//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Guppy Love // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// The next week-and-a-half filled everyone with anxiety. Sweetie didn’t make an appearance, hiding somewhere in the deepest parts of the pond. Fluttershy spent her time making plans to get the tools she needed for the surgery, going at the task with a grim determination Applejack rarely saw in her. She tried to be supportive of her friend, but wasn’t sure how other than to reiterate her faith that everything would go well. For her own part, Applejack fretted constantly over finding some way to keep Rarity on the island. She made no progress on this front whatsoever. Rainbow came over that weekend. She recognized the dark cloud hovering over them all. When told about the upcoming surgery, she understood immediately and insisted she take care of Fluttershy. She took the quiet girl off the island for a whole two days. When Fluttershy returned alone, she did indeed have a renewed determination and focus. Applejack could only wonder what Rainbow had told her. She kept her peace; Fluttershy might have been her oldest friend, but Rainbow and Fluttershy had been practically joined at the hip since they were in diapers. Whatever secrets they shared were theirs to keep. So she instead spent her days at the pond, continuing to teach Rarity English and trying to keep her spirits up. The mermaid fought to maintain a cheerful façade, but that was all it was. She didn’t know whether to be excited or scared of what was to come, and drifted into moods both positive and negative. She insisted that Sweetie just needed time, but Applejack knew that the child was often on Rarity’s mind. There was nothing to do but wait and feel helpless. The day came. It was a Saturday morning, just as the sun was rising. All the tools they needed had been gathered, and Rainbow was there to help. Fluttershy had specifically requested she be there, not just for moral support but to assist directly; Rainbow had steady hands. Which was more than what Applejack could boast. She suspected she was more a nervous wreck than Fluttershy herself, especially given how calm and collected the girl appeared. Fluttershy was almost cold in her demeanor. Rarity, of course, was barely holding on to her outer calm, trembling and fighting not to hyperventilate. Even Sweetie came out to bear witness, though she was subdued and wouldn’t speak to anyone. Rarity was atop her favorite rock, the place she would be the most comfortable. It was also a good spot where the others could surround her in case they needed to hold her for any reason. She sat with her tail beneath her, as was her fashion, with Sweetie clutching her arm. They all listened as Fluttershy explained yet again what was to come. Dressed in scrubs she’d borrowed – the word she insisted on using – from the veterinary office, Fluttershy raised a syringe in her hand. “This is a ‘localized anesthetic.’ Medicine. It will numb your tail so that you won’t feel any pain during the surgery. Understood?” Though her skin had somehow gone paler than usual, Rarity nodded. “Understood.” Setting the syringe to the side on a towel, Fluttershy picked up a scalpel. “I’ll use this to cut into your tail. If your tail is too hard to cut into, we’ll have to use the saw.” She gestured to the long hand saw also lying on the towel. “We’ll have to cut deep to get to the bone. We’ll move very slowly. Rainbow will be at the ready to seal up any arteries we come across. Understood?” Rarity frowned at the blade. There was a deep terror in her eyes, a cruel awareness that such a thing might soon be used to rend her flesh. “One cut?” Fluttershy set the scalpel back down. “We may have to do more than one, but hopefully not.” She gestured to Applejack, who was holding a large camera in both hands. “We’ll take pictures as we go. When we sew you back up, we’ll want to make sure we reattach the arteries and muscle correctly. The pictures will help with that. Understood?” A shaky nod. “U-understood.” She reached over to rub the squirming Sweetie’s back. “When we reach the bones, we will very carefully pop them back into place. Once certain the bones are as they should be, we will sew the wound back up and secure it to heal. It will take a very long time to heal, during which time you’ll still be crippled. Understood?” “Understood.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. She was almost as pallid as Rarity herself. “Are you sure you don’t want to be put to sleep during this? This is going to be a very long procedure, and you will need to keep still the whole time or we might hurt you. I have what we need. It would be easier.” Rarity was quiet for some time, staring at the lump in her tail. She gave Sweetie’s arm a squeeze when the child whimpered. At last, she quietly spoke. “I want to witness. I need to know. If… If the worst comes, I want to see it.” “That won’t happen.” Rainbow Dash, also in scrubs, put such confidence in the statement that Applejack had to wonder if she truly believed it. Though she thought she might be sick all over Rarity’s gorgeous tail, Applejack managed to add her own encouragement. “Yeah, you’ll see. We’ve got this.” She set a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “You’ve got this, Shy.” Fluttershy remained focused on Rarity. “If you’re sure?” When Rarity only stared back solemnly, she took a long, steadying breath. “Okay. Lie down, please. Rainbow? The lights.” She slipped on her surgical mask. The lights were a pair of tall lamps, six bulbs apiece, that were connected to a gas generator. The lights had also been ‘borrowed’ from the veterinary office. The generator, however, belonged to Applejack’s family. Rainbow had come through for them again; Applejack couldn’t bring herself to lie about why they needed it, but Rainbow had no qualms about it. She’d also delivered it, and was responsible for procuring some of the medical equipment Fluttershy hadn’t been able to get her hands on. She declined to explain how beyond some allusion to ‘skills acquired in less awesome days’. Another secret better left to the two of them. Though she remained pale, Fluttershy’s manner was that of stoic professionalism. “Administering the anesthetic.” Peeling back one of Rarity’s scales just above the misshapen lump, she injected the medicine. Rarity cringed and whimpered, the fins on her head folding back to almost hide beneath her luxurious purple locks. The needle retracted. “Done. It will take a few minutes for the anesthetic to work. Rainbow?” Applejack knew Fluttershy well enough to know she was internalizing her panic. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, set about her task with little fanfare and probably less worry. Utilizing those steady hands of hers and a small knife, she carefully detached one scale at a time. They came off with little apparent resistance, though Rarity flinched with each one. Applejack was tempted to ask if she was in any pain from this but forced her tongue to remain still. The last thing she needed to do was encourage such thoughts. Fluttershy turned to check her instruments, pausing to whisper in Applejack’s ear. “Talk to her. Distract her.” Swallowing to moisten her dry throat, Applejack did as she was told. “So, Rarity. How long does it take scales to grow back?” Rarity flinched. Her eyes darted between her and Rainbow’s careful, slow work. “It… It takes…” Flinch. “Week? Or less. But scar…” Flinch. “Scar may not let grow.” Flinch. So things continued as, gradually, the bare skin beneath the scales was revealed. It was a gentle pink, reminding Applejack almost of pale human skin, but leathery. It took Rainbow a good five minutes to fully expose the intended area, by which time Fluttershy was ready with her scalpel. Then, as Rarity breathlessly looked on, the true surgery began. The delicate work went on for hours. Rarity fainted after the first one, which inspired Sweetie to panic, but Fluttershy was quick to ascertain that everything was fine. She and Rainbow worked slow, agonizingly so, as neither were willing to risk a mistake by going any faster. It was because of their gradual pace that they discovered most of the arteries they encountered before cutting into them and dealt with each using a pre-planned method the two had drilled on for several days in the last week. When they did cut into an artery before knowing it was there, that same training helped them close it with startling speed. Applejack took pictures as directed by Fluttershy, careful to stay out of the way as she did. Unable to help in the surgery proper, she spent a lot of time talking to Sweetie, reassuring her and making sure she understood that everything happening was ‘normal’. Or at least, as normal as Fluttershy had described to her. There was an awful lot of blood. A worryingly large amount of it. It stained Rarity’s scales and the rock she lay on. The sight made her stomach churn. Was there supposed to be that much? Yet Fluttershy and Rainbow continued, ever calm, ever patient, ever ready. If anything was wrong, they gave no indication of it. Every couple minutes Sweetie would check Rarity’s pulse and breathing as Fluttershy had taught her and state her findings. Her voice was always like a steel cord ready to snap. Rarity slept on, blissfully unaware. The bones were exposed, visibly disconnected from the vertebra. Fluttershy and Rainbow used a pair of thoroughly cleaned, V-shaped metal pieces to hold the gaping wound open while they consulted the X-rays. Sweetie looked as if she might faint at any second, her face turning green, yet couldn’t stop staring at the exposed, bloody spikes. Applejack dutifully took her pictures and reminded Sweetie to keep the status calls coming. Once they were confident about what they were doing, Rainbow and Fluttershy used distilled water to clean the wound and the bones before Rainbow, with her steady hands and superior strength, carefully set them back into position. The audible ‘pop’ of the first one finally defeated Sweetie, who slumped at her sister’s side with only a strained whimper. Applejack envied her sudden unconsciousness. By now, a good two hours had passed. Applejack took over Sweetie’s job, regularly checking Rarity’s vitals, and watched as the second part of the procedure began. This was the most difficult, as the two impromptu surgeons had to make sure every artery and bit of muscle tissue was properly returned to its appropriate place and resewn together. A mistake here could cripple Rarity, if not lead to a slow, silent death. They consulted the pictures Applejack had taken, discussed each step in detail before committing. Fluttershy’s face was unreadable beneath her mask. Rainbow had never appeared more serious. Sweat beaded on both their brows as the sun crept its way across the sky. Applejack used spare towels to wipe their faces as they worked. They stopped only once, when Applejack had to turn off and refill the generator for the lights. Four hours after she went down, Sweetie awoke. Fluttershy and Rainbow were still at it. Despite her trembling, she took over her old duties, and Applejack focused on keeping the two doctors going. A sip of water here, a dab of the towel there, and never asking how things were going no matter how desperately she wanted to. She tried not to stare at Rarity’s slumbering face. Tried not to think of what they’d do if she died under the knife. Desperately hoped she wouldn’t wake up now, at this most critical juncture. Every breath was a prayer, every glance a fervid hope. Eight hours after they’d given Rarity the anesthetic, the tools were at last put down. All that was left of the wound were a few drops of blood on her scales and a long, red cut held closed by biodegradable staples. Fluttershy pulled off her surgeon’s mask and sat back so far she would have fallen off the rock had Applejack not caught her shoulder. “It’s done,” she whispered, eyes clenched tightly closed. “All we can do now is wait.” “Not all,” Rainbow said, turning to the nearby towel of equipment. “AJ, help me get this brace on her.” A few minutes of fumbling later and they’d secured Rarity’s upper tail in a firm, stainless steel brace. The three of them had designed it custom. Rainbow had brought the supplies and helped Applejack build it, and Rarity had already tried it on for comfort and effectiveness three days ago. “There. Now she couldn’t move even if she wanted to.” “G-give her the other anesthetic,” Fluttershy instructed. At long last, her professional and stoic manner cracked. “The other one will have worn out by now, and she’s going to be in a lot of pain for a while.” Sweetie Belle, squeezing Rarity’s hand in both of hers, stared at the metal brace with a trembling lip. The wound was obscured from view. “It over? Reh-reh-tzee safe?” All eyes turned to Fluttershy, whose hands vibrated as she cleaned them with the distilled water they’d brought for that kind of thing. She hesitated, glancing at the brace, before focusing all her attention on the child. “Everything went well. Rarity will be okay.” She moved closer to Sweetie, hovering over Rarity’s unconscious form so she could look her in the eyes. She managed to retain a tone of gentle authority for one last bit of instruction. “But she has to stay calm and still. If she moves around too much, she’ll hurt herself very badly. It’s your job to make sure she doesn’t move from the bottom of the pond for at least a week. Can you do that, Shvee-tzee-braille?” Sweetie nodded fervently. “Yes. Yes! Not move at all. Promise!” “Good. And you promise to surface every hour to tell us how she’s doing? We can’t help her if we don’t know something is wrong.” More determined nods. “Yes, I tell.” Applejack had no doubt she would. Sweetie was stubborn, and by no means stupid. She knew that if anything went wrong post-surgery, Fluttershy was the only one who would know what to do. For that matter, Fluttershy might be the only one who’d recognize the signs. “Good. We’ll let her sleep for now, but as soon as she wakes up we need to move her into the p-pond.” Fluttershy moved away from Sweetie at last, working to remove her scrubs. It took her a few tries. “Thank you for being so patient, Sweetie.” “And thank you,” Applejack said, turning to Rainbow. The girl had already stripped off her own scrubs and was gathering all the medical supplies to return them to the beach house. Amazingly, her hands remained steady. “Not sure we could have done this without your help, RD.” Rainbow shrugged. She remained uncharacteristically stoic. “You know me; I’m awesome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to the house, try to eat something without upchucking all over the place – I’m not feeling positive about that, by the way – and take a long nap.” “You should probably go with her,” Applejack told Fluttershy, who had just sat on the side of the rock and was staring vacantly into space. “You look more tired than Big Mac on Valentine’s Day.” Mumbling under her breath, Fluttershy shook her head in a lazy motion. “I should be here when Rarity wakes up. If something goes wrong—” “Nothing’s going to go wrong.” Applejack set a hand on her friend’s shoulder, preventing her from leaning too far sideways. “You can barely sit up straight, sugarcube. For once, follow Rainbow’s example. Try to eat something. Barring that, get some sleep. You’ve both earned it.” “But I…” Fluttershy let out a long yawn. “I should—” “Come on, Shy.” Rainbow hauled Fluttershy to her feet, the equipment all stored in a luggage bag over her shoulder. “Applejack’s right. Nothing’s going to happen, you’ll see. You can’t do any good like this, anyway.” As she was leading the mumbling girl away, she looked over her shoulder. “You want me to bring you some food before I crash?” Applejack almost said no. She hadn’t done half as much as what they had and could have gone to make her own food. But somebody had to stay with Rarity and, truth be told, she wanted to. “If you would. I won’t mind if you just go straight to bed, though.” “Nah, I can handle a bit more. I’m used to tense situations.” Rainbow managed a weary smirk, flashed a thumbs up, and hurried to grab Fluttershy again before she walked into a tree. “See you in a few.” And the two of them were gone, leaving only Applejack and Sweetie to watch over Rarity’s slumbering form. For the moment, Applejack was at a loss for what to do. Sweetie kept at Rarity’s side, holding her and alternating between examining her face or the brace. Applejack studied their touching hands, her fingers rubbing the inside of her palm. Rarity’s other hand lay atop her exposed belly, innocuously rising and falling with her steady breaths. When Sweetie looked her way, she averted her eyes… and saw some blood still remained on the rock. Rarity shouldn’t wake up in a pool of her own blood. That would sure as heck freak me out. There were still a couple jugs of distilled water, so Applejack got to work cleaning the rock as best she could. The part Rarity was laying on was off-limits for now, but she got what was visible dealt with. Sweetie watched her work, solemn and quiet, never leaving Rarity’s side. When finished, Applejack stood in the water by the rock and… just waited, not sure what else to do. Her eyes went back to Rarity’s hand. Her fingers rubbed her palm again. Sweetie shifted, drawing her attention. The child wouldn’t meet her gaze, yet was turned to face her. After a few seconds of staring at Applejack’s stomach, the child spoke up. “I’m sorry. Applejack… help. Applejack always help. I mean.” The apology took a little time to seep into Applejack’s brain, but when it did she smiled. “It’s okay, Sweetie. You were just trying to protect Rarity.” Sweetie shook her head, shoulders hunched and lip trembling. “Not okay. Reh-reh-tzee in big trouble. If go back to ocean, might have died. Applejack not let die. I… Shvee-tzee-braille… Shvee-tzee-braille only want bring back…” She clung to Rarity’s hand with both of hers, holding it to her chest as she doubled over. Rarity said mermaids didn’t have tears. Seeing Sweetie Belle sob like this made that truth all the more apparent. But the lack of water to run down those puffy cheeks did nothing to hold back the pain Applejack felt at seeing the child so miserable. She moved around the rock and hugged Sweetie from behind, setting her chin on her shoulder. “It’s alright, sugarcube. I forgive you. I’m sure Rarity understands. Everything’s alright now, okay? I promise, everything’s alright…” The child said nothing, only sobbed and shook in Applejack’s arms. Her tail curled, as if she were trying to make herself smaller. Applejack rocked back and forth, humming and feeling oddly calm. Calm, yet also strange. She thought of her mother, who would never again hold her like this. Only then did it hit her that the tune rising from her throat was one her mother often hummed whenever Applejack was in Sweetie’s position. She longed to feel those arms around her shoulders. To hear her mother’s sweet voice. To know she was safe and comfortable. To be the protector instead was otherworldly. Could she do something like this for Apple Bloom someday? Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom would have cried like this. She did. Applejack remembered it. Vaguely. Who had held her little sister the night that their parents had died? It should have been Applejack. She should have been the one in control of herself, and instead she was here, providing a stranger the comfort she’d failed to give her own sibling. It felt so right to be the comforter for a change, and so wrong that she was taking up the role so late. Was she a bad sister? Or maybe that was wrong. Maybe she was meant to be a mother now. The idea settled like lead in the stomach. She opened her eyes, not realizing she’d closed them. Rarity remained asleep, her expression calm and pleasant. She called herself a sister to Sweetie. Maybe she was more like a parent. Maybe what Sweetie felt right now was not unlike how Applejack had felt a year ago. Only Sweetie’s loved one had a chance to live. Maybe Applejack should be jealous of that. Rarity was still here. She was still here, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Sweetie wouldn’t lose her. Applejack would make sure of it. Sweetie was no longer crying. The child hung loosely in Applejack’s arms, head bowed. Asleep? Applejack couldn’t tell. She bent forward, trying to get a good look at the Sweetie’s face. Pale green eyes met hers, weary and unfocused. Applejack smiled. “You look like you’re gonna fall asleep.” “No sleep,” Sweetie grumbled, turning her attention back to Rarity. “Thinking.” “About what?” The child pursed her lips and wouldn’t look at her. “Applejack want Reh-reh-tzee.” Heat bloomed across Applejack’s cheeks, her eyes darting to the slumbering mermaid before them. She relaxed when Rarity didn’t move, producing a weak smile. “I know. Rarity’s yours, right?” “Yes. Mine.” The declaration lacked its usual confidence and defensiveness. It came out thoughtful, perhaps even uncertain. “We move. We live. We never stay.” Then, with grim seriousness, “Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow. Help Reh-reh-tzee move again.” The point of this little monologue eluded Applejack. She hesitantly corrected, “Fluttershy and Rainbow. They did all the work.” Sweetie shrugged, gently breaking free from Applejack’s embrace. She climbed atop the rock and turned to face her. The child’s expression was neutral, yet hard. “Shvee-tzee-braille thank Applejack. Thank Applejack for all help.” She pursed her lips, looking down just long enough to find Rarity’s hand and hold it. “Reh-reh-tzee moves. No stay. We not stay. Applejack want Reh-reh-tzee.” Her eyes became like daggers. “Applejack make Reh-reh-tzee stay?” Applejack lost all capacity for communication. Those hard green eyes might as well have been a noose wrapping around her throat. She knew what was being asked of her, understood implicitly the meaning of her potential answer. To provide one strained her mind and rendered her a mute fool, incapable of thinking past the consequences. Here sat a child with only one person she could call family, one person she loved. The right thing to do was to not get in the way of that. And yet… Her gaze drifted to the angelic creature sleeping just behind her accuser. Rarity would heal. Her tail would function again, she’d be free to come and go as she pleased. And mermaids moved. Rarity would leave. Unless someone or something bound her to this place, this haven, this prison, she would leave. Just like they did. The very thought sent chills rushing up and down her spine and made her knees wobble. It was getting hard to breathe. Sweetie kept staring, kept holding that hand that should be hers, kept existing between her and the best thing that had happened to Applejack in over a year! Rarity couldn’t go. She couldn’t let— “Am I interrupting something?” Applejack started, turning on her heel to find Rainbow Dash standing at the edge of the forest with a picnic basket perfectly balanced on her head. Only now did she realize her hands were clenched into fists. Relaxing her fingers was almost painful. “N-no, not a thing. Sweetie and me were just talking about the future, that’s all.” “Right.” Rainbow’s attempt at a blasé attitude failed to disguise the split second her narrowed eyes were set on Applejack. She plucked the basket off her head and approached. “Made some sandwiches for you girls. Fluttershy wanted to help, but I put my foot down and made her get some sleep, so these are gonna be plain. Sorry.” “Nah, you did the right thing. That girl deserves her rest.” Applejack took the basket, glancing inside to see a half-dozen sandwiches in individual plastic bags. “Whoa. That’s a lot of grub.” “Some of it’s for Rarity,” Rainbow admitted, her attention drifting to the sleeping form on the rock. “I figure she’ll be starving when she finally wakes up.” Lowering her voice, she asked, “How’s Sweetie doing?” “Sweetie? She’s…” Applejack glanced at the girl, who was no longer paying either of them any attention. “She’s concerned, but better than she was.” That was an accurate way to describe the situation, wasn’t it? “And how are you doing?” The concerned, borderline suspecting look being sent her way caught Applejack off guard. “W-what do ya mean? I’m fine.” Rainbow mumbled under her breath, and Applejack was sure she was about to become the target of some sort of well-intended talking to. Yet Rainbow relented, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple. “Okay, if you say so. I’m gonna head back to the beach house, take a shower, and crash. You sure you’ll be fine watching over things for a while?” “Don’t worry, RD. I’ve got this. You go on and rest. And thanks for the food.” Once Rainbow had gone, Applejack approached Rarity and Sweetie. The younger mermaid noted Applejack’s approach with a forlorn expression. She said nothing, accepting Applejack’s offered sandwich with a nod of thanks before turning back to watch her surrogate sibling. That left Applejack to sit on a nearby log and observe the two of them while eating her own meal and pondering the brief confrontation she’d had with Sweetie. Sweetie wanted Rarity to leave. She was going to take her away, just like fate had stolen her parents. She couldn’t let it happen, but she didn’t want to hurt Sweetie in the process. There had to be another option. The most obvious would be to convince them both to stay at the pond, but… How did one defeat culture? She couldn’t be sure. Rarity wouldn’t be going anywhere until her tail healed. That might take months. Applejack could figure something out in that kind of time. Surely. A week had gone by. A week since a frail and pained Rarity had allowed herself to be lowered into the pond and carried to the safe depths by Sweetie. Since then she’d shown neither scale nor hair to the sun. Sweetie insisted that Rarity was still down there, obeying Fluttershy’s orders and maintaining the mermaid equivalent of bed rest. No post-surgery problems had been reported, which made Fluttershy suspect that everything would be fine. Life returned to normal, Fluttershy back to her summer job at the veterinary clinic and Rainbow on the road to play another game. Sweetie found a new routine of her own. Convinced of Rarity’s safety in the deepest parts of the pond, she took to swimming up the creek that led off the island and exploring. She claimed this was initially to see if the creek was big enough for Rarity to leave the island through it, but now it seemed like she was trying to stave off boredom. Applejack worried for her safety, but there wasn’t much she could do to stop her. Normal life proved torturous for Applejack. She often spent her days near the pond, trying to find something to do with her time. More and more, ‘something to do’ meant chasing paranoia. Was Rarity really down there? Maybe Sweetie decided to sneak Rarity out and only claimed the elder mermaid was still down there. Sweetie understood Applejack didn’t want them to leave. She could have pre-emptively acted in the name of protecting her only real family. Worse, she could have convinced Rarity to abandon Applejack already! She tried to tell herself that she was being stupid, that if such were the case Sweetie would have no reason to return to the pond. But what if she was keeping Rarity close by in case a post-surgery complication came up and Rarity needed help? When Applejack wasn’t entertaining shameful doubts of Sweetie’s honesty, she was thinking of her parents and how much she missed them. She once spent two hours in her room doing nothing but staring at her father’s hat. It was regression, she knew it, and she had no idea what to do about it. Attempts to keep the truth hidden from Fluttershy were a failure. Her friend’s attempts to ease the gradually building sorrow only made her more reclusive, and soon Applejack only went back to the beach house to sleep and take the occasional shower. Most of her time was spent at the pond, sitting on the shore with her arms wrapped around her knees as she waited for an aquatic angel to prove she was still real. It was during one of these long, miserable waits that Rarity at last emerged from the depths. It was a slow reveal, and Applejack didn’t notice until the mermaid was out of the water up to her shoulders, crawling along the bottom with wearying slowness. She raised her head and spotted Rarity a dozen feet away, and the sight knocked the air from her lungs. The water beading on her pale skin, the elegant shape of her collarbone and neck, the wet hair hanging like velvet curtains, the brilliant blue eyes. How could Applejack have forgotten how beautiful she was? She hurried out to help her ashore, shivering with delight at the soft skin on her fingers and arms. Neither of them said anything until the mermaid was safely deposited on the sand, metal brace and all. “How ya feeling, Rarity?” Applejack settled down in the sand beside the creature that had her heart performing a solo dance routine. “The tail okay?” “Hurts.” The grimace on Rarity’s face couldn’t prevent her aristocratic voice from sounding like the chorus of angels in Applejack’s ears. “But… better. Nothing bad. Everything…” She set the back of a curled finger beneath her lip and thought. “Expected?” She looked to Applejack for approval. “Expected. Good!” Applejack felt like it was the first day of cider season, all warm and bubbly and eager. “That’s good. You had me real worried. I thought you’d stay down there forever.” “Of chourse. Worried.” The mermaid smiled wryly. “Applejack wouldj worry.” Sheepishly, Applejack rubbed the back of her head. “I can’t help it. I got used to having you around.” A thought struck her, and she cast a long look at the pond. There was no sign of its other resident. “Where’s Sweetie?” With an elegant wave of her hand, Rarity indicated the stream leading out of the pond. “Wait, so you came up here on your own? Does she know?” Rarity huffed and crossed her arms. “Would keep me in dark all thimes. Reh-reh-tzee want light.” She’d crawled her way out of that deep, steep portion of the pond all on her own? With her tail in such a poor condition? Applejack was tempted to lecture the woman, but thought better of it. It was hard to maintain any sort of displeasure when she was just so happy to see her at last. And she was happy; were she a dog, her tail would be wagging. She couldn’t stop staring at the essence of beauty resting at her side. Her moist skin, her glittery scales, her dripping purple locks, her dazzling eyes… her soft lips… “Where is Fluttershy? Rainbow?” Applejack jolted back, covering her surprise with a chuckle she prayed didn’t come out too forced. “Oh, y-you know. Fluttershy works, Rainbow plays.” Was Rarity watching her? No, just her imagination. “Shy should be back tonight. She’ll be thrilled to know you’re feeling okay.” “She did good.” Rarity frowned in uncertainty. “Right? ‘Did good?’” The idea that Rarity would want to practice and get it right sent a wave of giddiness through Applejack. Maybe she was thinking about sticking around after all. “I think the correct phrase is ‘did well’, but you’re fine.” Her eyes flew open and the heat came rushing back. “I m-mean, fine as in you sound good. Right. Sound right. Not ‘fine’ in any other way, not that you ain’t.” Her jaw snapped shut so fast she nearly bit her teeth, which would have been a suitable punishment for that little slip. Rarity cocked her head in that adorable manner she had. “Fine? Mean many thingsh?” “Don’t worry about it!” The outburst made Rarity jump, and Applejack promptly slapped a hand over her eyes and groaned. “I mean… I’m sorry, can we please talk about something else?” When her hand left her eyes, she found Rarity facing her fully with an expression of concern. She spoke with a careful, steady focus, like she always did when thinking on how to say what she wanted. “Is… Applejack okay?” “Of course, I’m okay. I’m…” Applejack stopped herself, realizing she was speaking without thinking again. Licking her lips, she pondered just what she should say next. Certainly not what she wanted to. That would end poorly. Maybe. At the same time, she wanted to be honest, and she wanted to trust Rarity. A glance down reminded her of something else she wanted. Something stupid that she couldn’t— Why couldn’t she? There was nothing stopping her. Rarity probably wouldn’t understand the significance, anyway. Nevermind the idea made her heart flutter and the potential implications made her head spin. She’s never get anything if she didn’t try. No, it was worse than that; she’d lose everything if she didn’t try. Making the move was a risk, but not making it was certain doom. With a deep breath to reaffirm her conviction, she reached out and took Rarity’s hand in her own. Rather than jerk away or snap at her or any of the hundred other things Applejack had drummed up in her mix of dread and anxiety, Rarity squeezed her fingers. Her hand was cool to the touch, like touching silk bedsheets. The fluttering in Applejack’s chest became a pleasant swelling. Suddenly, talking didn’t seem so difficult. “I was scared,” she admitted, keeping her head bowed but still meeting Rarity’s worried gaze. “Sweetie said you were okay, but it’s not the same. I…” The burning in her eyes took her by surprise. She used her free hand to rub them dry. “All this time, all I ever wanted was to see you. It was terrible.” Rarity studied her, lips lowered in a forlorn, uncertain frown. She reached over with her free hand and rubbed Applejack’s cheek, the touch forcing a small gasp from her lips. A thumb trailed just below Applejack’s eye. It came back wet. Rarity stared at it as though it might hold some great secret. “Tears,” she whispered. “I… What to shay? Not know.” The confession stung, but Applejack threw the doubts trying to surface overboard and focused on the growing warmth of their tightly held hands. “You don’t have to say anything. But I-I’d like you to stay.” She turned her face away, hoping to hide her cringe. “I m-mean for the rest of the summer?” “Applejack.” There was a hint of exasperation in Rarity’s voice. “I’m—” “I know,” she moaned. “Mermaids move.” A long, painful silence. “Um… Going to shay ‘hurt, can’t move’.” If Applejack’s cheeks kept this up this wishy-washy behavior, either her face would burst into flame or her heart would stop beating due to blood loss. Possibly both. She ran a hand through her hair, not daring to look Rarity’s way. “R-right. Of course. I knew that.” The conversation died, but Rarity didn’t pull away or let go of Applejack’s hand. She accepted that as a small victory. They remained that way for some time, Applejack trying to think of something to say to get rid of this awkward pause. Everything she thought up would only make the situation even worse. The irony didn’t escape her: here she was with the girl of her dreams, having pined for an opportunity to talk with her for a solid week, and now that Rarity was back she couldn’t think of anything to say! Maybe it was the fog in her brain that came with the subtle giddiness of realizing they were still holding hands. It was Rarity who finally ended the uncomfortable peace between them. “Sorry. For worry. Reh-reh-tzee… will… come to shurface more… more? Yes, more. More ofthen.” Applejack turned to her, a smile gradually forming on her lips. “That’s good to hear. Thank you.” The two shared warm smiles, and Applejack had the feeling that some bridge had been crossed between them. Maybe it was all in her head, but she would think otherwise until proven wrong. Though she had to force it, she at last released Rarity’s hand. “Often.” Rarity blinked. “Hmm?” “You said ‘ofthen’. It’s ‘often’. Off-ten.” Tilting her head back slightly, Rarity worked her lips around the sounds. “Off… Ten?” “Yes.” Applejack nodded eagerly. “Often.” “Often. Ofthen. Off… ten. Often.” Rarity smiled and returned the nod. “Often.” She raised a finger. “Word you say before. ‘Te-ree… fle?.’ What mean?” The two eagerly returned to the old routine of English lessons. Applejack couldn’t have been happier.