When I Consider How My Light is Spent

by Cynewulf

Who best bear his mild yoke, they serve him best

She sat in the sun. She knew that she was in the sun for she felt it dance with light upon her back as she dozed.

The saddlebag was laid aside, and so was the cloth damp with sweat that had laid over her eyes. She was thankful to be rid of both.

It had been a long day. She’d insisted a week ago when they had finally moved her in that she would help as much as she could. Applejack had been reluctant, to put it mildly. But Fluttershy’s gentle tenacity had won out. She visited the chickens in the mornings, and brought eggs back. Simple, or it would have been.

She learned, little by little. Angel helped her when Mac was working, and he was impatient as always. But he had changed a bit, like everything else.

When it was time for work to stop, she carried water to Applejack and her brother and whatever helping hooves were working, once again guided by angel. When she walked, her wings would spread out from time to time and touch the trees lightly as she passed, and so in a way she still saw them.

The last of her sight had gone the day she moved. Mac had been there early, ready to wake her and make a nice breakfast. She’d heard his voice and opened her eyes to be greeted by an endless black.

Denial had been her first response, naturally. It was still night time, and she’d dreamed her love knocked upon her door. But then he knocked again, and called for her with that wonderful voice she loved. Then she tried to rise. The covers caught her, wrapped around her, and she had fallen to the floor, weeping more in panic then grief.

But that was then, and this was now. She’d brought water for the hired ponies and her wouldbe sister-in-law and collected the eggs and played with Winona and now it was time to doze.

Except that somepony was trying to get her attention.

“Miss Fluttershy?”

She murmured, then looked around and sighed. “Yes? Apple Bloom? That’s you, isn’t it?”

As Fluttershy stretched and yawned, the filly answered. “Yes’m. Were you nappin’? Aw, shoot, didn’t mean to be a bother.”

“Mm, not at all. Come sit.”

Apple Bloom did so, sitting on the new porch her siblings had built only a few weeks ago. Apples handled stress in strange ways, Applejack had told her once with a wistful smile. Some ponies dealt with stress by crying or eating or fretting. Apples dealt with it by working. Mac had built most of that porch himself. And repaired the house. And started work on the one he would share with her. And fixed a few carts in the market for free.

Apple Bloom was a good filly. She sat close, already having accepted Fluttershy into her little family, and leaned against her side.

“How was school?”

“School was okay.”

“You sound tired.”

“It’s hot,” Bloom replied plaintively.

Fluttershy hummed. “It is. It’s not so bad. Napping in the sun can be nice. Do you know why cats do that?”

“Why?”

“Well,” Fluttershy began slowly, lazily, “they lie in the sun to make up for the slight drop in body temperature when they sleep. And sometimes they’ll move to follow the sun. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Seems kinda slovenly, as my sister would say.”

“That’s a good word.” Fluttershy chuckled. “Cats nap because they’re hunters, and they need to expend all of their energy at once. So, they store it up.”

She briefly considered leaning over to nuzzle Apple Bloom, but then thought better of it. She’d always wanted to be more open with her affection, like Pinkie, and it wasn’t as if Bloom would mind, would she? It was the eyes. The blindfold was somewhere else. She tried to turn head best she could away from the sound of Apple Bloom’s quiet breathing.

“So, I, um… I made ya somethin’. But I’m worried you might not like it.”

“I’m sure it’s lovely,” Fluttershy said, smiling. “What is it?”

“Well, y’know how you’re always wearin’ that bandanna over your eyes?”

Fluttershy hummed a little affirmative.

“I just thought you might like somethin’ that weren’t so… boring, I guess. But I guess that’s kinda silly, now that I’m really thinkin’ ‘bout it and I--”

Fluttershy chuckled. She ducked her head so that Apple Bloom couldn’t see her useless gaze and nuzzled her cheek. “That’s very kind.”

Bloom stammered, but to Fluttershy at least she sounded proud. “Well, I just sorta painted on one a bit. Sweetie and Scoots gave me some ideas, but it’s got a grass an’ trees an’ butterflies, all nice like, and there’s a bright yellow sun almost the color you are…”

Fluttershy listened, but she hardly heard. She was too busy smiling.

Comments

[Corejo]

Well that was a cute little scene. I kinda like where this is going.