White Demure

by Heitomos

Applejack and Rarity: Final Part

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Despite the fear in the pit of her stomach, Applejack's hoof smacked against the door to her aunt's office with its usual gusto. As she did so, she turned to Rarity, if only to see how she was handling all of this. She was surprised to find that her companion was showing absolutely no fear or worry, showing off an air of confidence and command. But then she briefly remembered the unicorn's lesson on stage fright when Rainbow Dash was going to the Best Young Fliers competition, and wondered just how her companion really felt on the inside.

Still, there was little time to think about that right now, as a voice came from the other side of the door.

"Hello, Applejack. Please, come in." Said a voice she hadn't heard in over ten years now.

With a gulp, she turned the handle, opened the door, and bravely walked inside. The place looked pristine, as far as she could tell. It was a perfectly immaculate business office filled with papers and filing cabinets galore. In the center of the room was a large wooden desk with small piles of mail and papers neatly organized on top of it. Finally, sitting behind the professional looking furniture, was a pony Applejack had not seen in a very long time, one that she didn't exactly have the best memories of.

"Howdy there, Aunt Orange." The farmpony said with a nod.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Orange." Said Rarity.

"I see that you haven't changed one bit, Applejack. Such a shame. Now, to what do I owe the... Pleasure of your visit?" The company owner said.

"Well, y'see... There's somethin' we need from ya. Back home, yer niece and mah sister, Apple Bloom, got herself real sick. Our friends are off doin' what they can to find tha cure, each of them findin' a piece of what she needs. And that's why Ah'm here, to get the last thing we need ta help fix her up. That's why we came ta you, Aunt Orange, in hopes that you can give it to us." Applejack said, taking off her hat as she implored her relative.

"I see... And just what is it that you need for my umm... Niece?" Mrs. Orange asked, not having known that she had a niece until now.

"It was... Umm... Oh shoot. Rarity, what was the blasted thing called again?"

"Ahem, it was called the Mandragora Sonales, I believe." Rarity replied, placing a hoof to her chest in pride over being able to help a little.

Mrs. Orange's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the plant, "That one, you say? Well... That is quite the tall order, Applejack, dear. You see, the crops this year weren't exactly the best, and we only have a limited supply, which is why I've had it pulled from the shelves. I'm afraid I only have enough to provide to our most luxurious customers. Unless you match or exceed what they are paying for it, then I'm afraid I'll have to deny your request. I can't simply give up that much money after all."

The farmpony frowned deeply, appalled by what her relative said, and was about to start tearing her Aunt a new one when a white hoof suddenly invaded her vision.

"How much?" Rarity asked.

"The current going price is eight-hundred bits. Usually we can sell it for as cheap as twenty, but a lot of rich ponies like it to keep themselves youthful and healthy, so only the highest bidders are getting any this year." The earth pony said, seeming quite happy about her business decision.

Both of the ponies from Ponyville all of a sudden couldn't find the strength to lift their jaws. After a few moments of stunned silence, the unicorn was the first to speak up, "Eight-hundred bits? Pardon my language, but have you gone completely mad?" She exclaimed, "That's more than I make in two months! Not to mention expenditures and resupplying... I'd have to scrape and save for five or six months to get that kind of money. It's just absurd!"

"Yeah! What she said! Even if I pitched in, Ah don't think we'd have enough even after two months, let alone tha five days that we got." Added the farmpony.

"Well, then I'm sorry, but you'll just have to do without for now, now won't you?" The corporate pony replied.

"But we can't make do without! Apple Bloom is gonna die in five days unless we get that plant! Are you just gonna let kin pass on just for a few measly bits?" Applejack asked incredulously.

"Not for a few measly bits, for eight-hundred measly bits. You need to learn that if you haven't the money in this city, there is little you can get. If she grows too ill simply because you can't pay for it, well, that simply is not my problem, now is it?" She asked, turning her nose up high, shunning the other two in the room.

To say that Applejack was furious was an understatement. It was taking all of her willpower at that moment now to avoid bucking her snooty aunt in the head until she gave up the plant, but the thought of being arrested for that and not having a chance to fix Apple Bloom was holding her in place. Her teeth grit tightly at her relative's greed, and she cursed ever being related to such a pony, and thanking her lucky stars she was born in the good part of the family.

She was literally shaking with rage at this point, and her jaw was becoming sore from the clenching. She glared daggers at her aunt with all of her might, but try as she might, she couldn't even get so much as the other mare's attention, let alone the head exploding effect she was going for. After a few moments of this, she turned tail and started to leave, not being able to stand the presence of the other earth pony.

However, just like a few minutes before, she found a white hoof shoved in front of her face, before being placed on her shoulder. "Now, hold on a moment, Applejack. While this beastly pony before us has given us quite the horrendous bargain, one should never doubt the power of... Proper negotiation, as t'were. I would like to make a counter offer to your deal, Mrs. Orange." Said Rarity, who was acting quite cool and collected about this.

The Manehattan based pony raised an eyebrow as she listened to this, "I see... Very well, you can attempt to negotiate, though do know that I won't sell it to you for any less than eight-hundred bits."

"Oh no, of course not. I don't expect you to." She says, before giving a smirk, "I expect you to give it to us for free."

Mrs. Orange started at the white unicorn for a moment, quite in the same fashion as Applejack was at the moment, before suddenly bursting out into laughter. After a few moments, the laughter died down, and she began to regain her composure, "Oh my... That is quite hilarious. Oh... Wait, were you serious? Excuse me." She said, before bursting into another round of giggles.

However, the entire time, Rarity kept her cocky grin, and Applejack simply looked confused, "What in the hay are you up to, Rarity?"

"Why, dear Applejack, I'm going to be giving your aunt an ultimatum. Either she gives us the plant for free, so that your dear sister's life can be spared, or we will ruin the one thing ponies of her... Level, cherish even more than bits.

"Their reputations." She finished after a short pause, turning to the pony behind the desk for effect.

At this, the haughty business pony shut up, not taking such a threat lightly. Simultaneously, Applejack was running the situation over in her head, but wasn't getting it just yet, "What do you mean...?" Asked Mrs. Orange.

"Well, you see, here you are, denying your own family the help they need. You're willing to let a small filly die simply because of a few bits. Sure, you most likely don't know who she is, but the part that she's family is what counts." Rarity began.

As she heard this, Applejack started to smile as she turned towards her aunt, "Yeah, that's right. S'a pretty underhanded thing ta do, Aunt Orange."

"Yes well... so what? What are you going to do about it?"

"You see, I have done work for quite a few celebrities in the past. Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores, to name a couple of the more popular ones. I still remain in some contact with them, as well as the others I've worked with, and it would be such an easy thing to tell them the reason their latest clothing line is late. Grieving over the loss of a loved one, whose life could have been saved if not for a certain cold hearted somepony."

Mrs. Orange seemed to clam up at the mention of this, running over the possibility in her head as she glared at the unicorn, "...You're bluffing."

"Nope, she ain't!" Chimed in Applejack, "An' even if she was, you know what kinda contacts Ah got. The extended Apple Family is not only really big, but they're also spread over Equestria more than most any other family! An' we Apple folk stick tagether. All Ah'd have ta do is tell one, just one, of the family members outside of Ponyville, and the news will spread to everypony in tha family in less than a week! And boy howdy, they'll start a ruckus like you ain't never seen before, and soon, everypony around... Well, shoot, everywhere will know what you did."

The other earth pony clenched her teeth and slammed her hooves down onto her desk as she heard this, "You can't do this! This is pure slander! If you start those rumors, I will make sure to have you brought to court for it!" She said, trying out a desperate plea to end this situation in her favor.

"Ah! The court! Thank you for reminding me of our mutual connection to the court." Rarity said.

"That's raight, good ole' Twilight will definitely be able to help us out there." Added Applejack.

"Twilight? Who is this Twilight? What do they matter?" Mrs. Orange asked, thinking it incredulous that somepony she's never heard of before could impede her in court.

"Well, you see, Mrs. Orange. Both Applejack and I are quite good friends with a unicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle. You see, aside from being great friends with us, she is quite fond of Apple Bloom and her little companions."

"And what importance could she possibly have? I've certainly never heard of her."

"Well, that's because our dear Twilight Sparkle was quite the recluse until a little over a year ago, when our very own Princess Celestia told her to come to Ponyville. Now, while you might not remember her name, you might remember that somepony led us to victory in defeating Nightmare Moon, freeing Princess Luna, and reuniting the two sisters for the first time in a thousand years. That was Twilight Sparkle, personal student and beloved protégé of Celestia herself!"

Mrs. Orange's eyes widened as a chill ran down her spine. She had no idea how she had forgotten something so important on to the economic and political scales. "Y-you... You wouldn't. You can't!"

"Oh, but we can! That's the best part! When we tell Twilight Sparkle that we can't get the cure to Apple Bloom in time, why, in her grief, she'll most definitely be sending a letter to Princess Celestia, and we'll let her know every detail of your involvement. And I'm sure the Princess will be quite cross with somepony who was not only willing to let a filly pass on for her own greed, but allowed the propagation of a terrible disease that has plagued her lands before. Now, add in my connections to certain celebrities..."

"And mah connection to tha Apple Family." Added Applejack.

"I think that the Orange Company will become the most horrendous black spot in Manehattan since... Well, ever. Everypony with morals will avoid you like the plague, and those like you will with stay away for fear of catching some of your reputation. And now, we get back to my ultimatum.

"You will give us the plant we need, right here, right now, or so help me Celestia I will make sure that your reputation and business are run into the ground!" Rarity shouted, stomping a hoof down as she glared angrily at the pony sitting behind the desk.

Mrs. Orange glared daggers at the two ponies in her doorway, countless scenarios running in her head, and not one of them ending nicely for her. The potential ramifications of trying to save herself eight-hundred bits could cost her tens of thousands down the road. As much as she hated to think about it, she was feeling that she had little choice. Even bringing them to court for extortion could end very badly with their connections to the Princess.

"Fine..." She said through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with venom. "You will get your Celestia-damned Mandragora and you will leave here. You will leave and you will never set foot in here again! In fact, never set foot in Manehattan again!" She shouted, slamming a hoof down onto the desk in anger.

Applejack gave a small smirk at this news, "Alraight, that can be done, aunt Orange. Give us what we need, and Ah don't think either me or Rarity will ever have a reason ta come back."

"Indeed. I've grown to dislike this place quite a bit." Rarity added.

Reluctantly, the pony behind the large desk opened a drawer and fished out a key with her mouth. Slowly, she trotted over to a painting on the wall, and with a flick of her hoof, she moved it aside, revealing a rather large safe behind it. After sticking the key inside of it and turning the lock, she opened the large door to reveal an enchanted refrigerator, filled to the brim with boxes. She gracefully hopped up and walked into the safe, and after a bit of looking around, she picked up a small box tied with string.

Once she exited the safe, she tossed it, quite violently, over towards Applejack and Rarity, "There's your stupid plant, straight from my private reserve. Now take it and go!"

After a moment, the unicorn used her magic to lift the now dented packed and unwrap it to peek inside. She smiled at what she saw, "This is it, Applejack. It's a little malformed, but it definitely looks just like the picture. We've got it!"

"Great! Now let's do what everypony here wants and get the hay outta town. This whole place reeks somethin' fierce." The farmpony said, turning around to take her leave.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Applejack." Rarity added, turning her back in disgust.

"Good riddance to the both of you! And remember, never show your faces here again!"

---

Laughter echoed out of the train car as it sped down the tracks back towards the hub station. After acquiring the plant, Applejack and Rarity had sought out a hotel to spend the night in, and the following morning, they immediately left for the return train back home. They had had little time to talk after leaving Orange Pharmaceuticals, mostly due to falling asleep almost immediately upon entering their hotel, and then leaving right away in the morning. But now, the two had plenty of time to converse, and were having quite the fun time doing so.

"Oh... Tha look on 'er face... It was tha best thing Ah've seen since... Well, ever!" Said Applejack, who had a huge grin on her face.

"I know just what you mean, Applejack. It was quite nice to see that witch get her comeuppance." Replied Rarity with a proud flick of her mane, "It was such a nice thing to be able to put her in her place, not to mention getting the ingredient we needed to help Apple Bloom."

The farmpony was still smiling, but her laughter died down after hearing the unicorn's words, "Yeah... Rarity, listen, Ah-" She began.

"You don't have to say anything, Applejack." The white coated pony interrupted, holding up a hoof.

"No, I gotta. It just wouldn't be raight if I don't. Rarity... Thank you. Thank you so much fer what ya did back there fer me. Ah was about ready ta up and leave... Leave what mighta been tha only chance Ah had ta save mah sister, all because Ah got so angry. But you... You calmed down, ya thought of a way ta turn it around on my aunt, and in the end, it was you that got us what we needed. So... Thank you. Thank you so much Rarity." She said, suddenly wrapping her hooves around her friend's neck in a tight hug.

Rarity was slightly surprised by the sudden physical contact, but smiled all the same as she patted the earth pony's back, "You are most welcome, Applejack. I'm happy to have provided whatever assistance I could for you and your sister."

"Assistance nothin', you did everything back there. Ya came through fer Apple Bloom... Unlike me. Ah was useless there. Ah haven't done a single thing ta help out. All mah friends are doin' all tha work while Ah just made a mess a things..." She said, her head hanging in shame as she slowly let go of her companion.

Suddenly aghast, Rarity pressed her hooves to Applejack's shoulders and pushed her back slightly, letting her look the other pony right in the eyes, "Applejack! How could you even think such a thing!"

"Well it's true, ain't it? You got tha plant, not me..."

"But you helped immensely, my dear! Don't sell yourself short!" She exclaimed.

"But... How? Ah didn't do anythin'..." She asked.

"Think about it harder, Applejack. My, you can be quite dense sometimes." She said, giving a small giggle, "If it wasn't for you, and your connection to Mrs. Orange, we wouldn't have been able to so much as meet with her at all! You are the one who helped solidify the threat of spreading the word, thanks to your connections to the Apple Family. Not to mention joining in on my plan almost seamlessly. It really did help. Plus, you being there added a great deal of weight to our connections with Twilight Sparkle, and in turn, her connections to the Princess. You had resources available to you, and only you, which helped us get what we needed. Sure, I was the one who started the plan and came up with it, but without the weight of your words and resources, why, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere, except rudely evicted from the building. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do it without you, Applejack, and you came through not only for me, but most importantly, your sister." She finished, smiling brightly to the orange mare.

"Ya... Ya really mean it, sugarcube?" The farmpony said, wiping a hoof across her eyes as the words started to really sink in.

"Of course I do, Applejack."

Applejack's face started to light up as she took the words to heart, feeling a whole lot better about herself now, "You know, yer raight, sugarcube. Ah did get ta help after all, and in a pretty big way, too. Even if Ah didn't see it right away... Thanks, Rarity. I owe ya a lot fer all of this."

"Think nothing of it, Applejack. This is what friends are for, after all."

"Yeah, Ah suppose yer raight... C'mere." She said, wrapping her hooves around Rarity once again.

"Oh, very well then." The unicorn said, giving a small giggle before returning the hug. Moments later, however, she let go quite suddenly, "Oh! We're slowing down, Applejack. We must be arriving at the station already. Come now, let's pack our things and get ready to head back to Ponyville."

"Huh? Well, shoot. That was some fast travel this time 'round. Alraight, let's get goin' then! Yeehaw!" She said, lifting her upper body in to the air for a moment in excitement, a big smile on her face.

By the time they had gathered their things, the train had come to a screeching stop at the train station, and they were able to get off without a hitch. The two of them chatted lightly as they made their way back to Ponyville, Rarity insisting they walk instead of run, as she didn't want to become sweaty and have her hair become messy, and after telling her that they still had plenty of time before the others came back anyway, Applejack reluctantly agreed.

After a long walk, they finally found themselves within the borders of Ponyville once again, feeling like they've just come home after being away for far too long. The trip to Manehattan had only been a day, but between dealing with snooty ponies and Mrs. Orange, it felt like it had been much longer, and it was good to be back home.

"Ya reckon we should just head straight ta Twi's place? Tha rest of tha family should still be there, even if she ain't." Said Applejack.

"Hmm... I think we should. It will give them a nice boost of moral support to see us return, and the sooner they get it, the better they'll feel. I can return my things to my abode later." Rarity replied.

Together, the two of them made their way to Twilight Sparkle's library. The place was almost as quiet as they left it, and from the outside, they could hear some strange, soft sounds coming from within. "Huh... wonder what everypony's up to." Said the farmpony as she pushed the door open.

Immediately they were greeted by a blur of pink, "Shh! Everypony's sleeping!" Came the whispering voice of Pinkie Pie.

"Ahh!" Applejack yelled, before quieting down, "Pinkie Pie? What in the hay are you doin' here?"

"Watching Apple Bloom while the others sleep. Duh." The party pony replied.

"No, Ah mean, how did you get here before us? Shouldn't ya'll be knee deep in the Everfree forest gettin' yer part of tha cure? No way you could'a beaten us here."

"Oh! That's easy! When we were in the forest, we met with Luna! An-"

"You met with Princess Luna? What in the wide world of Equestria was she doing there, Pinkie Pie?" Rarity asked, suddenly butting into the conversation.

"Oh. Well, she was there rounding up the source of the White Demure, and all of the poor animals that it was too late for. She's keeping it safe so nopony else can be infected by it. She's waiting for Princess Celestia to finish up with Spike, so they can use his dragon's fire to burn it all up! Whoosh!" Pinkie said, raising her hooves into the air for emphasis.

"Dragon's fire? Oh my... this disease sounds worse the more I hear about it. And that also explains Spike's sudden need to head to Canterlot. I do hope they get rid of it all... And maybe I'll make Spike an outfit or give him a plate of my gems in thanks for what he's doing." The unicorn said, touching a hoof to her chin in thought.

"Well, that'll be mighty nice of ya, Rarity, but that still don't explain how ya beat us 'ere, Pinkie." Said Applejack.

"Oh, right. Well, before we left to go and find what we needed again, Princess Luna gave Twilight one of her spells, a really powerful one that lets her teleport herself and other ponies faaaaar away! After I grabbed the pretty flower, she poofed us back here really fast! Just zoom! And we were here! That was a couple of hours ago now, though, and everypony in here is asleep, except for me."

"That's great ta hear! So, you got your part, then?" The farmpony asked.

"Mhm! Twilight has it in a little jar, all ready to give to Zecora when she wakes up! Did you get yours?" The pink mare asked in return.

"We sure as shootin' did! Ah got it raight here!" The orange mare said as she reached in to her saddlebag and pulled out the small box containing the Mandragora that they had sought out.

"Great! We're one step closer to have a fantastic Apple-Bloom-is-better party!"

"Heh-heh... that we are Pinkie. Ah guess we jus' haveta wait fer Dash and Fluttershy, unless they got 'ere before we did too. Uhh... they didn't get here before us too, right? Ah mean, that'd be great an' all, but also kinda impossible, Ah think."

"Oh, no, they aren't here yet. But they should be by tomorrow or the day after! Then, we'll have three whole days to spare when Zecora makes her super brew and fixes Apple Bloom. So, are you two going to come in or what? Everypony's sleeping, so it's boring, and I wanna hear your story to pass the time!"

"Sure thing, sugarcube. You wanna come in too, Rarity?" Asked Applejack.

"I think I'll pass for now, you two. I want to get my things together and make sure I look presentable for the big moment." Rarity replied, giving a smile.

"Alraight, you go on and do that now. Come on, Pinkie Pie. It's story time."

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping a little with joy.

After she entered the library, she glanced towards her family, the lot of them sleeping peacefully. All of them except for Apple Bloom, who continued to stir under the effects of White Demure. Applejack's face fell for a moment, feeling terrible for her little sister, but a smile returned to her face as she saw the eagerly awaiting Pinkie Pie. She was going to have to stay strong, but she knew, deep down, she wasn't going to be able to feel any better until she was sure her sister was safe, and as she sat down to tell her story, a single thought passed through her head.

'Fluttershy... Rainbow Dash... please, hurry.'