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Chapter 1: Busy, busy, busy3,148 words
Chapter 2: Apple Crumble3,382 words
Chapter 3: The Evergreen Park3,529 words
Chapter 4: Perspective2,252 words
Chapter 5: Closer2,539 words

Chapter 1: Busy, busy, busy

It was a chilly day in the small town of Ponyville, signaling the end of Autumn. Everypony would miss things like The Running of The Leaves and Nightmare Night, but they couldn’t wait for Hearth’s Warming Eve and Winter Wrap-Up. There weren’t many ponies outside. On a day like this, it was perfectly fine for them to be curled up inside by the fire with hot cocoa instead. Some of these ponies included Carousel Boutique’s owner, Rarity, and her younger sister, Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle was off entertaining herself by playing dress-up with Opal. Celestia knows how that little filly could tame such a beast. Rarity simply sat in the living room on her long, velvet red couch with the latest book from her favorite author, Q.T. Inkwell, and a steaming mug of Trottingham-imported tea. She was very content when she turned the page, finding herself immersed into the story.

“How in Equestria could you do this to me?! Everything I have ever done was for you, always for you. And you repay me with this?” Nightshade looked up at his wife with tear-stricken eyes. His lilac irises flashed with anger and raw emotion. He pointed at her rounding belly with an accusing hoof. Emerald Gust could not bear to look at him. She had never wanted him to hurt like this. She should not have given into the temptations of Orion. But how could she not? He was so much different from Nightshade. With his long, azure mane, his cyan eyes, his comfortable lifestyle, his manners..but it was always Nightshade, with his course indigo mane, his laugh, his long hours at night at the factory, and his seemingly-cold demeanor that truly made her happy.

“My sweet, do allow me to expla-” She was abruptly cut off.

“Whatever your so-called 'explanation’ is, I do NOT wish to hear it. You said that you did not want any foals! And yet, you let somepony have his way with you, and leave you bearing a child? You are a fool if you think I shall tolerate this!” In his rage, he ripped the chain of the necklace around his throat and threw it to the ground, the ring attached to it falling with a resounding clank. “I am DONE, you hear me, Emerald? DONE!” He began galloping away. But she could not lose him. Of all ponies, not him! She ran after him, causing him to quicken his pace. The streets gave way to twigs and grass under their hooves.

“Darling, please!” She was going as fast as she could, and he was running with his eyes closed. They were in the Monarch Woods now, which ended in a cliff that fell a steep fifty feet to the ocean. You could see the remnants of carts and unlucky ponies on the rocks. And they were nearing it now as the path narrowed. She shouted out to him as loud as she could, begging him to stop, and then-

Rarity was snapped out of her trance by a knock at the door. She sighed, marked her page, and rose. She walked up to the door and opened it with her magic. There stood one of Ponyville’s many mailponies, Post Haste. His usually long and curly dark brown mane was now cut very short, and he wore a happy grin on his face.

“Afternoon, ma’am! I’ve got a letter for you.” He reached into the satchel at his side, pulled out an envelope, and hoofed it over to her. She took it in her light blue magic, and nodded at him.

“Thank you, darling. Have a lovely day.” She said.

“You too, ma’am!” He then trotted away, off to deliver to the rest of his route.

Rarity walked back into the living room, pushing her book and her tea aside. She placed the letter down on the table and was shocked at the name she saw. Fancy Pants? He was one of the wealthiest ponies in Canterlot! She began to open and read the letter, but began to frown. It seemed that he wanted a fashion show to be arranged as a Hearth’s Warming gift for his wife, Fleur-de-Lis. He wanted all of the clothing (at least twenty outfits for the models to wear and twenty more of the same ones for Fleur) and arrangements done by Hearth’s Warming Eve. Her head was reeling with all the work to be done, but then she thought about the pay. He promised nothing less than 50 K bits.

“Fi-fifty thousand..” She then proceeded to faint.

When she came to, Sweetie Belle was looking down at her with worrisome green eyes.

“Rarity, are you oka-”

“Heavens! How I am ever going to finish everything by the deadline?! I better go get the others to help!” She jumped up, and ran to the door, grabbing her coat with her magic on the way out. Sweetie Belle could just make out, ‘DINNER IS IN THE FRIDGE!’ as she closed the door shut. The little filly rolled her eyes.

“Sisters..” she mumbled as she went up to her room.

Rarity was trotting through the streets like her tail was on fire. The sounds of her hooves hitting the pavement echoed throughout the near-empty town square. The building that she was heading for was in her sights now, in all of its towering, delicious glory. Sugarcube Corner. If there was one mare with enough energy to help her ten times over, it was Pinkie Pie. She stopped at the door, now out of breath. After a moment of composing herself and making sure that her mane was presentable, she walked in.

Business was doing amazingly well today. Many ponies of all ages were sitting at tables and in booths, enjoy hot chocolate, sweets, and the company of others. Rarity looked around, thinking of the delicious taste of a cup of mint hot chocolate with extra marshmallows, and realized that the pink pony she was looking for was nowhere in sight. She rang the tiny silver bell on the counter and waited.

“You called?” Said a high pitched voice behind her. She turned around and wasn’t startled in the least by the fact that Pinkie was hanging from the ceiling upside down. She had grown accustomed to it.

“Yes, darling. I was hoping that you could help me with some designs. You see, I have a large order to fill. Have you got the time?” Pinkie's smile tuned down only slightly.

“Aw gee, I’m really sorry Rarity! The Cakes are super duper busy this time of year, and they can’t really afford to give me any time off. Sorry again. Hey! Do you want me to throw you an awesome I’m-Really-Sorry-That-I-Couldn’t-Help-You-Out Party? Oh drat, that would take up too much time! I’ll get working on it as soon as I can though! See ya!” And with that, the mystical mare disappeared out of sight. Rarity sighed as she walk out.

“Well, maybe the others will be available.” She tried to stay positive.

“Sorry Rarity, I’m heading out of town to help Princess Celestia with some of my studies on winter here in Ponyville. She may be trying out Winter Wrap-Up in Canterlot this year! Isn’t that exciting?”

“Aw man, I’m real sorry, Rar’, but I’m all tied up at the weather factory. We’ve gotta make a HUGE load of snow. The weather is gonna be at least twenty percent cooler in the next few days.”

“O-oh.. my. I really wish I could help out, but I’ve got to help the bears with hibernation plans, and get the birds ready to fly south for the winter..”

They all meant the same thing to Rarity. Her other three friends were busy. She sighed as she approached her last stop, cringing at how dirty her hooves were getting from the dirt road. A wooden sign hung proudly at the entrance, stating ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ in grand red paint. She knew that Applejack wasn’t really into anything to do with fashion, but she was desperate at this point. The farm looked desolate, but the fashionista could hear the thud of some sort of impact, which she knew to be apple-bucking. Her friend wasn’t too far away.

In the West Orchard, a southern mare with blonde hair, an orange coat, and an old brown Stetson on her head sent a swift kick of her hind legs to the trunk of a towering apple tree. Beautifully plump honey crisp apples fell into the containers below, a few of them falling out of reach of their targets. She picked them up, and tossed them into the cart. It was nice and chill out, with wind whipping at her mane and tail; AJ’s kind of weather.

“Well, I reckon today’s harvest was mighty fine! Ought to be time to head in.” The sun was setting, though it was barely visible behind the clouds. She put all of the remaining apples into the cart, along with the buckets, and attached the saddle onto her waist. She trotted happily, satisfied with a job well done for the day. She decided to sing a bit, which she often did as she worked. She closed her eyes as the words escaped her mouth.

“It’s cold outside, and still getting colder.

We’re both still young, but we’re getting older.

I wonder if she sees when I look at her,

so lov-ing-ly, and I wonder if she knows,

that I’ll shelter her from the cold.”

In her memories, she could hear the chords of her father’s guitar strumming along to the rhythm. She could practically feel her tiny hooves running against the strings on his lap. She smiled and opened her eyes, stopping dead in her tracks. Standing right there was Rarity, looking up at her in awe. She could feel her face heating up like a pot of freshly-brewed cider.

“Why Applejack.. I had no idea that you could sing so beautifully! If you weren’t so good at working the farm, I daresay that you would’ve been excellent in the music business!”

“Why shucks, Rar. T’ain’t nothing. Now what brings you to my neck o’ the woods?”

“Well, first, are you going to be busy for the next few weeks?” Applejack brought a hoof to her chin, thinking of anything that might come up.

“Nothin’ as far as I know. Why do you ask?” She inquired.

“Well, everypony else seems to be a bit busy, and I really do need as much help as I can to get to work on this order. I was wondering if maybe you could help me in coming up with a few designs, maybe even a bit of modeling?”

“Well, I don’t know much about designing or modeling, but I’d be right happy helping you out, Rar!” The farmpony gave a genuine smile to her friend. Rarity jumped up in triumph, shouting out a single word:

“YESSSSSSSS!”

Soon after, Rarity began to walk Applejack back to her home, the skies growing darker. It was getting quite chilly, causing her to shiver a bit. This however did not go unnoticed by her orange coated friend, who walked a bit closer to her. Rarity blushed a bit at the heat of Applejack’s body against hers, but she said nothing. Once the pair arrived at their destination and stepped inside, Rarity noticed just how dirty Applejack was. Her blonde mane was messy and entangled with twigs and leaves, her hooves had dirt and mud all over them, and her coat was full of grass stains.

“Oh no, no, no, my dear! This simply will not do!” Applejack looked at her with a questioning expression on her face. “Applejack, pardon me saying this, but you’re a bit er, filthy.”

“Aw, that’s what all the fuss is about? Shoot, I’ve been a might worse than this in my days.”

“I shan’t have it! I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected!” Without another word, she levitated a highly confused Applejack up into the air, and led her up the stairs, around the corner, and inside of a room. When the light turned on, AJ could see that it was a large-scale bathroom. The tub was massive, with jacuzzi settings installed into it. All around, she could see various bottles and sprays and all kinds of brushes and sponges. It was all new to her, considering she was more of a bar of soap and towel kind of mare.

Rarity placed her down, and began to turn the knobs of the bathtub. Semi-hot water began to rapidly fill up the space. Rarity got some red containers, and started to pour the contents of a few into the water. Light pink fluid that resembled glue to Applejack fell in, forming globs of the stuff at the bottom. Salt of the same color was tossed inside.

“Uh, Rarity? Pray tell, what in the sam heck are you do-” The strong smell of apples and cinnamon was enough to shut her up. She inhaled the aroma happily, suddenly feeling extremely calm.

“You, missy, are going to take a bath. I refuse to allow you to get any of my fabrics, or my shop, messy.”

“Beg your pardon sugarcube, but it’s a bit of a mess in the first place.”

“Oh, hush. It’s not a mess. It’s organized chaos. Now, go on. Get in.”

Applejack hadn’t noticed that Rarity had turned off the water. She took off her hat, undid her ponytails,and tried not to look nervous as she stepped in the tub. She felt herself melt in the relaxing feeling of being fully encased in water. She usually showered. It felt like all of the stress and troubles of the day had been washed away, and her usual soreness was gone. She wondered how come this never happened with her at home. Looking over at the bottles Rarity had used, she caught sight of one of the labels. ‘The Working Mare’s Solace: Great For Aches And Pains!’ 'Well shucks. That was a might considerate of her.’ Applejack thought to herself.

She looked around for one of those fancy-schmancy sponges, and found one. She grabbed it, and began to lather it up with some body wash. Once she got it all soapy, she started to scrub all of the dirt and grime off her, making her coat shine and glisten. Cleanliness is next to Celstianess, after all.

Rarity on the other hoof was in a slight trance. She couldn’t help but to notice the way the other mare’s long blonde mane cascaded down her back, or how beads of water dripped down her sleek coat like it was rolling off a diamond. Her friend was quite lovely, even if her rugged exterior didn’t show it very well.

“So Applejack,” she started, “where did you learn to sing like that?”

“Well, I can’t very well answer that. It comes naturally, I guess. My Ma’ had a nice voice. She used to sing Big Mac and I to sleep when we were just youngin’s.” Rarity was a bit intrigued. Applejack seldom spoke of her parents. She decided against investigating further.

After another few minutes of soaking, AJ finally decided it was about time for her to step out. She dried herself off with a towel, and got back to normal. She had to admit, she look a might spiffy. Maybe she’d go out and buy some of that frou-frou stuff that Rarity had.

The pair walked back downstairs, where Rarity started to take measurements of AJ’s body. Measuring tape and sketch papers and pencils flew all around the room as Rarity checked the length and circumference of all of the mare’s legs, her neck, her torso, and her head. It was all a very long and tiring process. By the time she was finally finished, it was half past eleven.

“Well, I best head home, I s’pose.”

“Oh don’t you even dare. I refuse to have my friend walk home at such a late hour. You can spend the night with me, darling! I have a vacant guest room that I’ve been simply dying to put to use.”

“Are you sure ‘bout that? I mean, I don’t wanna impose or nothin’.”

“It is of no imposition, my dear! None at all.” So, it was settled. The Element of Generosity lived up to her name very well.

Applejack awoke with a start. It felt odd to her, how soft this bed was. She was used to her old spring bed back on the farm. It was cold, and she tried her best to get warm under the thick blankets, but to no avail. She decided to start thinking for a moment. How come she started feel weird around Rarity like that? It felt like a bunch of leaves were shoved in her hat. And she knew just how that felt, due to Big Mac pranking her once April Foal's Day. It felt out of place. She couldn't stand this cold bed any longer, and she got up, navigating herself around the small but beautiful house.

It was now the middle of the night, around 2 AM, and Rarity found herself still awake. Her mind was racing with all of the things that had to be done. And more importantly, of the odd fluttering feeling in her stomach when she though of Applejack. It was strange and new to her, and she was confused. She groaned, and turned over on her side, demanding her body to sleep. She closed her eyes. Not long after, she hear a few hoof-steps approaching her bed. She thought it was Sweetie Belle, who often snuck in at night after a nightmare or something of the like. But it wasn’t until she felt strong, shaking hooves slide across her body and a body frame that was larger than hers lay next to her did she know that she was wrong. The realization hit her.

This was Applejack. Applejack was holding her like she had never been held before, probably assuming the she was asleep. She didn’t mind it at all, thinking that it was all simply a dream. So, she turned around and snuggled closer to the stronger mare’s chest. Being lulled to sleep by the scent of apples.

(A/N: Very happy to be writing again! I'll try to make updates at least every 2-3 days if I can! I need a proof-reader or two as well. Anyone who is willing, please comment below or message me! Thank you!)

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Garbo

Garbo #1 · Nov 8th, 2012 · · ·

This is very well done, and I'm glad I took the time to read this. Good job.
Also, I can preread for you if you want.

Black Ptera

Black Ptera #2 · Nov 8th, 2012 · · ·

I like it so far, but it seems their feelings for each other sprang up out of the blue at the end there.

Kail

Kail #3 · Nov 8th, 2012 · · ·

Looks like some quality RariJack here. I'ma keep an eye on this.

Merc the Jerk

Merc the Jerk #4 · Nov 8th, 2012 · · ·

It's decent, but thanks to the picture, I was expecting a humanized fic.

Appleshine

Appleshine #5 · Nov 8th, 2012 · · ·

Y'know, for a moment there I forgot that I was reading about Applejack and Rarity. That book Rarity was reading in the beginning was quite enthralling; I must find out what happens to Nightshade and Emerald Gust!

Anyways though, looking good so far, I find myself rather excited to read the updates.

The Incredible Werekitty