//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: A Fancy apple // by Derec mc coy 2 //------------------------------// The longer I thought about it, the worse I felt. “What’s wrong with me?” The past weeks were no different than usual. But I felt … different. Like I felt empty. I didn’t pay any attention to it, but now, it kept getting worse. I took a deep breath and shook it off. “It’s probably nothing. Maybe I just feel a bit guilty or tired. Nothing helps more than a good old nap,” I told myself. But then again, I just woke up. “Or, I’ll just go out for a walk. Maybe my friends need some help. That’d distract me from this.” I smiled and walked out the bathroom. I opened the door of the Carousel Boutique. I hoped I’d see Rarity around here, because lately, she traveled around a lot for business expansion. I heard some mumbling about crystals and deadlines behind a clothes rack. “Euhm… Rarity?” I asked. A white coated unicorn with a purple mane looked around and caught me. “Oh, darling, you look terrible!” Rarity cried out. “No offense of course.” I looked uncomfortable around “Well, sorry. I hoped I could help you with something.” “Why do you ask?” she pondered. “Is something bothering you?” “No. I guess,” I placed my hoof on my chin. “Not that I’m aware of.” “You guess?” Rarity cocked an eyebrow and trotted a bit closer. “Darling, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me.” “Well,” I started. “I do feel a bit… off” Rarity gestured me to take a seat at the table. I sat down, and she sat down across me. “Off?” she asked. “Yeah, like… a bit empty,” I said. “I don’t feel bad or anything. Nothing special happened just … I feel empty.” “I see,” Rarity said. “For how long, if I may ask?” “I don’t know. I realized it this morning after breakfast. Well, it was more lunch since I fell asleep again.” I placed my hoof on my chin again and started thinking a little more. Rarity started to think a little too. “And do you miss something?” I thought a little bit “No. I have everything. Friends, family, my apples, but still, I feel like I...” I thought a little more. “Now you say it, it DOES feel like I miss something.” Rarity grinned a little bit. “Maybe you miss somePONY” “What?” I asked. “Who would I miss?” I rolled my eyes. Rarity was being mysterious again. It’s probably nothing. “I think you NEED somepony. Somepony to love,” Rarity smiled. I almost fell from my chair. “W-What?” I asked her “That’s ridiculous. You can’t say I need a special somepony.” Rarity smiled genially. “I do think you need somepony. You said you feel empty. And probably lonely. I think you want LOVE.” “And how come you know this so sure?” I asked her. “I read a lot of romance,” she smiled “And I thought this moment would come.” “You… what?” Now I was completely confused. “Applejack,” she said. “You’ve been working so much. You’ve spent a lot time with your family. I think that the one thing you miss is love and affection.” I blushed slightly and started to think. “But after all, it’s your choice,” she told me. She stood up and walked to the door of the kitchen. “You want some tea?” I nodded and thought a little more. Is she right? Do I need somepony special? My whole life was about friends, family and apples. But… a coltfriend… A little bit later, Rarity returned with two teacups and a teapot. She poured me a cup and handed it over to me. I took a sip and thanked her. “You alight dear?” Rarity asked me, and she looked with a concerned face. “Y-Yeah” I said. “I was just... thinkin’.” I took another sip of my tea and sighed. “Or maybe you’re just overworked, and you need a break,” Rarity said. She pulled out a book from a drawer behind her and levitated it with her magic. She flipped a few pages and looked at me. “No, you need love,” and she closed her book. I rolled my eyes and gave a good look at my friend. “And you think that because you read it in a book.” I sighed “You sure you just don’t want to see a love story happening in front of your eyes?” “Well...” Rarity started “I wouldn’t mind it.” she smiled sheepishly, and looked back at her book. I finished my tea and stood up. “I’ll just stick to the ‘I’m overworked’ theory. It makes a lot more sense.” “Fine,” Rarity said. “if you don’t want any romance in your life, that’s your problem.” She pulled up her nose, but immediately smiled again. “Maybe you should leave Ponyville for a couple of days. To relax a bit more?” “Leavin’ Ponyville?” I asked. I placed a hoof on my chin yet again. “I’ve never thought of leavin’ Ponyville on my own.” I looked up to my friend “And where should I go then? Appleoosa?” Rarity smiled “No, you’d only work there too” she took another little book from the same drawer “Maybe somewhere you’ve never been before. Like Applewood, Las Pegasus, or Fillidelphia.” “But those are all fancy smish smosh cities,” I complained. “With all the chic galas and such.” “I know, isn’t it marvelous?” Rarity cried out, clapping her hoofs in joy. “Think about all the things you could do.” “You know that’s nothing for me, right?” I cocked an eyebrow. Rarity sat down behind the table, and beckoned to me to sit down too. She opened the book and placed the whole map at the table as I sat down next to her, and looked at the map of Equestria. “Darling, there is so much you can see. I think you should really go to a place you’d normally never go. To be sure you’re alone and have your rest. It’ll be exciting and new. Absolutely perfect when you feel down.” “I guess that makes sense but it’s nothing for me, you know that.” I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Maybe,” Rarity smirked as she looked at her map. “We’ll see.”