The ghost of Princess Hollow

2 – Apple pie

When the estate pony said the place was in need of a few repairs, she wasn’t kidding. Rarity sighed into her cup of tea and idly stirred it with a spoon. The recently gone week and a bit had been all about bringing in the pre-booked work ponies to assess the damage to the boutique – and to say it would need extensive work was an understatement. She looked up once again at the café table that hosted all manor of notes and quotes on the repair work that would need to be done to even think about setting up a work station. And fluttershy’s house, as lovely as it was, wouldn’t be able to accommodate that need either.

In short, it was a disaster.

Rarity raised her cup and closed her eyes to down the last of her tea. If she was going to spend bits on tea at this point, she was damn well going to enjoy it. She levitated the cup away from her mouth and almost fell off her chair when she realised she wasn’t alone anymore. A scruffy orange mare with blonde hair tied into plaits and a cowpony hat tilted her head at rarity’s surprise with an amused expression.

“Sorry sugarcube, didn’t mean to scare ya. Do you need directions?” The pony asked, giving rarity a toothy grin. Rarity let out a breath and managed to return a smile – albeit a weak one.

“Thank you, but no thank you. I’m not lost.” She replied, finally setting her cup back down on the table. She gave the pony a nod and returned to looking through her papers, assuming the pony would be satisfied with her answer.

Oh how wrong she was.

“Oh! Are ya visiting? No offence but you seem the fancy type, we don’t get many ponies like you around here. It’s usually just the ponies from the train – but even they don’t go out this far. I guess you have good taste though, coming all the way to this end. Have ya tried the apple pie? Oh, I’m applejack by the way, nice to meet you…?”

Rarity blinked at the pony and took a few seconds to process the word vomit that had just been thrown at her. Then she took a few more to understand what was happening. “Rarity. Miss rarity. I’ve just brought a building nearby, though I’m not staying there currently so I suppose I sort of am visiting, strictly speaking.”

“Oh now my little sister said she saw a new mare wondering around the market the passed few days, but I thought she was fibbin’! Nice to know she was telling the truth, aye?” Applejack said, looking across the street to where the market was usually held of a morning and raising a hoof to adjust her hat.

“Yep, I sure reckon she’ll be pleased to know I met ya. But you didn’t answer my question!” The mare said, turning back to rarity and hopping up onto the seat across from her. Rarity quietly sighed as she did so. It wasn’t as if she was against having company – not at all! She simply wished to be able to figure out a solution to her problems before meeting the locals as such she could present herself in the best light possible. She supposed that decision had been long made for her though. She resigned to her fate of being the centre of attention for the time being and turned to the pony across from her, who was looking right back at her with a questioning look. It was then that rarity realised she’d been quiet a little too long.

“Ah shucks, sorry about this.” Applejack suddenly said, seeming to come to some kind of conclusion in her head. She plucked her hat from her head and held it to her chest as she got down from her seat. Rarity looked at her confused - wasn’t this pony trying to get her to talk a minute ago? “Ah can see when I’ve overstepped. I guess I got so caught up in the fact that you were a new face that I didn’t stop to think ya didn’t want company. You’re obviously busy so I’ll be on my way.”

And in that moment, rarity wished she was a little more cold hearted. If she was, the regretful expression the other mare had wouldn’t have affected her so much as to make her call the other mare’s name as soon as she started to walk away. “Oh – wait! Applejack?”

Applejack places her hat back onto her head, took a breath and turned around. Rarity could still see guilt on the other’s face, but she hid it well with a smile. “Yes, rarity?”

“Oh.” Rarity replied, not expecting the other mare to actually reply. A silly thing to expect, looking back, but an expectation none the less. One that left rarity scrambling for anything she could say to prevent any further embarrassment. “Yes, um – ahem – I was just, uh, wondering…”

A small laugh escaped the mare and caused the blush rarity was trying desperately to push back down to flare up again.

“Now sugarcube, if ya wanted company, why didn’t you just say so?” Applejack said, shooting the other pony a smirk as she hopped back up onto the seat. Rarity made a point to shoot the other a glare, which only caused the other to laugh again.

Rarity put her hooves on the table and immediately pushed her face into them to try to stop the blush that had been a constant through their chat. She decided that she’d rather die than deal with this mare’s grin again and chastised herself for being the reason behind it. “Now, now. Hiding won’t do much to stop that there blush you’ve got, but maybe having a chat will. You’ve got a lot to do by the looks of it – why don’t ya have a little break and a little something to eat? On the house.”

Suddenly it all clicked for rarity. She let out a groan and lifted her head. “That’s why you asked if I’d tried the pie, and that’s why you appeared out of nowhere. You own this place, don’t you?”

“Well ah don’t own it per say, but I am covering for a friend who does.” Applejack said coyly, rubbing her hooves together and bowing her head slightly. “She’s taken a few weeks to go visit her family and left me in charge. I didn’t think it would be too hard, but to be honest with ya, I’m not much good at baking without apples.”

That brought a grin out of rarity. She thought back to how barren the place was in comparison to the rest of town, and how there was only one lightly charred cupcake in the display when she ordered her tea. “Well, that explains the cupcake. I didn’t know it was possible to burn icing.” Rarity teased.

“I didn’t – I did but – “ Applejack grumbled jokingly as she crossed her forelegs. “That one wasn’t meant to be out on display. Sweetberry said she’d eaten it – that’s the last time I leave that pony in charge of the display!”

Rarity stifled a giggle as applejack cursed out her coworker some more. It was nice, rarity had to admit, to have somepony else besides fluttershy to talk to. As much as she did adore the pony there was only so much animal talk one can take.

“At least now we’ve got some proper food out. Been slaving over those pies all day, though I don’t suppose it’s a good time for it now, aye? Getting a bit late in the day.”

Rarity looked up at the sky to see the sun was much lower than she thought. She supposed she’d better head back soon, but the fresh air was a nice change from the smell of animals. Just a little longer couldn’t hurt –

“Rarity.” A voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to look back down at applejack and sent her a sheepish grin. “You seem a little distracted if you don’t mind me sayin’.”

“Ah. Yes, sorry applejack. Sometimes I’m all talk and other times I can’t listen for the life of me. I must be a terrible conversationalist. Do go on.”

Applejack nodded along as rarity spoke and raised a hoof to lean on as she listened. When she finished, she flashed another smile. “I understand sugarcube, no need to explain. Now, ah promised you a little something on the house, so why don’t you tell me what tea you had there and I’ll go cut you up a slice of fresh pie to go with it.”

“Oh, well applejack, thank you for the offer but it’ll be just the tea for me if that’s okay. I really would love to try your pie but I’m just really not a big fan of apples.” The look of shock that followed was enough to make rarity rethink her stance on animal talk with fluttershy. Applejack’s mouth was wide open and her eyes were almost comically large, in fact, if the look was anything like her old magic teachers when she confessed she hadn’t been studying at all over summer break, she was about to be taught a long long lesson.

“Bu- but you’re in ponyville!” Applejack began. Rarity gulped and began looking for an out. As much as she had enjoyed talking to the other pony, a lecture was not what she needed right now – a lecture about disliking how a piece of fruit tastes, nonetheless. “We’re known for our apples, it’s the big thing around here? Why did you decide to come here of all places when you don’t like apples? That’s like – that’s like the worst thing to do – “

She was cut off by the sound of a bell. Rarity turned over her shoulder just in time to see a tail disappear through the café door and an applejack jump up to run after them, muttering about how her coworker probably hadn’t even put out her pies yet. Before running inside however, the mare turned back and sent rarity a pointed glare. “Now don’t go running off, you hear? We need to have a little chat!”

Rarity saw this as her chance to escape the incoming lecture and jumped up as soon as the other had left, collecting all her papers in what she hoped was a speedy but dignified manner before her companion returned.

Rarity began her trot back to the cottage with a yawn and a glance up at the slowly darkening sky. She knew she would seek out the mare for some company once again – but not that night. She wasn’t quite ready to hear about apples for the next few hours just yet.

She was, however, ready for her dinner and a cozy bed.