The grip on Applejack’s hand tightened. All was quiet at the pond. They were settled on Rarity’s favorite rock, Applejack holding one hand and Sweetie holding the other. Fluttershy and Rainbow had their heads together, muttering as they worked to remove the brace from Rarity’s tail. It came off easily enough, and soon the old injury was visible for all to see. The scales were growing in, but not enough to hide the long, jagged scar caused by the surgery.
Though she was free from the restrictive device, Rarity didn’t move at all. She stared at the scar with wide eyes, taking long, deep breaths. Sweetie leaned over to whisper encouraging words in their native language. Applejack rubbed her back reassuringly, carefully avoiding the gills. Fluttershy took out her X-ray camera and began taking photos around the injury from different angles as Rainbow held the tail in place, just in case. They’d been through this routine more than a dozen times already, but today it felt more ominous.
Applejack’s heart fluttered in her chest. So many things rode on what was about to be discovered. What if the injury hadn’t healed properly? What if Rarity was crippled forever? “Shy?”
Fluttershy lowered the camera from her face, appearing uncertain. “It looks okay. But with only the bone structure to go by, I have no way to know if the rest of her healed up properly.”
Rainbow slowly relaxed her grip before stepping back completey. “Well, I guess the only way to know for sure is to let her try, right?”
After some lip chewing, Fluttershy nodded. “You brought everything?”
“All the medical supplies, yep.” Rainbow waved a hand at the nearby shoreline, where lay a large bag filled with everything they might need for an emergency. “I doubt we’re going to get more ready than we already are.”
“O-okay.” Fluttershy closed her eyes, exhaled slowly, opened them again. She turned to the others. “Rarity? Whenever you’re ready.”
Rarity gave Applejack’s hand another tight squeeze, her eyes locked on her tail. It moved, and she flinched with both eyes closed. Applejack’s heart climbed into her throat at the jerk, and she noted Fluttershy go pale. Then Rarity peeked at the tail with a lone eye. She moved it a little more, just a shift. Carefully, she bent it into a sleek curve. Her eyes lit up as the tail swayed more and more, gradually picking up speed.
Fluttershy watched it with intense focus. “H-how does it feel? Any pain at all?”
“Sore. And… word…” She frowned, the tail slowing. “Sht… Oh, stiff! Stiff.”
“Muscles haven’t been worked in a while,” Rainbow said with the confidence of experience. “That’s normal. Just needs to be used.”
It didn’t look stiff to Applejack, who watched the tail’s undulating motions. Her dread gradually faded, and she grinned. “It worked. Holy wow, it worked! Shy, Rainbow, you two are amazing.”
“Wrong A-word, AJ.” Rainbow sat up straight and thumped her chest with a smug grin. “But yeah, I totally am.”
“You really feel better?” Fluttershy asked, tone laced with concern. “Nothing strange or… or pained?”
Rather than answer, Rarity giggled and pushed against Applejack’s back. The motion slid her along the rock, and she tumbled upside-down into the pond with a loud splash that threw water all over Applejack and Sweetie.
“Oh my goodness, she shouldn’t—!”
Fluttershy’s quiet alarm was drowned out by Rainbow’s boisterous laughter. “Yeah, finally, I’ll get to see what an adult mermaid can do!”
Applejack sputtered and thrust her bangs out of her face. By the time she’d turned around, Sweetie had already slipped beneath the pond’s surface after her elder. On hands and knees, she stared into the water, but there was no sign of Rarity. A jolt ran through at a horrid thought: Has she already…
With a mighty splash, Rarity breached the water from the deepest area of the pond, ascending several feet and laughing the whole way. She was gone just as quickly, but not ten seconds later she shot up again, this time with Sweetie at her side. Applejack sat up on her knees, watching as the two mermaids frolicked about beneath the waters, spinning and swirling and circling like children at play. Which, she realized, might not be too far from the truth. A pleasant warmth rose up in her chest as the pair breached together once more, water droplets shimmering in the sunlight and producing a scattered rainbow.
“She really should be taking it slow,” Fluttershy muttered, though without any conviction.
“Oh, relax, Shy. Let her enjoy her freedom. Speaking of…” Rainbow, now down to shorts and a sports bra, darted past Applejack, leaping into the water with a cheer. The mermaids welcomed her into their play, circling her before initiating an impromptu game of tag. Applejack grinned from ear to ear as her friend pursued them.
Fluttershy settled at her side, heaving a long sigh. “I guess it worked. Thank goodness. I never would have forgiven myself if… if…”
“You had nothing to worry about.” Applejack set a hand to her friend’s shoulder, channeling the warmth within into her smile. “You’re a born healer, Shy. I’m mighty proud of what you’ve done here.”
Pink bloomed in Fluttershy’s cheeks. She smiled in her timid way, twisting her hair between her fingers. “It was nothing.”
“To Rarity and Sweetie? It was everything.” Applejack pulled the girl into a one-armed hug. “You did good, sugarcube.”
They spent some time watching Rainbow and the mermaids swim. Applejack thought of what this meant. And of what little time they had left. In a week, school would resume. In less than that, Rarity and Sweetie would be gone. That didn’t weigh as heavily on her heart as it used to, but it still had a bit of heft. How hard would this all have been if…
“I don’t think I ever thanked you properly,” she muttered. “If you and Rainbow hadn’t gotten in my way that day, I might be taking this moment very differently. Poorly, I bet.”
Fluttershy glanced at her. She smiled. “It’s just what friends do. I think you’d have done the same for me.”
“Hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I think I would.”
Another moment of quiet, broken only by mutual laughter when Rainbow found herself being dragged across the pond’s surface by a leg held by each mermaid, flailing and sputtering. She came up under the cliff and waved to her friends. “You girls gotta try this! Rarity is crazy fast, she makes Sweetie look slow!” That comment was rewarded with a tail-induced splash from the younger mermaid. Undaunted, Rainbow called, “And that’s with her tail all stiff!” She was pulled under a second later.
In the momentary quiet, Fluttershy turned to Applejack. “Do you still want her to stay?”
Applejack fought back the grimace before it could fully form. “Yeah, I do. I want it a lot.” Ignoring the playful shouts of her friends in the pond, she kept her eyes on Rarity’s ever-moving form beneath the water’s surface. “But… y’know? I think it’s about time I grew up. I’ll miss her. Both of them. But I’m starting to understand that sometimes it’s better to move on.” She frowned and looked to Fluttershy. “It’s gonna hurt, though. Already does. Ain’t no hiding that.”
Fluttershy’s smile returned, and there was something odd about it. Applejack had never seen her smile quite like that. Was it… pride? “Then I’m proud of you, too. And I promise, Rainbow and I will be there for you whenever the hurt gets to be too much.” She glanced at the water, then scooted away. “I can’t promise anything about mermaid attacks, though.”
Applejack blinked at her friend’s pleasant face. “Mermaid attacks? What are you—?”
A loud splash was her only warning. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, and she had just enough time to realize they were Rarity’s before the mermaid’s weight pulled her face-first into the pond.
Ten Years Later
The sky was a brilliant blue and cloudless. Applejack stared up at it from under the old stetson with its black stain, one hand absent-mindedly rubbing her swollen belly. This year would be different, but a good different. Her eyes went to the pond, ever-familiar, ever picturesque. “This is it, little seed,” she muttered, feeling the sand squish between her bare toes. “This is where your mama turned things around.”
Her back ached, but she wasn’t ready to settle down just yet. After dropping the old picnic basket in the sand, she moved into the still waters, each step a cautious motion. When the water reached halfway to her knees, she started the more difficult part: sitting down. It required a lot of groaning and careful positioning, and she regretted not letting her husband join her on the island. It would have been easier if Rainbow or Fluttershy could have come. But Rainbow, as always, was too busy playing her games – at least now she made money doing it – and Fluttershy had a whole animal sanctuary to manage. Just Applejack this year, then.
At last, she was settled in the water. “Sugarcube,” she muttered at her belly, “you can be a right pain to haul around sometimes, you know that?” Her hands ran along the taught skin. She felt a gentle kick and smiled. “I guess I’ll forgive ya. Only ‘cause I’m in a good mood, though.”
She looked to the water, automatically seeking any sign of white, purple, or pink. She found none. This didn’t surprise her, so she went back to enjoying the warm day and the calm scenery. Sometimes she would spend whole days here, basking in her memories and the solitude. Memories like swimming with her friends, like holding a mermaid’s hand in her time of crisis, or – oddly precious – that same mermaid staring up at her on a windy night beneath a bridge, ready to share her pain. They were pleasant things, memories.
“Someday, I’m going to let you meet some old friends of mine. It’ll be our special secret. Nobody knows about it, not even your daddy. And it’s gonna stay that way, y’hear?” She poked her belly playfully. “No snitchin’.” The retaliatory kick made her gasp and flinch. “Yikes! Easy, kid. I’m your mother, not a punching bag.”
When she next looked up, a flash of color caught her attention. She grinned; white and purple, approaching slowly. “Well, look at that. Guess the introductions can start sooner than I thought.”
Rarity appeared, her purple locks as vibrant as ever. Her face was a bit older, an extra line or two, but it was every bit as pretty as that first day. The mermaid smiled in greeting, swimming onto the shore with smooth strokes of her long tail. The only sign of her surgical scar was a slightly lighter patch of scales. As soon as she was close enough, she pulled Applejack into a warm embrace. “Hello again, Applejack.”
“Hello again, Rarity. Sweetie with you this year?”
“No Sweetie. She found a male to spend time with.” Her mastery of the English language really shined through every time they met.
Applejack pulled back with a grin. “Really? That’s great! And here I was starting to think she’d never find one.”
Rarity nodded, her smile growing as she looked down at Applejack’s massive stomach. “You found a male too, I notice.”
The grin on Applejack’s face grew. “Yeah. Got married last year. I’d have told you then, but…”
Rarity’s smile turned apologetic. “Yes, I couldn’t make it. I went farther away than usual that year.”
“That’s alright.” Applejack waved dismissively. “Sweetie wasn’t there, either. I know how it is. Next time you see her, maybe you can convince her to come next summer.”
Rarity shrugged. “She may be here later, you never know.” She ran a hand along Applejack’s stomach, letting out a little ‘oh!’ when the there was a kick in response. “Lively. How long?”
“Seven months,” Applejack replied with a proud grin. “If all goes well, I’ll have her before the summer’s out. Which means I can’t stay here the whole three months, I’m afraid.”
Setting her ear to Applejack’s stomach, Rarity giggled. “She’ll be beautiful, I’ve no doubt. I hope she inherits your stubbornness. Would serve you right.” They shared a chuckle at that one.
For the next hour, they chatted about their lives, both above and below the waves. Rarity always had interesting stories to tell of her journeys, stories that would no doubt fascinate an eager and imaginative child. Applejack looked forward to the day her daughter could share in them. Of course, Applejack’s life was less interesting. All farm work. But Rarity always listened with genuine interest, with new questions about new topics and an eagerness to learn more words she’d not yet figured out. At least this time Applejack had a tale of romance to sweeten the pot, and in that Rarity proved very interested.
It almost felt like old times. Almost, save for the absence of worry and longing. That was gone, little more than a memory to return to with a certain fondness. Sometimes Applejack would think back on those days of her youth and wonder if things couldn’t have been different, if things could have worked out between herself and Rarity. But those thoughts were always dismissed quickly. She was happy where she was, and even more so now. And Rarity certainly seemed to enjoy her own life of constant movement. There was no reason to wish for anything different, and Applejack could find satisfaction in the way things turned out.
But she still remembered. And she still felt grateful. They were lovely things, memories. Every summer, she silently thanked Rarity. For washing up on that beach. For being so perfect. For being there when it all came crashing down. But only silently, for Rarity already knew, and she understood perfectly.
As the sky turned orange, their conversation lulled. They enjoyed some sandwiches. Applejack had made too many, hoping she’d have more than one visitor this year. Rarity kept glancing at the pond, as if expecting something. “You okay there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“Hmm? Oh. Yes.” Rarity ate the last dainty bite of her sandwich. “I’m just… expecting someone.”
“Someone?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You expect Sweetie to show up?”
“No. Not Sweetie.” Rarity fidgeted, tail flicking water in small splashes. “I wanted you to meet someone. Sweetie’s not the only one meeting new people.”
A smile bloomed on Applejack’s face as understanding dawned. “You found yourself a guy? That’s wonderful!” And it was, to her mild surprise. She used to wonder how she’d react upon hearing this news. After all, it was inevitable. The fear was that there might be some jealousy involved, a seed of displeasure blooming in the soils of some subconscious hope. Yet the only thing Applejack felt was a pleasant, bubbly warmth for her friend. And a soreness in her insides, but that had nothing to do with Rarity and everything to do with a growing kid who tended to get grumpy when she had to share her very limited space with food. Applejack hadn’t had a full meal in months.
Rarity laughed, an anxious sound. “N-not exactly. I mean, we are… mates. But, um…”
“Oh?” This was certainly unexpected. “Rarity, are you mates with a girl?”
Her friend hunched over as if to protect herself. “Is… Is that a problem?”
“Why on Earth would it be a problem?”
A sadness washed over Rarity as she studied Applejack. “I… You… Back when we first met…”
The implications settled in. Applejack could only smile. “It’s okay. That’s all over and done with.” Seeing Rarity wasn’t convinced, Applejack offered her hand. Rarity accepted it, slipping a little closer and looking guilty the whole time. “I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. They’re special to me, Rares, in a way I can’t describe. But what I felt for you was a crush, something we both know was never meant to be. It was me not facing reality. I’m not going to get mad at you because you’ve fallen for another girl.”
Rarity stared into her eyes, her lips gradually quirking upwards. “Really?”
“Really. Honestly, hon, I thought you already knew that.”
There was more to be said, but Applejack didn’t get a chance to offer it. She was too busy enjoying Rarity’s strong hug. It lasted for several seconds, only ending when the third member of their group expressed her distaste for being squished between them via a firm kick that knocked the air out of Applejack’s lungs.
“You alright?” Rarity asked as Applejack sucked in a few short gasps.
“Y-yeah,” she wheezed, both hands wrapped around her belly. “Just winded. Kid kicks like a mule.”
Rarity tittered, but it was a subdued sound. She stared at Applejack for a while, smiling. “You’re my best friend, and not just because you saved my life all those years ago. That’s why I wanted you to meet her. I… I thought it would be nice if my best friend above the surface got along with my best friend below it.”
“Don’t let Sweetie hear you say that,” Applejack huffed between gasps.
Rarity waved a dismissive hand. “Sweetie’s my sister. Very different things.”
Finally recovering, Applejack sat up properly and nodded. “I’d be happy to meet your mate.”
“Then I’ll be right back.” With a sweep of her tail, Rarity turned and moved into the pond, soon disappearing below. The ripples spread across the pond and went still. Applejack waited, patient and happy and wondering. What kind of girl could catch Rarity’s eye? She hoped it would be someone worthy of her. That was a high bar to reach.
The waters shifted. Rarity emerged. She smiled nervously at Applejack, then turned away. She was pulling lightly on something in the water. Something… brown? Tan? And with a great splash of red. She spoke in her own language, encouraging, hopeful. At last, a new figure emerged. She looked a little older than Rarity, with golden skin. Her face was covered in a moist curtain of red hair with yellow streaks. The new mermaid pushed the strands back to reveal wary cyan eyes. She held Rarity’s hand tightly, shoulders hunched. Her manner hit Applejack with a powerful sense of déjà vu as memories of Rarity waking up in a bathtub rose to the forefront.
After whispering some encouragement in the newcomer’s fin-ear, Rarity turned to Applejack with a grin. “Applejack? Meet Shoon-sheth-shmur."