Applejack never understood how someone so cute and small could leave the air in fearful tremors with their piercing whines. Even several feet away, she had to wince when Rarity called for her between the tall weeds and black berry bushes.
“Ah’m right here, Rarity,” she called back, her ears still ringing from the auditory assault. She stuck a finger inside to clear it before honing in on the soft patter of tiny feet across the dirt covered ground. It only took a moment before the sound grew close enough for Rarity to poke out from behind a bush. The orderly purple strands were damp with sweat and a distinctly pink flush covered her cheeks. Her lips were trained in an adorable pout and she leveled Applejack with the sternest gaze a middle-schooler could muster.
Applejack just smiled as she continued forward.
Rarity groaned, trudging after. “Do we really need to go all the way out here?” She asked.
“O’course.” The response was automatic. “Ain’t no one goin’ out here this time o’ year. These kind o’ apples don’t grow in July and didn’t ya want to practice someplace secret?”
The color of Rarity’s cheeks colored from the pink of exertion to a vibrant shade of red that easily spanned down her neck and ears. “I suppose…”
“Don’t worry. T’aint far now.” Applejack hadn’t turned around to witness Rarity’s change in pallor and happily trekked forward, brightening up when she finally reached the clearing. It startled Rarity when the blonde had taken off in a dash, almost tripping when she tried to rush after.
“Applejack, what are you doing?!” She demanded with a huff.
“Aww, jeez, Rare. Look. We’re here already.”
Applejack threw her arms out like she’d presented some great treasure. However, Rarity couldn’t help feeling underwhelmed. Maybe the line of trees looked different to the farm girl who’d been raised by the orchard since before she’d exited the womb, but for the girl who’s definition of outside was her backyard…
“This…is where you wanted to go?”
The previously unflappable smile fell to a confused frown. “Yeah. Ya don’t think it’s pretty?”
“I guess,” Rarity shrugged, “but it doesn’t look different from where we were before.”
“That ain’t true. We were in the Crispin fields before. These are obviously Macintosh.” Applejack crossed her arms and smirked in a way that obviously meant she’d proven a point.
Unamused but unwilling to continue a one sided argument, Rarity just nodded. “Right.”
She looked up at the bright rays of sunlight that fought past the cover of leaves and how they danced on the grass when a stray wind blew by. They were in a low part of the orchard and the tall trunks formed a small circle. Beyond it was the clear path that trailed upward on a small hill. Rarity recognized it as the path that led back to the barn and homestead. As nondescript as it was, Rarity had to admit that it certainly was beautiful, and the way it was hidden did feel like a secret.
The thoughts made Rarity fidget as she looked over at Applejack. The blonde had seated herself on a patch of grass, her legs crossed in front of her, waiting patiently as Rarity looked around. The wide, toothy grin watched her proudly, happy that Rarity liked the spot.
Rarity looked away. “Are you sure you wanna help me with this?”
Applejack nodded. “Sure. It’s just a kiss right?”
With an outraged sputter, Rarity’s octave rose to a painful degree. “It most certainly isn’t just a kiss!” Applejack waited for the continuation of her statement, curious about the way Rarity’s cheeks flushed like a pair of tiny Jonagolds. “It’s my first kiss.”
Applejack’s brows knitted together as she leaned forward. “It don’t count between good friends.” She stated, resolutely, nodding for good measure. “And it definitely don’t count if you’re practicin’ for some other person.”
Rarity toed the ground, making a small spot of dirt where her T-straps furiously rubbed. The redness of her cheeks were still stronger than ever. “…Do you really not believe it to count?”
Applejack didn’t respond for a moment, bringing a hand to scratch at her head. “Do ya want it to?”
Rarity whipped her head toward Applejack’s direction. “Of course not!”
“Then there ya go!” Applejack stated.
The redness still stayed plastered on Rarity’s face and Rarity stayed plastered to the spot at the edge of the clearing, dutifully toeing at the dirt patch like she’d been ordered by the divine itself.
Applejack frowned. “I thought you said you wanted to practice. We’re ya just joshin’ or somethin’?”
Rarity shook her head without looking up from her work.
Applejack bit the side of her cheek in thought, watching the hole getting deeper and deeper as Rarity’s focus continued, unwavering and single-minded enough for her not to notice the scuffs that were slowly forming on the front of her shoes.
When Rarity had made a hole deep enough to burry a fist, Applejack finally snapped her finger in thought.
“Hey, Rare. Come over here for a sec.”
Rarity’s eyes shifted from Applejack to the hole and back for a few moments before she nervously took a seat in front of Applejack.
“So, this kissin’ thing” she began, attempting to be tactful, “you practicin’ for someone in particular?” Granted, it wasn’t a very good attempt.
Rarity bit her lip, her palms feeling too sweaty for comfort. “Possibly…”
Applejack chuckled. “Alright then. Close your eyes.”
Rarity’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She wasn’t sure what Applejack was doing and definitely wasn’t sure why she was so calm while Rarity was drowning in her own nervous energy but the earnest smile that Applejack offered made it hard to think she was up to anything untoward. After a moment, Rarity did as she was told and closed her eyes.
“This mystery person, ah ain’t gonna ask who it is, but what do ya like about ‘im?”
Rarity’s lashes fluttered and Applejack thought that she was about to open her eyes. To her surprise Rarity drew a shaky breath and began to speak, her voice quiet, as if afraid that someone else might hear her. “I don’t know if I have enough words to describe all the things I like about h…him.”
Applejack wondered about the brief stutter but pressed on. “Try.”
A brief moment passed in silence with the rustling of the leaves whistling quietly in the background. Applejack waited and watched. “I love how dependable they are. They’re always there to help when someone needs it.” Rarity’s breath had calmed considerably, her words taking on a dream like quality, sweeping Applejack’s imagination with her. “They never pretend to be anything other than who they are. Always honest and sweet.” Rarity’s white-knuckled hold on her skirt had loosened and a placid smile was on her face. Applejack thought it suited her far better than the irritated scowl or the nervous grimace but she chose to keep her thoughts to herself. “They’re down to earth in a way that I’ve never seen before.”
“He sounds pretty cool.” For reason that she couldn’t explain, Applejack had copied the same breathy tone and low whisper as Rarity, unwittingly closing the distance between them. She hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten until Rarity’s shimmering sapphire eyes became her whole world.
“She is.”
Rarity leaned forward, and Applejack followed suit, closing her eyes until her lips met something warm and tender. Their contact was firm against the other but their lips were unsure, frozen like statues in an out of season forest. Applejack stayed in that spot for a moment, before she pulled away, feeling her face over-heated from the experience.
Bashfully, Rarity looked away fiddling with strands of her hair. “Um…I think that’s enough practice for today. Maybe we should go back to the barn. What do you think, Applejack?”
“Uh-huh…” Applejack’s affirmative grunt and glazed eyes was her only reply.
Not that Rarity noticed amid her rambling. “E-excellent. I-I’ll go ahead of you. Yes?” She stood up and power-walked to the circlet of trees and almost broke into a run.
“Rarity?”
On instinct, and against better judgement, Rarity turned around.
Applejack threw her a happy grin. “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted it to count.”
With that, Rarity did sprint away, her squeaky trills reaching Applejack even after she’d climbed up and over the hill, out of sight.
Author's Note
The tried and true cliche of young love: the practice kiss.
There's two alternate titles for this.
One is "Holy Ground" because of this line from Taylor Swift's song, Holy Ground:
And darling, it was good never looking down
And right there where we stood was holy ground
Second one is "Wonderland" because of this line, again, from Taylor Swift's song, Wonderland:
Didn't they tell us don't rush into things
Didn't you flash your green eyes at me
Didn't you calm my fears with the cheshire cat's smile
So Taylor's been really inspirational when it comes to Rarijack fanfiction. Because I'm sure that what she thought would happen when she was in the recording studio. 
Anyway, despite this really out of season fanfic, I hope you all enjoy your various winter holidays.
See you guys later
~LTTP
