... like a Married Couple... You're meant to be.
“Darling...”
“Yeah, sugar cube?” Applejack returns as she stirs the pot of gently simmering broth then takes a deep breath, taking in the delicious smell of the mixture of vegetables. It's a cold day, the work's finished and there's nothing left to do but waste away the chilly afternoon indoors with some broth, a mug of tea and maybe some music and a good book too.
Perfect.
“I'm sorry.”
Applejack freezes with the ladle to her lips and her heart grinds to a halt in her chest. Oh no... That tone. This really can't be good. She lowers the ladle back into the pot then swallows hard.
For a moment, she daren't even turn around to look at Rarity.
She does after a few seconds and the alabaster mare is gazing at her.
Applejack moves the broth off the heat then moves to stand beside her wife. Rarity is sat by the table, gazing at her hooves.
“What're ya' sorry for?” Applejack asks gently, leaning forward to nuzzle Rarity's cheek despite how tense her heart is. The unicorn sighs, her eyes closing and her head turning into the touch.
“I did something very silly...” She says quietly. “That you won't soon forgive me for.”
Nightmare situations flash through Applejack's mind. Cheating, sold her wedding ring, stopped loving her...
“Ya' gotta tell me more than that, Rares...”
Rarity sighs again, shaking her head slightly and Applejack pulls back, reaches a hoof up and carefully strokes a few tears away.
“I took an order,” Rarity states and her voice trembles violently.
“How's that a bad-”
“It's due in three days,” Rarity interrupts and Applejack blinks. It clicks almost instantly.
“Oh...” She murmurs. “Honey's birthday's in two...” She says in realisation and Rarity nods then closes her eyes again, dropping her face into her hooves. “You're not gonna be here for it, are ya'?” Applejack questions with a deep frown and Rarity shakes her head. “... Can't ya' cancel? Delay it or somethin'? Ya' know how much this means to 'er, Rares.”
“Yes, I do know, Applejack. I've spent the last two weeks planning it with her! Of course I know!” Rarity cries as she lifts her head, her eyes red and bloodshot from the tears. “But it's so important that I make this order.”
“You said when we got talkin' 'bout havin' a family that ya' didn't need the fame so much. Ya' said that Honeycrisp was more important!”
“We're barely getting by, Applejack! This isn't about me and fame! It's about us keeping a roof over our heads and if I don't make this order then we might not do!” Rarity retorts, rising to her hooves and Applejack snorts as the alabaster mare begins to pace restlessly.
“Then we can move back over to the farm until we get the finances sorted! We swore that we'd put our filly first no matter how bad things got!”
“I am putting her first! At the rate we're going, they could cut our power and she'll freeze to death in her sleep!”
“Then we move back to the Acres! Ah jus' said that!”
“They're not any better off than us since last harvest! You know that!”
“Family comes first, Rares!”
“I know it does and that's why I've got to take this order!”
“There's other ways! We'll get by!”
“'Getting by' isn't good enough for me!”
“She ain't as breakable as ya' make 'er out to be!”
“Neither is she as strong as you think she is! I won't have her sick because of your stubbornness and inability to-!”
“Mummy?”
Rarity's words die in her throat and her anger flees.
“An' mama... Why are you yelling?”
The two mares look over to the doorway and find Honeycrisp clutching her favourite plushie, a rabbit called Mr Bounce, a gift from Fluttershy, her bright green eyes are wide and churning with nervousness and confusion.
She gnaws her lip as her mums take her in.
“... We were just... talking,” Rarity says gently.
“You were talkin' awful loud though, mummy,” Honeycrisp replies.
“It was... jus' a lil' disagreement is all,” Applejack assures her, forcing a weak smile that Honeycrisp doesn't for one second fall for. She has her mummy's eye for detail.
“You were yellin' 'bout me... Did I do somethin' bad?” She asks and tears sting her eyes. Rarity is there in a flash as Applejack's heart drops into her stomach, the pang in her chest rendering her mute for a moment.
Rarity leans down to their daughter and nuzzles the sniffling filly before drawing her into a tight and secure embrace. Applejack blinks back her own tears and joins them.
“O' course not, Honey,” She says softly, placing a kiss to the filly's head.
“You didn't do anything...” Rarity adds.
“Then why were you shoutin' so much? It was scary.”
“We're sorry, darling... I promise, everything's going to be fine.”
Applejack wraps the pair of them in a warm hug then kisses the both of them; Rarity on the lips and Honeycrisp on the top of her head.
“Ah think it's time 'fer bed... We can talk more in the mornin'.”
They don't talk more in the morning.
Mostly because Rarity's already gone when Applejack wakes at sunrise.
“Hey, RD! Ya' seen Rares around?” Applejack calls and the cyan mare swoops down then lands lightly in front of her with her signature photo-shoot smile that's as genuine as the mare herself. It's ironic perhaps that she's slowed down only now she's a Wonderbolt.
“As a matter of fact, I did!” She confirms before she frowns a tad, rubbing her cheek with a hoof. “Though only for about ten seconds, she was running at a pace that was way too fast for me to keep up with at five in the morning.”
“Runnin'?... Where to?” Applejack questions as Rainbow yawns widely before she shakes herself roughly.
“Erm... Train station, I guess? Unless she ran out of sofas or quills. It's the only place I can figure she'd be going... Plus, she had a suitcase,” Rainbow explains and Applejack's eyes widen.
“Why the buck...?” She trails off, her brow furrowing as she thinks then she groans loudly and kicks at the dirt in agitation. “The order...” She mutters. “She buckin' sneaked off to fill the order!”
“AJ, chill out. Why'd she even need to sneak off to do her job?” Rainbow Dash asks before she yawns again. The life of a Wonderbolt usually results in lack of sleep it seems.
“Because it's Honeycrisp's birthday tomorrow!”
Rainbow Dash is suddenly much more awake.
“Oh buck, it is, isn't it?” She says with a subtle grimace that says she certainly had not got her a present but Applejack is too riled up with a certain somepony else to point it out.
“Yeah. It is. An' Rares ain't gonna be here 'cuz we're in hot water financially and she figures that payin' the bills is more important than our filly's birthday and that's just-”
“AJ, you obnoxious bonehead, shut up!”
Applejack blinks at her friend. Rainbow Dash is glaring at her sternly.
“That is your wife you're talking about. The mare who carried your filly and who loves her just as much as you do... So mind your mouth, you dumbflank!”
Visibly chastised, Applejack's ears droop and her eyes lower in shame.
“Ah didn't-” She starts.
“No, you did think. You just forgot to pay attention to that one organ that matters more. Your heart, FYI, because you seem to be acting kind of stupid today and I'm not sure you could figure that out by yourself!” Rainbow Dash jabs Applejack in the chest solidly for emphasis and the mare winces a tad then rubs the sore spot.
“Ah'm sorry...” She mumbles sheepishly.
“Why are you apologising to me? You insulted her not me!” Rainbow retorts and she looks genuinely very annoyed and the more that Applejack thinks about it, the more that it's justified.
“Ah know that! Ah jus'... want 'er here...” Applejack replies and Rainbow's expression softens with understanding as she nods.
“Well, of course you do... but AJ, you've never been very good at prioritising. It's another reason why you and Rarity work so well. She can judge the difference between what you want and what you need... Honeycrisp needs to be safe and she wants both her mums to be there. Rarity won't like it. She'll be kicking herself but she'll do it anyway, no matter how much it chews her up.”
Rainbow Dash gazes at her friend, watching her think it over.
“She's definitely a very generous mare...” Applejack says with a weak smile then Rainbow grins and bats her shoulder.
“And don't you forget it!”
Applejack huffs a laugh.
“So, when'd you get so smart about this stuff?” She asks and Rainbow glowers.
“I'll pretend not to be offended,” She returns indignantly before she turns her head away. “But, y'know... You travel and see places and meet ponies... you learn stuff, I guess,” She says before cracking another smile. “And then you come home and you get to show off new levels of awesome,” She adds with a wink.
“Hasn't fixed ya' ego though,” Applejack teases before looking over to Sugarcube Corner.
“... What're you thinking?” Rainbow questions, choosing not to acknowledge the jibe for once as she stretches out her wings then steps up to her friend's side and for a brief moment, Applejack is quiet.
“Ah'm thinkin'...” She begins. “Ah've got some work to do,” She finishes then she trots off and Rainbow Dash stares after her.
“That's it?... You've 'got some work to do'?” She says. Applejack doesn't so much as glance back at her. “Well, fine then! Be cryptic and mysterious and junk! I'm not even curious!” She yells before she turns away.
Her step falters and she looks back over her shoulder towards Sugarcube Corner as Applejack passes through the front door. Rainbow rolls her eyes, lingering uncertainly.
“AJ's about to do something nuts...” She says to herself then she sighs wearily. “And what kind of Godmother would I be if I let Honeycrisp's ma get herself in trouble?”
And with that said, she turns back around and hurries towards the bakery, ignoring the calling of that ideal nap cloud that's floating high above her head...