Rarity quickly toweled down her wet mane, not conscious of the fact that it was dripping all over the floor. She shook it out one more time and trotted to the boutique door. Throwing it open, she realized that it was not, in fact, a fashionable customer but rather Applejack, her hat crooked on her yellow mane.
"Oh, hello, Applejack," Rarity said. Why was Applejack here? She looked rather impatient.
"Hey there, Rarity," Applejack said in her usual drawl. "Ah was, uh, wonderin'. Ya doin' anythin' for, oh, the next two weeks?"
"Why?" asked Rarity, eyeing Applejack. "I've got a contract making costumes for the Ponyville Playhouse, if you don't count that, and they're doing My Fair Filly in a week."
"Yeah, well, me and Granny Smith are goin' to go visit my great-aunt Fuji Apple, for a couple of weeks in Appleloosa. She's gotten mighty sick, and we wanted to visit her before, y'know, she passes on. I was wonderin' if maybe ya could help out at Sweet Apple Acres for a week or two," Applejack finished breathlessly.
"Oh, darling," Rarity said, her brow furrowing. "You know I'm your friend, but I'm not really one for... farmwork. Couldn't you ask someone like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow? Or even Twilight?"
"Twilight does farmwork only when I tell her exactly what ta do," Applejack said with furrowed eyebrows. "Same with Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry ta say that Fluttershy might be good with chickens, but not with apples. And I would ask Pinkie Pie, but she's gone ta visit Cheese Sandwich in Fillydelphia. Ah came to ya 'cause you've got some experience, what with that little stunt ya pulled when Trenderhoof came to visit. Ya might know the farm better."
"Ah, yes." Rarity blushed slightly. "That is.... true. Well, I guess I could come for a couple of weeks, as long as you don't mind me making costumes in your barn. I'll get Twilight to manage the boutique for me."
Trenderhoof. My biggest embarrassment. Why does she have to bring that up?
Applejack grinned. "Ah knew it! Ah sent Big Mac to come down and take your things up to the farmhouse in our wagon. Mah room's all nice and ready for ya, and Big Mac and Apple Bloom'll show ya around the farm. I've gotta run, mah train's comin' soon!" She turned and started to trot back down the lane.
"Wait!" Rarity yelled. "What about Sweetie Belle?"
"Bring 'er along too!" Applejack shouted back, not stopping.
Rarity closed the door and turned back to the boutique. "Sweetie Belle?" she called. "We've got some packing to do!"
Three hours later, after much bustling and hustling and convincing Twilight that, yes, she could bring her books to the boutique, Rarity and Sweetie Belle were settled into the farmhouse.
Apple Bloom beamed. "Who wants dinner?" she asked.
"This early?" Rarity groaned.
Apple Bloom began to pout. "Well, we've usually got work ta do after dinner.." She didn't specify the details.
Rarity sighed. "Fine, fine. What is dinner going to be, if I may ask?"
"Well, we can make apple fritters, apple turnover, or apple pancakes, and if you're a good cook you could make things like apple-stuffed apples, apple polenta, or even"--Apple Bloom's mouth watered--"apple-cheese fondue!"
"I'm going to have to get used to this," Rarity sighed, going over to turn on the stove.
Sweetie Belle grabbed an apple from the bag by the door with her magic and tossed it to Apple Bloom. "Catch!"
Apple Bloom whizzed it back, nearly hitting Big Mac in the face.
"Careful, girls!" Rarity said sternly. "Why don't you take that outside?"
The two fillies tossed the apple out the door, and chased after it, laughing. Rarity sighed and turned her attention to slicing some Gala apples.
"I'm sorry," she said to Big Mac. "We're going to have to put up with two, maybe three, hyperactive young fillies for two weeks, aren't we?"
"Eeyup," said Big Mac nonchalantly.
"Can you give me that cookbook over there, Big Macintosh?" Rarity pointed to a low shelf.
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, taking the book and passing it to her. "And ya don't have ta call me Big Macintosh, Miss Rarity. Big Mac is fine."
Rarity started. "Big Macin...Big Mac! You're talking!" She immediately realized what she had said and hurried to amend it. "I mean, you haven't talked much before."
"Ah generally don't like ta," Big Mac admitted. "But Ah'm goin' ta be workin' with ya for a couple of weeks, so Ah guess Ah better talk ta ya, Miss Rarity."
"Oh, you can just call me Rarity," she said, smiling. "Now, come help me with these fritters."
Dinner passed with avid stories told by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle of their adventures, and Rarity was surprised to see Big Mac nodded his head and listened silently. Applejack's room was quite comfortable, and after only two hours on the farm Rarity was exhausted. She hadn't even done any work! That was going to set a great start for tomorrow.
The next day Big Mac insisted on taking Rarity out for a tour of the farm. When Apple Bloom heard, she begged to come along, and of course Sweetie Belle had to come too. Big Mac took out a small wagon, harnessed himself to it, and invited the fillies to hop in.
Rarity trotted alongside him as he showed her the orchards and the barn. Apple Bloom gave her own tour, in the back, so Rarity had to strain her ears a bit to hear Big Mac. She was so focused on that that she didn't see the rock until she was plummeting forward.
Suddenly a red hoof appeared in front of her and scooped her up. Rarity looked up to see Big Mac, one arm around her waist, carefully setting her down.
"Thanks, Big Mac," said Rarity.
"Uh, no problem," he said. Was he...blushing? It was hard to tell. They looped back around the south orchard in silence. They had only just arrived at the barn when Apple Bloom hopped out.
"Meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" she announced.
"All right!" Sweetie Belle said. The two fillies scampered off, and Rarity thought she detected Sweetie Belle giving her a smirk over her shoulder. What was that all about?
Big Mac abruptly turned and began to walk back to the farmhouse. Rarity trotted to keep up with him. His strides were so long. Her mind began to wander, and she focused on Big Mac. From years in the Pony Tones working with him, she had always thought he was rather handsome..but farm boys really weren't her type, were they?
"Um...Big Mac..." Rarity began. She had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but it was so...personal. And she'd only just gotten there.
"Yup?" Big Mac replied.
"If I may ask....." Rarity couldn't. She decided to go with something a little less deep. "What kinds of farm work will I be doing?"
Big Mac visibly relaxed. Rarity hadn't known he was tense. "Well, ya'll be doin' some applebuckin', probably helpin' feed the chickens' and collectin' their eggs, and helpin' with the sales of the apples. That last part'll be mostly your job."
"That's a lot," Rarity mumbled. She detected Big Mac glowering at her slightly. "We better get started!" she said, plastering a smile on her face.
Of course it's not a lot to him. He does it every day, and then some.
"Come on, why don't ya help me with the applebucking?" Big Mac said. "We could do the east orchard. Can you grab some buckets from the barn?"
Rarity nodded and skipped back to the barn, wondering why she felt all weird. It was like she was...tingling. Yes, that was it. Was it from...Big Mac? No, don't be silly, she chided herself. You're not in love with Big Mac.
Or are you?