The sun was rising on the horizon as the cold morning air hit Rarity. She shivered, realizing that the boots and thin scarf she had worn might not be enough to keep her warm.
She locked her door, then turned back around to face the walk ahead of her. Rarity had decided that she would be helping Applejack with her chores today on a bit of a whim, but she knew that it was a good decision. Rarity felt indebted to Applejack after all she had done for her.
And so she walked. On the way, she imagined the chores they would be doing. The thought of getting her hooves dirty a month ago would have disgusted her. Now...it was a bit less horrific.
Finally Rarity made it to the barn. She was a bit hesitant to knock on the door. After all, what if Applejack told her to go home? Rarity took a deep breath and braced herself. She knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
She knocked gently on the door. After a moment, Applejack opened. "Rarity? What are ya' doin' here so early?" AJ looked her up and down. "Or..at all?"
Rarity puffed out her chest. "I'm here to assist you."
"With what?"
Rarity put a hoof to her chin. "Well, whatever you may need assistance with, I suppose."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Have you been talkin' to Spike about his, uh, dragon code?"
Rarity gasped. "Oh, Celestia, no. It's nothing like that." She shivered again. "I just feel as if-"
"Oh geez, Rarity. Come inside!"
Rarity laughed. "Oh, haha...silly me." She wiped her slightly muddy boots on the doormat, and then stepped inside, sighing at the warmth.
Rarity took a look around. "Oh, Applejack! I had forgotten how lovely your home is."
"Aww, shucks. Thanks, Rarity." She looked around as well. "Ah guess ah never really thought much of it. But fancier ponies such as yourself always say it has a...what was the word? Rustic, sort of charm."
She turned to Rarity. "Rares, I don't think I'm gonna let ya help me out today."
"Why ever not?"
Applejack scratched her chin. "Well...I know that you're a very busy pony. And I dunno if I need help at all."
Rarity pursed her lips. "Where are Big Mac and Apple Bloom?"
Applejack frowned. "...Out."
"And I am right in assuming that they usually do chores as well?"
"Oh Rares, I wouldn't call them chores..." She sighed. "Yes. They do chores too."
"Do you have a piece of parchment lying around, darling?" Applejack took a piece of paper and a pencil off of the kitchen table and handed it to Rarity. "Thank you. Alright, let's make a list of the chores."
"Alright, fine. Let's see...I feed the chickens and pigs. Apple Bloom washes the pigs and gets the eggs. Big Mac and I buck the trees. When it's time, Big Mac plows the fields. When it's not, he does a routine check of all the pipes and such. Granny and Apple Bloom bake."
Rarity wrote. "...bake. Got it."
"How much of that are you up to, sugarcube?"
Rarity scoffed. "Like I said, darling, all of it."
Applejack couldn't help but laugh. "Rares, you're lucky I'm lettin' ya help at all. There's no way I'm gonna-"
"Oh, Applejack. Would you please stop being so proud for a while? I just want to help."
Applejack smiled. "Alright, Rares. You better take off that silly scarf, unless you want it to get ruined."
"What's first, sugarcube?"
"Feeding the animals." Rarity smiled as she walked alongside her friend. "That should not be too tough."
Applejack nodded. "Ever since you and Twilight helped me out, it's been a piece of cake."
It truly was. Rarity held the much very carefully with her magic, and then dumped it in the trough. Applejack poured some seed on the ground outside the chicken coop and yelled, "Come an' get it!"
"While, we're here, darling, why don't we get the eggs?" Rarity hummed a little tune to herself as she delicately placed the eggs in a finely weaved basket.
Applejack giggled. "You brought that with you?"
"One never knows when they'll need a basket, darling." Rarity smiled and the girls both laughed.
"Oh, dear."
Rarity couldn't help but let the words escape her. The sight of the field overrun by weeds was a bit...horrifying. Rarity had pulled a good amount of weeds from her garden, but this was a completely different sight.
"What?" Applejack had already begun to pluck the weeds. Rarity frowned as Applejack went back to ripping out the weeds with her muzzle.
Rarity went over to one of the weeds, mud being tracked all over her hooves. She groaned and began pulling the weed out of the ground. She struggled as the weed refused to pop up.
Applejack had already plucked a bountiful amount. She came over to where Rarity was standing. "Loosen up, sugarcube."
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"Loosen up. It's not too hard if ya just kinda..." She leaned in and plucked the weed out.
Applejack looked up and grinned with the weed in her mouth, making Rarity giggle. Is that a little rose at the end? Rarity wondered.
Rarity took a deep breath and leaned in, carefully grabbing the weed...
"Ouch!"
"What is it?"
Rarity stuck out her tongue out and removed some prickly things. "Thorns."
"Hey, don't worry about that weed. Let's go get you some medicine."
"This one's all for you."
Rarity grimaced at the thought of washing the pigs.
Applejack frowned. "What do ya think?"
"I mean...I'm sure it will be fine."
"Just don't grab 'em with magic. It might hurt."
Rarity gasped. "Hurt? Applejack, hasn't Twilight taught you anything about magic?" Applejack laughed.
Rarity delicately grabbed the sponge and dunked it into the tub of warm soapy water. "Come here, you darling little piggies..."
The pigs screeched and ran. Rarity sighed and chased them. She ran and ran and ran...Applejack watched and threw her head back in laughter.
"Gotcha!" Rarity scrubbed the pig as quickly as she possibly could. She chased the pigs in circles again and again until the last pig was clean. She sat happily on the ground.
But when she looked up, Applejack was still giggling. "What?"
Rarity turned around to see all of her work destroyed. The pigs were already rolling around in the mud again.
"Now Rarity, I understand that ya want to help me with all mah 'chores,' but I-and perhaps everypony in Ponyville-knows how buckin' trees ends up for ya."
Rarity frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"
Applejack battered her eyelashes. "Oh, darlin', whatever have I done? My ankles are all sprained! Oh Celestia!"
Rarity frowned while Applejack tried not to topple over from laughing so hard. "Ha, ha. Very funny...sugarcube. Prepare to be amazed, dear Applejack."
Rarity backed herself up to a tree. She readied her haunches, lifted her hind legs...
WHAM!
Rarity screamed. She couldn't help herself, though she turned red when she realized what she'd just done.
"Oh Celestia, Rarity! Oh geez...I didn't mean-" Applejack looked up and gasped.
The whole apple tree had fallen. Rarity sat on her side, continuing to scream (though less quietly). Applejack picked her up and started running.
Rarity opened one eye slowly, her whole brain pounding. She groaned and tried to look around.
"Applejack?"
Applejack looked up and galloped over to the hospital bed. "Rarity? Oh thank Celestia...I thought you'd never wake u-"
"Don't be silly, Applejack. I obviously broke my legs but I wasn't going to die." She groaned again. "But why does my head hurt so bad...?"
Applejack let out a small laugh. "You screamed for a solid fifteen minutes. When I got here, you passed out. The doctor said you got almost no oxygen."
Applejack climbed on the bed and gave her friend a hug. "Oh, Applejack...I never finished the chores. I'm terribly sorry-"
"Sorry?" Applejack pulled herself up. "I should be the one apologizin'! Don't ever apologize to me about such silly-"
"Maybe we should both stop apologizing."
They laughed. "Yeah."
The lights were beginning to make Rarity's eyes burn. "Applejack, I'm extremely tired..."
"Don't worry about it, sugarcube."
The two mares curled together and fell into a long, long sleep.
