The Talk

by Grenazers

Story

Author's Note:

Please leave any comment after reading this story.

It was yet another beautiful day in the small colorful town of Ponyville.

Celestia's bright yellow sun hung high in the clear blue skies, shining her light down on to the ponies of this small town.

In this town a certain orange, stetson wearing earth mare was making her way through the busy market place. Applejack was not here to sell any of her apples, rather she is going to meet a certain friend of her that can help her with her problem.

This problem has plagued her mind for some time. She used to just ignored it and let it fade away, but now it has grown and is subconsciously bothering her.

Normally, Applejack would've talked about her problem with her grandmother, Granny Smith. As wise as she was, Granny was also old and a bit senile. So when she ask her something, she wasn't sure if it was wisdom or some random rambling.

The orange mare spotted the Carousel Boutique and quicken her pace.

When she was at the front of the door, she pressed the doorbell two times and waited. At first nothing, but her sharp hearing caught the sound of hoofsteps inside. They were very faint, but grew louder as the pony trotted nearer to the door.

The door opened and on the other side was a white unicorn mare.

“Oh Applejack.” The mare said, surprised.

“Howdy, Rarity.” Applejack responded.”Are you busy?”

“Well no, I actually finished some clothing earlier. Why you ask? Do you need something?”

Applejack looked away and sighs. “Yeah, I do.” She answered. “I have something on my mind and I really need someone to talk to about it with.”

“Oh, OK.” Rarity step aside from the open door. “Come on in.”

Applejack entered her friend's home and waited for Rarity to close the door behind her.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I make us some tea.” Rarity instructed as she went to the kitchen.

Applejack looked around, all she saw were dozen of gray pony mannequins wearing her friend's latest clothing design. She eventually spotted a large comfortable looking couch next to some mannequins.

Taking her seat on the couch, Applejack took the time to think of a way to explain her problem to her friend while she is in the kitchen.

A couple of minutes passed by and Rarity returned with a purple tray, two small cups and a teapot. Placing the tray on the small table in front of the couch, she picked the teapot up and poured tea for herself and for her friend.
Once done, she took her cup and sat next to Applejack, right at the same time she herself was picking up her own cup.

“So Applejack, what's on your mind?” The white mare asked as she took a sip.

Applejack stared down at her cup, not making eye contact. “You see Rare.” She started saying, but stopped. “My problem is....what on my mind is....well it's....um..well it's.” She stopped again and took a deep breath.

“Rarity, I'm sorry if I am being difficult.” Applejack apologizes.

“Oh no dear, please take your time.” Rarity assured her friend.

Applejack took a sip of tea before continuing.“It's not easy for me to do this. This whole talking about my problem with someone else, never really the type for that.”

“Indeed you are, honestly Applejack when you first came to me and said that you want someone to talk with. I though you were a changeling imposter."

Both ponies chuckled at this idea. While comedy was never really her thing, Rarity knew that a bit of laughter could lighten things up a bit.

“So what's on your mind?” Rarity asked as she drinks from her cup.

“Rarity, do have a special somepony?” The orange mare answered bluntly, causing her friend to choke on the tea a bit.

After clearing her throat she return her look at her friend. “Well no, why do you ask?”

Taking a deep breath, Applejack proceeded to tell Rarity her problem. “You see Rarity, after I got my cutie mark and finding my true calling in life, I spend a huge majority of my life working on the farm. I started of small by bucking a couple of apples out of the tree, but with many practises I was able to clear the entire tree with one swift buck of my hooves.”The cowpony smiled from the feeling of nostalgia from telling her story.

“As interesting as your story is Applejack, but what does this have to do with your problem.”

“I'm getting to it.” Applejack retorted as she took a sip.

“Anyways I was pretty happy doing what I enjoy, working on my family's farm. However, I soon realize that I was missing something, or rather I was missing somepony. Somepony to be with, somepony to share your life with, somepony who will support you, somepony who would love you.”

Rarity's eyes widen after hearing Applejack's dilemma. “I got to say Applejack, I never expect this to come from you.”

“And why is that?” Applejack squinted her green eyes at her.

“Well because darling, it's just that you have never really taken an interest in finding somepony before, not even when I tried to hook you up with some of my associates.”

“Wait, that was you?” Applejack pointed her hoof at her. "Rarity, those guys been bugging me for weeks!”

Rarity raises both her front legs, defensively. “Hey now Applejack, this isn't about me this is about you.”

The orange mare lowered her hoof and pour herself some tea.

“Now Applejack, I'm quite curious, but why now?” She questioned. “Why do you suddenly have an interest in finding a special pony?"

Taking another sip, she put her cup down onto the tray. “Well if you must know, It all started a month ago when Rainbow Dash was helping me on the farm. She was being really helpful with me, providing her unique skills to the orchard. Back then she was getting really close to me, so I had to tell her I wasn't interested. She then gave me a confused look and clear things up for me. Apparently she wasn't trying to get me to love her, she wanted me to allow her to ask out my brother. When I told her that she didn't need my permission to ask him out, she immediately bolted to where Big Mac was and started hitting on him.”

“Really, Rainbow and your brother?”

“Eeyup, took me by surprise as well. Never really though she had a thing for my brother. “ She paused to take a sip before continuing. “At first I though it was just a simple fling and yet she comes to visit my brother everyday, whether it is to hang out or just to say hello, Rainbow and my brother are really making their relationship work.” Applejack finished with a smile on her face.

Her smile then dropped and she broke eye contact. “That was when my problem began.” She said as she stared down into her cup. “Watching those two together made me start feelin' somethin' I never felt before.”

“And what is that Applejack?”

“It hard to explain, but it feels like a big empty void that just lingers on inside me. It won't go away until I can find something to fill that void.”

The orange mare then place the cup back on the tray and then turn her head to face her friend. “That was when I realized that I was lonely, that I have nopony by my side.”

“What do mean Applejack? How can you be alone when you have your friends and family?” Rarity reminded her orange friend.

“That maybe true, but for how long?” She questioned. “Twilight has her princess duties, Rainbow has her Wonderbolts, and you have your dream of living in high society.”

“But, you still have Pinkie and Fluttershy.” Rarity retorted.

“Yeah, but they'll eventually be too busy with their special pony to even come visit me."

“Well I can't really see those two finding anypony to be with.” Rarity said, trying to change the mood with a bit of humor.

“Things change Rarity, life is always changin'. The only thing that doesn't change is me.” Applejack then slouch back a bit, laying her back on the couch. “Soon Big Mac will leave, so that he be can with Rainbow. Soon enough Applebloom will grow up and leave me to pursue her own dreams. And Granny, well I don't want to think about it, but she'll probably pass away in a couple of years. Leaving me all alone on the farm.”

Rarity was really taken back this, the mare wasn't expecting this kind of dilemma from her friend. “My goodness, that a lot to take in.” She took a small sip from her cup. “If that is your problem, then why don't you go out searching for your special pony?”

“You don't get it Rare, it can't just be anypony. It has to be somepony who is willing to give up everything they have and live and work on the farm with me.”

“Isn't that asking a lot?” Rarity pointed.

“Of course it is, but what choice do I have? Do I choose the farm or my special pony? If given that choice, I would instantly choose the farm!”

She turn away again, her emerald eyes staring straight down at the purple floors. “That my problem Rarity, unless he or she is willing to give up their life and work on the farm, then I will never find someone.” She lifted her head to make eye contact again. “I chose this life Rarity, I chose to stay on Sweet Apple Acres because I wanted to. If I abandon my farm, then all the work my family has done over the years would be in vain. Our farm was built on the sweat and hard labour of my family, these acres are their legacy and I'm going to preserve this place to the day I die!” Applejack sighs again, relieved to empty all these feelings out.

“I don't know what to say.” Rarity spoke, unsure how to respond to this.

“Well don't worry, I didn't come here to get an answer, just needed somepony to tell all this to.” Applejack then looked at the clock and saw the time. “Well I best be going now, those trees aren't going to buck themselves.” The orange mare got off from the couch and was trotting towards the door.

However, before she can turn the handle, Rarity stopped her. “Hold a moment, Applejack.” She said causing Applejack to twist her head and face her.

“Have you told this to your family about this?"

Applejack frowned and turned away from her. “No.” She responded.

“Why not?”

“Don't want to guilt trip them.” Suddenly she felt magic surrounding her body, making her turn around to see the pair of blue eyes staring right at her.

“Applejack, this is a serious problem. This is something you can't keep to yourself, you need to tell them about this.”

“Dang it Rarity, I don't want them to worry about me! This is my personal problem!”

“Don't be so selfish, Applejack!”

“Selfish? How am I being selfish! I'm doing this because I don't want them to feel bad for me!”

“Oh really? Because I can tell you what's going to happen. Your family will move on with their lives, but when they look back and see how miserable you are, they are going to feel even worst for not noticing your pain. They'll blame themselves for not helping you because you stubbornly refuse to let them in on how you feel."

Applejack was about to retort, but she let the words sink into her thick head, so remained silent.

"Applejack, they're your family, they're there to support whenever you are in trouble. You of all ponies should know that!"

"You're right, Rarity." Applejack replied. "Family has always been important to us, how can I be so blinded not to see that. They all need to know how I feel."

She turned around and place a hoof on the door handle. “Thanks by the way, thanks for listening.”

“No, problem dear.” Rarity took a quick sip of her tea. “By the way Applejack.” She said, making the mare stop in her track. “We may all go our separate ways, but our friendship will always remain. Remember that Applejack.”

The orange mare simply nodded and went out the door and left the Carousal Boutique. She made a beeline towards the Sweet Apple Acres, all the while Celestia's sun shine from high above in the clear blue sky.

Comments

[Fervidor]

Any comment.

...But seriously. This isn't anything terrible, but it doesn't leave much of an impact either. It feels more like a loose scene from a larger story than a stand-alone work; mainly because you establish a conflict that you don't resolve, which leaves us wondering what sort of signficance this talk had to Applejack's situation. (If any.)

Other than that, you split your paragraphs too often. Don't worry about long paragraphs, you only need to start a new one if the scene takes a new turn or while characters take turns speaking. You also write in past tense but sometimes shift over to present tense, try to stick to one. Also, you have some issues with Purple Unicorn Syndrome - you don't need to describe Applejack and Rarity, we know who they are and what they look like. Just use their names unless you really feel you can't.

Over-all the execution is passable, but there just isn't enough story to make it very worthwhile.

[Mooncalf]

I'd have to admit, at first I thought Applejack came to ask Rarity for that other Talk - the one with the birds and the bees. Absurd, but potentially hilarious.

Still, this was sweet. AJ having a very relevant issue to think about, and turning to her friend for advice. Nice work. Textbook Slice of Life material, really.

[IGNORE IGNORE]

I loved it great idea!

[Grenazers]

4636863
The reason why I split the paragraph a lot is because I don't want my story to feel too encumbered. However, I will take your advice on not doing it too often.

Also I didn't resolve the conflict because I feel that it should be left to interpretation. Some people might share the same problem as Applejack, but that doesn't mean they all get the same resolution. It's basically a no clear ending that leads to many different endings.

[nutcase4real]

4638000
I agree with you on the point of the ending. However, you could have actually used the whole RD/Big Mac device as the opening for the story.

You would loose a bit of mystery and there wouldn't be a big reveal later on, but the viewers could start relating to the main character early on in the story. That alone would glue viewers to the screen.

All in all, I thought it was a wonderful story, even though it was presented in a strange way.

[Zeyon The Green]

4636863
Damn it I was going to be a smartass and do that.

Story overall: Good, but I don't know what it's missing.
Minor edits
Do I choose the farm or the my special pony?
“Well no, why fo you ask?”

[Fervidor]

4638000

Eh, personally I'm not very fond of stories that leave everything up to the reader's enterpretation. I just don't think it should be their job to finish the author's story. Oh well.