Chapter Text
This was all so different.
Applejack and Rarity got married on the 14th of July, they had a traditional but gorgeous wedding ceremony at Sweet Apple Acres. Fireworks glistened in the sky with green, red, purple, and blue. Rarity hoof sewed both her wedding gown and Applejacks, the bridesmaids, and the groom’s tuxedo— all with the help of her assistant, Suri Polomare, a foe that transformed into a beloved friend. Rarity adored the decorations and the dedication that came in celebrating her profound love for Applejack.
But it was a lot to adjust to. Rarity’s life was shifting, and she wondered if this was the right choice, pacing back and forth—it had to be. She loved Applejack to death, after three years of dating of course she was confident this pony was for her. Yet, the anxiety Rarity felt hadn’t quite subsided. She put her bags down and looked at the barn, the farmlands around her… this was her new home.
Rarity knew she would visit the boutique and her friends galloping about in Ponyville but it was all changing before her. Big Mac moved to Appleloosa to start a family with his wife, Sugar Belle. And Granny Smith passed last January.
It was only Rarity, Applejack, and Applebloom in this farm.
It was quiet. Somewhat comforting, overwhelming, a new experience. And Rarity used to avoid coming to the farm when they were dating, for the sake of not getting her hooves wet or muddy. Always some picnic or date at a restaurant, an opportunity to pull on any fabulous contour over her white body.
Now Rarity is here on the farm, dirt staining the bottoms of her stylish pink diamond embedded boots, awkwardly standing in blue overalls, and a straw hat to compliment the look.
“Hey sugarcube. What’s the matter?” Applejack slowly approaches Rarity then puts a gentle hoove under her wife’s chin.
“Ohh nothing really, I guess I just didn’t consider that there would be so many mosquitoes.”
Applejack gives a little chuckle. “Well golly there is. I’ll go swat these mosquitoes, don’t you worry your pretty little head.”
Rarity smiles and feels Applejack pull back her hoof to go handle the mosquitoes, she feels a swish of cold and a bit of emptiness.
“You can do this Rarity… you only have to live here for the rest of your life.” Rarity tries to reassure herself but fails miserably.
Gulping, she moves her bags into the barn.
Later that night, Rarity is standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. She finds the wooden interior to be a horrifying site, so much so she would renovate this place if she could. Applejack is laying down on the bed in their shared room, catching up on some reading to occupy the time before bedtime.
Rarity comes out in a silk magenta robe and lays down next to Applejack, a little sigh escapes through her lips but her wife is too engrossed in the book to notice.
“Darling?” Rarity speaks up.
“Yes, sugarcube? Are you tired already?” Applejack asked, putting the book aside.
“Can I be honest?”
“I ain’t expecting nothing but the truth, why?”
Rarity hums. “Well… I don’t know if I’m going to necessarily love living here at the farm. I can’t seem to explain it nicely enough.”
Applejack nods, so understanding. One of the things Rarity loved about her, she always listened, never jumping to any conclusions. Applejack pulls Rarity into a hug, gently rubbing their noses together.
“Why sweet wife, I know it can get rusty and sweaty here but I think you’ll like this place as much as I do. I always want to know how you’re feeling, okay?”
“Yes darling.”
“Now let’s get some sleep, we gotta wake up bright and early tomorrow for the apple harvest. Buckin’ them apples takes hard work.”
Rarity woke up early alongside Applejack to help her buck apples. Before they got married, Rarity rarely did any farm work let alone apple bucking. She came out of the barn with knee high socks, a teal romper, and her straw hat.
“Uhh sugarcube? You’re gonna harvest apples with that outfit?” Applejack asked, in mud soaked boots, and dirt smeared across her neck.
“Yes darling. I have to look stylish harvesting apples and you look… productive.”
“Alright hon, I’ll show you how to buck them apples.”
Applejack used her back legs and kicked an apple tree using full force, it came naturally to her of course. Rarity blinked and galloped to the next tree, she tried with all her might but ended with a weak kick. Only a few apples fell into the basket instead of the whole tree. She fell face down, groaning from the pain and dirt.
“Looks like we’re gonna have to work on this.” Applejack sighed and helped Rarity up.
“Maybe trying a smaller tree is a better option for me?” Rarity sheepishly said.
And so she tried and failed at bucking apples from a smaller tree at the farm. She sat down on a tree stump, fanning her sweating face with the straw hat. A glass of cold apple cider was sitting to her and she watched Applejack buck the rest of the trees with Applebloom.
Rarity felt useless. As she sipped her apple cider, she waited until they were done. Later in the day, Applejack showed Rarity how to fix a water pipe and fix up parts of the barn’s roof. When Rarity attempted her hoof at these tasks the result was always the same. It made her wonder if she could really stay at the farm.
After dinner, Rarity went outside to behind the barn. Looking at the moonlight and the stars, she felt tears stinging her eyes. Her heart full of doubt swelled up, that Applejack should’ve married a more handy pony, somepony that could keep up with her.
Even though Rarity was saddened, she got up, standing on all four hooves.
She couldn’t give up. She married into this life, and she loved Applejack so dearly, she had to at least try harder. Before Rarity headed back to the barn for bed, she looked up at the sky once more.
“It’ll get better. I just know it.”