“Do you Caramel take this mare to be your lofty wedded wife?” The Mayor asked the light amber earth stallion.
“I do.” He answered.
“And do you Sassaflash take this stallion to be your lofty wedded husband?” The Mayor repeated the same question to the light blue pegasus mare.
“I do.” She answered.
“Well then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you, husband and wife.”
Upon the mayor finished her declaration, both Caramel and Sassaflash kissed each other and all the attendees exploded in cheers. Almost everypony in town was there to celebrate the joyous union of these two lovers.
After their kiss, the newlywed decided to not end their wedding yet and encourages everypony to stay and party. This was something Pinkie Pie was more than happy to do and took out her emergency party supplies.
They partied late into the night, but eventually both Caramel and Sassaflash had to leave for their honeymoon. So after the bride toss the bouquet, both her and Caramel boarded their chariot and left Ponyville.
“Man that was great wedding, wasn’t it guys?” Rainbow exclaim to her friends, sounding a little tipsy from all the ciders she drank.
“He he, you can say that again Rainbow.” Pinkie giggled, enjoying hearing her drunken friend talk.
“Indeed it was a marvelous wedding, don’t you think so Applejack?” Rarity asked her orange friend only to see her not paying any attention to their conversation.
Being the pony with a keen eye, she could tell that something was bothering Applejack.
“Applejack?” She called out to her friend. This immediately got her friend’s attention.
“Yeah, Rare?”
“Is there something bothering you?”
Upon hearing this, Applejack was taken aback by this but she recovered quickly. “What no, there’s nothing wrong, nothing at all.” She answered hastily.
Oh Applejack, you never were a good liar, Rarity though in her head. Before the white mare could say anything else she was suddenly interrupted by her lavender friend, Twilight.
“Rarity, can you give us a hoof here.” Twilight requested. “We need some help to get Rainbow back to her house.”
Rarity then turns her head to the drunken blue mare that was now passed out on the ground, snoring loudly. Rarity quickly turns her back to Appejack, but the orange mare already gone, heading straight back to her home in Sweet Apple Acres.
With her gone Rarity refocus her attention on her other friends and assisted them with getting Rainbow back to her house. Along the way, her mind was still plagued with the worrisome thoughts of her dear friend, Applejack.
The next day Rarity was still worried about her friend, but it didn’t bother her that much like last night. She was probably getting worried over nothing, she thought to herself. She knows Applejack. She wasn’t the type of pony that would sulk around all day; she was capable of fixing her own problems.
Still, that doesn’t mean she can still go check up on her. So Rarity closes the Boutique and headed for the apple farm outside of town.
Rarity followed the dirt path that led her to the front entrance of the farm. After saying hello to Big Macintosh, she asked the big red
stallion where her sister was. The stallion pointed her in the southern part of the acre and Rarity trotted in that general direction.
After trotting through rows of trees, Rarity eventually spotted her orange friend. As she slowly approaches her, the white mare can plainly see that Applejack was still in the mood like she was from last night. Her bucking lacked the usual enthusiasm and energy she provides in each of her kicks. The orange mare instead just kick the tree like it was a boring, repetitive task.
“Applejack.” Rarity called out to her.
Applejack turns her head around and saw Rarity. Seeing her friend, Applejack produces a big friendly smile on her face. “Howdy Rarity, what can I do you for?”
Despite the smile she was giving, Rarity can easily tell that it wasn’t a genuine smile. It was a type of smile used to facade a pony’s true feeling. Casting an illusion to fool others into thinking that she was alright.
“Well Applejack dear, I’m just here to see that if you are alright.”
“Of course I’m alright.” Applejack retorted. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well because last night-“
“Never you mind that, Rarity.” Applejack interrupted. “Last night was nothing alright, just leave it at that.” She then returns back to bucking the tree behind her.
“Applejack, we both know that’s an outright lie.” Rarity replied. However, Applejack gave no response and continued kicking the tree while ignoring her friend.
“Is this about Caramel?”
Upon hearing that name, Applejack immediately stopped just as she was about to buck the tree. She lowered her legs and stayed motionless.
“Is it the fact that Caramel got married is what’s bothering you?”
“No.” Applejack quickly answered. However, one look at Rarity’s disapproving look made her gave up trying to hide it. “Well alright maybe a little.”
A while back Caramel used to work part time at Sweet Apple Acres. While working there the young stallion developed a crush on Applejack. So when the day came when the he reveal his love for her, he was sadden when Applejack respectfully decline his affection.
Caramel took the rejection like a stallion and continues to work on the farm. However, this time he is no longer pursuing a romantic relation with Applejack and kept their relationship to a professional level.
The young stallion continued to work at the farm for almost a year until the day he met a lovely mare name Sassaflash. She is a great mare, very kind and sweet to him. So after going out on a couple of dates together both ponies grew closer to each other. So it was no surprise when Caramel proposed to her that she said yes.
Why is it bothering you Applejack?” Rarity questioned. “I though you told me that you had no feelings for Caramel.”
“I do, but it’s just hard to explain it.”
“Well try and explain it as best as you can, Applejack.”
Sighing, Applejack a took a second to think of the best way to describe how she is feeling. “Well at first it didn’t really bother me at all. But, when I saw him standing there with his bride and both them saying their vows, something inside me just felt really sad.”
Applejack expression soon changed her mouth turning into a frown. “I don’t know why, but when I think back to that moment it felt like I
missed something.”
“Missed something?” Rarity repeated the last part.
“Yeah I don’t know, like I missed out on something.”
“Oh dear.” Rarity said with concern. “I think I know what you’re problem might be, Applejack.”
Applejack, then turn her face to her friend, waiting to hear her answer.
“You really do like Caramel, don’t you?”
“What no!” Applejack exclaim, taken back by her friend’s answer. However, her reaction to the question was all Rarity needed to know.
“Applejack please, calm down.”
While Appejack had in mind to tell Rarity off, she suppresses those thoughts and tense down a little.
“Applejack dear, I believe what you’re feeling right now is regret.”
The orange mare didn’t say anything, but listen in to what she is saying.
“When you saw Caramel at the wedding with Sassaflash, you suddenly realize that could have been you up there. Standing next to him, saying your vows and announcing your love for each other. Imagining what could have been?”
Applejack turn away from her friend and looked down at the ground. What Rarity said was true was starting to make sense to her. It was true that she felt something for Caramel a while back, but she felt like she was ready for that kind of relationship yet and did not follow up on it. However, this did not stop the mare from thinking about though, of what might have happen if she had accepted his affection.
“I know that feeling Applejack.” Rarity said “I know what it’s like to imagine what could have been, but let me tell you this Applejack, it’s better to focus on your own life rather than thinking about of what could have happened.”
Applejack continued to stand there and let everything her friend said, sink in. At first she was about to call out Rarity for not knowing what it’s like, but the apple farmer detected something genuine in her words. Like she knows this from actual experience.
“Did you ever regret something, Rarity?”
“Yes I have.” Rarity simply answered, not going into any details.
Applejack could’ve pry some more, but she figure that it was best not delve into her friend’s personal life any further. She instead looked her friend straight in the eye and gave a true friendly smile. “Well Rarity, you gave some things to think about, but I don’t think I can get over it that easily.”
“It always hard at first, but it will eventually get easier.” Rarity responded, giving her friend some advice.
“Well I really appreciate you coming here Rare. While you didn’t really solve my problem, you at least made it less painful.”
“Why that is what friends are for, Applejack.” Rarity said, smiling.
She then proceeds to turn around and depart, leaving her friend Applejack, to reflect on her words. While she still can’t stop thinking about it, she is at least not bothered by it anymore. Her friend was right, it’s better to focus on your own life, rather wondering about what could have been.
THE END