//------------------------------// // Don't Complicate it // Story: Where'd you go? // by sonaria //------------------------------// Rarity re-wrapped her scarf around her neck when the winter air bit at her bare skin. She shivered a little at the cool breeze in the air as she walked down the long dirt road that led to the old farm home. It was a rather long walk to the farm, it was a walk she hardly ever made, but a walk she couldn't say she minded it either. Of course, she could really do without the dirt road ruining her shoes, or the unpleasant smells of the farm, but other than those things, it was a nice walk. The girl's heart beat was like a drum in her ears. The thought of seeing her favorite blonde always made her heart race, however, this visit was a little different. This visit was a visit that the indigo haired girl had considered for many months, and it was one that could change everything between the two for the better or for the worse. Many outcomes and reactions had played through her mind at least once. At first, when she began her journey towards the farm, the outcomes were delightful. They had all ended with Applejack returning her feelings, and it all worked out. Now, as her journey came to its end, the outcomes were much more painful. They, instead, ended with Applejack not returning her love, or, goddesses forbid, Applejack would become uncomfortable and not want to be around Rarity as much. Or at all. She mentally went over what she wanted to say one more time as she walked up to their home. There was really no going home now. She had already come all the way out here, she was even at their door step. If anyone had noticed her arrival, she would have looked awfully silly just walking away now. She doubted that anyone did notice her, but she really didn't want to take that chance. Taking one deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited anxiously for it to open. A few muffled voices could be heard from inside, as well as foot steps moving towards the door. The young lady steadied her breath as she watched it open to reveal a short, old lady. "Well howdy Rarity," the older woman greeted, "did'ja come by for some nice, warm cider?" "Sorry to say, but I didn't," she gave an apologetic smile before continuing, "Actually, I was hoping I could speak to Applejack for a moment." Granny Smith nodded and shouted through the house to her granddaughter, letting her know that she had a visitor. The white haired woman's shout had caught Rarity off guard and startled her greatly. She moved her head slightly in hopes to see over or around the woman, in hopes to see AJ a little sooner. Her attempts quickly ended when she heard her friend's voice from inside. "Now, there ain't no reason to be yellin' like that, granny! I'm right here," Applejack called from the same room before she stood from the couch and made her way over to the door as Granny Smith returned to her chores. "Wouldya like to come in?" she asked. Rarity shook her head and responded with a smile, "I was thinking we could take a walk." Being inside and warm was a really nice thought, but she didn't want Applejack's family to be there for whatever was going to happen. Without saying another word, Applejack grabbed her coat from behind the door and slipped it on as she walked out int to the cold afternoon air. The two walked in silence down into the orchard. The paler girl's heart was going faster than it had before as she rehearsed what she was going to say in her mind. Her mouth opened to start her confession but closed again when the farm girl began speaking. "So, what'd y'all come down to the farm for?" She gave her friend a side long glance, that reminded Rarity of the first time she had noticed her feelings for Aj. It was the summer after Twilight had come to help them with various events, while also reuniting the old group of friends. One day, the group, plus Sunset Shimmer, agreed to meet at Applejack's and spend the day together at a swimming hole not to far away from the farm. As planned, they all spent the day at the swimming hole catching up, playing, and having a good time. That evening was an evening Rarity would never forget; as the sun had began to duck below the horizon, it created one of the most beautiful sunsets she'd ever seen. She watched as the sun's lingering light mingled with the rolling clouds and painted the skies first orange, then hot pink, then a mauve fading into a stale blue; everything seemed to be tinted with a golden glow. As the sun continued to fall behind the distant mountains, the sky's beautiful colors faded as did the golden tint. "I do so wish those happened more often. Did you see the way my skin just absolutely glowed in that lighting?" Rarity said flipping her hair and finishing with a pout. One of her friends spoke and grabbed Rarity's attention. "But.. Good things are better when they're a rarity," Applejack said with a wink and a warm smile that drew a sentimental approval out of the fashionista. The comment itself made Rarity happier than it should have, but the smile that lingered left Rarity blushing and giddy for the rest of the evening. When it first happened she didn't think anything of it. That statement meant a lot, but didn't mean anything either at the time. The more the pale girl thought about it, the more she'd miss the friend that said it. Slowly she started to notice little things, like how her gaze lingered on Applejack from time to time, or how the blonde consumed her thoughts more often than she'd like to admit. When she started to crave the farmer's attention, she understood then that her feelings had grown to be much more than that of a best friend. The thought of the memory brought a smile to Rarity's face, as well as a few butterflies to her stomach. Thinking back like that almost caused her to forget to answer the previously asked question. "Well, darling, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," she said with more seriousness than she has intended. The two had stopped walking and stood facing each other. The blonde stared at her fashionista friend, with visible concern, waiting for her to continue, but there was nothing but more silence. Rarity found that it was harder to do than she thought it would be. Especially since AJ was looking right at her. She stayed silent as she considered backing out again. After failing to find anything that could be important enough to come down to the farm unannounced, she realized she wouldn't be backing out after all. "Everything all right, sugarcube?" she was worried and slightly unsettled, but did her best not to let it be heard in her voice. "No, everything is quite all right," she paused and closed her eyes briefly. Her words were soft, "for sometime now, I've noticed that you are on my mind more often than not." Something in the way Applejack's eyebrows crinkled let Rarity know that this probably wasn't going to end the way she wanted it to. It caused her heart to pound a little harder and made more doubts rise to her mind. She continued on regardless, though her voice carried a less confident tone, "I know this might seem rather odd," choosing her words more carefully this time around, "but I wanted to tell you that for some time now I've be--" "No." The short, bitter tone in the farm girl's voice was foreign to Rarity. Sure, the two had gotten to tiffs or small quarrels from time to time, but never had she heard anything so cold, so harsh, come from her friend before. It caused a twinge of pain in the fashionista, along with a realization that this definitely wasn't going to end well in any way. "I.. Uh-um," She stuttered briefly, "n-no..? Wh.. I.. I-" Finding any words was a struggle for the poor girl. She tried forming complete and coherent sentences in her mind, but even that seemed impossible. Her mind raced trying to make sense of the one worded interruption, trying to think of anything to say. She considered playing it off, she considered acting irritated over being interrupted, and make up some other excuse for coming down here. Instead, she didn't have to come up with anything. Before her thoughts could further progress, the tense silence was broken. "Ah think ah have an idea about where this is headin', so ah'm gonna go ahead and stop you," the coldness never left her voice. Rarity knew there was no getting out of this or playing it off. It just wasn't an option anymore. "I don't.." Her eyes closed then she huffed and spoke slowly, "I don't want this to change anything between us." "Maybe it won't, Rarity, but right now it's a lot to take in." "I understand, but can't we just," her voice trembled but she paused to steady it, "move past it? Perhaps even forget I said anything?" The blonde remained quiet. Her silence filled Rarity with dread and regret, her silence was more or less hesitation on saying 'no.' She looked up to her friend, looked right into her eyes. Or, at least, she would have if green eyes weren't looking anywhere and everywhere to avoid blue eyes. For some reason, that made the stinging in her chest grow only more. Warm streams began flowing down the pale girl's face, leaving trails of eyeliner and make up streaked down her cheeks. The warm streaks would immediately be hit by cold air, causing her face to sting a little in the winter air. She was on the verge of falling apart right there, falling to the ground and curling over in despair. She hugged herself tightly and dug her fingers into her jacket just desperate to hold on to something. In the steadiest way she could manage, she began to speak again, nearly whisper really. "Applejack.. Please, I don't want it to ruin anything. I wouldn't have said anything if I th-" "Well, Ah wish you hadn't!" Her voice had lost the harshness, though it had been replaced with something else now. Something Rarity could only guess to be distress. "Please," She tried has hard as she could to keep the desperation out of her voice as she spoke, "Just le-" "A-ah think you've said enough and Ah.." Applejack averted her eyes once more, "well, Ah think it's about time you left." Her heart sank. She'd gone over this. She had prepared herself for this. She knew it was a possible outcome! Why was it so hard now? She didn't really expect her feelings to be returned, but she at least thought they would be accepted. Surely this wasn't going to ruin their friendship right? They were so close, all of them were. They'd overcome things that were bigger than this before. The tears never stopped, they kept a steady stream down her face. Applejack waited uncomfortably for Rarity to leave. After what seemed like a few minutes had passed, the blonde turned to make her leave, seeing as Rarity wasn't going to be the first to go. With everything in her, she wanted to call out to the tan girl; she wanted to run up to her and try to work this all out. She wanted to grab her arm and ask her to stay. But she knew it would make things worse, and she knew she would only be ignored or interrupted. Instead, all she did was watch her friend make her way back up to her home without so much as a glance back.