Clear

by Drizzle Quill

Six: Her Decision

The two groups arrived at the train station at roughly the same time, though it was easy to tell which group had succeeded and which had failed; Rarity and Spike's faces were crestfallen while Pinkie was all smiles and AJ was grinning.

"We got them, we got them!" the magenta earth pony crowed, hopping around her unicorn and dragon friend.

Spike grinned. "Great job!"

"We didn't find any." Rarity's eyes narrowed; she looked steamed. "I'm starting to wonder if that lovely mare on the train was just pulling my hoof."

"But it doesn't matter because we got them~!" Pinkie grinned like a madmare and began to dance - or something. AJ couldn't tell if she was trying to make cohesive movements or simply flopping on the ground. "They're in my saddlebag! See, see?" With pink hooves she thrust the bag to Rarity's muzzle, where the unicorn levitated it. Her blue eyes widened as she saw the topaz shells, and she even let out a little squeal of delight.

Spike and AJ both smiled lopsidedly, watching her hop up and down. "These are so perfect! I can't believe it! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Hoofing her ticket to the conductor, Rarity continued to fawn over the topaz shells as they got on the train, walking down the isle steadily.

"However did you find them? Where were they?" the unicorn mare asked, inspecting them from every angle as they arrived at their seats; Rarity sat down right away in the first seat, but AJ and Spike both stayed back, looking at each other and ignoring the questions.

Applejack blinked. What was he doing? She tipped her head at the seat next to Rarity, welcoming him to sit down.

Spike shook his head and pointed with one finger at the seat.

AJ narrowed her eyes. The little dragon...what they hay was he trying to pull off? She shook her head and motioned for him to sit down.

The exchange continued, Pinkie watching in confusion, seemingly deciding she was bored with this, and plopping down next to Rarity to tell the oblivious mare all about the adventure she and Applejack had had (not all of it, of course. The cowpony had made certain Pinkie would leave out the end part).

Spike and AJ looked at each other firmly and sat down together on the seat behind the two mares.

"What they hay are ya doin'?"

"The real question is what're you doing?"

"Why don't you want to sit with yer special somepony?"

"She's...well...I..."

"Whatcha talking about?"

Both of them jumped to see Pinkie Pie leaning over the backseat, blue eyes narrowed mischievously, one hoof under her chin and the other on the seat. "Why're ya arguing?"

"We're not arguing," Spike covered quickly, shaking his head in earnest; Applejack nodded rapidly in agreement and both of them visibly winced as Rarity turned her head ever so slightly with confused blue eyes to look at them.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes, gaze going solemn, just like it had in the cave before the dragon had charged them. "I doubt that," she murmured, muzzle wrinkled. "I really doubt that...and I know just how to find out!" Seemingly out of nowhere she pulled a magnifying glass and put it to her eye, winking and leaping to the seat behind her; Rarity let out a ladylike gasp as there was a tremendous crash, but Pinkie surfaced, perfectly fine, and let out a little giggle whilst putting her hoof to her mouth.

Quickly, before Applejack or Spike could object, the pink mare leapt up to them, pressing the glass against their faces. AJ winced and pulled back; it was cold and stung on her skin as it was pushed farther in. Seeing as Spike leapt back as if he had been stung, she could safely assume that the same had happened to him as well.

Finally Pinkie recoiled, scrambling back over the seat, back legs flailing in the air for a minute until she pushed herself over, and popped up, Rarity staring at her in some sort of horrified awe, and Spike and Applejack still reeling from the unexpected investigation. "I think I've got it!"

"What is it?" the cowpony asked wearily.

"You both have something you want to say to Rarity!"

Three ponies yelped in surprise and denial at this; Spike's initial response was "N-no I don't!" AJ's was "Well, shoot" and Rarity's was "Wait...what?"

Pinkie nodded, head moving up and down like a light-switch. "Yes you do! And you are going to tell her right now because it's making both of you sad and I hate to see my friends sad!" She glared at them all, eyes suddenly becoming cold and serious. "Hate it!" she repeated for emphasis.

"Spikey? Applejack?" Rarity stared at them both in confusion, finally looking away from the topaz shells she cradled fondly in her lap. The train turned into a tunnel, and for a moment everypony was plunged into darkness; all they could hear was the weariness in her voice. "What is it?"

Nopony could see each other's expressions, but Applejack guessed that Spike, at least, was as awkward as she felt. But what could he possibly have to tell her? He was in an amazing spot right now. If he resisted it...

Well, she didn't want to think about what would happen then.

...scratch that, she did. But she had to remember Pinkie. Do what's best for Rare.

"Ah...Ah wanted to tell you that Ah'm fine with you bein' with Spike."

The words were choked and somewhat hurried, but they were spoken all the same. In the darkness, AJ couldn't see the other's faces, but the sharp intake of breath from Rarity and the panicked yelp from Spike both confused her. Why would they be upset?

"No!" the voice of the dragon rang out, loud and clear, reverberating around the train.

Another sharp gasp, clearly from Rarity. "But...wait, what? Spikey?"

A sniffle. Applejack squinted; her eyes were starting to get adjusted to the dark, but all she could see was a silhouette of Spike. It seemed like he was wiping away tears. That...that made no sense. Why would he be upset about this? Wouldn't this be the best opportunity of his life?

"Rarity," Spike whispered among sniffles. "Rarity, I...I was going to tell you that if you want to date Applejack, I'm perfectly alright with that."

Wait.

What?

It was like the cowpony had just been hit with a wrecking ball, she was so surprised. The impact of the shock hit her so hard she actually stumbled, eyes going wide and chest heaving in horror. "Spike, what? Why would she wanna date-"

But the dragon clearly wasn't done. "I've seen how you look at her, and I'm pretty sure she likes you back. So go ahead and like her." His voice became flat, dull, emotionless. "I'm fine with it."

"No!" A hard edge came into Applejack's voice then; it was a hard tone she hadn't meant to inflict but now that it was there she was going to roll with it. "Ah've had years to tell Rare how Ah felt, and it's mah fault for not actin' on it sooner! So you go ahead! You've helped her and impressed her for so much longer than Ah have anyways!"

"But she's using me as something that's not love!" The train pulled out of the tunnel; they were nearly at Ponyville now, and AJ could see that Spike was openly crying now, tears dripping down his face and bubbling in his green eyes. "She loves you, Applejack! And I'm not going to stop that!"

"She loves you, Spike, and you deserve her, much more than Ah ever have!"

"You're going to have her!"

"You will!"

"You!"

"You!"

"EVERYPONY, QUIIIIIIET!"

The final scream came from Pinkie, whose eyes were fiery and mane already starting to deflate ever-so-slightly. "I wanted you to tell the secret so that you wouldn't be sad, but now I realize that you are sad! And not just you!" She pulled aside to reveal the tear-stricken face of a white unicorn, staring at the pony and dragon fighting over her. She wasn't making any noise. She was just crying.

"Why can't you let Rarity have a say in this?" Pinkie demanded, one hoof on her hip.

Both Applejack and Spike stopped and stared; AJ's eyes went wide as she realized what she had done while Spike continued to cry. "Rarity," he whispered ever so quietly, moving forward as to stroke her comfortingly, but as his claw moved closer, Rarity's lip trembled; she jerked away.

"Don't touch me!"

The shriek was audible above the screech of the train coming to a complete stop. They were in Ponyville now. But neither Spike nor Applejack cared.

"Celestia, Rare, Ah'm so sorry -"

"We didn't realize -"

"We weren't trying to hurt you, Ah honestly swear -"

"Quit it!" Rarity shrieked again, getting up with horn glowing as she levitated the saddle bag containing the precious shells onto her back. "Quit it right now! Leave me alone!" The tears fell even harder as she turned and cantered away; the last thing both Spike and Applejack could hear was a loud sob.

They stared at eachother. Crestfallen. Heartbroken. Not quite sure what to say.

But Pinkie had the right words.

"...you blew it. Both of you blew it."

The End...

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...

nope! To be continued in Garbled coming from Drizzle Quill soon!