Made and Unmade Challenge
A Dress
“I cannot believe you chose to wear that dress, Applejack!”
In a carriage of the train back to Ponyville, Rarity was upset again. To Applejack it just seemed like another ridiculous pseudo-problem that ponies who had real issues would never get upset over.
“An’ I don’t see what’s the problem - this dress was mah mother’s! Are you sayin’ my mother’s dress ain’t good enough for a fancy Fillydelphia weddin’?!”
Applejack was still wearing the dress in question. It was true that if Rarity was pressed in any other situation, she would have thought it was a little shabby and old fashioned - the cut went out of fashion more than two decades ago, and Rarity’s keen eye could spot places where the lace had come away slightly, or a seam was stretching. Even the red ribbon that complimented Applejack’s color palette beautifully was in need of replacement.
But Rarity held her tongue on those matters, which were embarrassing, but not the social faux pas she was upset about.
The real issue was the dress’ color - because Applejack had turned up to the wedding wearing white.
“No, no, of course I’m not saying that, darling! What I am saying is it is highly inappropriate for anypony but the bride to wear white at a wedding! It’s practically unheard of…” Rarity looked anxious. “Even now I’m sure ponies are talking about it! Applejack, don’t you understand? You’ve embarrassed me in front of dozens of potential clients!”
Applejack’s cheeks flushed and she frowned. It hurt to hear Rarity say that about her. She often felt like the unicorn saw her as a burden, as less than her because she was ‘just’ an apple farmer. She felt proud of being an earth pony most of the time, but around Rarity’s snooty unicorn friends she felt completely out of place, as if she were going to be the butt of every joke the moment she left the room.
“Well gee, I’m sorry ah’m such an EMBARRASSMENT to you, Rarity! Ah guess I’m jus’ too stupid to have any idea how t’act around your high-falutin’, stuck-up friends!”
“I didn’t SAY that, Applejack! You’re being unreasonable!”
“Unreasonable! Unreasonable? Ya call ME unreasonable, when you’re th’one throwin’ a hissy fit over a gosh-darn dress!”
“It’s not about that! Why can’t you ever LISTEN, Applejack!”
The argument raged on. Like it always did. Somehow, Applejack always put her hoof in it around Rarity. It made her feel stupid. It made her feel unloved, like Rarity cared more about what high society thought than how her marefriend felt. Worse, it made things she’d always been proud of feel like something to be ashamed of - her heritage, her practical nature, even her cooking felt like it was being held up against the standards of fancy ponies from Canterlot and Fillydelphia, and judged unworthy.
Why did Rarity have to care so much about such nonsensical things? Couldn’t she see that Applejack was hurting? Did she just not care?
Meanwhile, Rarity was incensed that, yet again, Applejack completely failed to have any consideration for what mattered to /her/. She had a business to run! She needed clients - did Applejack really care so little for her marefriend that she would just do whatever she wanted, damn the consequences? It was always so frustrating, having to remind Applejack over and over of certain social mores, whispering frantically in her ear that she was using the wrong spoon, or the wrong form of address for some Duke or other.
They were both tired, but where Rarity almost enjoyed the drama that came with the two strong-willed mares clashing, Applejack hated it. She was so tired. And love… love was supposed to be easy, wasn’t it?
It wasn’t easy with Rarity. It hadn’t been easy for a long time. It was the hardest thing AJ had ever done, and she didn’t know if she was ever happy with it any more.
“-nd if you think for one second that I am going to-”
“Stop,” Applejack said simply, lifting a hoof. The anger was gone from her face, drained away and leaving nothing but simple, honest sadness, without rage to cover it. Rarity stiffened instantly, recognizing the shift in mood.
“Whatever for? I- I… I wanted to discuss this further, Applejack,” she tried, but it was obvious that she was stalling. Applejack shook her head.
“Rarity, we both know we’ve been arguin’ every day almost since we got together. An’ I’m … I’m worn out, Rares. Ain’t you?”
“...I, I suppose I am a little tired. Oh, but Applejack! We just have to work a little harder, that’s all!” Rarity’s voice took on a pleading edge, and Applejack had to look away so she didn’t see the tears in the other mare’s eyes. If she did, she might not have been able to say what needed to be said.
“Rarity, you’re one of the most hardworkin’ ponies ah know. And I know ah’ve been trying my hardest too, to make this work. But ah think all that’s ended up happenin’ is we’re both tryin’ to be ponies we’re not, to please somepony else,” she swallowed, holding back tears herself. “I reckon it takes more than hard work an’ love to make a relationship work. Some ponies just… ain’t meant to be together.”
Rarity sniffled.
“And that’s how you think of us, Applejack?” Rarity blinked rapidly, not trying to flutter her eyelashes, but just trying to clear her big, blue eyes of tears. “We’re not… meant to be?”
Applejack nodded, because she couldn’t talk now without crying. Rarity cried for her - not the dramatic, wailing sobs she usually indulged in, but silently, tears that had been brimming in her eyes began to slide down her cheeks, bringing a trail of mascara with her.
“I… I wanted to think, that us being so different… It would only make things better. It seemed like a romantic fairy tale - the farmer and the dressmaker,” Rarity sniffed again, tipping her head back to try and stop more tears from running. “Foalish, isn’t it?”
“Aw, Rarity,” Applejack gave a sad smile, cupping the unicorn’s chin as she looked at her. “That’s real sweet. But you and I ain’t just different on the outside…”
“...We’re different where it counts. Inside. The things we want. And, and I don’t understand you, Applejack! I’ve tried not to admit it, but it’s true - I feel so selfish saying this but sometimes I, I just wish you appreciated the same things I do!”
“And Ah’ve wished time an’ time again that you understood what matters t’me better, but y’don’t. Ya can’t,” Applejack shrugged, pulling Rarity closer into a hug, stroking the purple unicorn’s mane fondly, as if it was the last time she might ever get to do so. Because it was. “An’ if you did, then you wouldn’t be the mare I fell in love with. You wouldn’t be Rarity - jus’ somepony who looked a lot like her.”
“A-and if you were the kind of pony who was interested in going to fancy dinners and cared about social climbing, you wouldn’t be my Applejack, would you?” Rarity whispered sadly, before reluctantly pulling away, looking AJ deep in the eyes. The earth pony blushed, like always, but she didn’t look away.
“I think about the only thing we really have in common, Applejack, is that we’re both incredibly stubborn mares, aren’t we?” Rarity cracked a small smile through her tears.
“I reckon maybe you’re right, sugarcube,” Applejack responded, her own smile a wavery mirror of Rarity’s.
They were silent, for a while longer. Rarity reached out to hold Applejack’s hoof, and the orange mare didn’t pull away, squeezing it back lightly. They both knew it was a comforting gesture, and nothing more. This hurt them both. But there was no question that they couldn’t put that genie back in the bottle - they couldn’t go back and pretend they’d left these things unsaid.
“So… whut happens now?” Applejack finally asked.
“We go back to Ponyville, together. We tell our friends we decided… mutually… to end our relationship,” Rarity said, slowly. “Then we endure the fawning and sympathy from them all, individually and as a group… And then… Then, we go back to being just friends.”
Applejack managed the most genuine smile she’d been able to since this evening began. “Jus’ friends? Shoot, Rares. Right now, bein’ your friend sounds like the best thing ah ever heard.”
“You’re right,” Rarity replied. “Being your friend is an, an honour, even if we’re not romantically involved. And hopefully this way, there are happier days ahead.”
“Ah’m sure there are, sugarcube. Ah’m sure there are.”
With that, their conversation died down again, for the final time, two ponies headed towards ponyville, standing right next to one another, but no longer Together. Each knowing that once they were home, they’d have to face everything this meant, and grieve without the other there. But for now it was okay to sit side by side, sharing the pain, and the lonely silence, knowing at least one other mare was going through it too.
Rarity and Applejack were partners in this, united at last, even if they would never be marefriends again.