Making up for Lost Time

by DapperLilArts

It’ll Always Be You

Monday came with ease, and neither of them had left that bed. They slept intertwined, not daring to let go; In a way, they both shared the slight fear that the night they shared had been nothing but a dream.

And yet, Applejack was awakened by the sound of sobbing, with the sun barely peeking from the curtains. She opened her eyes, feeling the desperate sniffles of her love in front of her, as they were still intertwined.

“W-what’s wrong, sugarcube…?” Rarity was in tears, and it looked like she had been for a while.

She sniffled and sighed, gathering any composure, attempting to find the words, attempting to have her eye meet her love’s. “I… I just… Look at us, Applejack. A couple of old mares, just… ugh…”

She sniffled a couple of times, and her love listened intently, with concern. “It’s just… I am so happy to finally have you in my arms a-and… To think that I could have had this happiness, years ago, decades ago, even…!”

Applejack tried assuring her, tried interrupting her, tightening her embrace, But Rarity persisted. “To think t-that we’ve lost so much time…! I have nothing but regrets now, we just, why, why did we waste so much time…?”

Shaking her head, Applejack spoke as softly as she could, as if Rarity was made of glass. “Ya can’t blame yerself. Please don’t, Rarity. It ain’t anypony’s fault. We just… We loved each other so much, it was part of our routine…!”

Another nervous sob, as the Unicorn looked away in despair. “B-but look at us. Old and gray. All those years are gone, now… All that time…!”

“Yes, they’re gone. But we’re here now. We’re here now, sugarcube. And we have time. Please look at me… We have time.” She came closer, with a weary understanding look.

“We… We have time…” Rarity repeated, stumbling over her words.

Moving a strand of hair off of her love’s eyes, and wiping away her tears, Applejack spoke softly with a kind smile. “No more frowns. No more cryin’. Not anymore. We’re together, and we have time.”

“W-we have time…!” Rarity agreed, a small tired smile perking on her lips.

They kissed slowly, softly, And in that way they remained, for a long time, holding each other as if they were the last ponies alive in the world, as if they were all that mattered, which to each other, they absolutely were.

Only after a while, when Rarity no longer sobbed, as they leaned foreheads, did she dare to speak. “A-Applejack, dear… This may be a big request, but… I'd like to open a boutique in Apple Acres. By this, I mean, move in with you. I couldn’t bear the distance… Not now, not anymore.”

Eyes widened in surprise, the Farmer gazed at her. “W-woah there, are ya sure…? You’d close down the Carousel Boutique…?”

She nodded, with weary determination. “I would so, without hesitation, if it meant being closer to you, dear. This place has been my home for ages, but I can’t stand living here alone anymore. Although this boutique has treated me well, it’s not my home anymore... You are…!”

“Heh, I guess that’s right. I feel the same way…” She smiled warmly, nodding.

“S-so does that mean I could…?”

“Of course ya could, sugarcube. I need you closer, more than ever, too.”

Immediately after that statement, Rarity lunged at her with fervor and joy. She could barely mutter “thank you’s” as she aggressively kissed her love.

After recoiling from each other, Applejack let out a soft snicker, both delightedly flustered, her mind elsewhere.

“...Heheh… I do feel kinda silly, I was gonna suggest somethin’ else…”

“Oh…?”

“Well ya see… none of our friends know about us yet. You and me bein’ together, I mean. And letters would be kinda borin’ for a bombshell like this, don’t you agree…?”

With her eyes widened, Rarity listened intently, as her heart fluttered with expectation.

“So I was gonna suggest… you and me, together, take a trip around Equestria, visiting all our friends n’ family, sharing the news…! A road trip vacation, so to speak…!” Both remained in quiet silence, as Rarity gasped softly.

She was happy. Oh, she was so, so incredibly happy. “Oh, A-Applejack, d-darling, that sounds just… Good heavens that would be wonderful…! But… What about Apple Acres…? Don’t you need to…?”

Smiling with pride, Applejack chuckled. “I don’t need to do anythin’ I don’t want to, sugarcube. I'm the boss now, remember? And if I wanna ask some cousins to come check on the farm on occasion durin’ my absence, well, that’s just what I'd do. To be frank, I… I… Never left Ponyville because of you. Because I knew you were here, and needed company.”

Every word improved her mood, every word filled her with joy and hope, like every fleeting passing second was better and better. “Oh, I want to leave. I want to leave so bad, dear…!”

“Then why don’t we?” With an incredibly warm smile, they leaned foreheads together, and giggled together.

“Come here, handsome…!” Rarity couldn’t resist, unleashing a barrage of kisses, as they intertwined themselves once more, continuing to be closer than they had ever been.

There was nothing holding them back anymore. There were no more battles to be fought, no more work that needed to be done, and these two old mares had no reason to stay home. In fact, they were both more than ready for their next adventure.

But for today, they decided to stay in bed a little while longer.

---

The preparations for their departure were easy, not because it wasn’t work, but because together, they felt lighter than air. Gathering luggage, tidying up the house, and even something as simple as leaving a sign that said “On vacation” Felt like an incredibly easy task to do, with your love by your side. And Rarity delighted herself in closing the Carousel Boutique, even knowing she would return, she felt no regrets anymore.

Closing down Apple Acres was certainly a bit more work, but together, they delighted themselves with every chore, every action. They shared each moment with passionate fervor. Every kiss was a gift, a treasure. Every nuzzle, a grand gesture, returned with its appropriate loving reward.

The last thing they did before the moment of departure was visiting the first family on the list; The graves of Applejack’s parents and grandmother. And they shared the news with delighted, teary joy.

There was certainly some reaction of surprise from Ponyville, a certain hustle and bustle on seeing some of the oldest of the heroes in Equestria eloping together, and leaving their home, no less. Lots of cheerful ‘So-longs’ and best wishes for the happy couple. Not that the two of them cared; having eyes only for each other.

And in that way they remained, until the day of departure. No more frowning, no more crying; Simply adoring every moment that they lived together.

---

Ponyville’s train station had never felt so inviting, so cozy, so full of quiet longing.

Closing her eyes, feeling the Autumn breeze in her face and mane, Rarity heard every little sound around her. She felt attuned to it. Every kind whisper or snicker of the ponies that awaited on that train station, every leaf or grass rustle, every bird that chirped in the distance. The world felt large, it felt vast, but it didn’t feel loud.

She considered, for a moment, all the other times she had sat on that same train station, waiting for a train, and how neither of them compared to the sheer glee and ease she felt at this moment.

She smiled, even with eyes closed, in gleeful expectation. She was alive, now more than ever, she was alive.

And as Applejack sat next to her, having acquired a map, she felt even better.

“Okay, sugarcube, here’s the plan.” The Farmer placed a map of Equestria on the small table they both sat at, near the train tracks. “So first off, Sugarbelle’s village ain’t as far as Canterlot, so we can stop there first and pay her n my Brother a visit. We don’t gotta stay for very long, but I know for sure that they’d be delighted if we did!”

“Heheh… I'm not in a rush, dear. Let’s see how we feel when we get there.” And truthfully, with a chuckle, Rarity felt no rush whatsoever, other than the excitement of beginning this new journey.

With a chuckle and a nod, Applejack continued. “Heh, indeedy. After that, Canterlot ain’t that far, so we could take another train easily, and cross multiple names off the list; Since our sisters are in college there, and of course, the two Princesses would be simply delighted to give us a room in that big ol’ castle of theirs!”

Rarity smiled mischievously as her face reddened. “Oh yes; You and me in private royal chambers… Nothing would please me more.” And in a way, she certainly would be quite pleased.

Chuckling with embarrassment and fluster, Applejack nodded in agreement. “Um, yes, agreed, sugarcube. Since that town’s huge and darn lovely, we can stay there for as long as we like, I reckon Twilight and Sunset would likely even throw a party or two, delighted to have us!”

Coming even closer with a raspy loving growl, Rarity whispered softly. “Indeed they would, and I would be delighted to have you.”

They shared a passionate kiss that ended in giggles, and only after that subsided did Applejack continue.

“Well, after that, next up would be Rainbow and Fluttershy. Now I don’t know where the wonderbolts are tourin’, so we’d need to find out before setting off, Could be any town or city in Equestria, really, no matter how far it is…”

And unsurprisingly, Rarity kept smiling, utterly unfazed, delighted, even. “Sounds lovely to me, dear; We haven't watched a show of theirs in a while, I would love to do so.”

With a loving warm smile, Applejack looked at her, with the final one on the list in hand. “Now here’s where it gets interesting, last but certainly not least; I got no idea where Pinkie Pie is. In fact, I ain’t even sure who would know, given that she travels everywhere. So we’d have to go visitin’ places where she might be, asking our friends, and asking the people that know her where she might have gone. I thought of startin’ with Yakyakistan, But frankly, we could start anywhere.” She looked at her love with expectation.

Rarity’s smile grew even wider with joy, as she beheld her love like she was everything.

“So what you’re saying is, our travels might take us all over Equestria, in all sorts of places, aimlessly wandering together, unsure of when we’ll ever come back here…?”

“Eeyup. That’s right, sugarcube.”

Another quick and passionate breaching of the gap between them, another fervorous loving kiss. Rarity nuzzled her head on her love’s shoulders with a loving sigh. “I love you so much, Applejack. This is going to be wonderful. Thank you, thank you…! Thank you for being you.”

“I love you too, more than anythin’, sugarcube.” They smiled warmly at each other, embracing and not letting go.

And in that way they remained, until their train finally arrived, not a care in the world.

The doors opened, and ponies started boarding, but the two lovers simply held each other in front of that open door.

It was a threshold that led to everything.

Before they stepped in, Applejack made sure to kiss her lover sweetly and with fervor, with the sheer excitement and joy of the journey to come overwhelming the both of them, resulting in both of the mares giggling in each other's embrace.

And behind them, other ponies stood waiting to board, in slight annoyance of the old couple blocking their path.

“You’re holding up the line, Applejack. There are other ponies in the world, you know…?”

“There are?”

And just like that, more kisses, more giggles. They leaned their foreheads together, in sheer bliss.

“Ready for another adventure, sugarcube?”

“With you, always.”

And then, with one last kiss, they stepped through the threshold together, side by side.

---

Author's Note:

It's never too late to live.

It's never too late to love.

Comments

[frogkimmy]

this made me sob tears. 10/10

[Cayden]

Old lady yuri <3

[FanOfMostEverything]

Lovely work, especially that uncertain but joyous ending. Thank you for a lovely tale of overcoming decades of inertia.

[Just_A_Small_Jellybean]

I adore thisssssss