A Place to Rest
Rarity scrumped her nose as she waded through the mud bath that was the road to Sweet Apple Acres. The cool soil tickled at her ankles as her hooves sank into it. Understandably, she had not been too happy to see what the rain had done to the trail, but it couldn’t be helped. She had a customer – no, a friend – who was counting on her, and Applejack was certainly worth getting her hooves dirty for.
Whichever pegasus was in charge for the weather today certainly had a foul sense of humor. While only hours ago apocalyptic showers had poured down from the sky, the Sun now blinded Rarity with piercing gaze, making her wish that she’d been considerate enough to put on her sunglasses and hat. How very much unlike her! The only excuse that she had was that, after many a night spent slaving away at her latest fashion line, she had been so excited about the prospect of seeing her friend that she had left her boutique in a hurry.
Technically, Rarity did carry a hat with her. It floated right next to her, carried in her magic, safely packed in a neat white paper shopping bag that was adorned with a picture of her cutie mark. But it was Applejack’s hat. Even though Rarity was confident that her friend wouldn’t mind her wearing it, the mere thought felt sacrilegious.
It had been quite a piece of work to repair the bruises that it had taken during its long life, and a part of Rarity wanted to recommend to just replace the old thing. But that was of course out of question. It was Applejack’s hat. To take it away from her would be like leaving Twilight without magic, or Rainbow Dash without wings, or herself without makeup. Well, maybe not that drastic, she thought. Still, holding the hat as she had worked on it had felt like holding a part of Applejack herself in her hooves. With utmost care and love had she treated it, doing what she could to make the worn-out leather look new again, and was now more than glad to return it into the hooves of its owner.
Rarity reached the gate that lead to the courtyard. Sweet Apple Acres was a postcard view to look at, surrounded by fields lying under a blue sky. She stopped for a second to take a slow, deep breath. For the first time in a while, a tired smile crept onto her face. Even she, who was usually more drawn to the vibrancy of Manehattan or the glamor of Canterlot, could not resist its charm, and right now, it was exactly where she wanted to be: away from her own stressful life.
As she approached the house, the faint sound of galloping hooves reached her ears, making them perk up. Instead of knocking on the door, Rarity decided to go and see if she could find anypony. She walked around a stack of barrels and crossed the yard, which was deserted with the exception of a few chickens strolling around and picking at the ground. Puddles reflected the sunny sky, their mirror surface rippling as Rarity stepped through them.
The hoof beat grew louder and, passing the barn, she indeed found Applejack, who was galloping on a paddock. She didn’t seem to notice Rarity approaching, focused on the obstacle course that she had set up, her mane and tail waving behind her, kept together with a red ribbon. If only she let her mane down, Rarity thought; surely, she would look even more stunning. But Applejack had always been stubborn about that. Even convincing her to have her mane cut had taken hours of negotiation and, until this day, Rarity remained the only pony allowed to do that.
Keeping the bag with Applejack’s hat close to herself like a precious diamond, Rarity stopped at the fence, watching her friend. Sand was thrown into the air as Applejack leaned into a turn, strong muscles working beneath her lustrous orange coat. The sight sent a slight shiver down Rarity’s spine. With a final effort, Applejack catapulted herself over the last jump. She seemed to float for a split second, weightless, before gravity got her back into its grip. She touched down on the other side, her breath going in quick bursts, and only after some moments recognized Rarity’s presence.
Applejack face lit up in a smile, and she approached her, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hoof. “Howdy there.”
“Hello, Applejack. I was finally able to finish the work on your hat, so I thought I would come over to deliver it myself.”
“That’s mighty nice of you, thanks!” Applejack grabbed the bag and pulled out her Stetson, inspecting it carefully, before raising it over her head. Slowly, as if in a scared ritual, she placed it on top of her mane, where it came to sit as if it had never been missing, drawing a shadow over her face in the light of the afternoon sun.
“Wow, Rare, that’s some fine work you’ve done on this one. How much do I owe you?”
“Puh-lease, I couldn’t charge a friend for something trivial like this.”
“You sure? Well, in that case, I have to thank you again.”
She hugged Rarity, who flinched just the slightest bit at her sweaty touch but then leaned into the embrace nonetheless. Exhaustion made itself noticeable, ten times stronger than before, and Rarity rested her head on Applejack’s neck.
“Everything alright, sugarcube?”
She nodded, sighing as she pulled away from the support that her friend was giving. “I’ve just been terribly busy with my winter line.”
“Winter line? Isn’t it just May or did I miss somethin’?”
Rarity laughed painfully. “Oh, Applejack. In the world of fashion you have to think ahead. The autumn and winter season begins in July, and I don’t have much time left to stock up my outfits for that.”
“I guess that makes sense. Y’all can’t harvest before being done planting, right?”
“Exactly.” Rarity suppressed a yawn.
Applejack tilted her head, her eyes filling with concern. “Maybe you should still take it a little slower, though. I mean no offense, but you look mighty awful.”
“I know, Applejack, I know. It has been a little much, even for my standards. There’s just so much to do.” She had planned to return home and work until late at night again, just like yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that … thinking about it now, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
“You think you’d like to go for a walk?” Applejack offered. “I know that helps me when I’m stressing o’er something.”
“It’s a lovely idea, darling. Yes, I think I would like that.”
Applejack grinned. “I already know where I’m taking you, just you wait! I’m sure you’ll like it.”
They set course towards the apple orchards. Applejack led the way, talking about the upcoming rodeo season and about the work on the farm. Rarity tried to listen, but for some reason, that seemed almost impossible. She got distracted by the apple trees that surrounded them, her gaze caught by the cute little blossoms that looked like hundreds of floating snowflakes.
It didn’t help her case how soothing Applejack’s voice was, warming like a fireplace on a rainy day. Soon, she found her thoughts drifting off to a rather eventful sleepover that they had shared what seemed like a lifetime ago. Back then, they had almost broken down the library because of their stubborn attitudes towards each other. The memory felt unreal after the countless adventures they had lived through together, the monsters they had fought and dreadful places they had been to. Rarity smiled with a sudden rush of affection. While they might have their differences, one thing had become undeniably clear to her: Applejack had a heart of gold.
“Rarity? Are you listening?”
She blinked, forcing the thoughts into the back of her head. “My apologies. I seem to have spaced out a little.”
“It’s alright, we don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. A lot on your mind, huh?” Applejack smirked. “Is it because it’s spring?”
“What do you mean to imply by that?”
“Nothin’ – you just got a mighty big grin on your face. Got your eyes on anypony?”
“Not at all, no,” Rarity replied. “There is simply no time to pay these things any mind.”
Applejack didn’t dig further, and so they continued their way in silence. What Rarity hadn’t mentioned was the fact that she wasn’t even sure what she wanted anymore. Her fantasies, fueled by many a corny romance novel, had not quite played out the way she had wished for. She still had to shudder at the thought of Blueblood – and to think that she had thought of him as her Prince Charming! If anypony had acted nobly that evening, it was Applejack, who had taken it upon herself to console Rarity in the aftermath. Yes, Applejack treated her with the dignity and respect she deserved. It was yet another reason why Rarity liked her.
Well, not “liked” liked of course. That was a ridiculous thought.
As Rarity gave Applejack a quick side-glance, though, she had to admit that the term “ridiculous” certainly did not give her friend enough credit. She was an attractive mare, in her own way. Against her will, the gears of Rarity’s imagination started turning. She could see the temptation of those strong forelegs, holding her in a tight embrace. Rarity would give herself away completely, safe in the care of the mare who would soon smell like home to her. A place to rest.
Rarity rolled her eyes. That sentiment was clearly induced by her lack of sleep.
They left the orchards behind, heading for Whitetail Woods. The path became narrower, and the plants around them grew nasty thorns, forcing them to walk in line behind each other. Applejack took the lead, and Rarity had to force herself not to stare at the well-shaped mare walking in front of her, or at least to do it subtly. She sighed, stopping to rub her forehead. What was wrong with her today?
“You alright back there, sugarcube?” Applejack’s face turned around towards her. “It’s not far anymore.”
Rarity nodded, following up again. As they entered the forest, the Sun just touched the horizon; beams of golden light darted through the gaps between the trees surrounding them, and wild flowers grew along the path, gleaming in their brightest colors. It looked so much like a scene right out of a ponytale that Rarity half expected a fairy to fly right up to her, or a chubby little troll to roll out of the underbrush.
The ground beneath their hooves was soft and slightly gave in under her hooves, and a part of Rarity wanted to just keep walking on it forever despite her tiredness. The outdoors wasn’t usually her preferred habitat, but she had to admit that this place was rather pleasant, smelling like resin, moss, and flowers. All worries about schedules and dresses were gone, left behind at the border of the forest.
The path ended on a clearing, where a wooden bench stood that was tinkered together from old, lichened planks. Quite rustic, Rarity thought, but ever so charming. Just like the pony who had lead her here.
Applejack offered Rarity to sit down and, as she happily accepted, took place next to her, leaving just so much space between them that their coats didn’t touch. Rarity put her head back, taking in the scenery through half-closed eyes. The Sun was setting, and everything around them gleamed in its golden light.
“I’ve come across this place when I was helping out the forestry folk in winter,” Applejack explained. “I know you’re into romantic stuff like this, so I figured you’d like it here.”
Rarity couldn’t help but smirk. “You know me well, dear.”
She wanted to say more than that, wanted to let Applejack know just how special she was to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to. It would be positively tacky, now, wouldn’t it?
“Well,” Applejack said, “what can I say? You’re mighty special to me.”
Rarity’s face froze. “I … I am?”
Instead of answering, Applejack took off her hat, thoughtfully turning it in her hooves. “Have I ever told you the story of this here piece?”
Rarity shook her head.
“It belonged to Gram,” Applejack said. “Never knew him, but Granny would tell stories. He always led my family through the roughs. The fruit bats, the timber pox, the black year; he never gave up, always lookin’ out for his folk. Makes me wanna try my best every day.”
She paused for a moment, staring into the forest.
“Then after him, Ma had it. She’s the sweetest pony I’ve ever known, and now this hat is all I got left of her. You understand why I never had it fixed before? I just couldn’t give it away to nopony.”
She didn’t need to say more than that for Rarity to understand, understand what it meant for Applejack to leave it with her to repair it.
“You know,” Applejack continued, “I always thought to myself: that Rarity, she’s all about her nonsense frilly dresses and whatnot. I thought you were being dishonest, with all that makeup of yours. But now I know that I’ve been looking at it wrong the whole time.”
“Does that mean you’ll try wearing makeup, too?”
“No,” Applejack said with a huff, and Rarity giggled at the reaction. Her friend really was more stubborn than any mule she had ever encountered. She raised a hoof to boop Applejack’s nose.
“I’m trying to be serious here,” Applejack complained, but she sounded amused rather than annoyed. “What I want to say is, I see that you care about stuff and that you work hard, and I sure do admire that in a pony. You have an honest heart, Rare.”
“Thank you, darling.” Rarity smiled mildly. There was no way that Applejack knew how much it meant to hear this from her, but that didn’t matter. “You really are special to me as well.”
The light slowly died. Rarity leaned into Applejack, resting her head on her shoulder. It seemed impossible that she had been so distressed over something as trivial as a line of dresses only a few hours ago.
Applejack. She was a beautiful mare, and yet no physical traits could mirror how wonderful a pony she was. Rarity pressed her face into Applejack’s mane, smiling, for she had finally found an answer. She finally knew what she wanted.
A place to rest.