Making a Differenceby giloChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 3Chapter 1“Phew! That’s the last picket done!” Applejack sighed and put her paintbrush into a bucket filled with water. She had been painting the fences on the Sweet Apple Acres all morning, and now she had finally finished. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, accidentally getting some of the white paint on her mane. Her mane wasn’t the only thing that got dirty with paint, though.. It was all over her fur! She didn’t pay too much attention to it, though. Getting dirty was naturally a part of working on a farm. Applejack stepped back a bit and leaned against a tree to admire her work. “Hmm… I don’t suppose I got any more business ‘round the farm for today… Might as well go to town and check on the folks…” She thought to herself, adjusted her cowboy hat and set off towards Ponyville. Without thinking about it and without any particular reason, she visited Rarity’s boutique first. She was always subconsciously drawn to that place, for some reason.. Applejack knocked on the door, opened it and stepped inside. It looked like Rarity didn’t have any customers at that time. “Good mornin’, Rarity!” Applejack called out to Rarity, who was arranging some of her products on the shelves. She quickly turned around, but instead of greeting her, like Applejack expected her to, she let out an audible gasp. She put the merchandise aside and quickly walked over to the country girl. “Good heavens, darling! What in the world happened to your fur?! And your hair?!” Rarity panically walked in circles around Applejack, inspecting her dirty fur. Applejack, confused for a moment, looked over herself and chuckled. “Wha..? Ah! This, uh, I guess I must’ve splattered some paint on mah fur while I was paintin’ the fence…” “Darling, this is a hygiene emergency, we must get to work right away!” Rarity exclaimed anxiously, quickly walking over to the entrance door to lock it and flip the “Open” plate so it says “Closed”. “Whoa, whoa, why the rush, Rarity? It ain’t that much of a deal! I’ll just wash it off later!” Applejack insisted, but Rarity grabbed her hand and started leading her towards the bathroom. “Oh, Applejack, your mane is far too beautiful to get dirty like that! I simply cannot stand for this!” Rarity’s words made Applejack’s face light up with a faint blush. She never thought that her mane was beautiful or anything, she didn’t really care for beauty or fashion, and she definitely didn’t understand the latter. Unlike Rarity, she was just a simple country girl. She didn’t take care of her hair, since she kept it covered with her hat all the time. She rarely even brushed it. “W-well, uh.. Alright, I guess…” Applejack murmured and just let Rarity lead her to the bathroom. The white-furred fashionista smiled at her with a caring look in her eyes. “Thank you for your cooperation, darling.” After a brief moment they found themselves in the bathroom. Rarity quickly turned on the water to fill the bathtub and grabbed what looked like a shampoo bottle off a shelf. "Here, darling." She handed Applejack the bottle. "Add a few drops of this shampoo to the water and thoroughly wash your body. It will get rid of the paint on your fur, and will also make it soft and shiny. But don't use this on your mane! Once you're sure your fur is spotless clean, come out of the bathroom and I will take care of your hair. Understood?" "Uh… I s'pose…" Rarity smiled and patted her shoulder. "I'll go prepare everything, then. See you soon, Jackie~" She said and walked out the bathroom. That last word made Applejack feel.. something. She wasn't sure what it was. Her friends called her "Jackie" all the time, but this time it hit different… Soon she snapped out of the thoughtfulness as she remembered about the bathtub getting filled up. She walked over to it and turned off the water, since the tub was almost full. Then, as Rarity instructed, she opened the bottle of shampoo and added a few drops into the water. She then undressed, took off her cowboy hat and put her clothes on a nearby cupboard, and then got into the bathtub. Applejack carefully sat down, submerging her body in warm water and sighing in relief. This pleasant warmth was just what she needed after a whole morning of working on her farm. She grabbed a sponge and began to wash her body, carefully scrubbing the dried up white paint off her fur and watching it magically disappear in a matter of seconds. She thoroughly washed her body twice to make sure it was completely clean. After all, Rarity said it should be spotless. And for some reason, Applejack really felt like she should listen to her. 20 minutes passed and Applejack was certain that her body couldn't get any cleaner. She reached down for the plug and pulled it to make the water drain down, and then she stood up, stepping out of the bathtub. She reached for a towel, dried her body, and then wrapped it around herself. Then, she walked out of the bathroom. "All done, Rarity.." Jackie noticed that Rarity was standing by a washbasin with everything already prepared. She looked excited. "Lovely! Now come, Jackie, sit down on this chair and let me take care of your beautiful mane…" Rarity gestured for AJ to sit down. Applejack blushed bashfully and sat down, just like Rarity told her to. Rarity gave her a warm smile and carefully tilted Jackie's head so she could get to work. "Now just relax, darling… Let me do all the work for you…" Rarity whispered to her. Applejack could feel her cheeks getting warmer as her blush intensified at Rarity's whispers. Rarity, humming quietly to herself, dipped Applejack's hair in the washbasin, making her hair all nice and wet. Then, she squirted some of her special shampoo on Applejack's hair and began tenderly massaging her scalp. The touch of her soft, delicate hands, combined with her soft humming immediately made Applejack's heart pound. And to Applejack’s dismay, Rarity noticed that something was up with her. “Is everything okay, Jackie? You seem… anxious…” Rarity paused washing AJ’s hair. Applejack swallowed nervously, but tried to play it cool. “Ah, uh, n-no, it’s nothin’!” She lied. She knew that this was against her element, but she couldn’t get herself to tell Rarity what she was feeling. The purple-haired fashionista, though, didn’t seem to realize that AJ lied. Everypony knew that Applejack’s element was honesty, so they wouldn’t ever suspect her of lying. “Oh well, if you say so…” Rarity shrugged and continued to work on Applejack’s hair. But even though the country girl couldn’t express her feelings, she just had to admit something… “Y-ya know, Rarity… This feels real nice… Yer hands, they- m-mmm…” Applejack couldn’t help but to melt, relaxing her strong muscles and feeling more sleepy with each rub, each stroke Rarity gave to her scalp. Rarity giggled at this unusual view. “It’s rather unusual to see you so relaxed, Jackie.. I always told you that you should spend more time relaxing… Working so hard every day can’t be good for you… You have to take care of yourself…” Rarity said with a gentle, caring tone. ‘Jackie’... This word echoed in Applejack’s mind and, combined with Rarity’s caring words, made AJ blush again. “Mmmm… I… I s’pose you’re right… I shoulda followed yer advice long ago…” Applejack admitted and sighed calmly. Rarity giggled and smiled at her. "I'm glad you finally changed your mind, darling… But no more words now. Just relax and let me take care of you…" She continued massaging the shampoo into Applejack's scalp. AJ sighed deeply and finally gave into the sensation, feeling sleepiness slowly taking over. She couldn't help but to melt more and more at Rarity's delicate, yet tender touch. She was more than grateful for her caring about AJ's hygiene so much. If only she could find a way to repay her generosity… Chapter 2"Jackieeee~" A beautiful, singsong voice called out to Applejack. Confused, she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing, or rather person she saw was Rarity, who was softly giggling at her. "Guh… Ra.. Rarity…? What…" The confused look on Jackie's face made Rarity giggle a little harder. “Slept well~?” Applejack groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Darn, I didn’t even notice…” She didn’t mean to fall asleep. She wanted to enjoy the touch of Rarity’s delicate hands working on her hair. She thought that it was because she worked so hard, so she blamed herself for that. However, Rarity interrupted her self-blaming thoughts. “Don’t worry, darling, you’re hardly the first one to fall asleep like that. You definitely lasted twice as long as Twilight, for example. Now, would you like to see the results of my work~?” She giggled and took a mirror, handing it to Applejack. Applejack timidly took it and looked at her hair. What she saw left her speechless. She had never seen her hair look so beautiful. So clean, so shiny.. She’d never seen her hair having so much volume. It looked so fabulous! Her dumbfounded expression made Rarity grin proudly. “Well? What do you think, Jackie?” Rarity slowly walked behind her, put her soft hands on AJ’s shoulders and leaned in to look in the mirror together. Jackie’s face immediately lit up in a hot blush. She had to keep her cool if she didn’t want Rarity to suspect anything. “I-it’s, uh… Rarity, it’s… I’ve never seen, uh…” She was having great troubles with finding suitable words to describe her hair. But then she remembered the word Rarity loved using. “It looks f-fabulous, Rarity! I've never seen mah hair look so good!" She beamed, carefully stroking her delightfully soft mane. "I'm glad you like it, darling." Rarity slowly trailed her fingers across her back, sending a light shiver up Applejack's spine, and then stepped away from her. "H-how can I.. return the favor, Rarity?" Applejack really wanted to repay Rarity's generosity, no matter what. She would feel terrible if she didn’t do anything in return. Rarity, however, giggled and shook her head. "Oh, there's no need for that. Seeing you happy makes me more than satisfied." Rarity assured her. Then, Applejack could hear what sounded like a lock turning. She slowly stood up, turned around and saw Rarity unlocking the door to the boutique and flipping over the sign that now said 'Open'. At that moment, she realized that Rarity closed her shop, risking losing potential customers just for her. Just for Applejack. Just to take care of her friend’s hair. Jackie could feel getting hotter both inside and outside, as a fiery blush quickly consumed her face. She was going crazy for her. She knew that at that point. Everything Rarity had done for her filled her heart with such joy that she couldn't even describe it. She wanted to tell her how she felt so bad. But she was afraid. Afraid that Rarity wouldn't like her back. "Now, Jackie, do you require any more.. service?" Rarity interrupted Jackie's thoughts and almost made her jump. "Ah, n-n-no, thank you!" AJ blurted out, averting her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and continued. "Rarity, uhm… I wanna thank ya for making mah hair all pretty n' all… I really 'preciate it… Now, I wouldn't want to interrupt yer work, I don't want ya to lose any more customers… so, uh… would ya mind if I came over a lil' later? In the evening, maybe?" AJ carefully picked her words. She felt guilty for making Rarity close her shop just for her, but she wanted to spend more time with her dear friend. Fortunately for her, Rarity smiled and shook her head. "Oh, not at all! You're more than welcome to come by later, darling~" Rarity's words made Applejack's heart flutter in joy. She grinned happily and nodded. Then, she went back to the bathroom and quickly dressed up, grinning like a schoolgirl whose crush had just confessed to her. She didn't put her hat on, though. She appreciated Rarity's work so much that she didn't want to ruin it. Finally, she walked out of the bathroom and walked over to the door. "T-thanks again, Rarity! I’ll come by in the evening, have a great day!" The two smiled at each other, and then AJ walked out of the boutique. Chapter 4"Good mornin', Fluttershy!" Applejack called out and waved to her friend, who was sitting on a bench in front of her cottage, most likely just chilling out. Fluttershy immediately perked up and smiled. "Oh, hello, Jackie! Come, sit down!" She waved back and gestured to her to come and sit next to her. Applejack gladly took the invitation. Since she didn't have her hat on, Flutters immediately noticed how beautiful her mane was. "Oh, Jackie! Your mane looks so pretty! Did you have Rarity take care of it?" She asked enthusiastically and carefully stroked Jackie's beautiful, soft, blonde mane. Applejack blushed a little just at the mention of Rarity, chuckled and nodded. "Eeyup! Actually, uh, Rarity's the reason why I came over to ya…" Jackie averted her eyes and nervously played with her thumbs. “Huh? What do you mean?” Fluttershy tilted her head in curiosity. “Just d-don’t tell this to anyone, okay? I’ve, uh.. I’ve developed some… feelings for Rarity…” Applejack murmured nervously. Fluttershy, hearing this, gasped in surprise and blushed a little just at the thought of seeing Rarity and Jackie together. “Oh! That’s so, so lovely, Jackie! I’m so happy for you!” “Thanks, Flutters… Unfortunately, though, I have a problem… a big one, too.” AJ sighed and looked down at the ground. Flutters put her hand on her shoulder and leaned down to look at her face. “What is it, Jackie? Is it something I can help with?” “Well, uh.. I dunno how to tell her this… I’m too scared… I mean, I’m just an ordinary farm gal.. I don’t know anything in terms of fashion n’ all… She can’t possibly like me the same way I like her… Feels like we’re just too different…” Applejack explained, making Fluttershy more and more concerned with each word she spoke. But she had already spotted a contradiction in what she said. “But.. despite your differences, you still developed feelings for her, right?” “Uh-huh…” “And did your differences stop you two from being friends?” “No.. Not at all…” Fluttershy helped Applejack sit up straight and put her hands on hers, which AJ kept on her lap. “Can you see my point, then? Differences don’t matter, Jackie. What matters is your heart, and yours is in the right place. Besides…” She giggled sweetly. “Some say that opposites attract.. and it’s just what might be happening here…” Applejack nodded slowly, but still looked a little distressed. “I.. I suppose yer right… But still… How do I tell her? Will my words be enough?” “You could always give her a gift, Jackie. Something she loves. This way, your confession will surely have an impact.” “But what if she doesn’t like my gift? I know she likes fashion n’ all, but she can be really picky when it comes to this stuff…” Fluttershy frowned. “You’re right, getting her a dress or a piece of clothing is not a very good idea… But how about a gem? A piece of jewelry, perhaps?” With this, Applejack’s expression quickly changed from troubled to pure excitement. “Fluttershy, yer a genius! I can just get ‘er a necklace that would suit her! How did I not think of this?!” She took Fluttershy’s hands and shook them energetically, making her gasp. “Thank you, Fluttershy! How could I ever repay ya??” Fluttershy giggled at AJ’s excitement and attempted to stop Jackie’s hands from shaking hers. “You don’t have to, Jackie. Seeing you two together will be more than enough.” Before Flutters started daydreaming again, AJ quickly stood up. “Awright, I ain’t gonna waste any time now! I’ll see you soon, Fluttershy!” “Good luck!” The two waved each other goodbye and then Applejack set off towards Ponyville again. She had no clue about gems, jewelry or fashion in general, but thankfully, she knew somepony who could help her. Chapter 5After about 10 minutes, Applejack was at the door of the treehouse library, which also was the place where her bookworm friend lived. After knocking on the door, Applejack heard a distant voice call out: “Come in!” So Jackie walked into the library and looked around… but her friend was nowhere to be seen. “Hey! It’s me, Twilight! Where are ya?” Applejack called out. “In my bedroom!” Jackie sighed in relief and went up the stairs and into Twilight's bedroom. She was lying on her bed, reading a book. "Good morning, Applejack! What brings you here today?" "I, uh, need help with something and thought about you.." Twilight quickly put her book down and stood up. "Oh, absolutely! What do you need- Oh! I just noticed! Your hair, Applejack.. It looks beautiful!" Applejack blushed bright and played with her thumbs. "Thanks.. It's Rarity's work." Twilight raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh, I'd never think you'd let her work on your hair! I thought you weren't into this stuff." "I guess t'was a surprise for everypony.. Me included." AJ chuckled and continued the previous subject. "So, Twilight, here's the thing.. I wanna get Rarity a jewel-studded necklace to show 'er how much I 'preciate what she does for me… but I dunno what kind of jewel would suit her.." “That sounds lovely, but.. you do realize that jewelry is very expensive, right? I’m sure you could return the favor some other way!” Applejack bit her lip and averted her eyes. “N-no, ya see… This gift has to be perfect… No matter the price…” Twilight’s eyes slowly widened as she realized what was going on. Applejack has been acting differently when Rarity was around for a long time now. She visited her every day, too. And now she let her work on her hair… and wants to get her a gift… It all fit together perfectly like a puzzle. “You love her, don’t you?” Her question almost made Applejack jump. She blushed furiously and her eyes nervously darted from one place to another for a moment before she managed to somewhat regain her composure. She swallowed nervously and finally got herself to look at Twilight. “T-Twilight… How did ya…” Twilight smirked proudly and folded her arms. “I’m pretty sharp, aren’t I?” “Y-yeah… Caught me off guard… But yeah… I do… And I wanna get ‘er a perfect gift to tell ‘er what I feel… So can ya help me? Please…” Twilight nodded and sat down on her bed again. “Of course. Hmmm… I think an amethyst would suit her perfectly.” Applejack smiled sincerely and placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thanks, Twilight. Thanks a ton. I’ll return the favor. I promise.” The bookworm chuckled and shook her head. “You already did. You just inspired me.” “Huh? Oh, are ya talking about those fanfics ya write?” “Yup. I just got a really good idea for a story..” Jackie chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Heh, keep me updated, awright? I’m gonna go hit that jewelry store now.” Twilight looked up into AJ’s eyes and smirked. “Go get her, tiger.” Chapter 6A bell above the door tinkled as Applejack opened it and walked into the jewelry store. “Welcome to the… Oh! Applejack?” The jewelry store clerk raised her eyebrows, really surprised by Applejack’s visit. Jackie chuckled and walked up to the counter. “Eeyup! Bet ya are surprised to see me, huh, Banana Fluff?” “Very…” Contrary to appearances, Applejack and Banana Fluff were pretty good friends. While AJ has never set her foot in a jewelry store until now, Banana Fluff often visited the Sweet Apple Acres to buy apples. She was a regular customer, so the two got to know each other pretty well over time. Banana Fluff really appreciated that Applejack was always ready to help her out, whatever the case was. She’s never had an occasion to return the favor, though. She was really good at making jewelry, but like everypony knew, Applejack wasn’t into that sort of thing. Banana Fluff cleared her throat and regained her professional composure. “S-so… How may I help you, Applejack?” “I need an amethyst necklace. Please tell me ya got somethin’ like that.. It’s very important..” Banana Fluff hesitantly nodded and turned around to search the cupboards for the thing Applejack needed. “Hmmm, let’s see… hmmm… Oh!” “Ya found one?” “Mhm! More than one, even!” Banana Fluff took three thin boxes, put them on the counter and opened them. Applejack looked over her options. There was a golden necklace studded with five small amethysts. Applejack wasn’t convinced, though. The gold color wouldn’t suit Rarity perfectly. The second necklace was silver and had a big, circle-shaped gem fitted in. The size of the gem was too much in Applejack’s opinion, though. It seemed too flashy to suit Rarity. The third necklace, however, was perfect. It was made of shiny white gold and had a single polished, diamond-shaped amethyst fitted in, just like the shape of the gems on Rarity’s cutie mark. Applejack’s eyes sparkled. This seemed too perfect to be true. This necklace would perfectly compliment Rarity’s superior beauty. “This one’s perfect. I’ll take it.” “Great choice! This model is very popular, it’s the last one we have in stock.” Banana Fluff closed the two other boxes and put them away. “Guess, I’m lucky, huh?” “Well, you certainly have good timing. Is that all?” “Eeyup!” “Okay, that will be… let’s see… One thousand bits!” Applejack’s jaw almost dropped and her heart sank when she heard the price. She was so excited about getting Rarity the perfect gift that she completely forgot to take money from home. She wasn’t sure if she even had that much saved up. “O… oh… darn… I… don’t think I have that many bits with myself…” She murmured, clearly getting worked up. She put both her hands on the edge of the counter and clenched her teeth, trying to stop the tears. She thought that she messed up. That her perfect gift for Rarity will be gone. Banana Fluff’s eyes sparkled, though. She was waiting so long for that moment. A moment when she could do something for Applejack, instead of the other way around! “Hmm… This necklace is really important to you, isn’t it?” “Y-yeah…” “Then don’t worry, Applejack. You can pay for it later.” Applejack immediately looked up at her friend. Her eyes widened and her heart beat harder in regained hope. She didn’t think it was right, though, so she started to protest. After all, she was a humble pony, so she didn’t think she deserved any special treatment. “Wha?- N-no, no, but-” “No buts! “..are ya… Are ya sure about that…?” Banana Fluff sighed and looked into AJ’s eyes with a determined look on her face. “Applejack, let me ask you this. We’ve known each other for a long time, haven’t we?” “Y-yeah…” “Right. And during that time, you’ve done so many wonderful things for me. You’ve always been helpful. You’ve always been there for me when I needed help. And every time you helped me, I felt this strong urge to return the favor. But I never got to do it. All I can do is make jewelry, after all. That’s what I’m good at, and that’s what my cutie mark symbolizes. And now, I finally get the chance to help my dear friend. We don’t usually do anything like this in our store, but I know I can make an exception. I know that you’ll pay for the necklace when the time comes. So please, let me do this one thing for you, Applejack..” Banana Fluff was getting pretty worked up over this. Both of them were, actually. Applejack, with tears in her eyes, grinning sincerely, put her hand on Banana Fluff’s shoulder. “Thank you, friend… I’ll never forget this…” Banana Fluff smiled shakily and closed the box with Applejack’s necklace. “Would you like to… wrap it up for a gift?” “Yeah… And, if you can, uhh.. use purple paper, okay?” Banana Fluff grinned and nodded energetically. “Naturally!” Chapter 7By the time Applejack walked out of the jewelry store, the sun was already setting. Rarity must have closed her boutique by now, so Applejack, holding her hat in one hand, and the slim box wrapped in purple wrapping paper with a cute bow in the other, headed towards the boutique. Her heart was already pounding as she thought about what she was supposed to say. She didn’t have much time to think, though, since she found herself at the door of the boutique very soon. “A-awright… You got this, Jackie…” She murmured to herself, swallowed nervously and knocked on Rarity’s door. “Comiiiing~!” Applejack’s heart immediately jumped when she heard Rarity’s heavenly voice. And, after a moment, she saw the person she loved before her very eyes as she opened the door. “G-good evenin’, Rarity!” Rarity was looking as beautiful as always. Her beauty made Applejack wonder if differences really didn’t matter, but she remembered Fluttershy’s encouraging words. She knew she couldn’t give up on love. “Good evening, Jackie! I’ve just finished preparing myself for your visit!” AJ hid the box with her gift for Rarity behind her back, waiting for the perfect moment. “Awesome! S-so, uh, what would ya like to do? Think we could chill out or somethin’..?” “Oh, naturally! I know just the spot! One moment, darling!” Rarity quickly walked back into her house for a moment. After half a minute, she came back holding a rather large white bag. “Uh, what’s in that bag ya got?” “A large, handmade blanket. We are going to need it where we are going.” “And where are we goin’, exactly?” “Oh, do not worry, Jackie, it’s not far. I can assure you, you will love this spot. Nobody is going to bother us there.” Applejack blushed happily. This was perfect! "Awright, s-sounds good! Let's go!" And so the two began to walk, with Rarity on the lead. After a little while they walked out of Ponyville and were approaching a big hill with a single large apple tree on the peak. "This place really looks beautiful, Rarity! Do ya come here often?" Rarity sighed and gave Applejack a gentle smile. "This is going to be my first time here, actually. The atmosphere here is so lovely that I wanted to come here with my dearest friend. To make some memories, I suppose." "W-with.. your dearest…?" Applejack blushed wildly and gripped the box with her gift harder, but still careful not to damage it. Rarity, seeing AJ blushing so hard, giggled. "Don't act so surprised, Jackie. You are always here when I need you. It is truly difficult to find words that can express my gratitude." By the time she finished talking, the two had finally reached the peak of the hill. Rarity hummed softly as she pulled the blanket out of her bag and spread it on the ground, under the apple tree. "There! Have a seat, darling." Rarity slowly sat down on the blanket and patted a spot next to her, smiling. Applejack nodded and sat down next to her. Then, the two looked at the beautiful, orange sunset. "This really is a nice spot, Rarity… The view is amazing…" Applejack sighed, enjoying the view of the sun slowly setting on the horizon. "It's really relaxing, isn't it..?" "Yeah…" AJ looked down at the ground and swallowed nervously. This was the moment. There wouldn’t be a better occasion to confess, ever. "Y-ya know, Rarity… I have… something to tell ya…" "Oh?" Rarity curiously looked over at Applejack. "There's… somethin' I haven't realized until today… We both know we're very good friends… But…" As Applejack talked, she slowly unwrapped the gift box behind her back. She planned to just give the box to Rarity at first, but now she felt like just showing her the necklace would be better. "..I've always felt somethin'... different… Somethin' special… when it comes to you…" Rarity's eyes widened a little in shock. She felt like she knew where this was going. Applejack's eyes, however, were tearing up from all the emotions. "..I've always been subconsciously drawn to you… Always ended up at your boutique or with you… I've always loved spending time with you… I remember every moment we spent together…" Finally, Applejack gathered the courage to look Rarity in the eyes. "...And today… I realized… that it wasn't just friendship… I realized that… that I…" She paused for a moment and finally showed her the opened gift box, with the amethyst-studded necklace inside. Her hands were shaking and she looked like she was about to break down at any moment. "...I love you… Rarity…" Rarity gasped quietly in shock and covered her mouth, looking back and forth at Applejack and the necklace. Her eyes fluttered. Her cheeks lit up. She slowly, carefully took the beautiful amethyst necklace from the box and looked at it. "Jackie…" Then, she carefully put it on. It was perfect. It complimented her beauty perfectly. Her white fur, her purple mane.. She was amazed, surprised and shocked at the same time. She couldn't believe that AJ had this kind of feelings for her. "I… I had no idea…" Applejack smiled sadly, closed the box and put it aside. "I know… Ya probably don't like me this way… I… just wanted to tell ya… let ya know…" She murmured quietly and looked down. But just when she was about to start crying, Rarity cupped her face and made AJ look at her face. "Darling… Look at me." Applejack sobbed quietly and looked into her beautiful, sapphire eyes. "You.. have feelings for me.. despite the fact that we are so different…?" AJ slowly nodded. After she did, Rarity gently caressed Applejack's cheek, making her heart jump. "And here I thought that this couldn't work out… That the differences would be too much…" Applejack's eyes sparkled with hope at Rarity's words. "W-wait… So… D-do ya mean…" "I've had… thoughts… For a long time now… I thought about how wonderful it would be to… be with someone like you… With someone so honest.. kind.. hard-working… With someone who is always there for me when I need them… But I was afraid it would not work out… I was a coward. I should have told you how I felt sooner." Rarity slowly stroked Applejack's hair as she talked. Her heart was pounding, just like Jackie's. “I.. I felt the same, Rarity… But, thankfully, Fluttershy made me realize… Our differences didn’t stop us from being friends… s-so… why would they stop us from… being… girlfriends…?” Their faces were completely red at this point, their hearts were pounding hard and their hands were shaking. “Jackie… darling… I’m so glad you were brave enough… to confront your fears… I’m… so thankful… Your heart is so pure…” Rarity smiled lovingly, looking into her emerald eyes. "G-gosh… Rarity… I'm… I'm so… I-I dunno what to say…" "I do…" Rarity cleared her throat and carefully took Applejack's shaking hands. Her own hands were trembling a little, too. “Applejack… Would you like to…” She gently squeezed Applejack’s hands and sniffled quietly. “Would you like to be my girlfriend…?” Applejack completely broke down after these words. She grinned widely as happy tears flowed down her cheeks. “Y-yes…!” Applejack wrapped her strong arms around Rarity and tightly hugged her, hiding her face in her shoulder as she cried happily. Rarity smiled, closed her eyes and gladly hugged her back, holding Applejack close to her while slowly stroking her soft, blonde hair. They stayed in each other’s warm embrace for a few minutes. Eventually, though, Applejack pulled back a little to look into Rarity’s eyes. “I love you.. Rarity…” She murmured. Rarity grinned dreamily and planted a single, gentle kiss on Applejack’s forehead. “I love you too, Jackie…” Then, they just sat there, watching the sunset. Together. Without saying a word. Holding each other. Their hearts beating happily in unison. This was the start of a wonderful, forever-lasting relationship of two ponies, who one might think didn’t fit each other at all. But in the end, their differences didn’t matter. Chapter 3"Wow, I never thought you were into this stuff, Applejack!" A raspy voice said as soon as Applejack stepped outside of the boutique, making her jump in surprise. "Ah! R-Rainbow Dash!" Applejack turned to her rainbow-haired friend, who was leaning against the wall of the boutique with a teasing smirk on her face. "W-what kind of stuff are ya talkin' about?" "You know, that fancy-shmancy fashion stuff! I always thought you were an old-fashioned type." Applejack raised an eyebrow and folded her hands. "So ya were spyin' on me?" Rainbow shrugged. "I was just walking by and saw you through the window, all relaxed on Rarity's chair, so I decided to watch. You dropped out pretty quick!" She snickered and teasingly bumped AJ's arm. Jackie wasn’t going to get provoked that easily, though. “You decided to watch, huh? I bet ya wanted to try that out yourself! I wonder how long ya would last in mah place…” Applejack smirked, watching Rainbow get flustered right in front of her eyes. It looked like AJ hit the spot. “Wha- pfft, d-don’t make me laugh! I don’t even like this stuff! Like, what’s even the point of getting your hair made all fancy? It's gonna eventually get dirty anyway!” “Well, for starters, it does feel real nice. But tell me, Rainbow, have ya tried it at least once?” “W-well, no, but-” “There ya go! Ya can’t just say ya don’t like somethin’ without even tryin’ it! I say ya should give it a go!” Rainbow blushed and nervously averted her eyes. The country girl patted Dashie on the shoulder and gave her a little smile. “Just think about it, awright? I gotta go somewhere now.” “Alright.. See you later, Jackie…” This time, being called Jackie didn’t make any impact on Applejack. It only hit her hard when Rarity said it. So she turned around and began to walk towards the Town Square. After a moment, though, she looked back once more, only to see the door to the boutique slamming closed, with no Rainbow Dash in sight. Applejack smiled and chuckled, and then continued walking. “There we go. A new customer in exchange for Rarity’s generous service.” Applejack thought to herself. She was really glad that Rainbow didn’t ask why she was so flustered when being confronted. Now, AJ needed someone to help her express her feelings towards Rarity. Someone kind, gentle and loving. Thankfully, she knew just the person.
Chapter 1“Phew! That’s the last picket done!” Applejack sighed and put her paintbrush into a bucket filled with water. She had been painting the fences on the Sweet Apple Acres all morning, and now she had finally finished. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, accidentally getting some of the white paint on her mane. Her mane wasn’t the only thing that got dirty with paint, though.. It was all over her fur! She didn’t pay too much attention to it, though. Getting dirty was naturally a part of working on a farm. Applejack stepped back a bit and leaned against a tree to admire her work. “Hmm… I don’t suppose I got any more business ‘round the farm for today… Might as well go to town and check on the folks…” She thought to herself, adjusted her cowboy hat and set off towards Ponyville. Without thinking about it and without any particular reason, she visited Rarity’s boutique first. She was always subconsciously drawn to that place, for some reason.. Applejack knocked on the door, opened it and stepped inside. It looked like Rarity didn’t have any customers at that time. “Good mornin’, Rarity!” Applejack called out to Rarity, who was arranging some of her products on the shelves. She quickly turned around, but instead of greeting her, like Applejack expected her to, she let out an audible gasp. She put the merchandise aside and quickly walked over to the country girl. “Good heavens, darling! What in the world happened to your fur?! And your hair?!” Rarity panically walked in circles around Applejack, inspecting her dirty fur. Applejack, confused for a moment, looked over herself and chuckled. “Wha..? Ah! This, uh, I guess I must’ve splattered some paint on mah fur while I was paintin’ the fence…” “Darling, this is a hygiene emergency, we must get to work right away!” Rarity exclaimed anxiously, quickly walking over to the entrance door to lock it and flip the “Open” plate so it says “Closed”. “Whoa, whoa, why the rush, Rarity? It ain’t that much of a deal! I’ll just wash it off later!” Applejack insisted, but Rarity grabbed her hand and started leading her towards the bathroom. “Oh, Applejack, your mane is far too beautiful to get dirty like that! I simply cannot stand for this!” Rarity’s words made Applejack’s face light up with a faint blush. She never thought that her mane was beautiful or anything, she didn’t really care for beauty or fashion, and she definitely didn’t understand the latter. Unlike Rarity, she was just a simple country girl. She didn’t take care of her hair, since she kept it covered with her hat all the time. She rarely even brushed it. “W-well, uh.. Alright, I guess…” Applejack murmured and just let Rarity lead her to the bathroom. The white-furred fashionista smiled at her with a caring look in her eyes. “Thank you for your cooperation, darling.” After a brief moment they found themselves in the bathroom. Rarity quickly turned on the water to fill the bathtub and grabbed what looked like a shampoo bottle off a shelf. "Here, darling." She handed Applejack the bottle. "Add a few drops of this shampoo to the water and thoroughly wash your body. It will get rid of the paint on your fur, and will also make it soft and shiny. But don't use this on your mane! Once you're sure your fur is spotless clean, come out of the bathroom and I will take care of your hair. Understood?" "Uh… I s'pose…" Rarity smiled and patted her shoulder. "I'll go prepare everything, then. See you soon, Jackie~" She said and walked out the bathroom. That last word made Applejack feel.. something. She wasn't sure what it was. Her friends called her "Jackie" all the time, but this time it hit different… Soon she snapped out of the thoughtfulness as she remembered about the bathtub getting filled up. She walked over to it and turned off the water, since the tub was almost full. Then, as Rarity instructed, she opened the bottle of shampoo and added a few drops into the water. She then undressed, took off her cowboy hat and put her clothes on a nearby cupboard, and then got into the bathtub. Applejack carefully sat down, submerging her body in warm water and sighing in relief. This pleasant warmth was just what she needed after a whole morning of working on her farm. She grabbed a sponge and began to wash her body, carefully scrubbing the dried up white paint off her fur and watching it magically disappear in a matter of seconds. She thoroughly washed her body twice to make sure it was completely clean. After all, Rarity said it should be spotless. And for some reason, Applejack really felt like she should listen to her. 20 minutes passed and Applejack was certain that her body couldn't get any cleaner. She reached down for the plug and pulled it to make the water drain down, and then she stood up, stepping out of the bathtub. She reached for a towel, dried her body, and then wrapped it around herself. Then, she walked out of the bathroom. "All done, Rarity.." Jackie noticed that Rarity was standing by a washbasin with everything already prepared. She looked excited. "Lovely! Now come, Jackie, sit down on this chair and let me take care of your beautiful mane…" Rarity gestured for AJ to sit down. Applejack blushed bashfully and sat down, just like Rarity told her to. Rarity gave her a warm smile and carefully tilted Jackie's head so she could get to work. "Now just relax, darling… Let me do all the work for you…" Rarity whispered to her. Applejack could feel her cheeks getting warmer as her blush intensified at Rarity's whispers. Rarity, humming quietly to herself, dipped Applejack's hair in the washbasin, making her hair all nice and wet. Then, she squirted some of her special shampoo on Applejack's hair and began tenderly massaging her scalp. The touch of her soft, delicate hands, combined with her soft humming immediately made Applejack's heart pound. And to Applejack’s dismay, Rarity noticed that something was up with her. “Is everything okay, Jackie? You seem… anxious…” Rarity paused washing AJ’s hair. Applejack swallowed nervously, but tried to play it cool. “Ah, uh, n-no, it’s nothin’!” She lied. She knew that this was against her element, but she couldn’t get herself to tell Rarity what she was feeling. The purple-haired fashionista, though, didn’t seem to realize that AJ lied. Everypony knew that Applejack’s element was honesty, so they wouldn’t ever suspect her of lying. “Oh well, if you say so…” Rarity shrugged and continued to work on Applejack’s hair. But even though the country girl couldn’t express her feelings, she just had to admit something… “Y-ya know, Rarity… This feels real nice… Yer hands, they- m-mmm…” Applejack couldn’t help but to melt, relaxing her strong muscles and feeling more sleepy with each rub, each stroke Rarity gave to her scalp. Rarity giggled at this unusual view. “It’s rather unusual to see you so relaxed, Jackie.. I always told you that you should spend more time relaxing… Working so hard every day can’t be good for you… You have to take care of yourself…” Rarity said with a gentle, caring tone. ‘Jackie’... This word echoed in Applejack’s mind and, combined with Rarity’s caring words, made AJ blush again. “Mmmm… I… I s’pose you’re right… I shoulda followed yer advice long ago…” Applejack admitted and sighed calmly. Rarity giggled and smiled at her. "I'm glad you finally changed your mind, darling… But no more words now. Just relax and let me take care of you…" She continued massaging the shampoo into Applejack's scalp. AJ sighed deeply and finally gave into the sensation, feeling sleepiness slowly taking over. She couldn't help but to melt more and more at Rarity's delicate, yet tender touch. She was more than grateful for her caring about AJ's hygiene so much. If only she could find a way to repay her generosity…
Chapter 2"Jackieeee~" A beautiful, singsong voice called out to Applejack. Confused, she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing, or rather person she saw was Rarity, who was softly giggling at her. "Guh… Ra.. Rarity…? What…" The confused look on Jackie's face made Rarity giggle a little harder. “Slept well~?” Applejack groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Darn, I didn’t even notice…” She didn’t mean to fall asleep. She wanted to enjoy the touch of Rarity’s delicate hands working on her hair. She thought that it was because she worked so hard, so she blamed herself for that. However, Rarity interrupted her self-blaming thoughts. “Don’t worry, darling, you’re hardly the first one to fall asleep like that. You definitely lasted twice as long as Twilight, for example. Now, would you like to see the results of my work~?” She giggled and took a mirror, handing it to Applejack. Applejack timidly took it and looked at her hair. What she saw left her speechless. She had never seen her hair look so beautiful. So clean, so shiny.. She’d never seen her hair having so much volume. It looked so fabulous! Her dumbfounded expression made Rarity grin proudly. “Well? What do you think, Jackie?” Rarity slowly walked behind her, put her soft hands on AJ’s shoulders and leaned in to look in the mirror together. Jackie’s face immediately lit up in a hot blush. She had to keep her cool if she didn’t want Rarity to suspect anything. “I-it’s, uh… Rarity, it’s… I’ve never seen, uh…” She was having great troubles with finding suitable words to describe her hair. But then she remembered the word Rarity loved using. “It looks f-fabulous, Rarity! I've never seen mah hair look so good!" She beamed, carefully stroking her delightfully soft mane. "I'm glad you like it, darling." Rarity slowly trailed her fingers across her back, sending a light shiver up Applejack's spine, and then stepped away from her. "H-how can I.. return the favor, Rarity?" Applejack really wanted to repay Rarity's generosity, no matter what. She would feel terrible if she didn’t do anything in return. Rarity, however, giggled and shook her head. "Oh, there's no need for that. Seeing you happy makes me more than satisfied." Rarity assured her. Then, Applejack could hear what sounded like a lock turning. She slowly stood up, turned around and saw Rarity unlocking the door to the boutique and flipping over the sign that now said 'Open'. At that moment, she realized that Rarity closed her shop, risking losing potential customers just for her. Just for Applejack. Just to take care of her friend’s hair. Jackie could feel getting hotter both inside and outside, as a fiery blush quickly consumed her face. She was going crazy for her. She knew that at that point. Everything Rarity had done for her filled her heart with such joy that she couldn't even describe it. She wanted to tell her how she felt so bad. But she was afraid. Afraid that Rarity wouldn't like her back. "Now, Jackie, do you require any more.. service?" Rarity interrupted Jackie's thoughts and almost made her jump. "Ah, n-n-no, thank you!" AJ blurted out, averting her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and continued. "Rarity, uhm… I wanna thank ya for making mah hair all pretty n' all… I really 'preciate it… Now, I wouldn't want to interrupt yer work, I don't want ya to lose any more customers… so, uh… would ya mind if I came over a lil' later? In the evening, maybe?" AJ carefully picked her words. She felt guilty for making Rarity close her shop just for her, but she wanted to spend more time with her dear friend. Fortunately for her, Rarity smiled and shook her head. "Oh, not at all! You're more than welcome to come by later, darling~" Rarity's words made Applejack's heart flutter in joy. She grinned happily and nodded. Then, she went back to the bathroom and quickly dressed up, grinning like a schoolgirl whose crush had just confessed to her. She didn't put her hat on, though. She appreciated Rarity's work so much that she didn't want to ruin it. Finally, she walked out of the bathroom and walked over to the door. "T-thanks again, Rarity! I’ll come by in the evening, have a great day!" The two smiled at each other, and then AJ walked out of the boutique.
Chapter 4"Good mornin', Fluttershy!" Applejack called out and waved to her friend, who was sitting on a bench in front of her cottage, most likely just chilling out. Fluttershy immediately perked up and smiled. "Oh, hello, Jackie! Come, sit down!" She waved back and gestured to her to come and sit next to her. Applejack gladly took the invitation. Since she didn't have her hat on, Flutters immediately noticed how beautiful her mane was. "Oh, Jackie! Your mane looks so pretty! Did you have Rarity take care of it?" She asked enthusiastically and carefully stroked Jackie's beautiful, soft, blonde mane. Applejack blushed a little just at the mention of Rarity, chuckled and nodded. "Eeyup! Actually, uh, Rarity's the reason why I came over to ya…" Jackie averted her eyes and nervously played with her thumbs. “Huh? What do you mean?” Fluttershy tilted her head in curiosity. “Just d-don’t tell this to anyone, okay? I’ve, uh.. I’ve developed some… feelings for Rarity…” Applejack murmured nervously. Fluttershy, hearing this, gasped in surprise and blushed a little just at the thought of seeing Rarity and Jackie together. “Oh! That’s so, so lovely, Jackie! I’m so happy for you!” “Thanks, Flutters… Unfortunately, though, I have a problem… a big one, too.” AJ sighed and looked down at the ground. Flutters put her hand on her shoulder and leaned down to look at her face. “What is it, Jackie? Is it something I can help with?” “Well, uh.. I dunno how to tell her this… I’m too scared… I mean, I’m just an ordinary farm gal.. I don’t know anything in terms of fashion n’ all… She can’t possibly like me the same way I like her… Feels like we’re just too different…” Applejack explained, making Fluttershy more and more concerned with each word she spoke. But she had already spotted a contradiction in what she said. “But.. despite your differences, you still developed feelings for her, right?” “Uh-huh…” “And did your differences stop you two from being friends?” “No.. Not at all…” Fluttershy helped Applejack sit up straight and put her hands on hers, which AJ kept on her lap. “Can you see my point, then? Differences don’t matter, Jackie. What matters is your heart, and yours is in the right place. Besides…” She giggled sweetly. “Some say that opposites attract.. and it’s just what might be happening here…” Applejack nodded slowly, but still looked a little distressed. “I.. I suppose yer right… But still… How do I tell her? Will my words be enough?” “You could always give her a gift, Jackie. Something she loves. This way, your confession will surely have an impact.” “But what if she doesn’t like my gift? I know she likes fashion n’ all, but she can be really picky when it comes to this stuff…” Fluttershy frowned. “You’re right, getting her a dress or a piece of clothing is not a very good idea… But how about a gem? A piece of jewelry, perhaps?” With this, Applejack’s expression quickly changed from troubled to pure excitement. “Fluttershy, yer a genius! I can just get ‘er a necklace that would suit her! How did I not think of this?!” She took Fluttershy’s hands and shook them energetically, making her gasp. “Thank you, Fluttershy! How could I ever repay ya??” Fluttershy giggled at AJ’s excitement and attempted to stop Jackie’s hands from shaking hers. “You don’t have to, Jackie. Seeing you two together will be more than enough.” Before Flutters started daydreaming again, AJ quickly stood up. “Awright, I ain’t gonna waste any time now! I’ll see you soon, Fluttershy!” “Good luck!” The two waved each other goodbye and then Applejack set off towards Ponyville again. She had no clue about gems, jewelry or fashion in general, but thankfully, she knew somepony who could help her.
Chapter 5After about 10 minutes, Applejack was at the door of the treehouse library, which also was the place where her bookworm friend lived. After knocking on the door, Applejack heard a distant voice call out: “Come in!” So Jackie walked into the library and looked around… but her friend was nowhere to be seen. “Hey! It’s me, Twilight! Where are ya?” Applejack called out. “In my bedroom!” Jackie sighed in relief and went up the stairs and into Twilight's bedroom. She was lying on her bed, reading a book. "Good morning, Applejack! What brings you here today?" "I, uh, need help with something and thought about you.." Twilight quickly put her book down and stood up. "Oh, absolutely! What do you need- Oh! I just noticed! Your hair, Applejack.. It looks beautiful!" Applejack blushed bright and played with her thumbs. "Thanks.. It's Rarity's work." Twilight raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh, I'd never think you'd let her work on your hair! I thought you weren't into this stuff." "I guess t'was a surprise for everypony.. Me included." AJ chuckled and continued the previous subject. "So, Twilight, here's the thing.. I wanna get Rarity a jewel-studded necklace to show 'er how much I 'preciate what she does for me… but I dunno what kind of jewel would suit her.." “That sounds lovely, but.. you do realize that jewelry is very expensive, right? I’m sure you could return the favor some other way!” Applejack bit her lip and averted her eyes. “N-no, ya see… This gift has to be perfect… No matter the price…” Twilight’s eyes slowly widened as she realized what was going on. Applejack has been acting differently when Rarity was around for a long time now. She visited her every day, too. And now she let her work on her hair… and wants to get her a gift… It all fit together perfectly like a puzzle. “You love her, don’t you?” Her question almost made Applejack jump. She blushed furiously and her eyes nervously darted from one place to another for a moment before she managed to somewhat regain her composure. She swallowed nervously and finally got herself to look at Twilight. “T-Twilight… How did ya…” Twilight smirked proudly and folded her arms. “I’m pretty sharp, aren’t I?” “Y-yeah… Caught me off guard… But yeah… I do… And I wanna get ‘er a perfect gift to tell ‘er what I feel… So can ya help me? Please…” Twilight nodded and sat down on her bed again. “Of course. Hmmm… I think an amethyst would suit her perfectly.” Applejack smiled sincerely and placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thanks, Twilight. Thanks a ton. I’ll return the favor. I promise.” The bookworm chuckled and shook her head. “You already did. You just inspired me.” “Huh? Oh, are ya talking about those fanfics ya write?” “Yup. I just got a really good idea for a story..” Jackie chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Heh, keep me updated, awright? I’m gonna go hit that jewelry store now.” Twilight looked up into AJ’s eyes and smirked. “Go get her, tiger.”
Chapter 6A bell above the door tinkled as Applejack opened it and walked into the jewelry store. “Welcome to the… Oh! Applejack?” The jewelry store clerk raised her eyebrows, really surprised by Applejack’s visit. Jackie chuckled and walked up to the counter. “Eeyup! Bet ya are surprised to see me, huh, Banana Fluff?” “Very…” Contrary to appearances, Applejack and Banana Fluff were pretty good friends. While AJ has never set her foot in a jewelry store until now, Banana Fluff often visited the Sweet Apple Acres to buy apples. She was a regular customer, so the two got to know each other pretty well over time. Banana Fluff really appreciated that Applejack was always ready to help her out, whatever the case was. She’s never had an occasion to return the favor, though. She was really good at making jewelry, but like everypony knew, Applejack wasn’t into that sort of thing. Banana Fluff cleared her throat and regained her professional composure. “S-so… How may I help you, Applejack?” “I need an amethyst necklace. Please tell me ya got somethin’ like that.. It’s very important..” Banana Fluff hesitantly nodded and turned around to search the cupboards for the thing Applejack needed. “Hmmm, let’s see… hmmm… Oh!” “Ya found one?” “Mhm! More than one, even!” Banana Fluff took three thin boxes, put them on the counter and opened them. Applejack looked over her options. There was a golden necklace studded with five small amethysts. Applejack wasn’t convinced, though. The gold color wouldn’t suit Rarity perfectly. The second necklace was silver and had a big, circle-shaped gem fitted in. The size of the gem was too much in Applejack’s opinion, though. It seemed too flashy to suit Rarity. The third necklace, however, was perfect. It was made of shiny white gold and had a single polished, diamond-shaped amethyst fitted in, just like the shape of the gems on Rarity’s cutie mark. Applejack’s eyes sparkled. This seemed too perfect to be true. This necklace would perfectly compliment Rarity’s superior beauty. “This one’s perfect. I’ll take it.” “Great choice! This model is very popular, it’s the last one we have in stock.” Banana Fluff closed the two other boxes and put them away. “Guess, I’m lucky, huh?” “Well, you certainly have good timing. Is that all?” “Eeyup!” “Okay, that will be… let’s see… One thousand bits!” Applejack’s jaw almost dropped and her heart sank when she heard the price. She was so excited about getting Rarity the perfect gift that she completely forgot to take money from home. She wasn’t sure if she even had that much saved up. “O… oh… darn… I… don’t think I have that many bits with myself…” She murmured, clearly getting worked up. She put both her hands on the edge of the counter and clenched her teeth, trying to stop the tears. She thought that she messed up. That her perfect gift for Rarity will be gone. Banana Fluff’s eyes sparkled, though. She was waiting so long for that moment. A moment when she could do something for Applejack, instead of the other way around! “Hmm… This necklace is really important to you, isn’t it?” “Y-yeah…” “Then don’t worry, Applejack. You can pay for it later.” Applejack immediately looked up at her friend. Her eyes widened and her heart beat harder in regained hope. She didn’t think it was right, though, so she started to protest. After all, she was a humble pony, so she didn’t think she deserved any special treatment. “Wha?- N-no, no, but-” “No buts! “..are ya… Are ya sure about that…?” Banana Fluff sighed and looked into AJ’s eyes with a determined look on her face. “Applejack, let me ask you this. We’ve known each other for a long time, haven’t we?” “Y-yeah…” “Right. And during that time, you’ve done so many wonderful things for me. You’ve always been helpful. You’ve always been there for me when I needed help. And every time you helped me, I felt this strong urge to return the favor. But I never got to do it. All I can do is make jewelry, after all. That’s what I’m good at, and that’s what my cutie mark symbolizes. And now, I finally get the chance to help my dear friend. We don’t usually do anything like this in our store, but I know I can make an exception. I know that you’ll pay for the necklace when the time comes. So please, let me do this one thing for you, Applejack..” Banana Fluff was getting pretty worked up over this. Both of them were, actually. Applejack, with tears in her eyes, grinning sincerely, put her hand on Banana Fluff’s shoulder. “Thank you, friend… I’ll never forget this…” Banana Fluff smiled shakily and closed the box with Applejack’s necklace. “Would you like to… wrap it up for a gift?” “Yeah… And, if you can, uhh.. use purple paper, okay?” Banana Fluff grinned and nodded energetically. “Naturally!”
Chapter 7By the time Applejack walked out of the jewelry store, the sun was already setting. Rarity must have closed her boutique by now, so Applejack, holding her hat in one hand, and the slim box wrapped in purple wrapping paper with a cute bow in the other, headed towards the boutique. Her heart was already pounding as she thought about what she was supposed to say. She didn’t have much time to think, though, since she found herself at the door of the boutique very soon. “A-awright… You got this, Jackie…” She murmured to herself, swallowed nervously and knocked on Rarity’s door. “Comiiiing~!” Applejack’s heart immediately jumped when she heard Rarity’s heavenly voice. And, after a moment, she saw the person she loved before her very eyes as she opened the door. “G-good evenin’, Rarity!” Rarity was looking as beautiful as always. Her beauty made Applejack wonder if differences really didn’t matter, but she remembered Fluttershy’s encouraging words. She knew she couldn’t give up on love. “Good evening, Jackie! I’ve just finished preparing myself for your visit!” AJ hid the box with her gift for Rarity behind her back, waiting for the perfect moment. “Awesome! S-so, uh, what would ya like to do? Think we could chill out or somethin’..?” “Oh, naturally! I know just the spot! One moment, darling!” Rarity quickly walked back into her house for a moment. After half a minute, she came back holding a rather large white bag. “Uh, what’s in that bag ya got?” “A large, handmade blanket. We are going to need it where we are going.” “And where are we goin’, exactly?” “Oh, do not worry, Jackie, it’s not far. I can assure you, you will love this spot. Nobody is going to bother us there.” Applejack blushed happily. This was perfect! "Awright, s-sounds good! Let's go!" And so the two began to walk, with Rarity on the lead. After a little while they walked out of Ponyville and were approaching a big hill with a single large apple tree on the peak. "This place really looks beautiful, Rarity! Do ya come here often?" Rarity sighed and gave Applejack a gentle smile. "This is going to be my first time here, actually. The atmosphere here is so lovely that I wanted to come here with my dearest friend. To make some memories, I suppose." "W-with.. your dearest…?" Applejack blushed wildly and gripped the box with her gift harder, but still careful not to damage it. Rarity, seeing AJ blushing so hard, giggled. "Don't act so surprised, Jackie. You are always here when I need you. It is truly difficult to find words that can express my gratitude." By the time she finished talking, the two had finally reached the peak of the hill. Rarity hummed softly as she pulled the blanket out of her bag and spread it on the ground, under the apple tree. "There! Have a seat, darling." Rarity slowly sat down on the blanket and patted a spot next to her, smiling. Applejack nodded and sat down next to her. Then, the two looked at the beautiful, orange sunset. "This really is a nice spot, Rarity… The view is amazing…" Applejack sighed, enjoying the view of the sun slowly setting on the horizon. "It's really relaxing, isn't it..?" "Yeah…" AJ looked down at the ground and swallowed nervously. This was the moment. There wouldn’t be a better occasion to confess, ever. "Y-ya know, Rarity… I have… something to tell ya…" "Oh?" Rarity curiously looked over at Applejack. "There's… somethin' I haven't realized until today… We both know we're very good friends… But…" As Applejack talked, she slowly unwrapped the gift box behind her back. She planned to just give the box to Rarity at first, but now she felt like just showing her the necklace would be better. "..I've always felt somethin'... different… Somethin' special… when it comes to you…" Rarity's eyes widened a little in shock. She felt like she knew where this was going. Applejack's eyes, however, were tearing up from all the emotions. "..I've always been subconsciously drawn to you… Always ended up at your boutique or with you… I've always loved spending time with you… I remember every moment we spent together…" Finally, Applejack gathered the courage to look Rarity in the eyes. "...And today… I realized… that it wasn't just friendship… I realized that… that I…" She paused for a moment and finally showed her the opened gift box, with the amethyst-studded necklace inside. Her hands were shaking and she looked like she was about to break down at any moment. "...I love you… Rarity…" Rarity gasped quietly in shock and covered her mouth, looking back and forth at Applejack and the necklace. Her eyes fluttered. Her cheeks lit up. She slowly, carefully took the beautiful amethyst necklace from the box and looked at it. "Jackie…" Then, she carefully put it on. It was perfect. It complimented her beauty perfectly. Her white fur, her purple mane.. She was amazed, surprised and shocked at the same time. She couldn't believe that AJ had this kind of feelings for her. "I… I had no idea…" Applejack smiled sadly, closed the box and put it aside. "I know… Ya probably don't like me this way… I… just wanted to tell ya… let ya know…" She murmured quietly and looked down. But just when she was about to start crying, Rarity cupped her face and made AJ look at her face. "Darling… Look at me." Applejack sobbed quietly and looked into her beautiful, sapphire eyes. "You.. have feelings for me.. despite the fact that we are so different…?" AJ slowly nodded. After she did, Rarity gently caressed Applejack's cheek, making her heart jump. "And here I thought that this couldn't work out… That the differences would be too much…" Applejack's eyes sparkled with hope at Rarity's words. "W-wait… So… D-do ya mean…" "I've had… thoughts… For a long time now… I thought about how wonderful it would be to… be with someone like you… With someone so honest.. kind.. hard-working… With someone who is always there for me when I need them… But I was afraid it would not work out… I was a coward. I should have told you how I felt sooner." Rarity slowly stroked Applejack's hair as she talked. Her heart was pounding, just like Jackie's. “I.. I felt the same, Rarity… But, thankfully, Fluttershy made me realize… Our differences didn’t stop us from being friends… s-so… why would they stop us from… being… girlfriends…?” Their faces were completely red at this point, their hearts were pounding hard and their hands were shaking. “Jackie… darling… I’m so glad you were brave enough… to confront your fears… I’m… so thankful… Your heart is so pure…” Rarity smiled lovingly, looking into her emerald eyes. "G-gosh… Rarity… I'm… I'm so… I-I dunno what to say…" "I do…" Rarity cleared her throat and carefully took Applejack's shaking hands. Her own hands were trembling a little, too. “Applejack… Would you like to…” She gently squeezed Applejack’s hands and sniffled quietly. “Would you like to be my girlfriend…?” Applejack completely broke down after these words. She grinned widely as happy tears flowed down her cheeks. “Y-yes…!” Applejack wrapped her strong arms around Rarity and tightly hugged her, hiding her face in her shoulder as she cried happily. Rarity smiled, closed her eyes and gladly hugged her back, holding Applejack close to her while slowly stroking her soft, blonde hair. They stayed in each other’s warm embrace for a few minutes. Eventually, though, Applejack pulled back a little to look into Rarity’s eyes. “I love you.. Rarity…” She murmured. Rarity grinned dreamily and planted a single, gentle kiss on Applejack’s forehead. “I love you too, Jackie…” Then, they just sat there, watching the sunset. Together. Without saying a word. Holding each other. Their hearts beating happily in unison. This was the start of a wonderful, forever-lasting relationship of two ponies, who one might think didn’t fit each other at all. But in the end, their differences didn’t matter.
Chapter 3"Wow, I never thought you were into this stuff, Applejack!" A raspy voice said as soon as Applejack stepped outside of the boutique, making her jump in surprise. "Ah! R-Rainbow Dash!" Applejack turned to her rainbow-haired friend, who was leaning against the wall of the boutique with a teasing smirk on her face. "W-what kind of stuff are ya talkin' about?" "You know, that fancy-shmancy fashion stuff! I always thought you were an old-fashioned type." Applejack raised an eyebrow and folded her hands. "So ya were spyin' on me?" Rainbow shrugged. "I was just walking by and saw you through the window, all relaxed on Rarity's chair, so I decided to watch. You dropped out pretty quick!" She snickered and teasingly bumped AJ's arm. Jackie wasn’t going to get provoked that easily, though. “You decided to watch, huh? I bet ya wanted to try that out yourself! I wonder how long ya would last in mah place…” Applejack smirked, watching Rainbow get flustered right in front of her eyes. It looked like AJ hit the spot. “Wha- pfft, d-don’t make me laugh! I don’t even like this stuff! Like, what’s even the point of getting your hair made all fancy? It's gonna eventually get dirty anyway!” “Well, for starters, it does feel real nice. But tell me, Rainbow, have ya tried it at least once?” “W-well, no, but-” “There ya go! Ya can’t just say ya don’t like somethin’ without even tryin’ it! I say ya should give it a go!” Rainbow blushed and nervously averted her eyes. The country girl patted Dashie on the shoulder and gave her a little smile. “Just think about it, awright? I gotta go somewhere now.” “Alright.. See you later, Jackie…” This time, being called Jackie didn’t make any impact on Applejack. It only hit her hard when Rarity said it. So she turned around and began to walk towards the Town Square. After a moment, though, she looked back once more, only to see the door to the boutique slamming closed, with no Rainbow Dash in sight. Applejack smiled and chuckled, and then continued walking. “There we go. A new customer in exchange for Rarity’s generous service.” Applejack thought to herself. She was really glad that Rainbow didn’t ask why she was so flustered when being confronted. Now, AJ needed someone to help her express her feelings towards Rarity. Someone kind, gentle and loving. Thankfully, she knew just the person.
