"I'll see you tomorrow!" Sweetie said as she headed out with Scootaloo to go to the hotel Scootaloo was staying with Rainbow and Fluttershy.
"They sure have grown a lot haven't they?" Applejack said with a smile as she gave me a light hug. "Seems like only yesterday that they were runnin' around tryin' ta get their cutie marks."
"It certainly does," I said with a light smile as I nuzzled her gently. "They make a cute couple, I just hope Scootaloo will make her happy."
"Ah'm sure she will sugarcube," Applejack said with a smile as she nuzzled back. "She's a good pony, they both are."
I smiled and nodded, Applejack was right of course. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had been friends ever since my parents had sent her to stay with me. I admit, I was a bit unsure about the brash young Pegasus at times, but she made Sweetie Belle happy.
And that was all that really mattered to me right now.
"I know just how they feel," I said with a smile as I kissed my fiance gently on the lips.
I remembered back to when I first fell in love with Applejack. I had never even imagined that I could feel this way about another mare, let alone one like her, but I found myself falling head over hooves for her.
It had been at the Grand Galloping Gala 2 years before, Prince Blueblood had attempted to make a move on me again, the jerk. I was trying to get him to go away when Applejack saw what was going on and came to my rescue. She told him off right then and there and basically threatened to kick him into next week if he didn't leave me alone.
We went on to spend the rest of the night together, and when I asked her to dance I couldn't be happier when she said yes.
I had spent all my life waiting for my prince, when what I really needed was the farm mare... life is funny that way. ANn I wouldn't have it any other way, Applejack made me happier than anything ever had.
Now we were going to be married in just a few months, even if we could sometimes argue, I loved Applejack so very much.
"What are yah thinkin' about Sugarcube?" Applejack said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Yah had that far away look in yer eyes again."
"Sorry darling, I was just thinking about the night I fell in love with you," I said with a smile as I gave her a kiss.
"Yeah, Prince Blueblood runs away screamin' like a filly every time he sees me after that," Applejack said with a laugh before she turned serious for a moment. "Yah know, Ah was thinkin'... what do yah think about maybe havin' a foal sometime after tha weddin'?"
I blinked a little, I hadn't thought about that. The spell that let two mares have a foal together had only recently been developed and it was easy enough to learn, but I wasn't sure if I should use it.
In truth, I had a personal reason to be unsure about it, a secret that I had been keeping from my friends for years. The only ponies who knew it were my parents, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to tell anypony else.
Then again, me and Applejack were about to spend the rest of our lives together weren't we? Should I keep lying to her or should I tell her the truth? Maybe she'd be able to help me figure out what to do about it, maybe it was time to finally tell everypony the truth.
After all, this was something I had kept from somepony close to me already.
"Applejack, there's, something I need to tell you," I finally said with a soft sigh, this wasn't going to be easy. "This isn't easy for me to tell anypony, I've been keeping a secret for a long time."
"Its okay Rarity, Ah won't judge yah, Ah love yah too much," Applejack said with a smile.
"I... have a daughter..." I admitted, which made Applejack's green eyes go wide. "When I was in my teens, I was in a relationship with a stallion that got a little too physical one spring. After the filly was born, we moved towns so that nopony would know the truth and..."
"And what? What happened ta her?" Applejack asked, I just stood there in silence for a moment. "Does Sweetie Belle know that she has a niece?"
"Applejack... Sweetie Belle isn't my sister," I said quietly.
"What do yah mean, yer momma had her did..." Applejack started to say before it finally dawned on her. "Dear Celestia, yah mean..."
"Sweetie Belle is my daughter," I admitted with a sigh. "When she was born, my parents decided to raise us as sisters. When I was old enough and settled down in Ponyville, they gave me a chance at being her mom and, well you see how that's going. It hasn't been easy on me, but I've been doing my best."
"Ah see," Applejack said and then hugged me. "Ah see that yer tryin' ta do your best ta be her mom Rarity. Ah know it can't be easy fer yah, but Ah've seen how close ya'll are, yer a great mom."
I sniffed a little and hugged her back. "Thank you Applejack, that means the world to me."
"Yer gonna do fine, but if yah don't want ta have another foal, Ah understand."
"I'll think about it," I said and nuzzled her gently, I paused for a long moment, there was still one last question on my mind. "Do you think I should tell her?"
"Yah should, and Ah'll be right there with yah," Applejack said with a smile. "Ah love yah Rarity, Ah want ta spend tha rest of mah life with yah. Ah don't care of Sweetie Belle's gonna be mah sister-in-law or step-daughter, Ah'm glad ta have yah both."
"I'll tell her when she comes back tomorrow," I said with a nod.
"Whatever happened ta her father?"
"I have no idea honestly," I admitted. "He kind of, left and we haven't spoken in years. He's never really seemed interested in pursuing a relationship with me or Sweetie."
"Well, Ah'd say he has no idea what he's missin," Applejack said with a smile as she hugged me, I smiled and hugged back.
"Thank you Applejack..."
"Fer what?"
"For being the most wonderful mare in Equestria," I said with a smile as I kissed her again, continuing the hug as I did.
We just stayed there for awhile in each other's forelegs. It was nice to know that I had somepony who loved me no matter what.
00000
"Rarity, Applejack, we're here!" Sweetie Belle said as she and Scootaloo walked into the boutique the next morning.
"Howdy ya'll, how was yer first night as marefriends?" Applejack asked as I finished the stitching on a dress.
"It was nice," Scootaloo said. "Thank you for letting her stay with me."
"Well of course, we can trust you two not to do anything yet can't we?" I said with a smirk which caused the two younger mares to blush.
"Raaarity!" Sweetie said in protest. "We're not going to do anything, we just got together yesterday!"
"I know Sweetie," I said with a chuckle as I finished the dress, I turned to look at them and sighed a little, this was as good a time as any to tell her. "Scootaloo, there's something I need to tell Sweetie, would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
"Rarity, Scootaloo's my oldest friend and my marefriend, if you have to tell me anything you can tell her too," Sweetie insisted. "If you want to keep it secret, I'm sure she won't tell anypony."
"That's right, my lips are sealed," Scootaloo said as she draped her wing over Sweetie. "I'd do anything for Sweetie."
I smiled a little, Scootaloo really was a lot like Rainbow Dash, always loyal to her friends and loved ones. That was good enough for me. I was going to have to start trusting more ponies with the truth anyway, perhaps this was the best place to start.
"Okay Scootaloo, but you can't tell anypony until I'm ready, not even your moms, okay?" I asked and she nodded. "Sweetie Belle, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to say to you, and I've been struggling with how to tell you for years... but the truth is, I'm your mother."
"You're my..." Sweetie said as her eyes went wide. "But, wait, how? Why didn't you tell me this before?"
My ears drooped a little, how was I going to explain this? "Sweetie, I'm sorry, I should've told you a long time ago. I did my best to raise you, and you've become a wonderful young mare... I just hope you can forgive me. Your father, he didn't want anything to do with you, but I couldn't abandon you, you have to understand... I love you."
Sweetie looked at me for a long moment, then turned to look at Scootaloo. I tensed up a moment as the two of them whispered quietly, she was going to hate me wasn't she? Oh dear Celestia what had I gotten myself into...
I was surprised when I felt a pair of forelegs wrapped around me. I smiled a little when I realized that Sweetie Belle was hugging me.
"I forgive you, mom," she said with a smile as we held the hug for a long moment. "Thank you for telling me, and I love you too."
"You're welcome Sweetie," I said with a soft smile as I hugged her back, we just stayed like that for a long time.
I had my daughter and my friends, that was what mattered to me.
