Chapter 3 - The Apple and the Jewel
The oven timer dinged, and a few seconds later Applejack pulled the fresh batch of apple fritters from inside. She took in a deep breath, savoring their smell, and with a satisfied smile put the tray down on the stove.
“Mm-mm, they sure do smell like a fine batch 'a fritters!” Granny Smith remarked, leaning past her granddaughter to get a whiff for herself.
“Thanks, Granny,” Applejack said, getting ready to move the fritters to a proper cooling rack.
“I bet that girlfriend a'yers'll like 'em too!”
Applejack flushed. “Granny!”
Granny Smith just laughed. “C'mon, Applejack, it's what y'all are, ain't it? Ain't no one else around, so why ya still tryin' to hide it?”
“I know,” Applejack sighed as she begun the transfer from tray to rack. “I'm just tryin' to be careful is all. Rarity's dead-set on keepin' us a secret for some reason, and even though I don't agree with her I promised I'd go along with it. I don't wanna ruin things between us when they've barely had a chance to start.”
Granny Smith nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I getcha. Secret love, eh? Kinda reminds me of...” She trailed off there, looking like she'd become lost in a well of sad thoughts.
“Reminds you of what?” Applejack asked, snapping her grandmother out of her trance.
“Oh, uh, er, never you mind that now, Applejack,” she said quickly. “Why don't ya go keep look-out for yer girlfriend while I finish packin' the fritters?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “But the fritters won't be cool enough to pack for a little while longer,” she said.
“Good! More time for you to think about yer girl, then,” Granny said, now pushing Applejack out of the kitchen. “What did you say her name was again?”
“Rarity, but-”
“Rarity?” Granny Smith repeated, blinking in confusion as she and Applejack stopped in the front hall. She put a finger across her chin, and furrowed her brow in thought. “Rarity...ain't she the one with the fancy clothes and that high-falutin' accent?”
“It...it ain't high-falutin',” Applejack stammered, “it's just how she is! I know she's practically from a different world than we are and probably never got her hands dirty in her life, but that don't mean she doesn't work just as hard as we do. She's a generous and thoughtful person, and I'm proud to call her my girlfriend.”
Granny Smith gave her a good, long look before saying “You've been holdin' that in for awhile now, ain'tcha?”
“...yup,” Applejack admitted, slumping her shoulders. “I know I'm gonna get a lotta questions about what I see in her and the like once we finally come out about our relationship, so I've been thinkin' about what to say in advance.”
Granny Smith laughed. “Didn't expect that from ya, but I guess yer just full 'a surprises now.”
“I guess I am,” Applejack replied, hands on her hips and looking sternly at Granny Smith.
She just laughed again, then turned back towards the kitchen. “Well, I'll just leave ya to her then. If I were you, I'd take a shower. Don't wanna be smellin' like the pigs on yer date, do ya?”
Applejack froze, then cautiously sniffed her armpit. “Good point,” she said, turning towards the stairs.
“I'll just pack up the fritters when they're cool, then,” Granny told her.
“Thanks,” came the reply. Then, a few seconds later, she added “And don't think I forgot about you said earlier just because you changed the subject!”
Granny Smith froze in place, and shot an anxious look backwards as her granddaughter disappeared up the stairs.
The morning was warm and sunny, but with a pleasant breeze that managed to stir up just enough dust to make Rarity nervous. She didn't want to risk dirtying her outfit, of course; both her hat and her sundress were luxuriously white with exquisite lavender trim and tie, and it was all far too important to be damaged before her date actually began. Once she and her paramour had gotten into the proverbial swing of things, perhaps, but not now.
It was almost enough to make her consider closing the roof on her convertible. Not quite enough, as Rarity wanted to have a certain windswept look when she showed up on her darling Applejack's front doorstep, but almost. And she was practically at Sweet Apple Acres already, so there was little point in putting the roof up now.
Instead, she simply contented herself to sighing blissfully and thinking of all the wonderful things she had planned for that day. Again. First, they'd take a nice boat out on the lake at Queen's Park, followed by a lovely lunch at a nearby café with an absolutely splendid view from its veranda. Then a gentle stroll through the nicer parts of downtown Canterlot before they caught a movie at the theatre – Applejack's choice, of course. Then they'd play it by ear afterward and just enjoy themselves in the moment before their 7 o'clock reservation at the Savoury Select. It wasn't the highest-class restaurant in the city, true, but it was still an excellent choice for a first date. And it wasn't like they would be dressed up enough for the highest-class anyways, not after spending the day together.
And then, after dinner...she shivered in delight just thinking about it.
All in all, Rarity knew it was going to be a perfect day. Some girls might think it was a little too much for one date, but Rarity was of the firm belief that first dates should be memorable. And besides, her and Applejack led busy lives, so she felt she had to get as many dates in at one time as she could. Who knew when they'd be able to go out again without fear of being seen?
Rarity sighed again, though a little less blissfully. Now wasn't the time to think of such things, she decided. She didn't want to sour her mood, and Sweet Apple Acres was now in sight.
She marveled at the rows and rows of trees she was driving past; she'd seen them all before, of course, and the fruits weren't exactly showy yet, but the orchard took on a whole new context in the light of her love. This was Applejack's home, her life; why, she may very well have been working with these very trees only hours ago! She could just imagine her, walking down the rows of trees in her work duds, carrying everything she needed with her magical and marvelous super strength, wiping the sweat from her brow, admiring her handiwork...it was enough to make Rarity's insides flutter.
And then she was there. She'd almost missed it, lost in her daydream as she was, but she managed to slow down in time and turn into the driveway. She laughed nervously upon realizing the disaster she'd just barely averted. But she parked her car and took a deep breath to calm herself, even allowing herself a moment to admire the Apple family farmhouse before tending to the much more important duty of double-checking her appearance down to the last detail, including the magical geode hanging around her neck like a mundane (though gorgeous) necklace.
It was all absolutely perfect, and she gave her mirror a wink and a kiss before folding the compact and tucking it in her purse. One last adjustment of her hat and dress, and she was walking up to the front door.
She knocked on it thrice. “Hellooo, Applejack, I'm here~!” she called out in a light, singsong voice. The door opened immediately.
“Howdy,” Applejack greeted, tipping her hat as she leaned against the open door and smiled. Gone were her work duds, replaced by the same apple-print top and belt Rarity had made for her at Camp Everfree paired with longer and plainer denim shorts than what the outfit had originally included. Much like Rarity's, her brilliant orange geode hung around her neck. She winked, and redness threatened to take over the entirety of Rarity's alabaster skin. Applejack chuckled. “You're lookin' mighty fine this morning, Rarity. Why don't ya come on in and sit a spell?”
She offered her hand, and Rarity took it in a daze. “I-I'd love to, Applejack,” she said, stepping inside at Applejack's lead. “And I must say you look quite fetching yourself,” she added, recovering just enough of her composure to admire her lover once more.
Applejack chuckled again. “Yeah, I gathered as much. So, everythin' still good on your end for today? No problems with that plan 'a yours?”
“Oh no, everything is quite in order,” Rarity answered promptly and with pride. “I have done everything in my power to ensure that today it absolutely perfect. I trust you have as well?”
“Sure have, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, leading her towards the kitchen. “All I gotta do is grab the fritters and we'll be good to go.”
“Hold yer horses, I got yer fritters here all wrapped up and ready to go,” came the voice of Granny Smith, the woman herself standing up from the table she'd been washing mason jars at and handing Applejack a plastic container.
“Oh! Granny Smith!” Rarity said, suddenly nervous. “I didn't realize you were...around!”
Granny snorted. “Where else would I be? It's my farm! And I ain't dead yet!”
“O-of course,” Rarity stammered, “I...simply meant that I wasn't expecting you to be...here! In the kitchen!”
She put on a wide smile under Granny Smith's piercing gaze. “Hrmm...can't say I understand what mah granddaughter sees in you, but I ain't gonna interfere neither. You two have a good day, y'hear?”
Now Applejack became nervous, though Rarity was too focused on the elder Apple to notice. “I...I don't think I quite catch your meaning, Granny Smith. Applejack and I are simply....two good friends, who are going out on a spa date-ah, spa day, together, and nothing more!”
Granny raised a brow and snorted. “Yeah, and them fritters Applejack made specially fer the two of you are just spa food.”
“But of course!” Rarity answered quickly, oblivious to her love's frantic but silent attempts to get her grandmother to stop talking. “What else would they be for?”
“Treats fer the secret date the two of ya are goin' on,” Granny Smith answered without hesitation.
Rarity's forced smile dropped into a heavy frown, and she turned her head towards her girlfriend. “Applejack,” she said sweetly enough to make the girl flinch, “you didn't happen to tell your grandmother our secret, did you?”
“I-I didn't mean to!” Applejack said quickly. “She just wrangled it outta me, I swear!”
“I believe you,” Rarity said to Applejack's momentary relief, “but I'm still mad. Why did you let this happen? You know how much it means to me that we keep this secret. If you can't keep it from your grandmother, how do I know you'll be able to keep it from the others? Especially Pinkie Pie?”
Applejack sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I know, Rarity. This is part 'a why I didn't wanna keep it from folks to begin with. I just ain't good at hidin' this sort 'a thing! We're lucky nobody figured it out before today!”
“I'll say,” Rarity huffed.
“Now hold on just a minute,” Granny interrupted, fixing a scowl on – and wagging a finger at – Rarity. “I get that you don't wanna make yerselves public yet fer whatever reason. But I ain't gonna let ya get mad at Applejack just fer havin' a granny that knows her well! It ain't proper.”
She and Rarity glared at one another for a moment before the younger woman relented. “Yes, I understand.” She sighed. “Please forgive me, Applejack, I've simply been too stressed out about the possibility of things ending badly for us if word gets out. But I don't want to sour our first real date by making this particular incident into a bigger deal than it really is.”
“Aww, don't worry darlin',” Applejack told her with a soft smile, taking Rarity's hand in her own. “And I promise I'll do better to keep our secret, especially from Pinkie Pie.”
“Thank you, Applejack,” Rarity replied, returning the smile. She soon swelled with excitement, however, and said “Well then, let's get going! We have a big day ahead, and we don't want to be late for any of it.”
Applejack chuckled. “Sure thing, darlin'.”
The two left hand-in-hand shortly after, leaving Granny Smith to smile and shake her head as she resumed her jar-cleaning.
“So...,” Applejack began, holding her hat to her head as she and Rarity drove away from Sweet Apple Acres. “We really goin' to the spa? I mean, not that I mind or nothin', its just that we did that before we were datin' too.”
“Oh, haha, oh my no,” Rarity laughed. “That was just a story I told your dear grandmother. You know how much I enjoy our trips to the spa, but they're a bit too mundane to be first date material. I want this day to be memorable.”
Applejack chuckled at the sudden, wild intensity in her girlfriend's eyes. “Well, that suits me just fine. Though to be honest, after how much we've been lookin' forward to today, I reckon that it bein' our first date is memorable enough, no matter what happens.”
“Hmm,” Rarity said, lips pursed in thought, “perhaps. But that hardly means we should just settle for any old thing.” Her mouth curled into a sly little smile. “And believe you me, what I have planned is hardly any old thing!”
Applejack raised a brow, smile matching smile. “So you gonna tell me what this plan 'a yours is, or are ya just gonna leave it a surprise?”
Rarity's smile widened. “Oh, you'll just have to wait and find out!” She pressed down on the gas, and the two girls whooped and laughed as they sped down the road without a care in the world.
Soon enough they were driving through the city proper, passing by residential districts and heading towards downtown. “Let's see, it's too early in the mornin' for lunch,” Applejack guessed, looking around at the buildings they were passing. “And shoppin' ain't exactly romantic, so we're obviously not doin' that either. You don't got anythin' planned for us at your place, do ya?”
“Of course not!” Rarity answered, a blush forming on her cheeks. “As though I'd expect to get any romance out of my parent's house. Besides, it's far too early in our relationship for me to be bringing you home...”
The implication in her voice was enough to make Applejack flush as well. “Aheheh, yeah, I guess it is,” she said bashfully.
They came to a stop at a red light, and to their surprise they began to hear the din of barking dogs. Turning their heads to the right, they saw a pack approaching down the sidewalk – at least ten of them in all manner of size and breed, all harnessed and leashed. They were being walked by, or at least dragging along behind them, a tall gray-skinned old man dressed so oddly it made Rarity cringe just to look at him. Stained overalls, heavy boots, a white undershirt (long-sleeved despite the heat), and a tattered old top hat and cane. He seemed to be utterly delighted by the chaotic mass he was being pulled along by, the dogs playing with each other and investigating everything in their path, forcing other pedestrians to give them a wide berth lest they get swallowed up by the eager canine horde as one or two already had.
As they stepped into the crosswalk several of the dogs broke rank and barked or sniffed at Rarity's convertible, and her eyes were drawn to the old man. He looked back, and gave the girls a crooked smile and a short wave. “Don't mind us, ladies,” he said in an oddly dignified voice. “Dogs will be dogs, you know, and who am I to stop them?” He shrugged as a retriever raised a hing leg and marked Rarity's front bumper to the girl's horror. ”You two just enjoy your day,” the old man said, letting out a hooting laugh. He gave his tangle of leashes a sharp tug, and the mass of dogs continued along to the next interesting object in their path.
“...well, I guess they got all sorts in the city,” Applejack commented, watching the man walk away.
“Hmph,” Rarity sniffed, pressing down on the gas as the light turned green. “And he's the sort I'd do well never to see again, thank you very much. His demeanor was almost as bad as his fashion sense.”
Applejack stared a bit more at the departing man, then frowned and looked at Rarity. “Yeah, I think I know what ya mean. He seemed friendly enough on the outside, but...”
“...he clearly seems to revel in making people uncomfortable,” Rarity finished.
“Yeah, pretty much. Hopefully the city's big enough that we won't be runnin' into him again anytime soon. Seems like it'd be nothin' but trouble.”
“Quite.”
They continued on through downtown Canterlot, but their relative peace was short-lived. It was only a few minutes after they'd passed the old dog-walker when they heard a familiar-sounding “HEY!” that caused Rarity to brake out of panic alone, barely but thankfully avoiding an accident in the process.
“Oh no!” Rarity said, becoming rigid as she resumed driving. “Act natural!” she commanded through a forced smile.
“Uhh, I don't think that's gonna be necessary, strictly speakin',” Applejack told her, having turned around enough to look behind them. She watched as Rainbow Dash, fully powered-up, swooped down through the air above the building to their right, then looked ahead to see the woman her friend was chasing. As she expected it was a woman in a purple bodysuit jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her face covered by a mask and shadowed by her wide-brimmed fedora that somehow managed to stay tight on her head despite the speed with which she was moving. “I don't think Rainbow Dash has noticed us...”
“Yes, I suppose she hasn't,” Rarity said, her relief drowned out by her surprise as she, too, looked away from the road for a moment to watch their chase.
Then, to the shocked gasps of them and all the other ground-bound onlookers, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well jumped from the roof of a bagel shop into the air above the street itself. And as she did so she did a pirouette in mid-air, wrapping herself in her voluminous midnight blue cape and getting smaller and smaller as she spun faster and faster, disappearing into thin air before she'd even passed over three lanes.
“AAGH! Darn it, not again!” The lovers' attention was drawn once again to their friend, who'd stopped in mid-flight over the bagel shop and gripped her hair in frustration. “GET BACK HERE AND FACE ME!” she shouted, taking off like a shot to the left. Before traffic resumed a number of people scrambled across the road to follow her, snapping pictures as they went, and a motorcyclist in a black leather jacket tore past as well, swerving between cars and turning down the same road the photographers had taken.
Rarity and Applejack sighed at the same time, finally in motion again. “Honestly,” Rarity frowned, “it seems like every day more and more people are chasing after her. It's a miracle that nobody's been hurt!”
“Yeah,” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “I swear, that girl's more obsessed than a hog on the scent 'a slop. I get that it's important to keep an eye on that Mare-Do-Well character, but why's Rainbow gotta be so obvious about it?”
“She never has been one for subtlety,” Rarity said. “Although to be honest, the fact that she hasn't noticed her own personal paparazzi is surprising.”
Applejack's face fell even more. “And a blessin'. Last thing we need is Rainbow Dash realizin' she's a local celebrity.”
Rarity laughed into her hand as they came to another red light. “Quite. She'd never get anything done again!”
“Yeah,” Applejack chuckled, “either that or she'd start showboatin' to prove how much of a 'hero' she really is.”
“Still,” Rarity frowned as the light turned green, “I do feel bad that none of us are helping her.”
“Hey, I'll be glad to help once that Mare-Do-Well starts doin' somethin' more suspicious than runnin' away from folks,” Applejack said, stretching her arms out behind her head, then adjusting the string of her geode necklace. “But fer now, I don't see much point in startin' trouble with the one other magic-user besides us that's actually doin' somethin' good in the world.”
“Hmm...point. But let's forget about that for now,” she said, cracking a wide smile. “We're here!”
'Here' was none other than Queen's Park, the largest park in the city. It was an expanse of green too vast to take in all at once; too many gardens, lawns, and ponds to count all divided up by even more numerous pathways, plazas, and statues. There were people everywhere that lazy Saturday morning, jogging or playing or visiting one of the park's many attractions. Rarity parked her car as close to it as she could, rolling up the windows and putting up the roof to protect her precious convertible while they were away.
“Heheh, shoulda guessed it'd be here,” Applejack chuckled as she unbuckled. “You want me to bring the fritters?” she asked, holding up the box.
Rarity tapped her chin in thought a bit before answering “No. I'd rather save those for this afternoon, unless you think they'll spoil if we leave them in the car.”
“Naw, they'll be fine,” Applejack said, leaning backwards to tuck the box under the back seat as best she could. Only then did she leave the car, her girlfriend joining her on the sidewalk in moments. “Y'know, I've lived near this city all my life, and I don't think I've seen half 'a Queen's Park,” she said as they began to walk the block or so distance to the park entrance.
“Oh, me neither,” Rarity said. “My parents took Sweetie and I here often when we were younger, of course, but we never really explored it.”
“So ya thought today would be a good chance to finally do so?” Applejack asked, cracking a smile.
“Perhaps,” Rarity replied with a coy look, the two stepping into the final crosswalk before the park. “Don't get me wrong though, I do have a few specific things in mind for our little outing this morning.”
“Ya don't say?” The farmer lifted her hat, looking at her lover out of the corner of her eye. “Let me guess, they're holdin' some kinda fashion show today or somethin'.”
Rarity gave her a scalding pout. “Oh honestly, Applejack,” she said, giving the girl a light shove as she began to laugh. “You know I care for more than just fashion. Besides,” she turned her nose up aloofly and crossed her arms, eyes only just cracking open to show her amusement, “if it were up to you I'm sure we'd only come here to attend some kind of...of harvest festival or some such thing.”
“A harvest festival,” Applejack repeated, the corners of her lips twitching. “In Queen's Park.”
“That's what I said!” Rarity answered defiantly, the couple now standing at the park's threshold.
Applejack just laughed and shook her head. “Well, I ain't gonna lie, I'd probably go if there was one. Just like you'd go to a fashion show.”
“True...,” Rarity reluctantly conceded, not meeting her girlfriend's eyes.
“But none of that's the sorta thing I picture as first date material,” Applejack continued. “And I reckon you feel the same way, don'tcha?”
“Of course!” Rarity replied, whipping her head back around. “Third or fourth date material, at the earliest.”
Applejack chuckled, then offered her arm. “Then how 'bout you show me exactly what you got in mind for first date material?”
Rarity beamed at her. “I'd love to,” she answered, taking Applejack's arm and finally walking with her into the park.
The lovers spent a good half an hour simply strolling arm-in-arm down the park's main thoroughfare, enjoying the weather and each other. To their good fortune they did not come across anyone they knew or recognized from school, allowing both to relax and forget about their secret being blown. And eventually, they came upon their first destination within the park.
“The lake, huh? Can't say it's what I expected,” Applejack said.
“Well,” Rarity told her, moving her hand down to take Applejack's, “it is a tad more private than simply strolling. Just the two of us, on a boat, in the middle of the lake...” She leaned against her partner, and sighed dreamily.
Applejack smiled. “Yeah, it sounds nice.” The couple turned towards the boat rental shop sitting prominently on the shore, and as they approached they looked at the selection of vessels tied to the docks. “So, what kinda boat do you wanna get?” Applejack asked.
Rarity folded her arms and pursed her lips in thought. “Hmm...something we can sit next to each other, I think. Or at least have the option to do so.”
“Soooo...no to the canoes, then,” Applejack said, scratching her head. “That leaves us with the row boats, and...”
The gaze of both girls fell upon several large swan-shaped boats lined up in their own special section of the dock. “They do seat two,” Applejack said, looking at Rarity.
She gave an indignant gasp. “But...they're so...so...,” she said, waving her free hand vaguely in the boats' direction as she tried to find the right word. “Garish,” she decided on. “Besides, we'd have to pedal, and let me tell you these are not pedaling shoes.” She thrust a hand down at her heels.
Applejack shrugged. “Still easier than rowin' I expect.” She noticed Rarity's pout, and her face fell. “You wanted me to do all the rowin', didn't ya?”
“Ha! Pft...w-well,” Rarity sputtered, “you are the stronger of the two of us after all. And I do so enjoy watching you partake in, ah, physical activities,” she added, letting go of Applejack's hand to lovingly stroke her muscular arm. “Plus...it would be gentlemanly...,” she said, coyly looking away for a moment before fluttering her eyelashes at her love.
“Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm a lady, not a gentleman,” Applejack countered with her hands on her hips.
“W-well obviously. I simply, ah...”
Applejack raised a brow.
“I simply...,” she repeated, not meeting her girlfriend's gaze as she quickly thought. “Oh! Yes!” She raised a finger in realization. “I simply thought that such behavior would suit you,” she said at last with a satisfied nod.
Applejack crossed her arms.
A wide, sheepish smile spread on Rarity's face. “Sorry,” she said at barely more than a whisper.
Her girlfriend sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, had it come to it yeah, I woulda done the rowin'. But I don't like you just expectin' me to do that sorta thing cause I'm more boyish than you or somethin'.”
Rarity sighed and hung her head. “I do apologize for that, dear. But still,” she met her girlfriend's gaze again, “rowing aside, it still stands that the swan boats are simply too...-” she looked back at the vessels in question- “noticeable for my tastes.”
“Rarity, you once wore a dress covered in flashin' lights to school for a week cause you were scared that folks were ignorin' you.”
“That was different!” Rarity hissed, blushing furiously. “We were freshmen, and I most certainly wasn't in a secret relationship with one of my closest friends!”
It was then that a passing jogger swerved around them, the lavender-skinned man glaring at the girls stopped in the middle of the path. Rarity and Applejack just gave him bashful smiles in return, and hurried off to the side.
Rarity sighed, taking Applejack's hands in her own. “Look, darling, why don't you tell me why you want to take the swan boat?”
“Well, aside from just not feelin' like rowin' after a mornin's worth of chores,” the farmgirl answered, “I figure that even if the boat's easy to spot the two of us sittin' inside it won't be. It's got those nice high wings on the sides, plus a canopy. Whereas if we just go out on a regular ol' row boat, we'll be completely out in the open!”
Rarity stared blankly at her for a moment before bringing a finger to her chin. “Hmm...I didn't think of that...”
“Plus,” Applejack added with a playful smile, “they do say that swan boats are s'pposed to be mighty romantic!”
“They do say that, don't they...” She looked back over at the swan boats, then back at Applejack who smiled expectantly. “Ohhhh, fine, why not,” she said, cracking a smile of her own. “Let's do it!”
“Sure thing, sugarcube,” Applejack chuckled, and the two walked hand-in-hand to the rental counter.
“Alright, on the counta three,” Applejack said, her Rarity now in their seats. “One! Two!”
“W-wait, Applejack, hold on,” Rarity protested frantically, looking from her love to her feet which were very much not in pedaling position.
“Three! Go!” Applejack continued unabated, even cracking a grin as she began to pedal furiously.
“Aah! Aah! Wait!” Rarity wailed, trying with all her might to keep up the pace and failing quite handily. Her efforts were only enough to get their boat clear of the dock by a few feet before it veered hard to starboard and kept going. “Applejack, slow down!” she whined, grabbing her girlfriend by the arm.
Applejack started laughing, but took her feet off the pedals just the same. “Sorry, sugarcube,” she said, still grinning as Rarity's continued frantic pedaling steered the swan back towards the middle of the lake. “Just thought I'd have a bit of fun with you, I couldn't help myself!”
“Hmph,” Rarity sniffed, crossing her arms looking away with a pout. She had stopped pedaling as well. “Honestly, Applejack, you'd think I was dating a child!”
“Heheheh. C'mon now, Rarity,” Applejack said as she resumed pedaling at a much calmer pace, “I thought we were s'pposed to have fun together!”
“I'm sorry, but my definition of 'fun' does not include nearly crashing into a dock!” she replied, still determinedly not looking at her girlfriend but pedaling all the same.
Applejack's face fell. “Aww, shoot, I didn't mean it like that, Rarity,” she said, putting a hand on Rarity's shoulder. “I'm sorry.”
Instantly, Rarity whipped her head around to give Applejack a wide, devious grin. “I'm glad to hear that, dear,” she said before her hand darted forward and pulled her girlfriend's hat down hard over her eyes. Then, cackling madly, she began to pedal backwards as fast as she could so that the swan boat began to spin.
“Wha-what the-” Applejack blurted out, fumbling with her hat for a moment before seeing the dizzying view in front of her. “Oh, is that how it's gonna be?” she said, giving her love a side-eyed glance as her smirk returned. “Well then, two can play at that game!” And with that she redoubled her own pedaling in the forward direction, so that their boat began to spin even faster. The two girls laughed and laughed as they made their swan spiral clockwise across the surface of the lake, attracting no small amount of attention from the people passing by in the park.
Eventually, Rarity slowed. “Ohh, oh, oh my,” she said through her laughter, closing her eyes and putting a hand to her forehead. “We should stop before one of us loses our breakfast...”
Applejack stopped pedaling entirely, and the pair's laughter began to slow as their swan spun down to a gentle twirl. They ended their mirth with contented sighs, and slumped against one another. They were silent for a moment as their dizziness faded, then looked at each other and kissed.
Many enjoyable minutes later, the girls resumed paddling at a leisurely – and coordinated – pace. Hand in hand they looked out over the lake and took in its splendor – the sun reflecting off its surface; the schools of brightly-colored goldfish darting to and fro just below it; the way each gust of wind sent ripples across it; and how it seemed to draw all sorts of people and animals to its shores. For several minutes they didn't even speak; they didn't need to. They simply enjoyed each other's company.
Eventually, Applejack stretched her arms and sighed. “Sure was a fine idea to come out here,” she told her girlfriend.
“But of course!” Rarity replied, puffing herself up with pride. “I know romance, my dear. It's one of my many passions in life.” She gave her hair a flip, then batted her eyelashes.
Applejack chuckled. “Sure is, darlin',” she said. “Sure is...” She trailed off after that, her smile fading as her eyes wandered back ahead of them and promptly drifted off.
“Is something the matter, Applejack?” Rarity asked with a frown, leaning forward to get a better look at her lover's face.
“I'm just thinkin', is all,” she answered.
“About what, may I ask?”
Applejack was silent for a good long moment before she finally said, “About what's gonna happen to us.” She turned her head and looked at Rarity. “When folks find out, I mean.”
Rarity's face fell. “Oh.” She leaned back in her seat, and after a few seconds she looked back at her girlfriend. “What happened to your confidence that everything would work out fine, and that our friends would accept our relationship without issue?”
“I still got it, but...” Applejack sighed, and put her hands behind her head as she looked up through the cloth canopy. “I don't know.” She shook her head. “I guess ever since this mornin' it's been naggin' at the back of my mind more. And now that we're finally enjoyin' ourselves on a date, I realize that I really don't wanna screw this up. I mean,” she raised a hand, “how are we even gonna tell 'em?”
“Well, you told your grandmother just fine, didn't you?” Rarity asked, concern in her voice as she turned her body back towards Applejack.
The farmer shook her head again. “Nah, like I tried to tell ya before, she figured it out on her own. But we still got the rest of our friends and family to tell, and I ain't sure anymore that just bein' straight with 'em is gonna be enough.”
“Mm,” Rarity murmured, taking Applejack's arm and leaning against her. “Now you understand how I've been feeling about all this...”
Applejack smiled softly, leaning her head against Rarity's. “Well, like I said I still think the others'll be just fine with us bein' together. What I'm more worried about is the fuss they'll make when they find out.”
Rarity quickly raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle-snort. “True,” she said, cracking a smile. “I doubt Pinkie Pie or even Rainbow Dash will be able to avoid making a scene, much less keep quiet about it.”
“Yeah,” Applejack chuckled. “Heck, even Twilight might get startled enough by it to blurt somethin' out to the whole world if we aren't careful.”
“Which is why we'll need to tell them all privately,” Rarity said. “Though of course I do still wish to take things slowly with telling them. There's no need to rush,” she closed her eyes and made a sweeping gesture with her hand, “we'll simply...enjoy our little secret for a little while longer, perhaps a handful more of these clandestine dates, and then...,” another sweeping gesture, “play it by ear when we're comfortable.”
“Play it by ear, eh?” Applejack said, looking at her with a smile on her face. “Well, can't really argue with that I suppose.” It was then that her stomach chose to rumble, surprising both girls. “Speakin' of playin' it by ear,” she said. “You got anythin' in that plan 'a yours about lunch?”
Rarity's lips curled upwards in growing excitement. “Why, as a matter of fact I do!”
Special thanks again to my editor, Applety, for helping me with this. 
This was a fun chapter to write, but then again I find I always have fun when I write Rarity. Just something about her, you know? 
The next chapter will focus on Rainbow Dash and the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, who we saw briefly this time. That little scene is a good preview of what's in store for that chapter, though fortunately it won't solely consist of chase scenes.
See you all next time!
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Now I really liked this chapter. Rarijack is just such a wonderful ship, and this was very sweetly written. I especially liked the part were they were messing with each other on the swan boat.
Also, Discord is a lovable jerk, Rainbow's hunt for Mr Dark/Darkwing Duck wannabe continues, and human-world Sunset seems to be involved somehow. Mysterious Mare-do-Well's identity is hard to even guess in this story, but...
...of who it might be.
Methinks she's reminded of a certain son and daughter in law of hers perhaps.
Yeah, I get what you mean. For some reason, I find her the most entertaining character to write dialogue for so far.
8339558
Mr. Discord is always fun to write, though perhaps not as much as Rarity (whose voice always seems to take over for my inner narrator when I'm writing her sections).
And I'm glad you're intrigued about the identity of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. There's...plenty of fun things in store for that plotline
Oh, and Granny Smith was definitely thinking of her son and daughter-in-law when she said that. I actually wrote the line shortly after I watched Perfect Pair, and it just seemed right to reference it given the situation.
You are doin' great with this darling! I eagerly await your next chapter!
lol
This was absolutely lovely. Extremely sweet and romantic, very true to the characters. I love that even when they have moments of friction, the relationship has an underpinning of trust and love that sees them through. Really great chapter. Just what I was hoping for as the follow-on from that little prelude oneshot :)
It's also nice to see a little acknowledgement of Applejack being stronger and more physical, while at the same time outright refuting the idea it has to mean she's boyish or has to "be the man" in the relationship or any nonsense like that.
(It continues to be great to see Granny Smith being such a sharp cookie too, though I imagine her part in the story is probably done with for now.)
8339558
So unlike the complete monster he is in the show.
I’m deceased omg
Holy moly, she’s talking about Appkejack’s parents!.