The next morning, Mac was woken up by barking and a cold wet nose on his cheek.
"Morning girl." Mac said stretching seeing they were in the barn."Jack let us stay here then?"
"Only because you were both asleep when I came in." his sister said folding up the quilt standing over them.
"So what time is it?" Mac asked gently waking Bloom up and helping her to her feet.
"It's quarter-past seven, so I came to get you two for breakfast." Applejack said coming back down from the loft.
"I'm not hungry," Apple Bloom said going over to Honey to see if she was alright.
"Well then you can come in and get ready for school." Applejack said on deaf ears to her sister.
"I want to be here when Fluttershy comes over." she said hugging Honey with one arm as the other was holding her other crutch.
Knowing Bloom would tune out Applejack's voice Mac said. "She's not going to come until this evening Bloom, and either way you need to go to school on a full stomach to get you through the day."
Knowing Mac was right, Apple Bloom turned and raised her arms asking to be picked up.
"She'll be ok," Mac said hoisting Apple Bloom up and heading to the door after they said goodbye. "She's an Apple..." he began.
"...And Apples are strong." Bloom finished smiling.
*
In the barn, Applejack sighed turning to Nutmeg and getting her brush out.
Once again sensing something was wrong, Nutmeg nudged Applejack to see if everything was alright.
"I'm just scared of losing Bloom, Nutmeg." Applejack said rubbing tears away from her eyes. "While we were coming back from the hospital the day her leg got broken, I gave a Sister's Promise that everything will be alright, and Honey would be safe." she said as she looked over at Honey.
That morning Mac took Apple Bloom to school, and knowing she'd want him with her and Honey in the barn that evening, went on to the jewellery store to collect Fluttershy's ring.
After ringing the bell, the young lady from before came out of the room behind the counter and smiled.
"Good to see you again Sir," she said smiling coming to the desk with a small box.
"I was just taking some pictures of the ring to add to the book, if that was alright. But I have it in here, and her ring you gave me." she said opening the box to revel a three section with a golden boarder ring reach part holding a different animal, Butterfly, Dolphin, and Tiger.
"I hope it all works out." she said handing it over to him when Mac paid for it.
"Thank you." Mac said taking the box and Fluttershy's simple silver ring with him as he left.
When he got back to the farm just as he was halfway up the stairs to put the ring in a safe place Granny Smith called from her knitting room.
"Got the ring then youngin?"
"Sure do Granny," Mac called coming back down and entering the room to talk to her better.
"Worked out what y'all going to say to her yet?" she asked counting stitches.
"Sort of," Mac said sitting down on the floor holding the box. "Fancy helped me what to say," he said getting the piece of paper from yesterday out of his pocket "But I don't know how to say it yet."
"Well you still have two more days youngin'." Granny said casting off the square she was working on and placed it on the pile on the table next to her that was beside a half completed blanket. "I'm sure you can work it out. You're father did."
"But did he have to deal with his two sisters not talking to one another because of someone getting hurt?" Mac asked picking up the blanket and wool needle attaching new squares onto it.
"Well no," Granny said starting a new square "But as you told Applejack yesterday, we are all living under one roof, so they'll have to start talking to one another again eventually."
Just then a knock came at the door showing Applejack looking worried.
"Granny, can I ask you for some advice?" she asked taking her hat off and getting down on the floor with Mac who gave her a needle and half the squares.
"Of course child." Granny said pausing her knitting so she could talk to Applejack.
"Well, Bloom was already slightly upset with me because I told her she couldn't go to Canterlot on her field trip," she began looking down to see if she was attaching the square right. "Then yesterday when she came down early to see Honey, I specifically said to her 'Nothing's going to happen to Honey.'" she said picking up another one. "Then after we got there, heard Seed and Meg calling out and saw Honey down, she... She got all upset at me." she said halting her work for a bit. "She said I broke my Sister's Promise that everything, more Honey than anything else, would be safe." she said continuing.
"Now whenever I try and talk to her, she gives me the cold shoulder, and acts like I'm not there. I... I'm scared of losing her for some reason."
"Child," Granny said gently turning to Applejack as if Mac wasn't there to help AJ a bit. "She's just scared that she might lose someone important to her. She's never had to go through this before remember." Granny said reaching out her hand to pet Applejack on the top of her head.
"And you didn't break your promise to her, because of Fluttershy, everything will be fine and everyone will be safe."
"But I broke it by letting Honey get hurt in the first place." Applejack said tears running down her cheeks.
"Dear no one would have known that this would happen," Granny said "The important thing is to remember that things can and could have been worse."
"Like..." she asked.
"Like if you didn't get out there as soon as you did, Honey could have been in worse a state as she was," Granny said returning to her knitting. "Or it could have been a venomous snake that bit her, but thankfully it wasn't."
"I guess." Applejack said returning to her share of the squares.
"And don't worry about her trip to Canterlot," Granny said smiling. "I have a feeling in my old bones that will be sorted out when the time comes."
With that the three of them continued to work on the blanket neither sibling going out to do their chores for the day listening happily to one of Granny's family stories.
That evening after the siblings had all finished the dinner and cleared their plates, they went out to the barn to wait for Fluttershy so she can see if Honey-Crisp was better.
"When will she get here?" Apple Bloom asked leaning on the fence of Honey's stall stroking her horses nose wishing things would be alright.
"She'll get here when she gets here Bloom." Mac said a piece of paper in his hand his lips moving as his eyes scanned it.
"Have you gone back and gotten her gift for Friday yet?" Apple Bloom asked still wondering why out of all the things he can get for Fluttershy he'd choose a ring.
"Yep," Mac said not looking up "It's up in my room safe till I need it."
"Still don't know why she'd want it." Bloom said trying to get some more information out of her brother.
All the while Applejack was with Nutmeg staying quiet remembering what Granny had said.
"As Applejack said Bloom, it's a special ring." Mac said putting the paper away and going over to his little sister.
"How?" Apple Bloom asked.
Mac was about to answer when...
"Hi Fluttershy," Applejack called warning him that he was about to blow the surprise, causing him to turn around smiling.
"Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom said forgetting about Mac and the ring and only thinking about Honey.
"Hi everybody," Fluttershy said smiling "Sorry I'm late Rainbow couldn't come and help me with the animals tonight."
"That's ok Shy," Applejack said smiling for the first time she was in there.
"Well if you're sure," Fluttershy said walking up to Honey getting her stethoscope out to listen to the filly's chest.
"Her breathing's fine and she looks determined to start walking again." Fluttershy said to everyone. "Mac, AJ can you lower her down please?"
Slowly Mac and Applejack untied the rope holding Honey up in the harness and lowered her down until she was on her hooves.
"Ok Honey," Fluttershy said gently, stroking the filly's nose to say it was alright. "Can you walk around a bit? Just so we can see if your hoof's better please?"
Slowly looking down at the ground Honey-Crisp nervously raised her hooves and was slowly moving them to the ground when she stopped.
"It's ok girl," Apple Bloom called from the straw bench watching her horse, silently wishing everything would be fine. "You can do it."
Honey looked at the ground again and finished placing her bandaged hoof down, then slowly she lifted her left hoof and placed it down and started slowly pacing along the fence.
"Ok girl," Fluttershy said bringing her back to her "Now I'm going to ask Mac and AJ to take your harness off so you'll be on your own ok?"
As though thinking it over Honey shook her head saying 'No!'
"Why?" Fluttershy asked cocking her head curious.
In answer, Honey-Crisp lifted her bitten hoof and whinnied shaking her head, backing away a bit.
"I know your scared Honey, but I need you to do this to see if you're ok. Ok?" Fluttershy asked gently.
Honey-Crisp thought about this then looked over at Nutmeg, Appleseed and Apple Bloom. Taking a deep breath in, Honey nodded and let Mac and Applejack take the harness off so she was now standing on her own.
Slowly Honey began walking again, pacing along the fence, then trotting, and then came back to Fluttershy.
"See, you're fine," Fluttershy said holding her hand out asking to see Honey's hoof to re-bandage it. After that was done and Honey was down in the straw asleep, Fluttershy turned to everyone.
"Her hoof's fine," she said putting her stuff away "But I'd think you should keep an eye on her just in case."
"Thank you Fluttershy," Apple Bloom said hopping over to hug her tightly.
"You're welcome," she said hugging her back "All of you." she said looking to Mac, and Applejack with Appleseed and Nutmeg.
*
After saying goodnight to the horses and shutting the doors they all left the barn, Bloom and Applejack going into the house as Mac walked Fluttershy home.
"Bloom's very protective over Honey, isn't she?" Fluttershy asked as they left the farm's gates.
"Granny says it's because she never had to go through this before, and she's scared of losing her." Mac said thinking about what Granny said to Applejack that day.
They walked in silence for a bit, both trying to think about what to say to the other.
"Um... Mac?" Fluttershy asked starting to play with her hair.
"Yep?"
"I was in the library yesterday, and Apple Bloom's friends came in with Pinkie and we got to talking about how she can't go to Canterlot," She said not looking at her boyfriend nervous. "They told us that they were planning to stay behind and keep her company on that day, and said they asked Pinkie to throw a Solar Eclipse party so she wouldn't miss out on seeing it up there."
She took in a breath.
"But Twilight said the apple farm isn't a good place to see it when it happens. So..." she said thinking how she was going to ask this question.
"So....?" Mac encouraged stopping for a bit.
"So I suggested the Grotto, and Twilight said that would be the perfect place to have it. But since it, well was found by your parents, sort of, we thought we should ask you if we could use it."
"Fluttershy," Mac said grabbing hold of her hand. "The Grotto doesn't belong to anyone. But I'd be happy to open it up to Bloom's friends to hold this party for her, if you are."
Smiling they both continued down the road.
"Do... Do we have anything planned for Friday?" Fluttershy asked blushing smile getting bigger as she saw Mac's ears turn pink.
"I... I have something," Mac said clearing his throat to break the silence. "But it's a surprise. Just come over to the farm, and meet me in the barn on Friday, and I'll tell you about it then."
"Hum... I hope it works out between 'Jack and Bloom." She said now they were at her cottage smiling dreamily. "Goodnight Mac." she said going in after kissing him goodbye.
"Goodnight Fluttershy." he said turning away after the door was shut, and started heading back to the farm.