Bougie Apple

"Well, that was quite an eventful shopping trip...to say the least," Rarity said with exhaustion as she gingerly pushed open the door to the Carousel Boutique. She returned from an unexpected shopping outing at Applejack's request, carrying four adorned bags draped across her. At first, she welcomed the chance to reinvite the potential lady inside of her friend, but that all changed quickly after she had to break up a fight between her and one of the store clerks. She'd never been so embarrassed before and that was just at their first stop.

"Come now, it wasn't all that bad," Applejack replied, walking gracefully through the door, her mane done up into a tight bun with a silver ribbon holding it together. She wore a black and yellow sunflower dress. Than paired with her satisfied grin, clearly pleased with today's "success".

"You threatened that poor stallion you'd call Twilight and have him teleported to the moon-over scented candles, AJ," Rarity said, pulling out one of the candles in question. "This is an orange-scented candle to boot. I thought you hated oranges. You always complained about the pulpy taste and the disripening smell." She said, hitting it on the table. She wanted to continue, but the sounds of ruffling bags and a muffled wince of pain caught her attention.

"Spikey," Rarity said, seeing the drake in question entering her Boutique and hitting the side of her door. Spike was labored under the weight of Applejack's many boxes and bulking bags in his hands, with Rarity's six dangling from his tail. Although not entirely unaccustomed to such a feat of strength, Applejack's unexpected presence and surprising impulse shopping purchases had added an extra layer of depth to the task. His efforts were evident as he nearly stumbled and dropped everything in one of the stores. That only drew a sharp denunciation from Applejack. Throughout the trip, he made an effort to keep his distance from her, unable to shake some floating thoughts he had from his head.

"Here, Spikey, let me help you," Rarity said, using her magic to lift the six bags on his tail. With a small sigh of relief, he thanked her as his cheeks blushed lightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Applejack's face, her fake gagging as she pointed her hoof into her mouth. He bit his lip in mild self-frustration. Seeing this sent a signal off in Rarity's mind. She quickly turned around and saw Applejack holding one of her orange-scented candles. "Spikey, could you get some tea ready for us? I'm going to go place my things away. I'll be back shortly," she gave off a wink to him, hinting something. He nodded, setting down all of Applejack's stuff next to her.

While in the kitchen, Spike was brewing tea while making a platter of sandwiches. Applejack's piercing gaze, however, was fixed on the back of his head. He could practically feel her drill a hole through him. Distracted by her unwavering attention, he accidentally scalded himself with the hot water. To his embarrassment, Applejack found humor in his misfortune, letting out a hearty laugh, making sure he heard every bit of it. Growing irritated, he couldn't hold back his tongue any longer and broke the silence with a curt, "Do you need something?"

"You should be more careful," she said, completely ignoring his question. "Don't want you 'bullying" yourself over making snacks," she said, walking back into the living room. Her words buzzed in his mind like a bad jingle. He clenched his teeth before taking a deep breath and releasing his hand. Once Rarity came back down, they all sat down together.

"I have to say, Applejack, this is still a little weird getting used to. Here you are. Sitting here so casually, drinking tea on my sofa, with zero accent in your voice. Why the sudden change in your vocabulary?" she asked, finishing her cup of tea.

"Have you been hanging around Twilight?" Spike asked. "She told me you stopped by her library and-

"Well, if you must know, "Rarity," I simply grew tired of ponies being unable to properly understand me. Especially as of recently, regarding a certain somepony's mother," she said, eyeballing Spike. Rarity awkwardly sipped at her empty cup, her gaze shifting between the two of them.

"E-hem, So...How has Applebloom been doing? I heard about her little kerfuffle during school last week.

"Really Now? I didn't know that!" She said, once again eyeballing Spike.

"Uh-um, Sweetie Belle told me," Rarity quickly replied, trying to lighten the mood. "She's really worried about how Applebloom is coping. I feel for her. I can only imagine what it's like having Discord as your afterschool detentionaire!" A nervous chuckle escaped her as the room fell silent for what seemed like an eternity. The mood shifted when one of Applejack's many bags fell off the sofa, knocking a candle onto the floor.

"Hehe, well. That's nice to hear. I wish you could have seen the face on that mollycoddled brat Tiara, haha!" Applejack said, a tiny bit of her accent returning in her laughter. Not that Rarity nor Spike noticed; more focused on what she was saying versus how.

"Applejack!" Rarity blurted. "I've heard enough from Sweetie Belle to get an understanding of Tiara, but that's not nice to say."

"Yeah, that's not like you," Spike said. Applejack glanced her eyes up.

"Of course, "you'd" agree with her." She muttered.

"What was that"

"I said, 'Of course, she really matted her fur,' Applejack replied. 'Besides, I'm only telling the truth. That is my nature, of course,' she said, almost sounding like she was bragging in a sense. 'I'm pretty sure Applebloom would've given her a matching set if "Spikey here" hadn't shown up when he did. Ain't that right... partner?" She finished, her words turning in his stomach. He stood up and walked towards the stairs, all the while biting his lip with his hands clenched tightly again.

"What's wrong, Spikey?" Rarity asked.

"Nothing, n-nothing," he said, waving his hands.

(Cough, liar, Cough)

Rarity turned around with a discernible scowl and narrowed eyes; her gaze shifted to Applejack, who sat with her eyes closed, sipping her tea. She redirected her attention to Spike. "Are you planning on leaving soon? I was hoping we could continue our talks for tomorrow," she inquired. Spike nodded in agreement, prompting a smile of delight to grace Rarity. "Well, that's good to hear," she remarked. "Thanks, but I'll just go get a head start on some new outfits for us. I'll be in the designing room if you need me." he finished. Applejack sucked at her teeth, making a loud "tch" as she stared into her tea. As Rarity turned back to her, Spike walked away, staring at his burned hand.

"Now, what was that?" She said, refocusing all of her attention back on her "guest".

"Nothing." She said.

"Oh, really? And is your *cough* throat OK, too? Or was that also just nothing?" she questioned. She ignored her, sipping her tea.

"Isn't this your business?" She asked, evading yet another question she was asked.

"W-what?"

"You made this business, didn't you? And he said "for us". He didn't create this," she said.

"Applejack, he's helping me with my outfits. You know he often comes here and-

"A little too often if you ask me," she said, not even trying to hide it behind a cough or a smile. Rarity felt something deep within her stomach. An unfiltered part of herself was vexing and full of displeasure. She was angry.

"What's gotten into you? First, you show up at my door asking me to go shopping with you, speaking like a city pony. Then, you suddenly harass a retail worker over a mispriced set of candles. And that's before you yelled at Spike in front of all those ponies," Rarity said, fuming from head to toe.

"He nearly dropped all my things!" Applejack yelled back, believing she was being disrespected.

"Uhm, Hello? Have you seen the amount of things you've bought,"

"He's a man, a little weight shouldn't kill him," She said. Rarity groaned, walking back and forth in place. "What are you getting upset for? If anything, I'm the one who should be upset. I asked 'you" to go out with me; if he was gonna tag along, he could at least do his damn job right," The imaginary thread inside of Rarity's mind snapped, her patience fully drained, and her tolerance level's depleted.

"That is it! Applejack, take your stuff and GET OUT!" She shouted, her voice echoing throughout the Boutique.

"What? You can't be serious?"

"What's going on!" Spike said, having raced down from the designing room and hearing Rarity scream.

"Oh goodie, the "Pet" crawls back to its master," Applejack said, holding up her hoof to her mouth in disgust upon seeing him. Spike felt a mixture of anger and sadness as he gazed at Applejack's disgusted expression. It brought back memories of the cruel looks he received as a young dragon in Canterlot. He had thought those days behind him, but to see them displayed by Applejack, the most honest pony he knew, shattered his heart. His hand was over his chest, a tear streaming down his cheek; he was deeply wounded. "Aww, did I hurt your little dragon feelings," she teased, deepening his heartache.

"Out of my house, NOW!" Rarity said, her horn glowing as she unlocked the door and levitated her boxes and bags outside. Applejack bit her lip, aggravated beyond words. Then, her frustration turned into a grin, once again eyeing Spike.

"Out of all our friends, I thought you would have understood me...this me...the real me the most. But instead, you choose to take sides with someone who is so BLINDLY IN LOVE WITH YOU-

"APPLEJACK!" Rarity's piercing scream echoed in her Boutique. She glanced back in panic at Spike, who was mortified by her actions. His heart sank as he realized the dreadful secret that had been made. All the years of unspoken love, unwavering loyalty, and silent dedication to Rarity had been shattered in an instant. Spike stood there, feeling as though he had been struck by lightning, unable to move or speak. He had watched in horror as Applejack, a pony whom he thought he could call a friend, had exposed his feelings shamelessly. Tears streamed down his eyes, a silent testament to the pain and heartache he was feeling.

"Oh, you didn't know. Guess you're just as blind as he-" Applejack's words were finally cut off as Rarity engulfed her with her magic and quite literally flung her out of her Boutique. She landed atop her many bags and boxes, softening her blow. As she stood up from her impromptu padding, Rarity was standing in the middle of her doorway.

"I'm sorry, AJ, but you leave me with no choice. You're hereby banned from the Carousel Boutique," she said, closing the door behind her. Applejack rushed to the door, just barely stopping her from closing it. Rarity fought back, starting a pushing match between them. Even with her using her magic, Applejack's strength was proving to be too much. Then suddenly, Spike rushed in, tackling the door with all his strength and forcing it closed. Applejack was knocked back to the ground by the sudden force. As she stood back up, the sound of the door locking triggered something within Applejack, something she had forgotten.

"Wait, come on, Rares. I-I didn't really mean any of it. Look, how about this. I'll share some of my things with you...Rarity? Spike? Please y'all, say somethin', Anythin'!" Applejack pleaded persistently, knocking and crying to be let back inside. Rarity and Spike looked at each other for a brief moment, his tears hastily wiped from his face. He suddenly sprinted back upstairs to the design room. Rarity quickly chases after him, leaving Applejack unknowingly calling out to nopony or Dragon. When Applejack finally left, the same candle that fell from the bag earlier stood upright. The candle suddenly lit itself aflame; the sweet smell it produced became visible and gained color. The fumes took shape, sprouting mix-matched horns and wings before the rest of the body came into full view.

"How dare Rarity say "I can only imagine what it's like having Discord as your afterschool detentionaire!"
Bagh! The nerve of some ponies, honesty." He said, mocking how she borderline insulted him earlier. "Speaking of honesty, That was Splendid! A perfect 10/10! From the tenseness of ire between Applejack and Spike to the grasping of potential new ground with Rarity, all fall flat in the mere moment by a singular phrase. Oh~! Chaos, how I've missed you...though, I do feel kinda bad for Spike. Wasn't expecting her just "Out" my boy like that. Maybe I should go and take a sneak-peek at him. And if need be, I'll just make both of them think this was all a bad dream. Never promised Fluttershy I couldn't alter that with magic," he finished, suddenly going prone on the floor and slithering up the stairwell like a snake to the designing room.

"Spike, Please open the door." Rarity said, knocking gently, dropping his nickname. She only ever did that when she was serious about something.

"You can come in. The door's unlocked," he said, his tone flat and void of emotion. Rarity opened the door, the light switched off, and Spike sitting against the wall.

"Oh hehe, Silly me," she said, taking a seat next to him. The room was quiet for a moment before Rarity spoke again, "Spike, I- I don't know how else to put this, but please don't hate Applejack. She's clearly not in the right mind and when the time comes-

"She'll need her friends. Yeah, I know. Have fun with that," he said, hiding his face with his arms. Rarity placed her hoof on his shoulder, making him glance back at her. She was crying, her tears even more steadfast than his were.

"Wow, wait. Why are you crying?" he asked, turning to face her properly. Rarity wiped her eyes as best as she could, her makeup slightly smuggling across her face.

"Because I'm upset." She said, stomping her hoof on her floor. "I let her into my home and-" She found herself unable to finish her sentence, staring up at the ceiling to stop her tears from coming up again. Another moment of silence passed them, as they were now sitting closer to each other, taking small breaths to calm themselves.

"Any idea what caused her to act like that?" Rarity said, patting her eyes with a nearby tissue she grabbed.

"Me," Spike said.

"Spike-"

"I'm serious," he said, looking her dead in the eyes, stunning her. "You already heard from her that the fight between her sister and Tiara would've ended a whole lot worse if I didn't intervene. But that's not the half of it." He said, thinking back to the day of the fight. "The truth is-..."

"Is what?" Rarity asked, scared a little seeing him struggle to answer.

"The truth is, I was watching from afar when it happened. I was there watching as Applebloom, Scootaloo, and your sister stood up for themselves and didn't let them boss them around. I remember how Diamond Tiara forced them to dig up secrets on ponies around Ponyville and how it affected everyone, especially them. After hearing the speech, I felt myself moved by their confidence. By the time I was approaching to send the crowd away, I had heard what Diamond Tiara had said." he had finished. Rarity was surprised, genuinely surprised by Spike's actions. She wanted to say something, but she felt like what he needed to say was more important, and much more emotionally needed.

"I think that's why she hates me. Cause I was too slow to stop her sister and I don't blame her," he said.

"Spike, I don't think you did anything bad, per se." Rarity said, much to his interest. "You made a judgment call and trusted them to handle things on their own responsibly. We're all responsible for our own actions, not anyone else's. I don't think anypony could've anticipated that Tiara was gonna say something like what she did. And the moment things went south, You acted so nopony else could get hurt or involved. You did great, at least...I think you did," she said, a small tint of red on her face. Spike would have missed it had it not been for the sunlight panning into the room.

"Thanks, but I don't that she sees it that way. That fight was the school's first. Maybe she thinks I brought shame to her family by not stopping her fast enough," he said.

"If so, then she'd better be ready for the amount she just added on. And if so, then I'm quite shameful as well for throwing her out like I did." She finished, finally getting a smile from him,"

"Yeah, like "orange scented candles," Spike said, motioning back to how she was holding it earlier.

"I know, right!" Rarity said, doing the same. The two shared a laugh for the first time since earlier. Once their laughter subsided, they found themselves touching. Rarity's hoof being held by Spike's hand. He pulled it away, Applejack's words bouncing back into his head.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry for what"

"For you...finding out like you did." He said, playing with his fingers. Rarity couldn't help but chuckle, unknowingly adding to his embarrassment, until she saw his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. Did you not know?" she said, wiping a tear of joy.

"Know what?" he asked when he suddenly felt Rarity's lips pressing dangerously close to his own. He froze, his eyes locked on her joyous smile. She sat back up, walked towards her door, and said, "Come now, Spikey. I think there are still some tea and sandwiches left downstairs... unless, of course, you'd rather sit here in this barely luminescent room?" She left the door open and swished her tail at him to follow her. In an instant, he jumped up from his spot and ran over to the door. "What? I still don't know," he said as his broad smile returned to his face once again. As the door closed behind him, the tissue Rarity had used prior began uncrinkling itself. Discord emerged, damp from tears and covered in makeup.

"OH, Thank Celestia. She didn't have to blow her nose," he said, snapping his fingers to clean himself. "Well, good for Spike. At least I won't have to make this whole thing a dream...I hope. Fluttershy would end me if I...Oh crapbaskets. I didn't fix her window!"