Rarity sat on her porch sipping a mint julep as the pleasant Saturday afternoon rolled by her. It had been quite a while since she’d actually taken any time to relax. Her life had just been such a whirlwind of activity lately, it couldn’t be helped. The non-stop dress orders, her trip to Manehattan, all the nights out with Octavia, that ridiculous jaunt out to Appleloosa…

… Her breakup with Applejack…

Rarity sighed as she settled further into her chair. It still hurt to acknowledge it, but at least she was able to think the words without visibly retching anymore. Vocalizing them might have been a different story, but she’d strategically avoided any situation where she’d have to over the course of the last few weeks, and it was working well. It was helping her move on.

It was.

Rarity shivered as she pulled the periwinkle and white striped scarf tighter around her neck. Autumn was officially ending now, and Winter was just around the corner. She could already feel the colder air nipping at her pelt as she did her best to put it out of her mind. As she reached the bottom of her glass, she decided that was precisely what the Mint Juleps were for, and refilled it from the nearby pitcher she’d prepared.

“Day Drinking, huh? You do know this isn’t Las Pegasus, right?”

Rarity nearly dropped the pitcher as she looked up to see Pinkie Pie giggling from a few feet away. She attempted to mimic Pinkie’s mirth, but knew she fell somewhere short. “Yes, darling, I’m well aware.”

“Good! For a moment I thought maybe you’d gotten dementia, or alzheimer’s, or maybe a wizard temporally displaced your brain, but left your body here, and you didn’t know–”

“No such thing has happened, I can assure you,” Rarity said, quickly adding, “I’m fine.”

Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes and moved her jaw back and forth before nodding. “Okie dokie!”

“So,” Rarity said as she placed her glass down on the table next to her, “what brings you to my boutique today?”

In response Pinkie reached up with a hoof and pulled several envelopes out of her hair. “Ditzy gave me your mail. Again.”

Rarity chuckled as she levitated them into her hooves. “I still don’t know how she manages to mix up Candy Cane Lane and Sugarcube Court.”

“Well, maybe she sees the ‘Sugarcube’ in Sugarcube Court, and thinks it’s for Sugarcube Corner? I’d believe it.”

“I guess that would make sense,” Rarity mused as she glanced over the letters. “Bill, bill, letter from Sweetie Belle, bill, and…”

Rarity paused as she got to the last letter.

In the top left corner, it said ‘Empire Fashions, 4334 Perfection Circle, Manehattan, 19090.’

“Oh my gosh,” she muttered as she turned it over and opened the flap on the back.

“What is it?” Pinkie asked, immediately appearing over Rarity’s shoulder.

“It’s a letter from Empire Fashions! I wonder whatever for,” Rarity whispered as she pulled out the letter.

“Maybe you should read it and find out,” Pinkie said with a sagely nod.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that what you’re supposed to do? I never could have figured that out on my own. Thank you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie giggle-snorted as she patted Rarity’s head. “That’s why I’m here.”

Expelling a quiet sigh, Rarity turned to the letter and read aloud.

Dearest Miss Rarity,

Your Rustic Romantic line is all the rage here in Manehattan, and I simply had to offer my congratulations for your phenomenal vision and craftsmanship. Enclosed you will find a check for your share of the profits from the line’s sales.

I must be frank with you, Miss Rarity; Your kind of talent does not come along every day. I feel I would be remiss if I did not ask you to join my team here in Canterlot. I know what a change this would be for you, so take all the time you need to think about it. If you do decide to join us, though, I can promise you fame and fortune and everything that goes with it.

Sincerely yours,

Class Act

CEO, Empire Fashions

“Wow Rarity,” Pinkie cheered, “That’s totally super awesome!”

Rarity blinked a few times before scanning the letter again.

“Are you gonna do it?”

“Huh?” Rarity pulled her eyes away from the words and looked at Pinkie. “Do what?”

“Are you gonna go work in Manehattan?”

“I… I don’t know,” Rarity said breathlessly.

“It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it? To be recognized for your talent and go hobnob with all the fancy pantsy ponies?” Pinkie’s excitement was almost grating.

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know, Pinkie. That’s… I don’t know if I’m ready for this. I have to think about it.”

Pinkie Pie sat back on her haunches and grinned. “Well, you do that, then. I have to go get ready.”

“Ready for what?” Rarity knew she would regret asking the moment the words escaped her lips.

“The party we’re gonna have tonight to celebrate, duh!”

“Pinkie, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Rarity said as kindly as she could. “I don’t even know if I’m going to take the job, I don’t want to get everypony excited for what might not even come to pass.”

Pinkie snorted. “Who cares? We don’t need to celebrate the job, we’ll just celebrate the job offer.”

Rarity bit her lip. “But… Tonight? That’s such short notice, who would even be able to come?”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I can see you’re worried, Rarity, so I’ll tell you what; Let me handle the party, you just show up and enjoy yourself. Okay?”

Rarity sighed. There was no talking Pinkie out of a party once she’d set her mind on it. “Fine, we can have a party. Just.. don’t tell anyone what it’s for. Or make something up. Just don’t tell them about this letter.”

Pinkie cocked her head. “Why not? Don’t you want everypony to know about your success?”

“Please, Pinkie? Just don’t tell them?”

Pinkie tapped her chin with a hoof before smiling brightly and nodding. “Okie dokie lokie!”

“Now then,” Rarity said with a smile, “where will this party be held?”

“Carousel Boutique, of course!”

Rarity smacked a hoof into her forehead. “Of course.”

“Just show up and enjoy myself,” Rarity muttered to herself as she walked back up Sugarcube Court towards her home. “It’s not a big deal. I don’t even have to tell anypony what the occasion is if I don’t want to.”

That is, unless Pinkie tells everypony… which she more than like will.

The idea of all her friends showering her with congratulations and questions and everything else just sounded so unnecessarily stressful. She wasn’t even ready to consider the idea of moving to Manehattan… Was she? She sighed.

Of course, that’s why the moment Pinkie had told her to get out of the boutique for a little while so that she could work, Rarity had taken it as an excuse to head directly to the Ponyville Spa.

She was a mare of habit, after all.

It had even helped, to a degree. It was rather difficult to fret and worry in a sauna.

As she reached her front door, she was surprised to hear several voices already coming from inside. Whispering voices, maybe, but voices nonetheless.

She sighed as she realized she was fashionably late to her own party.

The moment Rarity opened the door, she was engulfed in a tidal wave of streamers and confetti.

“SURPRISE!” came the voices of at least 20 ponies.

“Surprise!” called Pinkie a second later. “Shoot, I messed it up again!”

Rarity laughed as she wiped the streamers out of her eyes. “I appreciate the gesture, everypony, but I knew about this party.”

Pinkie Pie looked aghast. “Somepony told you!?”

Rarity squinted back at Pinkie. “Yes… You did.”

Pinkie got halfway through another gasp before her expression went completely flat. “Oh, right. I forgot.”

Rarity would have laughed more, but as she scanned the room her eyes fell upon a giant banner hung across the ceiling reading ’Congratulations, Rarity!’

“Pinkie, a word?” Rarity asked, motioning to the door.

“Sure,” Pinkie said as she followed Rarity back outside.

“Pinkie, you promised me you wouldn’t tell anypony about the job!” Rarity scolded, messaging her temples.

She’d just been to the spa. She was not going to let her stress build immediately back up.

“I didn’t,” Pinkie said, placing a hoof over her heart.

“There’s a giant banner saying ‘Congratulations, Rarity!’ in my boutique!”

“Well yeah,” Pinkie admitted with a shrug, “But I didn’t tell anypony what we were congratulating you for.”

Rarity sighed. “Fine. Good enough, I guess.” She pushed her way back inside and headed directly for the impromptu bar. The party was officially under way.

Rarity noticed a few things as she said her hellos to all the ponies gathered inside. The first was Applejack, because of course Pinkie had invited her.

Not that she didn’t want to see Applejack, just that… It was complicated.

Everything was complicated, these days.

The second thing she noticed was Twilight and Fluttershy happily greeting her and offering their sincerest congratulations for whatever it was they were celebrating. Rarity gladly accepted their well-wishes and promised they’d catch up once she’d said all her hellos.

The third thing she noticed was the absence of Rainbow Dash. At first she assumed she had simply missed her amongst the crowd, but it quickly became apparent she was not in attendance today.

Rarity was not the kind of mare to count her blessings, but if she was, she would have incremented the counter.

“Anyway, I’m sorry we haven’t been able to hang out since, well, you know…” Octavia trailed off, reminding Rarity that she was in the middle of a conversation.

Octavia was lying, of course, but Rarity wouldn’t call her on it. “I’m sorry about that too, I’ve meant to stop by, but I’ve just been so busy…”

There was no way Octavia didn’t know she was lying as well.

Octavia stifled a polite cough with her hoof. “Well, I’m gonna mingle. Take care, Rarity.”

“You too,” Rarity said as she turned back to her drink.

This wasn’t awful. Rarity could have done without the party, but it wasn’t awful. Or at least, not as awful as it could have been.

“So what’s a pony gotta do t’find out what we’re all congratulatin’ ya for, huh?” Rarity felt a hoof slap into her back accompanied by a warm chuckle she knew all too well.

“I don’t need to update my contact lens prescription,” Rarity lied as she looked up to see Applejack taking the stool next to her. She raised an eyebrow.

“Oh. Here I thought it was a big occasion, or somethin’.”

Rarity shrugged. “Pinkie Pie insisted we celebrate, so celebrating we are.”

Applejack nodded and poured herself a drink. “So, uh… How’ve ya been? I haven’t seen ya since Appleloosa, ya just kinda disappea–”

“Where’s Rainbow?” Rarity interrupted. “Did she not want to celebrate with me for some reason?”

Applejack shifted in her seat before shaking her head. “No, nothin’ like that. She had to go back to Wonderbolts Academy for her bi-monthly training program thingamabob… Left this mornin’.”

“Oh,” Rarity said, mildly regretting her harsh tone, “I see.”

Rarity heard Applejack cough into her hoof.

Suddenly the music stopped and Pinkie Pie cleared her throat. “Alright everypony, it’s time for a game! The name of the game is Claps, Claps is the name of the game.”

Rarity looked over and saw her friends forming a circle. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Applejack looking too.

Pinkie cleared her throat again. “Many say she’s done great things.” She clapped her hooves together. “You might disagree, I guess.” She clapped her hooves four more times. “Really, it’s anypony’s guess.”

“Mayor Mare!” Vinyl called, to which Pinkie laughed and bumped her hoof.

“Yep! Everypony but Vinyl has to drink!”

Various bursts of laughter and groaning erupted amongst the crowd, and to Rarity’s annoyance she noticed Applejack chuckling along.

“Ya wanna play, Rarity?”

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know how.”

“Oh, it’s easy, Rares. You’ll catch on real quick.” Applejack said.

Rarity wanted to scowl, but that would have required putting down her glass.

“... For me?” Rarity felt Applejack’s hoof touch her shoulder and looked up to see Applejack’s pleading smile.

… Damn that smile.

“Fine,” she muttered, got off her stool, and walked over to the circle.

“This game is so stupid!” Rarity shouted.

Applejack laughed, spilling a few droplets of liquor on the floor as she tried to catch her balance. “Do you want me to explain it to you, Rares?”

“NO!” Rarity stamped her hoof. “I will figure it out! I must!”

“Suit yourself,” Applejack said as she sipped her drink.

“Just do it again. One more time.”

“I’ve got one,” Fluttershy chimed in from the other side of Applejack. “Rainy days make some ponies sad.” Fluttershy paused and clapped her hooves. “Rainy days make some ponies mad.” She paused and clapped her hooves three times. “To me, rainy days aren’t all that bad. You know, they make me kind of glad.”

Applejack had chortled her way through half of Fluttershy’s little rhyme. “You wanna guess, Rarity?”

Rarity stared at Fluttershy and fumed. There had to be SOME pattern, but what? She talked abou Rain… a lot… So… “... Raindrops?”

“NOPE!” Shouted Applejack as she shoved her mug into Rarity’s hooves. “Drink up!”

Rarity screamed in agony. “How do you even know!? I’m right, aren’t I, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy offered a meek smile as she shrunk back. “Umm… No.”

Rarity turned her gaze back to Applejack and glared as hard as she could as she drank.

“It’s you, Rarity.”

Rarity felt the liquor fire out of her mouth as she coughed. “What!?”

“Rarity. You were the answer,” Applejack said, slapping her knee as she tried to control her laughter.

Rarity put down the mug and massaged her temples. “I. Hate. This. Game.”

Time at a Pinkie Pie party had a certain degree of fluidity to it. This wasn’t the first time Rarity had noticed this, not by a long shot, but as her friends trickled out of the party one by one, she was amazed at how little time had actually passed.

That wasn’t to say it wasn’t late. Certainly, Rarity did not see every Midnight with her waking eyes, but still… She could barely remember the last time she’d had this much fun in one evening.

However, when Pinkie Pie was ready to retire from a party, one knew it was indeed late.

“Thank you for everything, Pinkie,” Rarity said as she waved her friend goodbye.

“Anytime, Raresy Pearsy,” Pinkie replied, and half-bounced half-stumbled off into the night.

Rarity closed her door and turned back inside. She had just one guest left now.

Applejack.

Applejack was slowly hobbling around the room, picking up fallen plastic cups here and discarded streamers there, and stuffing them into a large plastic bag.

“Applejack, you don’t have to do that,” Rarity said as she walked towards the center of the room.

“I know I don’t,” Applejack said with a shrug, “but I also know how much you like to keep a clean house, so I don’t mind helpin’ out.”

Rarity shook her head. “Applejack, that’s…” Rarity paused as she momentarily lost her balance. “I mean… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Applejack replied as she made her way around the outer edge of the lobby. “Why don’t you rustle us up some tea and a few of those buttered not-muffins you like so much?”

“You mean scones?”

“Yeah, them’s the ones,” Applejack affirmed with a broad grin.

Rarity laughed. “Sure.”

It didn’t take Rarity long to return with their refreshments, at which point she was amazed to see that Applejack had actually made substantial progress in her mission to clean the front room.

“Thanks, Rares,” Applejack said as she sat down at the table and began devouring the scones.

Rarity sat down across from her and yawned.

“Any chance you’ve got the time?” Applejack asked.

Rarity nodded. “It’s almost two.”

Applejack frowned. “Oh… I should probably start gettin’ home… It ain’t exactly the shortest walk back to the acres.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “I could prepare the guest room, if you’d like,” she offered.

Applejack looked up. “Are ya sure? I don’t wanna be a burden, or nothin’.”

“Nonsense,” Rarity dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hoof. “You finish your scones, and by the time you’re done, I’ll have the cot all set up for you.”

After a few moments Applejack nodded. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

“Don’t mention it,” Rarity said, and headed up the stairs.

This was fine. Applejack was going to stay the night, in the guest room, and in the morning she was going to leave, and everything would be back to normal.

The new normal, where Rarity was alone and miserable and jealous and bitter.

The cot was up, it had freshly laundered sheets applied, and an assortment of pillows with varying degrees of fluff arranged for maximum comfort. It occurred to Rarity that at some point during her bed making she must have lost track of time, because the clock on the wall read 2:35. There was no way Applejack hadn’t finished those scones long ago, so where was she?

Rarity was about to go back downstairs to check on her when the door slowly opened and Applejack appeared, stifling a yawn with her hoof. “Thanks for the scones, Rares. I figure I’m about ready to hit the hay now.”

Rarity smiled. “We just need to get you a comforter, and it will be all ready for you.”

Applejack looked at the bed and chuckled. “Jeez, y’think there’s enough pillows?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “They’re ergonomic,” she said as she entered the hallway and headed for her room.

Applejack followed behind her. “Thanks again for lettin’ me stay over.”

Rarity shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Rarity opened her closet door and began pulling out different blankets. “Would you prefer down, or maybe fleece? Whatever you like best, I’m sure I have it.”

“Rarity?”

“Yes?” Rarity asked as she pulled her head out of the closet and looked over to the door.

Applejack stood stock still, her hooves gripping a piece of paper. “Rarity, what is this?”

Rarity blinked. “What do you–” Rarity gasped as she realized what piece of paper it was Applejack was holding. “Don’t read that, it’s personal!”

Applejack put the paper back down on the desk and stared blankly back at her. “Are you leavin’? Is that why we were celebrain’ tonight?”

Rarity felt Applejack’s question pierce her chest like a dagger. She sounded hurt. “Applejack, it’s not–”

“Pinkie knew, didn’t she?”

Rarity bit her lip as she watched Applejack’s quivering eyes. Her voice was weak, almost fragile. “Yes, she did,” Rarity admitted.

“So… That’s it? Yer just gonna throw a big party and pack up and go? And you weren’t even gonna tell me?”

“Applejack, no, I…” Rarity exhaled. Perhaps hiding this hadn’t been the best idea. “I don’t even know if I’m taking the job, yet.”

Applejack looked down to the floor and the two of them stood in silence as the moments crawled by. Rarity felt absolutely wretched, like her entire body was full of acid and bile.

“I’ll miss you,” Applejack muttered.

“What?” Rarity yelped. She couldn’t have heard that right.

“I’ll miss you,” Applejack repeated slightly louder, still looking at the floor.

Rarity felt too many things to count, the most obvious of which was a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’d miss you too,” she managed to whisper back.

The silence was awful. Rarity couldn’t stand the tension in her chest; She was pretty sure this was what having lung cancer must feel like, and maybe Sweetie Belle was right, if she didn’t want to live with this for the rest of her life, she should really quit smoking once and for all.

“But… I don’t even know if I’m going, yet,” Rarity repeated, hoping for… anything, really.

Applejack nodded slowly and took a step forward, then another, and before Rarity knew it they she was being crushed in a massive hug. She felt Applejack’s breath shuddering through her entire body as she maneuvered her own hooves around her back to return it.

“Just promise me you’ll come back to visit some time,” Applejack whispered.

Rarity felt so dumb saying it a third time, but she couldn’t come up with anything else, so she did. “I don’t even know if I’m–” A sharp pain in her cheek cut her off, and as she regained her balance she saw Applejack’s hoof raised.

More shocking than the idea that Applejack had slapped her were the tears flowing down her face.“Shut up. This is what you’ve been workin’ yer whole life for. All the sweat and blood and tears you’ve poured into this place. Why the hay wouldn’t you go now? What could possibly be holdin’ you back?”

Rarity fruitlessly worked her jaw, but nothing came out. It was a good question. What did Ponyville have left to offer her?

Applejack stared back at her, green eyes quivering as they reflected the moonlight back into her own.

She knew, though. She did. She swallowed her thickening spit and planted her hooves. “You can’t see the stars in Manehattan.”

Applejack blinked, the anger slowly draining from her face.

Before Rarity could react Applejack was upon her, a mess of lips and manes and limbs entwined. She tried to push her away, but Applejack had always been the stronger pony by far.

“Applejack,” she gasped in the brief respite Applejack gave her between kisses, “you’re drunk.”

Applejack scoffed. “I’m a grown mare. I can make my own decisions.”

Rarity felt her protests dying as Applejack pressed against her mouth even harder, pinning her head to the floor. She gasped for air. “What about Rainbow Dash?”

Applejack kissed her again in lieu of an answer. This wasn’t right. She needed to…

Applejack nipped at her collarbone and Rarity’s entire body shook. She must have been dreaming. That’s what this was. Another one of those stupid, awful dreams. She’d fallen asleep at the party, and now her mind was tormenting her again. In the morning she’d wake up and be alone again, just like every other time.

Rarity’s thoughts melted as she kissed Applejack back, unable to hold back her love any longer.

Dream or not, she wanted this. She needed this.

She didn’t fight it as Applejack picked her up to her hooves and guided her over to the bed, their faces desperately trying to occupy the same space the entire way.