Ch. 1
Everypony who made Ponyville their home visited the spa at some point in their life, at least once. This was an indisputable fact. Whether or not the pony is dragged there against their will by a friend is not figured into that statistic.
"I'm so glad you could join me on such short notice, Applejack." Rarity gabbed as Aloe carefully placed cucumbers on her eyes. "It just wouldn't feel right coming here by myself."
"Don't know how much choice I really had, considering you showed up at my door with an extra robe in hoof." Rarity couldn't see Applejack's face as she spoke, but she assumed the farm-mare was eyeing the cucumbers nonplussedly. "How come you invited me, anyway? Isn't this you and Fluttershy's thing? Where is she?"
"Oh, she's spending the day with Twilight and Cadence. Some sort of wildlife tour." How anypony could spend a whole day trekking through the dirt when the hooficures here were so divine, that was beyond Rarity.
But before Applejack could weigh in with what she thought about that, they were put through a flurry of shin-rejuvenating activity. A short time later, the two found themselves soaking in the hot tub. Rarity was proud that she somehow managed to navigate the storm while keeping the cucumbers on her eyes.
"Y'know, this ain't half-bad. I'm having a good time." Applejack admitted, sliding lower into the water next to her.
She finally peeled the cucumbers off and leaned closer to her earth pony friend, suddenly serious. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Applejack. Because to be honest, I had a bit of an ulterior motive for inviting you here."
"Oh, really?" AJ raised an eyebrow.
"I... I've heard about your relationship with Apple Bloom. The real one, I mean."
This time more than Applejack's brow was raised as she lifted herself into a more conversational position. "So the truth finally made its way to you... Let me guess, you heard it from Sweetie Belle."
"Actually, I was told by Sapphire Shores. Apparently she ran into Apple Bloom while she was in Manehattan." Rarity smiled slightly, feeling more than a little uncomfortable and embarrassed.
AJ wasn't. From the sound of her voice she'd come to terms with her secret being out in the open. But that didn't mean she was okay with having had one in the first place. "I'm real sorry for lying to y'all for so long."
"Oh, no no no." Rarity waved a hoof, trying to dispel any hint of an accusation. "Darling, I didn't mean to imply I was upset with you. I just wanted to learn a little bit more. Sweetie Belle wasn't very informative when I asked her about it."
"My story went over her head, huh?"
Rarity chuckled. "Parts of it, yes."
"So what'd you like to know?" Applejack asked.
"Mostly..." Rarity brushed an errant strand of her mane out of her eyes, more to buy herself some time than for fashion concerns. The mane styling would come after the soak. "Mostly who the father was."
"An earth pony magician called Lulamoon the Magnificent."
"Lulamoon... As in-" Her eyes narrowed as Rarity made the connection.
AJ grinned. "As in Trixie's dad, yeah. She likes to call me 'Step-mom', 'cause she knows it irks me some."
"That's interesting... and now that you mention it, I do remember an earth pony magician coming to town at about the right time. That was him?"
"Yep." AJ said, nodding.
"I didn't know you and him were- What I mean is..." Rarity got flustered and tongue-tied. "He... propositioned me when he was in town."
"Really?"
Rarity cringed. "Please don't hate me."
"Rarity, you don't have to worry about that." AJ assured her, sighing. "I learned pretty quick that he didn't have much in the way of character."
"Oh, thank goodness." She leaned back, relieved.
"Out of curiosity, what'd you do? When he asked."
"I slapped him." Rarity flashed her friend a conspiratorial smirk.
AJ burst out laughing, and after a moment Rarity joined in. They kept at it until they noticed that some of the other patrons were glaring at them. Then the laughter subsided to giggles.
"I'm glad I did, too." Rarity forced through the fit. "I mean, can you imagine if I got pregnant?"
AJ stopped giggling. "What do you mean by that?"
Rarity noticed her friend's mood shift and stopped as well. "It's just... I wouldn't be able to run my business very well if I had a child, would I?"
"I run a business." Applejack said flatly, pointing a hoof at herself.
"Well, yeah. But you had help. You had Big Mac and Granny Smith, Plus, it's just apples. It's not like you have to be innovative or creative, or anything."
She saw Applejack grind her teeth. "Last year Sweet Apple Acres developed a new variety of apple. One that had never been grown before. Ever."
"Yeah, but-" She floundered. Why was AJ being so unreasonable? "Isn't there some part of you that wishes it went another way? That your life was different?"
"That's it. I'm out of here." AJ climbed out of the tub and started for the exit. Rarity saw that the other patrons were watching them again, but to a pony they knew better than to say anything.
"Applejack, wait!"
AJ whirled to face her, pointing a hoof in Rarity's direction. "Stay away from me Rarity, or I'll buck you. I'm not joking." Rarity shrank back, unable to respond, and Applejack stomped to the door. "And just so you know, Rarity." AJ paused at the door to inform her. "The only thing I regret is not telling Apple Bloom the truth from the start. She has been the best thing to ever happen to me."
With that, she slammed the door.
"No matter what I said, she took it the wrong way!" Rarity paced in Twilight's study.
"Hmm..." Twilight, her coat a couple shades darker from being in the sun, simply let her friend vent.
"And now Applejack won't speak to me." Rarity plopped down, dejected. "What do I do, Twilight?"
Twilight, having been waiting to be asked that, rubbed her chin. "Yeah, I don't know why she'd be upset. You just said you were glad she unexpectedly became a single mother, because at least it wasn't you. Plus, you let her know that you think she's less talented and hardworking than you are."
"That's not what I meant!"
"But that's what she heard." Twilight crossed to Rarity and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Look, I'm not taking her side. I'm not taking anypony's side. In my opinion, you're both in the wrong. But if you'd apologize, it might go a long way towards smoothing things out."
"Hmph! I won't apologize, I've done nothing wrong. And if you won't help me find a real solution to this, well then I'll just leave." Rarity stormed out in a huff.
"Yeah, why would I know what I'm talking about?" Twilight grumbled to herself after the unicorn had left. "I'm just the Princess of Friendship."
Underneath the orneriness, though, she hoped her friends would be able to find a way to make up soon.
