Country Mouse, City Mouse: A Love Story

by Jade Ring

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Drama, Equestria Girls, Comedy, Rarity, Profanity, Sex, Applejack
Length: 4622

Follow the ups and downs of Applejack and Rarity's life together, from the best of friends to something more.

One came from the upper crust. She never wanted for anything, was pampered beyond belief, and could hardly fathom any kind of issue larger than what designer she was to wear that day.

The other came from the folks of the earth. From the time she could walk she was doing chores, helping out around the house, and accepting the hard parts of growing up poor.

Two polar opposites, but a chance meeting will send them down a road that neither could ever dream of.

///////////////////////////////////

An experimental story I've been tinkering with for some time now. Each chapter will be 1000 to 2000 words long, and each will chronicle Applejack and Rarity's relationship from childhood to adulthood in increments of five years (from age 5 to 50). Ideally, chapters will be uploaded in groups of 3 until the final chapter which will be posted on it's own.

I hope you enjoy my little romantic experiment.

Published 2019-08-08 08:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-08-09 07:31:26 UTC

5

“Alright class!” Miss Sunny Meadows clapped her hands to gain the attention of her roomful of kindergarteners. Once most eyes were focused on her and not on their worksheets, she gestured to the low tables on the far side of the room. “It’s snack time.”

A cheer rang out as the twenty-two five year olds bolted for the cubby holes where their backpacks were hung, their precious snacks from home tucked securely within. Prizes secure in tiny hands, they grabbed seats alongside the friends they’d already made on this most momentous of days; their first day of school. They chattered and laughed through mouthfuls of graham crackers and sliced fruit, informing one another on the most miniscule elements of their day to day routines.

One small girl, her blonde hair done up in a pair of pigtails, chose to sit by herself. She looked around furtively, her crumpled brown paper bag clutched tight against her plain blue overalls. Once she was absolutely sure the coast was clear, that none of her classmates were paying her the slightest bit of attention, she exhaled the breath she’d been holding and reached into the sack for…

“Is anyone sitting here?”

The girl with the pigtails looked up sharply as another girl sat across from her without waiting for an answer. She watched as the new arrival (resplendent in a clearly brand new blue dress, her purple hair done up in a picture perfect bun) sat a small box on the table and opened the lid. Nestled inside were a number of strawberries lightly dusted with candied sugar and a small selection of various cheeses, along with a stack of crackers. A nearby thermos of indeterminate liquid completed the ensemble. The pigtailed girl marveled at the spread, but the pale girl across from her seemed anything but pleased. “Oh no! I told Mommy I couldn’t eat the cheese and the strawberries.” She pouted for a moment, then spotted her tablemate’s bag and smiled. “Wanna trade?”

The pigtailed girl flinched. “Uh… I’m okay. Thanks.”

The girl with the purple bun smiled wider. “I like your accent.”

The increasingly flustered orange girl chose not to remark on her new companion’s own strange affectation, delicate and carefully worded. It reminded her of her wealthy cousins off in Manehatten.

Apparently not to be deterred, nor to be one to take a hint, the purple haired girl focused on the paper sack. “Pleeeeeeease?” Stretching the word out with practiced ease. “Don’t you like cheese?”

The orange girl actually quite enjoyed cheese, but she knew that her getting a piece of her new companion’s was a complete impossibility. Even at age five, the sacred rules of childhood were already burned into her brain. Food could not just be given freely. For proper sharing to occur, a trade had to take place.

Did her new friend not understand that?

Finally, she sighed as she reached into the bag. “I can’t trade with ya. I only have this.” And she pulled out a shiny red apple.

The purple-haired girl raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you have? Don’t you have a drink?”

The orange girl just nodded her head at the classroom’s water fountain.

The purple-haired girl’s confusion was not abated. “And why a whole apple? Why didn’t your mommy at least cut it up for you?”

The orange girl frowned and started to turn away. “My mama’s got more important stuff to do on the farm than cut up my apples. ‘Sides, I ain’t no baby. I don’t need my apples cut up.”

The purple-haired girl, sensing she’d hit a sore spot, scrambled to recover. “Well, the fact remains that I can’t eat all this cheese. You can just have some.”

“Don’t want any.”

The pale girl’s mouth tightened. No one in all her life had talked to her this way. “But I’m offering to share.”

“I ain’t got nothin’ to share back.” The girl in the overalls sighed and turned back. Clearly this poor girl needed education beyond what Miss Sunny Meadows could provide. “Look; my big brother told me that in school, you can’t just take somethin’ for nothin.’ He said that’s charity and we don’t need no charity.”

“Rarity.”

The orange girl rolled her eyes. “No, he definitely said charity.”

“No. Rarity. It’s my name.” The pale girl stuck out her hand like she’d been taught. “What’s yours?”

The orange girl observed the offered hand for a moment before grasping it with her own. She noted how soft and smooth it felt against her own. “Applejack.”

They shook once, twice, then let go. The polite greeting taught by their elders was completed.

Believing the matter settled, Applejack grasped her fruit, rubbed the skin along denim, and leaned in to take a bite.

“Um…”

Applejack paused and looked over at the girl who seemed so dead-set on interrupting her snack time. “Yeah?”

Rarity looked back at her box shyly. “Can I… can I have a bite? Please?” When Applejack didn’t respond, she continued. “And then you can have a piece of cheese. I’m really not going to eat it all.”

Applejack looked from the girl, to the apple, and then back to the girl again. “Why do ya want to trade so bad? Do ya hate cheese that much?”

Rarity quickly shook her head and flashed her biggest smile. “I just… I just really like apples. That’s all.”

Applejack considered for a few moments before making a decision. “I don’t want the cheese.”

Rarity’s face fell.

“But I’ll share my apple with ya if we can share those strawberries.”

Rarity grinned and pushed the box so that it was perfectly between them.

The unwanted cheese sat forgotten as the two new friends happily split the bounty of fruit. After swallowing a particularly sweet strawberry, Applejack made to get up to get a sip of water. Rarity grabbed her before she could leave and offered her open thermos. Applejack took it gratefully and took a swig, smiling at the taste.

It was apple juice.

Applejack's Journal I

Dear journal,

Kindegarten was not bad.

Miss Sunny Meadows is nice.

I only misssed missed Mama and Papa a little bit.

I reallly liked finger painting!

Big Mac told a joke at super and I shot milk out my nose!

I have to go to bed. Goodnight journal.

Almost forgot that I made a friend. Her name is Rarity and she is very nice. I like her a lot.

Goodnight journal

10

The two girls peeked over the edge of the loft in which they were hiding. Twenty feet below, two three year old girls toddled along, looking this way and that.

“Are we safe up here?” Rarity asked, her voice a low whisper.

Applejack nodded, causing her father’s Stetson, stolen from the hat rack while he took his afternoon nap, to tilt haphazardly. “Mama tanned Apple Bloom’s hide the last time she tried to climb up here.”

The two friends watched as their respective little sisters gave one last look around the barn, gave each other a shrug, and wandered back into the July sunshine.

Rarity and Applejack finally relaxed, sighing in relief and collapsing back against the tall stacks of hay that filled the loft. “And I thought havin’ one sibling was irritatin.’” The orange girl muttered.

Rarity giggled as she pulled a stray bit of straw from her hair. “At least this one’s another girl. Imagine if you had to deal with two boys.” She stuck out her tongue in obvious distaste. “I honestly don’t understand how you can put up with the one you have.”

Applejack laughed and resumed her game of tossing her Pa’s hat as high as she was able and catching it on her head on the way down. “Mac’s not bad. I mean, him bein’ my brother makes him a mite more tolerable than Time Turner or Sandalwood.”

Rarity gasped as Applejack’s words sparked in her brain. “Oh! I completely forgot to tell you!”

“Tell me what?”

“Last week, Derpy pulled me aside and told me she thought Time Turner was cute!”

Applejack gaped at her. “You mean she likes him? Like, like-likes him?”

Rarity nodded frantically. She made a dramatic show of looking around before lowering her voice to an unnecessarily conspiratorially whisper. “She even said that she wanted to kiss him.”

Applejack stared at her best friend in shock. Someone actually wanted to kiss Time Turner? Time Turner?! The lanky math-obsessed boy’s image filled her head and she shuddered. “Derpy ain’t the only one. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have been getting’ all giggly around the boys, too.” She again returned to her game of toss-the-hat. “I just don’t get it. Y’know, my Mama actually told me the other day that I was gonna start lookin’ at boys like that real soon?”

“Blech.” Rarity shook her head in disbelief. “Boys are just so… ugh.” She racked her brain for the best term. “Uncouth.”

“Bless you.”

“What?”

“You sneezed.”

Rarity bit back her reply and instead stuck out her hand. “Let’s make a promise, shall we?”

Applejack caught the hat and placed it back on her head in one swift motion. “What kind of promise?”

“That we’ll never ever entertain such silly ideas as kissing boys.”

Applejack grinned. “Yeah! We don’t need no gross boys. Not now, not ever.” She looked at her own palm, spat into it, and held it out.

Rarity’s own hand retracted a bit as she pursed her lips. “Ugh… mustwe?”

“Yes.” Applejack glared at her solemnly, her voice grave. “It ain’t for real unless ya spit. I saw Mac and his friends do it.”

Rarity considered carefully. Mac was two years older than they were. His worldly knowledge surely exceeded their own. If this was truly how older people sealed their deals, then it was simply unavoidable. She slowly brought her own palm to her mouth, hesitated, then daintily spit. The hard part done, she returned her hand to the original position.

The two girls clasped their damp palms together and shook. Once, twice, three times. The pact sealed, they quickly released their grip on the other and wiped their respective hands off on their shirts.

Applejack peeked over the edge of the loft, checking to ensure their sisters had not returned. “Ya wanna head to the club house? Granny found some of her old dolls in the attic.”

Rarity sniffed as she tossed her hair in imitation of the models she watched on television. “I’m sure their fashion is woefully out of date.”

The pair giggled as they started for the ladder. They were just about to start down when they heard footsteps approaching the barn. They froze, sure that their pursuers had returned with back-up of the adult variety, ready to force them to include the young children in their games. Quick as a flash, they bolted back to their hiding place and peered back over the ledge to watch.

Instead of their annoying younger siblings, it was Macintosh Apple who strolled into the barn, a barrel of apples perched on his already broadening shoulders. He lowered the barrel to the ground and removed his shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from his face.

Applejack rolled her eyes as she made to climb down once again. “C’mon, it’s just Mac. He won’t rat us out to…” She trailed off when she noticed that Rarity wasn’t moving.

The pale girl was frozen as she looked at the older boy, the slightest hint of a blush in her cheeks. She took in his tall frame, his developing muscles, the way the air made his short hair bounce slightly…

“Rares?” Applejack waved her hand in the other girls face. “What are you…?” She followed Rarity’s line of sight and finally saw what she was looking at. She exhaled irritably and snapped her fingers in Rarity’s face. “Hey!”

Rarity looked at her sharply, as though she’d just come out of a trance or deep sleep. “What?” She wilted beneath her best friend’s glare and smiled in embarrassment. “Sorry.”

Applejack just shook her head as she started down the ladder.

As Rarity made to follow, she strained her neck in the hopes at catching another peek at the eldest Apple sibling. Confusion raced through her mind at the sudden on-rush of feelings when she’d looked down on him. How could she possibly explain to Applejack that, pact or no pact, she was still very fond of apples?

And Mac, she was just beginning to realize, was a very cute Apple.

15

“And I said to Rainbow Dash ‘Well, if that’s how you really feel, then maybe you shouldn’t attend my birthday party after all.’ And then she said…”

“Mm-hmm.” Applejack mumbled, her attention directed more at the magazine in her hands than the story being told by her best friend.

Rarity stopped painting her toenails and cut her eyes at the girl lying on her bedroom floor. “Applejack, are you even listening?”

“Sure I am.” Applejack muttered, turning another page.

“You aren’t.”

Applejack sighed and tossed the magazine away. “I’m sorry, Rares, but it’s pretty doggone hard to listen to you grouse and complain about Rainbow Dash for the umpteenth time.”

Rarity sniffed derisively as she returned to the work at hand. “You make it sound as if I don’t talk about anything else.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “I suppose it ain’t the only thing you talk about.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean, you were complaining about Pinkie Pie the last time you stayed over at my place." Before Rarity could retort, she held her hands up in a defensive gesture. “Look, I ain’t complainin’ cuz I like hanging out with you and if listening to you whine is part of that deal, then hey, I’m all for it.”

“I am not whining. I am complaining.”

“But don’t it get a bit tiresome bein’ so dadgum negative all the time? Especially about the girls we use to be friends with?”

Rarity’s mouth was a thin line as she forced herself to focus on her toes. “If you feel I’m being too negative, darling, then by all means let us change the topic of discussion.” She smirked as she winked at the farmer on the floor. “How’s your brother?”

Applejack said nothing. She slowly stood, walked over to the head of Rarity’s four-poster bed, selected the biggest pillow she could find, and heaved it as hard as she was able at Rarity’s head. Rarity’s squeals of protest about her still drying nails were cut off by a second blow from a feathery projectile.

In moments, the situation had devolved into a full-on pillow war, the likes of which the bedroom hadn’t witnessed since the earliest days of the pair’s friendship. Giggling and grinning, they collapsed side by side atop a pile of spent ammunition and looked up at the ceiling. The glow in the dark stars that Rarity’s father had stuck to the ceiling so many years ago still looked down on them, their dull yellow still promising a shining sight once the lights were turned out.

“You don’t really still have a crush on Mac, do ya?”

Rarity blew a raspberry in Applejack’s general direction. “No, not really. It would never work between us anyway. He’ll graduate soon and, as enticing I find the idea of dating a university man to be, I’m afraid I’ve never seen the appeal in the whole…” She spun her hand in the air. “…long-distance relationship sort of thing.”

“That… and he’s dating Cheerilee.”

Rarity sighed heavily. “And it was Fluttershy before that. Oh well, plenty of fish in the sea, as they say.” She rolled onto her side, propped herself up on one elbow, and regarded the girl beside her. “What about you?”

“No. I don’t have a crush on my brother.”

Once the latest round of giggles had subsided, Rarity leaned in. “Seriously, darling. You claim that I’m always complaining about our ex-friends. Don’t think that I have never noticed that you never discuss the… rougher sex.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Beg pardon?”

“Spill, darling! What strapping stud in our class puts those lovely little butterflies in your belly?”

Applejack frowned at the ceiling. “Yeah. About that…”

Rarity’s good-natured smile faded as she detected a new tension in the air. “If I’m prying, then I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s just…” Applejack sighed as she rolled away and faced the door, contemplating just running for it. “Consarnit, I don’t…”

“Applejack.” Rarity sat up, suddenly deadly serious. “If I’ve gone too far, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to…”

“Ain’t nothin’ to forgive. I mean, I’ve wanted to tell you for I don’t know how long… Wanted to tell somebody. Anybody! But I ain’t… I just ain’t got the nerve…” She curled into a fetal position. “I’m scared, and I…”

Rarity reached out and put a hand on the girl’s orange shoulder, noting with worry that she was shaking. “Applejack, whatever it is, you know you can tell me…”

“Rarity, I’m gay.”

Rarity’s hand snatched away as though it had been burned. There was nothing malicious in the act, really it was more the shock than anything, but she knew in the next instant that it had been the worst possible thing she could’ve done following those three words. She tried to reach back out, but Applejack had already jumped to her feet and was speeding towards the door.

“I’m sorry I said anything.” Her voice was thick, the promise of tears more than evident. “Just forget I said anything. I’ll go…”

Rarity reached her just as she reached for the door-handle. She wrapped her oldest and dearest friend as tightly as she could and held her close. Applejack struggled weakly for a moment, but then the tears came in full force and she collapsed into the pale girl’s embrace. Rarity held tight as the sobs wracked her body, and she followed when her knees gave out and she fell to the plush carpet below. When the wave of weeping finally subsided, Rarity whispered assurances, kind words, and countless apologies for her initial reaction. She assured her that she was still her very best friend, and that nothing could ever change that. When Applejack’s final sobs had dried up, the two simply knelt together in silence.

It was Rarity who finally spoke. “How long have you known?”

“A few months.” Applejack wiped her nose and coughed, her voice hoarse. “I mean, I guess I always kinda suspected. I never did come around on boys like the rest of ya’ll did.”

Rarity laughed lightly and squeezed her.

“Are… are we okay?”

“Of course we are, darling.” Rarity finally released her grip and turned Applejack by the shoulders. She turned the orange girl so they were face to face. “This changes nothing. You’re still my best friend.”

Applejack smiled and hugged the seamstress tightly. “Thanks, Rares. That means the world to me.”

Rarity pulled away and examined the other girl’s tear-puffed eyes. “Now, come along. I believe a face mask is in order before we turn in.” The two laughed as they stood and started for the bathroom. “So… you like girls.”

“Yep.” Applejack smiled wistfully. “Feels good to finally say it out loud like that.”

“Well then, I suppose I must amend my previous inquiry.”

“How’s that?”

“Is there some fair young lady we know that’s struck your fancy?” She turned and offered her brightest smile, her purple hair bouncing on one pale shoulder. Her inquiring eyes danced in the light.

Applejack froze and gulped hard. She shook off the moment and did her best to feign aloofness. “Nope. Can’t think of anyone right now.”

Rarity pouted slightly, then shrugged as she turned away. “Well, you simply must keep me abreast of the situation.”

Applejack followed quickly, doing her best to ignore just how pleasantly the jasmine scented shampoo Rarity used danced in her nose. “Uh, believe me, Rares; you’ll be the first to know.”

Experiment Failed

Author's Note

Well, this was always a crap-shoot. Some experiments succeed, some fail. That's just how life goes.

I just wanted to see if I could write a story like this, and sadly it looks like it just wasn't meant to be. I really love these two, and I'm proud of what's here, but the drive to actually tell this story just isn't there anymore.

To those who've enjoyed it, I'll be posting a brief summary of how the rest of the tale would have been told.

Sorry I couldn't give this love story the telling it deserved.

-Jade Ring
August 9, 2020

Experiment Failed

The Rest of the Story

20
-Applejack and Rarity are attending university and are getting rip-roaring drunk to “celebrate” the disastrous end of another of Rarity’s relationships. A thoroughly sauced Rarity questions if things are easier on Applejack’s side of the fence, and the feisty farmer is forced to admit that she’s been in a dry spell since her last relationship fizzled out. Rarity confesses that she’s often wondered what it would be like being with a woman instead and makes a drunken pass. Applejack is tempted, but ultimately evades… but promises that if Rarity feels the same way sober, then they’ll talk. Rarity promptly passes out, and Applejack goes to bed with renewed hope.

Rarity’s Diary II
-Rarity remarks on how her relationship with Applejack has grown and the possibility that it might be something more now. She decides to go see Applejack and find out how she really feels. Rarity returns to finish the entry by stating that yes, it turns out she actually is into Applejack and has to run off, as the blonde is waiting for her in the shower.

25
-To celebrate their anniversary, Applejack takes Rarity on a picnic in the park. The two reflect on the past few years and toast their future. Rarity is surprised when their other friends appear… and further shocked when Applejack proposes. She accepts, and the crowd cheers as the two embrace.

AJ’s Journal III
-Applejack writes about how happy she’s become, and how enthusiastically Rarity is planning the wedding.

30
-Applejack returns home from a day in the fields to find Rarity playing in her home studio with the two’s young son, Rome. After Rarity nearly drops the toddler, she sees a nearby bottle and reminds her wife that she agreed to cut back on the drinking. Rarity laughs it off and says that it was a small slip up.

Rarity’s Diary III
-Rarity confesses that because of the dual pressures of work and child-rearing, she has indeed been drinking more. She claims that she has it under control.

35
-Following a disastrous couple’s therapy session, Applejack and Rarity sit in the car and talk seriously about what their next step needs to be. Applejack finds a hidden flask and unloads, demanding that Rarity take control of herself. A tearful Rarity asks for a divorce.

AJ’s Journal IV
-Applejack writes about Rarity moving out while they figure out what to do next. She explains how much she loves her wife and confesses her fears that her path will lead to her death.

40
-Applejack and Rome are in attendance as Rarity receives her three year chip. Rarity proudly tells the rest of the group that she wouldn’t have made it this far without the support of her family. She and Applejack embrace to the crowd’s delight… and Rome’s embarrassment.

Rarity’s Diary IV
-Rarity writes about the ever present temptation to once again climb into the bottle, but assures herself that Applejack will always be there to support her.

45
-The couple sits and watches as Rome has his first dance with his new wife. Rarity worries that he’s married too young, but Applejack assures her that they raised him right and he knows what he’s doing. Applejack asks her wife to dance, and the two spin out onto the floor.

AJ’s Journal V
-Applejack confesses that the wedding wore her out more than she realized and that she’s been getting more tired more easily as of late. She worries that something might be wrong.

50
-Applejack lies in a hospital bed, her body ravaged by the last stages of cancer. She and Rarity talk about their lives together, and each assures the other that they wouldn’t change a thing. Rarity promises her wife that she’ll stay strong… even if the worst should happen. Applejack gives Rarity her journal and tells her to read it when the time comes.

Rarity’s Diary V
-Rarity talks about how Applejack has passed. She reads the journal and thanks her wife for everything she gave her; her life, her son, and her love.

Epilogue
-Back in kindergarten, Applejack and Rarity wait for their parents to pick them up. They affirm their new status as best friends forever before heading home. Rarity’s mom asks how her day was, and Rarity simply tells her “I made a friend.”

Rarity's Diary I

My Dear Diary,

How absolutely DREADFUL! I fear that I've fallen DESPERATELY in LOVE with MACINTOSH APPLE! I feel like one of the fine ladies from Mother's afternoon stories, falling so HARD for my best friend's BROTHER.

And an OLDER man, too!

I must be STRONG, Diary. But it's so HARD! When I think of his handsome face, it makes my HEART skip a beat! I wonder, does he see me the way I see him? Probably not... but there's plenty of time. We're both young, after all! Yes. We mustn't get too far ahead of ourselves.

...

Oh, but THINK of it Diary! Mrs. Rarity Apple! Doesn't it just SING? Our wedding will be the talk of the town and we'll honeymoon in the Filly Islands and how WONDERFUL it will be!

I know Applejack will hate the idea, so I must keep quiet for the time being. She'll come around. I'm sure of it. We're already best friends.

What could be better than that except sisters?

Time for bed, Diary. I'm off to dream of him, the one who has stolen my heart!

Goodnight,

:heart:Mrs. Rarity Apple:heart:

Applejack's Journal II

Dear Journal,

Hoo boy. I am in TROUBLE.

Like, in more trouble than the time Mac caught me going through his phone. And texting Fluttershy pretending to be him.

...I still think it was funny.

But oh MAN I am in it now.

I like Rarity.

I mean, I've always LIKED Rarity. She's my best friend and everything. But I think I LIKE LIKE her, and that's not GOOD.

Damn it all, my first real-life crush on a girl and it's my doggone best friend since kindergarten. Ain't that a kick in the teeth?

Just gonna have to bury it, though. Rarity's the most boy-crazy girl I ever did meet.

...but maybe she just hasn't met the right

Nope, can't think like that. Even if Rarity somehow DID decide trying to bat for the other team, it'd never work between us. Heck, I don't think I'd want it to. Imagine if we started dating and we broke up and couldn't be friends anymore? I couldn't possibly risk something like that.

...but what if it was worth the ris

Consarnit, girl; get your head on straight. There's plenty of girls out there. How pathetic would I have to be to fall for the one closest at hand? Even if she smells nice.

And she's super soft.

And her legs go all the wa

Alright. Ending this now. Over and done with. Me and Rarity = NEVER HAPPENING.

Good-night, journal.

Oh! Almost forgot today's quote from that dumb calendar Apple Bloom got me. Let's see.

"Love is friendship that has caught fire."

...

shit.