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// Not I, Darling (May 8th, Wednesday afternoon.) 
// Story: Not The Obvious Answer 
// by Jhoira 
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Rarity looked up at the loud banging on the boutique door. Frowning she got up and walked over to the door. She was closed, and her customers (usually) respected her hours, this must be an emergency. She was quite surprised when she saw Applejack waiting for her on the other side of the door. "Well hello darling, what can I do for you?"

"How do Rarity, can I come in? We need to talk." Rarity raised an eyebrow but nodded, backing up so that Applejack could come in, and after closing the door, escorting her good friend over to the couch she had been sitting at, luckily for Rarity she had already been having tea and snacks, so it was easy for her to magic over another teacup and pour one out for Applejack, who seemed to know that there'd be no point in trying to start this conversation until Rarity had satisfied herself with attending to her guest. Finally, when Rarity sat down Applejack leveled a stare at Rarity. "Before I go, do you wanna admit it?"

"Admit what darling?"

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way Rares." She pulled up her saddle bag and dumped out a pile of letters onto the table, along with a few small swatches of nicely designed and knitted things, decorative to functional little doilies, accents for dresses and even a cloth flower. "Well?"

Rarity twitched slightly at Applejack having made such a mess of her table, but that was less important at the moment than the fact that Applejack was obviously upset about something, although what exactly she wasn't sure, picking up one of the doilies she was impressed by the skill it was made with. "I'm not sure what this all is darling but I must say it is excellent work." And it did look quite familiar now that she looked at it closer.

Applejack scoffed and shook her head. "Ya know Rares, it's really annoying when you fish for compliments."

Rarity gasped. "I would never do such a thing and you well know it Applejack!" Ok, that wasn't strictly true... But this next part was. "And I don't know what you're talking about, these aren't mine!"

Applejack shook her head. "Drop the act rares, I'm flattered but I can't have you sending me more love letters!"

Rarity snickered to herself, she would have been shocked under any other circumstances that Applejack had been getting, aparently unsigned, love letters, and in such quanities, but with the accusation she was simply amused, not her style at all. "Applejack, darling, think about me." Applejack narrowed her eyes but nodded. "Am I Fluttershy?"

Applejack just stared at her friend. "What? N... Oh..." She looked down at the mountain of love letters. "This... Ain't so much yer style is it?" Before Applejack gasped. "It's Fluttershy!?"

Rarity chortled and shook her head. "Oh no dear, not her style either." After a moment of Applejack looking a little puzzled Rarity clarified. "Oh, this." She motioned to the letters. "Probably is her style but I meant this." She held up the doily. "I've seen quite a bit of her work, and this isn't hers." Applejack let out a long relieved sigh which caused Rarity to giggle slightly. "Not into mares then I take it?"

Applejack let out a small laugh. "Aww shucks Rares, I never really gave it much thought. I'm just glad it ain't one of my close friends, I mean, if we screwed it up and broke up, what'd happen to our friendship? Let alone how everyone else would react."

Rarity smiled as she picked up one of the letters and gave it a quick once over, moving the letter up just in time to hide her eyes as they widened in recognition of the hoofwriting. "Well we certainly have a little mystery on our hands don't we? What would you do if you found out darling?"

Applejack gave a small shrug. "Well I'd like ta sit down and have a talk with 'em. Then we could figure out if they really want to have a relationship." At Rarity's raised eyebrow Applejack chuckled. "Well I have my responsibilities Rares. Applebloom is still growin' up and Big Mac can't do all the chores by himself. Granny Smith is gettin' on in years an'..." Applejack stopped at a raised hoof from Rarity.

"All right, all right, I get your point darling, though you might wanna be a bit gentler when you talk to whoever sent you these. She obviously has great affection for you and you don't want to scare off what could be a beautiful relationship by dumping a bunch of naysaying." Rarity flushed a little at her own mistake of saying 'she' luckily it didn't seem that Applejack had noticed the slip-up.

"Yeah, yer right Rares. I mean granny says that it was finding momma that made dad so happy. I shouldn't dismiss the situations out of hoof so easily..." She smiled as she started to pile all the letters and gifts back into her saddlebags. "Sorry for being so melodramatic."

Rarity smiled wryly. "Oh that's fine darling, it allowed me to play the voice of reason, it was quite a nice change." They both cracked up after a few moments as Applejack finished putting her things away. "Thanks for the snacks too Rares, they were good."

Rarity rolled her eyes at the idea of her expensive little finger sandwiches just being 'good' or referred to as 'snacks' but she knew that was just Applejacks vocabulary. "Not at all darling you're always welcome to visit." She smiled but tilted her head as Applejack turned around and started towards the door. "And what is this?" She used her magic to pluck a small sewn together brown heart off the back of Applejack's hat, it had been simply sitting there, mostly obscured by the brim, not one without an eye for clothes like Rarity would have noticed the slight color change.

Applejack looked back then blushed brightly, quickly snatching the heart out of the air with her hoof. "Th-That's nothin'! Don't you mind that." 

Rarity giggled as she looked at her blushing friend who quickly turned away. "I think you're a bit more interested in this mysterious love letter writer than you let on aren't you?"

Applejack broke into a slow trot towards the door of the boutique. "I wouldn't say that Rares, it's just..." She dashed out the door before she had to finish that sentence and Rarity chuckled, closing it behind her friend.

"Well, let's help you get somewhere since you don't seem able to put two and two together yourself." She magicked over a piece of paper and a pen, starting a letter. "Dear Coco..."