//------------------------------// // Hope is the last thing ever lost // Story: Planted in the Clouds // by KathAud //------------------------------// Slowly but steadily, certainly, the farm was growing and producing. Applejack felt a great sense of satisfaction and pride in her little team. She was only delighted to see inexperienced ponies like Scootaloo and the Shys get the hang of farming. And she was right proud of herself too, to be honest. It would be an understatement to say she was used to doing things a certain way back on Sweet Apple Acres. In this new environment, she was getting good at pivoting and trying new things. Dr. Whooves had a new idea or innovation to try nearly every other day and more often than not her response was a hearty clap on the back and an “Alright Sugarcube, let’s give it a whirl!” Luna came through some mornings to offer praise and encouragement to the workers. Sometimes, though not as frequently as before, Blaze or Thunderlane might turn up with a salvaged plant or tool. More and more, as fewer survivors were uncovered, the Wonderbolts refocused their efforts on attempts to destroy the creatures. Occasionally they were accompanied by the odd unicorn or two to try using magic. Nothing seemed to have much of an impact. She knew Shining Armor was still itching to join the fight but Luna insisted he was needed in Cloudsdale, when really she was trying to protect him for Flurry’s sake. Fewer ponies meant hungrier, more desperate creatures, and the bolts were showing up at the hospital with more frequent injuries. “They’re getting reckless,” Lyra muttered to her one night when they had half a dozen of the cocksure flyers come in at once. Most of the team doctors were working there now, helping out with the long term patients, but there was still enough for the volunteers to do and basic first aid still usually fell to them. Lyra had even learned to do sutures and she stitched a long slash on Misty Fly’s flank that narrowly avoided marring her cutie mark. “This is going to make a bad ass scar!” Misty grinned blithely. “I hope you ain’t acting as foolish as the rest of them,” Applejack admonished Rainbow Dash when she got home. “AJ, it’s me,” she replied with a lazy grin. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Look if you won’t be cautious on my account at least have a care for Scootaloo.” She had never pressed Rainbow for details on what had happened to Rarity, but she knew that it continued to eat at her and she feared a desire for some kind of payback would cloud her judgment. “You’ll look after Dash for me, won’t you?” she asked Soarin one day when he dropped by to check out the farm. “Crash? Really? You should know by now she’s got ten times as much skill as me.” “Yeah, but not a lick of your common sense.” Applejack recognized that Soarin had to work a lot harder than Rainbow for what he’d accomplished, and she felt that it made him more respectful of it. “Ten times seems like an exaggeration, by the way.” Soarin grinned. His eyes roamed over her face merrily. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her for you, Jackie. And thanks.” Applejack smiled and waved as he flew off, then frowned quizzically at Dr. Whooves “Jackie??? ” Dr. Whooves laughed knowingly. One night after bringing Midnight Strike in for some stitches of her own, Soarin offered to walk AJ home again and it soon became their routine; a routine she found herself looking forward to warmly. If she was running late he waited. “Miss Applejack, your gentlecolt friend is here for you,” Dr. Spring Flight would announce with old fashioned formality, making her and Lyra chuckle. He carried her saddle bags for her, and she filled him in on what was happening at the farm and the hospital. She found that he was an excellent listener, asking good questions and giving good advice when asked. When she felt especially tired or stressed he soothed her nerves with funny, often self deprecating stories and jokes. Sometimes the dark and quiet path inspired confidences, and they both shared some things they had never told another pony. On the nights when Soarin was uncharacteristically quiet, AJ knew that the day’s mission must have been especially difficult or sorrowful. She would bump her shoulder gently against his, like he had done for her that first night, that first walk home, and he always smiled then and bumped her back. Her walk to the farm in the morning always took her by the Wonderbolts training grounds, where they were usually doing wing-ups as part of their morning training session. Soarin had the spot closest to the path and Applejack always gave him a little wave. He responded with a grin and a wink and a flex of his muscles. It was silly and goofy but it made her laugh, ducking her head a bit to hide her blush. “Oh, AJ,” Spitfire chuckled to her one day. “If only everypony on my team was as concerned with impressing you as Soarin. I’d have you run the drills and we’d really see some results.” Applejack was a little flustered. “Well, ah... I think since he was the one to rescue me, he takes an interest in my well being.” Down went Spitfire’s sunglasses. Up went her eyebrow. “You know he saved Dr. Whooves too, right? And old Mrs. Meadowlark? And they walk by nearly as often as you? But he never seems to notice them. I don’t think he’s ever asked me if I think Dr. Whooves looks sad. And I know I’ve never caught him turning his head to check out Mrs. Meadowlark’s flank.” Applejack smirked a little. “Well, in all fairness to Mrs. Meadowlark, her flank’s a good 60, 65 years older than mine.” Spitfire barked a laugh. “At least! She’s out there every morning, though, taking her stroll.” “Bless her heart.” “Bet she was a real looker back in the day.” “I don’t doubt it.” Applejack wasn’t exactly sure what all to make of this new information about Soarin. But she also wasn’t above swishing her tail a bit the next time she went by. Sneaking a quick peek over her shoulder: yep, he noticed. Well, how about that, she mused. “Soarin’s birthday is this weekend and Luna and Spitfire are giving everypony the whole night and the next morning off to celebrate!” Rainbow Dash told her excitedly one morning before breakfast . “You totally have to come! I already asked Mrs. Shy to take Scoots for the night. It’s going to be so awesome!” Applejack yawned as she wound her mane up in a loose bun. “That sounds nice Sugarcube. I’ll just have to see how things are at the hospital that night.” “Nuh-uh. The hospital will be fine without you. You are coming to this party.” She hooked a leg around AJ’s neck and pulled her closer. “I know for a fact Soarin really wants you there...Jackie.” “I said I’ll try, Dash.” Applejack’s cheeks turned rosy. “I think Soarin has a big crush on you, Applejack,” piped up Scootaloo. “He’s always trying to make you smile. He brought you that hot cocoa the other day -“ “That was for all of us!” “But he drew your cutie Mark on the box. And when he walks you home he always waits until you’re inside before he leaves.” “When he walks me home you should be sleeping, Missy!” Applejack flicked her with a dish towel. Rainbow Dash cackled. “Looks to me like the feelings are definitely mutual!” “You should definitely go to the party.” Scootaloo added eagerly. “And then maybe you and Soarin will get married and he’ll come and live with us.” “You are getting wayyyy ahead of yourself. I will try to go to that party. Now eat your breakfast. And Dash, it’s high time you get out of my mane and go be Spitfire’s problem for a while.” When Soarin walked her home the night before his birthday he told her he planned to leave the party for a while in order to meet her at the hospital and escort her back. “Dash says it’s the only way to make sure you come.” “Absolutely no.” Applejack shook her head. “You ain’t leaving your own birthday party on my account. I said I’d be there and I will.” He gave her an exaggeratedly suspicious look. “She said you only said you’d try to make it.” “Look, I didn’t promise Dash but I’m promising you. Ain’t I still the most honest pony in Equestria? Who’re you going to trust?” “I trust you, of course. I’m just making extra sure! It wouldn’t be the same without you.” He grinned at her and then added as an afterthought “You trust me too, right?” “More than anypony.” It popped out before she had even thought about it, before she even realized how much she meant it, and she felt suddenly exposed, like she’d said too much. They had slowed to a stop in front of Rainbow’s place and Soarin was now staring at her with a strangely emotional expression. Applejack panicked and jerked her saddle bags off his back and tossed them over her shoulder. “I-better-hit-the-hay-thanks-for-the-walk-Sugarcube!” she said hurriedly. “Applejack?” His wings fluttered forward as though he were reaching for her. “See-you-at-the-party!” She found herself pressing a kiss to his cheek, which she’d certainly never done before, then she bolted through the door, closing it loudly behind her. For a moment she stood just inside, taking a few deep breaths. Her bags slid to the floor. “Why did I get so weird!?” she cringed in the pitch darkness. To which a cheerful voice replied “He’s still standing there if you want to go back out and try again.” “SCOOTALOO!!!” The night of the party followed a long day at both the farm and the hospital. Lyra agreed to go with her, but started to look a little wary as they approached. “C’mon, Sugarcube,” she encouraged. “I bet this will turn out real good for both of us.” As it turned out, she was right, though ‘good’ didn’t even begin to describe it. Lyra ended up going home with Misty Fly. And as for Applejack? She’d ordered, and Luna had approved, a soft rain for the benefit of the farm to take place early the morning after the party and that was the peaceful sound to which she awoke. Applejack was just too accustomed to rising early and it happened even if she had nowhere to be, no matter how late she’d stayed up. Or how thoroughly she’d been made love to. Apparently, it was the same for Soarin, because she could feel him begin to shift and stretch, and then run his wing lightly up and down her side. She turned her head and kissed him lightly under the chin. “Morning, Sugarcube.” “Morning, Jackie.” Soarin brushed her mane away from her face and licked her cheek gently. “I’m hoping this rain means you don’t have to get up right away?” “That’s right.” She pressed back against his chest. “I will check in at the hospital and go pick up Scootaloo.... not ‘til later though.” Soarin rubbed against her suggestively. “Much later?” Reactions to Applejack and Soarin becoming a couple ranged from Mrs. Shy’s blushing “Well done, Applejack!” to Fleetfoot’s “About fucking time.” Shining Armor told AJ “I’ve known Soarin for a while and I think he’s a really good stallion. But if that ever changes, you let me know and I’ll take care of it for you.” Applejack was hardly the type of pony to need assistance with such matters but she just thanked him kindly and patted his back. Part of Shining Armor would always be a protective big brother. And part of her felt nice being somepony’s little sister again for a minute. Soarin came for dinner as often as he could, playing with Scootaloo or helping her with her homework while AJ cooked. Night flights were starting up again, but when he didn’t have to fly he still met her after her shift at the hospital. Now though, they detoured by his place for some private time before he escorted her the rest of the way home. Sometimes though, after the sex, Applejack couldn’t resist falling asleep in his embrace. She slept wonderfully like that, dreamless and peaceful and something that felt suspiciously like happy. Soarin liked to watch her sleeping; he fought his own sleep as long as he could for the satisfaction of holding her close and gazing at her relaxed expression and knowing he had given her that contentment and security. “Why don’t you just ask him to come live with us?” Rainbow Dash asked “We can easily add on to this place so you have a little space of your own. It’s not like Scootaloo doesn’t know what you’re up to when you go to his place.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Applejack lobbed a pillow at her head half-heartedly. “Moving in is a big step. We haven’t even been together all that long.” “But if it’s something you both want who cares how long it’s been?” Rainbow Dash frowned sadly. “How many of our friends were waiting for the ‘right time’ time to do something before they died?” She opened her mouth to respond but Rainbow cut her off. “Anyway I suppose you could always move in with him. My place is way cooler though. And Scootaloo would be bummed if you left. It’s been good for her, always having at least one of us around.” Applejack lay awake for a long time that night turning over Rainbow’s comment about their friends in her head. She felt like she was missing something important. Now that the farm was producing in earnest, Luna had arranged for a free community breakfast to be served at the Cloudeseum each day. Ponies took it in turns to cook and to serve, and leftovers were sent home and shared. It was Applejack’s turn to serve the day a detachment of Wonderbolts left early for the area around what had been Las Pegasus. A detachment including Rainbow Dash and Soarin. It was a long flight there and back and they weren’t due back until late in the evening. Which is why the sudden burst of activity in and out of Wonderbolts HQ had her so concerned. She could see it all through the wide picture window, and she kept trying to ignore it, trying to tell herself it was just one of the remaining squadrons training, running over some drills. It’s such a nice day, maybe Scootaloo and I can eat outside tonight,she told herself, studiously avoiding the window and ignoring the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. A sudden commotion near the door caused her to turn her head. It was Soarin, still in his flight suit, scanning the room for her anxiously. I am not going to cry in front of everypony. She set down the tray she was holding, carefully and deliberately , and started to make her way toward him. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. When he spotted her Soarin swooped forward with his wings outstretched in a placating gesture. “She’s alive,” were the first words out of his mouth. “She’s alive.” Applejack repeated. “But?” “They’re waiting for us at the hospital.” She could hear the sounds of things smashing and breaking, and Rainbow’s voice shrieking and cursing as they drew closer. The crowd of Wonderbolts in the hallway parted to let her through. What she saw inside made her want to scream and cry and smash things too. Dash’s left wing had been torn completely off, only a deep angry scratch from a fearsome claw left behind, still raw and bleeding. Dr. Spring Flight was struggling to clean the wound while Thunderlane and Fleetfoot tried to hold her down; she was fighting all three of them with wild fury. The doctor spotted her and threw down his supplies with uncharacteristic exasperation. “Applejack, if she does not let me clean and bandage this the risk of infection is extremely high. You’ve seen it happen before, you tell her!” Everyone had now turned to look at her; even Rainbow lifted her head to stare, her sides heaving, tears streaming down her face. There was a brief silence where all they could hear was Dash’s gasping breaths, and then Spitfire put her hoof through the wall, startling everypony. “Doctor, I will take care of this.” Applejack said with far more authority than she felt. “Y’all go on and leave us alone now.” Soarin was hanging his head as he left but she caught Blaze’s attention and whispered “Send for Shining Armor.” Rainbow Dash followed her every movement as she approached slowly, a wild look in her eyes. Applejack climbed up on the bed next to her, never breaking eye contact, and reached out her hooves. Sniveling and whimpering like a wounded animal, Rainbow Dash crawled over and curled up in a tight ball against Applejack’s chest. She put her remaining wing over her head. Applejack just lay still and held her without speaking. In a short while, she saw the door open silently and Shining Armor looked in. His horn, and Rainbow Dash, glowed with his soft pink magic. Applejack waited until she felt her friend’s breath even out, her heart rate return to normal, until she was sure she was peacefully unconscious, then she nodded at him. Shining entered, followed by Lyra. Applejack slipped off the bed. She and Lyra begin to tend to Rainbow’s wound, while Shining tenderly wiped her blood from Applejack’s coat.