Fluttershy sniffled and snuggled deeper into the pink and green sheets on her bed. Late morning light, a bright shade of summer gold, shone through the windows. Normally, it would have roused Fluttershy from her slumber as would the chorus of bluebirds and robins singing outside her window. A whimper that had nothing to do with her cold emanated from her throat as she looked over to the other side of her bed. Her husband had been there all night, the warmth of him a comfort through her troubled dreams. Now he was gone and of course he was.
She curled into the sheets, rested her head on the pillow. While he was duty-bound to her (well, duty and love) he was no less duty bound and no less love bound to his ancestral lands where miles of apple trees grew. It was his responsibility to help his family, she understood that, really she did. A violent cough racked her body. She would attempt to trudge outside. Though she didn't trust herself to operate a stove, that wouldn't stop her from grazing. Besides, the fresh grass had nutrients that would help her recover all the faster. (Didn't stop her from wanting pancakes, but she knew she couldn't have it all!)She was just thankful she had caught the non-contagious Equestrian cold, not one of its far more severe counterparts.
Struggling with the sheets proved to be a futile effort. They were just too heavy for her in her weakened state. As the birds continued their songs to the new born morning, she was reminded of her own responsibilities. She would have to feed her animals, care for them even as she was in a state where she could use some care. That was alright. She had done it before.
Big Mac had his duties, so did she. It didn't bother her at all. With that thought firmly in her mind, she unfurled her wings, the light breeze and movement knocking away her covers so she could finally flutter to the ground. The cool floor against her bare hooves helped to jolt her awake. Stretching her wings and then her back she started to make her way to her bedroom door, but the door opened before she could step through it, her way backed by a mammoth red stallion. He frowned. "Nope."
"Big Mac, I thought you were at the orchard."
He took her by her withers guiding her to the bed. "Nope."
She followed him, leaning into the warmth of his side. "I thought you were..." Her eyes teared up and a violent sneeze ripped through her body, nearly knocked her off her hooves. Only Big Mac's grip prevented her from falling. She continued. "I thought you were bucking apples today."
"Applejack called in some kinfolk. I ain't leavin' your side today, ya hear? Now get on into bed."
Fluttershy blushed at certain thoughts that ran into her head at that statement, but obeyed, sliding under the sheets. Big Mac slid in beside her, wiping her muzzle with a kleenex on the bedside table which he then threw into the trash and then held her in his forelegs which she gleefully cuddled into. "I'm sorry for everypony making such a fuss. I'm fine really."
Big Mac pressed his lips to her forehead. "None o'that. You want breakfast? I just went out to the market and got some pancakes from Golden Harvest."
"Pancakes?" She looked up at him. He laid his chin on her head, nuzzling her, a gesture of affection she was quick to return. "I am hungry."
"I hate to leave ya, but I gotta if I want to make breakfast for ya."
"Alright." She tried not to pout. Much. Big Mac smiled and lifted off from the bed, leaving a cold absence. She snuggled back into her sheets, sneezed again. Big Mac grabbed another cloth, wiped her muzzle, before tossing it away and trotting out of the room. Fluttershy waited, sleep nearly about to claim her once more. The world was misty as her eyes watered. She sneezed a few more times, groaned when she realized the kleenex box was nearly empty. Her stomach grumbled, but from the kitchen the sweet smell of pancakes was drifting. It only made her stomach grumble more and she longed to bite into one of the savory treats.
Strands of her pink mane fell back on the pillow and itching sensations made themselves known in her wings. Sighing, she pulled her wing to herself, pressed her muzzle to her wing, promptly sneezed.
She pulled her head back, winced at her now snot covered wing. It was enough to make her cry. She needed a bath. Just as she was contemplating this state of affairs, the door slid open and Big Mac came in, a tray of pancakes carefully balanced on his back. She smiled at the smell of syrup and fruit atop the freshly made pancakes and he settled the plate down on a tray, frowned. "What's wrong with your wings?"
Her left, which she had attempted to preen, had an array of tangled up, messy feathers. She curled up onto her stomach, started to cut the pancakes, making a moan of satisfaction as the sweet confection made contact with her tongue. Rather than eating the scrumptious breakfast, Big Mac trotted towards their bathroom. Fluttershy's ears flicked at the sound of rushing water and she assumed Big Mac was only washing up. She gasped slightly when she felt the touch of a washcloth against her wings then nearly melted between the sweet tastes of the pancakes and his ministrations. He gently scrubbed her feathers of the mucus which her sneeze had coated them with.
Just as Fluttershy was almost done with her breakfast, she gasped to feel Big Mac's warm, wet mouth on her feathers. Slowly, gently, he moved through each one, straightening the broken ones and tugging out the ones that could not be saved. Then, he began to rain a drizzle of soft kisses on her wings. He brushed through them one more time and she instinctively unfurled her right which he began to preen, pressing his muzzle into the wing and brushing through it. She giggled as he did. "You need to eat your breakfast."
"When I'm done." He whispered to her.
The preening relaxed her while she finished up the last of the pancake. He slid around her when he was done, sitting on a crowd of yellow feathers and cut up his pancake, bringing it to his mouth. Fluttershy leaned against him, the large pancake she had gobbled up having filled her. She lifted up a glass of orange juice, sipped it while he sipped his own. For a few moments, they rested in a companionable silence. She stretched her back. "My animals still need to be fed."
He laid down his juice. "I can take care of it."
She shook her head. "They don't like it when others do it, some of them barely accept it when I do it."
He chuckled. "You don't think I can handle animals?"
She straightened up as much as she could even though the effort made her chest ache. A violent cough ripped through her and he stroked her back. "Take it easy, Darlin'."
Deciding the exertion of straightening up was too much for her at the moment, she settled on pressing her head against his shoulder. "I know you can handle domestic animals, but a lot of my animals are wild. My talent is talking to them, but I'm afraid..." She took another shuddering, rattling breath. "I'm afraid you won't be able to."
He frowned in a way reminiscent of his sister and the whole proud, Apple clan. "They're just animals, Fluttershy." His gaze lingered on her mark. "I know what you can do and your darned good at it-" He paused to swallow the last bit of his pancake. "But I think I can feed them."
Fluttershy shook her head so fiercely it sparked a coughing fit. Big Mac ran long, soothing strokes down her back. She swallowed, sipped her orange juice. "I have meat eaters under my care. So far, I've managed to keep them from harming any Ponies, but I don't trust them. Others are very territorial. They know me-"
"And they know me too."
"But you don't feed them. You don't spend as much time around them. You might not know what to do if they get aggressive. I have to do it myself." She coughed again.
He shook his head. "Nope."
She glared. "I have to."
This time, his tone was firmer. "Nope."
She pressed her cheek to his. "I know you're worried about me, Big Mac. And I very much appreciate how much concern you have for me, really I do, but-"
"Nope."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm going to go feed my animals." She pressed her hoof to his muzzle before the monosyllabic reply could come out. She was glad she had started to read that book on being assertive.
"How're you gonna do that?" His voice cracked, bordering on desperation. "You can barely walk. The doctor said you needed bed rest."
She sighed, laid back on the bed. As much as she wanted to argue, the stallion had a point. The feeling of weakness had drained her of her energy. While it was only a cold, that didn't mean it couldn't get worse. He nuzzled her ear. "I'm gonna take real good care o' your animals, don't you worry about it."
A smile spread across her face. "Oh, alright." She rested her head against his neck, yawned. "I suppose I could let you do it, but be careful. Please?"
He kissed her forehead. "Of course I will, Darlin'."
Itching to move, Big Mac stood up from the bed and headed out the door and into the rest of the cottage. A family of squirrels and chipmunks were scurrying around, but paused when they saw him. He headed to the kitchen, opened a cabinet door and got out a bowl and some acorns. Hearing the sound, the normally woodland dwelling creatures rushed to him, all of them excitedly chittering. One of the squirrels pushed one of the chipmunks.
Having seen Fluttershy do this quite a few times during their year long marriage, he poured the acorns in the bowl, then he paused just as the last acorn clattered in with the rest. Didn't Fluttershy use two bowls? One for the squirrels and one for the chipmunks? Now the last acorns were all in one bowl-Fluttershy had probably been intending to restock.
And now the squirrels and chipmunks were eyeing each other. He clapped his hoof on the floor, but the fight was on. The squirrels immediately went on the offensive, jumping at the chipmunk and the chipmunk lunged straight back at him.
Big Mac just kept stamping his hoof. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Y'all stop that!"
No such luck. The squirrels and chipmunks were each valiantly struggling over the food bowl. During the course of the combat, the bowl spilled over and the acorns scattered on the floor. One would think that this would bring an end to the battle, but the rodents continued their blood feud, biting and scraping at each other. One squirrel bit down on a chipmunk's tail and in response, the chipmunk whipped his tail around so fast that the the squirrel was knocked away. In defense of their fallen comrade, two squirrels jumped on the chipmunk and that's when a quiet, disapproving sigh blasted through the kitchen.
The animals stopped.
Fluttershy stared at them and shook her head. "Really?" That was all she asked. "Can't you all just try to be nice to each other? And behave for Big Mac?"
The squirrels and chipmunks looked down and away from each other. Fluttershy quickly righted the bowl and Big Mac joined her in scooping up the acorns. She quickly hugged both groups of rodents. "Now, behave alright?"
Suitably chastened, the squirrels and chipmunks gathered around the bowl and nibbled at the acorns, though they kept to their own sides. Fluttershy said nothing, only slightly swayed on her hooves. Big Mac quickly went to her side, allowing her to lean against him and they watched the squirrels and chipmunks eat breakfast.
Big Mac cleared his throat. "Shy?"
"Hmm?"
"Yer gonna be one heck of a mama."
Fluttershy blushed. "Thank you."
He bowed his head. "And I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" A brief coughing fit cut her off. "For what?"
"I didn't realize how hard it was to care for all these critters. But I'm gonna do my best."
"No," she took his hoof in hers. "We're going to do our best because we're going to feed them together."
He nodded, smiled. "Eeyep."
Fluttershy still leaned against him, too weak to trot very far on her own, making Big Mac wonder how she had managed to run all the way to the kitchen. She had flown no doubt. As they trotted into the kitchen, he noticed the fallen vase. She blushed and fluttered over to pick it back up, her flight pattern wavering. She sneezed and spun around. Big Mac barely had any time and she slammed into his waiting forelegs. She began to babble apologies, apparently believing she had harmed the muscular stallion by bumping him while he was more worried that her slamming into him had injured her. Finally, he set her down and she blushed, her muzzle once more covered in snot.
Big Mac ushered her to lay down while he galloped to the kitchen. A few seconds later he came back with a piece of tissue which she took from him, wiping away the snot on her nose. Spreading her wings, she soared into the air again and made it to the kitchen without any incidents this time, depositing the tissue into the trash bin. Her face was still a shade of pink darker than her mane and he had to maintain his facade of stoicism so he wouldn't burst into giggles and make her feel terrible.
"It was just a vase, don't worry about it. And ya didn't hurt me."
She landed next to him, hiding behind her mane. "I'm apologizing too much again, I'm sorry."
He bit his lip, but the smile still spread over his face, making the blush deeper. "Yer just too cute, Darlin'."
She just meeped and rested her head on his shoulder. After swallowing and taking a few moments to get her professional composure back, she straightened up. The room was still disobediently swimming in front of her vision, but her animals needed to be fed so she would just have to endure it. Big Mac's body heat against hers, his muscles rippling beneath his fur, was an assurance to her as they walked into the kitchen. Angel and the other rabbits hopped into the kitchen when they heard the familiar tearing of a bag of carrots. She pulled down a bowl from the cabinet, set it down on the floor. Unlike the more combative rodents, the rabbits waited patiently while she placed down lettuce leaves and then a couple of carrots. Angel looked up at her in concern and she patted his ears. "I'll be okay, Angel Bunny."
Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Angel returned to his breakfast. Fluttershy sighed. "Next up is the birds." She scooped up a pack of bird seed.
"I'll try to catch you, if you fall."
"Thank you."
He led her to the door of the cottage, pushed it open, and they stepped out into a bright, sunny day. The sky was cloudless today, a vast, blue expanse and a wind stirred the waters of the river that flowed by their home. The grass tickled their fetlocks and Fluttershy moved away from Big Mac, spread her wings. He watched her intently as she spread out the freshly preened pinions. She looked back, smiled at him. "It's alright, Maccy. I can still fly."
"Eeye...if ye say so."
She shook her head, an amused expression still on her face. "I really am sorry you had to take time off from the orchard to watch over me."
His expression remained neutral, but he reached out a hoof and laid it on her back. "Yer my wife, Fluttershy."
As if that settled the matter, he said nothing further. The birds chirped high up from between the leafy branches, swallows and sparrows and robins darting and peaking out from between the bright, green leaves. Fluttershy forced the world to stop spinning, focused on the currents of air that constantly flowed through out the world and was the source of Pegasus magic. Once she had fully attuned herself to it-something she had always struggled with, that level of clearing her mind never came easy to her and now it was especially difficult-she glided on a thermal, allowing it to carry her up to the highest branches.
Her flight pattern was erratic, each gust of wind threatening to knock her off course, but she flapped her wings and prevailed against the contrary winds, fluttering to the topmost branches where the birds greeted her with enthusiastic chirping. She scattered the bird seed into their nest even as the breezes knocked her around. Big Mac tensed up down below, preparing to catch her if she fell.
A particularly hard gust suddenly spun her like she was a top, sent her sprawling. Big Mac sprang forward, galloping as she fell and caught her in his forelegs. To the gentle giant, she was as light as a feather, but she gasped when she fell against him. He reached down and nuzzled her, a gesture which she returned. After a few seconds of the nuzzling, he placed her down again, but kept a foreleg around her. "You think you can rest for a bit?"
"I just need to get my breath back. Harry is next and then, um..." She trailed off.
Big Mac silently waited for her to continue. At last, she did. "Next is my little guest. He's still injured and needs special care." She was cut off by a sneeze.
He stroked her mane. "What kind of care?"
"I'm changing his bandages today." Another sneeze. "Do you think you can do it?"
A shiver-only barely perceptible-ran though him at the thought of the snarling, biting predator she was currently keeping in her care. "Eeyep."
She brushed his side with her wing, as if she wanted to pat his back but he was too big for him to reach up that far. "If he still scares you, I understand."
He stepped back slightly, lifted his head. "I ain't scared."
She sighed. "Alright. If you say so."
They walked together to the river and Fluttershy ducked downward into the water snatching up six fish. Flying with the slippery creatures held in her forelegs, she landed to where Harry the Bear lived. Not completely in the Everfree, but just outside of it. He did occasionally traipse into the forest, but spent most of his time near or around the cottage. He grunted happily and came over at Fluttershy and Big Mac's approach, then stopped, reaching out one giant hoof to pat Fluttershy's mane. She giggled. "I'm alright, Harry." She placed the fish at his paws and he began to dig in.
She panted a few times and Big Mac rubbed circles in the space between her wing joints. "Are you sure you don't need to take a little break?"
After a while (and another coughing fit which Big Mac rubbed her back through) she lifted up. "I only have one more. I'll be fine. I have to feed them, it's my duty."
"I understand." He still put a hoof over her withers, preparing to take her back to the bedroom or even the hospital should he condition worsen or at her request. They approached the humble shed which Fluttershy used as a makeshift medical tent. Big Mac hesitated so Fluttershy pushed it open. At the moment, there was only one occupant of the wooden building.
The wolf's eye's snapped open. He was curled up on a mat, bandages covering his side. At the approach of Big Mac, a low growl sounded in his throat, but Fluttershy stepped forward. She reached out her hoof and the wolf, used to her affection, ceased his growling while she stroked his head. This was the first time Big Mac had been around the predator since Fluttershy had found him curled up and waiting for death outside of the forest.
She swayed on her hooves, coughed. The wolf, surprised, jumped back and yelped in pain. Fluttershy mad a soft, cooing soft and the wolf's hackles lowered. Big Mac had seen this countless times before and it never ceased to amaze him. The fearsome canine, all fur and muscles and fangs, calmed. His bristling hair fell down, his hackles lowered and he approached Fluttershy while wagging his tail like a puppy.
He was strong enough to gobble up Fluttershy if he'd wanted to, but he didn't. Instead, he lowered his head to be nuzzled. "Big Mac? I don't know if my mouth is steady enough to pull off these bandages. Can you? I might sneeze or cough at the wrong moment."
Big Mac felt a shiver of fear run through him, fought it down. The wolf growled again at Big Mac's approach, but Fluttershy long, gentle caresses soothed it just enough to allow him to walk around him and tentatively lower his muzzle near where the creature was injured. He quickly drew back when the animal snapped, his jaws clacking shut just where Big Mac's muzzle had been.
"Stop that!" Fluttershy stared down the beast who shrank back enough for Big Mac to lean down again, pull away the bandages. The wolf growled, but was silenced by a gentle pat from Fluttershy.
The bandages were now completely off and Big Mac could see that the wound was healed. Fluttershy walked over to examine it, smiled in satisfaction. "You'll be free to go by next week. It's breakfast time."
He licked her face, eliciting a giggle. Stepping away from the affectionate animal, she went and got a bag of dried meat pellets Griffons used for snacking, pouring it into a bowl which the wolf chowed down on. Fluttershy yawned and Big Mac placed a foreleg around her. "So, that was the last animal ya gotta look after today?"
She nestled into him. "It was."
"What are you gonna do now?"
"I was thinking I might like, um, that is, if you don't mind..."
He rubbed her withers. "What?"
Her face reddened. "A cuddle." She stumbled over her words. "By the river maybe?"
He said nothing, only smiled, leading her as they stepped back through the door. The warm day welcomed them as they settled by the river, she leaning against his side, he leaning down to nuzzle her. There they stayed, both pressed close together, in the comfortable silence of lovers.