“Thank goodness that’s over!” Rarity giggled and tossed back her purple mane, getting rid of the cowboy hat she had been wearing and hoping a few good tosses would get her straightened hair back to its original curl. Dressing as a country bumpkin simply to try and win the affections of Trenderhoof had not been her most brilliant idea, as Applejack, or rather Apple Jewel had shown her.
The filly in concern nodded her perfectly-coiffed and decorated mane in amusing contrast. “If you don’t mind, I hope we never have to switch places like this again.” She reached up a hoof and undid the updo, her hair cascading back to its normal loose style, and grabbed the hat Rarity had tossed away to plop it on her own head. Now they looked much better. Of course, Applejack was still in an evening gown, Rarity was still in overalls, and they were both still covered in mud, but… well, that would be rectified in time.
“Oh, I don’t mind at all, darling,” the white mare grinned. “This is an experience I’d just as soon forget. I’m glad Trenderhoof is gone and thinking about our advice before the party tonight. Then we’ll all be back to normal.” She thought of something and bit her lip. “And I’m sorry I accused you of trying to steal him from me. I wasn’t being a good friend at all.”
“Oh, that’s all right.” Applejack stared at her friend for a moment, thinking about Rarity’s words, and trying again to voice what she’d tried to explain to Trenderhoof a few moments ago and had been thankfully saved from doing by her friend’s quick thinking. “Rarity, there’s, uh… somethin’ I think you oughtta know.”
“Oh?” Rarity swiped a bit of mud off her overalls with a hoof before meeting Applejack’s eyes. “What is it, darling?”
“It’s just, uh…” She pulled down the brim of the poorly-made straw hat a little bit to try and hide her blush. She’d never exactly spelled this out to anyone before, but Rarity was… well, they’d had a unique sort of relationship for a long time now. Ever since they’d met their friendship had been different from others since they had so little in common, but they’d gotten even closer after that sleepover party Twilight had thrown some years back. They had a special kind of rapport together that… well, Applejack didn’t really have with any of the other Mane Six, as the Elements of Harmony led by Princess Twilight Sparkle had begun to call themselves recently. She loved all her friends deeply, of course, but Rarity was… special. “Well, ever since I was a young filly I found that I… well, compared to other mares I never had quite the same interest in, um… colts.”
“Oh!” Rarity blinked and blushed a little herself, but that quickly gave way to an understanding smile. “I did have a feeling.”
“That is, I mean I tried my best, you know,” Applejack sort of stammered, still feeling rather embarrassed but grateful that Rarity understood. “It’s not like I’d been on much of a search for romance anyway bein’ so busy on the farm and all, and I did have a few little crushes on colts as a filly but nothin’ real serious. I think I might’ve forced it a bit because it seemed like the norm and all.”
“I understand,” Rarity sympathized, watching Applejack carefully. It was hard to admit, but these past couple of days she’d been jealous twofold. Of course on all the attention Trenderhoof was giving to Applejack instead of her, but also… because it was Applejack. Of all the Mane Six he could have developed a crush on, why did it have to be the orange-yellow farm pony? Rarity had watched them together and found she was jealous of both of them and it was something she couldn’t hide from. And… she was more relieved now that Applejack wasn’t interested in Trenderhoof than that Trenderhoof had given up on Applejack. It was strange how quickly things had changed. She didn’t miss the stallion that had just headed from the farm back to Ponyville at all but she couldn’t stop staring at Applejack. “I think…” she finally said, choosing her words as carefully as possible, “that none of us are really completely one way or another, you know. That is, most of us are one way in practice but we can all see a certain amount of attractivity in the same sex. And as a designer and fashionista myself, my career almost depends on it. So I think I might understand more than most mares what you… mean.” She flushed with embarrassment.
Applejack peeked an eye out from under the brim of her hat, smiling a little. “Thanks, Rarity. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve admitted this to another pony, at least directly.”
“Me too, a little,” she grinned. “Besides, I think any mare would be lucky to have you. Even I, for example-” Rarity stopped and squeaked a little. She had not meant to say that last part but it just sort of had… slipped out. “I mean, um… that is…”
“Uh…” Applejack was as bright red as her friend. Had Rarity really just said that? “I… you… that is…”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” Rarity looked worried and sheepish.
“Me neither,” Applejack shook her head vigorously, but then hesitated. “Do you… do you think it would?”
“I… I don’t know.” Rarity could hardly believe this conversation. One moment they had both been fighting over Trenderhoof - well, sort of - and now they had just essentially admitted to having crushes on each other and were talking about it like it was just their normal state. But really, she thought, they had both known about this for a long time. At least since that sleepover at Twilight’s or even maybe since they’d first met. They were so close. They made sense as a pair. As a team. They complemented each other.
“So what should we do?”
“Maybe…” Rarity took a shy step closer to Applejack, who flushed an adorably awkward shade of red but did not back away. “I don’t know. Not rush things, but see how they progress… naturally?” she ended on a little bit of a squeak again, but didn’t especially mind. “I don’t think we can deny these feelings. Not anymore.”
“I know,” Applejack murmured, leaning a little closer to Rarity, but not too close. Not touching. Just so she could get a whiff of that frou-frou perfume her friend always wore, but that she loved, and could smell even underneath the ridiculous “country” outfit and mud the white mare was wearing.
To Rarity, Applejack’s scent was like fresh grass, and apples of course. Like nature. Something she had spent most of her life admiring from afar but not wanting to touch. Now, though, she was covered in mud. Perhaps it meant something. “Let’s take it slow then. See what progresses. After all, we get along so well already, not much has to change at a time for us to still feel close to each other.”
“I feel the same way,” Applejack smiled, her heart fluttering a mile a minute. She had found some romance after all, and though she hesitated to admit it, she was pretty sure it was with the pony of her dreams. And she didn’t mind at all taking it slow. Real, meaningful things were done slowly and with careful thought anyway. “Simple Ways” had been Rarity’s theme for the Ponyville Days Celebration tonight, though that was changing back to “Small Town Chic” now, thank goodness. Yet, simple was still the way Applejack liked things, and their relationship had always felt that way to her. Not simple in a bad way, just more… natural. Like breathing. Of course, Rarity being Rarity, there was some not-so-simple drama from time to time. But that was all right. Relationships were about give and take. And Applejack wanted to do both.
“I’m glad we agree,” Rarity smiled back. “Then… er, well, we should probably go our separate ways for now and get ready for the party tonight.” A sudden thought occurred to her and her eyes went wide. “Applejack?”
“Uh… yes?” Applejack was only a bit taken aback by her new – girlfriend’s? - sudden earnestness.
“How would you feel about joining me at the Ponyville Day Spa? After all, we need to get cleaned up anyway, why not enjoy some relaxing hooficures and other treatments while we’re at it?”
The farm pony grinned at the suggestion. “That’s not a bad idea. I could use a nice steam. So, it’s uh… a date then?”
“I think so.” The more they talked the more natural Rarity felt about this whole thing. It was easy to fall into a casual dating relationship with Applejack. And maybe eventually something more. “Perhaps we should do a weekly spa date! Fluttershy and I used to do that before she got so much busier with her animals these past couple of years, so now we don’t do so quite as often. And with you and I it will be even more special because we’re… well, you know.” She felt herself blush just a little.
“Right,” Applejack blushed as well. “Do you think we should tell the girls?”
“Oh, that…” Rarity pondered for a moment and then shook her head. “Not yet. Not while we’re just… well, I’d say experimenting but that makes it sound like we’re a bit too far down the road.”
Applejack felt her blush deepen and pulled the brim of her hat down again. “Yeah. But I get what you mean. We’ll tell the others when the time is right.”
“Whenever that may be,” Rarity agreed. “Well, shall we go then, Darling? I’ll need hours at the spa to fix this mess I’ve made of myself.”
The other mare chucked and revealed her face again, stepping up so she was walking side-by-side with her crush, noting the different tone that “Darling” had held over Rarity’s usual “darling”. “I don’t think I’ll need half as much time, Sugar Cube, but I’ll be glad to keep you company.”
Rarity grinned and nuzzled up against her briefly, in a move that could have been just “friendly” had they not just made those confessions to each other. The spa itself was completely relaxing for both mares and they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company even though Rarity spent more bits than Applejack could count getting herself back into shape for “Small Town Chic”.
The Ponyville Days Celebration and Fashion Show went perfectly that night, and while Trenderhoof set his charms on Granny Smith, Applejack and Rarity took the opportunity to dance with each other. Of course, it was only briefly and not too intimately at this point, but both hoped it would start them down the path of much more wonderful things to come.