//------------------------------// // Chap 5 // Story: A Stallion with a Question // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// The next morning, Apple Bloom tried to get up early so she could sneak out of the house to check up on Honey-Crisp, only to be stopped in the kitchen by Applejack who was getting the ingredients for pancakes out. "Apple Bloom, what are you doing up this early?" AJ asked putting the frying pan on the side looking at her little sister at the door. "I... er..." Apple Bloom began "I wanted to help my big sister get breakfast." she said putting on her best fake smile she could so early in the morning. "Sweetie, nothing's going to happen to Honey." Applejack said bringing her sister up onto her knee to comfort her a bit. "How do you know AJ?" Apple Bloom asked eyes starting to get wet with tears. "What if she can't remember me when my leg is better and is scared of me, what if the bond that was building up between us disappears because we're separated because of this stupid leg? What if..." "What if everything will be fine and you got worked up over nothing?" Applejack cut her sister off. "Me and Mac both know how you're feeling Bloom," Applejack said resting her head on top of Bloom's "We both felt it too when we were broken from our falls and had to be separated from the horses for them to heal." "But can't I just see her?" Apple Bloom asked "She must be getting very lonely. All by herself, alone, in that cold barn, with nothing to do..." she broke out into the best puppy dog pout she could do, eyes wide glowing with how wet they were from her tears, her bottom lip moving, as she looked at her sister. "Bloom you know that don't work on me." Applejack said giving her sister her hat to cheer her up. "But if you're that worried we might as well go and see her before you need to get ready for school then. Come on." she said picking Bloom up and walking to the door. * As they got to the barn they could hear the horses as they approached, but something was wrong. "Wh... Why do they sound scared AJ?" Apple Bloom asked hugging her sister's neck a bit tighter. "I don't know Little Sis," Applejack said placing Apple Bloom down gently and opening the doors and after telling Bloom to wait for a minute went inside going over to the horses seeing something was definitely not right. Suddenly a snake of some kind slithered out of the stall that had Honey-Crisp in it who was down on the ground her right fore hoof bleeding a bit, and Nutmeg and Appleseed scared that something was wrong with their little filly. After calming down the two adults and asking if she could go and check on Honey, Applejack went in to see her. "Sis, what's wrong?" Apple Bloom asked moving into the doorway "Why was there a snake in here? Why are you in Honey's stall?" then after seeing Honey was down asked "What's wrong with her? You said nothing would happen to her! You gave a Sister's Promise!" "Apple Bloom," Applejack said going over to her sister who because she couldn't runaway, just gave AJ the cold shoulder tears running down her cheeks. "Ok you might not want to listen to me right now Bloom," Applejack began, "But I got the feeling you'd do this any way: Stay with her while I go back to the house and call Fluttershy." And with that Applejack ran out of the barn, into the kitchen into Mac, told him what was going on and called Fluttershy. In the veterinary clinic, Fluttershy was already up and just finishing the morning feeding's when the phone rang. "Who would be calling at 6:45 in the morning?" she asked herself picking up the phone. "Hello?" "Fluttershy, it's Applejack," the voice on the other end of the line said. "We need you over here right away." "AJ" "I was taking Bloom out to show her that Honey was alright, but when we got there, Seed and Nutmeg were screaming, and a snake came out of Honey's stall," "AJ," "And now she's down and her right fore hoof is bleeding." "AJ calm down you're sounding like Pinkie." Fluttershy said feeling strange ordering one of the strongest of the friends around. "Just take in a deep breath, slowly let it out and tell me slowly what happened" After hearing an exhale, Applejack's voice came back. "I was taking Bloom to see Honey. When we got there Seed and Nutmeg were screaming. I went in to see what was wrong, and a snake came out of Honey's stall, and in there, Honey was down and her right fore hoof was bleeding. And Bloom's all up set and... And worried, and we need your help!" "I'll be there as fast as I can." Fluttershy said hanging up the phone, and checking off that that morning's feeding's had been done, before getting her vet's bag and heading out the door and was on her way to the apple farm. * Back in the farm's kitchen, Applejack hung up the phone and turned to her brother. "Mac..." she said tears in her eyes slightly. "I'm scared..." "Why? I was the last one in there last night, I should have checked everything was alright before I came back here." Mac said hugging his sister like they did when they got the news of their dad as kids. "I broke a Sister's Promise with Bloom," Applejack explained reaching for her hat to cry into only to remember that Apple Bloom had it. "I... I kept saying that nothing would happen to Honey, and now she's laying in the barn hoof bleeding and I didn't even get a good look at the snake so I couldn't tell what it was." she said burying her face into Mac's shirt "What if she doesn't make it and Bloom hates me for the rest of my life? What if Nutmeg wants to stop me riding her because Bloom tells her it's my fault Honey got snaked? What if..." "Applejack Catharine Apple," Mac said pushing his sister away to look into her eyes that were now all red and blotchy from her tears. "Enough with the 'What if's' alright?" Mac asked hugging her again. "What we need to do now is to be out there with Bloom to make sure everything's alright until Fluttershy comes. Understand?" he pushed her away again to see if she was alright, seeing her nod in understanding, splashing water on her face and together they went out to the barn. When Fluttershy pulled up to the apple farm and got out of her car, she went straight to the barn, seeing all three siblings with their horses all looking at Honey-Crisp hoof still bleeding, which meant the bite must of happened recently. Knowing that Nutmeg and Appleseed trust her anyway, she slowly got into her stall and went over to the hoof in question inspecting it. "Ok, first question," she said looking up at the Apple's before opening her bag. "Did you see what type of snake it was that came out of her stall?" "All I remember was that it was plain brown, moving around a lot under the straw before it found it's way out and slithered away." Applejack said stroking Nutmeg to stay calm, almost hyper-ventilating with all the pressure she had on her. "That sounds like a Ground Snake then," Fluttershy said finishing cleaning the wound and was now putting bandages over the filly's hoof. "Thankfully they aren't venomous." "I'm hearing a 'But' coming..." Mac said next to Appleseed patting his back. "Honey's lost a lot of blood, and is weak," Fluttershy said listening to the filly's chest. "We need to get her standing again, but she can't put any weight onto her hoof till at least tomorrow night." Nodding in understatement Mac and Applejack set up a horses jacket to hold Honey up so she was standing, holding her slightly above the ground so her hoof wasn't touching it, a sad look on her face. "Will she be ok Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked now in Mac's arms looking at Honey tears in her eyes. Knowing this bite could go either way, but not wanting to get Apple Bloom's hopes up said... "How about I sing a song my mother use to sing to me when I was little? I already sang it Honey, it might cheer her up a bit." Waiting to get a nod from Apple Bloom, Fluttershy went over to the straw bench and held out her arms, welcoming the youngest Apple onto her lap. "Ahem... Don't worry, my baby You have nothing to fear I promise I'll protect you And I will always be here - - just for you. I love you my child And hope you can see That you can always - - count on me You can trust in me And I hope that I you So that I will have Nothing to fear too." "I've never heard you sing that before Fluttershy," Mac said standing by Appleseed again staying strong, for his upset little sister. "Well I don't get to sing it that often," Fluttershy said hiding behind her hair blushing. "There is more, but I don't remember it." Not on speaking terms with Applejack, Apple Bloom turned to her brother and asked "Can I stay here all day and look after Honey, Mac?" "No way Bloom," Applejack said turning to her sister in surprise "It's a school day, you need to go to school..." "I wasn't asking you, you promise breaking liar." Apple Bloom said taking the hat off of her head and throwing it to the ground in anger, before turning back to Mac. "Err... No Apple Bloom, you need to go to school. But..." Mac said before Bloom could say anything. "We can have Winona come here and watch over her and get us if need be. Will that be alright?" Winona was Applejack's collie, she was very obedient, and very loyal Apple Bloom was happy someone like that would be watching Honey so she agreed, said good bye to the horses and left with Mac to get ready for school and bequest Winona with this task before she left for it. * In the barn Applejack was picking her hat off of the ground tears in her eyes again. Something that did not go unnoticed by Fluttershy or the horses Nutmeg nudging her slightly asking if she was alright. "I'm fine you guys." Applejack said looking from the horses to Fluttershy. "I... I just don't know if Bloom will forgive me after this is all over." "Of course she'll forgive you AJ," Fluttershy said going over to her friend. "That's what sisters do, they fight, they don't speak with each other for a while, they see their ways, and then they're best friends again. "Ask Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Last summer, remember, when Sweetie was staying with Rarity, she accidentally used all the sapphires Rarity had to use on a gown for a very important client. She got annoyed with Sweetie because of the messes she had been making and destroyed her inspiration room by rearranging everything, and shrinking her woolen jumper." Applejack nodded smiling a bit. That had been the week leading up to the Sisterhood Social the Apple Family always put on every year, where pairs of sisters - one older one younger - came to the farm and had a day of bonding all ending with an obstacle course. "I remember 'Shy" Applejack said smiling wiping tears away "That's when I taught Rarity sisters are like apple pie." "And they've been better sister since then haven't they," Fluttershy said "Just give Bloom some time, she'll come around sisters always do." Unfortunately Fluttershy didn't know how long Apples can hold grudges. She was about to say this when a brown and white dog came bouncing in barking happily pleased to see Fluttershy and her mistress cocking her head at Applejack as if asking if everything was alright. "I'm fine girl, just... Just worried for Honey here." Applejack said. Winona knew she was lying, but seeing how upset Applejack was didn't want to push her any further, and just went over to lay in the straw at Nutmeg's hooves her eyes on Honey-Crisp ears twitching analyzing her surroundings to make sure everything is ok as Applejack and Fluttershy left the barn after saying goodbye.