Aftermath: Operation Rari/jack

Applejack just stood there in the throne room of the friendship council. Looking into a bunch of embarrassed and disturbed ponyfaces. Just Starlight Glimmer was as confused as she was.

"Ya did what now?" shouted Applejack at Rainbow Dash in dissapointment, who had just told her that she had seen the imposters kissing each other. "How did ya not catch that wasn´t me?! Ya know me better than anypony here." Her hoof pointed at Rarity in such a rush, with no care if or if not it might hit her. Neither did Applejack consider if her words might going to hurt her, she herself was just too upset about the whole ordeal. "Do ya really think Ah would date a pony like her?!"

Rarity was baffled and slightly insulted that Applejack would say such a thing. If it was not for the fact that she felt as betrayed by her other friends, she would have given her a piece of her mind about that statement.

"Hey, I am nopony to judge anypony on who they fall in love with. That´s Twilight!" shifted the cyan pegasis the blame to the so called Princess of Friendship.

Twilight´s stare pierced Rainbow Dash. Was it not her, who got ridiculed for having suspicions all the time? "No, I am not! I mean yes, but..."

***

Starlight Glimmer had just left to her old town a few hours ago. It would take her at least three days to arrive since they have to pull Trixie´s caravan alongside them. Since she still felt uneasy about the whole invitation from the ponies she had caused so much suffering. The last thing she wanted was to be late and maybe, if they let her, to lend a hoof in the preparations for the Sunset Festival. It would be the least she could do. So she had thought...

It was around that time the most colorful of all ponies in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash, flew across town without a care in the world. There was a recent break in the Wonderbolt training session and no urgent weather duties she could help her old weather team out with. Neither did the map called for her. Or Scootaloo asking her to teach her flying. Something about visiting her father or something... . Short, it was a boring day for her. The biggest thing had been Starlight Glimmer telling her about her nightmare.

Maybe she should ask Applejack has a little bit of cider to spare. At worst she could kill sometime on hearing her complaining about her obsession to Sweet Apple Cider or that it was not going to be the season for them to make some in while.

Rainbow had no hard time to find Applejack, for some reason her stetson was a real eyecatcher on a quick fly-by. What Rainbow did not expected, once finding the hat in the orchard, was the pony wearing it. Rarity and Applejack were holding each others close in one of the more reclusive parts of the farm. Their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Rainbow could not hold her surprise: "Wait, you two? Oh I have to tell the others." The pegasus was zooming away with the two mares only able to shout after her.

So, it came that the small group of friends found themself, yet again, together in Twilight´s castle. With the only difference that Applejack and Rarity were standing close to another blushing fiercely as everypony was looking at them. "So..."- started Twilight unconvinced, expecting some elaborated prank to play out. -"this is real? I mean you two are an item?" The alicorn looked with a worried expression to Spike, who has not taken an easy toll on this revelation. He was almost a statuette of himself as the pain sunk into every scale of his body. "Why didn´t you tell us?"

Rarity watched as Applejack turned her head away from Twilight´s curious gaze in embarrassment before she answered not less ashamed. "We feared it would affect our coterie, if some of us were dating."

"I did affect one of us", said Rainbow tapping the still petrified Spike on the head.

"Rainbow! Stop it you know how much he likes Rarity." complained Twilight Sparkle before she asked: "Anypony else thinks this is kinda sudden?"

A yellow hoof slowly but steadily rose as Fluttershy tried to make a contribution to the discussion: "I..."

"Yes, Fluttershy?" Twilight hoping for somepony to support her feeling that something was fishy about this situation.

Fluttershy looked down avoiding everponies look: "I actually knew it for sometime now.

Applejack and Rarity gawked at her and almost simultaneously asked in disbelief: "You did?"- before Rarity continued on her own- "Darling, why didn´t you talk with us about it?"

Fluttershy looked up in the group of her friends, while playing nervously with her hoof: "I didn't thought it was of my business." Now it was Twilight´s turn to hung her head in shame. If Fluttershy knew all along, then this could not been a prank on her, right? She had this nagging feeling that something was not right, not right at all! But she had no time to think about it as Applejack was about to drop the next bomb.

"Ya know, Rarity"- she said looking deep into Rarity´s big blue eyes. -"if everypony already knows about us. Why don´t we make it official?"

Rarity gazed at the strong mare by her side: "Applejack, do you mean?"

Applejack bowed down to the brilliant white mare and looked from below into her eyes as she asked the one big question Rarity has always wished to hear: "Rarity, ya are the apple of ma eye. Would ya give me the honor and marry me?"

"Oh Applejack this is so sudden."- Rarity tried to hold composure for a few brief moments befor giving in. "YES!" She carefully placed her head under Applejack´s, as the countrymare stood tall again.

Their friends had all different reactions to this occasion. Fluttershy was holding her hoofs infront of her muzzle and happly fluttered with her wings. Pinkie Pie had a huge grin on her face as her brain processed all the party preparations for such a huge event as an Applefamily wedding. Twilight and Spike were both dumbfounded over what had just played out in front of them.

And Rainbow Dash? She poked her elbow into Applejack´s rip cage as she spoke: "Don´t forget who is going to be your best mare."

"Uh, Applebloom?"

"No, me!" laughed Rainbow Dash.

Twilight used the opportunity of Rainbow Dash distracting the brides-to-be to whisper to Pinkie Pie: "Shouldn´t your Pinkie-Sense go crazy because there is something that you could never belief is going on?"

The pink mare gave her a cheeky smile: "Yup. Totally unbelievable that two of my friends fall in love with each other. I totally have to tell that to Matilda and Cranky, Mr. and Mrs Cake, Octavia and..."

"Okay okay I get the picture." mumble Twilight. Finally feeling guilty for her doubt in their relationship. There had to be something she could do to make up for it. Something she could give them to make both of her friends forget about how she acted. Something that shows her support of their love. Applejack was without any reservations a family oriented pony and Rarity... . It struck Twilight like lightning. "Well... uhm... Applejack isn´t the prince that I suspected but..."- spoke Twilight hesitantly -"I could ask Princess Celestia if she would be your priest?"

Rarity was overjoyed: "Oh Twilight you mustn´t"

Twilight was glad, that she had already forgotten how she had acted: "Please, Rarity. This is like the first thing I got to know about you. You girls could probably marry in the Canterlot Castle. Just like a real royal wedding you always dreamed about, Rarity."

"Well, Ah guess..."- answered Applejack with a nervous tone -"Ah mean, anything to make ma princess happy."

"Great! Spike send a note." said Twilight to her number one assistant, but he did not get papers ready as usual. Instead he was slowly walking towards the door. "Uh? Spike?"

"Yes, yes. I take the first train to Canterlot."

"Spike, you don´t have to go."

The young dragon looked with a sad face at the happy couple, especially the overjoyed Rarity, before he replied: "Yes Twilight I really have to bring Princess Celestia the happy news personally."

***

Twilight bowed her head in shame: "Sorry A.J. They sounded so convincing."