“And then… APPLEJACK WILL BE ALL MINE!”

by Rune Soldier Dan

All Mine

“Second-class Ponyville to Peaks of Peril. 7:25 P.M.”

Autumn arrived early, but that was fine. She settled on one of the hard wooden benches at the station, enjoying the breeze and view of the town. Ponyville was quite a nice place, now that she bothered to look. Flatter and more open than her homeland, but that made it feel friendly and safe. She could see foals play by the neat little fountain in town square, and the Friendship Doom Fortress loom protectively above.

A grey blotch became visible in the distance, moving down the railroad tracks. Autumn stood, stretched. Already she could hear the train’s rumble…

…Wait, that was coming from the other way. Dust rose, and a familiar band of ponies galloped down the street towards her.

Autumn smiled as they arrived, huffing and puffing. She’d already said her goodbyes, but one more wouldn’t hurt.

“Aw, you guys came to see me off!”

Something about their reactions pricked her doubt. Strawberry Sunrise smirked and rolled her eyes. Cherry and Bon-Bon looked away.

“Hello,” Rarity said, touching necks with Autumn in a quick hug. “I’m glad we made it. We… we almost chickened out.”

Autumn blinked, still smiling but now it was a ‘I am rather confused’ smile.

Rarity swallowed. She stepped back to lock eyes with Autumn.

“Darling,” Rarity began. “Autumn. This little competition of ours has been great fun. We all love Applejack. We all want what is best for her. Over the course of our many Saturdays of war, we believed that victory would be its own proof of which of us loved her the most. Whoever loved her most would be the bravest, fastest, and most cunning in their pursuit, for their love would give them the strength to outlast all else. And their victory would justify everything, for whomever triumphed would be the one she deserves. The one whose passion for her burned brightest.”

Rarity paused to dab theatrically at her eyes. “But that wasn’t quite right, was it? And it took you to show us, Autumn. You love her so much that you… you were willing to give her up. You sacrificed everything to save her, and I don’t know if any of us would have had that kind of courage. You want Applejack free and happy, no matter with who. No matter if your own chance was gone forever.”

“We talked about it,” Rarity continued, and the heads around her nodded. “And we agreed. It is you, Autumn Blaze, who loves her most of all. You who were willing to let her go… deserves to keep her.”

Rarity sniffed, and this time her eye-dab was not so theatrical. “And she deserves you. So stay, darling. Stay in Ponyville. Makes her yours.”

Autumn gave a bashful grin, but it quickly sank. She looked down, scratching the wooden platform with her clawed hoof. “Aw, geez. Thanks, you guys. I mean it. But I Pinkie Promised, remember? You can’t go back on a Pinkie Promise.”

She looked up. Rarity’s tears had disappeared like magic, replaced with a mischievous gleam Autumn knew quite well. The mare unleashed a soft ‘wa-ha-ha’ behind her hoof, then cleared her throat and tried to look serious.

“Indeed. You did Pinkie Promise to, quote, not compete with us for Applejack’s love.”

Rarity then closed her eyes and brandished one hoof to the air, as though making a Filly Scout promise.

“I will no longer compete for Applejack.”

Cherry followed the motion. “I will no longer compete for Applejack, sugar.”

Lyra. “I will no longer compete for Applejack.”

Strawberry. “I will no longer compete for Applejack.”

One by one, they all said so. It ended with Rainbow, who brushed her hooves together as though dusting them off. “Wow, will you look at that? We’re all out of the competition too, so you have no one to compete with. Guess that means you can go for her without breaking your promise.”

Autumn gasped. Her eyes grew. Her heart grew. Maybe her legs grew, because she somehow gathered them all into a single, fluffy hug.

“Hurry darling,” Rarity whispered. “You might catch her before she leaves town for the day. Don’t forget, you promised to make me a bridesmaid!”

Autumn released.

She paused. Bowed low.

Then took off like an arrow. The market square was not far off. She arrived to find Applejack taking down her stall, with the sun creeping low towards the trees. Autumn helped Applejack pack, then hitched herself to the wagon to help pull the load home. They chatted as they worked, and chatted a little more.

Every bounce of the wagon brushed their tails together. At least, that was an excuse. Autumn’s tail sometimes lingered atop Applejack’s and Applejack did not shake it off.

A few more words passed between them, somehow quieter and more heartfelt. They reached a clearing, and decided to stop and watch the sun go down. They unhitched themselves and sat there, side by side with linked tails.

And then… they kissed.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

This was a sweet ending.

[Boltstrike58]

Author's Note:

camo.fimfiction.net/ANrPDstaUWB42D0jLxhxRf3SoG8-vZsvnxvREG8kFSM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fderpicdn.net%2Fimg%2Fview%2F2019%2F7%2F14%2F2091974__safe_artist-colon-peachiekeenie_artist-colon-tarajenkins_discord_discorderlyconduct_animated_blushing_computer_discord%2Bthe%2Bshipper_fanfic_gay_lip%2Bbite_.gif

...that makes waaaaaaaaaaay too much sense.

[vren55]

OMG YESSSSSS This was so good

[redandready45]

Go Autumn!

[DOOMRIDER]

Good Lord this was a cute story. Also I can only imagine it being illustrated by jargon Scott or rocket lawnchair.

[Caliaponia]

[kniteothedarkone]

Thank you for the smiles!

[Emptybee]

That was a brilliant solution to the Pinkie Promise. Of course Rarity would take note of the exact wording.

[Anon E Moose]

Perfect resolution from the other rivals

and the Friendship Doom Fortress loom protectively above.

Still hilarious XD

[Noc]

I loved every silly-as-hell minute of this.

[Amos Anon]

Plot twist; this was actually written by the EQG version of Applejack.

[OmniFox]

Since Spike ends up with Gabby which would make Twilight Sparkle the only one in the group forever single.

[The Iguana Man]

Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat on the edge of the train platform together. All the other ex-suitors had left, either to their homes or to book tickets back to them (some having to rush around to get funds after months of leaving their actual jobs on the back burner), leaving only the two who were already good friends.

"Well," Rainbow said with a sigh, "I guess that's it, then."

"That it is," Rarity repled, looking as relaxed and informal as she ever did. "I suppose it will be nice to have my Saturdays free again, but... I will miss this."

"Me too. I mean, I would have liked it if I could have just had Applejack flat out but... well, it's not like I was after her cause I don't like competition."

Rarity smiled. "Indeed, and while my usual competitions are of a different sort, I think that's something we share. As, apparently, is a future without romance. And with Fluttershy potentially getting Macintosh and Pinkie being unimaginatively shoehorned into a last-second canonical relationship, I fear it may sting all the harder. I mean, I suppose we may find someone else, but..."

"Won't be the same," Rainbow interrupted with a sharp shake of the head. "I mean, I'm not seeing us getting that same feeling of... drive and thrill, you know? I mean, running, dodging, watching..."

"...anticipating, predicting, planning for what you'll do..."

"...getting in your head, thinking eight moves ahead cause we know each other so well..."

"...knowing, without any doubt, what you're thinking while knowing you know me just as thoroughly, our thoughts and desires reflecting and intertwining even as they clash..."

"...trying to get ahead of you but knowing, deep down, you're just as likely to get ahead of me, working together when we need to while knowing that we'll turn on each other the moment the need stops until..."

"...until we're sat together - tired, filthy and failed - over a bottle of overpriced cider, commiserating each other, sharing our feelings and just... knowing."

"Yeah, knowing you're totally in the same boat I'm in."

"Knowing my feelings are so perfectly understood and validated."

"Knowing we're together in..."

The two's eyes met and, in an instant, something passed between them. This thing had many names - mind meld; same brain cell; tova'dok - but at that moment, the name didn't matter. All that mattered was the two ponies sitting together, looking into each other's eyes and knowing, with no doubt or hestiation, what came next.

"..."

"..."

"So... Twilight?"

"Twilight!"

"Well, I'm getting there first!" Rainbow flapped up in an instant and dashed off. "Have fun catching the tail-end of our makeout session!"

"That's what you think, you wonderful prismatic temptress!" Rarity charged after her, her horn already lighting to grab her. "I'm coming, my sparkling sweetheart!"

[Rune Soldier Dan]

11847103
They hide in the bushes, only to see Twilight sitting with Flash Sentry.

"OH, COME ON!"

Only after four more years of chasing other mares until they become unavailable did the pair realize that they're dating.

[PaulAsaran]

Whoops! This is a little belated, but: You can has review!