Chapter 2
Mr. Rooster crowed when the sun came up, waking the two ponies in the cottage. Fluttershy quickly made her way downstairs, her mane still a mess from the night's sleep. Applejack looked admittedly better than she had last night, though she still had bags under her eyes, and her muscles were screaming in agony from the abuse they'd endured. She was gingerly stretching her legs out when the pegasus descended the staircase.
“Good morning Applejack,” she said, pausing at the foot of the stairs, “would you like some breakfast?” The orange pony opened her mouth to decline, not wanting to impose further, but the thought occurred to her that, the sooner she left Fluttershy's cottage, the sooner she'd have to go... With a sinking feeling in her gut, she realized she couldn't even think of it as home anymore.
“Yeah... thanks,” she said instead, resuming her stretching. Fluttershy beamed a smile at her, and bustled about the cottage, making all manner of food for the various creatures she tended. It was a strange sensation for Applejack, watching somepony else work without helping, or at least offering to help, but, as she looked on, she began to notice the methodical way the pegasus went about her business.
It's the same way ah do my chores around the farm... The orange pony chuckled to herself at the comparison, and Fluttershy paused to look up from pouring some pellets into a bowl for a decidedly displeased looking Angel. With a wave of her hoof, Applejack explained,
“Jus noticing how y'all kinda do your chores the same way ah do mine. Ya know, careful like,” she struggled to find the words for what she was trying to say, a frustrated blush rising on her cheeks,
“like ya gotta system for each thing, and ya do it... right,” she finished lamely. Fluttershy's own cheeks turned slightly pink at the compliment,
“Oh, thank you. I've been doing this for a while so, it just kind of became a habit.” She gestured a hoof at the various creatures around the cottage who were eating something or another,
“If I don't feed them right away, they usually wander off to look for food, and then they might get hurt worse.” Applejack noticed that many of the creatures bore some sort of bandage or injury, and smiled as she saw the easy way they behaved around the little pegasus.
“Ah reckon they must trust you something fierce to all let their guard down like this.” Fluttershy smiled with pride as she resumed pouring for Angel.
“Yes, I'm very careful to make sure that nothing bad happens between them, so they all know they're safe here.” For a time, AJ watched in silence as Fluttershy finished setting out food for the various critters. Finally, she approached, setting down two large bowls of salad on the table. She looked from Applejack, to the empty spot on the couch beside her, back to her.
“Umm, is it alright, I mean, you don't have to, but, if I sat next to you while we eat?” Applejack gave her friend an incredulous look.
“Ah'course it is sugarcube! It's your house after all, an you made all this,” she said, gesturing to the food all over the cottage. With a small smile, she sat down beside the orange pony, and the two dug in. During the meal, the silence hung heavily between them. Since the animals had gotten their food first, most finished and left before the two mares had completed their own. Finally, when the salads were little more than scraps in the bowls, the two ponies sat beside each other, carefully avoiding looking at one another.
Fluttershy patiently waited, not wanting to pry, and sure that her friend would open up when she was ready. For a time, it seemed like everything was better now, that AJ was back to her old self, as she sat on the couch, hooves resting on her full belly.
Sniff. Fluttershy looked over at the orange mare, and saw fresh tears leaking down her face.
“Oh AJ...” she said, wrapping her hooves around her friend once more, as Applejack fought back her sorrow.
“It... it all happened so fast...” she choked out between sobs, her face buried again in the pink mane, “She seemed fine when ma brother an sister left. Then she just got a little summer cold. Nothin to worry about...” For a time, she couldn't speak, her sorrow choking her so that she could scarcely manage to breath.
“Oh Celestia why!?” she cursed, bitterness creeping into her voice, “I abandoned her! I left her to die alone! I'm a monster!”
“You stop that right now!” Fluttershy said, her voice low and hard as she pushed AJ away to look into her eyes. Tears rimmed her teal gaze, but there was no mistaking the intensity behind her stare.
“You couldn't have known! And who could honestly say that they wouldn't have done the same?” Applejack looked shocked, her eyes red from tears.
“You weren't there!” She shot back, anger in her tone, “Ah ran away! Ah knew it was more than just a cold, and ah stayed out, makin excuses so ah wouldn't hafta... hafta see...” Her anger withered and died before the look on Fluttershy's face.
“Do you think I don't know?” She whispered, her voice quiet and calm.
“Look at these poor creatures AJ. Do you think I can save them all?” For the first time, Applejack really took notice of the wounds. She wanted to smack herself for not seeing it sooner. Many of these critters were not long for this world. She'd seen similar injuries on the farm, wounds that would fester, would close up on the outside, only to rot within. Even with magical assistance from Rarity or Twilight, there was only so much that could be done. Her gaze returned to the pegasus'.
“Do you really think Granny Smith would've wanted you to spend your time sitting beside her, waiting for something you knew was inevitable?” With a small smile, the yellow pony continued,
“Or do you think she'd be more proud of all the work you got done yesterday because of her?” Applejack had to smile too. She was right, of course. Even in death, she'd been able to force the little mare to get her chores done, and more, making sure every last task was taken care of. As she watched the other pony's features soften once more, AJ felt a bloom of respect grow in her chest. She'd always harbored some belief that Fluttershy was strong, but she'd never imagined the willpower that must dwell within the little thing to be able to cope with the losses she must see in her line of work.
“Ya know Shy, I'm startin t'think maybe y'all didn't need that Iron Will training after all,” she said with a smile, causing the other mare to blush. For a time, the two sat in silence, until, with a sigh, Applejack rose to her hooves.
“Well, ah guess there ain't no sense in waitin an puttin this off.” Despite her words, tears started to form in her eyes again. Still she struggled ahead,
“Better get on back to... to the house... an... move the... the...” She couldn't bring herself to refer to Granny Smith as a body. She couldn't walk out that door, knowing what awaited her.
I bucked almost that whole orchard by m'self, an now ah can't even go back to mah own house because... She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see Fluttershy standing beside her.
“There's really no reason to hurry, either,” Shy said, as she gave the earth pony a reassuring pat on the back, “and there's no reason you should go alone.” With a thankful smile, AJ nodded her head, and, together, the two ponies left the cottage, heading down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres.