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Rarity found herself wanting to walk all the way to the Apple’s farm whenever she could. And Sweetie Belle wanting to visit Applebloom provided the opportunity on a silver platter. It also allowed her some time with Sweetie Belle, which was a good plus.
This time, Rarity prepared herself with a fancy pair of boots that wouldn’t easily appear dirty despite the contact with sludgy mud. She also dawned herself in exquisite pearls and jewels. She hoped it would all catch Applejack’s attention. Maybe she would shoot a sweet compliment her way, something like, “Them boots sure are nice,” or “Why’d ya wear somethin’ so classy?”
Sweetie Belle kicked a few rocks down the dirt paved road. “Are you going to stay for a while?” she looked up at her sister with expecting eyes.
Rarity felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Oh! Her beloved sister only wanted to spend some one-on-one time with her marvelous sister! “Oh darling, I wish I could but, I have too much to do at the boutique.”
“You say that every time and then you spend hours talking to Applejack!”
…
Rarity froze. She felt as if she’d just been caught with her hand in a cookie jar! “I do not…do that…” she paused, “everytime!”
“Do to! Every time we get there, we see Applejack and you tell her you’re just dropping me off and then you oogle at her for a while until I leave with Applebloom. Then, when I’m about to leave, you’re still there,” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.
Rarity opened and closed her mouth a few times. She was speechless! Did she…really do that everytime? How had she not realized? “It can’t be everytime,” she whispered under her breath.
“It’s everytime,” her sister deadpanned.
Rarity stuttered, “Well Sweetie Belle, when you’re older you’ll find that life gets stressful and you need to…decompress. Talking to Applejack is…calming. That’s all.”
“Right,”
“She’s just so different from everyone else, and I can always depend on her to catch me, and she’s always…” Rarity trailed off before her eyes locked on her frowning sister. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “Anyway, I truly am staying for only a little bit.”
Sweetie Belle and Rarity arrived at the bright red barn, littered with sweet apples all around. The two waltzed in like it was their own home. Both girls were accustomed enough to it that it may as well have been.
A door slammed open and out came Applejack, waving her sweaty face with her hat. At the sight of the fashionista, a smile dawned her face. “Rarity, Sweetie Belle. Didn’t know y’all were comin’ today. Applebloom’s upstairs,” she motioned upwards.
Sweetie Belle raised her brow at Rarity which, with her sisterly intuition, could decipher her exact intention. ‘Should I expect to walk home with you?’ Something of the sort. To which Rarity replied by rolling her eyes and shooing her little sister away. ‘No, you shall not.’
Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes and ran upstairs.
The two watched and waited until the little girl disappeared behind the stairwell. “What was that about?” Applejack chuckled.
Rarity was about to sidestep the question. She should’ve really. She didn’t know if she was ready to confront whatever feelings welled in her heart when it came to the farmer. But a small insecurity took over. The one that catches Applejack’s eyes linger on others, the one that catches herself lying awake at night thinking of every touch that wasn’t directed her way. The one that feared Applejack would never feel remotely the same as she did. “Sweetie Belle says that I…” she waved her hands in an attempt to come up with the words “am always here, with you. That’s not true is it?”
Applejack shrugged but it held a bouncy jeer, “Ya do tend to stick around Rarity.”
Rarity’s lip tightened into a thin line. “Well, does it bother you?”
“Now yer putin’ words in my mouth. Yer always nice to have around Rarity, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Applejack smiled. A pearly soft smile that made Rarity’s knees want to buckle.
“Ah,” she felt her throat clog. Speechless. What does she even say to that?
She didn’t think her heart could take much more of this conversation. So, this time, she did sidestep it, and Applejack provided the perfect opportunity for her to do so. Her eyes caught on Applejack’s hat. Whatever chore the country girl was doing must have been awfully taxing. There were rips and tears in the poor little fabric hat, covered in leaves and branches. “Oh darling! Your hat, it’s absolutely filthy.”
Applejack’s eyes shifted to the hat but, she was unfazed. “Oh, it’s fine. I’ll jus’ clean it up a bit. It’ll be up and spiffy by tomorrow.”
“Oh no, no, no. That won’t do darling. It needs to be resewed, plucked carefully. Maybe even a good wash,” Rarity snatched the hat and inspected it.
“Now Rarity, don’t go messin’ around with my stuff. It’s important tah me, ya hear? Give it ere,” Applejack reached over Rarity to snatch the hat back but Rarity put her hand between them.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about your hat! I know exactly what it means to you and I will fix it so you don’t have to replace it.”
“Ya really don’t have to do that,” The farmer reached out again but Rarity successfully dodged her.
“I want to,” Rarity asserted.
Applejack’s hand slacked down to her side. “Well, alright then. Just don’t do anythin’ fancy with it, all right?” she mumbled.
“Will do darling.”
–
Rarity DID actually leave. Way before Sweetie Belle did! Haha!
But, not because she had things to do at the boutique. Well, she did. But, she was too occupied staring at Applejack’s hat to do them. It was a perfectly productive way to spend her time. She needed to think of the best way to make that tattered fabric into something new after all, didn’t she? She could go the easy route, just make a new hat. But, she knew Applejack would know. How? Who knows. But, she would.
Rarity looked outside to see the sun had already fallen. How long had she been looking at this little old hat? Smelling the scent that Applejack left behind on it? Imagining her sweet smile in it?
Enough!
Rarity sat up, picked up her sewing kit, and got to work.
–
The exhausted fashionista trudged to the farm bright and early. The sky was still painted in a battle between orange and purple, it was quite beautiful. But, she couldn’t care less about appreciating it. The hat in her hands was almost burning, eager to be given, to be loved. At least Rarity thought it did.
Rarity hadn’t slept a wink, maybe that’s why she thought this hate had manifested into a lively being. But just look at it, with its beautiful beige fabric, slick and soft. It was just begging to be worn, and hugged, and kissed!
Wasn’t she such an amazing seamstress, to have been able to resuscitate this voiceless hat for Applejack. She must have missed it so, honestly, Rarity didn’t expect Applejack to be able to move about her day without her trusty hat. But, fret not! Because, here it was and it was perfect! Well, of course it was, she is Rarity after all. The way she maneuvered her needle was equivalent to a god’s making.
The fashionista had been so enraptured in communicating with the voiceless hat that she hadn’t noticed she was only two steps away from the Apple’s farm, nor had she noticed that the door slammed open. “Rarity! Oh thank goodness, I was about to head to yer boutique to check on it,” Applejack giggled.
Rarity jumped. “Ah…no need to,” she chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly handed over the hat.
Without missing a beat, Applejack took it back and a wave of relief visibly toiled over her. Her shoulders dropped and she let out a deep breath. “Wow Rarity, it’s like…” she paused and kept rolling it over in her hands, “I don’t know how tah thank yah.”
Rarity put her hand over her mouth to hide a soft yawn. “You don’t need to, darling,” she slurred.
The fashionista’s tiredness gave Applejack a good enough opening to return the favor. “Ya shouldn’t go back home all tired like that. Ya can sleep ere. In my room-”
Rarity’s eyes popped out as if she had seen a ghost of some sorts and her skin turned a bright red color.
Applejack scratched the back of her head. It was moments like these that flared the little voice in her head that told her she’d never be good enough for Rarity, that she’d never be able to give Rarity the space she required for her captivating dreams. “It’s comfortable and…should be up to yer standards of cleanliness,” she muttered.
“Oh no darling, it’s not that! I just- I mustn't overstay my welcome! I am sure you have plenty to do and- and so do I, at the boutique! Look at me, I am hardly even tired anymore,” Rarity babbled.
“Please Rarity, I would feel mighty happier if you slept over instead of goin’ back in this state,” Applejack persuaded. And oh god, how could Rarity refuse when the country girl of her dream’s eyes swelled with concern like that!
“Oh alright…”
“Great, ya head on up and make yerself at home. It’s the last door on the left. Big ol’ apple on the door, ya can’t miss it,” She beamed.
“Won’t miss it…” Rarity repeated and headed upstairs. She had a bit of trouble lifting her feet one-by-one. She passed by a few doors and she could have sworn there was rustling in one of them but, she paid it no mind. She opened the door and plopped face-first into Applejack’s bed. Had she been a little more awake, her heart may have blown up from the atmosphere that was just so Applejack. But, her eyes were far too heavy to register her forest-y smell and the cute apple decorations that littered every wooden frame.
“Oh Applejack…how could I not want to stick around?” she drifted off to sleep.
–
“Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle! Ya won’t believe what I saw!” Applebloom yelled from across the yard.
Sweetie Belle waited for Applebloom to cross it to tilt her head and say “What?”
“Remember how we talked ‘bout our sisters yesterday? ‘Bout how they’ve been acting a little weird about each other?”
“Yeah?”
“Today! I was gettin’ ready to head downstairs and Applejack’s room was open! So, I peeked inside and you won’t believe who I saw in her bed!”
Sweetie Belle felt was on the edge of her seat, only she wasn’t sitting. “Who? Who?”
“Rarity!”
Sweetie Belle really didn’t know how to react to this information. Her eye twitched as her mind backtracked. Once Rarity had said that Applejack helped her decompress. Did she mean it that way? Ew!!! Sweetie Belle shook her head to rid herself of that disgusting image!
It seemed to click in Applebloom too as she scrunched up her nose and waved her head too. “They can’t be-”
“But why else?”
“What are you two talking about?” Scootaloo looked between the both of them.
“We’ve gotta get tah the bottom of this!” Applebloom asserted.
Sweetie Belle retreated into her shoulders, “I don’t think I want to know anymore than we do.”
“Know what?” Scootaloo rose a brow still lost.
“No! No! But, ya said it yourself! Ya said Rarity seemed all lost ‘bout her feelings! The way I see it, they’re perfect for each other! And…if somethin’ does happen, we’d be sisters!”
That seemed to get Sweetie Belle on board, “That would be pretty cool.”
“You guys are sisters?!?” Scootaloo’s jaw dropped.
“We’ve gotta catch ya up.”