//------------------------------//
// Ch 4 - "A Summer Shower" 
// Story: Summer Showers 
// by kaminakat 
//------------------------------//

Applejack and Rarity walked back from the dock together, a lantern in each of their mouths and a warm feeling in each of their chests.  About halfway to the cabin, Rarity wrapped her tail around her partner's.  Applejack smiled and nuzzled her head against Rarity's cheek, being careful not to touch her with the lantern.  In that moment, as they trotted in unison, they were one.  Two halves of a whole.

The duo entered the cabin, setting their respective lanterns back onto the table and extinguishing them.  The cabin returned to it's dark, moonlit state.  The two ponies fumbled about in the dark for a moment, giggling softly as they bumped into each other while heading back to the bedroom.  They both slipped into their covers in their adjacent cots, Rarity once again using her magic to quickly tuck her friend in.

"You know I have hooves," Applejack whispered, "you don't have to do that every time I get in bed."

Rarity chuckled quietly as AJ smiled at her.  "I know darling, I just like it," Rarity explained, "it reminds me of when I first saw you how I do now."

Applejack turned on her side, looking over at her friend.  "What do you mean by that?" she inquired.

"You know," Rarity whispered, "when I...when I fell for you darling.  Or more accurately, when I started falling."  Rarity closed her eyes and pondered.  "My feelings for you sort of grew over time."

Applejack blushed, reaching out her hoof toward Rarity.  Rarity reached hers out as well, managing to barely touch AJ's from her bed.

"When did that start?" Applejack asked quietly.  She was pretty sure now that it would be the same answer she herself would give, but she was curious and wanted to hear Rarity say it.

"Ever since that sleepover at Twilight's," Rarity began, "I began to see you in a different light.  I always thought you lived in a totally different world than me.  You weren't somepony I would consider when making plans, but then again I really didn't know you at all.  I actually sort of despised you before that sleepover came to it's conclusion."  Rarity gave an awkward laugh, rubbing her hoof against AJ's in reassurance.

"Heh heh, that's about how I was feeling about you too," Applejack teased, "I thought you were a bigger pain in the rear than gettin' up on Sunday."  The two ponies eyes began to adjust to the dark, as AJ shot Rarity a snarky wink.

"I suppose I can be at times," Rarity admitted with a laugh, "but anyway, it was after that sleepover that I began to see how similar we are.  I saw how wonderful of a team we make."  Rarity fought back a tear.  "I saw how much you cared about me."

Applejack rose from her bed, moving over to Rarity's bedside and brushing aside her friend's hair to kiss her gently on the forehead next to her horn.  "I care about you more than you will ever know," Applejack whispered to her friend somberly.  "I started having feelings for you after the slumber party too," she admitted, "since then you've never failed to make me smile."  Rarity placed her hoof on top of AJ's, a tear finally freeing itself from her eye.

Applejack returned to her bed as the two of them continued to talk about their feelings.  They both wished with all of their hearts that the night could last forever, but before either of them knew it sleep would overtake them.





"So are you like, my marefriend now?"

Applejack's question pierced the gentle sizzle of the frying pan she was attending to.  Birds could also be heard chirping just outside, perched on tree branches visible from the cabin's windows.  The warm morning sunlight poured into the building, casting beams of especially bright light in random spots throughout the cabin.  One of these spots happened to land directly on Rarity's face, causing her to have to switch seats at the kitchen table.  She looked down, a plate with a hefty stack of flapjacks placed close to her on the table.

"I really do appreciate you making me breakfast," Rarity said, raising her eyebrow, "but I think it would be physically impossible for me to actually eat all of these pancakes."

Applejack looked away from her stove and shot Rarity a look of slight annoyance.

"Sorry, sorry," Rarity said shaking her head, "still waking up, I do apologize."  Rarity looked up and put a hoof to her chin, thinking about where she stood in their relationship.  "I don't think so right now, not yet," Rarity professed.  This drew an unhappy look out of Applejack, but Rarity waved her hoof in reassurance.  "I said not NOW, mind you," she pointed out, "I didn't say I don't want to.  I do want to, very much."  Applejack regained her smile, feeling more confident after that.

"Alright, well what do you have in mind hun?" she asked Rarity, carefully flipping another pancake.

Rarity thought for another moment and then grew a huge smile.  She then stood up from her chair and threw on a serious face.  Applejack blinked, looking at her in awe.  Rarity raised her hoof, giving off an air of importance.  "We should take this slow and let this relationship evolve naturally," she proclaimed.  "We are now in the "courting" phase.  We can attend events together, go on dates, and enjoy each other's company as we wish."  She lowered her hoof, opening her eyes and giving her friend a joyous look.  "And then, when we are totally ready," she mused, "one of us can ask the other to be their marefriend."  Rarity walked up to Applejack, using her magic to move AJ's hat onto her own head.  "Sound good, partner?"

Applejack chuckled and threw a hoof over Rarity's shoulder.  "That sounds wonderful, Rare," she said, beaming with happiness.  "This is so exciting!"  Applejack snuggled her head against her partner's, netting a happy squeak out of Rarity.  "I can't wait to tell everpony back home, do you think they will be happy for us?  Do you think they will expect it?  Oh, I bet Fluttershy will think we are adorable.  And Pinkie will be so happy!  Oh geez, we better get ready for a 'courting' related party of some sort."  Applejack looked at her partner, noticing a hint of nervousness on her face.  "You okay hun?" Applejack asked, speaking in a gentle tone.

Rarity smiled sheepishly.  "Well, I can tell you that Fluttershy does indeed find us precious," Rarity said nervously.

Applejack put on her best sarcastic "oh, of course" face.  "Alright Rare, who else knows," she said with a sigh.

"Only Fluttershy and Twilight know darling," Rarity admitted, "I'm very sorry dear.  I was just looking for advice, and Fluttershy has such great love for her animals, and Twilight is the 'Princess of Friendship', so I figured maybe her expertise would extend to relationship advice..."

Applejack kissed Rarity lightly on the cheek, stopping her rant.  "It's alright sugarcube, I just wanted to know," she stated with a grin.  Rarity scrunched up her mouth as she blushed, looking down at the floor.  Applejack began to turn around to attend to her flapjackery, but was quickly spun back around by Rarity.

"Wait, wait," she said, looking embarrassed, "I need to tell you something."  Applejack raised an eyebrow.  "I need to...I need to confess something to you," Rarity squeaked, looking sick to her stomach.  "The thing is, well...the reason Fluttershy and Twilight know that...um, well you see dear-"

Applejack jumped up onto the table, knocking the plate of pancakes onto the floor.  Rarity scrunched her mouth up, looking up at her once again table-bound friend.  Applejack had fire in her eyes.

"YOU SENT THE GEESE!" she yelled at full volume, pointing a hoof down at Rarity as if she was some kind of overly-energetic lawyer.

"I...uh..." Rarity stumbled over her words, having not been at all prepared for such over dramatic confrontations.  Applejack jumped down from the table, closing her eyes and pacing slow circles around her guilty friend.

"You see, darling," Applejack began, once again imitating Rarity's accent, "you needed me alone so you could confess your love to me."  Rarity gasped, playing along with her partner's theatrics.  "You asked Fluttershy to tell her geese to squat on my dock, and to not move for me no matter what," Applejack continued.  "But that wasn't enough, you also had to impress me and make your stay absolutely vital to finishing the cabin's renovations.  You needed to make the best impression possible before you shared your feelings with me."  Applejack opened her eyes, shooting her friend a confident look.  "So you got Twilight to put a spell on the birds!" she proclaimed.  "A spell that would let other ponies communicate with them, just like Fluttershy can!"  Rarity's mouth fell open, astonished at her friend's accuracy.  "And you told them your plan, and told them not to move until you ate those crackers!"  Applejack again threw out a hoof at Rarity, panting from the mouthful that was her accusation.

Rarity slowly began to grin, stars in her eyes.  "Yes!" she squeaked.   "I mean, yes, and I'm really, REALLY sorry," Rarity said sheepishly, "but that was amazing, darling!"  Applejack winked at her, a proud look present on her face.  "How did you figure it out?" Rarity asked.  "Have you been reading my Shadow Spade books?"

Applejack looked around her.  "Can you keep a secret?" she whispered.  Rarity moved closer, nodding her head and holding her breath in anticipation.  "Are you totally, absolutely, positively sure?" Applejack asked even quieter than before.  Rarity nodded again, leaning her head as Applejack moved over to whisper in her friend's ear.

"You talk in your sleep, you goof."





Rarity and Applejack stepped out onto the front porch.  The sun was shimmering down through a few clouds in the summer sky, the trees once again swaying gently in the breeze.  Rarity carried her bag she had brought with her on the train, Applejack toting a significantly larger one.  Rarity had asked if Applejack was okay to carry such a heavy bag, but AJ had insisted it was fine.  Applejack locked up the cabin's front door, Rarity providing her hat back so she could stow the key in it and place it back on it's owner's head.  The two ponies descended the front steps and began heading back toward the train station.

"So this is us now," said Rarity, wrapping her tail around her partner's, "this is like a whole new chapter in my life.  Does it feel like that to you?"

"It sure does," Applejack replied with a friendly smile, accepting the tail-holding, "I reckon we are going to be happier than two peas in a pod."

Rarity beamed with joy, nuzzling her friend as they walked down the path.  As they made it out of the woods and to the train station, a drop of water hit the ground in front of them.  The duo looked up as a small drizzle of rain began to fall.

"Aw shucks, hang on I have an umbrella in here hun," said Applejack, quickly rummaging through her bag.  Rarity placed a hoof over Applejack's, stopping her search.  Applejack looked up to see Rarity with her chin up, smiling and looking up toward the sky.

"Thank you for your consideration," said Rarity, "normally I would be upset about getting my mane wet."  She closed her eyes, walking a few steps forward with a glowing smile on her face.  "Normally I would be racing for an umbrella.  But you know what?  This feels good.  I kind of like these light summer showers."  Applejack walked up next to her, taking her hat off and allowing her mane to catch a few raindrops.  She leaned on her newfound partner, happier than she had ever been before.

"Me too, Rare," she said as she closed her eyes, "me too."

~FIN~