as the sweat poured down her face. She looked even worse than she sounded. “I got nothin’ left…”

“I know, Sugarcube,” Granny Smith said. “I know. But ya gotta.”

This time, Applejack offered nothing in response. Her eyelids were fluttering as she moaned low in her throat. Rarity could tell her consciousness was fading.

Perhaps because he didn’t know what to say, Big Macintosh leaned in to nuzzle the side of her head, occasionally giving her cheek a tender lick. From how gentle and caring the large stallion was trying to be, Rarity could only imagine how he felt. If it was hard for her to see Applejack in such a state; it must have been gut-wrenching for her big brother.

On the other side of the bed, Apple Bloom was silently grasping the bed sheets, her eyes wide and fearful. She’d had little more than a couple of words over the last few hours, and Rarity wondered if it had all been too much for her. Much like Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom loved to insist she was an adult and could handle anything thrown at her, but inside she was still a filly.

Then again, Rarity felt just as scared as Apple Bloom looked. Maybe she was a filly, too.

It took a moment for Rarity to realize that silence had fallen. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh were both trying to comfort Applejack as best they could, but neither were trying to convince Applejack to keep pushing. Even the doctor had stopped talking, instead simply looking between all of them from the tail of the bed.

Surely they weren’t giving up, too? They couldn’t! Applejack had to do this. There was no going back at this point!

She had no idea how she was supposed to convince Applejack to do something she didn’t think she could. She’d never even known the stubborn mare to believe she couldn’t do something. But she had to try. Applejack needed her.

And she would be there for her.

“Applejack… Darling,” Rarity started, struggling to find the words to even begin. “You can’t give up. Think about the foal...”

Applejack turned as much as she could to look back at her. She wore a grimace as the corners of her eyes began to glisten. “I jus’ can’t, Rares! Please… please make it stop…”

Rarity’s throat tightened, threatening to stop her from replying. She sniffed and wiped her eyes to choke back a sob of her own. “I-I can’t do that, Darling. Only you can. You have to push. That’s the only way you can get this over with.”

“But–!”

“Shh,” Rarity whispered, touching her hoof to Applejack’s lips. A touch of magic brushed aside her messy blonde mane. “You are the strongest pony I know. You’ve broken your back for years working at Sweet Apple Acres. To keep your parents’ and grandparents’ legacy going. To provide for your family.” She paused to smile at Apple Bloom. “To give your little sister everything she needed to grow up into a wonderful young mare.”

As Rarity hoped, her words seemed to help the youngest Apple present. Managing to crack a small smile, she leaned in and placed her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

“I-I ain’t never said nothing, but…” Apple Bloom started, fumbling over her words slightly with nerves, “I’ve always looked up to ya, AJ. You watched after me when I was little… played with me… tucked me into bed at night… You were practically like a mom to me. And you were younger than I am now when you were doin’ all that! So… I know you can do it!” she pushed, her voice growing in confidence and energy. “Just tough it out a little longer, okay? I love you, sis. We all do! And we’re all here for you.”

“Exactly,” Granny Smith chimed in. “You ain’t alone, Sugarcube. I’d take all yer pain for ya if I could, but I can’t. It’s something every mother has to bear. I done it; yer momma did it. I know you can, too!”

As she finished, Big Macintosh gave Applejack’s cheek one more nuzzle before placing his forehead against hers. “I’ve always been proud to be your brother, AJ. I love you, li’l sis.”

Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat while wiping away the remainder of her tears. She wasn’t going to cry. Not anymore.

“Applejack,” she stated in the most authoritative voice she could muster. “You must get through this. You simply must. If you can’t, then how are you going to get through having foals of our own?”

The whole time, Applejack had quietly basking in her family’s words, but at Rarity’s question her eyes snapped open and her mouth fell open questioningly. “Wha…?”

Rarity smiled softly down at her. “You want foals of our own, don’t you? Well, so do I. So you have to be strong and get through this.”

Applejack’s lip trembled as she looked deep into Rarity’s eyes. “I don’t know if I can, Rares…”

“You can, Darling,” Rarity whispered back. An idea struck her, and she stood from her stool next to the table and hurried around to the other side, placing herself right in front of Applejack’s face. She took her hoof within her own and gently kissed her fetlock. “Hold my hoof, My Darling. I may not be able to take your pain away any more than Granny can, but I can at least help you bear some of it. When it hurts, squeeze. Squeeze as hard as you need to. Don’t worry about me; I’m tougher than I look, right?” she asked, winking.

She leaned down to kiss her lips.

“I believe in you, My Diamond in the Rough.”

When Rarity pulled away Applejack’s cheeks were lined with tears, though the barest trace of a smile on her lips belied their nature. She swallowed visibly a few times before weakly nodding. “A-alright. Okay, I’ll try.”

“Then let’s do it together, alright?” Rarity asked, pride flooding through her. “Now, push!”

Applejack set herself and pushed. “Aaaaaaaaaaaiiiggghhh!”

Dr. Stable looked up from the tail of the bed. “You’re doing great, Applejack! The head’s starting to crown. Keep going!”

“Again!” Rarity said, not even noticing the crushing pain in her hoof as Applejack squeezed with all her might.

“It’s almost over! One more big push!” Dr. Stable shouted.

“Aaaaaa-haa-haaaaaaaiiiggghhh!” Applejack screeched. Her voice broke long before she stopped screaming, leaving her soundlessly wailing against the immense pressure.

But in that same moment…

“Waaah!”

The cry pierced through the air, silencing every other sound in the room. Rarity could only watch as the doctor whipped upright, a small bundle of blankets held in his magic. He took it to the plastic bassinet the nurses had set up earlier and began fussing over it with his stethoscope and other tools. It was all happening in a blur and she couldn’t really fathom the specifics of what he was doing.

Because in that bundle…

Another squeeze on her aching hoof brought her attention back to the mare lying on the delivery table before her. Apple was panting and gasping for breath, her mane plastered to her brow with sweat. Her green eyes, finally open again, were red and puffy.

“I-is… it over…?” she asked faintly.

“Y-yes, Darling! It’s over; you did it!” Rarity hastened to reply, busying herself with wiping Applejack’s face clean. She couldn’t stop a wide smile breaking across her face at the thought. “I knew you could do it!”

“How’s… the baby?” Applejack mumbled.

“The baby’s perfectly healthy,” Dr. Stable said, making them both jump. Neither had even noticed him approach. “Vitals look good and he’s already breathing on his own. Looks like you got a strong one, here.”

“He…?” Rarity whispered absently.

Dr. Stable gave a wry smile. “Allow me to present to you: your colt.”

Slowly, he lowered the bundle into Applejack’s waiting forelegs. Rarity leaned over to get a look and her heart melted at the sight.

Her lover was holding the most precious little colt she’d ever seen. His coat was a greyish blue, not unlike spring clouds about to deliver a pleasant afternoon shower, while the curly scraps of mane atop his head were orangish-brown and highlighted with streaks of blonde. His eyes were closed as he squirmed and fussed in his bundle; Rarity couldn’t help but think his little babbles and coos were the most adorable sounds she’d ever heard.

There was no horn on his head, and Rarity gently peeled back one side of the blanket to see a fluff of down on his side.

“Ohhh, a pegasus! Soarin’ will be excited.”

“You got yerself a good lookin’ colt there, Sugarcube,” Granny Smith said, leaning in to nuzzle her granddaughter.

“Awww, look at his little hooves!” Apple Bloom gushed, her eyes alight with excitement.

A massive sniff burst through the room, shocking everypony into turning to see Big Macintosh with a tissue. Tears of pride sparkled in his eyes as he looked on. Smiling to herself, Rarity patted his shoulder and he blew his nose again, the sound not unlike a foghorn going off.

“We’ll leave you alone now,” Dr. Stable said softly, as though he were afraid of intruding on the moment. “He’ll likely want to nurse soon. Take care, and please let us know if you feel any undue pain or discomfort.”

He made to follow the nurses wheeling the equipment out the door before Rarity called after him. “We’re waiting on two additional family members. Is there any way you could send them in if they’ve arrived?”

Dr. Stable nodded. “Oh yes, the fathers, correct? Are you sure you wouldn’t like some time alone first?”

“N-no,” Applejack spoke up. Despite her eyes still trying to flutter closed, she couldn’t seem to take them off the tiny bundle in her hooves. “They’re prob’ly dying to see him. Can we… tell them he’s a colt?”

The doctor grinned and nodded again. “We’ll just tell them the baby is healthy and ready to see them.”

“Thanks, doc…”

Once the doctor and nurses had left, Granny Smith placed a kiss upon Applejack’s temple before standing and stretching out her back with several loud pops. “C’mon, Apple Bloom, Mac. Let’s give’m a little time alone.”

Apple Bloom had to fuss over the baby a little longer, offering her compliments on how cute he was and how much she loved Applejack before Granny Smith finally dragged her out by the tail. Big Mac followed without much complaint, though he gave Applejack a nuzzle and Rarity a hug before doing so.

Finally it was just the two of them.

“Rares… you mind giving me a hoof?” Applejack asked, pointing down towards the tail of the bed. It took a moment before her meaning dawned on Rarity.

With an ‘Oh!’ of recognition, Rarity gently lowered the sheets from Applejack’s body, leaving just her belly exposed to the air. After, she lifted the baby as carefully as she would the finest china in her magic and turned him so that his head was facing Applejack’s tail and laid him down beside her stomach. Applejack lifted a hind leg slightly, and almost instantly he latched on to her swollen teat and began suckling happily.

Applejack began sniffling again as she furiously rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t seem to hold back a chuckle as she looked down at the small life she’d help create.

“He’s… he’s amazin’…” she mumbled, her voice thick and weary. Rarity reclined on her stool once again, leaning down to lay her head against her lover’s as she watched the baby nurse.

“He really is, isn’t he?” she asked in turn. As silence began to fall upon the room, she kissed Applejack’s temple, thinking humorously to herself that there was going to be a mark left there from how many times she’d been kissed today. Oh well, what better time to show some affection?

The minutes ticked away peacefully, and Applejack’s breathing began to slow as a light sleep overcame her. Even Rarity began to nod off until a faint tapping sounded upon the door. She stood, careful not to wake her lover, and stretched her own aching back as she made her way across the room.

Opening the door revealed the two ponies she’d expected. She had to admit, her first impression of Braeburn and Soarin’ were that they looked almost as bad as she felt. They both had bags under their eyes and their manes were messed like they hadn’t been tended to in a while. She got the distinct impression that Braeburn had been pacing for some time, though she couldn’t put her hoof on what gave her that impression. Regardless, they both were beaming hopefully, their pride and excitement glowing through like the sun shining through the clouds after a storm. Soarin’ even had a fit-to-bursting diaper bag strapped against his side. She couldn’t stop herself from pulling them both into a tight hug.

“Good evenin’, Rarity,” Braeburn said into her shoulder. “How’s AJ and the baby?”

She pulled away from him and gestured him through. “Why don’t you come inside and see for yourself?” He wasted no time in slipping past her as fast as his nervous hooves would carry him. Rarity and Soarin’ shared a grin at his enthusiasm before following.

The arrival of visitors must have roused Applejack as she was stretching and trying to sit up as Rarity returned to her side.

“Well, howdy fellas!” she greeted as energetically as she could. “How’d you like to meet your son?” Rarity used her magic to pull the blanket back enough for them to see the colt’s face, still nursing away contentedly.

Braeburn’s hooves instantly went to his mouth as emotion overcame him. He stared breathless, trembling on weak legs at the sight. Soarin’ threw a foreleg around his husband’s shoulders and together they wept happy tears.

“Soar’! Soarin’, look! He’s got your coat color!” Braeburn gushed, pointing like nopony would know what he was talking about otherwise. Indeed, Rarity thought, the colt’s coat was just a few shades darker than Soarin’s own.

“Yeah, and it even kinda looks like his mane is the same color as yours! What’re the odds of that?” Soarin’ asked.

“Pa’s mane was orange like that,” Applejack said. “Just like Brae’s pa, too. Even Mac got it a li’l. Must run in the family.”

“Is he, uh…” Soarin’ started to ask hesitantly. Rarity wasn’t sure what he was asking until his wings fidgeted behind him.

“Oh! Yes, he’s a pegasus,” she said, pulling the blanket back again to show off his wings.

Braeburn took on a dream-like expression as he kissed Soarin’s cheek. “Looks like you’ll be able to go flying with him someday, after all.”

“Were you worried he wouldn’t be?” Rarity asked quietly.

“I wouldn’t say ‘worried,’” Soarin’ said. “But… Well, I think it’s every pegasus’s dream to teach their foals how to fly someday. And to share with him something I love so much…” He trailed off as he choked up.

“Oh!” Braeburn suddenly said. “Soar’, get out the thing you brought!”

Soarin’ managed to grin again through the deluge of emotion he was going through. “Oh Braeby, you know it was dumb,” he said hoarsely.

“No, it was cute! Show them!”

Rarity cocked her head in confusion as Soarin’ sighed. He dropped the diaper bag he was carrying to the floor and rooted around inside, finally pulling out a fluffy teddy bear. It was a cute light brown thing with cute, black button eyes and a red bandana sewed around its neck. Soarin’ held it for a moment before awkwardly sitting it on the corner of the table.

“I know he’s way too small for it now, but I figured one day he’d like it. If nothing else it’d make a cute keepsake,” he mumbled through blushing cheeks.

“Awwww,” Rarity cooed. “That’s adorable! I’m sure he’ll love it!”

At that moment, Applejack’s head dipped and jerked back upright. She shook herself in a visible effort to wake back up.

“Soarin’, maybe we should go,” Braeburn said softly. “Let’s give them all some time to rest and recover.”

“Nah, nah…” Applejack said, shaking her head again. “They’re gonna take us to a private room in a bit and I can rest plenty there. There’s one more thing you two have to do before you can go. Rares, would you…?”

“Of course, Darling,” Rarity said. Carefully, she lifted the colt in her magic. He fussed a little at the sudden motion, but settled soon as Rarity pulled his blanket more snugly around him. Slowly, she floated him towards the two stallions.

“The new parents have to hold their baby,” Applejack said.

Both stallions seemed awestruck at the tiny bundle floating before them. After sharing a look, Soarin’ squeezed his husband a little tighter as Braeburn reached out his hooves.

He gasped as the colt came to rest in his forelegs. Rarity could see his chest heave with barely-restrained sobs and tears starting to flow freely down his cheeks.

Before her very eyes, Rarity had witnessed the birth of one little pony.

Now, she witnessed the birth of a family.

She would never forget this day. This very moment.

She sniffed aloud and fanned her face with a hoof. If that all kept up, she’d need a tissue herself!

“So,” Applejack mumbled, still clinging to consciousness. “Have ya picked out a name yet?”

Braeburn was still staring wide-eyed at the baby; Rarity doubted if he’d even heard the question. Soarin’ managed to drag his gaze away long enough to answer, however.

“Uh, yeah… Ace. After my grandfather,” he said.

“That’s a nice name,” Rarity said. “He’s going to be a handsome stallion someday.”

A tranquil silence fell over the room as each pony was left to their thoughts. Applejack finally succumbed to sleep shortly after the conversation died and Rarity began gently brushing her mane lovingly. Eventually the hospital staff returned and prepared to move them all into a private room.

Once Applejack and the baby were settled, both fast asleep in their respective beds, Rarity stepped aside with the stallions.

“So, how does it feel to be parents?” she asked.

They looked at each other, tired, stressed and completely overwhelmed and yet immeasurably happy. They leaned against one another for support as Braeburn spoke.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, but… It’s the best feelin’ ever! I still can’t believe it’s finally here.”

“We should probably go, though,” Soarin’ said to Braeburn and Rarity’s disappointment. “We still need to get checked into a hotel and I could use a bath. All that waiting had me sweating up a storm!”

Rarity didn’t even want to think of what she must have smelled like.

After taking one last long look at the baby and saying their goodbyes, they left, leaving Rarity alone. A single plush recliner sat to one side of Applejack’s bed and, knowing it was likely to be the only furniture for the foreseeable future, she took a seat.

With no other distractions, the exhaustion of the day crashed over her like a wave. Making herself as comfortable in her chair as was possible, she took Applejack’s hoof within her own. Rarity smiled; finally, her lover was sleeping peacefully. All the pain and hardship was done and over and they both could rest easy.

With that pleasant thought and the gentle sounds of two ponies snoring, Rarity’s eyes fluttered closed and the night took her to join her lover in sleep.

A Tree Begets a Seed

Each step of the pulldown ladder leading up to the attic of the Apple Family’s barnhouse creaked under Rarity’s hooves as she ascended, cautious so as to not slip or worse, scuff a hoof. A sea of old family relics and heirlooms greeted her upon the landing: memoirs from generations passed handed down from parent to child or collected from their numerous relatives over the years. Some were packed in moldering boxes, others simply covered by ancient sheets, but all coated in a layer of dust that time had left like its own little memorial bouquet.

She knew the pony she sought was up here somewhere, but she didn’t need to call out to find her. She weaved wordlessly around an antique dresser and past a stack of boxes filled with old hand-me-down toys and foals’ clothes where the back of an orange earth pony mare came into view. Applejack was seated before a large chest lovingly decorated with burnt engravings of apples and horseshoes and other little pleasantries. Worryingly, however, was that she was not wearing her signature hat, instead leaving it to sit in the dust atop the chest.

Afraid to upset the stillness, Rarity crept closer on light hooves and eased herself into place beside her lover. In response, Applejack slipped a foreleg around her shoulders and they leaned into each other.

Applejack had an old scrapbook lying closed before her. Its cream-colored cover was cracked and peeling in places, but the words ‘Apple Family’ painstakingly painted on the front read clear as day despite its age. Without a word, Applejack slowly opened it and began flipping through the pages.

Ponies’ entire lives flashed by before Rarity’s eyes. A young colt chewing cutely on a blanket next to the same colt showing off his apple tree cutie mark next to that same stallion standing beside his wife. A young mare breaking the ground on a new farm next to a picture of her several years later holding a baby in her forelegs.

As Applejack neared the end of the filled pages, Rarity saw more familiar faces. A few pages had several pictures of Granny Smith throughout her life. The next had ponies Rarity knew were Applejack’s father and siblings. Then came Big Macintosh and even Applejack herself. Rarity had always been quite fond of one of her still in diapers. She was wearing her mane in the most adorable pigtails.

After Apple Bloom came a few more of the younger cousins before they reached the first nearly-empty page. The only decoration was the word ‘Ace’ written in green at the top.

“Apple Bloom wrote that last night,” Applejack said. “She has neater writin’ than I do.”

She grabbed a loose photo from off the chest and laid it face-down on the book before grabbing a nearby glue stick and lathering the back. Flipping the photo back over, she lined it up and pressed down. When she pulled her hoof away, Rarity took a look.

It was from Soarin’ and Braeburn’s home in Appleloosa. The two were sitting on the couch, snuggling against one another as Braeburn held Ace in his forelegs. The bags under Soarin’s eyes were even more noticeable than usual and Braeburn had lost his hat somewhere, but even still neither looked like they could have been any happier. She thought it was quite the lovely picture.

Seeing Applejack putting the glue stick aside, she frowned. “You’re not going to put in one of you and Ace in the hospital?”

“Nah, I figured I shouldn’t.”

“No? Are you worried about Ace finding out when he’s older? I thought Braeburn and Soarin’ weren’t going to keep it a secret from him,” Rarity pressed.

“I know they’re gonna tell him when he’s old enough to understand; it’s not that. It’s just…” Applejack trailed off, looking down at the photo. “I just don’t think I can. Not yet.”

After a moment of silence, Rarity realized she was either unwilling or unable to continue. “How are you holding up, Darling?”

Drawing Applejack’s attention away from the picture finally got a weak smile out of her. “Doin’ pretty good. Getting used to being active again and the Doctor says I can get back to work anytime now. And before you even say anythin’, yes, I’ll take it easy for a while. Big Mac’s already made me promise to stay on half-chores for at least a week ‘til we see how I can handle it.”

Rarity grinned even as she rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I trusted that you’d only do as much as you can handle. But I notice you didn’t say anything about how you were sleeping. No better yet?” Rarity had tried to spend as many nights on the farm as she could just to be nearby, but she had her own work to tend to. However much she didn’t like it, she’d had to leave Applejack alone several times since she’d gotten out of the hospital.

Applejack just shrugged. “Sleeping meds the doc gave me have helped, but I still wake up every now and then. Just… feel like I should be doing something, you know?”

“Oh Darling,” Rarity cooed as she nuzzled Applejack’s cheek. “You know Soarin’ and Braeburn are taking good care of Ace. He’s in good hooves!”

“Yeah, I know. Jus’ hormones still actin’ up. I’ll be happy when I’m back to normal!” Applejack said, trying to laugh.

A thoughtful look crossed her face after that. She fell silent as she contemplated whatever was going through her mind, and Rarity let her. After a few moments, she spoke again.

“Actually, thinking ‘bout that… Rares, when we were in the delivery room, you said… that you wanted foals. Did you really mean that or were you just trying to help?”

Rarity frowned in return. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot since then. I don’t know if I was lost in the heat of the moment when I said that, but it wasn’t untrue. I do want foals, Applejack. I want to have little ones running around under hoof while we try to work. I want to watch them grow up and experience life and all it has to offer. I want to see them find their cutie marks! But more than that…”

She trailed off as she pulled out of Applejack’s embrace. They both turned so that they were facing each other, Applejack with a hesitant expression. Rarity took her strong hoof in her own.

“Applejack, do you remember our first kiss?”

The hesitation Applejack wore only seemed to grow, but along with it bloomed fondness for the happy memory. “How in the world am I ever supposed to forget that day? Caught out in the park in the worst sudden downpour Ponyville’d had in years!”

“But that old gazebo made a fine shelter, didn’t it?” Rarity asked, fluttering her eyelashes. Applejack wasn’t fazed by the old flirting trick anymore, though. Sighing, Rarity let herself become serious again. “I’ve always wondered… why did you kiss me that day?”

Applejack’s smile slipped slightly. “I’ve asked myself that a lot. ‘Specially in the days right after that. I’m not real sure, to be honest. We was leanin’ together for warmth, shivering and wet and… You were jus’ there and you looked so beautiful. Yer mane was all slicked down from the rain and yer makeup was runnin’ and for jus’ a second you looked… I don’t know how to put it! Real? Natural? It was the first time in a long time that I’d seen you not lookin’ all perfect.

“All of a sudden, you looked like a pony instead of one o’ them models in those fancy magazines you read.”

“Let me get this straight,” Rarity said slowly, trying to talk around the lump that had formed in her throat. It was hard to not let show how much her words had meant. “You only kissed me because I looked like a mess?”

“N-now, Rares, that ain’t what I meant!” Applejack said, flustered. “I meant that you were looking a li’l vulnerable and… No wait, that ain’t it either! Uh… C’mon, you know I’m not good with words like you are!”

Having had her fun, Rarity cut her off with a quick peck to her cheek. “Yes, I know what you meant, Darling. There have been times where I, too, have been struck by how breathtaking you are. Seeing you with your family, or tending to your trees. The compassion and kindness with which you treat everypony around you. There’s this… sense of quiet integrity to you; an inner strength that I can only ever marvel at.”

Rarity paused to look into Applejack’s eyes. Those familiar emerald depths, brimming with love, put her mind at peace as she prepared to say what she’d been thinking about for so long.

“We’ve been together for several years now, Applejack, and we’ve known each other far longer than that. Many of my days start with you next to me, and just as many end the same. I’ve come to be rather fond of it. I never want there to be a day where I’m not at your side. I want to be a part of your family and have you be a part of mine. I want us to grow old and wrinkled together and sit hoof in hoof as we watch the sun set over the orchards. And yes, I want you to be the mother of my foals.”

She paused once again to withdraw a small velvet box she’d kept hidden carefully behind her back. She floated it up to the mare she loved, who in turn gasped. Applejack’s eyes were already starting to water as Rarity flicked the lid open.

Sitting inside was a necklace. A single charm graced it, featuring a single ruby apple and a blue diamond. They were leaning together like they were supporting each other. Framed around them was a golden band.

“Applejack, My Darling. My Diamond. Will you marry me?”

The only answer she received was to be pulled into the deepest, dearest and wettest kiss of her life.

“So when’s the wedding?! Can I be yer best mare, AJ?!” Apple Bloom chirped as she danced in place in front of the couch Rarity and Applejack were sitting upon. The latter of which couldn’t stop lovingly touching the necklace gleaming around her neck.

“Not for a while, AB,” Applejack choked out. Her voice was still low and hoarse from crying.

“Mac!” Granny Smith called nearby from her rocking chair. The stallion in question sniffed and stopped wiping his eyes with a tissue long enough to listen. “Yer gonna have to give your sister away since yer pappy isn’t here to do it, alright?” He nearly broke out in another wave of sniffles as he nodded.

“Well, we may want to have the wedding sooner rather than later,” Rarity said primly, trying to sound reserved despite the bubbly energy welling up in her. “We’ll want it out of the way before you start to show again.”

Apple Bloom stopped in her bouncing to look confused. “Show? Show what?”

Applejack smiled and elbowed Rarity who gave a squeak of surprise before huffing in shame at her outburst. “Rares and I are gonna have a baby of our own, AB. You’re gonna be an aunt!”

“I’m gonna be an aunt?!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Yes! I’m gonna spoil it rotten!”

“Now you see here, young’un! Spoiling the foals is a grandparent’s job! Or great-grandparents, as it is!”

“Eeeyup!”

“Not you, too, Mac!” Applejack grumbled, slapping a hoof to her forehead. “Y’all realize Rares and I have to deal with the baby when you’re all done with it, right? It’s gonna end up a spoiled brat at this rate!”

Rarity laughed and kissed her fretting lover’s cheek. “Cheer up, Darling! The baby’s going to be surrounded by family that love it. What more could we want?”

Recognizing her defeat, Applejack sighed and kissed her back. “I guess nothin’, really.”

What more could we want indeed? Rarity thought to herself as she relaxed into Applejack and immersed herself in the general excitement in the air around her. Granny Smith eventually left to bring some food into the living room and together they all sat down to eat and enjoy each other’s presence. They laughed and talked about idle things as all such close families are wont to do.

And as she lifted a fork to playfully feed Applejack a bite of her food, she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Until Apple Bloom suddenly appeared between herself and Big Macintosh. She wore a large, devious grin on her face as she wrapped a foreleg around her brother’s shoulders.

“You know, this has been a great day! We have a new member of the family, even if she’s been with us for a while, and soon we’re gonna have another! I have a question, though. Mac, I know you’ve been seeing a certain special somepony for a while now. So…”

She paused to give him a playful squeeze as his eyes went wide in a mixture of realization and fear. “When’re you gonna make Ms. Cheerilee an Apple?”

Author's Note

And so draws to a close another tale of the TFaRverse. I won't take up much of your time here, I just wanted to say that I hope you've enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing you as TFaR's true sequel begins.

Until next time, everypony.

It Starts with a Little Love...

Rarity wasn’t quite sure whether she loved or hated staying the night at her marefriend’s place. Sure, the Apple Family’s old barnhouse was wreathed in love and the closeness of family, but the water pressure in the shower was abysmal! And though their shampoo –apple-scented, of course– did the job, it didn’t hold a candle to the designer brands she had in her own bathroom. And don’t even get her started on the conditioners!

Her mane was still hanging in limp waves as she made her way up the creaking stairs to Applejack’s bedroom. The walls around her were filled to the brim with photographs of every member of the Apple family at all ages and walks of life. A Big Macintosh barely out of diapers splashing in the mud here, an Apple Bloom showing off her first ‘A’ on a chemistry test since Zecora started tutoring her in potion-making. Rarity’s personal favorite was a blank-flanked Applejack showing off the empty space where her two front baby teeth had been. The two pig-tails either side of her widely-grinning face truly set the picture off, and Rarity couldn’t help but smile fondly every time she passed it.

Rarity slowed her pace once she reached the top of the stairs and passed Apple Bloom’s room where the sounds of a quill could still be heard scratching away at her work desk over some soft music playing. While Rarity wasn’t exactly a fan of Prancy Travis, she would certainly take it over the ‘punk rock’ bands that Scootaloo so often brought over when the Crusaders were having their sleepovers.

Memories of the three young fillies begging for her attention as they eagerly sought their cutie marks sparked a sense of nostalgia welling up in her. Sure it had been trying to keep three rambunctious fillies from tearing her boutique and home to the ground, but the sound of their laughter and happy voices echoing through the halls hadn’t been so bad, had it? And seeing their friendship blossom over the years…

Yes, there had been good times.

As caught up in her thoughts as she was, Rarity had unknowingly passed Big Macintosh’s silent room and arrived outside Applejack’s door. Hesitation held her hoof just short of the handle. Would Applejack want to talk about things tonight? Would she expect her to know what they were going to do after simply taking a shower?

An ear held to the door revealed only quiet on the other side. Applejack could have gone to sleep already. It certainly would make things easier if that were the case. Rarity could just sneak in and they could worry about it some other time.

Or her marefriend could be waiting up for her.

Rarity sighed. Realizing putting it off would accomplish nothing, she gently turned the handle and let herself in. The room looked identical to how it did the very first time Rarity had seen it years ago. Much like it’s owner, this bedroom was an exercise in honest simplicity. Warm green wallpaper with little yellow flowers here and there. All-natural hardwood floors, ceiling and wall studs with only the barest traces of artistic flourishes. A large, broken-in bed covered in apple-printed blankets and sheets.

It was a far-cry from her own bedroom back at the Boutique, but… Well, something about its rustic charm had endeared itself to her over the years. Somewhere along the way it had become a second home.

The only light in the room was an old-fashioned hoof lantern perched precariously upon the edge of an antique vanity by the window. The flickering flame inside cast a soft orange glow across the room, but most prominently against the blonde-maned mare seated in front of the mirror.

Applejack had already let her hair down, as she was wont to do immediately before bed, and her long, flowing locks fell gracefully along her neck and down her back. The last few curls reached nearly the base of her tail, not that a lady like Rarity would notice such things. It would be uncouth to ogle her lover’s body like some base lowlife.

No, instead Rarity appreciated Applejack’s body. From the minotaur-esque strength in her limbs that rivalled any stallion Rarity had ever known to her gorgeous green eyes more precious than any emerald to the work-forged muscle that defined her body; every inch of her was perfection in motion.

And she has an ass to die for! Rarity thought to herself, blushing. Nopony needed to know she thought that, of course.

Applejack was dragging a worn brush through her mane, filling the air with a soft rasp every few seconds as she hummed a tune that Rarity recognized as a lullaby she’d once heard her sing to Apple Bloom. She’d noticed that Applejack often hummed it when lost in thought, even though it wasn’t terribly often such a thing happened. Her marefriend was more of a… doer than a thinker.

Not that Rarity would have her any other way, mind you.

Once upon a time, using her magic to take the brush away from Applejack, especially when she was distracted, would have caused her to jump out of her seat. But whether she was paying more attention than Rarity realized or she’d simply grown used to the subtle chime of her magic activating, her reaction was only to smile and let the brush go.

“Thanks, Rares,” Applejack sighed blissfully as the brush gently pulled out the day’s tangles in her mane. Rarity smiled fondly but said nothing as she worked; eventually the lantern began to run low and the full moon was gleaming through the window as the final curls at the end of Applejack’s mane were tended to. Her golden tresses fell like a waterfall, silken and free, and Rarity rested her chest against her lover’s back, bringing her lips to her ear. Applejack subtly leaned into her touch, accepting the affection.

“I love you, my Darling.”

“Heh, I love you too, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied, giving a single laugh: the kind that came from somewhere between her throat and her belly. Rarity could never quite decide which, but she knew from the butterflies it still sent fluttering in her stomach that it was her most genuine.

“Welp, you ready for bed, Rares? I’m plumb exhausted after… y’know, everything today. I think I’m gonna hit the hay.”

Rarity was in shock as Applejack pulled away and made for the bed. It wasn’t until she was already settling under the covers that Rarity recovered enough to speak.

“We aren’t going to talk about it?” she asked.

Applejack paused mid-pillow fluff to look up at her. “I didn’t figure you’d want to, Sugarcube. You didn’t exactly seem like you wanted to when we read his letter before dinner.”

The memory of them reading Applejack’s cousin Braeburn’s letter together passed through Rarity with a shiver. Before they’d been able to even let the shock fade, Granny Smith had called to them that the food was done and they hadn’t had the chance to say anything since. Admittedly, Rarity had been quite glad for the interruption.

After all, what in the world were you supposed to say to something like what he was asking?

“I just don’t know what to say, Darling. With what he’s asking of you…” Rarity mumbled. Suddenly unable to meet Applejack’s eyes, her gaze fell to the floor instead.

“He ain’t asking nothing I can’t provide!”

That sent a flame raging in Rarity’s stomach and she stomped a hoof in frustration. “It’s not like he’s asking you to deliver another tree for his orchard! He’s asking you to carry a foal for him!”

“Rares, he and Soarin’ just want a foal that’s theirs, y’know? If Soarin’s donates the… y’know… seed and I carry it, it’ll be related to Soarin’ and still be an Apple. It’ll be everything they want! Short of them having it themselves, a’course, but… well, hard for two stallions to do that…” she rambled. From the desperate plea in her voice, Rarity knew she was trying just as hard to convince herself as well.

Rarity couldn’t believe her. She was talking about it as she would their plans for dinner! In a huff, Rarity stormed to the bed and sat down, holding back just enough of her frustration so as to remain prim and proper. A temper tantrum would hardly be ladylike.

“Applejack! Listen to yourself! You’re talking about having a baby! What if there are complications? Do you know all the things that can happen to a mare while she’s pregnant? What if you get hurt, or worse?”

Applejack rolled over to face her as Rarity ranted. When she spoke, though she sounded certain, Applejack wasn’t quite able to look Rarity in the eyes.

“Rares, mares have foals all the time! And even if somethin’ does happen, Ponyville General’s a great hospital! The doctor’s there are great and they’ll take care of us. Everythin’ll be fine, Rares, just you see!”

“So you’ve already decided, then? And this was never a discussion at all?” Rarity asked in defeat.

To Rarity’s immense displeasure, Applejack rolled her eyes. “No, Rares! I… Urrgh!” she growled, rolling over to stare pointedly away from Rarity.

After a moment of silence it became clear Applejack intended to say nothing else. Judging that pressing further would be ultimately futile, Rarity sighed and let herself under the covers on her side of the bed. Though it was easily large enough for the two of them, their backs were still left mere inches apart, to the point Rarity could still feel the warm of her lover’s body.

It just wasn’t fair. How could Braeburn have asked this of them? He had to have known that Applejack could never turn down family asking for help regardless of the sacrifice she’d have to make. There were so many things that could go wrong! She or the foal could get sick! If anything happened to their foal, Applejack would never forgive herself. And what if she got attached to it? She’d be torn between losing her foal and breaking her favorite cousin’s heart.

And with Braeburn and Soarin’ way off in Appleloosa, it’d be up to Rarity to pick up the pieces.

Why couldn’t they have just asked somepony else? Or adopted? There were plenty of other options for them to have a foal!

Why’d they have to drag Applejack into everything?

Rarity bit back a sniff and wiped a hoof roughly across her eyes.

A hoof slid gently onto her shoulder, causing her to jump. She hadn’t even noticed Applejack roll over.

“C’mon, Sugarcube, I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I do care about what you want. Of course I do! It’s just…”

“You could never let down your family,” Rarity finished for her. “But… why does it have to be you? There are other ways for them to have a foal. Or even other ponies that could be their surrogate! Why do you have to do it?”

Applejack’s hoof froze where it was like the question had caught her off-guard. Rarity didn’t need to be looking at her to know what was going through her marefriend’s mine. She knew Applejack was mulling things over, not to think of a lie or excuse, but to find a way to put her thoughts into words.

Rarity let her have a moment, and soon enough Applejack sighed and cuddled tighter against her, nuzzling into her neck.

“Did I ever tell you about the times Braeburn would come up to visit us?” she said absently. Her breath tickled the hairs of Rarity’s neck, but she did nothing for fear of breaking the still of the moment.

Applejack continued. “Every summer as soon as school let out. I tell ya, Rares, there weren’t nothing I looked forward to as much as I did his visits. Not even Hearth’s Warmin’!”

Rarity could hear in her tone the beginnings of a fond smile as she lost herself in nostalgia.

“When Braeburn came up, he, Mac and I would do everythin’ together. Swimming out in the pond in the south orchard, trying to get our cutie marks, heheh, even nicking the pies Granny Smith left on the windowsill to cool! Back then, I… I dunno. I’d say the three of us were about as close as you, me, and the other girls are now!”

“I… I had no idea,” Rarity mumbled, shocked. “You say you ‘were’ close. Did something happen?”

“Just time. You know how it is: you grow up, grow apart… After Ma and Pa passed, I had to help Mac take care of the farm and about that time Braeburn was helping out more around his parent’s place and…” she paused with a dejected sigh. “We just didn’t have the time for summer vacations like we used to.”

“I thought the orchard in Appleloosa was his, not his parents?” Rarity asked.

“It is. He started that orchard when Appleloosa was founded... what was it? Nearly thirteen years ago now? Hay, has it really been that long? Where does the time go?”

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle as she rolled over to face Applejack. With their faces scant inches apart, she couldn’t help but let her voice drop to a barely audible whisper.

“Isn’t that the truth? I still remember when Sweetie Belle was five and she’d sneak into my room to play with my makeup! I’d come in to find her looking like a clown! I used to get so angry with her and now… I just miss those days. Now she does her own makeup and goes on dates with Spike of all people! He used to bring me flowers, Applejack! Now he brings them to Sweetie Belle…”

Applejack’s snort snapped Rarity out of her thoughts, making her realize she’d meandered a bit. She did, however, pointedly ignore when Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, Darling. I got a bit off-topic there,” she sighed as the reality of what they were discussing settled back over her. “I understand why you want to help Braeburn. But having a foal is such a large commitment!”

Even as the words left her mouth Rarity regretted them. Even in the dimness, it was almost like a fire had gone out in Applejack’s eyes.

“So you think I shouldn’t do it?”

“I just think this isn’t a decision to be made lightly!” Rarity pressed. She reached out to gently brush a few strands of Applejack’s mane from her eyes. “At least not in one night!”

“And what is more time gonna do?” Applejack countered. “I’m not afraid of getting sick or nothing like that and I want to help my cousin start the family he wants! What more is there to think about?”

“What about what will happen to me? I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. I’m going to be worrying myself sick the whole time as it is! Or what happens if you get attached to the foal? What if you have it but can’t give it up? And what if… What if I’m not ready for us to have foals?”

A pair of strong forelegs wrapped around Rarity’s shoulders, cradling her comfortingly. “That ain’t gonna happen, Rares. I know it won’t be easy, but there’s no way I could ever do that to Braeburn. It’d break his heart.” She sighed as she thought for a moment. “How ‘bout this? Why don’t we take a trip out to Appleloosa to see him and Soarin’? I owe it to Braeburn to at least hear him out, and maybe it’ll help soothe your worries a bit. Does that sound good?”

Rarity wasn’t sure whether she should be exasperated or laugh out loud. If there was one thing Applejack was not, it was subtle. She had already decided. While Rarity wanted to be angry over that, she just couldn’t. Applejack had always been the type to do whatever she thought was right and trying to dissuade her from that would only cause her to dig her hooves in deeper.

Rarity just had to hope she was right and that the trip would help her feel better.

“I hope you’re right, darling,” she said, sighing dramatically as she rolled onto her back and stretched out. “Though I can’t say I’m excited to go back to Appleloosa. It took me days to clean all the dust out of my coat last time we visited! This whole situation is bound to give me a stress headache!”

For all her worries, her only reward was another deep-belly chuckle as she felt a hoof trail teasingly down her side to her flank. Applejack’s muzzle loomed in the edge of her vision as she leaned close, her golden mane spilling around them like a veil.

“Aww, my fussy little princess, asked to trudge through the mud just for little ol’ me! Why don’t you roll over and I’ll help ya feel a little better?” she asked, her voice fluttering somewhere between husky and mocking.

Catching on, Rarity conceded to roll onto her stomach while giggling quietly. “Ooooh, and what exactly did you have in mind, darling?”

A pair of strong hooves pressing into her withers was her only answer. She cooed in delight as Applejack set to work on her. The hard outer walls of her hooves kneaded deep into her muscles, easing the tension she didn’t even know she was feeling and then soothing it away with the soft undersides.

Smalls circles on her shoulders became long strokes along her spine which soon became pinpoint ministrations to her back just above her tail. “Mmmm, right there, Darling!”

Another chuckle sounded somewhere vaguely above her. Rarity couldn’t quite discern where. “Don’t you worry, Sugarcube, I know what I’m doing. Nopony knows you like I do.”

Drunk on the pleasure her lover was providing her, Rarity couldn’t stop another round of giggles escaping her. Truly, nopony knew her body as well as Applejack did. And ooooh, did she know her…

Just the memories drew the traces of a scandalized blush to her cheeks.

But a fire had been kindled within her and she craved a very different sort of touch. “Let me up, darling,” she asked, feeling suddenly breathless.

It wasn’t until a weight lifted itself from her hips that Rarity even noticed Applejack had sat upon her at some point during her little massage. The moment she was free, she wasted no time in reversing their positions: Applejack splayed out upon her back, her long mane spilling across the sheets like liquid gold and herself leaning sideways over her so that she could drink in the sight of her lover looking so vulnerable with anticipation.

Rarity lifted a hoof to brush along her lover’s cheek, carefully and lightly, barely more than a feather’s touch.

“My Darling,” she whispered. “My diamond in the rough…”

“R-Rares…” Applejack muttered, her breath hitching as her chest heaved just a tad heavier than normal. From the way her hips would occasionally twitch and squirm, Rarity knew she was feeling the beginnings of a passionate heat as well. “We c-can’t… Mac and Apple Bloom are just down the hall!”

“Then we’ll just have to be quiet, won’t we?” Rarity simpered.

“You’re one to talk…” Applejack mumbled under her breath, crossing her hooves over her chest and looking pointedly away from Rarity.

She had to admit, her lover might have had some small point. Perhaps she could be a little loud when things turned intimate, but she was a lady for pony’s sake! She could enjoy a tryst with the love of her life without proclaiming her actions to the world like… like some baseless mare of the night!

She had dignity! She had class!

She had… a desire that needed her lover’s touch!

Just as Applejack knew every inch of Rarity’s body, so too did Rarity know of Applejack. She knew every trick that her poor lover could never resist. She let her shoulders go limp, rolling them sensually as she slowly crawled on top of her marefriend. She swung her hindleg wide until she was straddling Applejack’s stomach, slipping her tail coyly between their bodies as a censor for her modesty.

She leaned down, letting her curly mane brush Applejack’s cheek until their lips were barely inches apart. She stared deep into those emerald eyes she loved so dearly, watching them struggle between her desires and her sensibilities. Then, in a voice so low it was felt more than heard, she whispered.

“Love me, My Darling.”

The words had barely left her before Applejack closed the distance between them with a single thrust, locking their lips together. Rarity smiled at her little victory.

Applejack almost made it too easy.

Her movements were aggressive – hungry; Rarity was happy to let her take the lead. Applejack’s lips were chapped and cracked from a lack of proper care, but they felt like velvet against her own all the same. Hooves, strengthened from a life of work and hardship, caressed her back, holding her lovingly and with all the support she could ever need. So was Applejack, really. Rough and unpolished perhaps on the outside, yet that exterior belied what was within.

“Mmmmm,” Rarity moaned as Applejack’s tongue prodded at her lips.

A hoof suddenly dove to her haunches, making her squeal in surprise. Applejack must have been growing impatient, as her touch had grown rougher as she slid Rarity’s hips to the side and threw one of her own hindlegs over hers.

With their legs entwined, Rarity gasped at the sudden contact. Electricity raced across her skin as waves of heat and pleasure rolled over her. Her hips revolved in tandem with Applejack’s as her heart began to race. Every brush was like a touch of ecstasy.

Applejack was singing a siren’s song in the back of her throat; her every gasp and pant only egging Rarity on to greater heights. The sight of her face screwed up in a look that told Rarity she was fighting with every ounce of her being to not give in and let go. The wrinkle over her nose that she found so adorable and yet embarrassed Applejack to no end.

“Rares, I… I’m–!” Applejack began to cry before a violent shiver wracked her body. She clamped down on her hoof in a vain attempt to muffle the scream she couldn’t hold back. Rarity could only grin in satisfaction as she watched her lover writhe in overwhelming pleasure.

The sight alone was enough to tip Rarity over the edge, and together they tumbled into an ocean of bliss.

Seconds spanned into years before Applejack caught her breath and consciousness returned to her expression, though her eyes were still blurry and unfocused and her cheeks were burning crimson. At some point Rarity had collapsed onto her chest and, without thought or direction, she toyed a hoof idly against her rough, sun-warmed coat.

“Hah… T-that was… amazin’, Sugarcube,” Applejack panted. “You, uh… you enjoy it, too?”

Either the question or the way she’d said it struck Rarity as funnier than it perhaps should have and she found herself laughing like a filly. “It was simply divine, darling!”

Applejack pulled her closer and together they cuddled as they basked in the afterglow. “So it was okay even without Mr. Happy?”

“Must you ruin the moment, darling?” Rarity drawled. It was so like Applejack to bring up her favorite name for Rarity’s most cherished bedroom enhancer, immature as it was. She wanted to be upset but just couldn’t find it in herself to do so, especially as she felt the rumble of Applejack’s laughter through her chest. “We should probably get to bed, though. We’re going to have a long day tomorrow preparing for our trip to Appleloosa.”

Applejack agreed and reluctantly let Rarity up so they could both get under the covers. Once they were settled, Applejack’s firm chest pressed tightly against her back and her strong forelegs holding her close, Rarity gave a relaxed sigh.

Just as the tranquil night was taking its toll on Rarity’s ability to remain awake, Applejack broke the silence.

“Hey, Rares?” she whispered into her ear. “Thank you for going with me to talk to Braeburn and Soarin’. I know you don’t want me to do it, but I appreciate you being willing to hear them out. I promise, though, I ain’t gonna do nothing you’re not comfortable with. If you still don’t want me to do it after we talk to them then I won’t.”

Rarity was silent as she hugged Applejack’s hoof closer to her until she placed a kiss on her wrist. “Darling, I love you. I will always support you in anything you want to do, regardless of whether or not I think it’s for the best. We’ll go talk to them, and then, together, we will decide what we should do. But you won’t be in it alone, My Darling. We will do it together.”

Behind her, Rarity could only feel Applejack bury her face a little further into her mane until she heard a single sniff. “Thank ya, Rares. You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”

Rarity smiled as she gave her lover’s hoof a comforting rub. “Anytime, My Darling. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Applejack whispered, her voice thick and heavy. “Goodnight, my fussy little princess.”

“Goodnight, my diamond in the rough.”