"Oh Opalescence, what am I going to do?" Rarity fretted as she trotted around the inside of her boutique, but as usual, the feline in question gave no response to her drama-prone owner's rhetorical question.
"I haven't even thought about this since Blueblood turned out to be that... monster at the gala." The unicorn paced back and forth in front of her cat, periodically glancing out the windows of her store as if looking for someone, before returning to her pacing.
"But if I say no, Applejack's heart will be broken forever! She will become a spinster, and never allow herself to fall in love again!" The unicorn swooned dramatically down onto the floor, flopping on her back and covering her face with her hoof for a few moments.
"No, I must think this through. Applejack would not want me to go on a date out of mere pity." Rarity sighed, letting her hoof fall to the ground as she looked up at one of her mannequins. "The real question is, can I love her as more than just a friend?"
The unicorn rested there on the floor for a few moments, as if expecting an answer, before shaking her head and rolling back to her hooves to return to her pacing. "Perhaps I should think about this differently. What is wrong with dating Applejack?"
She bit her lip. "It might cause a bit of a scandal in Canterlot, showing up with a mare at my side. Then again, I have read that it is nowhere near as bad as it was ten years ago." The tailor shook her head. "And besides, I resolved after that garden party that I would never be ashamed of my friends again! That includes this."
"I can't think she would LIKE Canterlot high society. That is more of an issue. I don't care if they dislike HER, but if she goes to the parties and finds them BORING, then I'm just being an anchor around her, forcing her to obey my whims while her farm is left to wither. And I can't imagine she would ever tolerate an art gallery opening or eating hors d'ovres."
The unicorn trotted across the front of her store. "But is that really so important? She doesn't go to those parties NOW, and I don't have to take her to every single one of them. If she wanted to come, she would be welcome, but she could remain in Ponyville if she so desired."
That thought made the unicorn stop in her tracks. "Now that's the real question. If I do want to move to Canterlot, I cannot be with Applejack." The unicorn strode over to her front window, looking out into the street. "Still... if I wanted to move to Canterlot, there's nothing stopping me from doing that today. Canterlot has the glamour and culture, but it doesn't have my friends." The unicorn nodded her head.
"Still, it would be excluding Applejack from a large part of my life... well, I suppose in any case there would be things I wouldn't be sharing with any partner who wasn't in fashion, and I don't think that's necessary." The unicorn bit her lip.
"No, I think the real question is whether I am attracted to her in that way. I have never even thought about another mare like that. Is that because I don't like them, or because I haven't tried? Would it really be so different?" Rarity closed her eyes, sitting down on her rump, her tail twitching slightly behind her. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she concentrated, before sighing. "I don't know. It would certainly end rather differently."
The seamstress rose back to her feet as she returned to pacing slowly. "Perhaps I should ask her to kiss me? But we haven't even been out on a date. I don't want to lead her on all evening, but I can hardly ask Applejack just to... lay one on me, and then tell her I'm not interested. That wouldn't be fair to her. And what of my first kiss?"
"You want Applejack to kiss you?"
The unicorn's eyes widened as she whirled around towards the source of the voice, mouth gaping as she spied Sweetie Belle on the far side of the shop, peeking in through the door. "Sweetie Belle! What are you doing here?"
"I came here after school with Applebloom. We were going to go crusading with Scootaloo, but she's doing something with her parents."
"I see... wait, we? Is Applebloom here as well?"
"Yup!" The filly jumped out from behind the doorway as well, red ribbon and all, making Rarity's cheeks flush.
"And just how much of that did you girls hear?"
"Uh..." The fillies shifted awkwardly, Applebloom lifting a hoof to rub behind her ear.
"Oh dear. Now, you mustn't go repeating any of that... I really shouldn't be speaking of such things in front of young fillies."
"Hey! We're old enough to understand!"
Applebloom piped up as well, "It's not like Applejack doesn't talk about that stuff."
"She does, does she?" the unicorn said, her tail swishing a bit uncertainly behind her as she laughed nervously.
"Yup! She talks about you a lot. I bet she'd kiss you if you asked her."
"Now Applebloom, kissing another pony like that is a serious thing! It isn't something to be done casually."
"I know. Applejack always said don't go chasin' off after somepony and kiss them unless you're sure you like 'em first. And she likes you."
"Does anyone else know?"
"Only my entire family."
The unicorn's cheek's flushed. "Applebloom, you don't mean all of your family do you?"
"Oh, no. Just me an' Big Mac an' Granny Smith an' a few of the cousins."
Rarity's ears drooped. "I... see."
"So are you going to kiss her?" Sweetie Belle piped up.
"I... don't know," the unicorn said hesitantly. "I'm surprised you aren't surprised."
"Oh, well..." the younger unicorn poked at the floor with her hoof, "Miss Cheerilee always says that you shouldn't judge a pony by their outside, but by their heart."
Rarity sighed. "That is something she would say. But it doesn't really help me."
"So what happened?"
"Oh Sweetie Belle, it's a grown-up thing."
"Well you sounded like you were having trouble deciding something..."
"Yeah!" Applebloom piped up, the yellow filling smiling, "Maybe we can help!"
"I don't think you can," Rarity began, before sighing. "Very well, if you must know: Applejack asked me out on a date."
The two fillies exchanged puzzled glances. "And?"
Rarity stared at them. "What? That isn't dramatic enough?"
"We've seen lots of ponies go out on dates Rarity."
"Why don't you want to be my sister's very special somepony? What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing is wrong with her," the unicorn said, shaking her head. "I merely don't know if I am interested in mares like that."
"Applejack says there's nothin' wrong with that."
"And she's right, there isn't! But that doesn't mean everypony LIKES mares. You'll understand when you're older."
The pair of fillies looked at the unicorn dubiously. "You do know I've lived on a farm my whole life, don't you? I know all about the birds and the bees."
Rarity's mouth worked, but no sound came out. "Yes, but that doesn't mean that young fillies need to spend time thinking about such things."
The two shrugged. "Why can't you ask her to kiss you?"
"Oh Sweetie Belle, it isn't that simple."
"Why not?"
"Because..." the unicorn paused, then sighed. "Because I want my first kiss to be special."
"You've kissed me!"
"That's different, dear. Kissing another pony like your special somepony is special. It isn't something to be shared with just anyone."
The pair of fillies looked at each other again. "I guess," they agreed reluctantly.
"Look, I have a lot to think about, and I'm not sure I'm in the mood to supervise you two. I'm sorry, but the boutique is not a good place for you to stay this afternoon."
"Aw..."
"I'm sorry Sweetie Belle, but I have a lot of things on my mind."
"If we help you with Applejack, can we stay?"
"Sweetie Belle! I told you, it isn't something you can help with."
"I don't know, maybe we'll think of something you haven't!"
"Yeah! And I know my sister way better than you do!"
"Really?" Rarity arched an eyebrow at her, then looked curious. "What was the last time she did something with her mane down?"
"Mane down?" The filly tilted her head curiously.
"You know, farm work without her mane tied back."
"Uh, never. That's a good way to get your hair caught in somethin'."
"Never? As in, ever?"
"Not that I can recall."
Rarity blinked, then looked away, a frown on her face. "Does that happen often?"
"Oh, sometimes. I did it once a few years ago. Lost half my mane."
"That's horrible! I hope she's alright."
"What do you mean?"
"She was wearing her hair down today because I said it looked pretty."
Applebloom blinked. "Y'all sure you didn't slip her some love poison?"
Rarity laughed. "A lady would never do such a thing." The fillies both shifted awkwardly at that as Rarity smirked at them, before she paused. "YOU didn't give her anything like that, I hope?"
They both looked up at that. "No! We learned our lesson."
"And had to do all of Big Mac's chores. They're hard!"
The unicorn laughed musically. "Oh, they aren't too bad. They are a bit boring though, I'll admit."
"Wait, when have YOU done my brother's chores?"
"I have helped out a few times on the farm, you know. I was there earlier today, in fact."
"Wait, YOU went to the farm? Like, to work?" Sweetie Belle wore an incredulous expression on her face.
"Yes," the unicorn said primly. "She was such a bit help here yesterday that it was only fair for me to help her with her chores today."
Sweetie Belle's mouth gaped. "But you HATE getting dirty!"
"I don't like getting dirty unnecessarily, but you know very well that there are more important things than keeping my coat clean."
Sweetie Belle looked at her older sister dubiously. "Are you SURE you don't like her? You barely even get dirty for me."
"Of course I like her."
"No, I mean like, like like."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," she said, stomping her hoof on the floor.
"But isn't that the answer?"
The unicorn looked pensive for a moment, before shaking her head. "I don't know. And I have to figure it out by sunset."
"Why? What happens at sunset?"
"That's when our date is supposed to be. If I want to go on it, I mean."
"Why don't you just do it?"
Rarity blinked. "Because I don't want to hurt Applejack's feelings. It would be terrible for me to lead her on."
"You don't seem to have any trouble doing it at the market."
"That's different, Sweetie," she said. "They know I'm just using my charms on them. It's different with Applejack."
Applebloom bit her lip before speaking. "Ya know, if we were always afraid of causin' trouble, we'd never find our cutie marks. But we go crusadin' and end up covered in tree sap anyway, because it's important."
"If it makes you happy, you should try," the unicorn filly added to her friend's words, looking up at her sister sympathetically.
Rarity's laughter was empty. "Am I really taking dating advice from my little sister?" The words made Sweetie Belle frown, but moments later the filly found herself being hugged by the older unicorn.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Sweetie," she said, sitting back and smiling slightly.
"So are you gonna go on a date with my sister?" Applebloom piped up.
"I still don't know."
"Even after all that?"
Rarity smiled. "You were helpful, don't worry." The unicorn shook her head. "I have some work to do. Why don't you two run along and play elsewhere?"
"Ya sure we can't help?"
"Yeah! We could be-"
"I'm quite certain I can handle it on my own. How about I give you a few bits so you can go buy milkshakes?"
"Really?"
"Mmm-hmm. Here." The unicorn's telekinesis pulled at one of her drawers, and a few coins floated out towards her sister's saddlebags before settling inside. "There you go."
"Thanks Rarity!"
"Yeah, thanks!"
Rarity smiled as the fillies took their leave, swinging the door shut behind them with her magic before sighing. She started pacing again, before pausing in front of her desk. "I am being silly. I should just ask her tonight." The unicorn shook her head, before pulling several pieces of paper out of one of her drawers and setting them out on the table, grasping several of her markers with her magic. "Now, I should throw together a little something for tonight..."