"Consarnit!" grumbled Applejack, setting her fork down and rubbing at her left cheek.
"Geez Applejack, just hurry up and get that tooth looked at already. You've been wincing at lunch for a couple days now." said Rainbow Dash, the athlete picking up her carton of milk and taking a sip afterwards before smirking "Unless you're chicken!"
Scowling, Applejack shook her head "Ah ain't no chicken, Ah just don't like them dentists..."
"Chicken! Bawk bawk bawk!" taunted Dash, even going so far as to flap her arms in imitation!
"Really Rainbow Dash, is that any reason to be so juvenile?" scoffed Rarity before flashing a pretty, sympathetic smile towards Applejack. "Now darling, I know trips to the dentists can be unpleasant, what with the waiting and the machinery-"
"And when you're in to have a tooth taken out and everything goes dark..." murmured Fluttershy.
"... right. And that, but you should seriously go in if it's bothering you so much. And it won't be so bad by the end of it I'm sure!"
The farmer seemed to mull this over for a second before giving a nod "Guess yer right."
"Naturally!" said Rarity, beaming with another brilliant smile before returning to the rest of their table and continuing whatever conversation had been going on before. Applejack simply picked up her fork and prodded at her meal, glancing at Rarity every now and then. Dang she was so pretty, it was almost scary in a way.
This crush was nothing new, it had been stewing inside of Applejack for awhile now but dammit if she had a hard time bringing it up. Only thing scarier than a dentist was starting that conversation.
"... Is something wrong darling? You've been staring off into space for quite some time." said Rarity, looking confused as Applejack snapped back to attention.
"S'fine!" she assured, shoveling some food into her mouth and immediately regretting it as her tooth bit down into a particularly underdone carrot. She winced hard and bowed her head, foot stomping once at the throbbing pain. When she looked back up and to the side, she noticed Sunset Shimmer giving her that knowing look. That look that said 'we talked about this, you should just go ahead and tell her', but Applejack brushed it off as she swallowed what was in her mouth.
She had time... she had plenty of time.
"Wasn't that a load..." Applejack muttered to herself as she set about collecting the last of the apple harvest for the year. That had been a couple years ago by now, they'd all graduated and gone on with their lives. Some stayed in Canterlot while some, like Rarity, left the city to pursue their dreams. Though they were spread thin, they still kept in contact through various ways and took any chance they could to get together. Rarity often sent an email when she wasn't too busy at Manehattan University college. She'd said it was the best way to make connections and have a chance to rub elbows with the elites in Manehattan but Applejack honestly hadn't seen why she'd needed to. The woman was sure as hell talented but if Rarity still needed to make connections to make it big, then maybe it wasn't as easy as making a hit dress or two to just break into the fashion world...
Giving a light shake of her head, Applejack finished filling the basket and set it on the cart that she wheeled into the barn. With that done, both she and Macintosh closed the barn doors before heading inside just as the last of the fall sunset crept below the horizon line. After passing through the doorway Applejack made a beeline for the computer in the living room. The thing wasn't a brand spanking new model, made obvious by the fact that it took it's sweet time to boot up, but it got the job done. After logging into her email account, her eyes quickly scanned through the few new messages before sighing and sitting back in her seat.
Nothing from Rarity... again. Normally this wouldn't bother her too much but it had been more than a week, not to mention when she asked their other friends they'd said they hadn't heard from her in awhile either...
"Leave it on, sis!" called Applebloom as she made her way down the stairs, taking the seat after Applejack had finished logging out of her email account. The blonde would then make her way to the kitchen to see if her grandmother needed help with anything when she noticed the mail on the table. Particularly a postcard showing her Aunt and Uncle Orange dressed up as a vampire and a jockey respectively, along with their ten year old son Tangelo dressed up as that one guy from Space Wars, with the words Happy Halloween across the top.
"Early 'r late, they always get their fancy holiday cards out, don't they?" drawled Granny Smith as she set about the pots and pans on the stove.
"Ah guess so." chuckled Applejack, taking a seat at the table "Ya' want me to do anythin' for ya'?"
"Naw, Ah got it." assured Granny Smith, giving a light wave of her hand as she added a bit more spice to a pot. A couple minutes of comfortable silence would stretch on before Granny would speak up again "So, ya' gots any plans now that th' harvest is in?"
"Outside of chores around the farm?" chuckled Applejack.
"Oh we got a handle on that!" said Granny, giving a light shake of her head "Ah mean goin' out n' havin' fun! Ah swear, ever since high school s'like ya' don't go out as much. Why dontcha' take a l'il more time fer yerself?"
"Can't think of much to do Ah guess..." said Applejack, giving a light shrug of her shoulders before her eyes landed back on the Orange family holiday card. "Hm... maybe I could pop up a spell to see Aunt and Uncle Orange n' little Tangelo."
"All the way up n' Manehattan?" asked Granny, raising a brow at her granddaughter.
"Well, s'been awhile." said Applejack, smiling and rubbing the side of her neck "And y'know. Maybe Ah could see Rarity while Ah'm up there. S'been a long while since Ah got ta' see her."
"Hrm, well talk it out with yer aunt n' uncle. Ticket ta' Manehattan ain't cheap no sir."
"Ah know Granny, Ah'll get on it."
After a couple of days of talking and planning, her aunt and uncle had wired her the money for a ticket up to Manehatten. Applejack had made sure to leave a message on Rarity's cell phone on her way up so that she didn't just drop by unannounced and after that it was just a hop, skip and a jump to the Orange residence. They had opened the door with bright smiles on their faces, expressing how happy they were to see her and it made the farmer a little bad that she was using them as an excuse to see Rarity. Still, she'd make sure to spend time with them even if most of the talk would be about fancy things like designer clothing and yachts and what have you.
It was just lucky that when dinner time rolled around, Applejack was able to dust off her socialite manners and politely keep up with the conversations. "No, Ah had no idea yer yacht came in second this year at the marina race." she said, smiling to her uncle as she correctly picked the correct fork to eat her salad with. Honestly, dinner shouldn't of needed more than one set of a knife, fork and spoon.
Uncle Orange puffed out his chest proudly as he continued the story "Oh yes, I was quite surprised that we managed to pull ahead of Mr. Cash's yacht to take second place, it was more than I could have honestly hoped for this year!"
"What's it like on the farm?" asked Tangelo, taking a bite of salad and swallowing before the boy continued "Is there anything fun to do there?"
"Oh plenty." assured Applejack as she smiled to her cousin "We still got a clubhouse out there, swimmin' hole, plenty of land to run 'round on, horseshoes..."
"No basketball court?"
"Nah, though we could make a hoop right easy if'n we wanted too." Tangelo seemed to lose interest after that as the main course was brought out by the chef. Applejack was content to just listen the family go on after that, digging into the admittedly delicious if not small main course. She just never seemed to mesh with this world, it just wasn't her. Rarity on the other hand, she always wanted to live on the highest shelf of society and she'd undoubtedly fit in well here.
Being around fancy stuff had never seemed so bad if it came from Rarity...
Odd how someone's feelings could change based on the person.
Applejack was jolted out of her thoughts when dessert was served, the conversation starting to wind down with the evening and after a time, she found herself alone in the guest room. As she lay in bed for awhile, staring at the ceiling with her hands behind her head as her thoughts seemed to keep drifting back to the fashionista until she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next day she'd wake up to a hearty breakfast and spend time out with the Oranges afterwards, mainly going out to have lunch at a very classy establishment with her Aunt and cousin before going to see a show. It was quite pleasant despite how out of place Applejack felt and when they returned home that evening, she'd mentioned that she wanted to go out and see a friend. Aunt Orange had insisted that Applejack take her car and even kicked in a little gas money. Which Applejack really wished she hadn't in retrospect because dear lord at just a glance she could tell this car was expensive. As if she wasn't nervous enough going to see Rarity, now she was doubly paranoid about wrecking this car, insurance be damned. Thankfully she made it to Rarity's apartment building without so much as a scratch and made doubly sure that the alarm was on before heading inside. Sure this wasn't really a bad neighborhood but there was no way and no how she was going to risk letting it slip her mind to lock down the car and someone just take off with it!
She quieted the paranoid thoughts chattering in her head and just focused on the meeting up ahead. She didn't doubt Rarity would be happy to see her, they'd probably hang out and catch up, Rarity explaining that she hadn't emailed her because she had been caught up on a project... it'd be nice. Really nice. She dismissed the idea that it could get even nicer if she confessed but it still nagged at the back of her mind as she made her way up to the fourth floor. Upon reaching apartment 409, she raised a hand to knock but the door opened before she even went through with the motion. On the other side was a young woman with short red hair and dressed like the employees at Taco Hut. "Can I help you?" she asked, raising a brow and appraising Applejack.
"Yeah. Ah'm a friend of Rarity's. Applejack. She in?"
"No, I was actually on my way to get her from a party and then race off to my job."
"Ah could go pick her up." Applejack offered but the red head only shot her a skeptical look. Now that she thought about it, it probably seemed fishy to just let someone she'd never met before, claiming to be Rarity's friend, go get Rarity.
"I think I'll be fine getting her." said the roommate, closing the door behind her before putting her Taco Hut cap on.
Grasping fast for a name, Applejack spoke up just as she started walking away "Ash Glaze, right? Ya' met Rarity when ya' were putting up fliers near the art building for a new roommate cause the last one wouldn't clean up after themselves right?" That made Ash pause and turn back around, eying Applejack suspiciously and making the blonde squirm. "Rares talks 'bout ya now n' then. Says yer' pottery is real good."
After a moment, the red head said "You can follow me to where she is, we'll see how it goes from there."
"Fair 'nough." said Applejack, giving a nod and a smile before following the other down the steps. "So uh, you pickin' her up from some fancy, socialite thing?"
At that, the red head gave a slight snort "Right, fancy." she said, giving a light shake of her head before looking at Applejack again "I think she might've mentioned you and a couple others sometime. About when she lived in Canterlot. Shot in the dark, but I'm guessing you're the farmer?"
"Mm-hm." said Applejack, adding a nod onto that affirmation before they lapsed into a bit of an awkward silence as they headed to their cars. Thankfully Ash Glaze didn't try to give her the slip after they pulled out from the parking lot and they wound their way through the streets to another upscale neighborhood where they parked outside what looked to be an abandoned building. Applejack shot Ash a confused look while the other young woman simply looked down at her phone before motioning for Applejack to follow her into an alleyway. There was a door on the side of the building that had a bouncer guarding it with a line of people waiting to get in this evening. Off to the side were people who looked well and truly partied out, and not in the fun Pinkie Pie Party kind of way.
Before she could even say anything, Ash walked up to the bodyguard and exchanged some words that slipped by Applejack over the din of conversation from the line and the music exuding from the door. She noticed something pass between them before the bouncer gave a nod and stepped aside, Applejack followed when Ash motioned for her to. Once she stepped into the building, the deep bass of the music hit her, shaking every bit of her to the core. Every few seconds or so, the flashing of lights would help the farmer get a better view of the mass of bodies all around her, dancing and moving in time to a rhythm she had no desire to take part of. Instead she kept her eyes on Ash, following the other through the crowds as best as they could and going over to a darker side of the club.
This part had an area where dancers could lounge about and do whatever. Applejack really didn't pay it much mind as she kept an eye out for Rarity. Out of the corner of her eye a movement caught her attention and a better look revealed it to be the fashionista, wearing a rather nice little black dress and stumbling, looking around confused and dazed. Applejack moved over towards her, left hand shooting out to catch Rarity's shoulder when it appeared the seamstress was about to fall. After a blink, those gorgeous blue eyes seemed to finally focus on her before a weightless smile came to Rarity's face "Applejackkkkk! So good to see you darling!" she slurred out, something obviously in her system as she leaned against the taller woman and pressed close.
The close proximity was a little startling but at that moment Applejack was more concerned with how her friend was acting "Rarity, Ah came with Ash Glaze, we're takin' ya' back to yer place." she said, looking around for Ash and waving the red head over.
"How wonderful! I could use a bit of a lie down, the seats here are so uncomfortable!" said Rarity, giggling softly and waving to Ash when she came over. Between the two of them they managed to navigate the crowd of dangers and get out of the club with Rarity in tow, Ash insisting she take Rarity home in her car and that she'd look after Rarity for the night.
"What about yer job?"
"I'll just have to use a vacation day. Again." sighed Ash, shaking her head as she got Rarity into the back of her car "Come back around tomorrow afternoon, that'll give her some time to recover." She'd get into the driver's seat and take off, leaving Applejack with the uncomfortable notion that this had happened more than once. The farmer chewed on her lower lip for a moment before turning and heading back to her aunt's car and driving back to her relative's place for the night.
The next day when Applejack arrived at Rarity's apartment and knocked, she was met once more by Ash, the red head looking tired and miffed but not as wary of Applejack as yesterday. "Hey, she's up and at the kitchen table." said Ash, stepping back and letting Applejack inside. The apartment was a bit of a clash of style, some of it had a sort of elegance she expected from Rarity, the rest was a bit artsy which she assumed came from Ash. She slowly approached the table that the fashionista was slumped over, a small smile on her face as she pulled out a chair for herself.
"Hey Rares, you okay?" asked Applejack, her voice gentle and soft since she figured Rarity would like things on the quiet side.
Rarity raised her head and gave a weary smile in turn "Quite honestly, I feel like a piece of fabric run through my sewing machine darling. " Giving a light shake of her head caused a grimace to appear on her face, a hand reaching to her forehead and lightly rubbing it. "I'm sorry you had to see me in such a situation. Even though Ash assured me that I hadn't done anything embarrassing, I still..."Another slight shake of the head.
"S'alright, Ah won't let a word slip 'bout it." assured Applejack, giving a reassuring smile before frowning softly "Do ya'... go out n' do that often?" Her frown deepened when Rarity bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. However, Rarity raised a hand just as Applejack opened her mouth.
"I know what you might say, Applejack. But it's fine, really."
"Don't seem fine..."
"I know it doesn't seem ideal but, these are the sort of soirees I go to now. Fellow students in my class and those of the upper class partake in such activities. If it helps, I know my limits and Ash always looks out for me."
"Ah'd feel a might much better if'n ya' weren't doin' that stuff at all." said Applejack, leaning against the table as Rarity took her turn to frown. However, it turned into a gentle smile as Rarity reached out and placed a hand on Applejack's.
"I appreciate your concern Applejack, but I know what I'm doing I assure you."
"... can ya' at least promise you'll stay safe? Yer real important to me n' all our friends."
There was a pause, Rarity staring at her for a moment before smiling and standing, moving close enough that she could reach over and gently pat Applejack's cheek. "You're a good friend Applejack. Thank you."
Then the contact was gone. Applejack gulped softly and stood up "Y-Yeah. No problem Rares." she replied, stuffing her hands into her pockets before taking a deep breath "Uh... Rarity, Ah just wanna say that uh. Ah'm real glad you're okay. Ah wouldn't know what to do if'n ya' got hurt."
She felt a lump in her throat as Rarity raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "That's sweet of you Applejack. Thank you." she said, reaching over and placing a hand on the farmer's arm.
"Uh... if'n ya' want. You wanna go out later n' do somethin'? Or maybe just hang out here?"
"I'm afraid not darling. I'm still feeling tired from last night and I really do need to return some calls. I wouldn't want the nice young man I met in class to think I stood him up after all." she said, giggling and giving a wink to Applejack who could just feel that lump in her throat growing bigger. "I believe I remember the message you left me and you should still be in town for a couple more days. How about we get together tomorrow? Just the two of us?"
Applejack put a smile on her face and nodded "Sure, sounds swell Rarity." Rubbing the back of her neck, she followed up with "Ah guess Ah'll get out of your hair then. You get your rest now, y'hear." She'd watch Rarity walk to her room and close the door before turning and heading for the door, just letting herself out.
She said the wrong words... no. How could she expect Rarity to say the words she wanted to hear when she never took that step?
'Don't you start thinkin' like that. You just be happy for her.' she thought, nodding to herself and a small, sad little smile on her face as she got into Aunt Orange's car and drove away, thinking about tomorrow and how good it would be to hang out with Rarity.
Her friend.
Author's Note
Yeah I got inspired by a song. Guess it and win a cookie.
Also 3am and finishing this off, must pass out now.
