//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 - Strong Traditions // Story: A 'Not So Simple' Simple Life // by Wolfie 03 //------------------------------// End of November, 1004 A.D. (After Discord) “Father, you must be joking.” Rarity barely refrained from deadpanning the gray-white stallion as the whole family was sitting in the living room of the two storied house. “Nosiree, I won us a trip to Las Pegasus for the holiday! Biggest fish in town, he was kind enough to let me take a picture with him.” Sweetie Belle sat with her mother on the couch, watching the two unicorns discuss the family plans for Harvest Feast. “I don't see how a holiday that celebrates family and friends has anything to do with a trip that would take several days to do.” Rarity humphed with her nose in the air while her father chuckled at the response. “Sugar pie, a family road trip is just right for bonding.” Rarity had snapped her head towards Pearl at the word 'sugar' and was mildly surprised at both her reaction and sudden image of a certain orange farmer, causing her to be slower to respond to her mother's words. As she was recovering enough to retort, there came a few solid knocks on the front door; a return of the previous image invaded the fashionista's mind and it was with a hopeful spring in her step that Rarity went to answer the door with a cheery “I'll be right there!”. The gray-white unicorn waited until she was close to the door before opening it with her magic, revealing the farm mare she had somehow known it was. “Howdy sugarcube; Ah was hopin' tah talk with ya.” Applejack held her stetson in one hoof as she posed her question, smiling softly which was returned eagerly as Rarity beamed at her presence (along with an almost-unnoticed jump of her heart at the well used phrase of the country mare). “Of course darling, please do come in.” As the prim unicorn led the way to the living room, Applejack followed close behind as the door was magicked closed once more while putting her hat firmly back in place. When they turned into the living room, Applejack was slightly surprised to find the whole household there. “Oh, Ah'm sorry tah bother y'all... Is it ah bad time tah stop by?” Before anypony else could say a word, Rarity stepped forward with a reassuring smile. “Not at all Applejack, please, what did you want to ask?” Pearly and Magnum shared an amused glance at the lengths Rarity was willing to go in order to not go on a road trip with them, something that went unnoticed as the two mares hadn't looked away from the other after Rarity started to speak. “Well, Ah was wonderin' if y'all wanted to come have Harvest Feast at Sweet Apple Acres. Ah was gonnah invite the girls tah come, and lil' sisters are welcomed too.” This last part was said with a smile to Sweetie Belle who lit up in excitement. The two friends watched as the youngest unicorn turned to her parents and started ask permission to go the best way a younger sister did, by begging. “Oh please oh please can I stay here and go to Sweet Apple Acres for Harvest Feast? Please please please?!” The older couple chuckled before looking towards their oldest daughter. “Only if your sister stays as well and doesn't mind.” Applejack's eyes widened slightly at the wording and realized with tipped back ears that they may very well had plans in place already. (Way tah go Applejack, ya never seem tah get it right when it comes tah impressin' Rarity...) “Shucks, Ah didn't realize y'all were goin' someplace for the holiday... Ah wouldn't want tah interrupt yer plans...” Rarity's eyes widened at how true yet very wrong the farmer was and waved an almost frantic hoof before settling on using it to comb through her mane. “No no, nothing has been finalized and I simply couldn't leave town for an extended vacation. I would quite enjoy spending the holidays with our friends...” Blue eyes traveled downward and found pleading green ones, making Rarity sigh in resignation. “I suppose Sweetie Belle could stay with me if you would want to use the trip...” The older unicorns smiled and mussed Sweetie Belle's mane. “We wouldn't want to take away this chance to spend time with your sister.” Pearl glanced towards her husband who smiled back. “We'll just go by ourselves and cuddle as much as we want.” Magnum stated with a grin before sitting next to his wife and sharing a nuzzle with her, much to their daughters' embarrassment. While Sweetie Belle skedaddled upstairs to avoid the display, Rarity began to usher out the amused Applejack with a light blush on her face. “Come along darling, I-I'll walk you out.” Applejack chuckled at the flustered unicorn as they both stepped out into the warm fall afternoon air. “Here Ah thought ya'd like that romantic stuff.” As Applejack smiled towards the unicorn, Rarity huffed briefly as she led the way to the boutique. “Yes, but it's simply not the same when it comes to one's parents.” The orange mare couldn't hold back a few more chuckles before she nudged the unicorn with a smirk. “Alright, Ah gottah get back tah work. Ah'll see ya on Harvest Feast if not sometime before.” Rarity frowned at the thought of not seeing the blonde during the two weeks leading to the holiday and tried to airily invite her to stop by whenever. “Oh tish tosh, darling, you should know that you can stop by whenever you wish. We don't have to wait to have a nice little chat or tea.” The earth pony smiled brightly at the offer and tipped her head as they stood outside the dress shop. “Sure thin' Rare, Ah'll see if Ah can visit soon then.” The gray-white designer blushed lightly at the nickname that she found herself growing fond of and watched the strong mare trot back to the apple farm; realizing that she was staring at certain aspects of the farmer intently, Rarity gave herself a shake before heading inside to finish more of her work. The fashionista still had many orders to complete but that didn't stop her from taking a break anytime the farm mare stopped by for a small chat or a quick cup of tea. Since harvest time was slowly drawing to a close, Applejack worked well into the evening and the apple stand often was opened for a short time in the afternoon when the sun was at it's peak; meaning that Rarity didn't get a chance to speak with the mare for long as she had hoped when Applejack first stopped by to invite them to the large supper they were planning. As the day of the dinner party grew near, Rarity threw herself into her work as both a means to get as much finished as early as possible and as a way to drive thoughts of the orange earth pony from her mind; watching and not helping the farmer as she tried to desperately finish the harvest before the first frost came was weighing on the fashion mare's mind and she couldn't think of why. She even didn't notice the mess that Sweetie Belle made as she brought her suitcases for the week long stay, something that did not go unnoticed by the young unicorn. Whenever Sweetie Belle tried to address the topic however, she was brushed off and sent to play with the other crusaders; something the young filly didn't mind since she didn't get much time to do so before, after having gotten lots of trouble in the past with them. Rarity already had a nagging voice that tried to examine every aspect of Applejack's current behavior, she didn't want to deal with another who was even harder to explain and account to. Even as the gray-white unicorn tried to remain impassive about meeting with the farming family and her friends for the holiday, she found herself in a tight bundle of anxiety about making a good impression as well as helping to make things easier for the hard working family. With this thought firmly in mind, the alabaster unicorn prepared herself the night before, having worked out the best way to help Applejack the next day. As the Harvest Feast dawned bright and sunny, Sweetie Belle found herself being led to the apple farm several hours earlier than necessary. “Rarity, why are we going to Sweet Apple Acres at 2pm when we're just going for dinner? Wouldn't it be at 4pm or later?” The young unicorn gazed up to her sister in curiosity, having found her behavior the last few days disconcerting. “Oh ho ho Sweetie Belle, Applejack and her family has been working so hard lately, it would be rude to merely go for the dinner; we will be offering our help as well in order to be good friends.” Rarity couldn't bring herself to look the filly in the eye as she tried to be vague but reasonable. “But, haven't they always done it like that? What could we do to help anyways? I thought you didn't like getting dirty...” Rarity flinched at the observations and glanced about as they continued on their way, trying to think of an explanation for the young filly. “Well, that may be true but there is plenty of other things we could help with...” “Rarity, there ain't much tah help with...” The gray-white fashionista flinched briefly as they stood before the red farm house, the orange farmer standing before them with a single brow raised at finding the two unicorns hours early. “Surely there's something we could do to help...?” Applejack wasn't sure if she should be resigned or elated at having the prissy mare be so willing to help, settling for sighing instead as she waved the two inside. “Look, uh, why don't y'all relax in the livin' room with Granny Smith while we get the last of the harvest away...?” Sweetie Belle smiled as she almost-skipped inside while Rarity found herself giving the farm mare a searching look, checking on her condition while thinking of how she could prove helpful. “I suppose if you insist...” Applejack smiled as she helped them to settle, checking on the older farmer at the same time before leaving to finish her chores for the day. The two unicorns took a seat on the green cushioned couch, facing the elder mare who grinned from her rocking chair on the opposite side of the cozy room. “How do you do Granny Smith?” “Huu doggie, we're doin' mighty fine; this year's harvest bein' one o' the best we've had.” While Rarity smiled at the good news, Sweetie Belle remained silent as she watched the exchange. “I'm glad to hear it; I'm sure you've worked hard for it.” “You betcha! Why, Ah've never seen Applejack work so hard; doin' chores, checkin' the trees, makin' sure our finical budget is in the green. Why, she's been practically runnin' the farm these past few years!” Both unicorns were stunned, having been unaware of just how large a part the apple farmer played for the family's well being. (And here I've been so dependent on her this past few months... I must return the favor somehow!) Rarity began to fidget in place, not wanting to be rude but felt the need to help the orange mare all the more strongly; Granny Smith seemed to take no notice of this movement and continued. “Yesiree, that's why we earth ponies came up with this here holiday.” At these words, Sweetie Belle's ears perked up since they only ever got a general history lesson from school. “Really?” The pale-green mare winked at the filly as she started to rock back and forth. “You betcha! Why, the story goes way back, long befor' even Ah was born. Back before th' three tribes made peace an' discovered this here land...” Rarity could tell her moment to try and escape had long since passed and settled down with a sigh to listen to the story (though she also hadn't heard it either). “Earth ponies started out as farmers, bein' the closest tah the land an' knowin' the best ways tah get the most harvest. But they didn't always know how tah do it an' the first ever family had ah hard time; they didn't have fun since all they ever did was try an' work at ah livin'. “Well, by the time the two oldest sons were gonnah go make their own farms, the family was ah fightin' and feudin' since they all had different ideas about farmin'. Ah few years pass an' the ma decided she didn't want tah keep fightin', invitin' her sons back for ah good ol' family dinner once harvest was over. “The boys were nervous but accepted the invitation, an' when came time fer then tah visit, they brought their new families an' some of their harvest tah show their pa. When they showed up haulin' their bounties an families, the old stallion had only one thin' tah say: 'About time y'all got here'. “They decided that it was ah good idea tah keep up with family by havin' ah big ol' dinner an' earth ponies have been celebrating the end of the harvest ever since.” The two unicorns stared in awe; the elder farmer was a wonderful story teller and made it sound as though she was there when it happened. Granny Smith noticed this and felt a pause was needed before finishing her tale with the relatively simple ending. “Now when the three tribes combined, the others thought it was ah mighty fine ideah, an' made it intah ah national holiday, one that's still celebrated today.” Sweetie Belle slowly grew a smile before bouncing in place while Rarity snapped out of her amazement. “That was really neat! Thanks Granny Smith!” “Indeed, that was a marvelous story, thank you for sharing it.” The older mare smiled even wider as she continued to rock in place. “Ain't no problem at all. We're happy tah have ya here after all; in fact, Applejack was sure pleased y'all were comin', ashkin' if it was alright an' everythin', like she wanted tah be sure that y'all were invited-” just as a light blush was making it's way across the older unicorn's muzzle, Applejack, who had been listening from the front door, decided that it was time to save her friends from getting their ears talked off. “Ok then Granny! Thank ya kindly fer keepin' Rarity and Sweetie Belle company, but Ah got the kitchen all set up for ya an' Ah could use their help movin' the chairs intah the barn.” The older farmer smirked at the light dusting of a blush on her granddaughter's face and allowed herself to be led for a short while before shooing the helping hooves away. “Ah can walk just fine, y'all get ah move on!” The orange farmer smiled at the feisty tone of her grandma before turning with a wave for the two gray-white unicorns to follow her. Applejack kept up a brisk pace, allowing there to be some space between her and her crush in order to combat the blush at her grandma's words. “We'll just get the chairs from the attic an' move 'em to the barn. Then there's ah few more tables tah move...” Rarity listened with half an ear while the phrase of how important and happy Applejack was circled her mind, causing a blush of her own that was soon noticed by her sister. Sweetie Belle glanced between the two other mares and saw how red they both were, turning to ask an innocent question that served to fluster the older unicorn further. “Why are your cheeks red?” Orange ears perked up and it was with great discipline that Applejack continued to look ahead as her own blush spread as well. “I don't know what you mean Sweetie Belle, I'm merely a little tired of the climb, that's all.” Rarity tried to dismiss the filly's curiosity only to have her eyes widen at Applejack's sudden dejection and worry as she glanced back with a pensive frown. "Oh, well, if yer tired, ya don't have tah help. Ah can get this on mah own if ya want tah have ah seat instead.” Blue eyes widened as Rarity waved airily, trying to backtrack the meaning of her words while still excusing the blush. “No, no, I'm merely winded; I can still help!” Applejack's demeanor lightened, having been reassured that she wasn't bothering the dressmaker nor was Rarity exhausted and opened with a flourish the trap door and stepped into the attic, waving towards a stack of stools in the corner that numbered in the hundreds used for family reunions and smiled at the stunned unicorns. “Now, we only need twelve of these so if we each take some, it'll be done in a jiffy.” As Sweetie Belle tried to get as many as possible, Rarity levitated four chairs into the air easily, grabbing two from the filly along the way. While Rarity happily trotted down the stairs, Sweetie Belle stared despairingly after her as she stood in place with the two remaining stools nearby; something that didn't go unnoticed by the farmer who leaned towards the youngster with a small smirk. “It'll be ok, ya just have tah get stronger with yer magic an' then yer'll be able tah lift me off the ground; an' I weigh ah lot more than Madam Frou-frou.” Sweetie Belle couldn't hold back her giggle at the obvious teasing of her sister and settled with trying to drag one stool while having another on her back. Applejack watched this briefly before grabbing the other six and setting five of them on her back while holding the last with her mouth. It took the young unicorn a few minutes to move her portion on her own but Applejack made sure to hold back the overly cautious fashionista to give Sweetie Belle the chance to finish what she started. Once all the stools were set down inside the large barn, Rarity, with her eye for details, asked the stronger mare to rearrange the haphazardly place tables; Applejack complied with a smirk and shake of her head, easily moving the large pieces of solid wood. Which Rarity couldn't help but wonder at, losing her train of thought as muscles bunched and strained under orange fur. “Alright, so the punch an' things go here, where did ya-” “GASP! Applejack!! I haven't put any of the decoration up yet, so you have to wait to do the grand tour! Oh oh oh! I know, I'll give it right now!” The unicorns and earth pony looked in surprise to the doorway where they saw the latest guests standing; or at least, where they were standing before Pinkie rushed Twilight over and grabbed the others to pull them along for a tour. As Pinkie displayed a normal or empty area in her 'tour', she would throw out a hoof with a bang (or pops just to be different) and added decorations in seconds; something that amused the fashion mare while somehow frustrating her due to robbing her chance to see Applejack's muscles. (Wait... Why am I annoyed by this? Do, do I really want to watch Applejack move things...?) Rarity couldn't hold back her blush as Pinkie squished them all together, Twilight and Sweetie Belle on one side and Applejack and Rarity on the other (Spike somehow avoided the hug and watched amused from the doorway), and felt the warmth and sweat on the orange farmer and knew exactly where it came from. Applejack was stunned by being next to her crush, having been worried that Rarity wouldn't want to touch her even as she was covered in sweat and dirt. “And here are the streamers! Over this way are some balloons, and here are more balloons and this is where the banner is hanging and here are the games and-” After a moment to think, Applejack came back to her senses at the word 'games' and tried to intervene. “Pinkie Pie, Ah don't think we need games for this kind of dinner.” Pinkie froze in the middle of placing said games on the ground and blinked a few times before sheepishly smiling at the farmer who smiled back with amusement. With great reluctance, Pinkie slowly released the others and scuffed a hoof along the ground. “Oh yeah, heh heh, I guess not; I'll just put these away for later then.” The others rolled their eyes while the baker replaced the games in her saddlebags and Applejack led them back to the table in the center of the room. “Y'all are real early, was there anything ya wanted to do while waitin' for the grub tah be done?” As the orange mare faced all her friends, they replied mostly at the same time about what they could do. “Was there anything you needed help with darling?” “Where's Apple Bloom?” “OOoo we can use the games to pass the time!” Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes at the sudden outburst of answers while smiling; the orange earth pony started with the youngest pony's question and gazed down at the young unicorn in amusement. “Apple Bloom is in the kitchen, ya can go an' join her if ya want.” As Sweetie Belle perked up at this, Applejack turned to the older unicorn with a bashful smile. “There ain't much more can be done tah help, sorry Rarity.... Though Ah guess ya can help set the table if ya want. As for the games-” a lavender hoof waved to cut the orange mare off as Twilight took over speaking specifically to her marefriend. “I'll try some of those games Pinkie Pie; why don't we go over there so we won't be underhoof?” The hyper mare squeed as she led the way to the corner of the barn while the farmer and fashionista went to the kitchen with Sweetie Belle following close by, with Spike chasing after them a moment later. As the three ponies trotted out of the double door, the purple and green dragon ran after them while waving his claws. “Could I come with you guys? Pinkie is an expert in games and only Twilight can keep up sometimes.” Applejack paused and glanced towards the drake with trepidation, recalling how she had to compete with him for Rarity's attention (though she felt like a cheater, knowing that they both cared for the gray-white unicorn and that Spike didn't know of the farmer's new feelings). “Oh, sure thin' Spike... Let's go see what Granny Smith needs us tah do.” Spike smiled brightly and walked next to Rarity, trying to gain her attention through stories of what he's been doing lately at the library. Applejack watched from the corner of her eye as she led them along, seeing that Rarity gave the young drake as much attention as she could while still watching where she was going. “Yes, that's lovely darling...” Spike beamed while Rarity couldn't help but notice how the orange earth pony seemed to be on edge suddenly; before she could question the sudden edge of the farmer, they arrived in the mid-sized kitchen where Apple Bloom was helping her grandmother by getting the needed materials for the large meal. “Granny, we've come tah see if ya need some help; did ya need some more helpers?” At the question, both the oldest and youngest of the farmers looked to the doorway, surprised to find the three ponies and dragon standing there. “Sweetie Belle! Granny, can Ah go with Sweetie Belle, please?!” The pale-green mare looked to her youngest granddaughter with a raised brow before smiling in amusement. “Sure thin' pickle pear, seems like Ah got ah whole heap o' helpers now.” The two fillies smiled in joy and left quickly while their sisters watched with smiles at their actions. “Applejack, sugar pie, Ah'll need ya tah help get me the cinnamon, garlic, rosemary, an' the next pile o' apples over by the fridge.” Applejack stepped further inside the kitchen and began to gather the requested objects, leaving Spike and Rarity unsure in the doorway. “Granny Smith, how could we be of help?” Spike tore his eyes from the unicorn to smile reassuringly to the older farmer as Rarity posed her question. Granny Smith looked over the two hopeful helpers and smiled wanly before waving them forward. “Sure thin'! Yong'un, why don't ya get the plates and missy, why don't ya go an' help Applejack get those apples.” The orange farmer turned sharply at her name and saw with a blush that the unicorn happily trotted over to lift the apples using her magic. The three friends were set to work rapidly, getting the different food things as well as the needed utensils for the meal. Within the organized chaos, Rarity constantly found herself helping the orange mare while Spike would try to help her directly, often while also doing what had been asked of him. This meant that Applejack would often have to do his part at the same time, an irony she didn't miss that only stressed her further causing the gray-white fashionista to wonder at what was causing it. Once the majority of the meal was well started or in the middle of being cooked, the elder mare sent her three helpers to start setting up the tables, loading them down with plates and utensils to carry. Since Rarity had the lightest load, carrying the supplies in her magical grip, she went first into the red barn, clearing the way for Applejack and Spike to follow along. As they entered, they discovered the two fillies close behind them and enlisted their help with setting the supplies down. As Rarity started to fidget with the stacks of plates and cups, Applejack turned to find Twilight and Pinkie Pie in the corner playing board games to pass the time. “Just so ya know, Granny Smith is inside makin' sure nothin' goes wrong with the food. Rainbow, Fluttershy an' Scootaloo should be comin' soon too.” Before the couple could mention anything about this update, there came a knock to the door of the barn, leaving Applejack to check on who it was. Upon noticing that it was the three pegasi who they were waiting for, the others were about to greet them when Rainbow Dash took off once she made a basic greeting to the hostess, causing the remaining guests to pause and wonder at what had called her attention so suddenly. “Hmmm, I wonder what Rainbow Dash felt she forgotten to do..?” Rarity turned to the lavender unicorn who shrugged in return, unsure of what was happening and momentarily distracted when Pinkie went to add more decorations around the barn while Applejack and Fluttershy continued to speak in the doorway. The fashionista noticed the cause of the distraction and couldn't hold back her curiosity of how well the couple's life has been since they last spoke. “Twilight, you simply must tell me how you and Pinkie Pie are getting along...” Purple eyes snapped back towards the other unicorn in surprise, meeting blue ones that shined with curiosity and amusement. “Oh, we're doing ok and everything seems to be doing fine...” "Yeah, I'm pretty sure they've broken a record for longest cuddle session three times by now...” Spike tried to be witty to gain his crush's attention, which worked to an extent with the unforeseen consequences of annoying his guardian. “Spike!” “Oh, it's fine darling, nothing wrong with a nice cuddle session; fur pressed closely together, smelling the other's scent, feeling the warmth they radiate...” Rarity trailed off as her mind's eye produced the example she spoke of; orange fur, slightly tinted with dirt from a hard day's work, the smell of sweat and apples (an unusual scent, but one rather unique to the green eyed mare), the warmth of having worked all day making her body produce even more heat, muscles, firm and strong that lay just beneath the orange coat... (Wait a moment! Orange co-! No, I wasn't just- this heat must be getting to me, I better find something to drink to cool off!) As Rarity had started to daydream, Spike had grown annoyed and slightly disgusted since they had been talking about the one who takes care of him and her marefriend while Twilight had grown distracted herself, remembering the previous cuddles and agreeing with the romantic's words. “Oh, herm-herm, Spike darling, could you fetch me a cup of punch? The day is still rather warm and I find myself simply parched.” The dragon perked up at the request and ran off to find just the right cup to suit the prim mare's needs. Before he was able to get the requested drink, the doors burst open once more, showing the cyan pegasus posing as she shouted to grab everyone's attention. “Everypony can relax, the most awesome of ponies have arrived!” They stared as Pinkie hopped over the two pegasi and spoke with them near the door before returning to their own conversation, though Rarity's gaze swept the room as she tried to stop herself from thinking of a certain mare. Before Rarity could comment or move from her place near the table when she couldn't find Applejack anywhere, the mare in question entered gently through the doors once more. After having spoke with the pegasi, Applejack felt that it would be best to check on the food since everyone had arrived at the farm; unfortunately she didn't have very good news to deliver to the hungry ponies. "Guys, sorry tah say but the food won't be done until ah bit later...” Rainbow Dash groaned at these words and rolled her eyes while she complained, drawing everyone's attention. "Oh come on, can't we at least get something to have for now?” Applejack rolled her own eyes at the tone before nodding, not wanting to deal with a hungry and bored Rainbow as well as wanting to get away from Spike and Rarity, whom she had seen interacting and was tempted to purposely interrupt them. “Alright, alright, Ah'll see about getting somethin' for everypony tah drink; y'all just han' tight.” Rarity frowned at Applejack's sudden leaving once more and stepped forward away from her place next to the librarian and her assistant. “Perhaps I could help darling?” The farmer blushed while looking towards the door, happy to have the fashionista so willing to help but could almost feel the accusing eyes of Spike on her, not seeing that he was merely glancing back and forth between the two in curiosity. “Oh er, sure Rarity; we'll just need tah grab some juice an' maybe a few treats tah tide us over.” The gray-white unicorn smiled and trotted over to the other mare before both went back to the main house, with Spike running after them with a shout that was lost to most of those still in the barn. “Hey, can I help?” The response was lost as they went out of easy hearing range of those inside, but was plenty clear for the ones outside; Rarity was worried when Applejack flinched before turning to the drake with a smile, unease spreading even further at the blonde's sudden behavior when it came to Spike. “Of course ya can, we'd need all the help we can tah carry enough for everyone to snack on.” Spike trotted quickly to get even with the two others who waited patiently for him before continuing on, finding that Granny Smith was already several steps ahead of them, having laid out plates of appetizers already on the main counter of the kitchen. “Granny, what's all this then?” “Why, y'all are gonnah be nothin' but bones if ya don't get somethin' tah chew on fast. Careful tah not spill ah drop now!” The orange earth pony smiled at her grandma's foresight and lead the way to gather as many plates as she could on her back and head, while Spike grabbed a few in his claws and Rarity used her magic to get the rest. They did an about face and returned to the barn, trying to be sure they didn't fall or drop any of the prepared snacks along the way. Applejack tried to focus on what she was doing, but could tell that Spike was amazed at Rarity's abilities just as always and fought with herself about it; Rarity noticed this seriousness and worried as to what its cause on such a happy holiday. Before either could speak, they found themselves at the barn once more and in the midst of a Pinkie Pie song about Harvest Feast. The hyper mare waited until they set down their load before pulling them into her song, sitting them at the table with party hats and doing a slide with outstretched hooves as she wrapped up her number. “That's real nice Pinkie Pie; not sure why ya had tah sing about it but it was nice of ya tah say it like that. We got some snacks tah hold back hungry ponies, just don't fill up too much, we got ah lot of food comin' yer way.” Applejack shook her head amused as Rainbow zipped up to start stuffing her muzzle with the crackers and fruits that were offered and settled down next to the unicorn who promptly asked for a cup of juice. While Spike zipped up to grab a cup, Applejack settled back down into her seat, embarrassed at having assumed Rarity had asked her and that she was about to rob Spike of a chance to gain the unicorn's favor. Unbeknownst to either of them, Rarity had been mildly surprised to find she had meant for the orange earth pony to get her drink and hadn't even thought of how she had already asked Spike to do so earlier. The two friends were quickly brought back to their surroundings from these thoughts when Twilight shouted as her punch dribbled out of a leak from her cup, spilling to the table and floor in a puddle. “Oh my gosh, I'm sorry Applejack I-” “Ah hahahahaha!” Rainbow Dash tipped over to lean against the pink earth pony who also smiled at the well hidden prank, while Applejack brought over some napkins to the distressed librarian. “Oh hahahahaha, dribble cups! Classic RD!” Twilight glared at the laughing duo while she tried to clean up the mess, not finding the hidden prank as amusing as her marefriend or the well-known prankster; a sentiiment shared by the orange farm mare who frowned while getting rid of the prank cup. “Pinkie~” As Twilight and Pinkie began to speak about the use and intention behind pranks, Applejack glowered at the still chuckling pegasus. “Rainbow, maybe ya don't know this, but this here feast is important to us earth ponies; Ah don't want tah see any more shenanigans from ya, ya hear?” Rarity raised an intrigued brow at these words, wondering what kind of extra meaning Harvest Feast held for earth ponies as she helped to mop up the mess the dribble cup had made. Rainbow remained silent after the statement while keeping a smirk on her muzzle, something that did not reassure the farm mare but Applejack couldn't press the matter since she had to help clean up and get Twilight another cup of juice. As Twilight graciously accepted the new cup, Applejack heard a sound that caused her heart to freeze in place before turning rapidly to see what went wrong this time. “Waaa ha ha ha-help!” Rarity, distracted by the frustrated scowl on Applejack's face, had decided to sit down once more and felt a moment of wrongness before the stool tipped away from the table; a missing leg caused the stool to dump its load backwards rapidly as weight settled further onto it. Finding the fashion mare falling backwards with flaring hooves caused the farmer to throw herself forward to try and catch the unicorn while Spike covered his eyes in fear. Rarity's momentum caused both mares to roll a few paces though Applejack was able to soften the blow by protecting the gray-white unicorn with her body instead. After they stopped moving, Rarity opened her eyes to find herself laying on top of Applejack who held her close with both hooves along her back. They panted slightly as adrenaline coursed through their veins, not moving as they mentally checked their condition; though the silence proved too much for the orange earth pony who had to make sure she managed to help. “Yer, yer not hurt are ya?” “No, not at all darling... Thank you for catching me...” Subconsciously, the two mares spoke in hushed tones, staring at one another with wide eyes as they didn't move a muscle. “N-no problem, glad yer not hurt...” Boisterous laughter rang through the barn, reminding the orange farmer that they weren't alone in the room; with an almost silent sigh, Applejack shifted in place under the fashion-minded mare. “Uhm, Rarity? Can, can ya get up?” Rarity blinked as she realized how close they were and blushed as she stood up, trying to not touch the mare beneath her any more than needed. Once they were standing, Applejack went to confront the pegasus even though they both were a bit redder in the face. “Rainbow! Ya better not have some other pranks planned, it's not ah regular ol' party ya know!” “Yeah, yeah, relax, it's just harmless fun!” The farmer shook her head at the laughter and turned to find Rarity walking up to the table while picking out the various bits of straw and hay, not to mention dirt, that she and Spike then worked to clean out of her fur. “Oh, look at this mess, it's simply horrid. I have to clean this out right away, may I use the restroom Applejack?” Applejack shook out of her daze at seeing the normally prim mare dirty and nodded, leading the way to the upstairs bathroom; Spike gazed towards them but remained in place, recalling how Rarity didn't want him to go inside while they were cleaning and changing for their big day at the Gala. “That's fine; come on, we'll get ya cleaned up.” As they went to the upstairs bathroom, Rarity was distracted from her plight by the meager beauty supplies. “Oh darling! Where, where are the conditioners? The exfoliates? The body, fur and conditioner soaps? The cleaning shampoo, the shampoo that makes one's mane shine, the one that lifts the mane and tail?” Applejack couldn't help deadpanning the fashion mare and shook her head as she gathered what they did have on hoof. “We don't go with nothin', we do have some shampoos tah use.... Yer not gonnah shower are ya? The food ought tah be done in half an hour.” Rarity blinked as yet another image of a soaked orange mare flashed through her mind before shaking her mind clear and flipping her mane. “I know that dear, but I am a mare of fashion and can clean this mess out in no time.” Applejack blinked at these words and barely contained her blush as she stepped out of the bathroom quickly, surprising Rarity with this sudden retreat and turned to the farmer in confusion. “Applejack, where are you going?” “Uhm, Rare? Ya said, yer gonnah try an' take ah shower...” Rarity blinked at these words and frowned to the other mare. “Darling, normally I would try to do that, but there isn't enough supplies for me to do so. If you could help me make sure I've cleaned every bit though, that would be most helpful; the mirror you have is insufficient for such a thing.” Rarity saw in the mirror the dark blush of the farmer who stared back in surprise. “What do ya mean? It’s plenty big, ya can see a lot in it.” Rarity looked from the mirror firmly attached to the wall to the earth pony next to her. “Darling, I need to be able to see every part of my fur to be sure that it is cleaned properly… I don’t suppose you have a small, portable mirror?” Applejack blinked in surprise before slowly blushing as she scuffed a hoof along the ground. “Uhm, Rarity? Usin’ a small mirror wouldn’t do us earth ponies any good…” The alabaster unicorn blinked in return, glancing back to the meager supplies of brushes, combs, and soaps to find that indeed, there was no small mirror for her to use. “Oh. In that case, I shall need your assistance more than ever to be sure there is nothing left in my fur.” “Er, right, sure... Uh, Ah'll, Ah'll do that...” The brush was levitated in a blue hue to the orange mare, who carefully helped to clean off all the dust and dirt that had found its way into gray-white fur. Applejack tried desperately to not stare at certain parts of the unicorn and often found herself looking at her own hoof that moved slowly across the seemingly endless curves instead. Rarity, not watching what her friend was looking at, focused her attention on the purple mane that had a few pieces of hay and straw still in it. In moments, after being sure her mane and tail were in pristine condition once more, the fashionista turned her gaze to the farmer only to find Applejack studiously looking at the ground as she brushed along Rarity's flank. “Darling, you are checking that you've cleaned properly aren't you?” Applejack looked up to blue eyes and lost her voice for a moment before remembering what was asked. “Oh, er, yeah, Ah am; jus-just didn't want ya tah think Ah was starin' inappropriately...” Rarity raised a single brow at this statement while trying to quiet her mind that was more than willing to allow such behavior and turned to face her friend completely. “Applejack, you needn't worry about such a thing; especially when I had asked for help in making sure everything is cleaned out. Besides, a lady is more than appreciative of others finding them attractive; I don't go to such lengths for nothing afterall!” Applejack blinked before rubbing the back of her head with a smile. “Right, well, yer as pretty as ah freshly bloomed apple tree an' not ah spot of dirt left.” Rarity beamed at the praise and delicately trotted to the doorway, passing the shy earth pony with a wink. “Thank you darling. Come along, we mustn't keep the others waiting.” The orange mare resettled her hat before following the unicorn back down the stairs, stopping by the kitchen to check on her grandmother once more and finding that the food was ready to start taking out to the barn in multiple trips. Rarity, noticing that she didn't have an orange shadow following her, went into the kitchen to add her own aid to bring the food over. With Applejack, Big Mac and Rarity all helping, it wasn't too long before the tables in the center of the barn were groaning under the weight and all the stools (having been checked for any more sabotage) were placed nearby for the various dinner guests. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh sat at either ends of the table, with Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Twilight and Pinkie Pie on one side while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy along the other. They had to use two tables to fit everyone but it made it feel much cozier and warmer that way, having everyone be close helped to heat the otherwise chilly barn as the evening wore on. In an effort to put her best hoof forward, Applejack tried to eat with better manners than usual, much to the confusion of her family who watched curiously. Rarity, not seeing anything out of place with eating with utensils, took no notice of this until the sounds of annoyance reached her ears over top of Spike's questions concerning her business of late. “-and I've had the most ridiculous order from Hoity Toity who wanted even more dresses of completely different designs within a few days time and-” "-what in tarnation is-” “-I simply worked myself to the bone, and, and...” “-stupid fork, Ah ain't never done anything tah ya-” “...” By this point, both Spike and Rarity were watching Applejack as she shook her hoof determinedly while holding a fork. “-haven't even used ya much!” “Applejack, darling, are, are you doing ok?” Applejack paused in her efforts and was about to respond when she heard a distinctive sound that always drew her ire. “Phhhfff...” Green eyes slowed turned toward the cyan pegasus, narrowing in anger as she found the pranking mare holding a hoof to her mouth to stop the laughter from bursting through. “Raaaiiinbooow...” The pegasus tried to speak through her laughter as the table ended up focusing on her, the issue at hoof becoming clear as all other conversation fell silent. “Heh heh, at least -giggle- you'll be able to, ha ha ha, eat with proper manners -HahaHA- now!” As Applejack growled towards the prankster, Rarity could see that the orange farm mare was losing her patience and tried to distract her from going after Rainbow Dash. “Darling, let me help.” At the prim tone, Applejack's anger deflated rapidly as she turned to find the fashion mare waiting with a cup of water and rag. “Let's see what we can do for this...” The orange earth pony didn't trust her voice and nodded her consent, giving the gray-white mare full access to the fork that was glued onto her hoof. “My, what kind of glue was used on this...? It is troublesome; not that I can't help!” Rarity tried to smile reassuringly as she focused on trying to water down whatever held the fork to the orange hoof, pulling on the fur in the meantime. “Sorry for the trouble Rarity...” “Oh, it's no problem at all! If I... could just... get... this... off!” With a final jerk, Rarity managed to pull the utensil off while barely ripping off fur at the same time. The short burst of pain caused Applejack to flinch, though she managed to restrain herself from flaring or accidentally hitting the unicorn who was helping her; the tears caused by this action didn't go unnoticed by Rarity who grabbed a napkin to help wipe them away while making sure she didn't hurt her too badly. “Darling, I'm so sorry, it was stuck so firmly-!” “It's alright Rarity, Ah'm grateful fer yer help... Let's, let's hope Dash ain't gonnah do much more this evening.” With a resolute nod in the farm mare's direction, Rarity turned back to her place and noticed how Applejack delicately, and with a flinch of pain, ate her meal with better than usual manners. After having glanced at the other earth ponies sitting at the table (aside from Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be shoving food into her mouth rapidly), the gray-white unicorn was able to tell that the method Applejack was using to eat was not normal and was actually hurting her more since some of her fur had been ripped suddenly off. Rarity leaned over, about to assure the farmer that she needn't force herself, when a shout of hysteric joy and amazement rang over the small talk. "GASP!!! Twilight, Twilight, your tongue is blue, your tongue is blue!” Everyone stopped in place and looked over towards the lavender unicorn who was trying to view the offending appendage only to find that it had indeed turned blue. “Oh darling, it is! What in the world caused it?! It doesn't match your coat at all!” Applejack rolled her eyes at the last sentence before looking closer to what was on the plate before the studious unicorn to see what may have caused it while Rarity tried to think of a way to get the new color to match the purple fur. “Ain't nothing there that would turn yer tongue blue unless-” "Bwahahahahahaha! You, you guys are hilarious!” The majority of the older ponies rolled their heads and eyes at the laughter, the reason for the color changing tongue becoming clear as the raucous laughter continued. “RAINBOW!” Everyone (aside from the Cutie Mark Crusaders) yelled at the pegasus who smirked proudly with crossed hooves as she faced annoyed glares. “Hey Pinkie, I bet it tastes just like the dark blueberries I used to make it change colors; you'll let us know later right?” As Dash smirked at the pink baker who looked confused at the request, Applejack barely held back a face-hoof since even she could tell her two friends didn't want to outright state their relationship (mostly due to the reserved unicorn's reasoning). Once Pinkie figured out what Dash meant, she couldn't help the blush that spread across her muzzle; one that matched Twilight's that had appeared a few seconds before as she too realized what was being implied. The others who knew (aside from Rainbow) opted for silence as they avoided making eye contact with anyone, worried they might give it away should they do so. With a final glare in the cyan mare's direction, Twilight stood and looked to Applejack with a questioning glance, Spike standing along with her in an attempt to help in anyway possible. “I'll be right back Applejack, if that's ok.” “Sure thin' sugarcube; the bathroom is on the second floor, second door on the right.” Twilight nodded her appreciation before setting out, not seeing the worried look on her marefriend's face or the concerned glances of the others that followed her before trying to regain the carefree atmosphere. A task that was hard to accomplish as they were now all on guard for hidden pranks placed by the sky-blue pegasus, but they still tried nonetheless. Rarity took the moment to lean back towards the orange mare and quietly assure her that certain mannerisms weren't needed. "Applejack, you needn't force yourself to eat in a particular fashion; especially now that your hoof is a little sore...” Applejack flashed her crush a brief smile before looking to the food once more, grateful that the proper mare doesn't mind how she ate but still worried that the day could get a lot worse. “Thanks sugarcube, but don't ya worry about me none, Ah'll be fine. We just gottah make sure this dinner goes alright...” Rarity was surprised at how much focus the earth pony was placing on the dinner that aside from it being a holiday and having a few pranks, seemed rather normal and inconsequential to her. “Darling, I realize that you want to give us a good impression as well as help keep Twilight and Pinkie's relationship a secret for now, but surely a dinner with everyone isn't so drastically important?” The orange mare deadpanned the gray-white one at the mention of over dramatization but soon shook her head with a half-smile. "Rarity, it ain't just the dinner or makin' ah good impression on anypony about anypony else; it's ah long standin' tradition that if the harvest feast goes well, all the preparations an' work done in the winter time would too. Sure, havin' ah good time is important, but gettin' with yer family and friends, havin' ah nice solid meal together, restin' the day after, it's all in order tah get ready for all the work we gottah do in the winter.” Rarity frowned thoughtfully at these words, learning even more about the farmer and her lifestyle in one day than she had in a long while. “Ah just want things tah go ok and start off this season on the right hoof...” A gray-white hoof laid on top of an orange one as Rarity smiled confidently to the nervous earth pony. “I'm sure everything will be fine.” As Applejack blushed at the contact and assurances, Spike came back with Twilight and frowned at the sight of the crossed hooves causing the blonde farm mare to flinch and shrink back from the dressmaker. Rarity saw this sudden flinch and was about to question it when Spike tried to regain her attention with how he was totally able to help Twilight get her tongue back to it's normal coloring. As the young drake spoke, Applejack watched with slight sadness which didn't go unnoticed by the fashionista who started to pensively frown as well. Spike, seeing the frowns on both of the mares next to him, started to form a frown as well and tried even harder to keep Rarity's attention on him. “I was working my tail off, getting all the needed magical stuff-” (Why is Applejack so worried? Surely a few bumps in the road isn't that problematic...) “-and then Pinkie just jumps up from nowhere and asks-” (Honestly, it's not like one bad dinner would ruin an entire season's amount of work!) “-and Twilight and I were just standing there all confused but then I realized-” (Even I've had worse dinners with my own family, this is going rather well! Why is she frowning?) “-once we put the herbs in place, things went totally fine and Twilight-” (… Why does it feel wrong to see her unhappy...?) Spike, finding he still didn't have the gray-white mare's full focus, was about to launch into another epic story when a loud fog horn rang loudly in the barn, followed by a timid eep and the sounds of a can bouncing around wooden beams. Everyone turned to the source of the noise only to find a soaked and annoyed Fluttershy sitting stock still while Rainbow Dash tried to contain her laughter. The others watched in shock as water dripped down pink mane and tail before the usually timid mare turned to her best friend with a semi-glare of disappointment. “Rainbow Dash, you were asked to be good and not do anymore pranks.” Dash shifted in place before smirking once more and trying to seem indifferent to the trouble she had caused that evening. “Phsstt, it's just some harmless jokes...” Before anyone at the table could argue otherwise, the cream-yellow pegasus restated her message firmly. “No Rainbow, with that air horn you could have made someone choke on their food. Sometimes, pranks are not a good or harmless thing.” Rainbow Dash frowned before trying to dismiss the dangers once more as everyone else looked on. “Look, I know what I'm doing, everything would have been fine.” Fluttershy gave her old friend one last look before shaking her head in frustration and getting up from the table with a soft frown, much to everyone's surprise; though the one who was the most surprised was Dash who remained in place before crossing her hooves in annoyance. Once the door closed behind the usually quiet mare, the table broke out in bickering and stressing out of why things had taken such a sharp down turn, though the two oldest farmers and the Cutie Mark Crusaders did not partake in this particular discussion. As Twilight held her face in her hooves with a teary eyed Pinkie leaning towards her, Applejack slammed her hoof onto the table and grounded her hat on her head in annoyance; an action that shocked the fashion mare even further than one of her closest friends almost storming out of the dinner. “Applejack! Honestly, is that kind of behavior necessary?” The orange farmer turned disbelieving eyes towards the drama queen and sputtered a few words before frowning in ever growing frustration. “Mah behav- it's not neces- Ah'm-! This is an important meal for us farmin' folk! How well we get along an' work together tah make it sets the example for the rest of the year! Not only has Rainbow Dash gone an' misbehaved -much worse than me!- but she's done gone an' annoyed Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Of the ever live-long-day patience!” Rarity frowned lightly at the facts but still felt it was being overblown, while Spike was torn between what was happening with Pinkie Pie and Twilight and Rarity and Applejack. “Yes, but enough to start slamming things in annoyance and destroying your hat? Though I do wish you would allow me to make you something else, a little more color perhaps?” As the dressmaker tried to cheer up the frustrated mare the only way she knew how, Applejack's stress continued to climb and she rubbed both hooves along her face before glaring at the other mare once more. “Ugh! No, ya can't mess with mah hat; it's ah good ol' strong kind an' Ah've done worse to it. Got extra in case somethin' does rip it... But even with all the extra plannin' we do, it ain't gonnah be enough to get us back on track!” “Darling, you and your family are a close and well performing team; we've seen it time and again for every cider season and during harvest time. Surely one bad dinner wouldn't ruin such a well organized team? Led by the most dependable ponies in Ponyville I might add?” Applejack blinked at the praise before shaking her head at the unicorn's lack of knowledge. “Rarity, it ain't just about mah family. Years an' years ago, with that first family of earth ponies, after they started Harvest Feast, got intah a fight again. Some of the brothers bickered like cats an' dogs at the dinning table an' left angry. Well, that winter, none of the families who sat at the table durin' the fight were able to do half as well on their work for the rest of the year. When they got back together the followin' year, and made up as well as promisin' not tah fight no more, they did more than double the work as the year before; provin' that the Harvest Feast can give ya ah very good idea on how family and friends can work together for the rest of the year, if it's done right!” It was Rarity's turn to blink in silence, never having encountered earth pony traditions like this before (Winter-wrap up Ponyville style notwithstanding, considering how odd the town normally was which caused Rarity to think it was merely just this one place that had odd traditions). “Applejack, surely you can't be that superstitious? We may fight now, but that doesn't mean we can't be the best of friends later...” Applejack sighed as she looked to the unicorn with tired eyes. “You unicorns can do just about anythin' ya want, with pegasi flyin' in the sky doin' whatever they want tah the weather. We only have our ability tah grow stuff and our connection with the ground, ya don't question what ya know works 'cause we ain't ever gonnah understand it like you unicorns might be able tah...” The gray-white mare opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of a decent counter argument for that when there came a simple sentence that emptied her mind of all other thought. “Where are the girls?” All conversation stopped for the fourth time that evening as they looked to three empty seats while images of what the three rambunctious fillies could get up to filled their minds. At the sudden silence and motionless of everyone at the table, Rarity was about to identify a unique smell found the majority of the time of when a certain filly wanted to serve her sister breakfast in bed. “Is... that... smoke!?!” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth in fright as her head whipped towards the door where the smell came from, drawing everyone's attention to the outside, observing how the door was indeed cracked open slightly. In moments, the others rushed outside and found smoke rising from the kitchen, running to the back door and bursting in to find the three Crusaders trying to get something out of the oven amid smoke and bits of flame that licked the sides. While Rarity levitated the girls away in blind panic, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash all used different methods to try and put out the fire simultaneously. Applejack grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink, Pinkie grabbed a pitcher of water (from where, nopony knows), Twilight rapidly thought before turning on the facet and channeling the water to shoot to the oven while Rainbow decided it was too slow and busted the tap off to tunnel the gushing water with rapid hoof and wing work. Within seconds of the combined methods, the fire was out and Twilight was repairing the sink faucet with a short glare at the now sheepish pegasus. As Granny Smith, Pinkie Pie and Twilight tried to air out the house, the others sat the girls down to find out what exactly happened with the three dejected Crusaders. “That was really dangerous! What if ya burnt down the house? Then we wouldn't have a place tah stay, what the hay were y'all tryin' tah cook anyways!?” Applejack grilled the fillies who stared at the ground, feeling the weight of the angry and concerned glares on their backs. “We just wanted everyone tah be happy again an' we were goin' tah make a nice cake for everyone.” Applejack felt a stab of guilt and concern at these words, her fears coming true about what happens if a Harvest Feast does not go well. “But we wouldn't have enough time to let it cook normally, so we thought that if you turned up the heat it would cook it faster.” Rarity did a very undignified hoof-plant at these words and made a mental note to get Sweetie Belle proper cooking sessions and pondered if Applejack would be willing to teach her before remembering to focus on the task at hoof first. "We're sorry, we didn't mean to almost burn down the house.” The three girls all bowed their heads apologetically while the older mares looked on; Big Mac stopped glaring at his sister and her friends at the sound of apology and started to help clean up the kitchen instead. “Siigh... It's ok to make mistakes, but the next time you guys want to cook, why don't you go and get one of ponies who can actually cook, alright?” Dash tried to sound convincing, knowing that she was not one of those ponies as the other mares continued to watch their sisters. Three heads nodded in agreement to this and the mares turned back to find the kitchen had been taken care of and properly cleaned as they spoke, leaving them with nothing more to be done. Since everything was back in order, the group of ponies went to return to their dinner in the red barn; on the way back out they found Fluttershy standing nervously beyond the doorway, worried about what had happened. Without a word, they all signaled to the cyan pegasus that she was the one who needed to talk with the timid mare, leaving the two pegasi to talk in privacy as they continued to head for the barn. As they took their seats, it was to their great surprise that nothing had gone missing and finding little evidence of the earlier stress and frustration. Twilight was the first to crack as she realized that it was mostly in their minds and gave a quiet chuckle, soon followed by Spike who covered his mouth with both claws as he tried to prevent the short burst of laughter from escaping. Soon everyone was laughing as they returned to their places, much to the confusion (and private joy) of the three fillies who could only watch as all the older ponies broke out in different kinds of laughter. “Heh heh heh.... Ah'm sorry y'all, Ah got so worked up tah make sure this here evenin' went just right that everythin' just got out of control.” Rarity patted the orange mare's hoof reassuringly while Twilight felt the need to also make a statement, glancing around before settling on the pink mare next to her. “I'm sorry too; I got so worked up with making sure nothing went wrong or seemed odd that I wasn't paying attention to what really mattered...” Pinkie gave her marefriend a huge smile as she went for a hug, releasing it for a moment as memory of where they were returned before getting wrapped in a hug from the lavender mare instead. The others at the table smiled at the sight before Rarity glanced at the orange farmer from the corner of her eye, and decided to cement just how fine it had turned out in the end. “Everything was just fine but I'm glad we were able to clear the air as it were; hopefully we can enjoy the rest of our meal without all this unneeded stress.” Rarity smiled at the joyous couple before glancing once more towards Applejack who smirked back with a small wave of her hoof. "Yep! And I know just the thing! 'I'm sorry' cake!” As everyone watched with amusement as Pinkie pulled out a large two layered cake complete with decorations, Twilight raised a curious brow at the name. “An 'I'm sorry' cake? Are you sure that we need that kind of-” Pinkie turned sharply and with a large (almost too large) grin, stared deeply into purple eyes that shrank at the almost disturbing image as everyone froze in place, never having seen such a look before. “Eat the cake! Pretty please with lots of icing and sprinkles and toppings and yumminess on top?” Even though the baker still had the (almost too) large smile on, the usual silliness brought a hesitant smile from the unicorn who merely nodded her consent before both mares turned to the cake to begin to divide it out evenly. As the couple set out plates of the cake to everyone sitting at the table currently, Rarity used the general distraction to lean over and tease the orange earth pony next to her. “See darling? Everything is fine and on the mend, nothing to get so worked up about.” Applejack rolled her eyes with a light smile, amused at being told to calm down by the most dramatic mare in Ponyville. “Sure thin' sugarcube, sure thin'. An' when Ah tell ya that wearin' mah hat an' some frou-frouy dress don't make ah lick of difference, ya better remember this.” Rarity gasped quietly as she held a hoof over her heart before sticking her nose in the air. “Darling! That is not the same thing at all and one must simply wear the right attire for certain occasions!” While Applejack laughed at the response, Rarity couldn't hold back her pleased smile at hearing the earth pony happy once more and not worried into knots. It was as they were getting back to the dinner that the two pegasi returned, both a little bashful at what had happened and how they were gone for some time; not that anyone minded as they gave their greetings to the pair as well as passing them their own slices of cake. Compared to how the first part of the evening went, things were rather calm since both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash tried to behave after that point; though they still cracked jokes, which were kept to a minimum and on the quiet instead of trying to demand attention. What really brought the night to yet another pause was when Granny Smith felt the need to say the blunt truth about the hidden couple before everyone started to go their separate ways for the evening. “Well Ah gottah say that y'all make fer interestin' dinner companions; an' you two make ah cute couple.” The older mare pointed with a hoof to Twilight and Pinkie Pie who froze at the words, unsure of how they were supposed to react to that statement. As the majority of the table focused on the couple or on Granny Smith, Applejack's sudden release of tension went unnoticed as she saw who exactly her grandmother was pointing to having worried that the older mare had seen how the orange mare was behaving towards the gray-white one. “Oh, uh, what do you-?” “Oh nonsense! It's as obvious as ah golden delicious in pile o' almata apples, don't know why y'all were tryin' tah hide it.” The whole group (minus the Crusaders and Big Mac) wore sheepish looks while Granny Smith smirked at the couple who were both pleased by the praise and yet flustered at being found out so quickly. “What do you mean, 'a cute couple'?” Scootaloo broke in with obvious confusion, looking from the two mares at the end to the oldest farmer, bringing even more bashful looks from the mares who knew what was going on. After Twilight and Pinkie shared a silent glance, the studious unicorn turned towards the curious fillies as she tried to think of the best way to answer. “... Well, it means that Pinkie and I are dating; we just haven't really told anypony about it yet...” “That ain't th' best way tah have a relationship! No good comes out of bein' more secretive than a bear in a beehive.” Applejack slunk further in her seat, knowing that she was being almost as secretive about her own feelings and couldn't bring herself to look up from the table (something Granny Smith and Big Mac noticed within moments, though neither commented on it). “We're just waiting for the right time to throw a 'Twipie Party' but we want it to be a surprise for everypony else, so could you keep it a secret until the party is ready?” The pale-green earth pony raised a brow at the 'excuse' while Rainbow rolled her eyes at the 'party'; an action that went unnoticed as most were focused on the elder and her possible reaction. “If'in y'all insist, though Ah don't know nothin' about some kind o' 'Twipie party', why y'all can't jus' have ah normal one like we did in the old days... Why Ah remember when yer great aunt twice removed had ah big ol' shindin' fer her new relationships any ol' time she wanted and....” The older mare trailed off as she recounted from her younger years, bringing an embarrassed smile from the other members of the Apple family that was laughed away by the others. As the end of the dinner drew near, Applejack and her siblings started to clean up the various dishes and taking them to the kitchen for a proper cleaning. Before the farm mare could take even a step out of the door with her load, Rarity came forward with a hesitant smile. “Applejack, darling, would you need some help?” A single brow rose at this question, Applejack's mind racing with questions of why Rarity had been so willing to try and help today; not that she didn't offer to help in general, she just hadn't gone to this extent before in a single setting. “Shucks, if ya want tah, that's fine. We need tah get these dishes back to the kitchen and move the chairs an' tables back so we can use the barn again.” Just as the two mares were about to set to their tasks, the sound of rapid bipedal running caught their attention. “Do you need help? I'm pretty strong after all!” Rarity smiled in an indulgent manner and levitated a stack of plates into his waiting arms. “Of course darling, if you would be so kind as to take these to the kitchen? I shall be following along with more.” Spike threw out his chest (as much as he could while tittering under the heavy stack of dishes) and nodded stoutly before heading to the farm house; Rarity, who had magicked more dishes into the air, noticed the tense frown on Applejack's muzzle and was about to question it when Twilight and Pinkie stepped forward and started to speak with the blonde farmer; getting the feeling that Twilight wanted to speak with Applejack without others listening in, Rarity shrugged before continuing on her way as well. Applejack paused in her search for more dishes as she spotted a nervous Twilight waiting to speak with her. “What's up sugarcube?” Pinkie hovered nearby with a slight frown at the seriousness of her mare, something that the farmer saw and which set her on edge for what was about to be said. “Applejack, I've got something that you should hear... In private.” “Oh, ok; Ah'll be back y'all.” Applejack waved briefly at her help before walking with Twilight to stand right outside the doors, out of sight and hearing of the others. “What's the matter Twi'?” “... Spike overheard us when you stopped by about the ungrounding of the Crusaders and knows of your crush on Rarity... He's not sure what to believe, but you should talk with him about it.” Green eyes widened in surprise and fright before all the fear left the orange mare as she bowed her head tiredly with a sigh. “Ah see... Ah'll talk with him tonight if that's ok with ya Twilight.” “That's fine, but don't keep him out too late.” The orange farmer nodded before heading back inside, passing Pinkie who was nervously trotting out once she knew that the 'serious' talk was over. (Ah knew it wouldn't be easy... Thought somethin' was goin' on with how hard he was tryin' tah talk with Rarity... Do Ah let him help or do it now...? Better get it over with now, it'd eat at me all night if Ah don't.) Just as Applejack stood resolutely to find the young dragon, he and Rarity returned from their trip inside, chatting about the meal they just had. They both paused when the blonde mare stepped forward with a neutral face and looked only at the young drake who stared back in a suspiciously neutral manner as well. (Now why would Spiky-wikey make that kind of face? I thought we were all on good terms...? Why is Applejack upset again...? I-I better stay longer, to be sure my assistance is available in case it's needed...) “Spike, can Ah talk with ya outside?” The boy said nothing as he nodded once, following Applejack as they exited the barn and walked into the first row of trees least someone come across them as they talked. “Ah, Ah heard that ya had heard me an' Twilight talkin' before... About, about how Ah like Rarity.” Spike frowned deeply at this statement as he crossed his arms, scowling at the ground. “... Well, if-if ya didn't hear all that well, it wouldn't be right tah try an' hide it from ya anyways. Ah do like Rarity, ah lot an' sometimes Ah just don't know why... Not that Ah'd have tah tell ya why, seein' how ya like her too.” Spike frowned further for a moment before glaring up at the earth pony. “How do you know that I like Rarity anyways? Did Twilight tell again after she promised not to?” Applejack raised a curious brow at how Spike was taking the topic and shook her head no. “Nah, Ah knew 'cause of the way ya act an' talk around her...” “Oh...” The two remained silent for a moment longer before Spike suddenly broke out of his crossed arms with a sharp point to the mare beside him. “I've liked her way longer than you have! You, you should just give up because I'm going to totally win her over with how useful and helpful I am compared to you!” Applejack watched in surprise at this exclamation before sighing in resignation. “Ah ain't one tah give up just because someone tells me to... Spike, Ah don't want tah fight with ya over Rarity's affections, but Ah ain't goin' tah stop liking her; just like how ya probably can't just suddenly stop likin' her.” Spike pouted before growling briefly as he swatted away Applejack's empathetic hoof that had been placed during her little speech. “Well, just because we both like her doesn't mean that I'm going to take it easy on you!” Spike glared one last time at the older mare before running into the orchard, taking the most direct route home from where they had been talking. Applejack watched dejectedly from under an apple tree, before turning her gaze toward the red barn only to start in surprise at finding a gray-white unicorn looking back in unease. Rarity hadn't meant to stop moving but the tense atmosphere around the two talking had drawn her eye and apprehension. She was torn between going to comfort them or to allow them privacy, though she hadn't needed to make a choice when she saw the sadness in green eyes and slumped shoulders at the end. The farmer was upset at how the conversation went, especially the hurt that had shone in green eyes before filling with tears, and couldn't bring herself to leave the comforting shades of the tree even when the fashion mare sat next to her. "... Darling? Is, is everything alright?” “Yeah, just fine...” Rarity needn't see the obvious sign of lying to know that everything was not fine. “But, darling, Harvest Feast went fine in the end, what more could be wrong? Surely it was a sign that everything will go well for your family this season?” Applejack sighed wearily, sorting through the evening and the talk afterwards to make sure that this statement was mostly true before answering. "Yes, the dinner went well an' mah family an' Ah should be able tah do ah lot of work this winter. But Ah may have messed up somethin' else with this new fight with Spike...” Rarity frowned at this, knowing that the orange mare was one of the friendliest ponies around and even if she was a touch stubborn, she would do anything to help her friends. “Surely it's not all that bad....” The unicorn trailed off as the earth pony shook her head dejectedly. “Ah may have tah try not tah annoy him much more but Ah won't be able tah help it... The reason why we aren't gonnah be gettin' along? It's too important for me tah give it up...” Rarity frowned, never having heard such determination from her friend before. “Oh? Perhaps I could help with this...?” “No Rarity, Ah'll let ya know about it when the time comes... But not right now... Ah don't think Ah'm ready or... or what's so important is either...” The alabaster unicorn grew intrigued by this vagueness but could tell she wasn't going to gather much more from the other mare. “Alright, if you're sure darling... Come, we still have some things that must be cleaned up.” Applejack nodded slowly, getting up from her seat with hardly a sound though it took her longer than usual to do so. Together with the other members of the Apple Family, they got the barn back into its usual condition and cleaner than it was before (something that was in part due to the unicorn's help). Due to the late time, Applejack was quick to offer her services of escorting the prim mare back home, which was greatly appreciated and accepted. Both mares spent that night thinking of what had transpired and trying to understand what it could possibly mean, spending the rest of the evening wide awake as they both separately worried for their futures.