Author's Note

Side note, I'm very poor at writing.

One of a Kind

Knock knock knock.

Applejack slammed on the crystal castle’s door, a bit harder than a normal pony would. She patiently waited as she could hear someone get up and walk over to let her in. She gave a glance behind her, as she watched Celestia’s sun set. The horizon lit up in a beautiful purple and orange colored sky. She couldn't help but smile at the stunning elegance of nature. She turned back as the door quickly opened. The ever-so-friendly purple alicorn stood in the doorway, giving a bright, radiant smile.

“Applejack!” she called out, hugging her friend. “So happy you could make it! It seems like we have less and less time all together anymore.”

Applejack hugged back. “Glad to see you to sugarcube,” she said, then chuckled. “I suppose I'm the last one to show up, as always?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “Oh come on Applejack, don't be too hard on yourself. You've got a farm to run!”

Applejack hated when people acted like her life was so much harder than theirs. Although, if she was being honest with herself (which she tried to be at most times) her life was pretty damn tough. Applejack was lead into the castle, and up into a room that was specifically designed for slumber parties. (Although, had once been used to destroy an evil dream demon created by Princess Luna, but that was more of a one-time-deal.) She looked across the room. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were chatting, oddly seriously, as Starlight and Fluttershy were talking over some cookies. Rarity was digging through a box. Twilight, within not even a few minutes of conversation with Applejack, had remembered some dessert she had forgot to pick up from sugarcube corner. And seeing that Rarity was the only pony in the room without a pony to talk to, Applejack waltzed over and said hello.

“Oh, darling, glad you could make it,” Rarity said, hugging her friend.

“Wouldn't miss it for the world,” Applejack observed her friend, looked her up and down, her gaze getting caught for only a fraction of a second at Rarity’s lips. A spontaneous, and almost compelling, urge came over her to lean just a few inches further and let their muzzles touch, then their lips. She quickly shoved that dirty thought out of her brain. No, no, no! She told herself. Why do I even think like this? She doesn't like me, she's straight, I need to just get over her. She hid her thoughts behind a smile, as she nodded at whatever Rarity was saying. Yet she could hear another part of her brain saying: Oh, I don't think you'll ever get over her, Applejack; and another: she might like you, you never know!

“... and from that day on, I refused to do business with that stallion ever again! I mean, can you blame me? The nerve!” Apparently, Rarity had finished her story.

“Oh, right, yeah,” Applejack struggled to find a phrase that would make it as though she could pass as a pony who listened to others while they talked. “Ya’ know, there are plenty ah’ ponies in like that'll try and pull ya’ down no matter how amazing and perfect ya’ are, Rare. It's just the way life is.”

Rarity seemed satisfied with the response and gave a sappy smile. “Thanks, Applejack,” she said, turning towards the food table and trotting over. Despite Applejack’s self lecture, her eyes couldn't help but wander to Rarity’s flank as she walked. She counted the seconds in her head. One. Two. Three. This-is-getting-weird-now Five. Six…. She pulled her eyes away, and looked around the room to see if anypony caught her staring. It appeared as if no one had. She let out the tiniest sigh of relief, but then scolded herself for even trying.

As she began to head to the snacks as well, she saw from her parutherial, a cerulean blue figure closing in. Giving a quick look, she confirmed (as if it could have been anypony else) it was Rainbow Dash. “Psst!” Dash whispered, albeit in an extremely obvious and suspicious manner, into Applejack’s now perked up ear.

“What?” Applejack responded, in a relatively louder tone than Dash had initially spoken in.

Dash giggled, breaking her serious face, letting Applejack feel both relaxed, because it could just be a setup for a prank or a joke, (which could explain the whispering with Pinkie) but also made her feel uneasy, because there was a chance she was trying to be serious, but that childish personality kicked in. Dash reset her face into one of seriousness, as she whispered, “meet me in the kitchen”

“Dash,” Applejack spoke in anything but a whisper. “If this is one of you and Pinkie’s pranks, ah swear to Cel–”

Dash cut her friend off. “I saw you staring,” she whispered, only without smiling.

Now she had caught Applejack’s attention. “Yeah, so what?” Applejack responded, finally matching Dash’s tone. “Ah already told you how ah feel about her.”

Dash’s frowned. “Did you?”

Applejack didn't know how to respond to Dash’s sudden change of tone, let alone the strange question. “I think ya’ do. Ah’ve told ya’ everythin.’”

Dash’s face stayed frowning. Applejack tried to go through the changing emotions of her friend to find out what point she could possibly be trying to convey. Dash approached her seriously, then laughed, but switched back to serious. Perhaps Dash thought her emotions and sexual confusion were funny. If that was the case, why did she ask the “did you” in such a serious tone? Perhaps Pinkie had done something behind her at to make Dash laugh, and the thought of your best friend staring at the rump of your other friend in a sexual way was admittedly amusing. Applejack assumed the latter. It did make the most sense. What she truly didn't get, however, was why Dash was acting so uncharacteristically serious about it.

She flew her memory back to three days ago, when she had finally felt as though she couldn't keep the secret just to herself. At first, Dash had thought it was a poorly constructed joke, but then upon seeing how Applejack was not smiling, realized she was completely serious. Rainbow then started cracking up until she was red in the face. Doing extremely bad and broken impressions of Rarity and Applejack in intercourse. And didn't stop until Applejack couldn't help but chuckle. Truth be told, she was laughing at Dash’s terrible acting skills, but it felt good to have told her feelings, and have somepony react to them, even if it was a fairly negative reaction. She smiled as Rainbow wiped tears from her eyes and settled down. She wrapped a wing around Applejack. “So,” she had said. “When are you going to tell her?”

Applejack had turned and stood up. “Never!” she yelled in almost-terror. “She'd never want to be friends with me again if she knew! I mean would you?”

Rainbow Dash stood up, still slightly smiling. “Of course not! I mean, I might be weirded out a bit, but I doubt I'd care that much.”

“Yeah, well Rarity’s different. She gets soooo colt-crazy sometimes. Ah mean, when we go to the spa, all she can talk about is who she has the hots for, and who she thinks ah'd be ‘cute’ with.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “She really has no idea, does she? Man, for the Element of Honesty, you sure are good at keeping a secret. How long?”

“Since I was fourteen.”

Applejack snapped back to the present. Rainbow was waving her hoof in front of her eyes. “Hello?” she said. “You alive there lovergirl?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” How long had she been locked in her memory? She looked at Rainbow’s unnaturally stolid expression. “So, uh, what's wrong Rainbow?”

Rainbow smiled, but Applejack couldn't tell if it was forced or if it was trying to be suppressed. “Just follow me. Please.” Applejack decided that whatever Rainbow was going on about was probably important. Or a prank.

Soon enough, they had entered the kitchen of Twilight’s Castle. Rainbow locked the door, as Applejack wondered why a kitchen would need a lock. Dash turned with a look Applejack could swear she'd never seen on that pegasus’s face ever. It was a mix of sadness, guilt, and most of all worry. “I'm sorry,” she said.

“Sorry?” Applejack laughed. “Dash, what for?”

Even though Applejack was smiling, Dash was not. The mare who broke out in laughter while whispering had instantly faded into a new one. It left Applejack well beyond confused. “For laughing at you when you… told me.”

Applejack sat down on a stool. “Is that what this is all about? Rainbow, you of all ponies know ah think those jokes are as funny as you do. It really doesn't phase me none. Honest.”

Rainbow Dash looked deep into the eyes of her earth pony friend. “For an Element of Honesty, you sure as hell are a good liar.” Rainbow then opened a drawer and slammed a small journal on the table. It had an open lock dangling off of the front cover.

Applejack’s face went pale as her smile evaporated. She tried to talk, but she felt as though her mouth went numb. After a long awkward silence, Applejack said, “Where did you find that?”

Rainbow Dash poked the book with the top of her hoof. “I won't reveal my sources, but it's probably a bad idea to hide the key so close to the diary itself.”

Applejack was flabbergasted. “Ah can't believe you stole from me.” She shook her head. “You-you invaded my private property, and stole my private journal, and read my private thoughts‽”

“Actually,” Dash responded. “I didn't. Well, I did read it, but I didn't get this from your house.”

“Then how did ya’–”

“Like I said.” Dash sat down next to Applejack. “I won't reveal my sources.” Dash took the book and began to flip through it. Applejack cringed over a few of the pages she recognized. Ah swear, Big Mac, if you did this, ah'm gonna kill ya’. Applejack thought. Dash stopped once she reached the page she was looking for, and turned it for Applejack to see. Applejack already knew what was coming. She knew what Dash was looking for the second she saw the book. She gulped whatever was left in her dry mouth, and felt the spit slowly crawl over the lump in her throat. The world around her began to fade and her face went hot. “AJ,” Dash said, her voice… breaking? “I'm worried about you. I didn't know it was this… bad.” Applejack looked on the ground. She got the diary after telling Dash her secret. It had felt so good to get her emotions off of her chest, she decided it'd be best to find a place to hide all of her true emotions.

She had been writing in the journal for almost three days, but already the first ten pages were full. Whenever she felt any strong emotions, she'd write in the journal. There were pages where she vented out all of her steam when she was angry, or when she felt cheated by the world; some about dreams, doodles, and chore lists. But most were about Rarity and how Applejack coveted her more than anything. A couple were love poems, even more were drafts of love confession letters, that were never meant to see the light of day, and one specific story Applejack had wrote the night before while feeling particularly horny. None of these (for better or worse) were on the page that Rainbow Dash was on.

The page Dash was on, Applejack had wrote two nights ago. She had been feeling especially saddened that day, after a spa trip with Rarity. The entire time, Rarity was rambling on about which stallion she thought was the hottest in all of Ponyville. Applejack had to bite her lip to keep her from yelling in anger and covering up her ears. When Rarity asked what stallions Applejack had liked, Applejack had responded with, “Oh, ah don't like any stallions right now.” She had not wanted to emphasize the word stallion, as it probably would have been to obvious, but Rarity didn't pick anything up. And thank Celestia she didn't, right? Applejack couldn't help but drop hints at Rarity, but also couldn't bear the thought of Rarity finding out.

This was the thought that prompted Applejack to write what she wrote. As she wrote more, the sadder she got. The more she wrote, the more the morbidity hit. After, she locked up the journal, and settled her heartache down to rest for the night.

“What about it?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash took a step back in horror. “Applejack, you need help! This is…” she read the page over again. “Just…” her voice cracked. The pace of her breath began to waver, as though she was just feeling the impact of the words for the first time.

Applejack did her best to seem as unphased as possible. “Look, Dash,” she said. “Ah was just goin’ through a phase that night, okay? Just a bad day, and ah was over-exaggeratin’ everything. Ah promise.”

Applejack look at her friend who had tears in her eyes. Dash wipes her eyes, stood up, and pointed at Applejack with a shaky hoof, showing a side of herself Applejack had never seen. “No,” she said. “You are telling her tonight. I can't let…” she paused to shake the book. “This go any further. Either you do it, or I will.”

Applejack’s eyes went wide. “No way, Dash, ah can't! She'll hate me forever! Our friendship will be ruined! We'll stop hanging out and y'all will start asking why we're not hanging any anymore, and then ah’ll have’ta tell ‘em why, and then they'll all either hate Rarity or hate me, and… and… and….”

Applejack’s floodgates finally opened. As she wept her heart out, she tried recall the last time she cried. Not tears of joy (as she often let loose) or anger, but fullon sadness. Her parents' deaths? There had to be a time after that, right? She felt Rainbow Dash’s wings embrace her, followed by her hooves wrapping around Applejack’s shaking body. “You gals are mah only friends,” she barely spoke through the tears. “Ah don't want to ruin what's been keepin’ me happy all these years, even if it means ah have to be sad every once an’ a while.”

Applejack felt the hooves wrapped around her squeeze. She could feel Dash’s shaky breath go down her neck. “Applejack,” her voice sounded as non-Rainbow Dash as it could possibly get. “You are my best friend! I couldn't imagine losing you just because you're afraid. I mean, you're Applejack! She's not scared of anything!” Rainbow broke the embrace. “Go up there, and tell Rarity everything! Maybe take her down here, or…”

Applejack hugged Rainbow again, as a little filly would to her mother, and buried her muzzle into Dash’s breast, shaking her head. “Ah-ah can't Rainbow. Ah don't want to ruin our friendship… and ah think ah’ve had enough emotional wear-and-tear for one day.”

Dash stood up. “I won't let you, AJ.”

“Dash… Dash, please.”

“Nope,” Rainbow Dash spread her wings, blocking the door. “If you don't do it, I will.”

Applejack wiped her now dry eyes. “Dash, ah said no. Now if–”

There was a knock on the door, and a sonorous voice called in: “Girls, are you alright in there?”

Rarity.

Rainbow furled her wings, began to walk over to the kitchen door. “Sorry, Applejack. It's for your own good, trust me.” She turned back and tucked the journal under her wing. “She won't see this… I'll at least do you that favor, but you need to talk this out.”

“Rainbow… please” Applejack pleaded.

For a mere second, it looked as if Rainbow Dash considered it, but then she opened the door, and told Rarity that Applejack wanted to talk with her.

“Dash… Applejack… have you two been crying?” Rarity needed not ask that question, as anyone could have told by the wet face and red eyes of the two mares. Rainbow said not another word, and galloped out back to the room with the other girls. Applejack prayed that Dash wasn't going to tell them all about it.

Rarity wore pure, unadulterated worry atop her face. “Applejack,” she said, trying to make sense of the situation. “What's going on? What's wrong?” She ran over to her friend.

Applejack felt another wave of tears begin to rise up. No, she told herself. Once is bad enough, but twice? And in front of her? “Nothing,” she lied. Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Applejack, darling, you can tell me anything!” She stepped closer. “Come on, what can you tell Rainbow Dash but not me?”

Applejack looked up, and gave an expression of half-longing, and half-guilt. Say it Applejack, say it. The words pounded in her brain. Ah… love you. Oh sweet Celestia, ah can't think it let alone say it. Applejack closed and squinted her eyes. “Ah…” Damn it, why'd ya start Applejack‽ She opened her eyes to see Rarity patiently waiting for an answer, with a worried look still plastered on her face. Okay Applejack, like a bandaid, 1...2...3…. Okay, that was just a practice count. 1, 2, 3, “Dammit, ah love ya Rarity!” Applejack yelled. There. It's done.

Applejack kept her eyes shut tight, hoping that by some supernatural force, Rarity would be gone by the time she opened them. After what, to her, felt like hours, she finally opened her eyes. It must have only been a second, because it looked as it Rarity had just finished processing the information. “Huh,” she let out. She sat down on the stool Rainbow Dash had sat in. Applejack couldn't tell if Rarity’s mouth was in a smile or a frown, but either way, she didn't like it.

Applejack felt like she needed to say more. “Ah have since Freshmare year.”

Silence, followed by another “huh.”

“You know, Applejack. It all makes sense now,” Rarity said. Applejack did a mental eyeroll. What a clishé thing to say, she thought. “The lack of boyfriends, or crushes on stallions, the way you tend to sit too close to me, or when you try to smell my hair…”

Applejack blushed. “Am ah really that obvious?” she said weakly.

“Well,” Rarity said, wincing. “Kinda.” There was a pause as Rarity thought back. “Hold on,” she said. “A while back when I slept over at your place, and you said you didn't have a guest bedroom, so we…” Applejack’s face turned as red as the apples on her cutie mark. Rarity tried to suppress her disgust. Applejack felt the lump come back. She was right the whole time. Welp, bye-bye to our friendship, ah guess. “I heard your breathing speed up and I wondered if something was wrong, but then I heard the sound of you–”

“OKAY, Rarity!” Applejack shouted. “Ah GET IT! Ah’m a disgusting pony and ah been abusing our friendship to get close to you!” Applejack stood up, and began tearing up again. “But you’re the funniest, smartest, most hardworking, confident, generous, and gosh-darn prettiest gal–no pony–ah know. Can you really blame me‽” Applejack kicked the stool over in frustration. “Damnit Rainbow. Ya’ just ruined my life.” Applejack curled up on the ground and started crying once again. “Just go, Rare. I know ya’ hate me now….” She waited a few seconds, and then turned her head away again. “Please, just go!”

Rarity turned to the door, but then, after a brief pause, then turned back to her orange coated friend. “No,” she said. It was as a firm no as Dash’s. Rarity trotted over, and laid down next to Applejack. “No, I will not leave you, because no, I do not hate you.” Applejack looked up. “Applejack, darling, I could never hate you. No matter how… personal your… preferences are.” Rarity struggled to find the appropriate words for a while longer. “Yes, it may change some things… okay, it may change a lot,” she admitted. “But darling, while it might not be,” she choked on the word. “Sexual love, I still love you as a best friend.”

Right there, Applejack felt the biggest cluster of emotions she had ever felt. At the vanguard of the heartstrings, the happy-sad combo. “Really?” she asked.

“Mm Hm.” Rarity leaned in and nuzzled Applejack. “Besides, there's other fish in the sea, darling. And who better to help you go fishing than me?”

“But ah,” Applejack stopped, but then realized she had might as well go all in. “Ah don't want any other fish. ‘Cuz none of ‘em are… you.”

Rarity cringed as a reflex. Applejack’s heart sank again. “Look, darling, I... I just don't see you that way…. I'm sorry, truly I am, but it just isn't going to happen. You need to hear it.” She more said that last sentence to comfort herself than to Applejack.

“Yeah. Ah know… sorry.”

“Oh, Applejack, don't apologize for how you feel….” Rarity cautiously hugged Applejack, careful not to put her hooves too close to Applejack’s rump. So, Applejack thought. This is what it's going to be like. Everything’s the same, but different. No more comfortability, no more slumber parties, no more secrets. Although she felt good that this wasn't the end-all she had worried it might have been, she overall felt defeated. Rarity was very obviously uncomfortable with the new information she had gotten. Albeit justifiably, thought Applejack.

“You promise you won't tell anypony else?”

Rarity nodded. “You have my word.” She broke the embrace, and stood back up. “Better now, darling?” Applejack sniffed and nodded. Rarity turned to go out the door and begun to walk. She stopped when she saw Applejack hadn't moved. “You coming?”

Applejack waved her hoof. “You go on ahead. I still need a minute.”

Before Rarity left, she trotted back and planted a soft kiss on Applejack's left cheek. “Don't change, Applejack,” she said, then added, “but maybe, find yourself a girlfriend? I'm sure there are plenty of mares out there like me.” She turned back to the door and smiled at Applejack’s lovestruck expression. “They'd be pretty lucky, if you ask me.” She winked, turned, closed the door, and then, upon leaving the field of vision of Applejack, wiped her mouth and shuddered. She did love Applejack, but not like that.

Applejack sat alone in the dark, empty room. “Mares like you are more than just a rarity.” Applejack said to herself. “‘Cuz you are one of a kind.”