Manehattan was amazing. This didn’t come as a surprise, as Manehattan was always amazing, but still it was worth stating. Even Canterlot wasn’t the same; While Canterlot may have had the royalty and large, public events, Manehattan had everything else. The shops, the designers, the runways, and the nightlife; the fashion world’s sun rose and set in Manehattan. Every time Rarity visited, she never wanted to leave.

Unfortunately, her sabbatical could not last forever, and Rarity found herself riding the Friendship Express home on a sunny Friday afternoon with only 3 more suitcases of clothes than she’d left with; She was quite proud of her restraint.

But so much had happened during her short leave of absence, she just couldn’t wait to tell her friends. It did cross her mind that the Friendship Express seemed to be moving awfully slow today. Much slower than usual, in fact, though the clock at the front of the cabin assured her it was right on schedule to be pulling into Ponyville Station by 3:30, which was the usual arrival time. Still, the hours crawled by.

She guessed she was just bored, but why was she bored? She had a full selection of all the latest fashion magazines in front of her, a private car, a beautiful view, a smorgasbord of fresh, jubilant memories…

Rarity giggled. “Wasn’t it funny when,” she began as she turned to look beside her, and realized no pony was there.

Right, private car, she thought with a frown. Why was this so much less fun than usual? Actually, was riding a train supposed to be fun? She wasn’t sure, but… Whatever, she dismissed the thought. She’d had a lovely time in Manehattan, and that was what mattered.

The show that Fancy Pants had invited her to went better than she ever could have dreamed. Not only did she meet a wealth of very important players in the Manehattan fashion scene, but one of them, Class Act, the head of Empire Fashions, actually offered to host a line of her work! If she was going to build up a presence in Manehattan, there was no better start she could have hoped for.

There was, of course, a catch. The line that he wanted to feature, out of all the possible options, had to be the Rustic Romantic line.

The line she’d let Applejack help her create.

It really wasn’t anything all that special; Applejack had expressed some vague level of interest into Rarity’s process, and she thought a good way to show her marefriend-at-the-time how it was she worked would be to take her through the steps exactly as she normally did them. While she didn’t think it really captured Applejack’s imagination all that well, she had come up with some useful insights, and together they’d created a line of cowpony-inspired dresses, saddles, and hats that were both practical and elegant.

This wasn’t the worst possible thing, but it certainly wasn’t good either. In fact, it wouldn’t have been a problem at all if a younger and altogether more foolish Rarity hadn’t offered Applejack joint ownership of the line and insisted they get a contract written up and notorized entitling Applejack control over the line’s future. Meant to be some sort of romantic gesture for the ‘love of her life,’ it now meant Rarity needed to make what would undoubtedly be a supremely awkward visit to Sweet Apple Acres.

It didn’t even cross Rarity’s mind that Applejack might not agree to letting her sell the line; she would obviously understand what an opportunity this was for her, and would agree to sign it over without a second thought. It wasn’t like Applejack had any plans for it anyway, she’d had nothing to do with it since they finished working on it.

The problem was that it meant Rarity had to go see Applejack, and she had to do it soon.

Rarity hadn’t seen her since their lunch the previous week. Was Applejack still mad at her? Had she managed to find any sort of solace since? She had obviously not been sleeping well in the past few weeks, would there be any sign of improvement in that regard? Rarity didn’t know, but she knew she had to find out.

There would be no sense in putting it off.

As soon as the Friendship Express pulled into the station she saw Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight standing out on the loading dock, eagerly scanning the train’s windows. She smiled and waved, and was immediately spotted. The noise of the train drowned out their voices, but she was pretty sure Pinkie’s mouth moved in such a fashion as to say “Hi Rarity welcome back we missed you so we decided to come meet you at the train station so that you wouldn’t have to walk home alone and I brought you a–”

Rarity lost track after that. She’d be able to hear Pinkie say it again soon enough though, she thought as she got out of her seat and pulled her bags out of the overhead compartment.

Disembarking the train, she was immediately set upon in a pile of hugs.

“Hi Rarity welcome back we missed you so we decided to come meet you at the train station so that you wouldn’t have to walk home alone and I brought you a–”

It felt good to be right so often.

“Ahem, Pinkie, give her some breathing room,” Twilight chuckled as she pulled their mutual friend off of her.

“Awww, but I haven’t gotten to hug Rarity for a whole week! That’s like, 300 hugs she didn’t get while she was away, and who knows when else she’ll have time to get caught up?” Pinkie lamented as she was floated to the ground.

“Welcome home Rarity, do you need any help with your bags?” Fluttershy offered as she helped her stand back up.

“That would be lovely, Fluttershy, dear,” Rarity nodded as she wiped some dust off her coat. “It is so wonderful to see you all again,” she said with a smile.

“How was Manehattan?” Pinkie asked in her usual overly enthusiastic way. “Did you ride the subway? Did you eat any pizza? Did you miss us? Did you go pigeon watching? Did you–”

“I did not do any of those things, well, except miss you, of course, but let me just tell you what did happen! Oh, it was such a wonderful trip,” Rarity recalled as she and her friends made their way off the platform, the weight of her bags split between them.

Rarity was most gracious for her friend’s help in getting everything settled back at Carousel Boutique. She’d told them as much at least 50 times before they’d finished loading in all her luggage and it still didn’t feel like enough, and that didn’t even include properly thanking Pinkie for the ‘Welcome Home’ banner, the cake, the balloons, or the impromptu parade she’d cobbled together for her.

‘Overdoing it’ was not a phrase in Pinkie’s vocabulary.

Still, as they finished unpacking her worldly possessions, her friends had taken their leave, and Rarity once again found herself alone in Carousel Boutique.

… This was different. Rarity hadn’t returned from a trip and been alone in a long time, not since… Well, no matter, she thought, at least it’s peaceful and quiet now. She smiled as she noticed all the glassware still in the cabinets, none of it piled up in the sink with who-knows-how-many-days-old water collected like she used to find it when returning from a trip. Nor were there traces of hay scattered around her floor, or linens thrown haphazardly into her closet; Everything was exactly as she’d left it.

She was definitely smiling about it. Smiling. This was exactly how she wanted things.

Rarity glanced at the clock on the showroom’s wall. It read 5 o’clock.

Rarity stretched her neck and frowned. It would still be light out for at least another hour, and she did have one rather important errand to run.

With a sigh of resignation, Rarity turned out the lights and headed for Sweet Apple Acres.

This walk didn’t used to feel quite this long. It was a ridiculous thought, of course, and Rarity should have simply dismissed it outright, but she didn’t. Perhaps Mayor Mare had had the road adjusted during her absence? Was it a little more bendy than it used to be? All the trees seemed to be in the same places, though, and she was pretty sure that fence was exactly where it had always been… Maybe it was that the sun was setting earlier than it had been lately, and watching the sky change colors while she walked just made it seem longer. She was here now, though, so that was a mystery she could investigate at another time.

As she approached the old farmhouse, she noticed Big Macintosh pulling a cart full of apples towards the barn. Applejack nowhere in sight, she strode over to him and announced her presence with a subtle cough. “Hello Big Mac,” she said.

Big Macintosh turned to look at her and chewed his hay sprig slowly. “Hello, Miss Rarity,” he said as he unhooked himself from the cart. “If yer here fer my sister, she’s out in the East Orchard.”

Rarity nodded politely and smiled. “I am, in fact, thank you.”

“Yer welcome,” Big Mac said before turning away and heading directly for the farmhouse without another word.

Rarity chewed on her lip as she walked toward the East Orchard. It wasn’t strange for Big Mac to speak in a rather curt fashion, but that had seemed a little… presumptive? Standoffish? Usually he at least asked Rarity how she was before pointing her toward Applejack. Then again, she did probably tell him what had happened between them, and expecting her relationship with the other mare’s family not to take a hit was probably foolish… But still, Rarity didn’t exactly like it.

It didn’t matter, though. What did matter was finding Applejack, getting her permission to sell the fashion line, subsequently getting her signature on a form signifying such, and finally getting back to Carousel Boutique to… to…

Enjoy a nice, quiet evening alone.

Rarity frowned. She could figure out what to do with her evening once she got back, she didn’t have to make any decisions now.

At least it didn’t take Rarity too long to spot Applejack among the rows of apple trees. Her bright orange coat always stood out from hundreds of yards away among the subdued browns and greens of nature. Squinting, Rarity further noticed the distinct cyan coat of another of her friends in the boughs of one of the trees.

Rainbow Dash was napping. Of course.

“Git outta my tree, Dash, or I swear I’m gonna–”

“Or you’re gonna what?”

“Don’t make me get my rope!”

Rarity smiled. That actually sounded like Applejack. The real Applejack, not the mopey, depressed doppelganger that had replaced her in the last few weeks.

“You wouldn’–WOAH!”

Rarity heard a loud thud as she followed the path around a small hill and giggled.

“What the hay, AJ, I thought you said ‘don’t make me GET my rope,’ not ‘don’t make me use it!’”

“What can I say, it pays to be prepared!”

Rarity came around the hill and saw Applejack standing over Rainbow Dash, flat on her back with her hooves lasso’d together. She wished she’d had a camera.

“So, um, you can untie me now?” Rainbow asked.

“Hmmm,” Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin before shaking her head and beginning to walk away. “Nah.”

“What!? C’mon, AJ, this isn’t funny!” Rainbow protested.

“I didn’t say it was funny, but I kinda like you this way,” Applejack said as she turned her head with a cocky smirk.

Oh, that smirk. How long had it been since Rarity’d seen it? That was the very smirk that…

No, Rarity shook her head and scolded herself. Not the time or the place. Those days are long behind us.

Rarity watched as Rainbow tried to pull her hooves free of the rope as Applejack slowly approached her victim.

“Uhm, AJ, what are you doing?” Rainbow said with a nervous chuckle as Applejack walked back over to her.

“Well, ya want me to untie ya or not?” Applejack said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, uh, right. Yeah, untie me,” Rainbow said, furrowing her brow.

“Untie me, what?”

“Uh… what?”

“... Untie me, what?” Applejack repeated.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rainbow said with a quirked eyebrow.

“Say the magic word, Rainbow,” Applejack said with a serious look.

“Oh come on, seriously?” Rainbow groaned, “That is SO uncool!”

“Good manners is uncool, huh? Gee, it’s sure gettin’ late, and seein’ you nap kinda made me think about it… Maybe I’ll just sit down for a spell before I untie ya, then,” Applejack said as she gave an exaggerated yawn and lied down next to her captive, snuggling her back up to the pegasus’ side.

“No, no, untie me first! Uh, untie me first, please?” Rainbow stammered.

“Nah, I’m mighty tired, I’m not sure I got the energy fer it. You can wait an hour, can’tcha?” Applejack said with another yawn as she lowered her head to her hooves.

Rainbow stared at the back of her head for several long seconds during which Rarity could barely contain her mirth. It wasn’t polite to eavesdrop, but this was hilarious. Suddenly Rainbow’s head snapped forward, plucking Applejack’s hat away with her teeth.

“Hey!”

“Iff you wand yur had bag, you godda undie me,” Rainbow teased as she bent her neck away from the other mare.

“Rainbow Dash, give that back,” Applejack shouted as she got back to her hooves and tried to grab it back, but Rainbow blocked her with her bound legs as she dangled it out of reach.

“Mayg me!” Rainbow laughed.

“Rainbow, I’m not jokin’ around, give it back now!” Applejack tried to juke to the other side of Rainbow, but the pegasus twisted her neck expertly back to keep it out of reach.

Rarity could not stop laughing. She laughed so hard she’d started to cry. Forget a nice quiet evening alone, this was all the entertainment she needed.

Applejack reached as far as she could, but she still couldn’t quite reach the hat as Rainbow pushed against her with all four legs. Suddenly there was another thud as Rainbow pulled her legs back and Applejack fell down on top of her with a loud “Oof,” sending the hat flying a few feet away.

Rarity covered her mouth with both hooves to stop her laughter from carrying, slowly wiping the tears out of her eyes when she felt she could spare the limb.

Applejack was now prone, on top of Rainbow. They were staring into each other’s eyes, neither moving.

Rarity welcomed the respite in hilarity to catch her breath. Celestia, her throat had begun to hurt.

Applejack’s eyelids began to creep closed, and Rainbow’s followed suit.

Rarity squinted. That looked… odd.

Applejack’s mouth moved, but if she’d said anything it was too quiet for Rarity to hear. There was something about that look in her eyes, though… Rarity wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew she didn’t like it.

Applejack’s muzzle began to slowly drift downwards. Rarity opened her eyes wide. There was no way that was good. If she didn’t know any better, it looked like they were staring… at each other’s… lips…

Rainbow’s head shot upward, closing the distance between them.

Rarity gasped.