The Rustic and The Romantic

by TheLastBrunnenG

Facing Worlds

White coat glowing eerie and ghostlike in the moonlight, a pony lay facing an uncurtained window. Her bed was warm and familiar yet not her own. Miles away and inches from her another pony lay staring at bare plankwood walls and the shadows of passing clouds.

The snow-furred unicorn shifted, tossing, turning, her mouth opening and closing in silence, searching for lost words. She broke the silence, clearing her throat, and said, “Applejack, I - “

“Don’t start, Rares,” came the reply from across the bed, harsh and overloud in the midnight dark. “Whatever you’re about to say, I ain’t in a mood to hear it.”

Rarity shrank a bit under the sheets, her eyes still sparkling under the pale half-moon which crept across the windowpane. She lifted herself on an elbow and shifted, pausing when an icy chill shot up her spine despite the balmy summer night just outside the walls.

“And don’t turn ‘round, neither.” Rarity went rigid at the interruption, legs trembling and sheets quivering as long seconds ticked by. Applejack twisted her neck with a deafening pop and said, “You keep talkin’, Rarity, and I’m gonna have to answer, and I’ll regret every dang word of it come sunup.” The farmer’s heavy inhalation cut through the room like a dragon’s roar. “And if you face me, Rarity, so help me Celestia, I’m gonna regret what I say a durn sight longer than mornin’.”

Minutes masqueraded as hours in the room’s oppressive quiet. Rarity swallowed, eyes shut against the moonlight and the evening’s memories. Slowly, between thick tears and heavy heartbeats, she whispered, “Applejack, love, I did it for you.” No reproach stopped her, no admonishment from across the gulf, and she continued, “You know that, right darling? I knew how long you’d been trying, how much it meant to you, and I thought - ” She choked back something more than words and less than an apology. “I thought - “

Applejack sighed and what may once have been a whisper came out as a hiss. “No, you weren’t thinkin’ at all, Rare. You knew how long I’d been plannin’ the family reunion. This here shindig’s been in the works since afore I ever set eyes on your accursed fool hide. Yeah, we’d been tryin’ to get the Oranges here from Manehattan for years. Not we, really, just me. I’m the only one’s been anglin’ to bring ‘em to Ponyville. I ain’t seen ‘em since I was a foal, and come Tartarus or high water, I was determined to show ‘em what we Apples were all about.”

She ran a hoof through her mane, the slow movement exaggerated in shadows on the unadorned wall which held her gaze. “An’ you went an’ brought ‘em here, just like that. Like it weren’t no more trouble’n knittin’ a scarf.”

Rarity’s brow furrowed in the moonlight and she eased her eyes open. “I thought that’s what you wanted, dear, I - “

“That ain’t it, sugar. This here family - the Apple side, at least - we’re tighter’n the first dozen apples in the cider press. You think we don’t hear nothin’? I thought you were the rumor expert, Rarity. You honestly think we ain’t caught a word you said to Aunt an’ Uncle Orange?”

Rarity shook, eyes wide and watering, jaw working, and waited.

Applejack growled, “Let me refresh your memory, Rare. ‘Not exactly intellectual giants.’ ‘Half of the lot wastrels.’ ‘Less charming rustics than simple bumpkins.’ That ring a bell? I knew just as well as the next pony that them two didn’t want hide nor hair to do with the Apple clan. They came ‘cause a highfalutin’ pony like Rarity Belle invited ‘em and they wanted to see the grand ol’ spectacle. Hayseeds an’ hillbillies, rednecks an’ wetbacks. That’s what them Oranges came to see! They didn’t want the first fritter nor family photo. They wanted to look down their muzzles at the whole backwoods lot o’ us. An’ you were right there every hoofstep o’ the way, nose in the air and all.”

The moon inched past one pane then another before either pony spoke again. Rarity mumbled into the sheets, “I’m sorry, Applejack. I never meant to… ” She looked up at the window and glanced over her shoulder at the orange pony behind her, a hoof’s length away and a mile out of reach. “I should go.” She rose carefully and deliberately, sitting on the edge of the bed and silhouetted in the moonlight when the silence broke.

“Please don’t leave, Rare.” Rarity looked back again and saw the farmer’s chest heaving deeply. “I know you were just tryin’ to keep ‘em talkin, tryin’ to make conversation. That you got ‘em to show up at all when I’d been tryin’ for years was its own little miracle. I never said thanks for that, Sugar." Applejack turned her head a little and the moonlight caught something steely and hard behind her emerald eyes. "But don’t never badmouth us again, hon. Not behind our backs. I know you ain’t meant a word of it, but that ain’t no excuse.” She paused to wipe her muzzle and said, “So please, for me, lay back down. I still need you here, Rares. That ain’t changed. In the mornin’ I’ll be over this, but for now, I still need you close. A hoof’s length away ain’t so far for one night, is it, Sugarcube?”

Author's Note:

TMP Prompt # 269. The Prompt: Why were we there back to back?

This story should take place right after Apple Family Reunion, but more likely it would happen after the following reunion, not the one from the show.

Title is a reference to the legendary Unreal Tournament map, not to Minecraft. There's a connection somewhere here about sniping.

Comments

[Rarityshy]

Huzzah, this is the kind of drama and resolution that makes a relationship real.
Ciao darling

[The Princess Rarity]

... Y'know, for a second there, when I read the summary and the first few paragraphs, I thought Rarity had confessed AJ was preggers or something.
But this legit almost made me cry, until the ending. Yay for bittersweetness~

[Cynewulf]

Ouch.

That hurts, man.

[BenRG]

Rarity's biggest fault is and always will be that she's a complete snob sometimes. Worse she's a phony snob, trying to hide her own humble beginnings (Dad a sports coach, by the looks of that cutie mark) with false aristocratic airs. AJ was right to call her out; no-pony will ever give Rarity the respect she deserves so long as she tries to pretend to be somepony she isn't.

[articunos bitch]

Rarity don goofed this time. I like seeing how Applejack is so wise for her years.

[Avid Reader]

Commence read.

Well...that was a tense moment.

[Dreamer of Dragons]

genius!

[Mr.Market]

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."... or something like that. At least Aj can keep a cool head for Rarity.

[Lemon Curry]

2197411
You weren't the only one ...

[Melancholy]

Gods damn I loved that map. Much fun and games was had on that map, and many heads were split like melons.

[Shield Brony]

Awww

[hawthornbunny]

I made a UT mod which makes the camera follow the path of the sniper bullet after it's fired. Sadly I could never get it to slow down time dramatically just impact, but nonetheless it was quite satisfying on Facing Worlds. ^.^

[BenjiCG]

2197411 snapsies
would be kinda cool for something like that to happen future chapter wise
some magics involved of course

[TheLastBrunnenG]

Time to catch up on some comments. Sorry for the late replies!

2181055
Glad you liked it! Except for the exploding heart bit. That was a mess. Winona helped clean it up.

2197407>>2197423>>2197554>>2197585>>2197747>>2197803>>2197887>>2197927
Yep, every real relationship has drama. Not everything is fluffy. Luckily AJ's here to remind her what really matters.

2197411
Nah, no magic babies yet, though one call to Twilight and Luna could fix that.

[TheLastBrunnenG]

Time to catch up on some more comments. Sorry for the late replies!

2197942>>2198304
AJ & Rarity might have their disagreements, and they might make mistakes, but what matters is that they're there for each other in the end. And they are, you better believe it.

2197955>>2198436
That was the only map I could consistently get "MONSTER KILL" and "WICKED SICK" and "HEADHUNTER" on.

2200220
A good analysis of the chapter and the relationship as a whole, and a nice background track to read it by. Thanks!

2212586
Like I said, one letter to Twilight & Luna could fix that. Applebloom would be a fun aunt!

2217504
Glad you liked it!

2306960
Butterfly effect! Everything has consequences, including shipping your friends, even if it's in fiction.

2322766
How many months has this been up and no one noticed that? Fixed!

[The Princess Rarity]

2323029 Or just... y'know... unicorn magic... I'm just saying... yeah...

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2323074
Yeah, but I'm thinking not every unicorn can do that spell. I'm sure there are pregnancy clinics that can do it for a fee, but when your best friends are Princess Twilight and Princess Luna, it can't hurt to ask. Besides, then the kid would have two immortal alicorns as God(dess)parents.

[The Princess Rarity]

2323176... very true.

[BenjiCG]

2323043 AB would bean awesome aunt, possibly creating the Cutie Mark Crusader Babysitters yaaaay! D:

[The Princess Rarity]

Brunnen, you're killing me here, please, I need my Rarijack, bro...
reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/robin-llorando.gif
It's been more than a month since your last update...
reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Angry.gif

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2325290>>2331487>>2331590>>2333353
Glad you liked it!

2329119
CMC Big Sisters Club?

2331717
From the candied apples! Which were sticky from... well, OK, let's not get into that.

2385002
Working on it, TPR! When I finish the NSFW chapter, I'll put in its own separate Mature-rated story, but I'll add a dummy chapter here to link to it as well.

[BenjiCG]

2426357 aw heyl yeahhh XD [img]data:image/jpeg;base64,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[/img]

P.S sorry for the huge url

[grimmred]

this was sitting on my read it later shelf for far to long.

also im glad to see someone remembers the good games!

[articunos bitch]

I'm wondering when we can expect the next chapter?

[TheLastBrunnenG]

2664618
Not abandoned! Took a break from writing to do some proofreading and editing. My schedule is packed to the packity pack, and pony is a luxury at the moment. Soon, oh ye patient ones, soon...

This month, I promise!

[articunos bitch]

2670530 I know you answered me and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...

[Cynewulf]

I remember reading this and it hurt.