They wound up catching the red-eye back to Ponyville. Applejack dragged herself from the train station to Sweet Apple Acres and collapsed into her bed. Exhaustion, warring emotions, and a growing headache made her want nothing more than to become unconscious for as long as possible.
“Why haven’t you declared your undying love for him?” Rarity demanded five minutes later, sitting on Applejack’s chest and shaking her by the shoulders. “Or at least asked him out?”
Applejack wondered how much trouble she’d get into for murdering her friend. “What are you doing in my house this late?”
“My intuition led me outside just a few minutes ago,” Rarity said, “where I happened to see Sketchy walking home from the train station, and do you know what he told me?”
“No,” Applejack said, contemplating where to hide the body.
“He told me that he found an apartment in Canterlot and will be moving in three days from now.” Rarity put a hoof on either side of Applejack’s head and leaned down. “Don’t you realize what this means?”
All too well, Applejack thought. “Just let me sleep.”
“Now isn’t the time for sleep,” Rarity said. “If you let him move to Canterlot, he’ll leave you behind forever!” She pressed the back of a hoof to her forehead and collapsed forward.
Applejack had to shift to the side to avoid Rarity’s horn hitting her in the eye. “Watch where you’re sticking that thing, and would you get off already?”
Of course, she happened to say that at the exact same time the door to her bedroom opened and Big Mac poked his head in. “AJ, you oka-” His eyes widened. “Wow, Caramel was right.”
“Big Mac!” Applejack yelled.
“H-heard shouting,” Big Mac said quickly. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you and your marefriend.”
“WHAT?” She couldn’t believe her brother would jump to such a silly conclusion just because Rarity was lying on top of her. In her bedroom. In the middle of the night. As she talked about getting off … On second thought, she got where he was coming from. “This ain’t what it looks like.”
“What’s going on?” Apple Bloom asked out in the hall.
“Nothing,” Big Mac said, giving Applejack a look that demanded an explanation later. Then he shut the door. “Back to bed, Bloom.”
Applejack breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank Celestia,” Rarity said, pushing herself up. “Now then, we’ll have to work quickly. You must claim Sketchy’s heart immediately.”
“Rarity,” Applejack said as calmly as she could manage, “what makes you think I even want Sketchy to stay when things would be a lot easier for him if he lived in Canterlot?”
Rarity simply pointed to the wall, where a framed picture hung. Specifically, the drawing of Applejack that Rarity herself had commissioned not so long ago.
Applejack blushed. “Well, what was I supposed to do with it?”
“Hang it on the wall in a place of honor, apparently.” Rarity smirked. “Deny it all you like, but you two are meant to be together. Let me help you achieve true love!”
“Let me sleep,” Applejack said. “That’s all the help I need.”
“Sleep is for the weak,” Rarity said, leaning closer. “There’s too much to plan. Now, I took the liberty of outlining three dream dates that would let you sweep him off his hooves-”
Applejack clapped a hoof over her friend’s mouth. “Maybe I wasn’t clear. Leave. Now. Or they’ll never find your body.”
“Very well, no need to be so dramatic,” Rarity said, climbing off the bed.
There weren’t words to express the levels of ‘Are you kiddin’ me?’ on Applejack’s face right then.
“But you must do something,” Rarity continued, “otherwise Sketchy will move to Canterlot and be gone from your life. You can’t possibly want that.”
“I want what’s best for him,” Applejack muttered, rolling over and closing her eyes. “Even if that means he moves away.”
Rarity was silent for a long time. “That sounds like the very definition of love, if you ask me.” Then she quietly made her exit.
Sleep was a long time coming after that.
I've been meaning to ask:
Is Sketchy an Earth Pony, Unicorn, or Pegasus?
I expect to see a scene where Applejack says this to Sketchy. Perhaps an Epilogue between Sketchy and a very pregnant AJ..?
*slams head even harder*
So AJ was actually a lesbo, how knew?!
I think RD made a good point in explaining that love grows over time for some and I think the best between the two would be that AJ keep visiting him in canterlot and get his to visit her in turn so that he can settle in a routine that he won't stress over and get him to want to come to her.
Applejack's levels of "Are you kiddin' me?" are OVER NINE THOUSAND!
shouldn't that be marefreind sine you been using the coltfreind version for the opposite?
Eeeyup. been there.
Sheeeesssssshhhhh she's getting to the good part!
I now pronounce you "Butt" and "Butt" you may kiss the Butt... Bride...
That was sooooo romantic!
Ah Rarity wake up you sewed my tail to a dress.....
9072876
Easy there Glaz, it's just some minor:
9072787
Earth pony.
9072791
Careful, I'm going to give half my readers concussions at this rate.
9072810
Not even AJ, apparently.
9072819
9072876
Right, thanks for catching that goof.
9072787
unicorn
Amazing story, and filled with updates and tugging at my heart constantly. If you need some sketch art send me a PM and I'll hook you up.
9072957
I'm glad you're enjoying it, and he's actually an earth pony. Granted, I think I only say so once or twice at the beginning, so it's easy to mix that up. Unfortunately, commissioning artwork isn't really in my budget right now, but I'll let you know if that ever changes.
9073043
Its free, consider it a thank you for bringing in this great story to life.
Really hope AJ mares up and askes him, though i'm pretty sure he might not fully understand even if she did.
I have the strangest assumption that Applejack is almost as clueless as Sketchy in some ways.
Either that or this story is about Applejack learning that one must tell themselves the truth as well as tell others.
You know...at first I found it strange that Rarity would be the one to be binding in AJs room.
But then it was all made clear...
Rarity is living her romantic dream vicariously through AJ.
Oh I think a couple words could come to mind
9077154
and were resurrected by a necromancer to further punish you by entertainment
>:-)
But does he want you?