The last day before the Running of the Leaves was always Applejack's favorite. The trees were still brightly colored, a fiery sea in the sky just below the clouds. The air was crisp, but not too cold, and the scent of autumn still hung in the air. The pegasi had decided on a beautiful cloudless day, no doubt in part thanks to Rainbow Dash's insisting. The sun was still high enough that light touched everything in the orchard, but low enough that it cast the perfect glow. Rarity was running late, which was to be expected, but on a day like this, Applejack wasn't annoyed or impatient. She could wait all night for Rarity to arrive if she had to.
She didn't have to, thankfully. The mare was trotting over the fields now, a scarf around her neck even though there was no chill to speak of. She was making excuses for running late- something about finishing up an order for her Manehatten store- but Applejack shrugged it off. It was no big deal. She'd only been a few minutes late, and her business in Manehatten was really blooming. It was understandable she'd take that extra time to focus on work. She was dedicated. Applejack loved that about her, her dedication. She never did anything half-flanked. It was always 110%, no matter what, and her work really paid off. In a few years, she would be making a real profit, not just a few bits tucked away here and there.
"Walk with me," Applejack said, noticing that Rarity was searching for a grassier patch of ground to sit on. Rarity looked confused. The two usually sat beneath the trees, relaxed, and talked about their days before they returned to the barn for the night. They didn't really take walks, mostly because their jobs required they be on their hooves most of the day, but Rarity shrugged it off. A change of routine would be nice. She followed alongside Applejack down the path that was usually reserved for the Running of the Leaves.
Applejack started up the usual conversation, asking Rarity about her day. They fell into the easy routine, Rarity chatting about particularly difficult customers, and Applejack bragging about how much of the apple field she'd tended to. It was as if they were in their little spot, nothing having changed for the day, but Rarity felt slightly uneasy. Applejack seemed nervous. That alone wouldn't have bothered Rarity- Applejack often had her mind on a number of things at once, and sometimes, she would be worried about something to do with the farm. Nerves alone weren't making Rarity uneasy. It was Applejack's nerves paired with the change in routine. Something was up.
"Applejack, darling, you seem flustered. Is anything the matter?"
"Nope. Mighty pretty, these leaves, ain't they? It's the best day of the year, when all the leaves are still in the trees,"
"Yes, you've said that," Rarity sighed. Applejack continued to ramble about the day, repeating the fact that it was her favorite day a grand total of twenty or so times before she finally came to a stop in a small clearing. They were surrounded by trees, completely under the cover of the leaves. It was colder here, without the sun. Applejack hadn't accounted for that, and she shivered slightly, but it wasn't so cold that she was deterred.
"Rarity," Applejack began, her voice shaking. Rarity's sapphire eyes met Applejack's emerald, looking for anything that might give away what was happening. Since they'd gotten together, Applejack hardly ever called Rarity by her full name. She was almost always 'Rares' these days.
"Yes, Darling?"
"We've been together a long time, and we've been through a lot, what with saving Equestria and solving all those friendship problems, and everything in between. And we've still got our entire lives ahead of us. I can't offer you much in terms of money- I barely make enough to pay off the rent on the farm as it is- but I can offer you my love and loyalty. It would make me the happiest mare in all of Equestria if you would do me the honor of marrying me," Applejack removed her hat and pulled a ring box from inside, opening it to reveal a ring. It wasn't anything extravagant- Applejack could never afford that- but it was beautiful. Made of silver, adorned with a simple sapphire that caught the fading sunlight. Rarity raised it with her magic, her eyes tearing up. Even a ring as simple as this would have cost a fortune that Applejack must of spent ages saving to buy, for her.
"Applejack, I hardly know what to say," Rarity managed, sliding the ring onto her horn. A perfect fit, of course. "Yes, absolutely, one hundred percent, yes," Applejack herself looked as though she might faint. This explained the nerves- anypony would be nervous, racking up the nerve to propose, and the walk. It really was the perfect spot. Private, beautiful, and memorable. It was easily accessible, so they could return at any time to remember this moment, but not so much so that it could be vandalised.
"I love ya, Rares," Applejack said softly, nuzzling her marefriend's- no, her fiancee's cheek.
"And I, you," Rarity said back, planting a kiss on Applejack's cheek. The wind picked up then, and the clearing began to darken. The sun was going down, and the perfect weather Dash had been able to secure for them was taking a turn for the worst. It was nearing the end of autumn, after all. The two came to an unspoken agreement to return home, walking beside each other, pressing together every few steps. They approached the barn, Rarity's new ring sparkling on her horn, catching the last rays of sun as, elsewhere, Celestia lowered it, making way for the moon that was climbing the sky. Rarity was bursting with excitement about creating a whole line of bridesmare's dresses, taking control of the conversation. She was already planning flower arrangements, guest lists, who would take part in the ceremony...Applejack was just relieved Rarity had said yes. She would worry about these things tomorrow.
Tomorrow, she would help decide on a date and location. She would go over flowers and dress designs for the bridesmares with Rarity. They would go into town and tell their friends the good news. Twilight would be the Mare of Honor, of course. Without her, Applejack and Rarity would never have become more than passing strangers who lived in the same town. But those were matters for later. Tonight, she would enjoy going home with her fiancee. She would get ready for bed with her fiancee. She would go to sleep lying beside her fiancee. And, once they agreed on a date, she would get married to Rarity, her fiancee.
Author's Note
Guess who's back? I'm not dead, I've just been busy. And lazy. Mostly lazy. But also busy. Eh, no excuses y'all don't care, just know that I'm back~
Also, to those who care about my personal life, I will be relocating to Texas this weekend so if any of y'all happen to live there, that's where I'll be.
Applejack woke up late the day of her wedding. She hadn't been able to sleep properly the night before, what with the nerves of the day to come. She glanced across the bed, ready to give her bride-to-be a kiss good morning, only to find that Rarity was not in bed beside her. Rarity's side of the bed was empty, the sheets organised somewhat neatly, a slip of paper on her pillow. Instantly, the worst crossed Applejack's mind. Rarity had changed her mind, or was in love with somepony else, or had never loved her at all...
My darling Applejack,
Everypony knows it's terrible luck to see your bride before the wedding, so I have taken the liberty of going into town to get ready for this evening. I'm sending Rainbow Dash and Twilight down later this morning to help you get ready. I'll see you tonight.
Love, Rarity
Applejack let out a sigh of relief, feeling a little silly that she had worried in the first place. Rarity would have expressed any and all doubts from day one- she wouldn't let things stew until the day of. She was a bit concerned about the bit about sending Dash and Twilight over later in the morning. It was already late morning — for Applejack, anyway — so the two were probably in the living room waiting for Applejack to get out of bed. Noises in the hall outside her door proved otherwise.
“Look, I’m just gonna go in there and see if she’s up,”
“Rainbow Dash, no! This is a big day for Applejack. She needs to be well rested. We can’t just go barging in there waking her up,”
Apparently, Rainbow Dash didn’t take Twilight’s warning too lightly — and began to knock on the door rapidly. “Applejack! Wake up! You’re gonna be late for your own wedding!” she hollered. “Get outta bed or Rarity is gonna kill us!”
Applejack sighed, rolling over onto her back. “I’m up,” she groaned loud enough for her friends to hear.
Out in the hall, Twilight was scolding Dash, and Applejack rolled onto her side, not at all surprised at how tired she was. She’d spent the whole night freaking out over this wedding thing. Of course, Rarity had slept like a foal beside her, not at all stressed out about anything. It seems the differences with them never really ended…
“Ya can c’mon in,” Applejack added.
“Sorry about that,” Twilight spoke up, gently creaking the door open; only for Rainbow Dash to slam it open.
She instantly zipped over, bounding over and beginning to bounce up and down on the mattress. “C’mon, AJ, get up!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “We gotta get you ready for the walk of shaaaame!” She winced under Twilight’s glare. “What? It’s a joke.”
“What Rainbow Dash is trying to say is,” Twilight sighed. “That we’re very excited for you. Today’s a big day.”
“Yeah, the day you commit to one pony for the rest of your life. I could never do that. I mean, sure, I could be with somepony for a long time, but marriage? That takes guts,”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight scolded, again.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m scaring her or anything. She’s the one who proposed. She knew what she was signing up for. I’m just saying it’s not for everypony, ‘specially not me. Applejack can handle it. She’s better with this whole commitment thing than I am, right, AJ?”
Applejack didn’t hesitate; “Course I am. It’s why I asked,”
“There we go!” Rainbow Dash declared, slapping her friend on the back. “So get outta bed and let us wrangle you into a dress!”
At least that was one of the few things Rarity had let her pick out. Applejack smiled a little, playfully shoving Rainbow Dash back. Twilight still seemed on edge, but she was visibly more relaxed now that her friends were joking around the way they usually did. Applejack finally got out of bed and followed the two into the other room, where they had set up a mini dressing room of sorts. Her dress was hung neatly, the shoes she’d be wearing were set in the corner. On a table to the side sat the box with the rings. Twilight had clearly been through here.
“Alright, we’ve only got eight hours to get ready, so I was thinking that I’ll help Applejack get ready in here, and Rainbow Dash, you can-”
“-I’m under specific instruction from Rarity to make sure this wedding is awesome. There was a huge storm scheduled for today that I postponed. I’m on weather patrol, and just general awesomeness checking. I’m gonna go make sure Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are ready,” Rainbow Dash took off down the hall, and the stress left Twilight’s face.
Applejack couldn’t hold back a chuckle at how relaxed her friend suddenly was. “Ya look more stressed than me, sugarcube,” she teased.
Twilight sighed, and shook her head. “Well, I was put in charge of organizing this whole event,” she said, with just a sliver of pride in her tone of voice. “And Rainbow Dash … is Rainbow Dash. I should have placed ‘hijinks’ somewhere in the outline,”
She shared a laugh with Applejack, as they each began to sort of hover around the subject at hoof.
“You don’t seem nervous,” Twilight admitted.
“Do I have any reason ta’ be?” Applejack declared, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m just a few hours away from marrying the mare I love. Ain’t no reason to be nervous ‘bout that, right? Jus’ me and Rares together. Well,” She trailed off for a moment, smirking. “Kinda meant to be, y’know? I dunno, maybe I’m bein’ silly—”
“No, no, that’s actually very sweet of you to think, Applejack,” Twilight assured. “And the fact you and Rarity were so willing to take the plunge...” She sighed, shaking her head a little. “I can only wish for that on my own behalf. You two are very lucky.”
Applejack was fiddling with the pearl necklace Granny had lent her. Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, after all. “Shoot, Twi, ain’t got nothin’ to do with luck,” she said, almost breathlessly. “It’s the cards life deals ya,” She gently poked her friend in the side. “So ya better ask Luna b’fore somepony steals her.”
“Oh, be quiet,” Twilight guffawed, a blush forming on her cheeks. “I - I could never,” She cleared her throat, magically fastening her friend’s necklace. “Enough talk. You have a wedding to get ready for.”
~*~*~*~
“I was most certain that my dress fit last night when I tried it on,” Rarity muttered. “Is it just me or does it seem a bit loose? I still have time to hem it - nopony would notice, would they? Well, except you two, of course, but,” She trailed off, letting out a dramatic noise of exasperation. “This is so unnecessarily frustrating! Perhaps I should have taken Applejack’s idea of just signing papers at the courthouse. No, no, this is my﹘no, our﹘wedding day, we deserve a ceremony,”
“Um, Rarity,” Fluttershy whispered.
Rarity didn’t seem to catch the soft murmur of her name and groaned, untying the corset. “Fluttershy, would you be a dear and tug that until I say so?” she spoke up.
Fluttershy stammered, stepping forward and taking each string, lightly pulling. “I-is that good?”
“Put your back into it!” Rarity almost snapped. “I can’t afford to have my wedding dress hanging loose! I worked too hard - and I will not have grass stains on it! It wouldn’t be a problem if we had the wedding in Canterlot, at the castle, but Applejack insisted we have the ceremony on the farm,” She winced at the strings were yanked again, much more forcefully this time, and nodded. “Yes, that’s about right,” Her magic flickered and the thread was taken from Fluttershy’s hooves, neatly tying into a knot resembling a bow. “There we go,”
“Rarity,” Fluttershy said again, speaking only a decibel louder this time.
Again, the unicorn didn’t catch it — and was too busy hollering for Pinkie to ‘put down the sweets or so help me’ because ‘please, Pinkie Pie, I don’t want to have to adjust your dress again, let it split during the reception for all I care!’ — along with silently fretting to herself.
Finally, Fluttershy tapped her friend on the shoulder from behind. “Rarity,” she repeated.
“Oh! Fluttershy, darling, don’t scare me like that,” Rarity said. “My nerves are already shot,”
“That’s, um, kinda what I wanted to talk to you about,” Fluttershy said, her voice daring to go soft and almost disappear. “You’re just kind of ... a little too high strung. Are you alright?”
Rarity scoffed, waving the statement away with a hoof. “Whatever gave the idea that I’m not?” she said.
Fluttershy bit her tongue. There were many things, actually. Throwing a mannequin at Pinkie, fussing over her dress size over and over, having to do and redo her makeup because of the impulsive tears … a lot of things. But she didn’t say any of them. “You just seem a bit on edge,” she finally said.
“Is it that obvious?!” Rarity practically shrieked. “Oh, goodness, I don’t want to be a nervous wreck when I’m walking down the aisle! Oh, I’m sure Applejack is having a smooth, carefree morning! I’m willing to bet my entire Spring collection that she’s already ready to go,”
~*~*~*~
“You look amazing,” Twilight said after a time, lowering the brush she’d been using to style Applejack’s mane. Applejack had to admit, even though it really wasn’t her style, she did look rather nice. And Twilight seemed proud of her hairdressing skills.
“Thank ya, kindly, Twilight. Dunno where I’d be without ya here to help me get ready. If we’re bein’ honest, this is the part I was most afraid of,” Applejack had no knowledge of fashion, mane styles, makeup, or any of that. She woke up in the mornings, tied her mane and tail so they wouldn’t get in the way, put on her hat, and went out to the fields. It wasn’t until she’d started spending more time with Rarity that she’d learned how long some ponies could take to get ready.
“We should be meeting up with Rainbow Dash soon,” Twilight noted after pinning Applejack’s mane up to keep it from coming undone. “I’ll let you get into your dress, and the shoes are in the corner. I’ll wait in the hall,” Twilight left Applejack to her own devices, and the second she shut the door behind her, Applejack began to freak out. Just a few more hours and she would be married. She wanted to be married, of course. She had asked Rarity because she loved her, and it’s what she wanted. But everything was coming up so quickly, yet not quickly enough. On the one hoof, it was only a few hours. On the other, it was still a few hours.
“Calm yerself, Applejack,” she whispered to herself. “Just get into that dress and meet up with Twilight. You can do that.” She inhaled deeply, calming herself. It was just a dress, and she only had to wear it for a few hours.
She could do this.
~*~*~*~
Applejack was very much aware that all eyes were on her. She was standing at the altar, waiting for Rarity to make her first appearance. Those who had seen her already had said she looked beautiful, but she was always beautiful. Applejack had to see for herself. Of course Rarity would be the one to make the dramatic bridal entrance. It was a given. Now it was just the waiting...
The orchestra picked up, playing Rarity’s entrance music. The crowd shifted in their seats, all hoping to get a look at Rarity as she walked down the aisle. The flower filly came first, the little pegasus half walking-half flying down the aisle, dropping petals in an incredibly uneven manner that caused the crowd to giggle. When the filly caught sight of Rainbow Dash at the front, her wings buzzed.
“Mama!” She dropped the basket and hurried to stand beside her mother, and even Celestia standing at the podium laughed. Applejack managed a smile, but she was still waiting for Rarity. Twilight had assured her that Rarity was indeed on the farm, and there was no need to worry about any sort of runaway bride situations. Granted, the filly’s rush to the front meant there was more time than expected between the flower filly and the bride, but she shouldn’t be taking this-
There she was. The whispers were wrong. Rarity was more than just beautiful. She was radiant. She was the sun, the moon, and the stars, all in one. All eyes darted from the waiting bride to the one taking her own sweet time down the aisle — typical Rarity, soaking up the attention, especially on her wedding day — and what a sight they both were. But all Applejack could focus on was her bride, the love of her life, her soon-to-be wife.
Wife.
Applejack felt herself shivering a little at the very idea of it. It was serendipitous.
After what seemed like ages, Rarity finally, finally, stood beside Applejack at the altar, looking even more beautiful up close, if it were possible. Everything was perfect. Applejack had Rarity beside her. Spike was on standby with the rings. In just a few more minutes, they would be married. Officially. Together, forever. The orchestra faded out, leaving Celestia to address the crowd.
“Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Rarity and Applejack Apple, who, if I am not mistaken, have written their own vows?”
“That’s correct,” Rarity said with a nod. Celestia took a step back, putting the focus on Rarity, who seemed to be going first. She cleared her throat and looked up at Applejack. There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes, ever emotional.
“My darling, Applejack. For many years, you have given me more than anypony could ever dream of. You have given me a place to call home. You have given me companionship. You have given me a shoulder to cry on, and helped me through challenging times. You have been there for the highs and lows of my life, and you have always shared in my joy. Most importantly, you have given me love. And on this day, Applejack, I swear to you that I will give you companionship. I will give you a shoulder to cry on. I will be there through all of our highs and lows. I will give you love, Applejack. All the love I have to give is yours, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives,”
“Applejack, your vows,” Celestia prompted.
It took Applejack a moment, she was clearly baffled and flustered at how sweet and sincere her bride’s words were. She finally cleared her throat, taking Rarity’s hoof into her own and staring into those amazing eyes that put every star in Luna’s night sky to shame.
“Rarity, yer one o’ the ponies that know me best. And lemme tell y’all, that takes a lotta work. I ain’t as open of a book everypony plays me out to be,” Applejack’s voice wavered a little, and she smiled wider. “Honest and open ain’t the same thing. But here I am, today, bein’ both for you. ‘cause I love you, Rarity. I’ll never get tired o’ saying it, and I ain’t ever gonna get bored of loving you. Few years back, I woulda bet my farm away if somepony told me this is where I’d stand. But now, I can’t imagine anything else. You’ve changed me, and I’d say I did the same to ya — for all the right reasons, too. Now, I’m not gonna sing my love for ya in front of everypony,”
This got a few laughs from the crowd, even one from Rarity herself.
“But I can tell ya that after everythin’ you’ve done, mostly put up with me, I’ll love ya for as long as I can. Beyond the tough times and the good ones. The hardships and those unforgettable days, like today. ‘Til the sun refuses ta shine and the stars don’t wanna sparkle no more. We’ve done so much together, so—” She paused, coughing out a chuckle. “—shucks, am I cryin’? Don’t matter. This is it, Rares. I did this unscripted, ‘cause that’s how easy it is for me. To promise I’ll always be there for ya,”
Applejack couldn’t take her eyes off of Rarity, who had absolutely melted at the proclamation.
“Spike, the rings.” Spike stepped forward, and the mares took their partner’s ring, awaiting further instruction from Celestia. “Do you, Rarity, take Applejack to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do,” Applejack carefully managed to place the ring on Rarity’s horn, where it slid to the base and settled perfectly.
“And do you, Applejack, take Rarity to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do,” Applejack lifted her hoof for Rarity to put on the ‘ring’. It was really more of a glorified bracelet, but Earth ponies didn’t do rings, and Rarity had insisted on something.
“I now pronounce you mare and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
The crowd whooped and cheered once Celestia declared the final statement; and Applejack laughed, tugging her bride close before dipping Rarity down. A light squeak escaped the unicorn just before their lips met in a passionate kiss. Somehow, the guests cheered even louder as the newlyweds embraced.
“I told you to wear the waterproof mascara,” Rarity teased, laughing breathlessly as she wiped away Applejack’s tears of joy.
“Aw, c’mere, you,” Applejack murmured, kissing her wife again. Her wife. Just the thought made her smile like the lovestruck fool she was. “Rarity?” She didn’t even wait for a response, and just blurted out her thoughts - “I love ya, hon.”
Rarity blushed, eyeing the crowd that kept their gaze plastered on them. “I love you too, dear,” she murmured. “But save the affection for tonight, would you?”
Author's Note
I had to recruit some help from the magnificent Princess Rarity on this one, because, let's face it, I've been AWOL for like, a year or something, and in that time, I did like, no writing.
Also, this story begins my world-building, which is why a pegasus filly is calling Rainbow Dash 'mama'. More to come on that later, as I write more and expand on my world a bit.
