I love these two girls together so much I just keep getting little scenes in my head for them. So basically this is just going to be a series of oneshots for Rarity and Applejack. The title is a little silly. Usually you'd say apple-ripe or diamond-sharp, but I wanted to show the girls getting a little muddled when they're around each other. Oh, and I really need more practice to get Applejack's accent right, I think.
I really wanted to write a scene for "Stare Master" (Season 1: Episode 17) while Rarity is working all night to complete her order and Applejack brings her something to make sure she remembers to eat. It ended up turning into an excuse to practice writing each of them a little, so I hope it's not too rambly! Anyway, Read on!
RARITY'S POINT OF VIEW
Rarity couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when the girls were gone. At least she could trust they would be well looked after, and as under control as any three headstrong fillies could possibly be, in Fluttershy's care. She normally wouldn't have punished Sweetie Bell's little stunt with the gold silk with anything more harsh than a lecture on how to neatly pattern out fabric without waste, but this really was a matter of deadlines. She didn't have any more time to lose on interruptions!
Now that she finally had time to concentrate, Rarity set to work on crafting the replacement fabric she would need to finish the job. Able to work uninterrupted, the tricky pattern was merely demanding.
Of course, as soon as she let herself believe she really would be able to work uninterrupted, somepony had to come knock on her door. Rarity cringed. She was sure she had put up the closed sign! What could it be now?
"Rare," Applejack's strident voice called, "I know you've got yourself cooped up in there."
Rarity allowed herself a long-suffering sigh. She enjoyed having her more down-to-earth friend come to call, but this really wasn't the time.
Using a touch of magic from her horn, she pulled the door open for Applejack without crossing the room. She didn't even pause to look up as she adjusted her new bolt of gold silk over one of the forms to reassure herself that the light would bring out the glinting threads just right.
"Hey there. I knew you'd still be workin.' Thought I'd bring you a little snack," Applejack said, deliberately wiping her hooves before she stepped inside. Even before Rarity had to scold her about it, which was a small relief.
She used her teeth to deftly pick a small bundle wrapped in a checkered handkerchief out of one of the beat-up saddlebags she wore. She must be on her way back from selling apples in the market, nearly all of her stock depleted. Rarity could smell the faint tang of the few remaining apples, as well as something strangely sweet.
"I'm sorry, Applejack, the girls are with Fluttershy for their sleepover," Rarity tried to explain. Honestly, after all of the interruptions today, now she felt bad for forgetting to let Applejack know what was going on. She didn't have time to be feeling guilty.
"Ah know," Applejack's voice was slightly muffled as she spoke around the bundle clenched in her teeth, before setting it on Rarity's drafting table and giving one deft tug so that the bundle unfolded to reveal a perfectly-round apple tart. "This is for you."
"Oh, Applejack, you didn't have to go to such trouble for me," Rarity demurred.
The tart had apple slices arranged like an opening flower, glistening with thick sugary apple-syrup as if it had been glazed, caramelized sugar standing out like tiny gems. It was a surprise. She was well aware of Applejack's cooking skill (especially when the recipe called for her specialty of fresh apples), but she hadn't realized her utterly practical friend had such a flair for beauty, especially when it came to something as temporary as food.
Really, she couldn't let any sort of art go unappreciated.
"Knew you'd be makin' an all-nighter of it, and I couldn' just let you go hungry."
"Well, I am pushing it down to the wire on this job," Rarity admitted. Okay, maybe she got caught up in her work sometimes, but it wasn't like she was going to go hungry in one little night just because she had other things to think about.
Of course she ate the tart, with delicate little bites to keep the flaky pastry from getting everywhere. It would be a crime to let such culinary effort go to waste, after all. Besides, it was the only way to stop Applejack's fussing over her.
APPLEJACK'S POINT OF VIEW
Applejack had shrugged off her saddlebags hours ago. She had somehow coaxed Rarity to take ten minutes and share the half-dozen apples she had left as a belated dinner (and even then she'd had to corral Rarity's dress-making figures into a more convenient formation to make up for the pause), before stepping back to let her friend work.
For the early part of the evening, Applejack's only contribution was to skillfully lasso one thing or another that Rarity was searching for, aiming to land it right in front of the rushing unicorn. Each time she was thanked with a flustered, 'Thank you, but I wish you wouldn't do that.' Rarity usually didn't protest so much, even to Applejack's rough brand of help. Maybe something other than the tight deadline had set her on edge.
It was possible that by now Rarity had completely forgotten she was there. Applejack had certainly bedded down in less comfortable places than the corner of Rarity's workshop, so she was perfectly happy to keep right where she was for a little while. There wasn't any harm in staying a few hours more while Rarity worked.
That was how just before dawn Applejack woke, and stretched with a yawn, and found Rarity still fussing over the last tiny details of her latest order.
Applejack took a minute to just watch her dear friend at work. The magically ever-bright light of Rarity's workshop revealed a tired sag to her eyes, and the slightest droop in perfectly styled mane and tail, but other than that she showed no sign of having worked through the night. Not a single, shining hair was out of place. Applejack had never quite understood this. When one was tired, really deeply bone-tired from honest work, it was perfectly okay to show it, but Rarity was generally far too stubborn.
And Rarity did work herself hard. Applejack understood that clear as anything. For all the bluster and fussing and sudden whims, Rarity was devoted to her craft and would push herself toward whatever seemingly-impossible goal she set.
Even if her craft was very different from the straightforward and honest work of farming, Applejack could at least recognize the drive that led to Rarity handling her own shop all by herself while slowly clawing out her own kind of recognition. It was really hard to express, with their strengths being so different, but Applejack did respect and even admire Rarity's efforts.
Standing to stretch, Applejack suddenly got her friend's attention.
"You're awake! Oh, dear, Applejack, I've no time left to fix it, but-" and then Rarity started going on about the drape or the form or something that apparently differentiated the cape she was fussing over from the rest of the order.
Applejack couldn't see any difference. Every piece was identical. Blindingly beautiful (literally, when the golden lining caught the light just so) and impractical and very much Rarity's work. Sometimes she thought Rarity wasn't truly happy unless she has something to devolve into a little fusspot about.
"Yeah, they're all pretty as pie," Applejack answered, shaking out her mane.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you."
"Nope!" Applejack admitted easily. "But you're more critical of your work than anypony, so if you're halfway happy with it I can't see nopony else complaining."
Rarity only sighed at her. Her horn glowed with a simple spell to gather and fold the entire order into one neat pile for delivery. Almost as quickly as Applejack could collect and shrug her way into her empty saddlebags, Rarity had everything piled neatly inside her shop's small wagon, with a cover tucked tightly over the order to protect everything from dust on the road.
"Here," Applejack suddenly offered. "Lemme help."
She took the narrow, jewel-studded breastcollar attached to Rarity's little wagon (such a flimsy-looking thing would never do for heavy hauling), and tossed it over her head. It only took a few gentle nudges to settle it comfortably into place around Rarity's shoulders and tug the uncomplicated straps secure.
"Thank you, Applejack. I am never taking an order so close to the deadline again," Rarity sighed.
"Until the next time, right?" Applejack teased.
"Hmph," Rarity's little pout lacked any real heat.
They stood for a quiet moment, cheek-to-cheek. Applejack leaned in for one last adjustment on the breastcollar, and maybe for just a second she was clumsy as she had been as a silly young filly, maybe for an instant her lips brushed Rarity's shoulder. She felt Rarity give a startled little shudder under her skin.
"I really should get going. I have to get these delivered as quickly as I can."
"'S gettin light and I need to get home and do my chores," Applejack agreed all in a rush, breaking away.
Any awkwardness of that moment could be put down to lack of sleep. It always was something like that, quickly forgotten. Even when Rarity broke into a prim trot Applejack knew it was just that her friend wanted this errand done quickly, not anything like wanted to be out from under her concerned hovering.
"Work up a good appetite and you can come by Sweet Apple Acres for lunch, y'hear?" Applejack called after her.
Rarity's shining laugh and her protest that honestly, Applejack, ladies are too dainty to work up the kind of appetite that would match the spread offered at the Apple family farm, didn't mean she wouldn't come.
Applejack watched her down the main road and out of sight before turning to gallop back home. She had a lot of work to do, and the first light of dawn peeking up over the horizon meant she had that much less time to do it in. Right now none of that mattered. Her heart felt so light she could breeze through her chores without even thinking about them.
Rarity really was hardworking, strong in her own way, but sometimes she did have that bad, artist-y habit of getting caught up in what she was doing and forgetting to take proper care of herself (sure she would pose and primp and make a big show of being aloof to difficulty, but Applejack was more concerned with if she remembered important things like getting a good meal during her all-nighters). Someone had to care for her.
And, Applejack thought to herself, why shouldn't she care for Rarity?