Sweet and Complete

Chapters

A Simple Gesture
Picnic by the Lake (Two Weeks Later)
A Young Drake's Heartbreak
Words of Comfort
Family Matters (Part 1)
Family Matters (Part 2)
Sisters Forever
Revelations Between Close-Knit Friends
Closure
The Future Looks Bright

A Simple Gesture

Rarity was in high spirits as she levitated streamers to hang over the rafters, settling balloons to float perfectly in place. The barn of Sweet Apple Acres had been utterly transformed over the last few hours, under the fashionista’s eagle-eye for aesthetic perfection. Sweetie Belle’s birthday was today, and Rarity had determined upon giving her a party to remember when she got back from a special Crusading session with her friends. The Apple family had given her permission to host it in the barn, and she had gotten to work spiffing it up for when Sweetie Belle returned.

The door opened, and Applejack stepped in, looking around admiringly at the decorations. A tray laden with cupcakes was balanced across her sturdy back, and she took great pains to settle it down gently on the refreshment table. Rarity paused from setting up a pinata to speak to her.

“Applejack, I simply can’t thank you enough,” she said. “Pinkie Pie is booked for a cutecenera, so I wasn’t able to ask her for assistance.”

“T’weren’t nothin, Rarity,” said Applejack. “Ah’m always glad to lend mah friends a helpin’ hoof. Ah've gotta say, you’ve done a real bang-up job in here. Haven’t seen the barn this spruced up since Pinkie’s birthday party.”

“Well, time is of the essence,” said Rarity, brightly. “Sweetie Belle and her friends could be back at any moment.”

She looked around at the bright, colorful party room she had transformed the barn into with her fashion expertise. She could remember the days, before she had met Twilight, before she had really gotten to know Applejack, when she would have balked at the idea of being inside an old barn like this, getting her hooves dirty. However, she was older and wiser now, and she had garnered a strong bond with the amiable apple-bucker, strong enough to ignore petty squeamishness. Now the farm was like a home away from home for her, and Applejack felt like family.

However, even she had to admit, as much as she hated to, that there were times she felt of Applejack as more than that. A lady should never steal furtive glances, but still, there were days when she actually envied her, watching her toil away in the fields. She found herself admiring her stout but strong figure, her smooth blonde mane, her freckled cheeks, and her vibrant green eyes. It was like she possessed an attractiveness without even trying, an attractiveness that had nothing to do with shampoo or makeup, an attractiveness Rarity was sometimes jealous of...but at the same time drawn to. It was an attractiveness that stallions like Blueblood and Trenderhoof, though handsome in their own rights, simply did not possess for her, especially after her disastrous meetings with them.

Rarity did still consider herself beautiful, but she couldn’t deny that she wasn’t as slender as she used to be. She had put on a bit of weight recently, and was now sporting a rather plump belly, the unfortunate delayed after-effect of binging on a dozen tubs of vanilla oat swirl during her brief state of depression. Thankfully, her friends were more than understanding, especially Pinkie, who was never what one would call 'skinny' due to her high-sugar diet, but was content nonetheless. Oh, sure, Rainbow Dash might have laughed at first, until she was reminded of when she'd gained a substantial potbelly from eating rock candy; that shut her up. Sweetie Belle didn't mind, either. She said her big sister's bigger belly made her great for hugging, which she did find heartwarming.

There was one slight hitch, though: her appetite for sugary foods had increased recently, and she wasn’t sure how she should feel about it. She'd always enjoyed sweeter foods, but had made sure to moderate; now she found herself urged to snack without restraint, like when she was tempted to steal a bite from the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, or when she needed comfort food. As much as she was beginning to tolerate being slightly heavier, she wasn't too keen on making herself even bigger.

“Rare? You all right?”

“Mm?”

Rarity shook her head. She had zoned out while Applejack had finished setting up the refreshments.

“Y-Yes, of course. I was just...making sure everything was in its proper place. This may be a children’s party, but sloppiness is still unacceptable.”

Applejack gave a small snort, rolling her eyes at this. As Rarity roved her sapphire-blue eyes around, she caught sight of the treats that had been set up. The tantalizing aroma of apples, chocolate, and frosting wafted to her delicate nostrils, and her belly gave a faint gurgle, one that even Applejack picked up, as her ear flicked, and she smiled.

“Why don’t you grab a cupcake or somethin’?” she suggested, “Ah’d say that’s a fair reward for all yer work.”

“Oh, Applejack, I couldn’t possibly,” said Rarity. “I shouldn’t deprive Sweetie Belle or her friends of your fabulous confections. Eating just one could deprive some colt or filly of their chance to have one, and we can’t have that, now can we?”

Applejack chuckled.

“You’ve been hangin’ around Fluttershy too much,” she said. “That’s the sorta thing she’d say.”

Rarity blinked, then, seeing what Applejack meant, blushed with a sheepish grin. It was the sort of thing Fluttershy would say: apologetic, concerned, yet with her heart in the right place.

“Now that you mention it, it is, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, Rarity, Ah get where yer comin’ from,” said Applejack, kindly. “That’s why Ah made ya this.”

She reached out her hoof, upon which sat a single cupcake, so delicately and intricately frosted that Rarity couldn’t suppress a gasp of admiration. She gripped it in her magic and held it up to eye level, taking in the intoxicatingly sugary aroma of the frosting.

“Applejack, this is positively the most beautiful cupcake I’ve ever seen,” she said.

“Then it fits ya perfectly,” said Applejack, smiling. “A pretty cupcake for a pretty mare.”

Rarity stared at her. Had she heard that right? Applejack seemed to only now catch what she said, and her cheeks went bright red as she fiddled bashfully with her Stetson. Rarity had to suppress a laugh: she looked absolutely adorable when she was embarrassed.

“It’s almost too good to eat,” she said.

“Oh, go on,” encouraged Applejack, her cheeks returning to their original orange. “It’ll do ya good.”

Rarity stared at the cupcake for a moment, then, with a slight shrug, took a big bite of it. Frosting splattered across her dainty white cheeks, but she didn’t care. It was absolutely delicious...and it was gone in two bites.

“Thank you, Applejack,” she said. “That was wonderful.”

Applejack smiled, and Rarity ran her tongue across her lips and cheeks to get the frosting she had missed. She couldn’t help giggling to herself. It was the sort of thing Pinkie or Spike would do when they had messy faces, a foalish thing to do, whereas she normally relied on a napkin. She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but in the next instance, she was jerked out of her thoughts by a sudden shock.

Applejack had approached her and given her a lick on the cheek.

Feeling the heat rise into her face, she stared at Applejack, who seemed just as surprised at what she had done.

“Missed a spot,” she merely said, avoiding Rarity’s gaze.

It was as if fireworks were exploding in the prim unicorn’s brain, and the spot on her cheek where Applejack's tongue had been felt warmer than the rest of her face. Did she buy Applejack's story? It seemed an odd thing to do just for a dab of frosting. Again, it was the sort of thing Pinkie, in her silly innocence, would have done, unaware of what she was doing. Yet Applejack had just done it, and she had seemed to realize the meaning behind such an act.

It had surprised Rarity, yes...but it wasn’t entirely uncommon. Sometimes, ponies licked each other instead of kissing. It was the kind of thing common between a mother and her child, or two little foals exchanging a shy display of affection...and it was also a sign of intimacy between older ponies who really cared about each other. Rarity had never been licked before, and certainly not by any of her friends. Was Applejack just getting rid of frosting, or was she...?

Just then, Rarity’s ears twitched. She could hear the sounds of foals laughing, approaching the barn. Applejack turned her head in the direction of the doors. She’d heard it too. In that instant, the incident was shelved in their minds.

“Good gracious, the guests are here!” said Rarity, glad for an excuse to break the awkwardness.

“Yeah,” said Applejack. “Glad we were just in time, then. Guess we’d better let ‘em in.”

“Yes. Yes, of course. Sweetie and her friends should be along soon enough.”

And the two mares, fixing their most welcoming smiles onto their faces, opened the doors to admit the guests in. The tumult and excitement they caused was enough to keep both older ponies busy in keeping them in order. However, Rarity resolved to talk to Applejack about that little...moment later.

***

The party was a rousing success. Rarity couldn’t remember seeing Sweetie Belle so elated, having fun with all of her friends. The baked treats Applejack had provided diminished quickly, and Rarity felt justified in not having taken one from the refreshment table before the party. However, every time she caught Applejack’s eye, the farm mare would blush faintly and look away. Evidently, what had passed had not escaped her memory. Rarity wondered how best to approach the matter without coming off as confrontational. She didn’t want to accuse Applejack of anything; she only wanted to know the meaning.

At last, the party wound down, and the young invitees wended their way home, thanking Sweetie Belle for a great party. The little unicorn filly embraced her sister, wrapping her little forelegs around her neck.

“You’re the best, Rarity!” she gushed. “Thank you so much!”

“Anything for my little sister,” said Rarity, kindly. “I hope you had a wonderful birthday, darling.”

“You bet I did!”

She gave Rarity an extra squeeze, then hugged Applejack, who looked surprised at first, but then smiled and nuzzled her. The two had been sisters for a day, after all.

“Thanks for hosting the party, Applejack,” she said.

“Yer welcome, Sweetie Belle. Glad you had fun.”

Sweetie Belle released Applejack, then joined Rarity, who was carefully levitating her little sister’s numerous birthday presents around her.

“Can you wait outside for a second, Sweetie Belle?’ she asked. “I need to ask Applejack something.”

Applejack’s smile faded. She looked like a foal who knew she was in trouble.

“Okay!” said Sweetie Belle.

She scampered out of the barn, the doors swinging very nearly shut behind her. Once she was sure it was safe, Rarity turned to Applejack, resolving to keep her tone casual.

“Applejack, there was something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, once the party was over.”

“Listen, Rarity,” said Applejack, before Rarity could get to the point, “Ah know what yer gonna say, and Ah’m sorry, but Ah don’t wanna talk about it. Not right now. It was silly of me. Ah don’t know why Ah...”

Rarity stared at her. There was a pained, aggrieved look on Applejack’s face, as if some internal turmoil was going on within her. It hurt her to see her face like that.

“Applejack,” said Rarity, placatingly, “if I hurt you in any way-”

“No, Rarity, ya didn’t,” said Applejack, firmly. “Ah’m just...a li’l mixed up right now, that’s all. Why don’t you come by tomorrow, and we can talk about it? Just the two of us. Ah need to clear mah head with some sleep.”

Rarity considered the matter. Applejack seemed to be having second thoughts about her rash behavior, but it sounded like she was trying to make a decision with herself. She didn’t want to press the matter when her friend was already feeling miserable about it.

“Very well, then,” she said. “I’ll come by tomorrow. When?”

“‘Round lunchtime sound ok?”

“That should be fine.”

“All right. G’night, Rarity.”

“Good night, Applejack.”

Rarity trotted to the barn doors, then turned back to look at Applejack. The farmer smiled weakly, and the fashionista smiled in return, before opening the doors and stepping out, Sweetie Belle’s gifts floating about her, the filly in question trotting at her side, still excited about the party that had just ended. Applejack sighed, followed the two unicorns with her eyes until they were out of sight, then left the barn, shutting the doors behind her.

It had been stupid of her. What had she been thinking? Licking her cheek like that, and using the frosting as an excuse? Well, it wasn’t that unusual, was it? She used to do it to Apple Bloom when she was only a baby, to get some missed baby food on her face. That had always made her laugh, and for a second or two, Applejack lost herself in fond reminiscence of Apple Bloom’s infant giggles as she teased and played with her. That was all it had been: a simple sign of playful affection.

...So why had she done it to Rarity?

Even if she wouldn’t have been the first to admit it, she would still affirm that she and Rarity had gotten off to a rocky start in their friendship, even before Twilight moved to Ponyville. The two had had virtually nothing in common, and arguments between them were easily sparked. However, as time went on, as they actually got to know each other, mutual understanding grew into a strong friendship. Rarity could be fussy and prissy, yes, but she was also no slouch when action was needed, and she had an undoubtedly kind heart. Applejack had grown proud to consider her a friend, as a pseudo-family member.

But these days, Applejack began to have different thoughts about her unicorn friend. She used to watch her furtively as she went by, taking in her immaculate purple curls, her dazzling blue eyes, her curvy, eye-catching figure. Most stallions called it ‘beauty’, and Applejack did admit that Rarity was beautiful, but she was also...cute. Trenderhoof had been charming in his own right, but his unsettling attempts to woo her had turned her off to such things, especially since she had never actively sought stallions before. With Rarity, though, there was something adorable in the way she spoke, her terms of endearment when she addressed her friends, her appearance in general. It didn’t even matter to her that Rarity had put on a few pounds lately. If she didn’t make a fuss about it, why should she? On the other hoof, there was something doubly endearing about that chubby middle she had acquired. It made her look soft, huggable…

“Applejack!”

Applejack was thrown headlong back into the present, feeling as if she had just been dragged out of a dream. Apple Bloom was calling to her from the farmhouse.

“Granny wanted me to tell ya that dinner’s ready!”

“Ok! Thanks, Apple Bloom!” Applejack called back.

She trotted slowly back to the house. She’d have her decision in the morning, though she already felt certain about which way she was leaning. She only hoped Rarity wouldn’t take it badly…

***

Noon the following day, Rarity rapped on the front door to the farmhouse. She tried to retain an outward appearance of composure, but inside, she was very nervous. Applejack had needed the night to think over her actions. Somehow, that didn’t bode well. However, she was not about to assume the worst just then. It was just going to be a friend-to-friend chat over lunch…

The door opened, and Rarity gave a slight start. Applejack looked the same as ever, and yet she had done something with her mane. She had tucked a hibiscus flower into it, just like she had done when they went to the beach that fateful day they met Hoofbeard. It had looked cute on her then, and it looked cute on her now. Rarity gave her head a slight shake, then cleared her throat.

“Hello, Applejack.”

“Hey, Rarity. Why dontcha come on in?”

“Thank you.”

Applejack stood aside, and Rarity stepped in. It had been a while since she had actually been inside the farmhouse. She couldn’t help but admire the Apples’ sense of decor. It was simple, but comfortable, certainly different from the abundance of curtains or cushions she was used to surrounding herself with.

“Make yerself comfortable on the couch,” said Applejack. “I’ll bring some grub in a minute.”

Rarity obeyed, casting Applejack a wary eye as she went. The farm mare was smiling hospitably, but there was something...off about it. She was trying too hard to look like nothing was wrong.

Rarity heaved herself onto the couch, settling on her hindquarters, and looked down at herself. It had been a while since she had really contemplated her belly before. Sitting the way she was, she could just see the tips of her hooves, unless she wiggled her legs, which brought them into further visibility. She remembered when she used to dread putting on even a pound or two, but somehow, this way...it didn’t feel so bad. She patted her gut contemplatively with her hoof, just as Applejack came in with a tray containing a plate laden with cupcakes and two mugs of Apple family cider.

“There we go,” said Applejack, settling it down on the coffee table.

She looked at Rarity, who was eyeing the cupcakes, her hoof still resting on her round middle.

“Ah know it ain’t much of a lunch,” she admitted, “but Ah had these cupcakes saved just for you. Ah hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind?” Rarity asked, looking up. “Oh, no, not at all! They look delicious. And,” she added, with a wry smile, “I’m not exactly in a position to be wary about my weight. The damage is already done there.”

“Aw, Rarity, you look fine,” said Applejack, settling herself up right next to her unicorn friend. “Ah mean, Ah know how it feels to be...bigger. Lookie here.”

Rarity looked over at Applejack. Close up, she could see that Applejack's stomach did have a noticeable roundness to it, though it wasn't quite as pronounced as her own.

“Dash calls me ‘Applefat’ sometimes,” said Applejack, “but Ah know she’s just kiddin’. Ah ain’t ashamed of bein’ a little pudgy.”

Rarity giggled, and Applejack smiled. It was a much more genuine smile now.

“Shall we?” she asked.

“Yes, please.”

The two started on the cupcakes, pausing to take swigs of cider from time to time. Rarity maintained a dainty eating habit at first, but somehow, being around Applejack made her feel...a little more free. She therefore ate with more vigor than she would ever have done in polite society. In fact, if not for the fact that she was a unicorn, one might have thought it was Pinkie Pie sitting there, munching on those cupcakes, splattering her cheeks with icing. Applejack, meanwhile, watched her out of the corner of her eye as she ate, and her gaze seemed to linger on those globs of icing, as if they were a reminder of her reckless actions from yesterday.

At last, the plate of cupcakes was empty, the cider all drunk, and both mares were feeling very full and content.

“That was wonderful, Applejack,” said Rarity. “Thank you.”

“Mah pleasure, sugar.”

Rarity paused. It was a subtle thing, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Applejack usually called those closest to her ‘sugarcube’. She had hardly ever heard her call anypony simply ‘sugar’. It was simpler, and yet...there was something about its use like that...

She ran her tongue along her lips again to get any stray icing. Applejack winced slightly, then reached and picked up a napkin on the tray, handing it to Rarity.

“Here,” she said. “Ah think there’s still some there.”

Rarity looked from the napkin to Applejack, then smiled and levitated it off of her friend’s hoof. She wiped it across her cheek, ridding it of the offending icing, and she set it aside.

“Now, then, Applejack,” she said, “we agreed to talk about yesterday today.”

Applejack frowned slightly.

“Yeah, Ah know,” she said.

She fidgeted with her hooves, as if unsure of what to do with herself. Rarity watched her closely, her heart thudding quickly behind her chest. Sooner or later, Applejack was going to speak, and she was steeling herself for the answer. Good or bad, she would take it like a true lady.

At last, Applejack removed her hat, and a faint feeling of foreboding fell over Rarity. Applejack only ever took off her hat when she wanted to speak seriously.

“Rarity,” she began, but she faltered.

Her voice sounded thick and constricted. It sounded as though she was trying to hold back tears…

“Rarity,” she began again, “Ah’m awful sorry for lickin’ ya out of nowhere like that. Ah don’t know what got into me.”

Rarity said nothing. She simply watched Applejack fiddle with her hat, her face twisting into a grimace, as though she was doing all she could to keep from crying. It stung her heart to see her so tortured.

“Ah shouldn’t oughta have done it, Rarity!” said Applejack, more forcefully. “It weren’t right! Ah didn’t even ask ya if it was ok! Ah just...Ah just up and licked ya, outta nowhere!”

Rarity felt her eyes go moist. Real tears were blossoming in those beautiful green eyes of Applejack’s.

“Applejack, please,” she implored. “Don’t cry. If you do, then I’ll cry…”

“Ah’m sorry, Rarity,” sniffed Applejack. “It just weren’t fair to you...Ah was scared. Ah’ve been fightin’ a losin’ battle with maself, tryin’ to convince maself about what Ah was really feelin’...”

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked.

Applejack wiped her eyes with her hoof, then asked,

“Do y’all remember when Trenderhoof kept tryin’ to win me over?”

“Well, yes,” said Rarity, slowly, unsure of where she was going with this.

“Well, before you spoke some sense into him, Ah was gonna say somethin’ else. Ah wasn’t sure how either of you were gonna take it, but Ah’m gonna say it now, and Ah want you to promise me you ain’t gonna laugh.”

Rarity blinked, bewildered.

“Applejack, why would I-?”

“Promise me,” Applejack pleaded. “Please, Rarity. Ah can’t keep it back much longer!”

She looked like she was in genuine pain. Rarity couldn’t let her continue on like this.

“I promise,” she said.

Applejack took a deep breath, then said, slowly,

“Ah’m...not interested...in stallions.”

Applejack’s features relaxed, though she still looked unhappy. She had the appearance of one who had just cast aside a heavy weight, but was still not satisfied. She looked up at Rarity, who said nothing. She just stared at her, not able to believe she had heard right.

“There,” Applejack sighed. “Ah said it. Stallions just don’t turn me on. Ain’t you ever noticed how Ah’ve never had a special somepony for Hearts and Hooves Day? Well, a special stallion, Ah oughta say? Well, that’s why. Granny’s told me it’s nothing to feel ashamed of, but Ah was afraid of what would happen if it turned out Ah liked one of mah friends more than just for bein’ friends.”

She swallowed hard.

“And...it did. Ah’m gonna say it outright, Rarity, and Ah won’t hate you for what you say. Just don’t think too badly of me when Ah say it.”

Rarity said nothing. She just continued to stare, hardly able to breathe. Applejack looked at her with those glimmering, beautiful eyes of hers, always so full of understanding and kindness. A tear rolled from her left one, down her freckles.

“...Ah love you, Rarity.”

…

Rarity felt stunned. Was it true? It couldn’t be. It was too good to be. Applejack...loved her? That was why…?

A powerful mixture of surging emotions flowed through her, but her face remained neutral as she looked at the grieved face of her best friend, who was waiting for a response. There was only one way to answer it, and Rarity knew it.

She raised her hooves, and Applejack winced. She must have thought Rarity was going to hit her for saying such a thing. However, she felt her shoulders gripped by two soft, warm, reassuring hooves, which gently but irresistibly turned her about until they were face to face with each other. Rarity drew the both of them closer together, until they were nose to nose, belly to belly. Blue stared into green, both still wet from the tears they had shed.

Then, slowly, deliberately, Rarity licked Applejack’s cheek.

“I love you too, Applejack,” she breathed.

Applejack looked like she had just been punched in the face, her eyes wide, her mouth agape. Her lips twitched, trying to find words for this enormous proclamation.

“Y-Ya mean…” she said, hoarsely.

Rarity nodded, beginning to smile.

“But...Blueblood...Trend…”

“I thought they were what I was looking for in a significant other, but I was deluding myself. I’m sure they have their charms, but it just wasn’t meant to be for me. I see that now. It’s you I love, Applejack, dearest of friends.”

The floodgates had burst. Tears once more spilled down both cheeks, but these were tears of joy, not grief. Applejack looked as if her most desired dream had come true.

“Rarity…”

“Applejack…”

The two mares embraced, doing nothing to stem the flow of their tears. Both cried silently into each other’s manes, but again, these were not the tears of bitterness and sadness. These were the tears of two mares who had found love at last.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that, but eventually, they broke apart, looking at each other, their hooves clasped together.

“What do we do now?” Applejack asked.

“Do?” asked Rarity. “My dear Applejack, we have all the time in the world for that. For now, I only want to enjoy the company of the apple of my eye.”

Applejack smiled tenderly.

“Sounds like a plan to me, darlin’.”

Rarity reclined herself onto her back on the couch, Applejack nestling beside her. It was a bit tight, both of them being plump in differing degrees, but that only made it better: more snug, more comfortable. The two wriggled together until they were cozily side by side, gazing into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“Applejack?”

“Mm?”

“I think you missed a spot.”

Applejack smiled at this, then she leaned over and licked Rarity’s cheek, sending a wonderful warmth through the unicorn’s face. She kissed Applejack’s in return, and the two finally drifted off to sleep, resting in each other’s hooves, their hearts at peace.

Author's Note

What is it with me and writing about birthdays? XD

Picnic by the Lake (Two Weeks Later)

Applejack had rarely felt so giddy, almost as if she were a filly again. There was a song in her heart that couldn’t contain itself, and she was humming it placidly as she brushed her mane before the bathroom mirror. She had never taken such pride in her appearance when it wasn’t some huge, formal occasion, and even then she felt pressured and uncomfortable to get herself gussied up, but this time was different. This time, it was worth it.

It had been at least two weeks since she had confessed her love for Rarity, and to her utter astonishment and delight, Rarity reciprocated her affections. Since then, they had only been able to see each other on and off, as the prim unicorn had several orders to complete at Carousel Boutique, and Applejack had her farm chores to attend to. However, in just an hour or so, all of that would be amended. Rarity had finally found a nice, big gap in her schedule, and she and Applejack were going to spend it on a picnic, just the two of them. It was perfect.

Applejack studied herself in the mirror, weaving her mane into its traditional ponytail as she did so. She had even decorated it with another hibiscus, as Rarity had professed a fondness for the flower. She still couldn’t believe that Rarity possessed a mutual attraction towards her. She’d never even realized that she had her eyes on mares in the first place. She had seen a lot of pretty mares around Ponyville, some a lot prettier than her by most beauty standards. Yet it was the simple, freckle-cheeked, stocky-bodied Applejack that Rarity had singled out amongst them all. She really thought of her as that special? Such an idea warmed her heart considerably.

She went back to her bedroom, putting her favorite hat on as she did so. As she went through the hall, she saw Big Mac appear from the stairs, heading for his own room. The two siblings grinned at each other, though Applejack couldn’t help noticing a hint of puzzlement in her big brother’s face. No doubt he wondered why she looked so cleaned up today. She hadn’t told him about her and Rarity’s relationship yet, but Big Mac was a stallion of brawn and brains. It wouldn’t take long for him to put the pieces together. Granny, too, didn’t let on anything, but at the most, she must have worked out that Applejack was in love, just not with whom. She still needed time to prepare them for the bombshell to be. She therefore avoided a talk with Big Mac by escaping into her room.

She looked about at the framed photos of all of her friends hanging on the wall, all of them having a special place of their own. However, one spot was bare of its usual occupant: Rarity’s. This was because Applejack had taken it down and placed it on her bedside table, so that it would be the first thing she could see when she woke up in the morning. The Rarity in the picture was frozen in a coy wink at the camera, and Applejack smiled as she looked down at it. Unconsciously, she picked it up, held it close, and nuzzled her nose against it, as close as she could to the picture Rarity's muzzle.

“Applejack?”

Applejack jumped, whirling around and putting the picture back down hastily. Apple Bloom was standing in the doorway, looking curious. The elder sister breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey there, Apple Bloom. Somethin’ wrong?”

“No,” said Apple Bloom. “Ah just wanted to ask ya somethin’. Is that all right?”

“Of course, sugarcube. You know you can ask me anythin’.”

Applejack sat on her bed, and Apple Bloom joined her, shuffling about until she was right next to her sister.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Applejack.

“Ah’ve just been thinkin’. You and Rarity have been seein’ each other a lot, haven’t you?’

Applejack felt a slight twinge of panic in her gut, but it was dispelled rather quickly. On the one hoof, she had been worried about Apple Bloom asking questions about her and Rarity’s relationship, as she was a sharp kid for her age and bound to catch on. On the other hoof, she knew this talk would have had to come eventually, and so she might as well get it out of the way. After all, if anypony in her family would be the first to know, it would be Apple Bloom.

“As much as we can,” said Applejack. “How’d you guess?”

“Ah see the two of you walkin’ together sometimes, and she came to call a lot the last couple 'a weeks, more than Pinkie.”

Applejack grinned slightly. Pinkie had indeed been coming over frequently to spend time with her ‘cousins’, which had been one of the things that strained the time Applejack could have spent with Rarity. Despite this, she wasn’t about to begrudge Pinkie’s company, as she was always glad to see her newly christened cousin. However, she wondered if she had caught on to the relationship as well; Pinkie had always possessed a frighteningly uncanny knack for guessing the subtle or unsaid.

“How come you’re seein’ her so much? You ain’t tired of yer other friends, are ya?”

“No, of course not,” said Applejack. “Ah’d never grow tired of any of mah friends, Apple Bloom. It’s just...well, Rarity’s...special.”

“Special? Why?”

Applejack bit her lip. She had to tread carefully, lest she utterly confuse or even gross out her little sister. She drew her sister closer, pulling her into a one-legged hug against her side.

“Y’see, sis,” she said, “Rarity and Ah are...well…”

“Yer what?” Apple Bloom asked, innocently.

“We’re...together.”

Apple Bloom blinked.

“Together? What do ya mean?”

“Well, Ah mean...that Rarity’s mah...she’s mah...very special somepony.”

She waited, anticipating and dreading Apple Bloom’s reaction. The little filly just continued to stare up at her sister, though Applejack knew the cogs were turning in her head, processing this proclamation. Then, to Applejack’s disconcertion, Apple Bloom’s face twisted into a grimace.

“Does that mean you two are gonna be kissin’ all the time? And bein’ all ‘shmoopy-doopy pookie-pie’ with each other?”

Applejack relaxed somewhat, and even chuckled slightly. It seemed Apple Bloom still hadn’t gotten over the disastrous misadventure of love-poisoning Big Mac and Cheerilee, whereupon the two became incredibly sappy and lovey-dovey with each other. Now, she was sure she and Rarity wouldn’t get to be that bad, but it was a relief that that was the only thing Apple Bloom was concerned about.

“If we do, it won’t be where you can see us,” said Applejack, “though I don’t fancy you or your Crusader friends spyin’ on us, either.”

She accompanied this with a noogie to Apple Bloom’s head, making the filly giggle. She then looked up at Applejack again, a querying look in her orange eyes.

“Would that mean Rarity would be mah sister too?” she asked.

Applejack felt another twinge go through her innards. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Had Rarity? Even so, the idea of the two of them married...No, that was a thought for another day.

“Maybe,” said Applejack. “Would you mind that? Ah mean, yer ok with me goin’ out with...with another mare?”

“If you really love Rarity, it don’t matter to me,” said Apple Bloom. “Ah think she’s real nice, and you two are already good friends. Ah think yer good for each other.”

She wrapped her hooves around Applejack, nestling her cheek against her soft belly. Applejack smiled warmly and squeezed Apple Bloom closer, leaning down to nuzzle the top of her head. Her sister’s approval, her understanding, meant the world to her.

***

The spot Rarity had chosen for their picnic was at a swimming hole the Apples enjoyed using on hot, lazy summer days. It was sheltered from outside view by clumps of trees, and the air of it was always sweet with the smell of wildflowers. It was the perfect spot for a romantic get-together, by day or night.

It appeared that Applejack had arrived first, carrying the basket containing the picnic food in her teeth. She looked around, found nopony else there, and sat down, releasing the basket. She never admitted it out loud, but one thing she envied about Rarity beyond her cute looks was her unicorn’s magic. It made carrying things so much easier; they never had to haul or move objects about by clamping their teeth down on them. Still, Applejack had never been one to complain about things like that: it still got the job done.

Just when she was beginning to wish she’d brought a watch with her to check the time, her vision was obscured by two white hooves which covered her eyes. In the next instance, a soft, welcome voice crooned in her ear, tickling it with its breath.

“Guess who.”

Applejack smiled.

“Who else but mah Rarity?”

The hooves were removed, and Applejack turned to face her beloved. There she was, in her slightly plump, but still adorable, glory. Somehow, the sun beaming down on her generated a startling enhancement on her appearance. Her mane glistened, her eyes shimmered, her whole body seemed to give off a golden glow. She smiled sweetly at Applejack, batting her lashes.

“You win, darling,” she said, and she leaned forward and licked Applejack’s cheek

Applejack smiled back and threw her forelegs around her in an embrace, receiving an equally warm hug in return. When they pulled away to look at each other, Applejack licked the tip of Rarity’s nose.

“Ah missed you, sugar.”

“And I missed you. I needed a pick-me-up after the week I’ve had,” said Rarity, in a pouty voice. “It’s been absolute bedlam at the boutique. Ten different dresses to complete within the last week! 10!”

“Aw no,” said Applejack, concerned. “Were ya able to get them in on time?”

“Just barely,” said Rarity. “I work best when I’m under the pressure of a deadline. Now I’m free for the rest of the day, and quite possibly the next. I’m all yours.”

Applejack smiled.

“Ah’m glad to hear that, Rare. Ya hungry?”

“Famished. Did you bring the food?”

“Yup,” said Applejack, flicking her tail to indicate the basket. “Did you bring the plates and blanket?”

“Mm-hmm,” said Rarity, levitating her own basket forward. “This time, I didn’t forget them.”

Applejack chuckled, and the two set about setting up the blanket, then the plates and food.

“So,” said Applejack, as Rarity began unpacking with her magic, “does anypony know about...us?”

Rarity glanced up, looking Applejack straight in the eye.

“No,” she said. “I haven’t mentioned it to anypony yet. I’ve been wondering how my parents and Sweetie Belle will take the news.”

“Well, Ah haven’t told anypony except Apple Bloom,” said Applejack. “She’d already suspected it.”

“And what did she say?” asked Rarity, apprehensively.

“Just wondered if that meant we were gonna get lovey-dovey on each other,” said Applejack, winking.

Rarity laughed.

“Actually,” Applejack went on, “she took it really well. Said you and Ah were already good friends, so it seems like a good match.”

Rarity smiled warmly at this.

“She’s a sweet child,” said Rarity. “I’m so glad she at least understands.”

Here, her smile faded, and her tone became a bit more somber.

“I’ve heard of cases where coming out leads to unpleasant tension between loved ones. I only hope Sweetie Belle and my parents will be as open-minded as Apple Bloom.”

“Ah know what you mean,” said Applejack, quietly. “When Ah first came out to Granny, she said she’d love me no matter who Ah love, and I doubt Big Mac will make a huge fuss over it. Ah just can’t help worrying, though. What about the rest of our friends? Ah get the feelin’ Pinkie already guesses, but then again, she’s Pinkie. Ah know she and Fluttershy are pretty open-minded, and Twi might not make a big deal about it, either. It’s Rainbow Ah’m worried about. You know how that girl gets.”

Applejack’s reflections were interrupted by a sudden warmth under her chin. Rarity had edged over and tucked herself under Applejack’s head, nuzzling against her neck.

“They’re our friends, darling,” she said. “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together.

Applejack smiled.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Together.”

After a moment or two, Rarity pulled away, and they continued unpacking their picnic baskets.

***

“Oh...I simply can’t eat another bite.”

Applejack had truly outdone herself in her cooking. She and Rarity had worked their way through a delicious, packed meal of daisy sandwiches, fruit salad, apple-spice muffins, sugar cookies, apple pie, and bottles of ice-cold apple juice. There were still some muffins and some of the pie left over, but the two mares were full to the brim.

“Me neither,” said Applejack, patting her stomach. “Ah’m stuffed.”

She stretched out on her back onto the blanket, putting her forehooves behind her head. Rarity looked down at her, then allowed a cheeky little grin to play over her face. She deliberately lay herself down so that her head rested on Applejack’s belly, causing the Earth pony to jump a little in surprise. She looked down at Rarity, who was nuzzling her cheek comfortably against the pudge of Applejack’s middle.

“Mmm,” she murmured. “Applejack, dear, you’re so soft…Your tummy makes an excellent pillow.”

Applejack couldn’t help breaking out into a smile. Rarity looked absolutely adorable snuggled up on top of her, as content as a filly. She removed one hoof from behind her head and reached down, stroking the unicorn’s silky curls. Rarity’s smile broadened, and she seemed to doze off. Applejack kept at it for some time, then drifted off herself, basking in the warmth of the sun, the fullness of her stomach, and the feeling of her marefriend resting against her.

When Applejack opened her eyes again, it was to find Rarity still in the same position, her cheek against her stomach. As the farm mare stirred, however, so did Rarity, opening her dazzling blue eyes to gaze lovingly at her.

“Ah guess bein’ a little fat’s good for somethin’,” Applejack said. “If mah belly’s like a pillow, yers must be even softer. Ya gotta let me try it on you when yer done.”

“If I’m done,” said Rarity, in a teasing voice.

Applejack looked at her, and saw that she was actually sticking her tongue out at her, like a playful child.

“And wut’s that supposed to mean?” asked Applejack, grinning.

“I don’t wanna move,” said Rarity, in her poutiest tone. “You’re so comfy.”

“Come on, now, fair’s fair,” said Applejack. “You’ve had yer time. Move over and lemme rest on yer belly a bit.”

“No,” said Rarity, still sounding pouty.

“Don’t make me have to use this,” said Applejack, warningly, and she flicked her tail dangerously close to Rarity’s pudgy side.

“You wouldn’t dare,” said Rarity.

Applejack’s only response was the raise of an eyebrow. The next second, the end of her golden tail was brushing against Rarity’s belly. The unicorn burst into a paroxysm of giggles that soon evolved into full-on laughter. She rolled off of Applejack, and that’s when the farm mare found her advantage. With the agility of a cat, she pounced on top of Rarity, making her squeal in surprise. The two rolled around on the grass, locked in each other’s forelegs, scattering wildflowers as they went, laughing like a pair of school fillies. Rarity couldn’t remember the last time she had ever played around like this, certainly not since she had moved out of her parents’ house. It was...fun, exhilarating.

Then, all of a sudden, Applejack was off of her, and a loud splash met her ears. Alarmed, she jumped up to her hooves and looked at the pond. Ripples were surging out across the surface, and Applejack was nowhere to be seen.

Rarity’s heart seemed to freeze.

“No. No!” she yelled, rushing to the water’s edge. “Applejack? Darling? Where are you?”

There was no answer.

“Applejack!” she cried. “Please! Answer me!”

Still, no answer.

Then, all of a sudden, with another splash, Applejack, her now-drenched hat still atop her head, rose up, grabbed Rarity around the foreleg, and dragged her into the water. A second later, Rarity surged back up, gasping for air, her mane wet and undone. Applejack bobbed back up as well, grinning. Rarity cast her a cold glare, which took the grin right off her face, but the glare turned to a sneaky smile as she splashed Applejack right in the face.

Before the bemused Earth pony could retaliate, Rarity had already gotten out of the water, and was shaking herself dry. Applejack took her chance, leaped from the water, and tackled her, sending the two of them into another tussle. This time, it ended in a bed of wildflowers, Applejack atop Rarity. The damp Earth pony looked down at the chubby unicorn, her front hooves braced against her shoulders, both of them panting to catch their breath. At last, Applejack bent down and licked Rarity’s cheek.

“Looks like Ah win again,” she said.

Rarity smiled in an amused way.

“All right, you got me,” she consented. “I was going to let you rest on me, anyway. I just wanted a little fun first.”

Applejack grinned, released Rarity, then slid down so that she could rest her cheek on her white, round belly. It was, without a doubt, better than any pillow she had ever used in her life: soft, warm, yielding, and part of the mare she loved. She snuggled herself in as deep as she could. Rarity smiled and, just as Applejack had done before, began toying with her mane as she lay, stroking the golden locks.

“You are such a silly pony,” she said.

“Who is?” asked Applejack, playfully.

“You are, Applejack.”

And she bent down as far as she could and licked Applejack’s cheek, right on her freckles, bringing an even bigger smile on the farm pony’s face.

“Rarity?”

Rarity nearly had a heart attack. Looking up, she saw Sweetie Belle standing a little ways away, staring at the two of them. Applejack looked up as well, and the two elder mares’ faces mirrored apprehensive shock.

“Sweetie Belle!” said Rarity, trying to sound casual. “Whatever are you doing here, darling?”

“I was gonna go for a swim,” said Sweetie Belle, “but I saw you two wrestling in the flowers and in the water, then Applejack lay down on your tummy and...you kissed her.”

The last three words seemed to linger, as if the truth of what they entailed were slowly catching up to her. Rarity bit her lip.

“Sweetie Belle, let me explain-” Rarity began.

“Does that mean,” Sweetie Belle interrupted, “what I think it means? Are you two...special someponies?”

Rarity and Applejack looked at each other. In that gaze, they seemed to affirm what the other was asking in their own eyes. The truth was the best option. They looked back at Sweetie Belle.

“Yes, darling,” said Rarity. “We are.”

Sweetie Belle stared at them for several moments. Rarity was on tenterhooks, wondering what she was going to say. ‘Eww’? ‘Gross’? But then, the filly broke into a smile.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” she said.

Rarity blinked.

“You mean...you don’t mind?”

“Of course not,” said Sweetie Belle. “If you two are really happy together, that’s all that matters. It’s like something out of a fairy tale!”

Rarity sighed with relief. Sweetie Belle understood. That was a major bullet dodged right there.

“Just one thing,” said Sweetie Belle, her smile fading slightly.

“Yes?” asked Rarity.

“Does that mean I have to watch you guys getting all snuggly with each other when she drops by the boutique?”

The look of disgust she gave them was almost exactly like the one Apple Bloom had given Applejack. The remembrance of it made Applejack break into a chuckle.

“Unless you give us our privacy, young lady,” countered Rarity, in a warning tone that nonetheless came with a smile.

“Ok!” said Sweetie Belle. “I’m just gonna go...someplace else. Bye!”

And she trotted off, back through the trees. The two mares sighed.

“Well, that was unexpected,” said Applejack.

“Indeed,” said Rarity. “I very nearly had a heart attack. That sister of mine...bless her,” she added, fondly.

“Heh, yeah,” said Applejack. “Sisters: can’t live with ‘em-”

“-Can’t live without them,” concluded Rarity. “Now, where were we?”

“Ah think Ah remember,” said Applejack grinning.

She settled herself back into her original position, nestling her cheek into the fat of Rarity’s belly. Rarity smiled.

“Ah, yes,” she said, gently, “that sounds about right.”

And she lay back, stroking Applejack’s golden mane with her hoof, while Applejack dozed off, resting in the soft warmth of her dearest Rarity.

Author's Note

If you guys want to see this continue, I could try to make some follow-up chapters, but I'm not really sure where else to take it right now. :twilightsheepish:

A Young Drake's Heartbreak

Sweetie Belle was in a high state of excitement as she galloped back toward Ponyville. Momentarily bemused by what she’d just witnessed, she was now quite elated. Her sister and Applejack, special someponies! She’d had no idea! She knew the two were good friends, but had never even imagined…!

Sweetie had had enough experience from the consequences of love-poisoning Big Macintosh and Cheerilee to know what excessive love could do. She could only hope Rarity and Applejack never ended up like that, as she had asked them when she encountered them at the pond. She had a feeling Apple Bloom would be of the same opinion, and wondered if she knew about this already.

She was, however, slightly puzzled about Rarity’s choice of somepony. Now, that was in no way a disparagement against Applejack. She liked Applejack very much, had once wanted to be her little sister when she and Rarity had un-sistered each other. She had just always assumed, after her bad date with Prince Blueblood and heartbreaking at the hooves of Trenderhoof, Rarity would find some other handsome stallion to fawn over. She’d never even considered the idea that two mares could be special someponies. She wondered, with interest, how many others were like that…

She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice at first where she was going. Then, with a *bump*, she collided with somepony, somepony close to her size.

“Oof!”

“Whoa!”

Sweetie Belle staggered backwards, shaking her head to regain focus. Her green eyes fell upon the pony she’d bumped into, only to find it wasn’t a pony at all. It was Spike, knocked flat onto his back, clutching his head, a comic book sitting in the grass beside him. He’d evidently been reading in the shade of the tree looming over the pair of them now, right before Sweetie Belle slammed into him.

“Oh, gosh!” said Sweetie, rushing to help him back up. “Sorry about that, Spike!”

“It’s all right, Sweetie Belle,” said Spike. “You really knocked me for a loop, though.”

“What are you doing reading out here?” asked Sweetie.

“Twilight’s meeting with some dignitaries at the castle,” said Spike, “so I opted to stay out of their way until the meeting was over. I was gonna just stay in my room, but the hallways were echoing every boring word they were saying, and it was driving me crazy!”

He pulled a disgusted face, then held up his hand, flapping his claws up and down like a mouth, and saying, in a pompous, elderly-sounding voice,

“Blah-blah-blah, agreement of fair trade this, appointment of Equestrian delegation that, yack-yack-blah-blah! Boooooo-ring!”

Sweetie Belle giggled. Even though Spike was close to her age, she and her fellow Crusaders didn’t often hang around with him, so she’d forgotten how funny he could be sometimes. Spike grinned, pleased that his bit of humor had amused her.

“So what were you running so fast for?” he asked.

“Huh?”

In the hubbub of crashing into Spike, Sweetie had momentarily forgotten what she’d been so excited about. Now, however, the memory returned full-force, and her eyes widened, her face splitting into a big smile.

“Oh! Oh, Spike, it’s wonderful!” she squeaked. “The best thing ever’s happened just now!”

“You got your cutie mark?” asked Spike, eagerly.

He leaned to the side to get a look at her haunch, but it was still resolutely blank.

“No. nothing like that,” said Sweetie Belle, waving her hoof impatiently. “This is something even bigger!”

Spike looked amazed.

“Something even bigger than getting your cutie mark?”

He stared at her in some surprise, then asked, frankly,

“Who are you and what have you done with Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie giggled again.

“Just listen,” she said. “I was on my way to the pond for a swim, when I saw Rarity there with Applejack.”

“So?” asked Spike, nonplussed. “Those two hang out all the time.”

“I know, but that’s not the point!” said Sweetie Belle. “I walked in on them playing around.”

Spike raised an eyebrow.

“Playing around?” he asked.

“Rolling in the flowers,” said Sweetie Belle. “Playing in the water. Acting like they were foals again.”

“Whoa,” said Spike, with a grin. “That must’ve been quite a sight.”

“It was. And then, Applejack rested her head on Rarity’s tummy.”

Spike looked puzzled.

“Why would she do that?”

“Well, Rarity’s getting kinda...you know...big,” said Sweetie, delicately. “She ate a dozen gallons of ice cream once, and ever since, she’s been kinda...snacky.”

“Ohhhh,” said Spike, comprehending.

He knew about that all too well. When Rarity had been bemoaning a creativity block once, she had gorged on comfort food until he’d brought her the Inspiration Manifestation spell. At the time, Rarity didn’t seem to have gained a pound.

“I thought she was looking a little bigger lately,” he said, “but I always figured it was just my imagination.”

“I thought she’d be really upset about gaining weight,” said Sweetie Belle. “but she got over it really quick. She even said she could do more work for plus-sized models now. And besides that,” she added, with a cheeky smile, “she’s super-soft to hug now. I’ll bet that’s why she was letting Applejack rest on her.”

“Heh, I can imagine,” grinned Spike, who knew, from a plethora of Pinkie hugs over the course of his and Twilight’s stay in Ponyville, how it felt to be embraced by a plumper pony.

“So that’s when I gave myself away,” Sweetie Belle went on. “I wanted to know what was going on, so I asked, and...and…”

Sweetie’s smile was growing so wide, her eyes were becoming narrower and narrower, though they twinkled like stars.

“And?” Spike urged, unable to take the suspense much longer.

“And Rarity said they were...they were special someponies!” Sweetie Belle squealed.

Spike’s face went blank. His brain felt like it had ground to an unpleasant halt. As the full force of this revelation sank in, he seemed to go limp, his verdant eyes staring straight ahead, as if looking at something beyond the gleeful Sweetie Belle.

“...Special someponies?” he mumbled at last, his throat suddenly feeling very constricted. “She said that?...”

“Yep!” said Sweetie Belle, oblivious to Spike’s expression and tone. “She even kissed Applejack! I forgot to mention that.”

Spike felt as though a dart of ice had struck him in the chest.

“Kissed?...”

“Yeah! A lick right on the cheek! And then I asked if they were going to be all mushy and lovey-dovey, like Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee were when me and the girls accidentally love-poisoned them, but it’s just so wonderful! Don’t you think so, Spike?”

“Yeah...great…”

Sweetie blinked, her smile fading. This reaction was not at all what she had imagined. Spike’s whole body appeared to be sagging, his arms hanging loosely, his eyes blank, his ear frills drooping. He had the distinct look of a foal who had just been told there was no Santa Hooves. That idea was ludicrous, of course, Sweetie Belle knew this, but she had seen that look before, usually because of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon trying to get under foals’ skins. She couldn’t understand what was wrong with Spike, though...

And then, with a horrible pang in her stomach, the truth dawned on Sweetie with the force of a stampeding buffalo. How could she have been so stupid? Spike had a crush on Rarity! He’d had it ever since he’d first laid eyes on her, when he and Twilight first moved to Ponyville. Rarity knew about it, of course. Heck, Sweetie doubted there was a pony among their circle of friends who didn’t know! Spike wasn’t exactly the most discreet dragon in Equestria, after all. However, Sweetie never thought it was that serious. He’d barely said a word about Rarity’s attempts at wooing Blueblood and Trend. Did this news, then, really cut him so deep?...

“Spike?” Sweetie Belle asked, tentatively.

Spike made no answer. He just stayed as he was, mute and unseeing. She sat beside him, putting a hoof to his shoulder.

“Spike? I’m sorry. I forgot that you...that you liked Rarity...I just didn’t think…”

Her words trailed off. The happiness that had been flooding through her was evaporating fast. She hadn’t meant to cause Spike pain…

Then, Spike spoke, still staring off.

“It’s ok, Sweetie Belle,” he said, his voice disconcertingly hoarse. “It’s not your fault. ...I should have known this would happen. I should have realized long ago, but I was just a stupid kid. I still am...I always knew I couldn’t measure up to ponies like Blueblood or Trenderhoof-”

“But they were jerks!” Sweetie Belle interjected. “Blueblood treated Rarity like dirt, and Trend didn’t even care that she had a crush on him, when he was trying to win over Applejack. They were all wrong for her!”

“Yeah,” said Spike, the corners of his mouth twitching. “If you wanna know the truth, Sweetie...I kinda hoped her dates would fail.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened.

“You did?”

“Uh-huh. I hoped, if she crashed and burned with these crushes of hers, I might stand a better chance. I’d never abandoned her. I was always ready to be there for her when she needed somepony. I’d look like a knight in shining armor compared to them...but I was being stupid. I’m too young for her. I know she likes me as a friend, but…”

Sweetie let out a quiet gasp, as Spike’s eyes grew wet, a tremulous light glistening in them.

“But I’d always wished we could...we could be more than that…”

He shut his eyes and turned away from Sweetie Belle. He didn’t want her to watch him crying, but he couldn’t help it. He hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in them, his tears leaking through his closed eyes and down his cheeks. Sweetie’s lip trembled. Her heart ached to see her friend like this...

“Oh, Spike…”

She put her hooves around him and rested her cheek against his. It was the sort of thing Rarity would do when she, Sweetie Belle, was having a nightmare: hold her in her hooves and speak calm reassurances until she was calm again. Rarity...what would happen when she knew how Spike was grieving now?...

Spike seemed to relax under her touch, and, after a time, he sat up straight, taking a wipe at his eyes and nose.

“Thanks, Sweetie Belle,” he said, huskily. “I think I’m all right now.”

“You sure?” Sweetie asked, gently.

“Yeah,” said Spike, with a small smile. “I feel better. I’m glad I had a friend to lean on.”

Sweetie Belle smiled back.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked.

Spike took in a deep breath, sighed, then said,

“Well, Twilight doesn’t seem to know about this. Heck, I didn’t know until you brought it up, so Rarity and Applejack are probably gonna let everypony know that they’re a…”

He swallowed. He seemed unable to say what he was meaning to say,

“That they’re together,” he finished, finally. “I’ll be ready for her when she does.”

Sweetie Belle looked at him with some concern, but there was a resolve in his green eyes that seemed to validate his words. She nodded.

“Ok,” she said. “I’m gonna go find Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, if they don’t know already.”

“Ok,” said Spike, casually.

“You sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah. I’m ok. Thanks, Sweetie.”

He put his little arms around Sweetie Belle, returning her hug. Sweetie smiled, gave him an extra squeeze, then, the two letting go of each other, she got up and trotted off. As she went, she chanced a glance or two back at Spike, but he’d already picked up his comic book, and seemed to be reading it again, as though nothing had happened. So, she went on her way, but if she’d taken a closer look, she might have noticed that although Spike appeared to be reading, his eyes weren’t moving at all…

Author's Note

Looks like this has potential to continue after all. :pinkiehappy:

Words of Comfort

The meeting was over at last. Twilight and her guest of honor, the middle-aged governor of the Neighman Islands, were walking side by side towards the castle doors, while the governor’s staff followed behind.

“Thank you very much for your time, Princess Twilight,” said the governor.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, Governor. I’ll send a letter along with my answer by the end of the week.”

“Oh, no rush at all, Princess,” said the governor, genially. “Take all the time you need. I understand you’re a busy mare. Far be it from me to disrupt your schedule.”

“I appreciate your concern, Governor, but it’s no trouble,” said Twilight, the both of them having reached the doors. “Take care, now.”

“And same to you, my dear.”

Twilight bowed low, a gesture reciprocated by the governor, and he and his staff trooped out of the castle, back towards the train station. Twilight watched them until they were out of sight, and once they were, she let out a sigh of relief, though it was more like a groan. As glad as she was to have settled the governor’s concerns and queries about Equestria’s relationship with the island province, he and his staff had droned on for what felt like eternity. It had almost put her to sleep, and she had already been up late planning for their arrival. She was glad she had excused Spike; a kid like him didn’t deserve what she had had to go through.

And speaking of Spike, just as she was turning back towards the door, she thought she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching the castle. A few seconds later, she saw that it was indeed Spike, trooping back with his comic book in his claws. She smiled at the sight of him, but then her smile faded, as she saw his expression brought into clearer focus.

His arms were hanging limply by his side, his feet dragging listlessly, his head bowed, his eyes looking straight at the ground. Twilight had only seen him that depressed once before, when she had been forced to confess her part in lighting the torch at the Equestria Games, when he was suffering from stage fright. That look had hurt her heart then, and this look hurt her heart now.

“Spike?” she inquired, as he came level. “Are you ok?”

Spike said nothing. He just walked slowly past and through the door. Twilight bit her lip, hesitated, then followed. The little dragon didn’t say a word, even though Twilight was right behind him. He headed straight for his bedroom, slouched inside, and shut the door, just as the alicorn was about to follow.

“Ouch!”

The door had smacked her right in the nose. As she rubbed it in pain, Spike seemed to stir out of his stupor, and turned bemused eyes onto his friend and guardian.

“Twilight! Did I do that? Sorry! I didn’t realize you were behind me!”

“It’s ok, Spike,” said Twilight, eyes still watering. “I’m all right, but are you? What’s got you so preoccupied?”

Spike’s gloomy face returned, and he sighed.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “Really.”

Twilight raised an unconvinced eyebrow, concern etched on her lavender face.

“Spike,” she said, gently, “you know you can tell me anything, right? You can trust me.”

Spike looked up at her, gazing straight into her eyes. As he stared at the warmth and compassion imprinted in them, he knew she was right. Twilight was the closest thing to a parent he had ever had, next to Princess Celestia. He couldn’t, nor did he want to, hide anything from her. If anypony deserved being confided in, it was the studious pony standing before him.

“Ok,” he said, nodding. “Come on in, then.”

Relieved to see him accepting her vote of trust, Twilight followed him into his bedroom. It was a cozy, spacious room, with posters of the Power Ponies and Daring Do on the walls, alongside specially-chosen photographs with him and his friends, a basket of gemstones sitting in the corner, for whenever he was feeling peckish. His room also sported a much larger bed than his basket back at the library. Twilight had been thinking for a long time, even before Tirek’s rampage, that the young drake deserved his own room, and felt, ruefully, that the destruction of the library had finally made that possible.

Spike sat down on his bed. Twilight, being much too large to sit in it with him even with its bigger size, sat on her haunches beside him.

“So what’s bothering you?” Twilight asked. “Did your new comic end badly or something?”

Spike shook his head, unable to suppress a grin at the idea.

“Nah,” he said. “If it had, I’d be more annoyed than depressed. They’re doing a better job with Humdrum, actually.

His grin slowly faded again.

“No, what happened is, I bumped into Sweetie Belle. Or, she bumped into me.”

“Oh?” asked Twilight.

“She was really excited about something she saw down by the pond,” Spike went on, his voice becoming more constricted as he went on. “She...she saw Applejack and Rarity...and they were…”

He paused, and in that moment of silence, Twilight looked apprehensive.

“They weren’t fighting again, were they?” she asked. “I still remember that slumber party, when they kept sniping at each other…”

“No, they weren’t fighting,” said Spike. “Sweetie Belle said they were having fun.”

“Oh, good,” said Twilight, gratefully.

“And then she said...she said…”

Spike gulped, his eyes feeling wet again. Twilight watched him warily.

“She said that Rarity...that Rarity said they...she and Applejack were...were...special someponies.”

He squeezed his eyes shut before saying these last two words. Twilight gaped at him, her mouth hanging open. For a few seconds, words simply failed her, a rare occasion for the loquacious alicorn. Then, finally, she said,

“Rarity and Applejack?...They’re...they’re together?...That’s...I mean...Wow! I never would’ve guessed! I always thought...I mean...Well!...That’s...amazing!”

Twilight actually managed to smile. It was unbelievable, and yet, not wholly impossible. Rarity and Applejack had their differences, of course, and they’d had more than their fair share of squabbles. It was unlikely anyone could find two ponies who were more exact opposites of each other. And yet, in spite of all that, they had gotten over these setbacks and become very close friends, even managing to teach each other a thing or two about being in their horseshoes. Applejack was less reluctant to clean up her appearance, and Rarity wasn’t as afraid to get herself dirty as one would have expected her to be.

Had their unlikely bond really blossomed into love? Twilight would never have anticipated it happening between two of her best friends, and not merely for the fact that they were the same gender. That fact hardly mattered in this equation, as far as she was concerned. If Applejack and Rarity were happy together, happy enough to declare themselves special someponies, that was all that mattered.

It was some time before Twilight’s thoughts were jerked back to Spike, who was looking even more miserable. The elated feeling that had spread in the alicorn’s chest at the thought of her two best friends hooking up ebbed away at the sight. At first, she wasn’t sure what the dragon could be so downcast about. Surely he must be happy about this prospect: their friends had found love, with each other! Wasn’t that cause for celebration?

And then, just like it had with Sweetie Belle, realization reared its ugly head, and Twilight couldn’t suppress a gasp as she remembered. How could she have been so thoughtless? No wonder Spike was in such a gloomy mood!

“Oh, Spike…” she murmured, leaning down to nuzzle his wet cheek. “I’m so sorry...I should’ve realized you’d be upset. After all, you and Rarity...Well, you never really...I mean-”

Spike wiped at his eyes and held up a claw to forestall Twilight. She backed off, watching him with a mixture of sympathy and wariness on her face.

“It’s ok, Twi,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t want to believe it, but deep down, I always had the feeling that it was never going to happen. I mean, I’m still just a baby dragon, and she’s a full-grown mare. I didn’t think that mattered, though, as long as my love was true, and I felt like it was…”

He sighed.

“I should have realized sooner, when it was obvious she didn’t take my feelings for her seriously…”

“Spike, don’t say that,” said Twilight, soothingly. “You know Rarity still cares about you. You’re her friend. She’s your friend.”

“I know,” said Spike, nodding. “And I am grateful for that. I mean, if it was any other pony, they might have said ‘eww, get away from me, you little creep’, or something like that.”

He chuckled sadly.

“I guess that’s why I like Rarity so much. She’s not just beautiful. She’s understanding. She’s kind. She’s got a lot of love to give, no matter who you are…”

His eyes began to water anew, and he shut them tight again. Twilight put her foreleg around him, drawing him into a hug against her belly, nuzzling the top of his head. Spike’s tears dribbled down her fur as he clung to her soft middle. He remembered being held like this before, when he had seen his worst fears played out before his eyes, and Twilight had reassured him that they would never come to pass…

He sniffled and hiccupped for a little while, then pulled away to look Twilight in the face. There were lingering tears in the alicorn’s amethyst-colored eyes now, but there was also a small smile on her muzzle.

“Feel better?” she asked, softly.

He nodded, rubbing his knuckles into his eyes before speaking again.

“I think so,” he said. “Thanks, Twi. I guess I still had some in me after talking to Sweetie Belle.”

Twilight laughed softly.

“It’s all right. I know it can’t have been easy for you to hear that kind of news so bluntly.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Spike admitted. “But I’m not mad at Sweetie Belle for it. I don’t blame her for being happy. And I don’t want to be mad at Applejack, either,” he added, as though afraid he’d betrayed resentment in his speech. “In fact, I’m glad it’s Applejack. I know she and Rarity have been spending a lot of time together lately, and if it had to be anypony, I’m glad...I’m glad it’s her. She’s the right pony for her.”

Twilight’s smile broadened. She felt proud at how mature and sincere Spike was being about this, especially for a drake his age, in spite of his tears. Even though he wasn’t hers biologically, she saw him as exactly what she’d have wanted in a son/little brother.

“I’m sure they’re gonna want to tell everypony about them being together,” said Spike. “But...I want to be the one to talk to Rarity about...about us.”

Twilight nodded.

“I understand,” she said. “I know, like you said, that she never really took your crush seriously, but I also know she’d never wanted to have hurt you. I’ll let the two of you resolve it when the time comes.”

Spike smiled up at her.

“Thanks, Twi. I...I love you.”

He wrapped his small arms around her barrel, nestling against her stomach. Twilight felt a rush of tender tears as she held Spike in her forelegs, her wings closing around him.

“I love you too, Spike,” she said. “All of us do. We’re lucky to have a friend like you.”

She bent down and kissed him on the forehead, exactly as a mother would do for a tearful child. He sighed contentedly against her middle, his leftover tears spreading again onto her fur. When the time came, Spike and Rarity would have their talk, but for now, to sit here and hug it out, that was more than enough for the two of them at the moment.

Family Matters (Part 1)

It was the day after Rarity and Applejack’s pondside picnic. The two had resolved to confess to their families first before anypony else. Technically, neither had broken this promise, as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the first to know, were family. Rarity was, therefore, to be found in her bedroom that day, pacing up and down, waiting for her parents to arrive, having asked Sweetie Belle to bring them round, under the innocent pretext of ‘big news’.

She stopped in front of her mirror, looking at her own nervous reflection. A hair was out of place, but she patted it back into place feverishly. A lot was riding on this meeting, and it did not do to look disheveled. She was confessing not only her relationship with Applejack, but the fact that she was even interested in mares. At least Applejack had come out to Granny Smith before this. She didn’t have to deal with a double bombshell...

She took a deep, steadying breath, her round middle shrinking, then puffing back out with it. In consequence with its larger size, there seemed to be even more butterflies dancing about in it than normally. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so anxious. The only time that came close, to her recollection, was awaiting the sure-to-be disastrous results of her first fashion show for Hoity Toity. The remembrance alone, of the unpleasant dresses she’d made and his blunt disapproval, shot a pang of apprehension through her insides, but it also seemed to stiffen her resolve. She straightened up, glaring at her own face. She refused to believe confessing to her family would be anything like that.

“Come now, Rarity. You can’t put this off any longer. They’re your parents. They’ll love you no matter who you are and who you are in love with. Besides, Mother and Father like Applejack very much. Father’s always inviting her to hoofball games, and she and Mother enjoy comparing notes on cooking. If they’ll accept anypony as my special somepony, it’ll be Applejack. Now, no more worries, and no more fuss. You’re going to give yourself pimples at this rate. Ugh, Celestia forbid…”

Opalescence prowled past, casting a half-grumpy, half-exasperated look at her panicky owner. Rarity, in her agitated state, didn’t even notice, but continued to pace up and down, now and again feeling her cheek, as though to check for an acne breakout.

The doorbell rang, and Rarity jumped, giving a very unladylike squeak as she did so. Opal flattened her ears at the noise and quickened her pace, determined to gain as much distance from Rarity as she could manage.

“They’re here!” said Rarity, breathlessly. “Alright, Rarity, compose yourself. They’re your family. They’re your family…”

Reciting this mantra to herself, she trotted briskly to the front door, though her legs felt like gelatin. She put on her most welcoming smile as she pulled the door open, and there, on the threshold, stood her parents and Sweetie Belle.

“Mother! Father! So glad you could come!” she said, her voice rather higher than normal in her attempts to stay calm and collected.

“Always glad to see our little girl!” said Hondo Flanks, pulling his eldest daughter into a strong, one-legged hug.

“How are ya, honey?” asked Cookie Crumbles, pecking Rarity on the cheek. “Been keepin’ well?”

“Very, thank you,” said Rarity. “Please, come in!”

Her parents trotted in, followed by Sweetie Belle. The little filly threw her sister a big smile, which Rarity returned, rather nervously, before following them into the kitchen. While she bustled about, serving coffee, Hondo and Cookie made themselves comfortable around the kitchen table, Sweetie Belle sitting right between them. She looked like she would burst, waiting for Rarity to finally spill the beans.

“Hey, Rarity, could you c’mere a second?” asked Hondo.

“Yes, Father?” asked Rarity, curiously.

Her father gripped her shoulders and eased her up so that she was standing on her hind legs. His eyes roved up and down, and she had a feeling she knew what it was about. Sure enough…

“Have you been getting bigger, princess? I wondered, but thought I wasn’t lookin’ properly. You’re gettin’ a bit of a belly, aren’tcha?”

Rarity sighed. Her father, despite being one of the friendliest stallions around, had always been rather blunt.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” said Rarity. “A few cartons of ice cream do that to a pony.”

“A few?” asked Sweetie Belle, snickering, but she shut up when Rarity shot her a sharp look.

“Ah, what’s a few extra pounds matter?” asked Hondo, putting a foreleg around Rarity’s withers. “You’re still my little Rarity, even if you’re not that little anymore.”

He chuckled and genially prodded her protruding middle. Rarity’s mouth squirmed. She was resisting the urge to laugh; that had tickled.

“Daddy…” she half-whined, her cheeks reddening, as Sweetie Belle giggled.

“Aw, I’m just teasin’, pumpkin,” said Hondo. “It’s nothing to feel ashamed about.”

Rarity sighed, then managed a small smile.

“I know, Daddy. I’m not ashamed. Not any more, at any rate.”

“Atta girl. There’s no reason a mare has to be afraid of being a little heavy. ‘Let ponies be who they are’, that’s what I say. Why, when I met your mother-”

“Oh, Hondo,” said Cookie, rolling her eyes playfully. “I was always a little chubby for my age. Even before I got my cutie mark, I liked using my Easy-Cook Oven all the time, sharing what I made with my friends...and myself,” she added, with a chuckle. “You were a pretty hefty boy yourself.”

“It was muscle, Cookie, and still is,” retorted Hondo, loftily. “Ran in my pop’s side of the family. Ya can’t be a hoofball player without a little muscle.”

“‘Little’, right,” snorted Cookie, smirking. “You were the biggest colt in your class ever since 2nd grade.”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle both laughed. Hondo raised an eyebrow.

“At least I never got stuck in my bedroom window, trying to sneak back in after curfew.”

“Mother!” Rarity gasped. “You? Out after curfew?”

“No way!” said Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, you have to bring that old story up?” asked Cookie, not sounding the least bit abashed. “I was 18, and I thought my folks were being real sticks-in-the-mud, keeping me to a strict bedtime at that age. And unless my memory’s faulty,” she added, pointedly, to her husband, “I was out after curfew because you had invited me out for a nighttime walk.”

“Guilty as charged,” said Hondo, grinning.

“Besides, that window was tiny,” Cookie went on. “Even Fluttershy would have had trouble fittin’ through it, and you know how skinny that poor girl is. I got through it by myself in the end, though, so my folks never knew I was out.”

“Goodness, Mother, I had no idea what a daredevil you used to be,” said Rarity, admiringly.

“Me neither!” said Sweetie Belle. “Way to go, Mom!”

“It was worth it,” said Cookie, proudly, “to be with the stallion I loved.”

“Right back atcha, sweetie,” said Hondo, fondly.

Smiling tenderly at each other, the two leaned across the table and exchanged a quick kiss. Rarity felt a wave of warmth flow through her. As embarrassing as her parents could be, they really were two of the most loving, friendly ponies she knew, and was proud to be their daughter, deep down. Besides that, this little exchange of lighthearted ribbing, as well as the proof of their devotion to each other, gave her further reassurance of their open-mindedness in accepting Applejack as her marefriend.

It was now or never. She cleared her throat, and the two looked up.

“Mother, Father,” she said, “I have no doubt Sweetie Belle told you why I asked you here today.”

“She said you had some big news for us,” said Cookie.

“And I do,” said Rarity. “You see…”

She swallowed, then said,

“I...have finally found...my special somepony.”

She waited for their reaction on tenterhooks. Hondo and Cookie looked at each other in surprise, then at Rarity, and then at Sweetie Belle.

“It’s true!” she said, happily.

“Congratulations, Rarity!” said Cookie.

“That’s my girl!” said Hondo. “So who’s the lucky fella? Hang on...It’s not that Blueblood, is it?” he added, darkly. “I haven’t forgotten what you said about him when you went to the Gala. Using my daughter as a meat-shield for cake…If I ever get my hooves on that guy, I’ll-”

“Oh, no, no,” said Rarity, hastily. “Prince Blueblood and I have long put that little, *ahem* incident behind us. I met him again after we both had time to, er, ‘cool off’, and we managed to have a more civil conversation. I somewhat regret losing my temper like I did, to be honest.”

“He had it coming,” grunted Hondo. “He didn’t know how to treat a lady. It’s no wonder he’s still ‘Equestria’s most eligible bachelor’. It’s a miracle he even has any suitors still comin’ to call, after the way you gave him what for.”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the memory of hearing how his own daughter had made the snobbish Blueblood look like an idiot in front of Gala guests. Rarity rolled her eyes.

“So, your special somepony,” said Cookie. “Is it somepony we know?”

“Oh, yes,” said Rarity, smiling. “Quite well, actually.”

Cookie and Hondo exchanged looks of interest.

“Well, come on, princess, don’t leave us in suspense,” urged Hondo. “Who is it?”

Rarity took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. This was it. All it would take was that one, simple, beautiful word.

“...Applejack.”

There was a long, deep silence, during which Rarity watched her parents for their reaction, Sweetie Belle beaming. Hondo and Cookie merely stared. Both looked dazed, astounded.

“Applejack?” asked Cookie, finally.

Rarity swallowed. She wasn’t sure what was in her mother’s tone. Was it incredulity? Disbelief? Disappointment?...

“Yes,” she said. “My dear friend Applejack. You know her well. She and I...have been together for two weeks now.”

Hondo’s mouth had fallen open slightly, staring wide-eyed at his daughter. He was usually such a loud and talkative stallion, so his speechlessness was extremely unsettling for Rarity.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “That I appeared to have an interest in stallions alone. However, after my fallouts with Trend and Blueblood, I came to realize...that the pony I’ve been looking for wasn’t a stallion, and that she was closer than I’d ever imagined. I didn’t need some handsome, famous, stuck-up stallion to complete my life. I needed somepony sweet, down-to-earth, and understanding. I love Applejack, and she loves me. I only...I only hope you approve, Mother, Father, because I’m not afraid to tell you the truth.”

She looked from Cookie to Hondo, trying to read their expressions. For a moment, they simply stared, words seeming to fail. Rarity bit her lip. Despite what she’d said about not being afraid, she couldn’t stand this custard-thick silence. It felt like a bad omen. Sweetie Belle looked from her parents to her sister, eyes wide with expectation.

Then, Hondo broke into a loud, boisterous laugh. Rarity’s heart plummeted. Did he think this was all a joke?

“I knew it!” he boomed, slamming his hoof down on the table, making the coffee cups rattle in their saucers. “I always knew there was something special between those two! Didn’t I say that, Cookie? Didn’t I say I felt like they were more than just friends?”

“I thought so too,” said Cookie, smiling warmly. “Every time I see those two out with their friends, they always looked so darling together. Like peas in a pod, those two. I just can’t believe it! Oh, Rarity, this is wonderful!”

“Congrats again, pumpkin!” said Hondo. “I knew you’d find the right pony in the end.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to stare, mouth agape, at her mother and father. Had she heard right? They actually approved of her relationship? They approved of her going out with Applejack? They’d had a feeling about her from so early on?

“So...So you don't-” she began.

“Don’t mind that you’re into mares?” asked Hondo. “Rarity, you’re our daughter. We would never think differently of you just because of who you love. You love Applejack, and your mother and I couldn’t be happier.”

“Absolutely,” said Cookie, nodding. “We’re very proud of you, sweetheart.”

Words couldn’t express Rarity’s gratitude and elation. Tears welled up in her sapphire-blue eyes, her lip trembling. Her vision of her smiling mother, father, and beaming little sister blurred behind the watery veil.

“Mother...Father...thank you!”

She lunged forward, throwing her hooves around their necks in a tight embrace, her tears mixing with her mascara as it ran down her cheeks. Her parents enclosed her in a two-way hug, and Sweetie Belle bounded over, snuggling against Rarity’s doughy belly. Different though the prim, elegant unicorn felt from her more easygoing and boisterous parents, she had never felt so close to them as she did right now, enveloped in the warmth and love that their blessing had filled her with.

Family Matters (Part 2)

Meanwhile, while Rarity was informing her parents of the truth, Applejack was preparing to confess to Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. Granny had been away since yesterday, visiting Great-Uncle Crab Apple, who could be a real sourpuss, but was quite a softy deep down. Granny had gone off to deliver a pie baked especially for him, a surefire way to lift his mood. Applejack was only waiting for her to return, and then it would be time for the rest of her family to know what was going on.

She knew Granny wouldn’t mind about her going out with a mare, after coming out to her, and she doubted Big Mac would care much. On the other hoof, it was Rarity herself who might be the problem. Despite spending much time with Applejack, the prim unicorn hadn’t graced Sweet Apple Acres itself with her presence very often, so Granny didn’t know her very well. Big Mac was on fairly friendly terms with her, however, as the two were fellow Ponytones. He, at least, might see the connection between her and his little sister.

With Granny, however, that was another story. At best, the most the two had ever done together was sorting bad apples from the good when the Flim Flam Brothers were trying to take over the farm with their cider-making machine. Oh, sure, Rarity sometimes made special new clothes and bonnets for the aged mare, and she liked them just fine, but those had been delivered from the boutique by Applejack herself, so the two barely had any interaction. That was the only thing that gave the country mare worry…

She looked at the picture of Rarity sitting on her bedside table. Seeing that charming face, with its gorgeous blue eyes, one closed in its playful wink, seemed to give her a new feeling of resolve. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She couldn’t be a coward about this. Apples weren’t cowardly, nor did they keep secrets from their own family. She could do this…

She heard the front door open, and Granny Smith calling from the living room. She was home.

“Here goes,” she muttered. “Wish me luck, sugar.”

She lightly kissed the photo-Rarity’s cheek, then left the bedroom.

***

Trying her best to keep her face bright and cheery, Applejack descended the staircase to find Granny being welcomed back by the others. Apple Bloom was being hugged, while Big Mac was helping Granny with her suitcase. Winona was running around, barking joyously at Granny's return.

“Everythin’ go all right while Ah was gone?” she asked.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac, setting the luggage down.

“You bet!” said Apple Bloom.

“Smooth as apple-butter, Granny,” said Applejack, making her presence known.

“Ah knew it would,” said Granny, smiling, “with you three lookin’ after things. Makes an old lady proud to see her grandchildren so responsible.”

All three Apple siblings grinned, Apple Bloom widest of all. It gave the filly enormous satisfaction to be considered as responsible as her older brother and sister. Applejack cleared her throat.

“Granny? There’s somethin’ Ah need to talk to you about. Could we sit down, in the kitchen, maybe?”

“Of course, dearie,” said Granny, looking slightly puzzled at her daughter’s attitude. “You know you can tell me anythin’.”

Applejack felt a slight twinge in her gut. Yes, she could tell Granny anything, and yet she’d waited until two weeks later before revealing the news she was about to throw at her...

The four Apples made their way into the kitchen and sat themselves around the table, Winona right beside Applejack, tail wagging. Granny and Big Mac both looked a little confused at the way Applejack was behaving. Apple Bloom, however, seemed to guess what this was all about, and had an eager smile on her face as she sat, waiting impatiently for the truth to come.

Applejack took another deep breath.

“Granny...Ah should have been more forward about this sooner. It just kinda, Ah don’t know, slipped mah mind when it happened, but-”

Granny suddenly held up a hoof to stop her, and Applejack’s mouth shut.

“Ah think Ah know what yer about to say, Applejack,” she said, a smile playing about her wrinkled muzzle.

“You do?” asked Applejack, taken aback slightly.

Granny chuckled.

“You can’t hide anythin’ from your own granny, dear. Ah’ve seen the way you’ve been actin’ lately, hummin’ to yerself in the fields, playin’ with yer mane more than usual…Yer in love, aintcha?”

Applejack hesitated. She hadn’t realized she’d been so indiscreet, and yet, she’d always had a nagging feeling Granny knew what her behavior over the last couple of weeks had been about. She’d seen much in her long life, after all. She nodded.

“Ah knew it!” Granny crowed, thumping the table. “These old eyes never lie! Ah knew the love bug had bit ‘ya, honey!”

Big Mac simply stared, dumbfounded.

“You’ve got a special somepony, AJ?” he asked.

There was something like...skepticism in his deep, mellow voice. It rose Applejack’s dander in her nervous state.

“That’s right,” said Applejack, a hint of aggression in her voice. “Why, you think that’s funny?”

“No,” said Big Mac, eyebrows raised. “Ah just never pegged you as the romantic type.”

“Pegged me wrong, then, didn’t ya?” retorted Applejack. “Just cuz you’re takin’ yer sweet time with Cheerilee-”

Big Mac’s cheeks flushed a deeper red than his own coat. Apple Bloom squealed with laughter, and Granny chortled.

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Big Mac snapped.

“Now, now, Big Mac,” said Granny, patting his massive shoulder. “Applejack’s only teasin’, ain’t ya, dear?”

“Yeah, of course,” said Applejack, though she was smirking slyly.

Big Mac snorted, still looking flushed, but said nothing. He and Cheerilee were still on friendly terms, and the two of them often liked to go out walking together, but he didn’t like being teased about being in a relationship, especially when neither he nor Cheerilee confirmed that they were in one. His own family liked pushing his buttons about it, and though it often flustered him, he knew deep down that they were just having fun with him.

“So, anyway,” said Granny, turning back to Applejack, “who’s the lucky mare?”

Applejack looked at Big Mac at these words, wondering how he’d react, sure that he’d always thought that she was into stallions. To her surprise, however, Big Mac didn’t looked startled or perplexed at all. On the contrary, he simply smiled and nodded.

“Ah thought so,” he said.

“Thought so?” repeated Applejack, dumbfounded. “Ya mean, you knew?”

“Ah reckoned,” said Big Mac. “Seein’ the way you kept throwin’ off that Trenderhoof fella, how you never went out lookin’ for any stallions as you got older, it got me thinkin’, is all.”

Applejack blinked.

“And...yer ok with that?”

“‘Course,” said Big Mac, with a shrug. “Yer mah sister, AJ. Don’t matter to me who y’love, long as you really love ‘em.”

Applejack smiled feeling her eyes go wet. She now felt a little guilty about ribbing Big Mac about Cheerilee.

“Thanks, Big Mac. That means a lot to me. And...Ah didn’t mean-”

“Forget it,” said Big Mac, waving a hefty hoof. “Ah reckon Ah deserved it.”

The two siblings grinned at each other.

“So?” Granny asked, eagerly. “Who is it?”

Applejack swallowed. Now that the time had come to reveal her special somepony, her throat felt very dry. She cleared it, inhaled, and said that one, simple, beautiful name…

“...Rarity.”

There was a long, very deep silence. Applejack looked around at her family, a tense knot in her gut. Apple Bloom was bouncing up and down in her seat, delighted. Big Mac looked stunned, his mouth hanging open. Winona was looking from face to face around the table, seeming to recognize the tense atmosphere. Granny’s face, however, was unreadable. Applejack wasn’t sure what to make of it. Finally, the old mare spoke, in a slightly constrained voice that made her uneasy.

“Rarity? Yer fashion-happy friend?”

“That’s the one,” said Applejack, nodding, not liking the description placed upon her loved one like that.

“The one who acts like she’d rather be livin’ in Canterlot or Manehattan?” asked Granny, shrewdly.

Applejack frowned. She knew what her grandmother was insinuating.

“Granny…”

“Ah’m sorry, Applejack, but Ah see it like Ah see it,” said Granny, forestalling her. “Ah ain’t denyin’ she’s a nice girl. She did help me out when those Flim-Flam bamboozlers were tryin’ to run us out, but even so...Haven’t you said she was a ‘Canterlot pony’ at heart?”

Applejack bit her lip. She did remember saying that before, hearing her say that, a long time ago. Apple Bloom and Big Mac were looking from their sister to their grandmother, apprehension on their faces.

“She did say that once, but she never really meant it,” Applejack said, wondering grimly whether she sounded too defensive. “She loves Ponyville, and she’d never wanna leave. She told me so herself.”

“‘Course she says that, dear, but she’s obsessed with those fussy dresses she’s always makin’. How do you know she’ll always give time for you?”

‘Obsessed’? That was a rather harsh word. Making dresses was Rarity’s mark-given destiny, just like working Sweet Apple Acres’ fields was for her, Applejack!

“...There’s gonna be days when she’s busy, Granny,” Applejack conceded. “Ah know that, but it’s the same for me, while Ah’m workin’ the farm. We both know we can’t see each other every hour on the hour. If yer worried about her bein’ faithful to me-”

“Applejack, Ah’m just not sure if you’ve thought this through,” Granny interrupted. “She’s got big-city dreams, Rarity, and Ah know what big city ponies are like. They don’t understand hard work the way we do. Ah saw that well enough when she was tryin’ to play farmhoof to impress that Trenderhoof fella. And besides-”

“How can you say that?!” Applejack snapped, her temper rising. “Rarity works very hard, Granny! You think it’s easy for her, just cuz she’s a unicorn? She’s got orders comin’ in from all over Equestria, for dresses and outfits that can’t be finished in just a few seconds! She takes time! She takes effort! She cares about the quality of her work, like we do!”

“Ah ain’t denyin’ that,” said Granny, now growing heated herself. “Ah never said she was a lazy good-for-nothin’! Ah’m only sayin’ Ah know what high-falutin’ ponies turn out to be, and Rarity-”

Applejack stood up, placing her hooves on the table so that the dishes clattered. Granny shut her mouth, surprised, and Big Mac and Apple Bloom both shrank back. Winona's ears flattened, and she gave a little whimper as she cringed back in turn. An angry Applejack was not a pony to trifle with by any means, and the glare she was giving her grandmother at that very moment could have blasted a hole in stone.

“Rarity ain’t high-falutin’, Granny! She’s got big-city dreams, but she ain’t a big-city pony! If ya ever bothered to get to know her like Ah have, you’d know she’s really a sweet, considerate, and trustworthy pony deep down!”

Granny looked to be on the verge of speech again, but Applejack wasn’t finished. She plowed stubbornly on, a wavering light in her eyes.

“Ah love her, Granny, and she loves me! Ah don’t know why yer so against the two of us bein’ together! Ah just wish you could be happy for us the way we are for each other...”

Granny said nothing. She seemed robbed of speech. She just sat there, staring into Applejack’s earnest, stubborn, and resolute face, as if she had just seen a ghost. What she had just said had sparked a memory in her head, a memory of a similar conversation with a pony who had looked at her that same way, with those very same eyes…

***

Granny didn’t say it often, but, in many ways, Applejack really was just like her mother, Granny’s daughter, Honeycrisp. There wasn’t a lot of physical resemblance, perhaps, except in the eyes. Both Applejack and Big Macintosh had green eyes, but the former alone had inherited the exact shade and shape of Honeycrisp’s eyes. On the other hoof, Applejack had definitely gotten her mother’s muscle. Honeycrisp hadn’t looked it, but she was immensely strong, able to outpull farmhoofs twice her size. Regardless, she was sweet, likeable, and honest to a fault. Meanwhile, Applejack’s coat and mane colors, stocky figure, and even her freckles, had come from her father, Glen Oaks.

Glen’s ancestors had lived in the Macintosh Hills for generations, but before Glen was born, his parents had moved to Manehattan, where they had made it big. The newest Oaks was therefore born in the lap of luxury, given everything he’d ever wanted. However, it was Glen himself who made the decision to come down to Ponyville, justifying himself by saying he needed the country air. It was here, on Sweet Apple Acres, that he first laid eyes on Honeycrisp, while she was working the orchard, hauling that day’s crop. He struck up a conversation with her while she was taking a break, and despite his big-city upbringing, she was favorably impressed.

Granny was not so easily swayed, however. Coming from a countryfied family, and having earned everything by working hard for it, she didn’t much trust ponies from the city born with silver spoons in their mouths. She felt they didn’t know what an ‘honest day’s work’ was, and wouldn’t recognize it even if it kicked them right in the flank. She also felt most city ponies were snobbish, rude, unpleasant, or outright dishonest, having to rush from through their day-to-day lives, brushing past other ponies to keep on their way, doing what it took to get their bits at the end of the day. Worst of all, she worried about her own kin being infected with that kind of mindset, about them suddenly feeling an urge to leave home and family behind for a life in the city, to become like that…

When she found out that her Honeycrisp and this ‘city slicker’ were beginning to see more of each other, therefore, she felt as if her worst fears were coming true. She knew, deep down, that she should feel happy that her little girl had someone who was making her smile and laugh, but she also couldn’t suppress the fear that it was all part of some elaborate ruse to lead her astray and away from the protection of home. His careless handsomeness and smooth way of talking didn’t exactly assuage her fears on this front, either. She watched Honeycrisp and Glen Oaks like a hawk whenever she could, even when it was obvious Honey could see her doing it. Throughout all of it, however, she held her tongue, until one day, when it all came to a head…

Honeycrisp approached Granny one day, all smiles, looking like she was about to cry from joy, and announced that she and Glen were going steady.

In that one instant, Granny felt as if her world had ended. It was the beginning of the end as she knew it. It was one small step away from Honey leaving the farm for good with this smooth-talker...She couldn’t let this happen.

“Honey,” she said, trying to keep as calm as possible, “are you sure you wanna do this?”

Honeycrisp’s smile faded.

“What do you mean, Ma? Of course Ah do! Ah’ve never felt this way about anypony before! Glen’s mah special somepony, and Ah’m his!”

Granny shook her head slowly. It was just as she feared.

“Ain’t you rushin’ into this, sugar? You barely know him.”

“He’s been comin’ around the farm every day for nearly a month, Ma. We’ve been gettin’ to know each other the whole time.”

“As far as you know.”

She couldn’t help saying it. It just sort of slipped out. Honeycrisp caught the implication, however, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Granny sighed. She might as well be honest.

“He’s a city pony, Honey. Don’t you know what they get up to up there? It’s all rush-rush, get out of the way, everypony for themselves. They’ve never had to work for what they’ve got the way we have. They don’t know what an honest day’s work really is. I oughta know. Ah’ve met mah share of ‘em, so Ah know what Ah’m sayin’. You can’t trust ‘em.”

Granny had hoped Honeycrisp would understand where she was coming from with this, that she would realize how rashly she had rushed into this. What she hadn’t expected was to see her own daughter glaring at her with ice in her verdant eyes.

“You don’t know what yer talkin’ about Ma!” she snapped. “If you ever bothered to get to know Glen the way Ah did, instead of skulkin’ around and givin’ him the stink-eye, you’d know what a wonderful, kindhearted gentleman he is! He told me himself he hates it in Manehattan! He never felt comfortable in that cozied-up life he was livin’! He was always fightin’ with his folks, sayin’ he wanted to live somewhere other than a crowded, smoggy city like Manehattan! He said he wanted somethin’ simple, somethin’ natural, so he came down to Ponyville to find what he’d been missin’...and he said he found it here, in me.”

She stood there, staring hard at her mother, daring her to contradict her. Granny stared back, her mouth hanging open. She’d never imagined her daughter would feel so strongly about this...

“Honey…”

“Ah’m sorry, Ma,” said Honey, her tone softening slightly, “but Glen loves me, and Ah love him. Ah don’t care if he was a city boy. Ah’m happy with him, Ma. Ah just wish you would be too...”

Granny said nothing for a moment or two. Then, she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Opening them again, she raised her hoof and touched Honey’s cheek softly.

“Yer mah little girl, Honey. Ah don’t know how Ah’d live with mahself if anything bad happened to you.”

“Ma…”

“But I also want you to be happy. If Glen Oaks makes you happy, then Ah don’t want to stand in your way...If you think yer meant to be special someponies, then Ah reckon yer right.”

She smiled, a tear sparkling in her eye. Honey’s lip trembled, her eyes growing wet as well.

“Oh, Ma...thank you…”

The rest of that discussion passed in a haze of tears and embraces, as a new understanding had been forged between mother and daughter…

***

Granny never forgot the look in Honeycrisp’s eyes, the earnestness and determination in her voice, as she defended her love in Glen Oaks. It was exactly what was happening again, as her granddaughter stared her down, defending her love for Rarity. It was as if Honey had risen again inside her, and was staring her right in the face once more...

The truth was, she was scared, scared of what a pony like Rarity in Applejack’s life might bring about. A pony with such ritzy aspirations might want to leave a humble little town like Ponyville behind and move on to Canterlot, to Manehattan...and Applejack would no doubt follow. Granny didn’t want that to happen. She’d already nearly lost her once, when she left home as a mere filly. The memories of that time still gave her nightmares, at the thought of what might have happened if she’d never decided to return home. Her grandchildren were all she had left of her own daughter. She didn’t want to lose any of them…

And yet, these were the same fears that she had felt when Honeycrisp and Glen had fallen for each other, fears never made real. Glen had been true to Honey, honest in his decision to leave his old life behind and start anew in Ponyville. And after all, if Granny hadn’t given her blessing, Applejack might not even be standing there. None of her grandchildren would…

“Granny?” Applejack asked, concern eclipsing her anger. “Are you alright?”

Granny shut her eyes, as if looking any longer into that green gaze would cause her pain. As her grandchildren watched, perplexed, a tear rolled down her wizened green cheek.

“G-Granny?” stammered Apple Bloom, taken aback.

“Granny...?” asked Big Mac, tentatively.

When Granny responded, her voice was very quiet and choked, and her eyes were full of tears as she gazed at Applejack, who now looked contrite at the apparent effect her words had produced.

“Applejack...have Ah ever told you how much yer like yer mother?”

Applejack stared, mouth slightly open. Almost instinctively, Big Mac put a foreleg around Apple Bloom, whose eyes had become overbright and watery.

“Cuz you are,” said Granny, a sad smile on her face. “Sweetest mare in the world, but when she got mad, you’d better run for cover.”

She chuckled, then said,

“You reminded me so much of her just now, when you were stickin’ up for Rarity...She made the same argument for yer father, when they were going out.”

Applejack’s eyes widened.

“Ah...Ah didn’t know…”

“Ah should have told you earlier,” said Granny, her voice sounding even more choked than before, “but by the time you were old enough...you’d already left home for Manehattan…”

She shut her eyes, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Applejack gave a small gasp, and her eyes grew wet as well. Now she was beginning to understand…

“...Ah was...so worried about you,” Granny said. “You, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom are all Ah have left of yer mother and father...Ah never wanted to lose any of you, and that day, the day you left...Ah felt like Ah was losin’ Honeycrisp all over again…”

Tears were now running copiously down Applejack’s cheeks, her lip trembling. She should have realized sooner, she knew that now. She’d tried to put aside that moment as merely part of her quest to find her destiny, but she’d nearly forgotten how much grief she’d caused her grandmother and brother in leaving the farm at such a young age. How selfish and foolish she’d been…

Apple Bloom was sniffling, and Big Mac was holding her close to his side, his eyes shut.

“Ah was worried again…” Granny went on. “Worried that bein’ with a pony like Rarity would take you away from me again...That you’d leave me again…”

“Oh, Granny…” whimpered Applejack. “Granny, Ah’m sorry...Ah should have realized…”

“...But,” Granny continued, forestalling Applejack again, “Ah was bein’ an old fool...You were right, Applejack. Ah don’t know Rarity as well as you do...You know the real her, and Ah don’t know anythin’ about her...If she really does make you happy...then that’s all Ah want for you.”

Applejack stared at her, half-blinded by tears. Granny was smiling up at her, with real love and affection in those old but twinkling eyes. She was giving her her blessing…

At once, a veritable well of suppressed emotion, the tears she kept ‘on the inside’, burst forth, and she was crying like a little filly again, but not purely from sadness. Mixed into her tears were grief at the way she had spoken to Granny, and joy at her acceptance of her special somepony.

“Oh...Granny!” she sobbed.

“Come here, honey…” said Granny, soothingly, holding out her hooves to her.

Applejack collapsed into her grandmother’s waiting forelegs, crying onto her shoulder, her body heaving with sobs. Granny, for her part, held her as though she were indeed a filly again, stroking her mane, rocking back and forth slightly.

“It’s all right…” she cooed softy. “It’s all right…”

Now Apple Bloom and Big Mac joined in, both wet-eyed but smiling widely, the former nestling between her sister and grandmother’s stomachs, the latter engulfing them all in one long-legged embrace. Winona, too, bounded in, barking and licking any faces she could reach. The Apples had always prided themselves on being a close-knit family, bonded by ties that would never sever no matter the distance. Today proved just that. They were Apples forever, Apples together. Apples to the core...

Sisters Forever

Rarity felt as giddy as a school filly as she sat in front of her vanity, cleaning herself up. Her tearful rejoicing with her parents and Sweetie Belle had left her a little disheveled, with her mane slightly undone and her cheeks stained with mascara, and she was now rectifying these errors with cheerful enthusiasm. Her parents’ approval of her relationship made her feel as light as a feather, which was really saying something, given her figure. She couldn’t wait to tell Applejack and hear the news on her end, if there was any.

“Rarity?”

Rarity turned. Sweetie Belle had come in without her noticing, and was now standing shyly in front of the doorway, as though conscious of having interrupted her big sister.

“Sweetie Belle! Is something wrong?”

“Well...not exactly,” she said, swinging her foreleg awkwardly, “but it’s something I didn’t think about until now. Can we sit down?”

“Of course, Sweetie. Come here.”

Rarity crossed over to her bed and seated herself upon it, making it creak a bit under her weight. Sweetie Belle hoisted herself up in turn and scooted to the side until she was right up against her sister. With a small smile, Rarity moved her foreleg around her so that she could pull her into a side-hug against her soft side.

“What’s on your mind, little sister?”

Sweetie Belle bit her lip, hesitating. Rarity didn’t like how anxious she was acting, and wondered what on Earth could be worrying her.

“Well...see, I know this is going to sound silly when I say it, but…”

“But?” Rarity prompted.

“...If you’re going to be Applejack’s special somepony, does that mean you’re going to have even less time to spend with me?”

Rarity felt as though an icy arrow had struck her in the heart. Sweetie Belle was looking up at her with the biggest, most innocent puppy dog eyes she had ever made, her lips formed into a little pout. The elder sister had seen this many times before, when the younger was trying to guilt-trip her into doing something with her. However, there was something very different about this look. It was no intentional ploy. Sweetie Belle meant it.

A further pang of guilty heartache went through Rarity’s insides. She well remembered the days when she had been coldly indifferent towards her little sister, shooing her away when she was busy, snapping at her when she unintentionally messed things up. She had selfishly insisted on always having things her way, never giving time for Sweetie Belle when she only wanted a little attention and love from the sister she idolized. Unforgivable things had been said on both sides, resulting in the sisters un-sistering each other and Sweetie Belle seeking solace in Applejack. Naturally, Rarity managed to bring things back to normal, better than normal, but not before she underwent a thorough reassessment of her life with Sweetie Belle. Ever since the Sisterhooves Social, she genuinely wanted to be a better sister than she had ever been before.

And, to her credit, Rarity had vastly improved in her attitude towards her little sister. There was much less grumbling and complaining, and a lot more laughter and playfulness. Yes, she was still busy with her work, but she was always striving to budget time for Sweetie Belle, which she was accomplishing fairly decently. Sweetie was much happier now than in the days before the Social, and no new complaints about not spending time with her sister had risen from her lips, especially not after their camping trip to Winsome Falls.

Hearing this question put to her so simply, so innocently, touched Rarity’s heart. The need for reassurance, the slightest trace of fear in her little voice… It was too much.

“Oh, Sweetie…” said Rarity, softly. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

Sweetie Belle nodded sadly.

“I told you it was silly,” she said, quietly.

“Silly? No, no, not at all! Oh, come here, darling…”

She shifted herself backwards, and pulled Sweetie Belle forward so that she sat in front of her, face to face. She took the little unicorn’s face in her hooves, tilting it up so that they were looking directly into each other’s eyes, blue into green.

“I know I may not have been the best sister in the world,” Rarity conceded. “Ever since I moved out of the house and started the boutique, I’ve become so wrapped up in my work that I barely had time for anything else. Especially you…

“In fact, if it wasn’t for Applejack and the Sisterhooves Social, I don’t think I would have changed much for the better. Our little falling-out finally opened my eyes to what I’d been so selfishly closing them to: that my relationship with my own sister was damaged, and only I could repair it. I did what I had to do...and I only hope I’ve been doing better than before.”

“You have!” said Sweetie Belle, earnestly. “You’re the best sister I could ever ask for, Rarity!”

She threw her hooves around Rarity’s plump belly as well as she could, nestling against her doughy softness. Rarity’s lip quivered as she patted the back of Sweetie Belle’s head.

“Thank you, Sweetie,” she said, as the little unicorn tilted her head up to look at her again. “I don’t want you to ever think that my going out with Applejack will change anything. I realize it may sound a bit hollow, but I will always do what I can to budget time for you. I know Applejack will more than understand.”

Sweetie Belle smiled her most adorable smile, bringing out the dimples on her cheeks.

Thanks, Rarity,” she said. “I promise I won’t complain about you being too busy ever again.”

Rarity laughed softly.

“To be honest, I think that might be necessary to get me back on track,” said Rarity. “Sometimes, a little reminder is necessary, but not too incessantly.”

“Okay!” said Sweetie Belle, and she nestled back against her sister’s gut. “Mmm...you’re so soft…”

“Oh, honestly, Sweetie Belle,” said Rarity, rolling her eyes, yet wearing a small smirk. “You’d make a better cat than Opal for sheer affection.”

“Meow,” said Sweetie Belle, teasingly.

Rarity giggled, though she honestly hoped Opal hadn’t been around to hear that.

“You wanna know one of the best parts about being your sister?” asked Sweetie Belle, a playful smile curling her muzzle.

“What?”

“I know your tickle spots!”

And before Rarity could stop her, Sweetie Belle began running her hooves against her middle, attacking her most ticklish areas. The elder sister burst into a loud fit of decidedly unladylike laughter, collapsing onto her back and kicking her legs as the younger sister kept up her tickle attack, digging her little hooves into the great white belly.

“Sw-Sw-Sweetie Be-he-helle! St-Stop! Ple-Please!”

“Well, ok, but only cuz you said please!”

She pulled her hooves away, relenting at last. Rarity took quite a bit of time to catch her breath, her stomach puffing in and out, carrying Sweetie Belle along for the ride. The little filly grinned in a victorious way down at her sister, but Rarity had a devious expression of her own on her face.

“So...that’s how you want to play, is it?” she asked. “Well, little sister, I, too, know your weak spots! En garde!”

With one fluid motion of her hoof, she flipped Sweetie Belle off of her stomach and onto the bed, on her back. Using that same hoof, she began digging against her own little tummy, and it wasn’t long before Sweetie Belle was in a fit of hysterics, squealing and flailing, trying to get away. Rarity sat up straighter, the better to see what she was doing, but not relinquishing her attack for an instant.

“Do you yield, Sweetie?” she asked.

“N-N-Neverrrr!” Sweetie Belle cried, between gales of giggling.

“Then you’ve forced me to resort to the dreaded ‘Double Hoof’ tickle!” said Rarity, in her most mock-imposing voice, and raising her other hoof threateningly.

“N-No! Not tha-hat!” Sweetie Belle gasped, her eyes widening. “Anything b-but that!”

“Yes, that,” said Rarity. “Have at you!”

Now Sweetie Belle was under attack from two tickling hooves aimed at her belly. She flailed and squealed, laughing so hard she was crying. Rarity, too, was laughing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun with Sweetie Belle, just the two of them playing around like when they were younger. Where had all that time gone?...

Her moment of reminiscence had resulted in a lapse of concentration, which Sweetie Belle had taken advantage of. She lunged at Rarity, re-initating another tickle assault on her. Taken by surprise, Rarity rolled off the bed, bringing Sweetie Belle and the top blanket of the bed with her, and the two thudded to the ground in a heap of hooves and cloth.

“Sweetie Belle?” asked Rarity, her voice muffled beneath the sheet. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine!” said Sweetie Belle. “Better than fine!”

She beamed up at her sister from her perch on her chubby middle, the two of them covered in the blanket. Rarity laughed.

“What am I going to do with you, you silly filly?” she asked, putting a hoof to Sweetie’s cheek.

“Love me no matter what?” asked Sweetie, sticking her tongue out.

“I already do,” said Rarity.

She scooped Sweetie Belle into a hug against her barrel and kissed her forehead.

“I love you, little sister.”

Sweetie Belle nuzzled Rarity under her chin.

“And I love you, big sister,” she murmured, happily.

Author's Note

A mini-chapter, just for the dawws. :twilightsmile:

Revelations Between Close-Knit Friends

The sun was beginning to set by the time Rarity was ahoof in the streets. As wonderful as it had been to play with Sweetie Belle like that, she was anxious to find Applejack and tell her the good news. If she hurried, she might still make it to Sweet Apple Acres before sundown. As she galloped through Ponyville, however, she found herself becoming winded very quickly. Finally, she was forced to stop at the town fountain, sitting down on her haunches to catch her breath.

“Whew!...My goodness!...I don’t usually...usually run that fast...Gracious, I’m out of shape…Perhaps I need to lose...just a little weight…”

“Whatever you wanna do’s fine with me, Rare..”

Rarity looked up in delighted surprise. That voice could only belong to one pony! Sure enough, there she was, her body gilded beautifully by the orange-golden glow of the setting sun: her smiling Applejack.

“Applejack! Oh, I’m so glad to see you!”

“So am I!” said Applejack. “Ah’ve got great news!”

“Me too!”

“They said yes!”

This exclamation came from both mares at the exact same time. Both stared at each other for a second, then both faces split into identical, gleeful smiles.

“You mean yer folks-” began Applejack.

“Yes!” finished Rarity. “And Granny Smith and Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup!”

“Oh, Applejack!!”

With a delighted squeal, Rarity launched herself at the farm pony, throwing her forelegs around her so hard her hind legs left the ground. Anypony of average physical strength might have crumpled under Rarity’s increased weight, but Applejack, with that applebucking muscle that never failed her, supported her easily, hugging her in return and planting a lick on her muzzle for good measure. Rarity responded with a kiss right on the freckles.

“I’m so happy…” the demure unicorn murmured, her eyes growing wet with happy tears.

“Me too, Rare...me too…” said Applejack, pressing her cheek against Rarity’s.

“Whoa, is this a bad time?”

Both mares froze, eyes snapping wide open. They looked up, and saw a cloud hanging high over their heads. Peering over its fluffy brim was Rainbow Dash, her rose-colored eyes wide as she stared down at the two.

“Rainbow Dash!” spluttered Rarity, her pearl-white cheeks turning a brilliant magenta. “How long have you been there?”

“Eh, all afternoon,” Rainbow shrugged. “I was-”

“Nappin’?” Applejack supplied, raising an eyebrow.

“Lucky guess,” said Rainbow, with a snort.

She rolled off the cloud and floated down towards the pair, stretching and yawning as she did so. Applejack and Rarity could hear the crack of her joints.

“I woke up when I heard Rarity shouting your name, AJ,” she went on. “I’ll admit, I wondered what was going on, but I never guessed it’d be anything like this.”

Applejack winced slightly at the emphasis on the word ‘this’. However, rather than looking abashed, she seemed to grow more defiant. Gently releasing Rarity, she tugged the brim of her hat and glared pugnaciously up at the blue pegasus.

“You got a problem with that, Rainbow Dash?” she asked, in a deadly voice.

“What, me?” asked Rainbow, a playful smirk playing across her muzzle. “Why would I?”

“You obviously think it’s funny,” Applejack retorted. “Ah won’t have ya laughin’ about me an’ Rarity, y’hear?!”

Rainbow looked genuinely alarmed at this. It wasn’t often that she heard Applejack this angry. Sure, they bantered with each other when they raced or competed, but that was just fun. This, however...AJ was serious.

“Whoa, whoa, AJ, calm down,” she said, holding up her hooves in a placating way. “I wasn’t making fun of you or anything. I just…”

“Just what?” asked Applejack, still glaring.

“I just...well, I never realized you had such a soft side,” said Rainbow, the grin back on her face.

Applejack raised her eyebrows slightly. On the one hoof, she was glad that her being with Rarity wasn’t what was so funny. On the other hoof, the svelte pegasus was still making fun of her.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. “Ah ain’t got a heart of stone, you know that. If anythin’, Ah could say the same for you with Scootaloo.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“That’s different. Stuff with me and Scoot, or you with Apple Bloom, or Rares with Sweetie Belle, that’s sister stuff. I had no idea you’d been in the market for a special somepony.”

Applejack’s cheeks flushed slightly. Rarity didn’t say it, but the farm mare looked quite adorable when she was embarrassed; the way her freckles stood out against the red of her cheeks reminded her of two chubby little strawberries.

“It’s a long story,” said Applejack, ‘but Ah ain’t ashamed to say it: Rarity and Ah are special someponies.”

She threw a foreleg around Rarity’s withers, then waited, possibly for Rainbow to start jeering at her now that it was out in the open. A few seconds passed, then Rainbow smiled in a genuine way.

“Hey, that’s cool with me,” she said. “Congrats.”

Applejack and Rarity stared. This wasn't the reaction the former had been expecting.

“So, yer OK with Rarity and me bein...?" she began.

“Sure, why wouldn't I be?” asked Rainbow. “If you thought it'd be the whole the ‘two mares’ thing, lemme give ya a news flash: you two aren’t the first. I had a couple friends back in flight camp, both mares, who ended up going out with each other when they got older. Got along like peaches and cream from the start.”

Applejack’s expression softened considerably, and Rarity smiled with relief. Hearing Rainbow Dash being so breezy about a topic like this was very reassuring.

“And besides,” Rainbow added, “I thought something was going on between you two. I just didn’t realize what it was at the time.”

“Have we really been that obvious?” asked Rarity, sighing.

“Obvious about what?”

Rarity felt like she was going to have a heart attack. That was another voice she recognized: innocent, curious, and polite. Lo and behold, Fluttershy came trotting up, followed closely by Twilight and Pinkie Pie, the latter bouncing along as was her usual custom. Applejack looked similarly flummoxed.

“Hiya!” said Pinkie. “Funny running into you girls here! I was just telling Twilight and Fluttershy, since I ran into them while out walking, ‘wouldn’t it be hilarious if Dashie, AJ, and Rarity met up with us too? That’d be a wild coinky-dink!’ And here you are, and it is a wild coinky-dink!”

She grinned squeakily, as Twilight rolled her eyes.

“What’s going on?” asked Fluttershy. “We thought we heard you and Rainbow Dash arguing, Applejack. Did you two have another Iron Pony competition without telling us?”

“Heh, nah, nothing like that,” said Rainbow Dash. “Though if we had, AJ’d still be the one doing all the yelling, cuz I’ve been training to whoop her rump without needing my wings.”

“Well, at least you’ve learned t’ stop cheatin’,” said Applejack, with a playful grin, and Rainbow shot her a sharp look.

“They were talking about AJ and Rarity being special someponies!” said Pinkie.

Fluttershy’s mouth fell open, her pupils reduced to two sea-green dots of shock. Once again, Rarity felt as if her heart would fail, so casually did Pinkie throw that out there. As much as she loved the plump Earth pony as a friend, her knack for being bluntly truthful when no one expected it could be very discomforting, to say the least.

Pinkie, meanwhile, looked cheerfully from the flushed Rarity and Applejack, to the grinning Rainbow Dash, to the stunned Fluttershy, then to an exasperated Twilight. Her smile faltered.

“Whaaat?” she asked, innocently. “...Ohhh, was I supposed to let them say it? Oopsie.”

“It’s all right, Pinkie,” said Applejack, wearily. “That cat’s pretty much out of the bag already.”

Pinkie gasped.

“You put Opal in a bag? Why would you do that?! I mean, I know she’s not a very nice kitty, but-”

“Never mind, Pinkie,” said Rarity, forcefully.

Even though she spoke to Pinkie, her eyes were on Fluttershy. The slender pegasus still looked at a complete loss for words. Her eyes were roving from Rarity to Applejack and back again. Rarity waited on tenterhooks for her to finally say something, anything…

Then, at last, Fluttershy’s face broke into a wide, adorable smile, her eyes growing wide.

“Oh, how wonderful!” she gushed. “I knew you two were close as friends, but this...Oh, you’re just perfect for each other! Congratulations!”

She rushed forward and threw her hooves around both of them. Rarity’s eyes grew watery again as she happily nuzzled her pegasus friend, and Applejack grinned as she patted her on the back.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said. “That means a lot.”

“Hey, don’t leave me out!” said Pinkie. “Where hugs and cuddles and nuzzles abound, Pinkie Pie will join at the speed of sound!”

She thereby threw herself in, making a four-way group hug, and nearly toppling everypony with the force of her embrace. Rainbow and Twilight exchanged amused smiles, then the hug-party broke up, turning to face the lavender alicorn.

“You knew already, didn’t you, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“Mm-hmm,” said Twilight. “A little birdy, er, dragon, told me.”

It took, perhaps, two seconds for the meaning of this to sink in. After that, Rarity’s eyes widened, a little gasp escaping her.

“Spikey-wikey knows too?”

“Yes, he does,” said Twilight, her voice taking on a slightly colder edge. “He said Sweetie Belle ran into him yesterday and told him what happened down at the pond.”

A subtle, yet perceptible chill seemed to settle upon the group of six at this. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked askance at each other pensively, and even Pinkie’s expression became noticeable subdued.

“Oh,” was all Applejack had to say, an awkward look on her face.

Rarity, however, looked blank.

“What are all of you so worried about?” she asked.

Twilight looked as though she couldn’t believe her ears.

“What are we so worried about?” she repeated. “Rarity, this is Spike we’re talking about. Spike!”

“Yes, Twilight, I am fully aware that you said he’d found out,” said Rarity, sounding both impatient and uncomprehending. “I suppose it was only natural for Sweetie Belle to blab, excitable little scamp that she is, but she never told my parents until I said it myself.”

Twilight clapped a hoof to her temple in exasperation. She couldn’t believe Rarity was being so dense! Usually it was Pinkie or, rarely, Fluttershy who needed further explanation.

“Rarity…” she said, in the tone of one trying desperately not to lose their temper, “don’t you remember about Spike’s...you know?”

“His…” Rarity began, confused.

Then, her eyes went very round. The answer seemed to have hit home at last.

“Ohhhh,” she said.

Twilight nodded grimly. However, to her indignation, and to everypony else’s surprise, Rarity actually smiled.

“Oh, come now, Twilight,” she said. “You can’t honestly be suggesting what I think you are. It was just a silly foalhood crush. We all go through them when we’re younger, and then simply move on after a time. Spikey-poo and I have always been friends. Surely he knows that.”

Her amusement, however, died away as she saw the expressions on her friends’ faces. Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie looked disbelievingly back at her. Applejack looked slightly exasperated, but Twilight looked furious, an icy glint in her amethyst-colored eyes.

“What?” asked Rarity, discomforted.

“I knew you never took his crush on you seriously,” said Twilight, in a low and dangerous voice, “but I never realized it was this bad. You think he never meant it, did you? That it was never serious?”

Rarity said nothing. She really did not like where Twilight was going with this.

“Do you know what Spike did when he came home yesterday?” Twilight asked.

Rarity shook her head, half-dreading the answer, which could not be good.

“He was trudging back, looking like his heart had been stomped into jelly,” said Twilight. “I’d never seen him so miserable. He tried to shut himself up in his room, but I managed to get in to talk with him. He was really broken up, Rarity. He wants to be happy for the two of you, but he’s hurt about you completely ignoring his crush like that. He feels the least you could have done was tell him yourself, even if you did think it was something so ‘silly’...”

Rarity took a step back, mouth open, everypony’s eyes on her. Twilight wasn’t shouting, but the soft, cold tone of her voice was just as bad, if not worse. She felt as if each hurtful word was being hurled at her like a throwing knife, sticking into her barrel, making the happiness that had been filling her moments ago leak out.

“...Like his heart had been stomped into jelly…”

“...Never seen him so miserable…”

“...Really broken up…”

“...Completely ignoring his crush like that…”

“...Twilight…” she said, finally, in a soft, anguished voice. “I...I never meant to...you know I would never mean to hurt my little Spikey-poo…I never thought it would hurt him that badly...”

Twilight’s glare softened a fraction, and she sighed.

“I know,” she said. “But it did. He’s been holed up in his room since yesterday.”

Rarity put her hoof to her mouth, a tear running down her cheek. How could she have been so thoughtless? She knew Spike had been fascinated with her, wanted to be close to her, but never thought that desire was this serious...How could she have let this happen?...

“...What can I do, Twilight?” she asked.

“Go talk to him,” said Twilight, glad to see Rarity was giving the situation what it merited. “Talk it out, put the matter to rest.”

Rarity swallowed.

“Talk to him?” she repeated, hesitantly.

“Yes,” said Twilight, seriously. “Only you can sort this out with him.”

Rarity bit her lip, looking uncomfortable. Twilight crossed over, making her recoil slightly, as though worried she might hit her. However, Twilight merely put a foreleg around her withers, pulling her into a gentle hug.

“I’m not trying to ruin your happiness,” she assured her. “I really am happy for you and Applejack, but if you two are going to be an item, you have to resolve this issue with Spike. He really wants to talk it out with you. He won’t be fully happy again until you do.”

Rarity wiped at her eyes, sniffling. She didn’t want Spike to suffer on her account. There was only one thing for it…

“...All right, Twilight. I’ll speak with Spike. I owe him that.”

Twilight nodded, with a small smile.

“Good,” she said. “You and Applejack can come back to the castle with me, then.”

“Me too?” asked Applejack, in slight surprise.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “You should be there too, AJ. Spike will want to congratulate you.”

Applejack grinned halfheartedly.

“Excuse us, then, girls,” said Twilight.

“You got it,” said Rainbow, seriously.

“Good luck,” said Fluttershy.

Pinkie, quite unlike her usual self, said nothing. She seemed to understand how serious the situation was, and would not disturb it with her normal buoyancy. The three watched as Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity turned around, and made their way toward Twilight’s castle, the latter taking the rear, her legs feeling like lead...

Closure

The castle doors closed with an oddly foreboding finality as the three mares stepped inside. Despite the personal touches the friends had made since Twilight first expressed homesickness, the place still gave off a formal, imposing vibe when stepping in for the first time. Especially now, with the sunlight failing, the dark shadows and silent corridors made it rather spooky, almost like the Castle of the Two Sisters.

This atmosphere wasn’t at all soothing to the nerves of the two special someponies as they followed in Twilight’s wake. Rarity was still in a state of miserable agitation. She still couldn’t believe she had forgotten Spike so easily. After everything the little dragon had ever done for her, helping her find jewels, orchestrating a rescue mission when she was captured by the Diamond Dogs, assisting her in trying to impress Trenderhoof, and trying to restore her creative spirit with the Inspiration Manifestation spell; after all this, and Rarity hadn’t given any serious consideration to his crush on her. She’d thought, as she told Twilight, that it had just been a silly game, a childlike fantasy. To know that she had inadvertently put him into a depressive state...it was more than she could bear to think about.

While not as agitated as Rarity, Applejack wasn’t without her own feelings of trepidation. She loved Spike like a little brother, and had accepted him as part of the ‘family’ when he and Twilight first moved to Ponyville. She had been as patient as she could be when he felt he owed her a life debt for saving him from the timberwolves, and still felt grateful when he, in turn, had saved her. She had always thought of him as a sweet, playful kid, even if he wasn’t the best at hiding his feelings for Rarity. And there, right there, was what gave her the pangs of guilt. She, unlike Rarity, had had some inkling of how Spike might react when he heard the news, and had even tried to tell Rarity about it, but she didn’t seem to have registered that part when she calmed her nerves on the subject. She had let it slide, but she should have thought more about it. She hated to think she’d played a hoof in Spike’s sadness. It wasn’t as if she regretted getting together with Rarity, and she knew Rarity didn’t regret it, either. This was simply another bridge they had to cross together…

Finally, Twilight stopped outside a door with a little plaque set into the wood. It read, in large block letter’s, ‘SPIKE’S ROOM’. Both Rarity and Applejack couldn’t suppress smiles at this. It had been a source of great comfort and joy to know that Spike now had his own bedroom within the castle. It was proof of how the little guy was growing up, after all.

Twilight knocked three times against the door.

“Spike?” she called, softly. “Are you awake?”

A muffled voice replied, though it sounded like ‘Yeah’.

“There’s somepony here to see you,” said Twilight. “Can she come in?”

There was a pause, during which Rarity felt sure the beating of her own heart beneath her ribs would echo through the hallway. Finally, another ‘yeah’ met their ears, though it sounded much more subdued. It felt like a bad sign.

“Applejack, could you wait out here with me?” asked Twilight. “Rarity and Spike should have this discussion alone first.”

Applejack swallowed hard, but she nodded. Rarity stepped toward the door, legs trembling. As she met Twilight’s eye, a small smile came upon the alicorn’s face, and she placed a hoof encouragingly on Rarity’s withers.

“You can do this,” she said.

Rarity nodded, though her stomach felt like it was twisting into a knot. This change of tone from Twilight was welcome, but didn’t entirely dispel her apprehension. However, she couldn’t just stand here dithering. Just like when she was getting ready to tell her parents about her and Applejack, she had to be strong...for Spike. She opened the door with her magic, and stepped inside.

She couldn’t remember ever having been in Spike’s room before. It was reasonably well-furnished, and obviously tailored to the likes and style of its occupant. She was just admiring the basket of snackable gems in the corner when a soft cough made her turn towards the bed. Seated on top of its bedspread, a sad smile on his face, was Spike.

“Hi, Rarity,” he said.

Rarity’s lip quivered. The innocence in his voice, mixed ever so gently with the tone of one who had been crying recently, went to her heart.

“Hello, Spike,” she said. “Do you...mind if I sit next to you?”

Spike shook his head.

Rarity settled on her haunches beside his bed, looking anywhere but directly at him. Not just yet, anyway.

“Very...nice room,” said Rarity, gesturing vaguely. “I’m...I’m so glad you have a space to call your own.”

“Yeah,” said Spike, simply. “Yeah, me too. I mean, at first, I missed being closer to Twilight, but now...now I like having my own room. Now I can stay up as late as I want without disturbing her.”

He gave a weak chuckle, and Rarity grinned. They were only making random conversation. Next thing she knew, she’d be talking about the weather...

She cleared her throat, braced herself, and looked Spike straight in the eye. Spike gazed right back, his narrow reptilian pupils doing nothing to dispel the child-like gentleness within the green.

“...Spike,” said Rarity, “I know...I know that you heard from Sweetie Belle about...well, you know.”

Spike nodded, without saying a word.

“It’s...not the way I would have chosen for you to find out,” Rarity went on. “I’m not blaming Sweetie Belle for wanting to tell her friends, but I still feel it would have been far better if I or Applejack had told you ourselves.”

Again, Spike nodded. His expression was unreadable. Rarity couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling, so she pressed on.

“But even then, Spike, regardless of who it was who told you...I find myself still the guiltiest party of all…”

“Rarity-” Spike began, but Rarity held up a hoof.

“Please, Spike, let me finish.”

Spike closed his mouth, keeping his eyes fixed on Rarity. She drew a deep breath, sighed, then said, her voice quivering slightly,

“...I’m so sorry, Spikey-wikey...I knew, we all knew, that you were...rather taken with me. I’ll admit, it was flattering, but at the time, I...well, I never thought much about it. I was a bit more selfish back then, more absorbed in my work, not having much time for friends or even my own family. Heads would turn as I walked down the street, and that was normal for me. I thought you had simply been bitten by the same bug that had bitten everypony else who admired me. And besides, you were young, and, forgive me, still are. I had thought this would simply be a phase that would burn out eventually, once you got a little older, a little wiser.”

Spike said nothing. He was clasping his tail now, and there was a tremulous light in his eyes. It hurt Rarity to see it, but she continued, her voice growing more choked as she went.

“But Twilight has shown me how absolutely foolish I’ve been acting towards you, Spike. I should have taken your feelings more seriously, and realized how this would have affected you. You are, and have always been, the most loyal, kind, and generous little dragon I have ever had the pleasure to know, and I never, ever would have wanted to hurt you in any way. All I can hope for is that you will forgive me, and that we might still be able to remain friends...”

A tear rolled down her face, splattering onto the floor. Spike stared at her for several seconds, which seemed to stretch for an eternity. Then, he stood up, took a deep breath, and spoke in a voice that, like Rarity, was tremulous.

“Rarity...I don’t want to be angry with you. This should be a happy time for you, you finding somepony to call your special somepony...but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.”

Rarity felt her heart sink. Spike’s face had hardened very slightly, but it was still a noticeable change from his previous post-tears expression.

“You only remembered me now, after Twilight told you how I was feeling. You needed to be reminded about me, just like everypony else did for the longest time…”

Rarity winced, her eyes beginning to grow wet anew. The cold bitterness in Spike’s voice was worse than Twilight’s, and yet she didn’t interrupt him.

“You didn’t care how I might feel about you getting together with somepony else, when you knew about my feelings for you. Even if you thought they were ‘silly’ or ‘childish’, they were still there, Rarity, and I wasn’t just playing games! It was real to me! From the moment I saw you, I honestly thought you were the most beautiful, wonderful pony I had ever seen! Your eyes, your hair, your coat, your voice...and knowing that beneath all that beauty was a kind and generous heart, it all blended together to make the perfect combination of my heart’s desires!”

Spike’s eyes were tearing up again, but he pressed on ruthlessly.

“But even then, even if I was a little careless about trying to keep it to myself, even when you knew how I felt about you...you still treated me like a child, like my feelings never mattered to you. Sometimes...I even wondered if you were just using my feelings to make me do what you wanted me to…”

Rarity could feel her heart breaking under these words. She wanted to comfort Spike, to console him, to tell him it wasn’t true...but she couldn’t. She knew he was right...

“And it wasn’t just that...you completely disregarded me when Blueblood and Trenderhoof came along. You knew how I felt, but you never gave a thought to me when you and the others abandoned me at the Gala, or when you wanted to change the whole Ponyville Days festival just to impress Trend. I didn’t want to say anything, because…”

He paused, shutting his eyes briefly, as though willing himself to say something against his will.

“...because I wanted to hope you’d strike out with them…”

Rarity gave a small gasp, covering her mouth with her hoof.

“Spike…”

“It’s true!” Spike went on. “They were jerks anyway, weren’t they? Well, Trend was actually kinda nice, but pretty weird. My point is, I felt sure that if you didn’t succeed with them, you’d see you still had somepony who had always been faithful to you, somepony who’d never left your side, somepony willing to dive down a manticore’s throat for you! I thought...I thought I’d proven I was that kind of pony for you...that day I went to rescue you from the Diamond Dogs…”

Spike’s whole self seemed to sag at this point. His anger was ebbing away, leaving only sadness and misery behind. Tears dotted his cheeks, while more ran nearly waterfall-like down Rarity’s.

“Oh, Spike…” she murmured.

To think the little dragon had been bottling these feelings up for so long...it must have been absolute torture to him, and he’d always seemed like the most cheerful little fellow one could ever meet, when he got enough sleep, that is.

Spike wiped his arm across his eyes, sniffed, then said,

“But...I should have known it would never work between us...The evidence was staring me right in the face, but I didn’t want to admit it...I’m too young for you...I’m still just a baby dragon...I wanted to hope I was the one who deserved your love, and that you deserved mine...but I guess I was just deluding myself…”

“Spike…” Rarity whimpered.

Then, to her surprise, Spike reached down, took Rarity’s hoof in his claws, and held it firmly between them, staring straight into her wet blue eyes.

“...I honestly, truly want to be happy for you and Applejack,” he said. “And...I am. It’s...disappointing that I couldn’t be the special somepony you wanted, but...I’m glad it was Applejack. I know you’re perfect for each other. More perfect than I could have been for you. I realize that now...and…”

He faltered, and his tears seemed to redouble.

“I’m sorry I got so angry...I was just…I just...”

But he didn’t go on. At that moment, Rarity scooped the little dragon into her forelegs and hugged him tight against her barrel, allowing him to settle against the pillow-like softness of her belly as she nuzzled the top of his head.

“That’s enough, Spike,” she said. “I can’t stand it anymore...I can’t bear you speaking about yourself so harshly...You were perfectly right to be angry with me. Even if we weren’t special someponies, I did treat you shabbily even as a friend...I admit, there were times when I was being rather selfish towards you, and you did not deserve that at all…”

She pulled Spike back so she could look him in the eye again. He did not resist.

“I will always be your friend, Spike, and I hope you will always be mine. I only wish I could have been more sensitive about your feelings, and I humbly hope you might forgive me…”

Spike’s eyes began to overflow in earnest, his mouth quivering.

“...I do,” he said. “I might have lost you as a marefriend...but I don’t want to lose you as a friend friend…”

And he threw himself against Rarity, hugging her plump body as much as he could, sniffling against her soft fur. Rarity embraced him all the tighter, resting her cheek against the top of his head. Neither could say how long they stayed like this, but the time they broke apart, little smiles were back on their faces.

“Thank you, Rarity,” said Spike. “I’m...I’m glad we could talk this out…”

“Me too, Spikey-wikey, me too…” said Rarity. “I only hope you won’t be too jealous when you see Applejack and me out and about…”

Spike actually managed a small laugh.

“Nah,” he said. “I need to stop acting like such a kid. I’m not always going to be a baby dragon, after all.”

Rarity’s smile became warmer. It was wonderful to see him being so mature.

“Just know this, Rarity,” said Spike, gripping her hoof, “that I still think you’re the most beautiful mare in Ponyville. Nothing’s ever gonna change that.”

Rarity felt as if she might cry again, but she retained her smile.

“Thank you, Spike…” she said.

And she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn’t a romantic kiss, but rather like one a mother bestows on her child, full of warm platonic affection. Spike took it as such...but felt all the better for it.

***

Outside the bedroom, Twilight and Applejack sat, waiting. They could hear the two talking inside, but could only barely distinguish what they were saying. Then, when Spike started on his emotional tirade against Rarity, both alicorn and Earth pony flattened their ears with pained looks on their faces. Neither of them had ever heard Spike so angry before. Twilight made a quick mental note never to leave the little guy out of anything ever again, to always be honest with him, and to hope he would always be honest with her. It wasn’t healthy for him to keep all of this bottled up…

Then, his voice died down, but it could still just be distinguished what he and Rarity were saying, as Spike calmed down and Rarity consoled him. As they concluded, reaching their understanding between one another, Twilight and Applejack looked at each other, teary-eyed smiles on their faces. It could have been so much worse, they felt, but it seemed to be over now. All that could be hoped for was that, with time, Spike’s wounds would heal fully…

The door suddenly opened, and the two sprang back. There stood Spike and Rarity, both with reddened, puffy eyes and tear stains on their faces, but both smiling. The little dragon approached Applejack, looking her straight in the face, green eye meeting green eye.

“...Congratulations, Applejack,” he said, sincerely. “I’m...I’m glad it was you.”

Applejack felt as though she might bust out into full-blown crying at this.

“Thanks, Spike,” she said, in a choked voice. “C’mere.”

She threw her foreleg around him and drew him into a tight, warm hug against her barrel, while he nestled against her fur. It was funny, really. Applejack had achieved what Spike hadn’t been able to, and yet, he never considered the sturdy farm pony to be anything like a rival who had stolen his prize. He was beyond such thoughts now, and wanted to continue to be. It would take time, but he would be strong, for them…

They finally broke apart, and Spike, waving to her and to Rarity, went back into his room, closing the door gently behind him. Rarity and Applejack turned to Twilight, who nodded, and the three of them made their way back to the front door.

“Thank you, Twilight,” said Rarity, once they had reached the entrance. “I wish I hadn’t needed a reminder of what should have been obvious to me, but…”

“It’s alright, Rarity,” said Twilight. “I know it wasn’t easy for either of you, but I’m glad you were able to talk it out. It might take some time for him to fully recover, but I know he wants the best for you two, and so do I.”

“Thanks, Twi,” said Applejack. “That means a lot to us…”

The three mares converged into a three-way group hug, then, at last, Applejack and Rarity bid Twilight farewell, turned, and side by side, departed back into Ponyville. As Twilight watched them go, walking so close their curvy flanks were nearly touching, she saw Applejack’s tail flick to Rarity’s, and the two seemed to clasp each other tenderly as they went. Twilight smiled at this, then softly closed the castle doors, feeling exhausted but satisfied.

The Future Looks Bright

Sweetie Belle hummed happily to herself as she trotted through Ponyville. She had just received her week’s allowance from her parents, and was off to Sugarcube Corner to treat herself to a milkshake. Later on, she was planning to meet up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo for an afternoon in the park, away from Crusader planning for a change. The sun was shining, birds were singing, the air was perfumed with the scent of grass and flowers...Could anypony have asked for a more perfect day?

*Bump!*

“Hey, watch it!”

Sweetie Belle stumbled backwards, disorientated, nearly falling back on her rump. This scenario felt very familiar to her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Spike whom she had bumped into, but the last pony she’d want to see on such a perfect day like this: Diamond Tiara, flanked, as always, by Silver Spoon.

“Sorry!” said Sweetie Belle. “I didn’t mean to-”

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, you little loser?!” Diamond Tiara snapped.

“Jeez, I said I was sorry,” said Sweetie Belle, resentfully. “Why do you have to make such a big deal?”

“It’s not our fault you’re a clumsy ox,” said Silver Spoon.

“I’m not clumsy!” retorted Sweetie Belle.

“Sure, whatever you say,” said Silver Spoon, with an unconvinced smirk.

“But look on the bright side,” said Diamond Tiara, smiling nastily, “at least you’re not alone. You and those two other blank flanks are as good as clowns! Why not try for cutie marks like that? You three are good at falling all over yourselves!”

She and Silver Spoon laughed derisively. Sweetie Belle’s ears went flat against her skull, her cheeks red.

“‘Come one, come all!’,” said Diamond Tiara, imitating a circus ringmaster. “Come see Apple Bloom, the Bumbling Bumpkin! Scootaloo, the Only Pegasus with the Wings of a Chicken! And Sweetie ‘Butterhooves’ Belle!”

“That’s not funny…” muttered Sweetie Belle.

“You know, she’s right,” said Silver Spoon. “Why not just call all three ‘the Cutie Mark Oops-saders?’”

Diamond Tiara was practically paralyzed with laughter at this witticism. She collapsed onto her stomach, pounding the ground with her hoof while Silver Spoon fell onto her back, kicking her hind legs. Sweetie Belle felt her face burning. She longed to retort, but could find no words sufficient enough…

“Hey! Back off!”

All three looked up, the two bullies ceasing their laughter. Standing ten feet away was Spike, and he looked furious. He began stomping towards them, fists clenched, eyes blazing.

“What do you want?” asked Diamond Tiara, with undisguised insolence.

“For you to leave her alone!” snapped Spike. “How dare you speak to her like that!”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both raised their eyebrows. They hardly knew Spike, and so were not entirely sure how to react to this.

“Are you new around here or something?” asked Diamond Tiara. “We can speak to anypony anyway we want.”

Spike’s eyes narrowed. He was being vividly reminded of Sunset Shimmer when she was still cruel and snide…

“Why, because you have a rich father who owns a chain of stores all across Equestria?” asked Spike, with biting sarcasm. “Big whoop! Her sister-”

He pointed to Sweetie Belle.

“-and Apple Bloom’s sister are two of the most important ponies in Equestria! They sit right beside Princess Twilight’s throne, and they’ve helped save this kingdom Celestia knows how many times! Has your father ever done anything like that?”

“W-Well, no,” said Diamond Tiara, looking a little taken aback. “But-”

“Well, in that case,” Spike went on, “you two can just get off your high horses and leave her alone, cuz if it wasn’t for her sister, you might not even be standing here, so I think a little respect is in order!”

The two antagonistic fillies looked very discomforted, unable to find a worthy retort to this. Sweetie Belle was staring at Spike in awe and admiration, as though she had never seen him properly before.

“Come on,” said Diamond Tiara, at last, very resentfully.

With that, the two stalked off, neither of them bothering to glance back at Spike and Sweetie Belle as they went. Spike glared after them, snorting steam through his nostrils.

“Brats,” he muttered. “Who do they think they are?...”

“Wow, Spike,” said Sweetie Belle. “That was...amazing!”

“Ah, it was nothing,” said Spike, turning to face her. “I wasn’t about to let them keep making fun of you.”

Sweetie Belle beamed at him.

“I haven’t seen you in a few weeks,” she said. “Not since...well…”

She trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Spike, however, patted her withers with a smile.

“It’s all right, Sweetie,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of time to reflect, and I feel a lot better about it.”

“Oh, good,” said Sweetie Belle, relieved. “I was kinda worried that…”

“Eh, I couldn’t stay shut up forever,” said Spike. “Life’s too short for that, especially when you’re still just a kid. Besides, Twilight thinks I ought to get out more and have a little fun. Mind you,” he added, ruefully, “the chores’ll still be waiting for me when I get back.”

Sweetie Belle giggled.

“So, how are things with you?” Spike asked. “I still see Rarity sometimes, but I have no idea if you two have been up to anything.”

“Oh, it’s been pretty good,” said Sweetie Belle. “We went camping just last week with Applejack and Apple Bloom, like we did at Winsome Falls. It was a lot of fun, being able to hang out with Rarity and Applejack.”

“Are Rarity and Apple Bloom getting along?”

“Yeah! It’s kinda funny, actually. Apple Bloom’s not used to being fussed over like Rarity does with me sometimes, but I think she kinda enjoys it. Rarity’s stopping by Sweet Apple Acres a lot more, too.”

“Not to try more farm work, I hope?”

“Heheh, nah, and Applejack’s not gonna learn sewing anytime soon. Apple Bloom told me Granny loves having a pie ready for her when she stops by. But actually, I think Rarity’s been losing weight lately. She’s not as big as before, but she’s still got a belly, kinda like Applejack does.”

“Oh, good for her,” said Spike. “I’ll bet she’s happy about that."

“I think so, but she told me she’s gonna miss letting Applejack sleep on her tummy. She still can, but she says it wouldn’t feel the same.”

Spike grinned. It was amazing how easily he could maintain a conversation with Sweetie Belle like this. How could he not have hung around with her before, when they were practically the same age?

“So, what are you up to today?” he asked. “I mean, before those two started picking on you.”

“Well, I was gonna go to Sugarcube Corner for a milkshake, then meet up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in the park.”

“Cool!” said Spike.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked,

“Er...got room for one more? I’ve got nothing else to do right now.”

“Of course!” said Sweetie Belle. “I’m sure the girls would be glad to have you!”

“Awesome!” said Spike. “Shall we, my lady?”

He made a grand, sweeping bow. Sweetie Belle laughed and bowed in turn.

“But of course, dear sir,” she said, in her most regal voice.

The two had barely started down the street, however, when Sweetie Belle said,

“Oh! I almost forgot!”

“What?”

Then, to Spike’s utter astonishment, Sweetie Belle licked him on the cheek.

Spike froze, his eyes wide, staring at the little unicorn in mute amazement. Sweetie Belle merely smiled innocently.

“What?” she asked. “I never gave you a proper thank you for standing up for me. It was really brave of you.”

She batted her eyelashes, very reminiscent of a damsel thanking a brave knight for saving her. Spike’s cheeks flushed briefly, but, with a shake of his head, he drew himself up, puffing out with his chest with pride.

“Anything for a lady in need, and a good friend,” he said, grinning. “If they ever bug you again, just let me know. I’ll make ‘em back off.”

“Thanks, Spike.”

And the two walked on, the unicorn filly ever-so-slightly sidling up alongside the little dragon, who did not make any resistance. In fact, one might have said there was a new spring in his step as he strode on, side by side with Sweetie Belle.

***

“Yer kiddin’!”

It was dusk, and Rarity and Applejack were seated on a hill, watching the sunset. The remains of an apple pie, which is to say, a few crumbs and some dollops of whipped cream, sat in a pan on the picnic plate beneath them. Two similarly-besmirched plates sat beside them. Even though Rarity’s weight was beginning to go down again, she could never pass up an Apple-made pie.

“Spike and Sweetie Belle?” asked Applejack, incredulously.

“Nothing concrete, Applejack,” said Rarity. “I never said they were going out. I rather think they’re a little young to be, quote-unqoute, ‘dating’, in the traditional sense.”

“Yeah, Ah’d say so,” said Applejack.

“On the other hoof,” said Rarity, her smile curling upwards across her muzzle, “Sweetie Belle told me how he spent the entire afternoon with her, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo at the park, after milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner. Ask Pinkie Pie, she’ll corroborate.”

“Ah believe it,” said Applejack, grinning. “Bout time the little fellah started hangin’ out with kids his own age.”

“I agree,” said Rarity. “As much as I enjoy having him around, it must get a bit dull, being a child among grown-up mares. But that’s not all Sweetie Belle said.”

Here, her smile grew a bit cheeky. Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“She told me how she saved her when she was being teased by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

“Those two…” huffed Applejack. “Somepony ought to tell Filthy Rich what that daughter of his gets up to.”

“Yes, quite,” said Rarity, “but that’s not all, darling. She told me she thanked him...by giving him a kiss!”

Applejack’s jaw fell open.

“Yer jokin’,” she said, unable to believe it.

“I’m not,” said Rarity, in a singsong voice. “It was only a lick on the cheek, but even so…”

Applejack chuckled.

“Well, Ah’ll be,” she said. “Ah reckon he’s gonna be alright, if Sweetie Belle’s lookin’ out for him.”

“I quite agree,” said Rarity. “Ohh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if those two…?”

She didn’t finish, but sighed dreamily as she leaned back, draping herself on the blanket in front of Applejack. The farm mare smiled.

“Ah think so,” she said, finishing Rarity’s thought.

Rarity pulled her hooves up against her chest, batting her eyelashes up at Applejack. The corners of Applejack’s mouth twitched; she felt an urge to laugh at how absurdly cute she was acting.

“What?” she asked. “You tryin’ to tell me somethin’?”

“Only,” said Rarity, not breaking her pose, “that a belly rub would really be wonderful right now.”

Applejack’s smile widened slightly. While she herself never felt much an inclination to be belly-rubbed, Rarity would invariably ask for one, especially after a big meal, when the two were alone, and Applejack would always oblige. No one else would ever have believed somepony so prim and demure would ever deign for something like a belly rub, but then again, they didn’t know Rarity the way Applejack did.

So, Applejack placed a hoof on Rarity’s soft, plump middle and began moving it about in slow, rhythmic circles. Rarity let out a low ‘Mmmmmm’ of contentment, her eyes closing dreamily. Her silky tail swished from side to side as Applejack rubbed away, kneading her belly.

“Ah know you’ve been losin’ a little weight lately, Rare,” said Applejack, enjoying the peaceful look on her marefriend’s face. “Ah just hope you don’t mind. Ah mean, Ah don’t care what size y’are, cuz you’ll still be the Rarity Ah know and love. Ah just thought you were happy bein’ a little fat.”

“I was,” said Rarity, sleepily opening one eye, ‘and I still am, as I’m still a little fat. My only regret is not being as big to allow you to sleep on my belly as well as before.”

“Aw, heck, Ah can still do that,” said Applejack. “Watch.”

She lowered herself so that her cheek was resting against Rarity’s stomach. It was still soft, plush, and warm, though the bellyrub alone told her that much. She let out a deep, content sigh, and Rarity giggled.

“Applejack! That tickled…”

“Heh, sorry,” said Applejack, still smiling.

Rarity reached forward and toyed with Applejack’s boyish bangs. Applejack closed her eyes, nestling her cheek against Rarity’s belly. The sun was sinking lower and lower as the two lay there in this attitude. Time might as well have stood still; the two mares could have used all the time in the world to keep this moment prolonged as possible.

“How did I ever get so lucky as to deserve a wonderful mare like you?’ Rarity asked at last, fondly.

“Ah think the same thing now and again,” said Applejack, drowsily. “And all Ah can do is thank mah lucky stars.”

“Me too, darling.”

Slowly, Applejack raised her head, then stretched. Rarity made to sit up, but Applejack held up a hoof.

“No, no, don’t get up,” she said. “Ah just wanna get more comfortable.”

Rarity lay back, and within a few seconds, the meaning of Applejack’s words became clear. She lay herself right alongside Rarity, nestled right up beside her. Rarity smiled, turning her head to face her, and found that Applejack had done the same, so that they were almost nose to nose.

“To think it all started with a simple little lick,” said Rarity.

Applejack grinned, not looking the least bit abashed.

“You mean like this?”

She leaned ever so slightly forward and slowly, tenderly licked Rarity’s cheek. Rarity giggled, her nose crinkling adorably.

“Yes, exactly so,” she said. “Just like this.”

And she did the very same to Applejack, licking her right on the freckles. Applejack’s mouth scrunched up, looking like she was fighting back a laugh of her own. She reached forward, putting her forelegs around Rarity and drawing her against her in a soft, warm hug. Rarity responded in kind, resting her beautiful head under Applejack’s chin.

“I love you, my darling Applejack…”

“And Ah love you, Rarity…”

Neither knew how long they lay there, under the failing light of day, with night closing in. The only thing they did know was that, even if they had days, weeks, months, years to spend together, neither would have regretted it if that evening lasted forever...

Author's Note

And with that, Sweet and Complete truly is complete. I know it's not perfect, and this is my first time writing a romance story, but I had a lot of fun writing this, and I can only hope you guys enjoyed reading it. :pinkiehappy: