Twilight Sparkle levitated a test tube in a purple aura over to her assistant Spike, already holding a small collection of vials to the test tube rack he held in his claws. The dragon grimaced at the tubes filled with different shades of greenish-brown muck.
“So, why are we doing this again?”
Twilight laughed. “Oh Spike, I already told you. There has been a five percent increase in pediastrum boryanum in the local ponds. It’s probably nothing, but for all we know it could be a completely new strain of algae. And who would want to miss out on that?” She explained excitedly.
“Who wouldn’t want to miss out on that?” Spike groaned, but Twilight ignored him, hopping over towards another lake.
She repeated the same process she had a half-dozen times earlier that day, tucking down at the edge of the river; she tipped over a few wet logs and rocks, until she was satisfied with the algae she found there. Twilight used her tools to scrape some of the sludge up, placed it into a vial, and added it in with the others.
“Done.” Twilight grinned. “That’s all the lakes in Ponyville!”
Spike sighed, relieved. “Finally! This is seriously boring.”
Twilight looked around, seeming to ponder something. “While we’re over here, why don’t we go visit the new pony, Rarity? I’ve heard she lives around here, and you haven’t met her yet.”
“Whose fault is that?” Spike complained, following Twilight as she trailed the edge of the river, towards the bridge set in the middle of it.
“Hey, don’t blame me!” Twilight countered. “If you had finished your chores you might have been allowed to attend the welcoming party.”
Spike pouted. “Yeah, whatever, lets just meet this pony and go home. I’ve got chores to do.”
Twilight stopped suddenly and the baby dragon nearly ran straight into her. “Hey, watch it!”
“That’s…odd.”
Spike, curiosity now peaked, clambered onto Twilight’s back, careful not to drop the test tubes as he peered over the unicorn’s head towards the source of her confusion. Pacing impatiently in front of a two-story home, reminiscent of a carousel in shape was a familiar blond-maned pony.
“Applejack!” Twilight galloped over towards her friend, her dragon bouncing from his seat on her back.
Applejack nearly jumped out of her skin, and then sighed in relief when she saw it was Twilight. “Oh, Twi. It’s you.” She stopped pacing and sat.
“Expecting somepony?”
Applejack frowned. “S’pose ah am.” She added the next part under her breath. “Fur two hours now.”
Twilight looked around, studying the house behind AJ carefully. She was still thoroughly confused by the whole situation. Whatever it was. “What are you even doing here? Pinkie mentioned that this was where Rarity was living…?”
Even if she hadn’t been informed, everypony knew that this was the only empty house in all of Ponyville. The last pony who lived there was a pony named Acrylic who had run a hooficure salon out of her home, but most ponies preferred the less specialized daytime spa, because it was closer and most weren’t looking to have their hooves painted.
Not to mention the small town didn’t exactly have a booming real estate. Ponyville was an old farming town, so most of the ponies who lived here had family going back decades, besides a few obvious exceptions. Twilight lived in a library for Celestia’s sake!
“Ah reckon ya’ve got the right place.” Applejack sighed.
This revelation only brought up more questions than it answered. “So…then, what exactly are you doing here? Just sitting outside?”
Applejack gave her a half-hearted glare. “Ah’m here ta apologize.”
Twilight made a face and looked back at Spike, who simply shrugged, uninterestedly, playing with the glass vials in a manner that made her flinch for fear that he might break them. For now she decided to forgo scolding Spike in favor of getting to the bottom of this mystery.
“Apologize for what exactly?”
Applejack wrinkled up her snout, looking like she would rather not answer. “Ah may have asked Rarity why she jus’ didn’ stay in Canterlot.”
Twilight gaped at her.
“I-it was jus’ a question! Ah didn’ mean nuthin’ by it!” Applejack groaned. “But there’s gotta be a reason. Why move here? Ah get that she must miss Sweetie Belle, but couldn’ she jus’ visit if she hates it here so much?”
Twilight shook her head. “Applejack! I’m surprised at you!” Twilight placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, smiling gently to soften it. “You are one of the kindest ponies I know. If it weren’t for you I don’t know if I would have found my place here either!”
“Aw shucks, Twi!” Applejack replied, bashfully. “That’s not at all true, ya fit in here like peas in a pod.”
“Not just you, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for all of you: Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, you…” She narrowed her eyes, looking off as she remembered her own time living in Canterlot. “I never quite blended in with the Canterlot ponies. Princess Celestia knew that, and gave me a guiding hoof in finding where I really belong when she asked me to come here. I just think Rarity could use some guidance.”
Applejack furrowed her brow. “A-ah’m not so sure it’s the same, sugarcube.” She thought for a moment. “Ah understand it can be hard ta fit in someplace unfamiliar ta ya. Still, somethin’ jus’ doesn’ add up. She seemed so…”
Applejack was one of the wisest ponies Twilight had ever known, usually a voice of reason. She didn’t think the mare was wrong. If she hadn’t figured it out there was probably something more to it.
Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof thoughtfully, but was distracted by a sigh from her back.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Spike popped up over Twilight’s head with a yawn.
Applejack and Twilight both looked at him incredulously. “Ah’m sure ya think ya’ve got it all figured out. Well? Let’s hear it.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Duh, if she didn’t want to come to Ponyville, she obviously wanted to leave Canterlot!”
Twilight stared at him perplexedly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean – ”
“Nah, that’s fine, sugarcube.” Applejack stopped him. “Ah think ah get what yur sayin’.”
Twilight looked between Spike and Applejack, stumped as the two shared an understanding look. The refreshed determination on Applejack’s face though reassured her that her point had got across, even if she hadn’t been the one to get it across.
“What are you going to do?” Twilight asked, curiously.
Applejack’s expression was set with resolve as she answered. “Ah’m goin’ ta wait fur Rarity. An’ then ah’m gonna do what ah do best…after apple buckin’ that is.”
Twilight wanted to ask what that was, though she already knew, however a loud rumbling from Spike’s stomach interrupted her, ruining the serious mood.
“Ugh, I’m so hungry!” The dragon whined. “Can we go now? She’s obviously not here.”
Twilight sighed, and grinned affectionately at him, and then sheepishly towards Applejack. “Sorry AJ. Looks like I have to go feed my baby dragon.”
Spike grumbled at this and Applejack laughed.
“Go ahead, Twilight. Ya’ve dun enuff.” She waved them off.
Twilight hesitated, but she knew Applejack could handle herself; that she would do the right thing. She trotted away from the house, glancing back as she crossed the bridge.
Only when she was finally out of earshot of the other mare did she speak to her companion. “So, Spike…what exactly did you mean about Rarity wanting to leave Canterlot?”
“Geez Twilight, you really haven’t figured it out? It thought you were smart.” Spike teased.
“Spike.” Twilight said his name warningly.
“C’mon this is easy!” He snickered. “If you’re not running to something, aren’t you running from something?”
/ / /
“Oh my!”
“I know, right? Trust me, darling, that isn’t even the half of it!”
Fluttershy and Rarity laughed as they left the sauna, the former a light red from the amount of time they’d spent in the torrid steam. They approached the front desk and Rarity set some bits down.
“Are you sure this is alright?” Fluttershy shifted nervously from hoof to hoof.
“Stop asking; it’s perfectly fine!”
“O-okay…”
They waved to Lotus and Aloe as they left, exchanging goodbyes and promises to return at their next opportunity. It had been a pleasant surprise how fantastic the service had been. Rarity would even go so far as to say better than a few of the Canterlot spas she had been to.
“Goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed in her whispery tone as they left the establishment. “It’s getting so d-dark already. Maybe we spent to much time in the spa…”
Rarity stared up towards the sky as they walked and frowned. “I suppose you’re right, it is getting rather late. But one can never spend to long getting pampered!” She finished her sentence with a flourish, letting her luscious mane flow around her head and spring back into place.
Fluttershy giggled softly.
Rarity didn’t mind. While she hadn’t meant it as a joke, she assumed her dramatic nature might be seen as such. Plus she was feeling rather relaxed after her treatment, as well as because of the gentle spirit of her current companion. It still bothered her that Fluttershy was obviously a pony-pleaser. Always trying not to step on anypony’s hooves, and quick to agree. It made it hard to tell when she was really enjoying herself, but she liked to believe she was.
They chatted until they reached the bridge when Fluttershy halted suddenly in her tracks.
“I-I should go home soon. Angel will get so worried!”
Rarity pouted. “Well, how soon do you need to be home by? I don’t feel like being alone quite yet.”
Fluttershy examined her new friend guiltily with wide eyes. “I suppose…I could spare another fifteen or so minutes.” She gave in, continuing over the bridge.
“Wonderful! I have the most magnificent herbal tea. It’s imported from Neighpon, of course.” She said proudly, ignorant to the fact that the other mare was trying to get her attention, quietly muttering and gesturing in the direction of Rarity’s home with a confused look about her.
Distracted as she was, Rarity almost tripped over a huddled form for the second time that day.
“Applejack?”
She placed a hoof on the sleeping pony’s form and shook her slightly. She couldn’t believe that anypony could simply fall asleep on the ground. How unsanitary!
The orange mare leapt up, nearly knocking over the two ponies hovering over her. “Ah’m up, Granny! Ready for apple buckin’!” She kicked her hind legs out, just barely missing knocking Fluttershy out with her flailing.
The poor thing leapt away with a squeak and hid under her hooves, shaking profusely.
Applejack came out of her sleepy daze a second later, shaking her head, though she still seemed a bit confused. “Fluttershy?” She looked around and stared at Rarity for a long moment before her eyes widened with realization. “Rarity!”
“Wh-what exactly are you doing here, Applejack?”
“Ah am here ta apologize!”
Rarity blinked. “Apologize?” She huffed. “There’s nothing to be said. I don’t like you, and you don’t like me; there’s nothing to be done about it. So you can leave!”
It didn’t feel right saying it, even though worse things were said between close friends on a daily basis in the city. Living in this town must be doing something to her mind.
“M-maybe I should g-get going.” Fluttershy muttered, but neither pony heard her.
“Gosh darn it, Rarity!” Applejack stepped into the other pony’s personal space, eyes blazing. “Ah know ah’ve messed up, and ah know ah’m not perfect, but ah am a darn good friend. Ah know ah haven’t been showin’ it much…but ah want…ta get along. Not jus’ fur our sisters. Ah want ta get along…as friends.”
Rarity was startled to say the least, and she was doing her very best to suppress a blush. She had never had such an astonishing confession befall her in all her days of life. She had always imagined that if she was ever to receive such a dramatic declaration it would be from a handsome stallion with romantic intentions, prepared to sweep her off her hooves.
If anything this was quite the opposite.
“Th-that’s…kind of you.” Rarity gave an awkward, high-pitched chuckle, quite sure that Applejack had gone hysterical. Such forwardness would be considered entirely uncouth in Canterlot. She was unsure how to respond.
Fluttershy had already begun to slink away as subtly as she could, trying very hard not to alarm either pony to her already small presence. She retreated at a rapidly increasing pace until she was finally gone, not that anypony else noticed.
Applejack placed her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders, only adding to her discomfort. It made it very difficult to avoid her eyes burning bright green with intensity against the dark night.
“Ah dun care what happened ta ya in Canterlot. Ah want ta help ya, ‘cause that’s what ah do fur mah friends!” Applejack stated boldly.
Rarity gawked at her for a long moment – in a rather unlady-like fashion – before her eyes filled with tears. “You foal!" She tried to sound angry, but her voice trembled, taking away from the effect. “Are you touched in the head? Has the summer heat made you go mad?”
Applejack simply stared her down with that unwavering gaze, almost to intense to look at.
“Ho-how long have you been sitting out here anyhow?” Rarity asked, fully taken aback.
“Since after ya ran off from mah orchard.” She said simply.
Rarity shook her head slowly. “That…that’s go to be at least five hours!”
“Ah waited as long as ah had ta.”
Rarity stuttered for a moment, quite unbecomingly, before she burst into tears for the second time that day. “How can you say that? You have no idea who I am! What I’m like!”
“Ya can’t make me change mah mind, Rarity.” Applejack smiled softly to calm her. “Ah dun make decisions lightly, ‘specially not when it comes ta ponies ah call mah friends.”
“You…are the most…stubborn, presumptuous pony I have ever met!” Rarity cried.
Applejack grinned, looking accomplished. “As long as we have an understandin’.” She stood, tipping her hat. “G’night, Rarity. It’s been a long day, so ah’ll let ya get to bed.” She yawned. “An’ ah am getting’ mighty tired mahself. Sleepin’ on the ground ain’t good fur mah bones. Ah’ll see ya tomorrow.”
Rarity sat in shock as Applejack walked off, her blonde tail swaying behind her as she went. She continued to sit there in the place Applejack had left her even after she had gone completely into the distance.
After a while, she remembered her earlier companion and looked around for her. However, Fluttershy had already gone. She felt bad, and knew she would have to apologize to her later for the scene, but right now she could barely bring herself to think about anything except Applejack’s sudden decree of supposed friendship.
Somehow her heart felt lighter for it.