Sipping on her tea, Rarity watched the misty rain soak the dusky streets of Ponyville. Cold radiated from the window, making her grateful for the warmth of the drink and the fire burning in her stove. Behind her the clock’s gears whirred to life as they began lazily banging out the hours.
‘Closing time,’ she thought to herself. Reaching out with her magic, she flipped her sign to closed, then took the door's latch in her grasp. She had just begun to turn the lock, when somepony on the other side knocked. The sound startled her, making her release the latch. Perhaps it was a last-moment customer? Stepping back, she took the doorknob in hoof and opened the door.
It wasn’t a customer, but a rather dejected-looking Applejack.
Opening the door a bit more, Rarity cocked her head in confusion. “Are you alright, Dear?”
Applejack shrugged. “Can I come in?”
Jolting at the question, Rarity threw the door open wide and stepped aside. “Of course! Where are my manners? Come in, Applejack. There’s hot water on the stove, if you would you like some tea.”
Stepping into the room, Applejack nodded. “Some tea sounds nice, actually.”
There was a gloom to Applejack that worried Rarity, but she held her tongue for now. Walking back to the kitchen, she looked over her teas. Picking out a bright mint and lemongrass blend, she sprinkled a bit into a diffuser. “Would you like sugar in your tea?”
“Just a bit.”
Returning to the main room with the teacup in her magic, Rarity sat next to Applejack. “There you go,” she said, sitting the steeping tea on the table before them.
“Thanks Rare,” Applejack said, staring into her tea. “I just need to talk to somepony that’ll understand me, and not go crazy trying to fix things.”
Rarity frowned. “I will do my best. What’s the matter?”
Picking up her tea, Applejack took a careful sip. “You ever feel like you’re just not living up to your mark?”
The question made Rarity blink. The last year had been amazingly kind to her. With her new store's success, she’d never felt more accomplished in her calling. It hadn't always been like that, though. She remembered a time when she questioned whether or not she understood just what her mark had meant. Applejack must have known the struggle of her first few years.
“Yes, there was a time I felt like that,” Rarity said, nodding absently.
Applejack sat her tea back down, then bent her neck to study her own cutie mark.
Rarity cleared her throat. “Your harvest was an all-time best this year; delicious too. Something to be proud of.”
“Yep,” Applejack nodded. “And thanks to Apple Bloom, we got it in two weeks earlier than normal.”
Sipping at her tea, Rarity struggled for something to say as the room fell into silence.
“I’ve worked that farm my whole life; helped Mac make it the shining jewel of the Apple family.”
“But...” Rarity said, so her friend didn’t have to.
“Somewhere, sometime, it stopped being enough.”
Confusion wrinkled Rarity’s brow. “I suppose you could expand the orchard, if it’s not challenging enough anymore.”
Applejack tilted her head in confusion, but at least a bit of the sadness vanished. “How would that help?”
Turning to face Applejack, Rarity gave her a quick hug before looking her in the eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t understand the problem. Would you explain it to me, please?”
Returning Rarity’s soft expression, Applejack nodded. “I get that a lot, I was kinda hoping that you already knew.”
“Knew what, Dear?”
Taking a step back, Applejack turned to show Rarity her cutie mark. “Do you know what my special talent is?”
“Why, apple farming, of course.”
Applejack laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “Nope.”
“I...” Rarity couldn’t find her words. She didn’t know one of her best friends’ special talents?
“Family,” Applejack said with a smile, some of the warmth coming back to her voice. “Helping my loved ones be their very best. Building a life together.”
Rarity breathed deep, everything snapping into focus. “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”
“More like always the sister, never the mother, but yeah,” Applejack said with a half nod.
“Ah... I see why you didn’t want to talk to one of the other girls now.”
“Yeah, last thing I need is Pinkie setting me up on a string of blind dates, or Twilight trying one of her crazy plans.”
Nodding in agreement, Rarity stood to fetch a bottle of wine from her shelf. “Ponyville is not an easy place for a mare to find a date, and leaving everything behind to move somewhere else just isn't an option.”
Applejack nodded, watching Rarity sit across the table from her, and fill two wine glasses. “Mac’s the one with the mark for growing apples. Always figured I’d move out when he settled down. Let him have our parents’ place. I’d start a family nearby. Keep working the fields when they need me. Bake pies at home for some extra bits.”
Setting the glass in front of Applejack, Rarity gave her a soft smile. “And with Apple Bloom getting her mark, she's fast on her way to becoming her own mare.”
“Yep.” Trading tea for wine, Applejack took a healthy drink. “Couple more years, and who knows where she’ll be.” A snort of a laugh escaped her as she sat the glass down. “Those three are already talking about opening a chapter in Canterlot.”
Rarity shook her head, but couldn’t keep from smiling. “Yes, I’m afraid my stock room may be getting commandeered for that.”
Silence again settled between the two, but it was an easy one. A laugh bubbled from Rarity. “You know, Dear,” she said, studying her wine. “Despite what I said, Ponyville isn’t completely devoid of single stallions, and you are a very eligible mare. There’s no shame in focusing on yourself for a while, and trying to find your special somepony.”
A long sigh escaped Applejack. With one motion she downed the rest of her wine, and pushed it towards a Rarity for more. “That’s where this rabbit hole gets a bit deep. You see, I’ve been seeing this stallion on the quiet for a while now.”
“A secret suitor?” Worry creased Rarity’s muzzle as she refilled Applejack’s glass. “He didn’t break off the relationship, did he?”
“No.” Taking the glass in hoof, Applejack sipped a bit more. “He just asked me to be his special somepony. Even talked about getting married and trying for a foal in a year or so; if things go well.”
Rarity cocked an eyebrow, staring dumbly at her friend. “And you said?”
“I need to think about it.”
Taking the wine in her magic, Rarity leaned forward. “That’s an awfully big jump from casually dating. How long have you two been seeing each other?”
“About two years, and we were hardly casually dating.”
This time it was Rarity that downed her glass on one go. Closing her eyes, she breathed a moment before looking back at Applejack. “He’s married.”
“Yep. Was anyway. Filed for divorce yesterday. She moved out today.”
Leaning back, Rarity massaged her head with a hoof. Applejack, the other mare. She would have never guessed it in a thousand years. “Does she know about you?”
Applejack nodded. “I didn’t mind keeping it a secret from most ponies, but I wouldn’t let him hide it from her.”
“Hmm...” Rarity racked her brain, trying to guess who the stallion was. “Are you sure he told her?"
“Yep. Appologized to her myself about it after that first time.” Again Applejack drank at her wine, but this time taking a moment to taste it. “Told her it wouldn’t happen again. But she said she wasn’t one that cared much for the bedroom, and was glad he’d found a place to deal with that elsewhere.”
“You’re serious?”
Setting her glass down, Applejack sat up straight as a board, screwing up her face in an ugly scowl. “If you wish to be the receptacle for his lust, then by all means continue so he’ll leave me alone about it,” she said in a tone that made it clear was quoting the mare.
“Oh my.” The idea of being married to somepony that didn’t want to be held at night made Rarity’s heart ache. How many nights would it take before the temptation to find passion elsewhere became too much? “Can I ask why he didn’t leave her sooner?”
“Well.” Applejack considered her wine again, but sat it back down. “They met in business school, and she got pregnant. He’s been staying for their daughter. That’s why they got hitched to begin with. But she and the youngn’ had a falling out recently, and not the kind that ever really heals proper. On top of that, his wife’s been making some trouble for his business too.” Applejack leveled a sad smile at Rarity, then shrugged “So, he finally decided the staying was doing more damage than leaving would.”
Gossip, rumors, whispers, they all clicked into place now. With a gasp, Rarity whispered, “You’re Filthy Rich’s mistress?”
“Lonely hearts will reach out for each other,” Applejack said, nodding her head.
“Not to sound rude Dear, but how did that even start?”
Courage seemed to be at the bottom of her wine glass, so Applejack emptied it again. “Our families were real close, before the accident. Mac and Rich played together as colts. Heck, he was my first crush.”
“I thought he was older than that.”
“That just ‘cause he doesn’t sleep enough. He’s only a year older than Mac; it’s those bags under his eyes that make him look older than he is.” A playful smile danced across Applejack’s lips. “Two days of good...” Applejack paused. A blush crossing her face as she reconsidered her words. “...Food and rest, and he looks younger than me.”
Rarity laughed. “Yes Dear, a weekend of good food does wonders for the complexion. Still, though...” She couldn't help but smile at her friend; it was so rare to see her with a girlish fluster. Regaining her composure, Rarity considered her words for a moment. “I just have a hard time seeing you two with much in common.”
Applejack’s smile stretched into her eyes. “Some would say the same about us.”
“True.” Rarity nodded. “I suppose one should not confuse a pony’s public persona for their private one.”
“Get that tie off him, and he’s a different stallion.” The giggle hiding in Applejack’s voice faded as she paused. “A lot of his bad image is because of Spoiled. Mac called him out about what she’d called Apple Bloom and her friends. Said that if that’s how he felt, we’d find another distributor.”
“I take it that was the straw that broke the camel’s back?”
“Yep, he couldn’t stand the idea of Mac thinking he thought like that. Did you know after that Ponyville Days mess, he put some serious bits into an education fund for Apple Bloom?”
Rarity blinked. “That’s quite the apology. I suppose the real question now is, do you actually love him, or was this just an arrangement to scratch an itch?”
Looking away, Applejack rubbed at her foreleg. “It started as just a physical thing. Two lonely ponies trapped in the barn, waiting for a storm to pass over. But like I said, I’ve always had eyes for him, and he treats me like a princess when we’re out.”
“Where do you two take your dates?”
Applejack shrugged. “If one of us had business out of town, the other would make an excuse to go too. Plus, we’re pretty good at finding each other in town.”
Raising an eyebrow, Rarity smirked. “Is that where you disappeared to the last night we were in Manehattan? I thought you were visiting the Oranges.”
The blush on Applejack’s face deepened as she tried harder not to look towards Rarity. “Well, I did have lunch with them.”
“Applejack,” Rarity said with a sigh. Standing up, she moved to sit closer. “While I can’t condone what your relationship was.” Resting a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, she forced her friend to meet her eyes. “I see no reason for you to not try and make something more solid out of it now.”
“But what if it doesn't work out?”
“Then it doesn't,” Rarity said. “But that’s true with any relationship, and it seems a waste to not try.”
“It’s just so scary. It’s what I’ve felt ashamed of wanting for so long. Now it’s mine for the taking.”
“Well, I think you need to talk to him about it. Tell him your hopes and your fears.” Relaxing a bit, Rarity floated the tea from earlier over to her. “Talk to Apple Bloom too. As much as you call her your sister, you’re a mother to her. See how she and Diamond get along. Maybe the four of you could take a weekend trip together.”
Reaching for the still steaming cup of tea, Applejack cleaned the taste of wine from her mouth. “That’s a good idea.”
“You’ve waited this long, no need to rush things.”
“You’re right. I’m going to go talk to him now.” Standing up, Applejack gave Rarity a hug. “Thanks for listening to me.”
“Anytime, Dear.” Raising with her friend, she held the door for her. “Do tell me how it goes.”
“I will,” Applejack said with a parting smile.
Standing in the open door, Rarity let the misting rain cool her coat. Watching Applejack walk off towards the Rich’s house, she imagined how a white dress would flow around her.
Inside the shop, Opal meowed in protest of the draft she was letting in.
“Yes, yes, Dear,” she said, stepping back inside and closing the door. “Let’s go find Applejack’s gala dress. I can’t imagine her measurements have changed much...”
