9 Clarity
Rarity sighed into the cool night air, leaning on the wall next to the entrance as she looked up at the clear sky. At this point, she just wanted to go home. She was tired and annoyed, and was no longer in the mood to celebrate. She then remembered that she also had all her stuff backstage, and didn't want to leave it.
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the sound of the door opening, and her frown turned into a scowl as she looked at the person who had followed her outside.
At the door, stood a young man with black hair, wearing a light blue polo and dark blue fitted jeans; an outfit that was currently covered in fruit punch. He had an angry expression as he looked around him, stopping as his hazel eyes landed on the fashionista against the wall.
"Hey! What the hell is your problem!? Do you know what you just did!?"
Rarity watched cautiously as he began to stalk towards her. Straightening up, she took a small step away from the door. "I told you, Preston, I'm done talking with you." Rarity took another step back as Preston moved closer, his nostrils flaring.
"Well I wasn't done talking to you. Now, I want to talk about the fact that you ruined a three-hundred-dollar outfit!"
Her eyes moved down to look at his attire. The designer in her almost felt bad for throwing her drink in his face. Almost.
~~
"Hey, I've been trying to talk to you all night."
Rarity turned her head to the side and watched as a young man sat down in the bar chair beside her. Despite the fact that she didn't want to deal with anybody, she did her best to put on a polite smile. "Oh, hello there, how-"
Rarity dropped her smile completely when he cut her off with a hand.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is that I am Preston Manor the second, of Manor Suites and Hotels, and I have decided to talk to you. You're welcome."
Rarity looked at Preston incredulously. "I beg your pardon?"
Preston chuckled. "I saw you on stage and I realized someone like you definitely deserves to spend time with me tonight."
Rarity raised an eyebrow at the boy in front of her. "And just what do you mean by 'someone like me'?
Preston didn't speak, but after watching him trail his eyes down her body, she more than got an answer to her question. She shivered slightly, disgust growing as his eyes met hers again.
"We both know what's going on here. We can definitely turn this into a fun night."
Rarity growled internally, rolling her eyes before she turned to fully face Preston. "Look, I...am flattered that you went out of your way to look for me, but I'm not interested."
Her politeness felt forced, and she hoped Preston would take notice and walk away. Instead he chuckled, his eyes roaming her now visible legs. "Aw you don't have to lie to yourself like that. I know I'm hot, you can say it."
She was already in a bad mood and Preston wasn't helping with that. She took a breath to calm herself as best as she could, but her patience was wearing thin. "Preston, I said I am not interested, so could you please leave me alone?"
"Come on, baby. I know you don't want to be alone. And I'm known to be a real good...friend." To emphasize his meaning, he placed a hand on Rarity's thigh, giving her a suggestive look.
Rarity felt a sudden surge of fury the moment Preston touched her. Without warning, she grabbed her drink from the table, throwing it in his face. "Get the hell away from me." She warned. Getting up quickly, Rarity walked away from the bar, towards the hall that led to the entrance at the other end of the dance floor.
~~
Fighting the satisfied smile, she responded. "I would not have done that if you hadn't insisted on being such an ass."
Preston snarled at her. "You're going to pay me back for this shirt." She watched, a look of disdain on her face as she saw him trail his eyes downward once again. "And I'm not talking about money."
Repeating her earlier actions, Rarity rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide it from him this time. "I don't know where you get off thinking you can act like that and get what you want. I have already said no, and I am not changing my mind."
Rarity made a move to walk around him, but he reached for her arm, and pushed her back against the wall. Moving closer, he held Rarity's face with the other hand, forcing her to look up at him. "I'm no longer asking you." To prove his point, Preston tightened his grip on Rarity's face as he leaned in.
A surge of fury and adrenaline hit her as she caught on to what he was about to do. She managed to free her arm, pushing Preston back before slapping him across the face. "You pig!" The slap was hard enough to stun him, and she took the chance to move from under him, towards the door of the club. Again, she barely began to move before she was grabbed again and forced to face him.
Adrenaline gone, Rarity found herself seizing up as Preston's hazel eyes darkened and his face contorted with rage. "You little…!"
Rarity winced as she felt Preston's hands tighten around her arms. "L-let go of me!"
"You're going to make up for ruining my night, whether you want to or not!" Preston moved, pushing Rarity against the wall with more force than before. "And if you want to be difficult, I can do this the hard way!"
Unable to shake free, Rarity watched as he moved his hand back, preparing to slap her. Closing her eyes, she braced herself as much as she could. She flinched when she heard the sound of skin making contact, but opened her eyes when instead of pain, she felt Preston's other hand release her arm.
There were now two people in front of her: The first was Preston. His eyes still burned with anger, but she saw that his face was now twisted in pain. The other person stood between her and Preston; back towards Rarity and a firm hand around Preston's wrist.
Rarity blinked, taking in the person right in front of her. "A-Appleja-"
"What do you think you're doin'?"
Rarity watched in disbelief as Applejack glared at Preston. The smaller girl couldn't see her face, but she recognized the tone in Applejack's voice. It was one she rarely heard; one Applejack only used when she was just barely containing her anger.
Instead of responding, Preston tried to shake his hand free, but Applejack kept her grip, and began to tighten it as she spoke again.
"I said, what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
Despite the increasing pain, Preston regained enough of his composure to respond. "That's none of your damn business! This is between me and her." He made a move to catch Rarity's attention but jerked back when he felt Applejack begin to bend his wrist back.
"Well to me, it looks like you were about to hurt my friend, and I reckon that makes it my business." She bent his wrist back further, causing him enough pain to force him to take a knee. "Now, I don't know where you come from, or who you think ya are, but if I ever catch you tryin' to lay a hand on Rarity, or anyone else, I will not hesitate in knockin' some sense into ya." She let go of his wrist, releasing him with enough force to send him onto his back.
Applejack watched as Preston scrambled back onto his feet, meeting his glare with her own. He gave one last look at Rarity before meeting the country girl's eyes one last time.
"Tch, whatever. I don't need to deal with this shit." Turning around, he walked across the grass in front of the club before disappearing down the sidewalk.
Applejack followed him with her eyes, resisting the urge to go after him and deck him. Her attention shifted instantly when she heard movement behind her. Turning around, her eyes softened before moving towards Rarity who had slumped to her knees. Coming to a stop in front of Rarity, Applejack knelt down, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as she examined her.
"Rarity? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
Rarity simply shook her head as her shock wore off, her thoughts a mess inside her head. Once again, Applejack had saved her. Despite everything that had happened earlier that evening, Applejack had come after her, found her and saved her. Slowly, she looked up to see Applejack watching her, their eyes locking as Rarity searched for something to say. Of all of the things that she wanted to say, Rarity found that only one thing would come out.
"Why?"
Applejack gave a confused look as her eyes returned to Rarity's. "What do you mean 'why'? Rare, you're ma friend and I saw you in trouble. Of course I'd come and help you.
"No, why…did you come after me?"
Applejack hesitated for a second before she spoke. "…I-I don't—"
Rarity shook her head, cutting Applejack off. "Applejack please. After the way I behaved tonight…the way I treated you…Jacqueline, why would you still…"
Applejack held her gaze with Rarity. After a second, she swallowed slightly before responding. "B-because I didn't want to leave things as they are. I feel like if we walk away without talking tonight, we may never fix this. Fix us." She took a breath as she continued. "Rarity, I know why you've been trying to avoid me. I know you don't want me to talk about it, but this…there's no other way to move past this if I don't say my part."
Rarity looked at Applejack as she spoke. Deep down, she had to agree with the words of the farm girl. Leaving everything up in the air and trying to ignore it wasn't as effective as she thought it was going to be. She looked down as she realized that the only way to move on was to be properly let down. Giving herself another second, she nodded, her eyes on the ground in front of her.
"Well…" Applejack began, trying to find the right words. "I know things have been really… different for us this past month…since the sleepover. Since then, we've either tried to ignore what's there, or brush it off, and it's only pushin' us apart. I…don't like that, and I now know that despite all the conversations we've had, we've never addressed these feelings directly…and we both know it's there."
Rarity kept her eyes down as Applejack spoke. She knew what was coming next and fought back the urge to get up and run away.
"Guess I should just say it. Rare, I…I like ya. And it's clear it's not just a crush or a fancy. I care about ya a lot, and you've become really important to me."
Rarity had to look up as Applejack's words began to settle on her ears. It was not what she was expecting her to say; in fact, it was the exact opposite. She could do nothing but stare as Applejack continued to speak.
"…And it's because of that why I have to do this. I know…I've let my feelings take over my judgment many times. I know you think I lied to you, but believe me, I was being honest when I said I never meant to annoy ya so much." She gave a sad smile as she finished. "Since I know how you feel, I tried to avoid this conversation, answering for ya instead of letting you talk. I realized that was the wrong thing to do. I need to hear you say what needs to be said."
Their eyes remained locked as Rarity continued to look at Applejack, unmoving. Applejack felt her nerves fraying as Rarity stayed silent. "R-Rare? Please say—Wait, why are you crying!?" Applejack gave a puzzled look as Rarity began to tear up. She then had to steady herself, catching Rarity as she suddenly threw her arms around her neck. "wha-Woah!"
"…idiot."
Applejack gave a shocked look as Rarity pulled back and returned to her knees. "M-me?"
Rarity wiped at her tears. "Yes, you." She then giggled slightly as she looked up at Applejack. "And me too, I suppose."
"Rarity, you're not makin' a lick o' sense."
Rarity took a second to compose herself, before looking up to meet Applejack's eyes once again. She gave a small smile as Applejack swallowed nervously.
"Jacqueline, I have to be honest with you, too." She watched as Applejack gave a small nod. "I expected this to go differently. I actually thought that you...were going to turn me down." Rarity closed her eyes as she thought back over the last month. Everything seemed to take on a new light after hearing Applejack confess to her. They had been distancing themselves from each other for the same reason. Opening her eyes, her smile grew as she looked at Applejack again. "I like you too, Applejack. A lot. All this time…I wanted to avoid bringing my feelings out into the open, all because I had thought you didn't feel the same way."
It was Applejack's turn to stare. She just…did she just…she likes me? For the millionth time that night, Applejack's mind wandered to the events over the last month.
"Ha…hahaha…" She gave a disbelieving laugh as she grasped the situation. "I-I can't believe it…this whole time…" she shook her head as she let out another laugh. "I am an idiot."
Rarity shook her head. "It was both of us, Darling. We really should have brought this up sooner and save all this trouble."
They looked at each other once more before they both got caught up in a fit of giggles, the relief of their new revelation taking over. After a moment, Applejack looked up, taking in the clear sky as she calmed down again. She sighed softly as she felt a weight lift off her chest. "So," She stood up from her kneeling position, stretching slightly before reaching a hand down to help Rarity to her feet. She took Rarity's other hand as the fashionista steadied herself. "Where does this leave us?"
Rarity smiled as she looked at their hands before looking back up at Applejack. She opened mouth to speak, but another voice cut her off.
"Oh god, are you guys about to kiss?"
Sunset watched as Applejack ran off in the direction of the bar. She could sense there was urgency in the way Applejack had spoken to her. Turning, she sought out Twilight, grabbing her attention away from her dance partner as the song ended.
"Hey, Applejack was looking for Rarity. It seemed pretty serious, so I think we should help her."
Twilight gave a quick look at the boy she was just dancing with. Hearing the conversation, he gave a disheartened look knowing Twilight was about to leave. Just as quickly as his frown came, it left; having been replaced with a smile. Neither girl saw it coming as he leaned in quickly, giving Twilight a kiss on the cheek. Adjusting his green curls away from his face, he gave one last bright smile before disappearing into the crowd.
Both girls looked at each other, the redhead giving Twilight a smirk. "We are so coming back to that."
Twilight took a breath to steady herself before looking at Sunset. Her cheeks warmed as she spoke. "Yeah...uh, we should probably go help Applejack." Without waiting for a response, Twilight began in the direction of the bar, Sunset chuckled as she followed after her.
"They're not here anymore. Did they leave?" Sunset frowned slightly when she saw no sign of Rarity or Applejack at the bar.
Twilight quickly scanned the dance floor. "Maybe they went backstage?"
Before Sunset could suggest they go look, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came into view. Pinkie's face fell when she saw the two girls; Twilight's dance partner nowhere to be seen.
"Oh Twi, he's gone already? What happened?"
Twilight shrugged slightly, trying to seem disinterested, despite the small tingle in her stomach. "N-nothing. The song ended, I guess." She watched as Pinkie gave her a look. "It's fine, Pinkie. Anyways, Sunset said we should help look for Applejack and Rarity."
Sunset nodded as the conversation circled back. She looked at Rainbow and Fluttershy. "I thought Rarity was at the bar when I last checked, but now I don't see either of them. Did you two see them backstage?"
Seeing them shaking their heads in response, Sunset then began to think. "Hmm…well, I know we left our phones in the safe backstage, so calling is out of the question. I guess we could split up and look for them, but there isn't anywhere else other than the bathroom and…" she looked up, her eyes locking onto the hallway that led to the main exit. She motioned for the others to follow her but stopped when she felt a hand on her wrist. Turning her head, she looked at Rainbow Dash quizzically.
"Honestly Sunset, I think that they're okay. They probably just went for some fresh air. They should be back in a few." Rainbow knew Sunset was going to challenge her. In addition to Applejack and Rarity, she too had been under watch as the others suspected she knew what had been happening. But she also knew that Applejack and Rarity needed this time alone together. Her guess was correct; Sunset turned to face her, her teal eyes narrowing as she examined her closely. She also made a note of Pinkie Pie, who now had a magnifying glass right up to her face as she 'searched' the athlete.
Not one word was spoken before two students from Canterlot High walked by them, taking a seat at the bar as they conversed.
"Seriously Lyra. You should have seen his face as he went after Rarity. He did not look happy. It was almost scary."
"I know Bon-Bon, I hope she's okay. But I think I did see Applejack heading out there too. Hopefully she found them."
Turning their eyes away from the two girls and back to each other, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Sunset and Twilight all gave a look that threw any debate or discussion out the window. Nodding in their silent agreement, they all made their way to the front doors.
Both girls turned in the direction of the mocking voice to see Rainbow Dash standing by the entrance, the rest of their friends poking their heads through the half open door. Both Rarity and Applejack shared a startled expression before Rarity turned back to Rainbow Dash.
"So, what if we were? And you're the last person that should be talking." She gave a gave a pointed look at Fluttershy before looking back at the athlete, a pleased smile as Rainbow Dash blushed hard. Applejack let out a chuckle as she let go of one of Rarity's hands to motion the others outside. Sunset Shimmer spoke up as she moved and stood beside Rainbow Dash.
"Damn, I figured something was up when you went looking for Rarity earlier, but I didn't think it was for this." She crossed her arms as she thought to herself. "I swear I usually pick up on these things…"
Twilight gave a small laugh as she gave Sunset a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "It's fine. At least we know they're okay."
Applejack chuckled. "Yeah, don't feel bad, Sunset." She gave Rarity's hand a small squeeze before she continued "We didn't even pick up on it."
Everyone had to turn their attention to Pinkie Pie when her squeal grew to impossibly high frequencies. "Sooooo…" She began, an expectant smile on her face.
Fluttershy interjected before Pinkie could continue. "Pinkie stop it. They'll tell us whatever they need to when they're ready." Despite her admonishing tone, everyone could see her own excitement was clearly winning out over her reasoning.
Pinkie frowned at Fluttershy, before smiling slightly. "Fine, I won't ask."
Rainbow Dash raised her hand as if she was in class. Rarity rolled her eyes, despite her giggling as she pointed to Rainbow. "Yes, Rainbow. Go ahead."
"So, are all the awkward silences over now? Not really a fan of detectives Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer over here."
Applejack let out a quick laugh as she led Rarity towards the entrance and their friends. "Yes. The awkward silences are gone. Sorry for making you go through all of that."
Sunset rubbed her arm, a small blush on her face. "Sorry about that, Rainbow. If I had known, I wouldn't have pushed you."
"I'm sorry too." Pinkie offered her magnifying glass to Rainbow Dash. "I don't deserve this."
Rainbow Dash held up her hands. "Woah girls, chill. It's alright. I wasn't even mad." She smiled when she saw her friends relax.
"Well, Sunset was right about one thing." Twilight took a step forward, and they were now all standing in a circle. "This definitely is a night we won't be forgetting anytime soon." Everyone nodded, laughing as they moved in for a group hug.
Stepping out of the change room, Rarity tied her hair up in a ponytail, leaving her bangs out as she looked over at Applejack. She smiled slightly as she watched the taller girl set the bean bags back to their original positions. Coming up behind her, Rarity poked her side softly causing Applejack to turn around.
"Hey." She kept her voice soft as she spoke and watched Applejack's eyes light up as she gave Rarity a grin.
"Hi." Applejack matched Rarity's tone, not wanting to break the atmosphere.
Rarity smiled back at Applejack as she thought about how different things were between them now compared to a few hours ago. It was almost surreal, and it made her slightly nervous as she stood there. She bit the inside of her lip as she thought about what to say.
"Can…can I have a hug?"
Applejack blinked for a second before letting out a small chuckle. "Sure, Sugar." She opened her arms and Rarity stepped forward, wrapping her own arms around Applejack's waist. They stood there stiffly, not moving. Then, as if given the okay, both relaxed into the embrace; Rarity moved her head against Applejack's chest as Applejack tightened her grip, leaning so her cheek was on Rarity's head. It was another moment before Rarity spoke again.
"I almost can't believe this is happening." She closed her eyes as she let herself go into the moment. She heard Applejack's heart quicken before she spoke.
"I know what you mean. After all we put ourselves through, we're almost there."
Rarity lifted her head at Applejack's words "Almost? What do you-" she stopped as she felt Applejack move one hand to the side of her face. Rarity looked into her eyes and saw how the emeralds shone as they looked at her. The familiar, hidden look Rarity would always see was now front and centre as Applejack smiled at Rarity. The farm girl took a quick breath in before speaking.
"Rare, you are ma best friend and we've experienced so much together over the years. In that time, I found that you are the one I wanna continue experiencing things with." She stopped for a second as she began to move her thumb to caress Rarity's cheek. Her voice was soft, but passionate as she spoke again. "Rarity. I like you. I really, really like you. And after everythin' we've gone through, I now know just how much I do. I…I want you by my side for as long as you'll have me. Do…Will you be my girlfriend?"
Rarity smiled softly. She understood what Applejack meant when she said 'almost'; She wanted to make sure she did it right. She didn't want any more confusion or miscommunication. She wanted to make it official. Rarity nodded up at Applejack, an unbreakable smile as she moved in for another hug. "Oh, Jacqueline. Of course. Yes, yes I'll be your girlfriend." She giggled slightly as she felt the tall girl tighten her hold to lift her off the ground and spin her around.
Placing Rarity back on her feet, Applejack stepped back as she stared at the fashionista intensely. She felt her heart leap in her chest as she continued to look at the smaller girl who she now knew shared her feelings. This is it. This, with her, it feels right. She smiled softly as she saw Rarity begin to blush under her gaze. "Gosh, you really are beautiful you know."
Rarity's blush deepened as Applejack spoke. The farm girl seemed almost mesmerized as she said it; just like earlier that evening and the morning after the sleepover. "You…you really mean that." She concluded. She noticed the red tint forming on Applejack's ears as she nodded. "You are the only person that has ever said that to me." She stepped back towards Applejack, taking the taller girl's hands in hers.
Neither girl said anything more as they continued to look at each other. Moving in close, Applejack gave in to her emotions, this time knowing that she did not have to hold back. Rarity welcomed the moment, leaning up and closing the distance as their lips met. It was a gentle kiss; both melting into each other as the conclusion of a month of hardship, but years of feelings flowed into the kiss. After a moment, they pulled back and their eyes connected once more. Rarity could not keep the smile off her face as she looked at her girlfriend.
"We made it."
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10333944
Yes. yes you can. 😁
10320804
lol its out know!! I hope your head is okay🥺
Wait a sec... Timber?
Hooray! Beautiful conclusion for our marshmallow and apple girls.
So, is there going to be an epilogue or something? 'Cause the story's still marked as incomplete.
10343289
Oh hoh hoh, Very nice!
10343351
Good eye! :)
CARAMEL APPLE GIRLS FOR THE WINNNN