A Pony a Day

by OfTheIronwilled

Debt (8/24/2016)

"Applejack, please, would you take that off?"

Applejack responded by jutting out her chin and chest, and stuffing the helm over her head. The armor on her hooves clacked dully against the stone floor, and the overhead lights bounced off of it with a purple shine. She kept her hard green eyes trained on Twilight's frown while she slid into a sturdy pose, and tapped a hoof to the lavender insignia on her chest.

"Nope."

Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes, but AJ couldn't miss her twitching lip, or the way she wrung her one good hoof into her blankets. The mare's limp wings twitched, and her singed tail flicked back and forth as if bothered by flies. Applejack tried not to look at her... horn...

"Applejack, this is ridiculous," Twilight whinnied. "I told you, what happened was an isolated event; there's no way the group will try it again -- and that's only assuming Celestia and Luna didn't weed them all out already. Which they did!"

Applejack didn't move to take her armor off. She arched an eyebrow and snorted. When she breathed in afterwords, the world smelled like rubbing alcohol and magic.

Twilight sighed, and then mewled: it was high-pitched, angry, begging. "Out of all our friends, I thought the Element of Honesty was supposed to be the most reasonable," she groaned. "Really, I... Please, I may be a princess, but I'm still Twilight. Applejack, as far as I'm concerned, you're my equal. I'd rather you just play a game of cards with me, not... wear that thing--"

"Yup," Applejack barks. "I intend to. Got a pack a cards with me, in fact. Plus Rainbow had me bring some of yer Daring Do books, Rarity brought you some materials to learn some basic sewing, Fluttershy got you about a dozen stuffed animals, and Pinkie..."

Both mares turned to look to the left of the cold white room, where a rickety little concrete mixer sat in the corner.

"Surprised the mare got the nurses to let her bring in that thing, and I ain't too sure about the reasonin' behind it, but," Applejack shrugged, and felt the metal scrape her shoulders. "Figure it'll come in handy sometime today. Somehow."

AJ paused for a few seconds, then looked at Twilight and continued, "What I was saying is this, Twilight: I ain't doin' this, and I ain't wearin' this, because yer my Princess. I'm doin' it because--"

"Ugh, Applejack, this is what I was really afraid of. What happened wasn't your fau--"

"You saved my life when you flew me outta there, Twilight," Applejack stated. She stomped her hoof. The resounding clack echoed off the walls, trembled in AJ's chest. "I ain't no little filly no more; I know that none of that was because of me. But the fact of the matter is, you went and saved my life and got hurt for it. So the least I could do is protect the life you put in jeopardy for my sake."

She watched as Twilight nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Ain't about the armor, and it really ain't about the symbol on it -- not that I mind wearin' something with my friend's Cutie Mark on it none, but this was just the closest thing that castle of yours had in it. I'm just tryin' to look after you until everything calms down a bit... and until I can stop being such a big worrywart." Applejack winked along with a smirk, and gently booped Twilight's nose. Twilight wrinkled her snout at the cold of the metal, but couldn't hold back a little smile, no matter how hard AJ could see her try. "This suit here just lets me do it and keep the both of us as safe as possible. Heck, maybe if them ponies do come and see me dressed up like this, they'll be so scared of me they'll run off with their tails between their legs."

Twilight stared at her for a long while after that; she wrinkled up her brow and twitched her eyes across the patterns on the floor, her uninjured hoof wiggling and tapping away. Applejack figured the gal would be levitating things around, what with that focused expression, but with her horn the way it was...

She just tried not to stare at the gnarled, blackened mess on her forehead, and instead at Twilight's frown.

Eventually, Twilight let out a long sigh through her nose. She looked up, and her crystalline eyes looked just a little bit more relaxed.

"Okay. Applejack, if you're sure you're comfortable doing this, then I won't object. But remember, you can take that stuff off any time; Celestia's guards outside will still be there," Twilight said.

Applejack smiled and nodded, and Twi gave a tiny smile back. She wiggled her hoof towards the door where Applejack had sat down her little bag of gifts.

"Now come on, Applejack. You can finally teach me how to play poker!"

Applejack tried not to groan and laugh at the same time.