//------------------------------// // The lack of money is the root of all evil // Story: Between a Rock and a Hard Place // by goo //------------------------------// I am very sorry for the wait! All I can say is I've got a full time job now after graduating and it sucks the life out of me! Y'all should be able to expect bimonthly monthly updates from now on, hopefully the story will be complete in September. Applejack's head jerked upwards as the shrill ring of the schoolbell shattered her reverie. Her hooves automatically reached up to rub the weariness from her eyes. She stared down at her paper again. Momma's gonna kill me for that one... A light mauve form swept through the rows of desks, deftly collecting the papers. As she passed by the young orange filly's desk she whispered, "See me after class, AJ." The filly's eyes wavered from her now-empty desk up to the mature form of her teacher. How could her essay be so bad that, before even looking at it, Miss Lavender wanted to meet with her about it? She chewed her lip nervously, and waited for the rest of the class to process out. After the door closed and the last student left, Applejack looked up at her teacher's desk from her own smaller one. She was surprised to see that her teacher looked nervous as well. The young mare asked, "Miss Lavender, what's wrong?" If the teacher's apparent nerves were frightening before, the bizarre facade that became plastered to her face was far more unsettling. The pale, violet mare walked up to her desk and sat down so that the two became the same height. "Well you see, Applejack, sometimes bad things happen, and," the teacher looked up at the ceiling, her rose-tinted eyes tearing up. She let out a shaky breath, and embraced her student. Applejack bit her lip again, looking to the ground. "I'm sorry for being such a bad student..." Her voice trailed off as Miss Lavender's embrace tightened in response to her words. The teacher shifted, holding Applejack at arm's length, and looking into her eyes. "Applejack, you are not a bad student. I can only hope that you will keep going to school, and you can move on from this." A tear that had been forming began to roll down her face. Her right hoof brushed it off instinctively, but another began to form as soon as she did. The young cowpony cocked her head to the side, her confusion and worry increasing simultaneously. Miss Lavender took a few more breaths, attempting to compose herself. "I'm going to walk you home today, and no matter what happens, I want you to know that you're a very special pony, and you cannot give up school." Applejack blinked a few times, unsure of what to say and why being in school was so important to her teacher all of a sudden. The mare stood up to her full height, and placed her forelimb around the young filly, pulling her up to a standing position. They walked to Sweet Apple Acres in contemplative silence. Applejack felt her back hooves meet the tree squarely. She couldn't think of a more soothing feeling. The reverberation flooded through her body, and then she landed on the ground. It was an art form - unlike anything she had ever experienced. Painting, math, pulling carts... that was all work. This was her life. All that it could be, and all that it needed to be. A perfect equilibrium. Something interrupted her serene work-state. A gust of wind announced the arrival of the distraction. The cowpony looked up tiredly, meeting the eyes of her closest friend. The two exchanged silently for a moment, before Dash looked down and began nudging around a pebble nervously. "I'm sorry, AJ." The pegasus let out the words very softly. Her usually proud voice was brought down to a guilty murmur. She looked up, meeting her friend's eyes to check if she had heard. Dash expected a resentful glare, or perhaps a stern scowl. Instead, she saw a look of concern topped with a furrowed, confused brow. "I figured that fall wasn't an accident. What was it?" The space between the two ponies was close enough that the low tone of their voices could be mutually understood, but far enough that it would take a few steps for an embrace to occur. Dash's ears drew back and she looked to the side. The mare turned back to her friend. She looked up at the sky, the azure tone faintly reflecting in her eyes as she did. AJ could read her like a book. Wings drew out, legs kicked up, and Dash took flight. The situation was unmanageable. She had to leave, it was the only way to avoid ruining the friendship of a lifetime. However, one leg didn't kick up quite like the others. Dash beat her wings and strained. Damn. Holding the rope firmly in her mouth, the seasoned cowpony pulled her friend to the ground by her cyan front-right leg. The distance that had separated them closed as Applejack stepped forward to hold her friend. "Whatever it is, hon, you can tell me. You don't need to always run away." Her voice was a whisper now, the privacy of the moment was already absolute due to how far away they were from any other pony, but it only felt right to whisper words of such powerful meaning. Applejack paused for an answer, but she was nearly certain it wouldn't come. She was right of course. The response from the pegasus was a tremble, and then a quiet sob. The mare responded maternally, stroking her friend's mane and shushing her. Then came a response, if it could even be called that. "Don't do that, you're making it worse." "Do what?" Applejack drew back slightly, and stopped her motion. "Come on, you have to have figured it all out by now..." Dash sighed. The worst thing about secrets is that sometimes your best friend can't even guess them. And then you actually have to say them out loud, when all the important conversations are usually spoken silently. But this secret can't be shared, Dash logically concluded. She danced over the variety of resulting scenarios, and none were pleasant. The mare tweaked a few variables and derived a solution. A halfway confession. The ivory filly sauntered into class, wearing a little outfit she had just whipped up to disguise her new cutie mark. The navy, velvet cape was secured by a sparkling white collar set with a sapphire. Its shimmering surface flowed until just beyond the base of her rump, somehow revealing more than it seemed to disguise the usually naked pony. She swayed her hips and held her head high, letting her mane flow down her neck luxuriously. A slight blush flushed upon her cheeks because she knew her classmates would be watching. Maybe today is the day I'll meet my best friend. The thought crossed her mind, but she hated it vehemently. Subconsciously she clenched her jaw and shook her head as she forced the thought out of her head. How could a pony who had nearly half the class following her around feel so alone? As much as everypony loved her, she had trouble loving anypony else. Where was a friend who would listen to more than idle gossip? Who would like Rarity for more than the way she looked? She slipped gracefully into her seat, and turned to face the front of the class. Pretending to not notice the stares and whispers that followed her entrance, she examined her right forehoof. The murmuring grew slightly louder. She looked up coyly to count the number of ponies who were watching her. Nopony was. Rarity's eyes widened in surprise. The whole town was talking about the filly's disappearance, but there she was, walking into the classroom. Lyra said Applejack didn't cry at the funeral. Some other pony said she went to Manehattan to escape the incessant reminders of her parents at the farm. Another said that the previous two things were completely false, and that she was on the run from the law. Long story short, unfortunate Applejack was the talk of the town. Despite the tragedy, Rarity couldn't help but fume when she noticed another surprise. A trio of apples now rested upon her classmate's flank. Immediately guilt and manners set in, but the young mare couldn't help but feel jealous that so much attention was drawn from her important development to the young apple-bucker. A lady never chews her lip, but Rarity did since, unfortunately, nopony was looking at her. Silently, she debated which way she should redirect the attention to herself. The young mare could march to the front and accidentally rip off her garment, revealing her cutie mark. However, that required the destruction of a perfectly nice dress. Rarity debated revealing her cutie mark tomorrow, but then ponies would wonder why she didn't reveal it when she got it. This might require a bit more tact than previously thought... Dash knocked on the boutique's door. She paused for a moment, and heard nothing. Oh darn, guess I should leave now... The mare sarcastically bantered in her head, but she actually really wanted to. Losing wasn't just something Dash did. This ultimate retreat - giving Rarity relationship help with the mare they both loved. Ever since their conversation about Applejack, everything felt wrong. The casual gaze felt scandalous. Looking in the cowpony's eyes still turned her strong, athletic legs into jelly, but the bitter taste of guilt was impossible to eradicate after a cup of apple cider. A friendly bump after a morning jog dizzied the pegasus with the thought of the touch lingering longer, but Dash's friendly smirk in her friend's direction afterwards was only a mask to disguise the painful confusion inside. Altogether, there was no way the pegasus could sustain her way of life without tossing a white flag. To pursue Applejack, as she had for the past several years, meant to harm Rarity. The door swung open while Dash was lost in lament for her failed romance. It caught her by surprise, even though a pony with even the slightest bit of hearing would have heard the noisy directions to Sweetie Belle to get out of her house. Rarity stood in the doorway, flawless as always. Her face featured a smile false by even her own standards. The lengths she must go to for selling those dresses... Dash couldn't help but wonder if anypony believed that was a real smile. It soon dropped into a more genuine look of annoyance. "I assume you're not here to order a dress?" Rarity's posture stiffened, clearly not ready to allow her guest inside until her conditions were met. Her muzzle tilted in the air slightly higher than usual, as if she wanted to be even taller than she already was. Dash cocked one eyebrow, attempting to assess the situation. She hadn't expected Rarity to be upset about her departure, but looking back, she should have seen it coming. In almost every conflict between the two, pride was the issue at stake. It was the reason they fought. It was also the only reason Dash admired Rarity, but she'd definitely never say that. "I'd rather spend the day with your cat," the vibrantly colored mare responded dryly. She continued, "And you gotta understand, about last week - " Rarity interrupted her abruptly, speaking much louder than her conversational partner. "I do not wish to speak with you about something of such personal nature. You have made it quite clear that you do not care about my emotional well-being." Dash considered leaving after the heated statement, but didn't bother budging. The words of a good friend echoed in her head. You don't need to always run away. She needed to stand her ground. Even if Rarity refused to talk to her, her feelings for AJ remained void until the situation was resolved. This needed to be settled. The pegasus's voice remained at the same volume as before, despite Rarity's venom. She wanted to smile as she spoke because of how calm and collected she sounded, but she managed to avoid doing so. "Of course I do, you just need to understand that I'm going to be protective of my friend. I just want the best for her. You sure you don't want to talk?" The way she didn't fumble over the word friend impressed herself. Usually it was a battle, but the word flowed out as if things were normal. They weren't. Rarity paused, pursing her lips for a moment. She stepped back, allowing her friend in. What's the worst that could happen, anyways? Rarity gazed into the mirror. Her pale blue aura surrounded a curling iron. Tapping her hoof, she kept track of time. Five, six, seven, eight, reeeelease. The iron un-clamped and released a bouncing, purple curl. Rarity applied makeup, eyelashes, hairspray, and a poof of perfume. After one last glance in the mirror, she pushed the bathroom door open and was greeted with a stern looking mother. "Rarity, you took over half an hour in there! I'm going to be late for work!" Her mother bent down slightly, blue eyes meeting her daughter's matching eyes levelly. The mare clenched her jaw, awaiting the doubtlessly sassy response. Due to the fact that she had been unable to use the bathroom at all this morning, her exceptionally long, violet mane pooled onto the floor. Some ponies may have found it comical, but Rarity only knew fear from her mother in such a state. The young Rarity quickly responded, "Mother, as fashion designer, I simply must keep up my appearances." With a toss of the mane, the white mare attempted to leave the bathroom. Appearances were everything, and right now she needed to appear very differently from how she felt. Fury building, the mother's rose-colored limb slammed against the doorway to block her daughter's egress. "Absolutely not. If you keep this up, you'll be out of here in no time. You're of age. I do not have to take care of you." Rarity's mother paused to allow the meaning behind her words to ferment for a moment, before raising her voice to a shrill yell, "NOW GET OUT!" Rarity let out an exasperated sigh, tossed her mane once again, and walked out. Against her will, her lip trembled, betraying her emotions regarding the situation. Fortunately, her mother had taken over the bathroom and nopony could see the break in her dramatic facade. The unicorn breathed in and out shakily to recompose herself, and headed off to school. All she had to do now was finish up her last few weeks of classes, and she would be eligible for a loan to purchase property in Ponyville. Just a few more weeks... [inspiration song] The ivory mare frantically tossed fabrics of all sorts through the air with her magic. Huffing and puffing, she glared around the room at the mess she created. How could she have so easily forgotten to order leather last week? Chiding herself, the business pony racked her brain for sources where she could get leather in Ponyville. The material was controversial, ethics and all that stuff, but also very valuable and popular with the elite. Ah-ha, the farm will have some! Nearly every Apple family member donned some sort of leather accessory. Perhaps the farm would have some to lend her. Rarity trotted earnestly out of the door. She was a mare with a mission - nothing could stop her now. Soon enough, she arrived at the farm. Her nose crinkled at the potent scent in the air. She wondered how the Apple family could dwell on such revolting property for so long. The orchard was alright, perhaps somewhat picturesque in a quaint way. Other than that, the tacky barn could only make her nauseous. The mare scanned the farm, searching for a pony who could help her. Seeing nopony, she decided to check the barn house. Rarity took in the curious door to the house. Despite its obvious age, she couldn't help but admire the relief carvings of apples in the aged wood. A sound from inside forced Rarity to reallocate her attention from the art on the door to listening. It sounded like laughing. No... certainly not laughing. That was the sound of female crying. Rocking back on her haunches, the mare reassessed the situation. To leave was to leave a friend alone when she needed help. To stay was an invasion of privacy. Oh screw it, if she hears my knock, I'll help. If not, I'll leave. Her thought was unladylike. The Rarity's head was the last stronghold where unladylike mannerisms resided inside the mare. As if her forehoof was made of porcelain, she tapped delicately on the door twice. The noise paused. Footsteps approached, and the door opened. A red-eyed Applejack peered out at the unexpected guest. Her surprise was so much that she couldn't help but let out a slightly rude statement. "Rarity? What are you doing here?" The cowpony nearly caught herself, but didn't quite get there in time. Looking inside the house awkwardly before glancing back at the unicorn, she followed up quickly with, "Not that you're unwelcome, I'm surprised." She shifted her weight, further showing how uncomfortable she felt with her weak side so exposed. Rarity's plan for the door situation, until the door had opened, had largely been "tap the door lightly and hope she doesn't answer." Obviously, this was not the case. "Nevermind why I'm here." Rarity paused, thinking of how the leather was much less important at the moment. "Do you need somepony to talk to?" The ivory mare deftly ignored the rude greeting. Applejack looked up at the mare before her, debating if she should bother explaining. How could the spoiled fashion designer understand how hard her life was? A pony who never faced hardships, hard work, or a hungry night was so distanced from her life that the odds of proper sympathy were slim. However, she really needed somepony to talk to. As much as Rainbow Dash was a closer friend, talking to her was impossible. Time after time, the mare would draw closer to her, just to disappear. It was in her nature, a perfect pun. She was flighty. And here on her doorstep, she was considering refusing the gift of an open ear. Applejack turned and sat on her family's couch, which could comfortably seat three. "This one's a long talk, you ready to listen?" Rarity closed the door behind her and occupied the third spot, leaving a nice distance between the pair. She was ready.