Mistletrapped

by Titanium Dragon


Epilogue: Late to the Party

“Howdy, Rarity!”

Rarity squeaked, yanking her head back out of the kitchen door. “Applejack! When did you get here?”

“Just a few minutes ago. You seen my sister?”

“Oh, yes. I believe she was over with Spike and Sweetie Belle.” Rarity gestured vaguely.

Applejack turned her head towards the fluffy purple sofa. A flustered Sweetie Belle and an even more flustered Spike occupied the couch. Even as Applejack watched, the unicorn filly shifted a few inches closer to Spike, only for Spike to scoot a few inches further away towards the other end of the couch.

“Heh, well, will you look at that. Finally told him he don’t have a chance with you?”

“Actually, no; he did this on his own. Or rather, our sisters did.” Rarity smiled fondly at the pair. “It is rather cute, isn’t it?”

“Cutest thing I’ve seen all day.” Applejack smirked as the pair executed another half-synchronized shift along the sofa. “Too bad he’s gonna run out of room.”

Rarity giggled. “Indeed.”

“Though I gotta admit, I always figured it’d be my sister who’d be sweet on him.” Applejack tapped her chin with her hoof for a moment.

“You know, Twilight said the exact same thing.” Rarity’s eyes drifted back towards the kitchen.

“Is that who you were spyin’ on in there?” Applejack grinned.

“I wasn’t spying! I was simply observing, that’s all.”

“That explains why you yanked your head back like a bee stung ya in the nose when I walked in.”

“I did no such thing!” Rarity said, stamping her hoof on the floor.

“So why weren’t ya just in there talkin’ with her? That mystery stallion of hers in there?”

Rarity shook her head. “Oh, no. He isn’t coming.”

“What a shocker.” Applejack glanced from side to side. “So she fess up to him not existin’ yet?”

“She said they broke up,” Rarity said quietly.

“Now ain’t that a shame. And he was comin’ to see us and everything.”

Rarity tilted her head up. “You sound just like Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack chortled. “I bet her five bits that Twilight’ll come clean by New Year’s.”

“Yes, well, I suspect that’s a bet you’ll both lose,” Rarity said, peering back into the kitchen.

“So why are you spyin’ on her anyway?”

“Oh, she’s in there with Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack blinked, then smirked. “Rainbow Dash? Now this I gotta see.” Applejack leaned around the door frame for a moment, peering into the kitchen before frowning. “They’re makin’ pie.”

“I know!” Rarity sat back on her haunches, throwing her hooves up into the air in despair. “After I spent all evening trying to figure out who Twilight liked, she said she doesn’t even like mares!”

“Ya know, Rarity, just cause we ain’t never seen her express interest in any stallions don’t mean she likes mares. She’s always kinda seemed like the private type ’bout that kinda thing anyway.”

“But she had mistletoe set up over the front door and everything!”

Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Really? Huh. I didn’t see any when I came in.” She glanced back towards the now mistletoe-less doorway. “You sure you weren’t just imagining things?”

Rarity looked back towards the door and blinked. “But it was there! I swear! And then… oooh.” She glanced back over towards Sweetie Belle and Spike. “I bet that’s where Apple Bloom found it.”

Applejack snickered. “Sure, sure.” She reached over to pat Rarity on the back. “Look. It’s nice of you to want our friends to find somepony they like, but they gotta do it on their own time, not yours. It ain’t right for us to go interferin’ in other ponies’ love lives and tryin’ to set them up like that. They gotta figure it out on their own.”

“I know. I just… want them to be happy, that’s all.”

“And have somethin’ to gossip about with the girls, I’d wager.” Applejack’s smirk returned.

“Well, we need something to talk about, darling.” Rarity winked.

“Heh. Still, it was sweet of you to try.”

“Thank you darling. Now—” Rarity turned her head to look back through the kitchen door at her friends, only to feel the soft touch of lips on her cheeks. Blinking, she turned back towards Applejack, her cheeks flushed, before her ears fell back against her neck and she sighed.

“Apple Bloom is dangling the mistletoe over my head, isn’t she?”

Applejack's eyes twinkled as she leaned into Rarity's side. “What mistletoe?”