Corousel Boutique was completely empty save for the two neat stacks of luggage which held all of the things Rarity would be taking with her on the train to Canterlot. The rest of it- all of her materials, sewing machine, etc.- had already been sent up, making everything feel final. And, she thought to herself, very depressing. Of course she'd known all along that this day was comming; it was what she'd been dreaming of since she was just a wee little filly. But now that it was here it didn't seem as grand and wonderful as she had once thought. She didn't know that saying goodbye to Ponyville would hurt so much, or that she'd miss all of her friends so terribly. She hadn't even left yet, and she was already hopelessly sad. Rairty sighed as she stroked Opal's fur, who had been curled up on one of her many purple and gold cases. "It won't be long now," she said quietly, trying her best to sound cheery. She failed miserably, and they both knew it.
Just then, the door opened and familiar pony stepped inside. "Hiya, Rarity." She said, but the greeting wasn't a happy one. Applejack was digging at the ground with her hoof, purposely avoiding her friend's eyes. Rarity had been dreading this meeting from the moment she got the letter from Princess Celestia, asking her if she was interested in coming to Canterlot and opening a fashion boutique there. And seeing the pony in the doorway brought back that sinking, miserable feeling that she'd been trying her hardest to avoid.
"Hello, AJ." She finally responded, even managing to shoot her the tiniest of smiles. She knew from the very beginning that out of all her friends, Applejack was going to be the hardest to say goodbye to. She kept thinking about the way their relationship began; how rocky it had been in the beginning. They were obviously two very different ponies with very few things in common. Yet it was always that stubborn, foul-mouthed farm filly who was always the to first to arrive if she ever needed help of any kind. She lent a serious hoof when the shop was first being built, and took care of Opal when she was dealing with a nasty flea problem. She was also incredibly good at making her smile. Rarity almost started giggling when she thought of that day in the Crystal Empire, after her coat changed from being crystal back to its normal color. Good things are better, when they're a rarity. When she said that, that's when she knew for sure. Applejack was way more than just a friend.
"Are ya excited?"
"What? Oh- Yes. Yes I am." Rarity gave her nod, and another little smile. She was lying. She wasn't excited at all, and she was wishing that she had given Celestia's offer some serious thought before she jumped in and agreed to it. She hadn't accounted for how awful it would feel to leave Ponyville behind, to leave all her friends behind. But she knew that going back and re-doing all of this wasn't an option- she'd done her research. A time travel spell would be too complicated and dangerous, and she couldn't ask Twilight to perform one for her. No, she simply had to accept that there was no changing her situation. And she knew that there was something she had to say; it was far too important not to address. "Applejack," she began, walking to the center of the room. "There's something I have to tell you..."
"Yeah, Rarity, I know." She sighed and plopped her rear end down on the floor. "You're gonna miss me, and I'm gonna miss you too. But can we just skip past all that stuff? I'm not good with goodbyes... In fact, I hate them." Rarity could see that she was tearing up, and she knew why. Saying goodbye is a hard thing to do for most ponies, but this one had to do it more times than most. She said it to her mom and pop when she was just a filly, and she knew one day she'd have to say it to her Granny too. Rarity frowned as she sat down beside her, giving her a sympathetic smile.
"AJ..." She started, but her voice trailed off. How in Equestria was she supposed to do this? She was beginning to panic inside, and before she could craft just the perfect way to word it, she just blurted something out: "Why don't you come with me?"
"You know I can't. I have to run Sweet Apple Acres. Granny's getting up there in years, and Big Mac can't do it by himself. Of course Apple Bloom is a smart little thing, but she's not ready to handle that kind of responsibility." She heaved a defeated sigh and hung her head. "I wish I could, Rarity. Honest I do."
"I know you do. You've never told a lie in your life- well, except for that time Discord forced you. But I know that wasn't your fault. We've... really been through some things, haven't we?" This was her chance. She started digging at the floor with her hoof in the same way her friend had just minutes before. "Applejack-"
"Rarity, don't." Applejack turned her face with her hoof, forcing Rarity to look right into her green eyes. "I know what you're gonna to say, but please don't. You're goin' away, so there's no chance that anythin' could come from it. From... us. I'd rather not have you leave feelin' like I've missed out on somethin'."
"But we aren't missing out, Applejack. Yes, I'm leaving. But who knows what will happen once I get to Canterlot? My shop could fail miserably, and close in a matter of weeks. Or something could happen here in Ponyville that would force me to come back. All I'm saying is that nothing is set in stone." Rarity paused, giving herself a moment to think. That speech was really just her trying to convince herself, but by the end of it she was sure it had worked. The future seemed much brighter now. In fact, she was even smiling. "Why don't we make a promise, right here and now. We'll continue to be best friends until we have the opportunity to be more. What do you say? Deal?"
Rarity watched her closely, her heart pounding in her chest. She was in absolute agony as she waited for a response, praying that her dreams of being with the pony she loved wouldn't be crushed before they even had a chance. And then, finally, Applejack nodded.
"Deal." She nodded and stood, making her way over to Rarity's luggage. "We should probably get these to the station; your train leaves in twenty minutes, and you wouldn't wanna miss it... PFF."