Play the Game

by Nicolasmandias

Rating: teen
Tags: Rarity, Big Macintosh, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 5092

Applejack decides her brother has wasted his life at the farm, and she knows Rarity isn't doing any better lately, so she sets them up, a harmless date with a friend. "harmless"

Mac has dedicated his life to the farm, to his sisters, and Applejack feels bad for it, she feels it's time for her brother to star having fun again to have a life beyond his work, friends and even more, but she isn't going to let him go just with any other mare, no, she need something good and harmless.
Then there's Rarity, ever since the coronation she's been work on multiple designs for multiple clients, and she hasn't seen much of her friends ever since either, or done any other thing that isn't working.

For Applejack it was a matter of putting one and one together. A flawless harmless plan.

(half way trough editing)

Published 2013-04-12 01:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-12 01:10:02 UTC

Open up your mind

Open up your mind

Morning in Ponyville; ponies were walking out of their homes, stores were opening, kids were arguing about the uselessness about going to school, and just a bunch of ponies where seeing this happen, like Twilight at her library after studying the whole night, or like Lyra that was barely coming out of her coffee induce insomnia, or like Macintosh that was making breakfast for his two sisters before Applejack got up to wake Applebloom, or like Rarity that was already rushing trough her home/store.

It had been quite a busy morning for her, she rushed trough her breakfast to get back on her designs, she wasn't precisely late, but she figure that if she didn't finish this designs by the end of the week, she wouldn't have time to draw before the next order arrived, orders had been piling up since the coronation, she didn't though extra work was a bad thing, but it left her with so much little time.

"It's not a hard life, but time's the one that's missing" she said to Opal, as she was checking the fridge "And also milk... and fruits... and flowers... okay, I need to go to the market"

After looking at herself in the mirror and re doing her mane, she left the store and went to buy what she needed, she wrote a list of everything that was missing and a quick letter asking for more green fabric. It didn't took her much time to send the letter to Canterlot and to buy the few things on her list, soon enough, only the fruits were missing. Luckily it was thursday, and thursday is the day for apples, or actually the day Applejack goes to town with her cart to sell her products. She walked to the cart with a smile, it had been over a week since she had seen Applejack, and it was always good to see one of the girls, as she made her way, she noticed one or two stallions watching her movement. She just walked gallantly through their side when they tried to get her attention, it was nice being noticed, but lately she wasn't having that much time to go on a date or to share some time with ponies that she didn't really knew.

“Good morning Applejack” she addressed her friend once she was alone with her.

“Hey Rarity, mornin’” she said a bit off “So, how many apples do yah want?”

“Umm, I guess two dozens” Rarity looked at Applejack as she packed seven apples on a paper bag, usually Applejack enjoyed going to Ponyville with her cart, or at least smiled while she was there, but today smiles seemed to be evading her. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nope...”

“Applejack, darling, you can’t lie”

“Who says Ah’m lying?”

“Yourself, when you try to lie, or at least not tell the actual truth, you make gestures”

“Gestures?” she asked a bit surprised

“Well, yes, you don’t realize it don't you?” Rarity snickered “You either do that thing with your cheeks or just try to hide your eyes by any means necessary. Now look at me and answer my question dear”

“Here are yer apples, Rarity” Applejack placed the bag in front of her “The usual fee”

“Applejack...” Rarity said a bit worried.

“Ah’m fine, really!” she said looking away.

“Listen now, whatever it is that's upset you, you know you can talk about it with me, or any of us. Do yourself a favour and come see me after you are done here, okay?” Rarity said with a smile, Applejack wasn't so sure about it “Come on, we haven’t seen each other in a week, it would be good to catch up too. Besides, I've been busy the whole week and really bored in my boutique, it’d be nice for the both of us if you came by”

“Ah’ll be out by lunchtime Rarity, that’d be a bother”

“Nonsense, if you don't come, I’d be bothered, besides you don't want me making lunch for two and eating alone, right?” And turning around with her head held up high, she walked away saying “At lunch then, tah tah”

The rest of the morning went by as busy as the rest of the week, she finished the details on one of the summer dresses she had been designing and laid the base for it on the mannequin, she finished cleaning the floor of the shop, hung her clothes in the back, put away the things she had bought, served a table for two and gave Opal her milk. For lunch, she decided to go easy, soup, salad, juice, dessert, not much, but it smelled good; happy with her result she went back to work. Half an hour later, the soup was heated again the salad and the juice were served and the two mares were sitting together having lunch.

“... Ah tell yah, Bonbon is like a half sister, being Mac’s friend since they were little, but sometimes, Ah swear, she does it on purpose” Said Applejack, hitting the table softly with her hoof, the morning for her didn't help to improve her mood, but at least the encounter with Bonbon had given her another thing to think about.

“Well, maybe she does, Applejack” Rarity served them soup and returned to her seat.

“What do yah mean?” Applejack smelled the soup, and was ready to dig in, but after remembering the tiny argument their lunch had started with, over her ‘barbarically attacking the salad’ she decided to go nicely “This smells good Rare, yah overdid yourself”

“Well, you just seemed so down this morning and I remembered my mother saying that there is nothing better than a good plate of soup to get the hopes up, besides it quite an easy family recipe” she said trying the soup, it was actually better than the last time she had made it, experience was kicking in “Anyway, I am saying that maybe Bonbon does that, firstly, because she can, you do consider her like a sister, I’m guessing she feels the same way”

“Eeyup” Applejack said with a smirk, Bonbon liked getting on her nerves, but then again she also liked messing with her, and it was never boring to have her around. Applejack's frown relaxed as the smell of the soup filled her nose.

“And secondly, and maybe most importantly, there is that thing about...” Applejack looked at her wondering what she meant, but Rarity was staring at her, slowly Applejack raised her mouth form the soup, dried her chin and smiled as an apology “As I was saying, maybe it is because of your brother”

“Mac?”

“Yes well, maybe you both have a quarrel for second place”

“Second place?! What do yah mean second place?” said Applejack rising her voice.

“Well there’s Applebloom...” Rarity was surprised by her reaction.

“Oh right... don’t get me started on that, he has a soft spot for her...” Applejack said with an annoyed tone, but before Rarity could make a remark on that she looked outside the window, and asked “And yer point is?”

“You are a bit jealous of your sister; and I guess Bonbon is jealous of you because you are his sister, and you fight with her because she gets his caring as well” Rarity was smiling and staring out the window too “You care a lot about your brother, you hardly speak about him, but when you do, you do it like a filly that has a crush on her father”

“Wait.. what?”

“OH, no, no, no” Rarity laughed “It’s not that, hmm, it’s the sort of thing that makes a little filly dream with a prince that behaves and treats her like their father, its metaphorical darling, not a real crush. You love your brother, that’s true, but not like that”

“Yeah, maybe Ah do... yah do know Bonbon’s...” Applejack said, Rarity nodded “Yep..”

“So... what got you upset this morning?” Applejack never got to tell her about that, when she had arrived the only thing on her mind was the prank Bonbon had played on her.

“Mah brother... that old stubborn pony, he got me upset”

“And why didn’t you want to tell me?” Rarity stood up, took the dishes with her and served dessert.

“Ah don’t like to talk about mah brother, learned not to do so time ago... you get crowded” Applejack looked back at the dessert in front of her “Cooked apples in their juice and ice cream on top, yummy”

“Thought it was a nice touch” Rarity smiled at her comment, glad that her friend had like the food “well then, why not? I figured a long time ago that you must be proud of him, if I may, he helped rising you and your sister right?”

“Yep, Ah hardly remember mom and pah... and Applebloom doesn’t, so... yeah, Mac and granny are all that we had when we were growing up... all mah life Ah’ve looked up to him, an’ he’s looked out for me” The taste of the ice cream and the apples made her smile, but her sight was lost on the window “He’s just... he’s mah brother, an’ he has done so much for us... he left school at one point to look out for the farm, and before we both brought it back to the state it is now, he took two jobs to help, something tells me he still does, ‘cause whenever we need somethin’ he arrives with it... remember granny’s old hip Ah told you about? well we got the money, and to fix the barn too, and it wasn’t just ‘cause of our work at the farm”

“I see...”

“He’s done so much for us... but he’s so stubborn, ah can’t get him to stop working or do something for himself... go out with his friends, meet a mare, take a break or anything really!” Applejack’s eyes were getting watery, something Rarity had hardly seen before “Ah just.... darn it”

“I understand” Rarity reached for her friends hoof on the table “You feel like you have been abusing him, like he has left half his life in the farm, for you, and that he isn’t actually living it, right?”

“Ah... yeah... how’d...”

“My father Applejack” Rarity smiled, trying to calm her friend “I love my father, he did so much for me when I was little, the school I attended to learn to do what I do wasn’t a cheap one, for two years I hardly saw him, and my mother was getting affected by it too, yet he never stopped, I tried to convince him, told him I was happy just with the chance of ever attending it, but he wouldn’t listen... it was complicated, I hardly saw him, and Sweetie Belle cried at nights calling her father, for a time I swear she didn’t recognize him... I felt awful, so much time he’d lost for me, after my course was finished, my dad was happy and proud of me, but he was so tired... don't get me wrong, I was thankful, so I decided that instead of feeling wrong about it, and since I had already gone to the school, and I learned the ways of the fabric, I would take it upon myself to become the best at what I do. You girls always say I get absorbed at my job and that I become a bit of a harpy when I have to collect debts, but it is for good reason, my dad now works 10 hours a week, he is at home, he plays with Sweetie Belle, he goes out with my mom on vacation, and I couldn’t be happier about it”

“Yah’ve never said that...”

“Well, I don’t like talking about it, there is no need to. Besides, you girls have never asked”

They finished their dessert in silence, then Rarity took them away and served some tea for her, Applejack just drank juice.

“Thanks... for the meal an’, well, listening” Applejack said to her, Rarity returned a smile.

“You shouldn't hold those thoughts, or your feelings. You should tell your brother how you feel”

“Ah don’t know....”

“I think he’d understand” Applejack nodded “Is there something in particular you want for him?”

“Nope, not something in particular, just, yah know, to see him having fun and not absorbed by work” Applejack smiled “Ah know we are workaholics, but his routine is way too much, an’ we don’t even need it, the farm is doin’ better than ever! Ah’ve hired some help, for the both of us to catch a break, but he just keeps going”

“Oh, yes, I have thought of getting some help, but you know, if you want something done well... I don’t think I could trust anypony with designing or making dresses in my name”

“Yeah, Ah guess he might feel like that” Applejack looked around the kitchen, everything was so neat and clean, except for the dishes “Yah’ve been working hard too, right? and Ah guess you do all the work here.”

“Yes, well, it’s not much, usually I just have to clean my mess and the store”

“Let me help yah with the dishes” Applejack got up before Rarity could say anything. “Ah’ll be done in a minute, yah go do yer thing”

“Thank you, I guess. I’ll be upstairs, brushing my teeth”

Once Applejack was done with the dishes she decided it was time to get back home, once she was on the hallway that connected the kitchen to pretty much every other room in the house, she heard Rarity’s voice coming from the store in the front, as she heard, she was busy with a client, and Applejack figured it would be rude to either leave without saying goodbye or just interrupting Rarity, so she decided to wait for the right moment, she could still hear their voices coming from the other room.

“...since you didn’t come to the spa today we thought something had happened” it was thick accent she recognized from somewhere

“I am just busy Lotus, thank you” she heard Rarity said lightly “So? a hat or a scarf?”

“What fits better” Applejack realised that the mare Rarity was talking too must have been one of the spa girls, now which one of them escaped her memory “This one maybe, I want to call for attention, I hear he is a bit competitive, what do you know about him?”

“About Ace? not much, he takes his sport very seriously and likes his mare to be a bimbo, he isn’t up for long term relationships”

“That’s the plan” Applejack could hear the spicy tone in her answer, and wonder what Rarity’s response would be, she hardly spoke to her about this sort of things “Ever dated him?”

“No, and I wouldn’t” her answer wasn’t harsh, but it was good enough to outline her posture.

“You like dating, but get so picky when it comes to stallions. How long since you last went out?” how long since she had really talked about that?

“Three months maybe more” She said in an uninterested tone.

“Really?” Lotus sounded surprised “And since the last third date?”

“I do not remember... what about this hat?” Applejack could hear the rummaging of clothes in the other room, must have been a lot to look out for, she had never really paid attention to the sort of things Rarity kept there, and she had been working there for a day.

“No, no, not that one...” Lotus sounded a little off, maybe she was looking at other stuff “Miss Rarity, ever gone beyond third base?”

“Lotus...” Applejack felt the stare Rarity must have given her, if Rarity had not lost it with that question, she assumed it had been for the confidence between them that she guessed was built over hours spent at the spa, which made her question how much fluttershy could know.

“Sorry, it’s just that... well, stallions line up at your door...”

“They do, if I may, and it’s always the same, they ask you out with soothing words to dinner or something alike, and half way through it they are already looking for dessert, or they want to go to the theatre to take advantage of the dark” Applejack could tell Rarity was upset, she wanted to take a peak, so she walked closer to the door.

“But that’s fun”

“For a night, if you are into that” Rarity said, Applejack agreed “For today standards, even three dates are too long, look darling, I understand one has to play the game, but, and Freddy forgive me, playing hard to get isn’t always bad. If you want something good, be it a mare or a stallion, a kind hearted one, you can’t fill your life, or your nights, with whomever.”

“Works for some I guess” Lotus sounded a little off, maybe Rarity had been a bit too rough with her, yet that didn't mean Applejack didn’t thought she was right, it was that kind of mare’s that had been giving her trouble with her brother. ‘Do Ah want him to go out or not?’ she thought ‘No, you don’t, at least not with them mares...’

“I’m not saying otherwise is wrong dear, while you can take care of yourself...”

“I know, I know” Lotus said laughing “ooh, this looks pretty”

“And it suits you perfectly” Rarity sounded happy “A beautiful scarf, well made, I should know, and not expensive. How is your sister doing?”

“She’s fine if not a bit jealous... That’s the price? I’ll take that one too then” She seemed to be pleased with whatever scarf she had picked up “It’s so cosy. Anyway, Aloe didn’t do well the last time she went out... I look amazing with this one too, I’ll take them both”

“What happened to her?” Applejack heard them moving around the store.

“I think he was gay or something, my sister is like you, hardly a stallion can say no to her...”

“You are exaggerating” Rarity cut her. “I just know how to handle them”

“Maybe...” The cash register was heard as the transaction was completed, good thing too, Applejack was getting kinda bored “By the way, what do you about that stallion that works in the orchard? You know, big, red, strong, hunky”

Hunky? ‘Hunky?!’ Applejack thought about going out and giving the mare a piece of her mind, it usually began like that, and then she’d had them chasing her brother all around Ponyville. She was ready to open the door, when Rarity's voice made her turn back to reality.

“I wouldn’t call him that lotus” Rarity’s words were firm and sounded annoyed. “Why do you ask?”

“He seems like a night of fun” Now Applejack was going to tear down the door, once she could get over the fact that Lotus had said that “Why? do you have him on your list?”

“He’s my best friend’s brother Lotus. And he is not the stallion for that” Rarity was being defensive, which calmed Applejack’s anger, maybe she should try and relax and let Rarity defend her brother’s name, Lotus was one of her friends and client after all.

“Why?” asked Lotus, Applejack wanted to know too.

“Well... he’s just... not that kind of stallion, for a one night stand.... I mean, if you managed to get his attention, you would have to be one of the biggest idiots in this town to let him go” Applejack was bit startled by her answer, but trusted the way Rarity was handling it “Listen darling, there are a lot of stallions in this town, they are like cows lying and playing for only one thing, all of them but a bunch of well behaved, and sadly mostly taken, good hearted stallions. Well I’m not saying that the rest of the are evil or anything, it’s just that they have their head elsewhere, and they do not listen to it nor their hearts, just one things; and I know mares like to have fun too... It’s just that, this kind of stallions are a rarity these days, and Macintosh is one of them; he has a good and strong heart, and knows the value of family and principles, hes good with children as he is with his hooves, and yes he has a sort of thing to his look, being quiet and all... He’s a keeper Lotus, one of the few that may be worth the pain to get to know

“The pain?”

“Well, if you are asking for advice is because of something right?” Rarity laughed a bit “You didn’t expect Applejack or her family to let go such an apple from the tree? And I’m guessing you ask for advice because you tried to catch his attention and failed, or even maybe some other mare stopped you from doing so, I’ve seen mares doing strange this for attention this days...”

“Yes, well, once the duo doesn’t work, it’s time to call for help, but I guess you are right... Anyway miss Rarity, I should get going, good night tonight. See you next week, yes?”

“Indeed, see you then” Lotus left the room and Applejack came to Rarity’s side, putting a hoof through her shoulder “So, how close were you to burst in?”

“One more word from her Ah guess” Applejack laughed, she took a look around “Ah wasn’t expecting that what you said about mah brother Rarity”

“what do you mean”

“Uh, you know, talking good ‘bout him, defending his honour and stuff” Applejack said trying to sound distracted as she played with her hat in front of a mirror, something that Rarity found a bit weird for her to be doing.

“What do you mean?” Applejack dodged the question as she was playing with some of the accessories that Lotus had left laying around.

“Yah ever gone out with him?” Applejack asked ‘casually’

“No...”

“Charmed him?”

“No, neither... Applejack what I said its for admiration, not for any other sort of thing” Applejack raised her eyebrow “I never had too. I have met your brother Applejack, and Lotus was right, he is one stallion that mare’s line up to for chance to go out with, so I do know about him. About him Applejack. But it was through you that I got to knew him, or sort of, well enough to have an image about him. that’s what I told Lotus, a piece of my mind”

“An’ how did you come to it?” Applejack asked, there was feeling growing somewhere, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it.

“Well, I did say he was like my father, didn’t I? And there’s also that thing in your eyes when you talk about your brother, which is a rare occasion, but whenever you do, there is something else, more than just words... that tells me how much he means to you, and it only can mean that my impression was about right” Applejack was smiling sweetly, not really looking at Rarity “And as I was saying, I’ve never ‘charmed’ your brother, or actually really met him. Every time we’ve been to your farm, he’s never really around”

“Yeah, he doesn’t really want to bother” Rarity nodded “then you only got that from me?”

“Well, no, not really... I knew already about him, his reputation precedes him among mares, and I believe that at one point Sweetie had a crush on him because for a week I only heard about your brother’s big heart” Applejack chuckled as she remembered her version of the week, having Sweetie Belle at the farm more often than usual and Applebloom keeping her away from their brother “I only got to see that by myself after that incident with Cheerilee, remember? when our little sisters gave them a love poison? Well, they destroyed my store, don’t know if Applebloom ever told you... anyway, there was I, with my store torn apart, with only and apologetically Cheerilee by my side... I never blamed her, it was Sweetie Belle who had made that mess, so I didn’t charge her for anything”

“Generosity?”

“Responsibility, and Sweetie Belle’s mine” Rarity said with a smile, as she approached the front of her store, that only now Applejack noticed that was different, as in new “I had no idea how to fix it, or how much it would be, I tried to put everything together with magic, I hardly slept that night... It must had been about sunrise when I heard noises outside, after cleaning myself I went out to see what had happened only to see that the hole that our sisters digged up at my yard had been covered”

“How did they dig that hole?”

“Only Celestia knows....” they stood there for a bit thinking about how on Equestria they managed to dig the hole, until Applejack cleared her throat “Yes, well... there I was, with my store looking worse than ever, it was a disaster, I tried my best to keep it together, pull the walls in place... but there was no use, I gave and let the whole thing come down... and there holding the door that I though would have fallen to the floor was, wa your brother. He look a bit shocked, I did bring the wall down on him...

“What was he doing there?”

“I wondered the same thing... I saw he was carrying a saddlebag with a blue scroll coming out of it, and beside him there was one of your carts filled with planks, paint and who knows what else... he looked at me, and most likely noticed surprise in my face, and he said ‘Miss Rarity, Ah’m ‘ere to build yer front again...’” Rarity said imitating Mac’s voice, which made Applejack giggle “He must have noticed I was going to refute him, because he told me ‘Ah’m in debt with yeh, ma’am, an’ Ah ain’t taking no fer answer’... He then took the scroll out of his saddlebag and showed me the blueprints of my store, he said he had come here earlier and covered the hole, then went to the town hall to get them; he asked if i wanted to change something since he was going to rebuild it...”

“So that’s where he went that day” Applejack said with a smile “good ol’ Mac, he must have felt that it was his own fault more that Applebloom’s because he couldn’t control himself or somethin’, I remember him goin’ out the next day after that ‘incident’ as yah said”

“So he said when I told him that he didn’t have too, I offered to help, to pay for the materials... but no, he only accepted my opinion on the colour, the changes I wanted and a glass of juice, not even the whole jug or a piece of cake... I was amazed, never had I met such a stallion... if not my father”

“Yeah, sounds like Mac allright” Applejack sighed “‘guess it’s about time Ah get going Rare”

“Too early I want to say, but I do need to keep working...”

Applejack smiled at her friend, such a good heart in a pony that over three years ago she would have never guessed was there. how long had she been working? Applejack wondered, ever since their trip to Canterlot after Twilight’s coronation, she had hardly seen Rarity, apparently making the dresses for the new princess and her companions had put her name in the stars, and she guessed that those three months without going out with somepony were maybe more..

“Applejack darling... are you free tomorrow?” Applejack snapped back to reality

“Friday night? yeah Ah guess” Applejack’s eyes sparkled, something had come to mind “why? are you?”

“Yes, and I was wondering if the girls are too... you tend to see them more often than I do, or at least Rainbow” Rarity said with a smirk, but Applejack was too focused on her thought to notice “I was thinking, maybe tomorrow we could all hang out, maybe meet here and then go have dinner or to the theater, what do you say? Date’s been the theme of this lunch apparently, and what a better date than one with friends having innocent fun?”

‘What better a date than...’ Applejack’s smile grew bigger “Sure Rare! Ah’ll tell ‘em, see you at eight tomorrow! be ready”

Applejack’s mind was at full throttle, and Rarity misplaced Applejack mischievous smile by that on excitement for their get together. They hugged goodbye, and Applejack went full speed ahead.

“Tell them it’s on me!” Rarity said out loud hoping for AJ to hear. She went back to her work smiling, thinking about seeing her friends and going out with them, just like the old times. But if the Twilight had taught her something, is that things change and nothing goes according to plan, because as she was drawing a new dressing Applejack was putting two and two together, and thinking about a way to get a night for two running, thinking that her idea was a clever one, to get that feeling of her heart, aiming for a night and only ‘one night’ of innocent fun for two, a good plan.
Funny that thing about plans, right?

"Miss Rarity? Tomorrow!?"

"C'mon, yah ow it to me! you promised yah'd say yes... Don't play hard t'get Mac!"

"But she... an' Ah'm just me..."

"It'll be a friends night out, innocent fun... be yourself brother, just, open up your mind, and let yerself go..."

"Aj..."

"Won't take a no fer an answer" Her brother just nodded in resignation, as they went back in their home, Applejack smiled in satisfaction, she had been wondering how to convince him, but it seemed that Rarity had given her more answers than what could have expected. humming a happy song, she went back inside 'play the game, play the game, play the game...'.

Author's Note

lovely space, didn't knew it was here.
the story was marked "teen" just to be sure I guess, talking about three dates and all.

Well, that was it, you are welcome to leave a comment meanwhile it isn't insulting.
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