Though few boasted of it, the town of Canterlot had a plethora of exceptional local areas that were just waiting for the adventurous soul to traverse and find their way through. Those who were in no way put off by the idea of toil, hard work, and strenuous effort simply to get from the relative ease of the city to the very peaks of the wilderness. And here, in these rugged places beyond the sight of any house, Applejack stomped her way through, as she had done a thousand times before. The cool morning breeze filled her lungs, and a smile was upon her face as she looked the very model of the great outdoorswoman. Tree and rock and tiny stream she passed, going ever higher in her self-imposed quest to reach the very top, to look down below at her home and feel herself triumphant over the boundaries nature might have arrayed against her. Alas, had she been alone here today, that is indeed how she might have felt, but instead the farmer girl was instead accompanied by the one friend who, perhaps more than anyone else, was wholly unsuited to this sort of environment. "Rarity! Ah told ya we need ta keep up a good pace if we wanna get ta the top before midday!"
Rarity, who looked utterly exhausted already, wiped some sweat from her brow before looking up with no small measure of irritation to her fellow hiker. "Applejack...darling...you know I value our friendship dearly. You know we've been through thick and thin together and that I would do anything for you. But..." Her lower lip started to wobble, as though she were threatening to start crying. "But did that 'anything' have to be coming to this forsaken place?!"
Placing one hand upon her hip, Applejack chuckled. "Oh come on now, Rares! Hikin's good fer ya! The cold air, the exercise, the sounds of nature all around ya?"
Rarity rolled her eyes at that. "I could accomplish all that back at Canterlot by going on my treadmill with the air-conditioning set to full while I play my playlist of nature-inspired music."
Applejack snorted. "Pfft! Ya don't need fancy-schmancy gizmos like that! Ya need this!" She gestured to their surroundings. "Y'all mark mah words, Rarity, there ain't nothin' better than bein' out here, seein' the genuine article." After a moment or two, she cast a sly glance back to her fashion-loving friend. "Besides, last week was yer turn ta pick our activity together, so now it's mah turn."
Rarity, having finally caught her breath, swept aside some of her hair before replying. "Yes, that's all well and good, but I fail to see how this is in any way a fair make-up for my choice. Why, I hardly had you do anything unpleasant at all!"
Applejack stared at her, utterly deadpan. "Y'all had me in yer studio all day, tryin' silly dress after silly dress after silly dress...an' ya ended the day by sayin' none of em were good an' ya had ta scrap em all an' start again!"
Rarity, poking the ends of her fingers together, at least had the decency to blush after a remark like that. "Well...yes...I suppose so." After scratching the back of her head, and also being somewhat annoyed that Applejack was looking to her with smugness right now, Rarity folded her arms. "Well we could have at least brought some provisions with us for this little journey. Coming out with nothing just seems foolish."
Applejack shook her head. "Nope! None o' that! This ain't like the music festival, Rarity. We ain't bringin' some big ole camper ta cover all our needs."
Rarity looked to her with incredulity. "Oh? Because I don't recall you being so opposed to the idea during the festival." A smirk came to her. "In fact, I distinctly recall you being all in favor of it."
This time it was Applejack's turn to blush. "Well..this ain't no festival. This is a hike! Besides..." She turned, gesturing to the rocky and steep slopes ahead of them. "It ain't like yer camper would make it up there anyway."
Rarity's shoulders slumped. "I don't think we can make it up there! Couldn't we at least bring a compass?"
Turning back to her, Applejack let out a hearty chuckle. "Ha! No need, Rarity! Ah know these ere hills like the back o' mah hand!" Then, after a pause, she looked to the back of her right hand, looking surprised all of a sudden, then gently picked up a ladybug that had apparently land upon it, before setting it down on the ground. "Now how long had y'all been there?"
Naturally, Rarity looked quite worried about that. "Oh, that's encouraging!"
But Applejack, dusting off her hands, was unconcerned, and walked right on over to Rarity before putting her hand upon her shoulder. "Ah tell ya, Rarity. Ya got nothin' ta worry about. We're out here, two friends, havin' fun." Seeing the continually deadpan look Rarity gave her, Applejack amended her remark. "Well...one o' us is havin' fun an also tryin' to make the day fun fer the other one."
Rarity gave a single nod. "Better," she said flatly. Then, after another sweeping of her hair, she put on a smile, for Applejack's sake if nothing else. "Well, let it never be said that Rarity Belle does not rise to a challenge when she's presented with one." She took a few determined steps forward. "If mountain-climbing is the order of the day, then a mountain we shall climb!"
Applejack happily clapped her hands together. "Now that's the spirit! Come on!" She took Rarity by the hand, prompting a slight blush on the part of the latter, before walking forward with her. "We've faced way worse than this place! If we can battle monsters from other worlds an' magic beyond our ken, this place ain't nothin' ta fear!" Another chuckle from her. "Besides, how would it feel if y'all gave up on this place when even Fluttershy was able ta make it?"
To that, Rarity looked to her friend with both surprise and curiosity. "Fluttershy was here on one of these trips too?"
Applejack nodded. "Eyup. Did pretty well too."
Rarity considered that, then smiled back to her. "Well, I suppose she would do too. All that time outdoors with her animals probably prepared her for something like this." After thinking on the image of Fluttershy out on a hike, Rarity started to look even more curious. "Wait...is this just something you take all of us on?"
Applejack nervously scratched the side of her cheek. "Well...kinda. Pretty much one o' mah favorite things ta do."
Rarity giggled. "Can't fault a girl for sticking to her favorites. Though I would be interested to hear how our other friends did."
In response, Applejack started counting off her fingers. "Well, Rainbow was pretty good with it. Though ah had ta tell her not ta use her super speed ta get ta the top before me."
Folding her arms, Rarity gave a firm nod. "Quite. Can't have cheating after all."
Applejack continued. "Pinkie was all for it, an' Lord knows she had the energy fer it." She shared a laugh with Rarity after that one before carrying on. "Twilight an' Sunset struggled, but credit to em, they managed ta get ta the top."
Rarity blinked to her friend, then glanced upwards, to the high peak they were aiming for today. "So...I'm the only one who hasn't been up there yet?"
Applejack tipped her hat to her. "Pretty much."
Slowly, Rarity arched an eyebrow. "And dare I ask why I was last in this little mountaineering club of yours?"
The other girl's response was preceded by a quick shrug. "Meh, now's the only time you were available for it."
A pause, after which Rarity cleared her throat. "Yes...well...makes sense, I suppose."
Chuckling, Applejack reached out her hand, offering it to Rarity. "Wadda ya say, Rares? Up the mountain together?"
Rarity wasted no time, smiling sweetly to her friend and accepting the offered hand. "Miss Jacqueline Apples, it would be my pleasure."
Applejack grimaced. "Ugh! Please jus' use mah nickname, Rarity."
Rarity's response was to look to her in the same way one would when staring at some adorable animal. "Ooooooooh, but it's such a sweet name!" Even Applejack couldn't help but laugh with her after that one, but when said laughter eventually died down it was Rarity who took the first step forward, with Applejack's hand still in hers of course. "Then let us stride forward to meet this mountain's challenge and best it!"
"Yeehaw! Glad ta hear it!" Applejack responded. "An' ah'll tell ya somethin' else." She looked left and right, as if worried someone would come out of nowhere and listen in on their conversation. "Ah've got a special stash o' family cider waitin' fer us when we get back down."
Rarity looked to her in much the same analytical way Twilight might have done when faced with an intriguing equation. "Applejack, darling, am I to assume that this is a special treat you have reserved for me and not our other friends?"
Yet another blush came to the young farmer. "Well...maybe?"
After considering that, Rarity too looked left and right, before leaning in and bringing her voice down to a whisper. "In that case, I look forward to it."
Naturally, Applejack broke out into a wide smile after that, and with Rarity's arm looped into her own, the two girls made their way forward. There were times when Applejack had to help her over an especially rocky or craggy part of the path, but for the most part things were going well for the pair. After a long silence though Applejack looked to her travelling companion with some mischievousness. "Say, how bout we pass the time with some shanties?" She cleared her throat. "A hundred bottles o' cider on the wall, a hundred bottles o' cider!"
But before she could get out even the second of those long verses, she was stopped by a finger to her lips from Rarity. "Far be it from me to stop such a wonderful song," she said with clear and obvious sarcasm. "But I'd much rather hear about what lovely sights await us at the top of this trail."
Though somewhat annoyed at having her song interrupted, Applejack quickly perked up again. "Well, ya got the big view o' the land o' course. As far as the eye can see. Beautiful, all o' it. There's the eagles soarin' high, there's the hot springs an' then ya got yer..."
As before, she was halted, but this time by a look from Rarity like she'd just heard the most astounding news of her life. "Um...pardon, Applejack. But...did you say hot spring?"
A good nod from Applejack. "Eyup. Ole Misty. Perfect place fer a dip after a long hike." She chuckled. "Unless yer Rainbow, who prefers ta jus' cannonball into the thing."
While Applejack was feeling understandable amusement over that past memory, Rarity's eyes were staring to sparkle, as she gazed upwards to the top of the mountain once more. Then, ever so slowly, determination came to her, and she firmly took hold of Applejack's hand, prompting the latter to look her right in the eye as she spoke. "Applejack, my dear and beloved friend. I would like to teach you a valuable lesson about me. If, for any reason, you find that I'm less than enthusiastic about doing something you want to do, and you struggle to think of a way to get me invested, there's a very simple trick to making that happen."
Applejack tilted her head. "Oh yeah? What?"
With another twinkle in her eye, Rarity kept her firm grip on her friend's hands, then, without warning, started running up the hill at a speed Applejack had never before seen in her, all while bellowing out her answer to the previous question. "Just tell me there's a hot spring! Because I swear I am going to have the longest soak of my life when I get up there!"
Applejack, hearing all that, couldn't help but laugh again. "Duly noted."
