Harmony U

Applejack was squatting behind a potted plant in the Student’s Center, looking through the glass doors that led to the gym. A lot of girls inside were using the different varieties of exercise equipment. She groaned and shifted onto her knees. She had been there for awhile. Her face was a bit red, and her blonde hair was clipped so that it wouldn’t get in her eyes.

“How does she stay so skinny all the time and still manage to be so thick in all the right places?” Applejack mumbled to herself.

“Who? Rarity?”

Applejack jumped and felt her soul nearly leave her body.

“P-pinkie Pie? How long have you been there?”

Pinkie was leaning down over Applejack’s shoulder. She was very flexible. Despite being bent completely double, so that her back was parallel with the floor and her knees locked, she didn’t seem uncomfortable at all.

“‘Bout ten minutes. You sure do squirm a lot when you play hide-n-seek! And you probably shouldn’t moan so much!” Pinkie smiled warmly.

“P-Pinkie, I’m not playing hide’n’seek… now get out of here, I’m… I’m busy!”

“Aw, but I wanted to play too!” Pinkie squat down next to Applejack, her pink skin clashing with Applejack’s now very-red face. “Come on, I’ll be quiet, promise!” Pinkie giggled and squished in even closer.

“P-Pinkie, quit it! I’m serious -”

“Is Rarity ‘It’? Do you think she knows she’s on a treadmill? Maybe she’’s not very good at hide’n’seek either… or MAYBE it’s a ploy! And she’s seeeecretly trying to trick us into revealing ourselves! Heh heh heh, nice try, Rarity, but you’ll have to try a little harder to beat the five-time hide’n’seek champ!” Pinkie triumphantly flexed her bicep.

“Pinkie, what in tarnation are you talkin’ about? I - I just dropped my… chapstick… and I was, uh, looking for it on the floor. Uh, yeah, that’s it!”

Pinkie looked skeptical and stared into Applejack’s eyes for a few seconds.

Applejack could feel herself sweat under Pinkie’s gaze. Her nervousness was evident on her face, she was sure of it.

“Hmmm… I see!” said Pinkie. “You’re not very good at seeking either. Here, just take mine,” she said, reaching into her pocket to grab her own chapstick.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. Pinkie had bought her story. She reached out to take the pink chapstick that Pinkie was holding out to her.

“Oh, wait, one sec!” Pinkie quickly opened the chapstick and rubbed it over her lips, puckering and smacking them after she was finished. She put the cap back on and held it back out to Applejack. “There you go! Good luck with hide’n’seek!” she said, dropping it into Applejack’s open hands, giving a wave and a smile, and walking away.

Applejack just stood there, a little dumbfounded. But for some reason her heart was beating much faster now. She clutched the chapstick and looked at Pinkie Pie as she walked away. Her ass wagged in the tight white shorts she was wearing, her hair bouncing up and down her back with each step.

“Oh was that Pinkie-Pie? You know, we should do a girls’ night this weekend! What do you think, darling?”

Applejack was sure her soul left her body. A chill shot through her spine and she slowly stood up. She looked over her shoulder to see Rarity standing before her in her designer athletic-wear. A matching purple and black sports bra and leggings set that hugged her body, skin tight, and showed off every delicate curve and toned muscle.

Applejack nervously dusted off her denim skirt and white blouse. “I - umm, yeah, sure, don’t see why not, that is! Heh… he heh… Er, what were we talkin’ about by the way?” She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“I said we should have a Girls Night with Pinkie and everyone. Are you sure you’re alright, dear? You’re looking a bit red in the face. Perhaps you should lie down for a bit. Ooh, or relax with a mani-pedi. That always does the trick for me!”

“Uhh, heh heh, yeah, I think I may try that… er, the lie down thing I mean.”

“Do take care of yourself. Oh and tell Pinkie I say ‘hello’ if you run into her again. It looks like I just missed her.

Rarity reached down and cupped Applejack’s hand in her own for a second.

Applejack’s heart beat in her ears. Rarity’s hand was so soft and delicate and felt small on hers, but was so confident and tender all at the same time.

“Wh-what… P-Pinkie…?” she stammered.

“Why sure, you’ve got her chapstick haven’t you? It’s got her name on it and everything.”

Applejack looked down, only then realizing that Rarity was holding her hand to look at the chapstick that was laying on her open palm. It did indeed have ‘Property of Pinkie Pie!’ written on it in silver marker and with a little smiley and lots of stars and heart embellishments.

Rarity let go and said: “Well, I really ought to be off now to shower and re-apply makeup. The work of a fashionista is never complete! Au Revior, darling!” She gave a backwards wave as she walked away.

Applejack couldn’t keep her eyes off of the glistening white skin of her best friend as she left. And she couldn’t stop herself from imagining what she might look like in the shower either.

Applejack made her way back to her dorm where she could think. She had been at college for around three weeks now, but a lot of stuff still felt foreign. She was able to spend more time with her friends than ever before. She even lived in the same room as Sunset Shimmer now. But more than that, she had more time to spend with Rarity. They had always been unlikely best friends, and certain events in high school had made her believe that they may have been… well, that maybe they could be a different kind of best friend to each other.

But a schism had formed between them. Applejack could feel them grow more distant despite their close proximity. She had been too nervous to ask Rarity to be her roommate, but she hadn't expected for them to become less friendly. Sure they still talked and hung out with friends, but Rarity had seemed somehow more and more reluctant to be alone with Applejack.

Maybe it was all in her head.