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// I Finally Get To Stop Typing the Word Dr. 
// Story: My Little Space Empire: Mechs are Magic 
// by Wheezyandbreezy 
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Applejack's injuries to her hand were so extensive that it was declared easier to just give her a new one. Rather than this bothering her though, it gave her a secret joy that her and Rainbow Dash would have matching augmetics. The flesh smiths were annoyed that they'd have to spend even more time in the void, but Twilight made sure they were compensated handsomely. Rank did in fact have its privileges. 

A terribly satisfied Dr Fluttershy strolled casually in to see her newest dismemberment patient. She unconsciously let her hips sway a little more now. Ever since Rainbow Dash had reconciled her to herself she'd been more relaxed, less timid. Not to mention since the incident in space her body had been releasing a lot more endorphins, so she was essentially riding a natural high. She cheerily greeted the friend that her little knight had told her so much about. "And how are we this morning Sir Applejack?"

The knight chuckled. "Shee Oot doc! Y'all can just call me A.J. if ya lahke."

Dr. Fluttershy nodded. "Very well then A.J. and how is the hand?"

"Hurts lahke hell." Applejack said in complete contradiction to her beaming grin.

Fluttershy's smile fell into a concerned grimace. "Oh I'm so sorry umm. . . " She brought up a holographic file. "Umm it says here that. . . " She sighed hard and closed the file. "Sir Applejack, the Viceroy has made it known to me that you've been under the influence of alcohol for a considerable length of time. Do you mind me asking when the last time you imbibed alcohol was?"

Applejack looked embarrassed but still grinned. "Yeah, yeah, ah was havin a bit of a down spell cuz a all the troubles recently. But!" She held her head high, raised her augmetic hand, and gave the doctor a sincere look. "On mah honor, ah haven't had a drop since this happened." She wiggled the hand. 

The doctor gave this new knight the same routine she'd given her little knight. "Good." Her voice lowered an octave. "Because if there's any alcohol in your system it could negatively react with the painkillers you're on and it could stop your heart."

Applejack's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Shucks. Thank fer the warnin." She continued to grin.

Dr. Fluttershy seemed mildly taken aback. "Oh. . . Good then.'' Dr. Fluttershy had been concerned after Twilight had explained a tastefully edited version of Applejack's mental state. So the fact that she actually didn't have any alcohol in her system, and the fact she seemed so chipper just sat odd with her. 

She fiddled with Applejack's I.V. and after a few moments she leaned back and sighed contentedly. "Ah. . . Thanks doc."

Dr. Fluttershy couldn't get over her upbeat demeanor. The way Twilight had described Applejack made it seemed like she'd be even more depressed than Rainbow had been. Try as she might she couldn't keep the smile off of her face; Applejack's grin was just too infectious. "Well you seem to be rather happy for someone who just lost a hand."

Applejack snorted to herself. "Way yell imma liddle high raght now, but to tell y'all the truth it's more a weight off my mahnd if'n ya catch mah drift." The painkillers exacerbated Applejack's already thick ag world drawl.

Dr Fluttershy lowered herself into a seat. "No actually. I don't"

Applejack sat slightly more upright. "Well, ah was all down and out cause ah'd fucked up Dash's arm. Hence the intoxication see?"

Dr Fluttershy thought she understood but couldn't help but clarify. "So now that she's hurt you, you feel all better?"

"Yup! Even stevens." Applejack grinned genuinely. As if she was actually happy she'd been injured.

Dr Fluttershy couldn't help but chuckle at this odd woman. "Well I guess Dash was right. You are a tough one."

Applejack imperceptibly blushed. "Hey! You take it from me, anything she told y'all is a flat out lie." She chuckled with intoxication.

Dr. Fluttershy put on a mock pout. "Oh Don't say that! She's said such nice things about you!"

Applejack's blush crept ever so slowly further onto her face. "Uhh lahk whut?" She chidded herself for fishing for compliments, even from her boo. "Just ta make sure y'all ain't laborin under false pretenses."

Dr Fluttershy smiled. "Well she says you're strong, and brave. That you're a good drinker, and a good fighter." 

"Mmhmm" Was all Applejack could get out. She had to turn her face away. It felt like she was going to burst into flame. 

"That you two have always been the best of friends." She sighed happily. "As far as I can tell you're the person she most respects in the galaxy."

Applejack was silent for a long time. She stared straight ahead in embarrassment. Anyone else would've assumed this fact, but for Applejack it was gigantic news. It took all of her self control not to leap out of her hospital bed and hunt down Rainbow Dash right then and there. Dr. Fluttershy finally noticed the knight's demeanor and asked if she was alright. Applejack had a wide smile on her face, but tears streamed down her cheeks. 

She sniffled lightly and tried to rub them off. "Ahm fine doc. Really ahm." She grabbed the doctor around the neck in an uncomfortable crushing hug. "Ahm just so ha-ha-happy." Dr. Fluttershy managed to extricate herself without being rude and Applejack's tears began to slack. "Ahm sorry. Ahm sorry. These drugs have got me all over the place, it's just. Ah love er so much doc." She looked at the doctor, tears still lingering in her big green eyes. "Ah always have."

Dr Fluttershy's eyes grew in dawning horror. "Oh isn't that nice." She said half-heartedly.

"Ever since ah first saw her, in the battle I mean. Standin there in that bastard's cockpit. I mean she weren't afraid a nothin. It still hurts mah heart all this tahm layter." She put her augmetic hand to her heart. "Ya know what ah mean doc?" Dr Fluttershy had collapsed into her seat and was weeping openly into her hands. Her soul was once again racked with guilt. This woman who had saved her little knight's life more times than the doctor would ever know loved her little knight, and she, a complete stranger, had just stolen her heart right out from under her. Applejack noticed the doctor's tears and shifted in her seat. "Hey doc. Y'all alright?"

Dr Fluttershy took in a long breath and raised her head. "Yes A.J. I'm fine. That was just the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." She broke down again. She couldn't stay here any longer. She quickly walked out of the room and went straight to her quarters. She was startled to see the Viceroy standing there.

In the med bay Applejack's confidence was at an all time high. Her heart felt like it was going to jump right out of her chest if she didn't do something right then. She scrambled out of bed and shakily made her way down the hall. She'd underestimated the effects of the painkillers and was amusingly woozy. She giggled and panted as she stumbled her way down the corridors. She went straight, or as straight as she could in her intoxicated condition, to Rainbow's quarters. When she arrived she found the door open and a very cheery Rainbow Dash just finishing getting dressed. "Oh Applejack! I was just about to come see you!" 

She crossed over to Applejack who was leaning heavily on the doorframe and panting from exertion. Those drugs really messed me up." Applejack thought blearily to herself. She said breathlessly trying not to vomit. "Dash ah got somethin to tell ya." 

Rainbow Dash shook with excitement as she said, "Hold on! Me first me first!" channeling her inner Pinkie Pie.

Applejack took a big breath in. "Yeah, you first. Ah need a minute." Her head was spinning.

Rainbow grabbed Applejack by the shoulder and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "Okay so you know the doctor with the gigantic jugs? Well me and her have gotten you know kinda close these last few weeks and the other day." She made a high pitched howl of joy. "We took her Valkyrie class on a joyride and we joined the void club. FUCKING. UH. UH. UH." She bit her lip and thrust her pelvis forward several times. Applejack's spinning head stopped and started spinning in the other direction. Rainbow released the shoulder and shouted down the corridor, "AH! I'M IN LOVE!!!"

Applejack tried to walk away but the floor rose up to meet her. She hit the deck hard and blacked out. When she woke up her head was pounding and she had to squint to adjust to the light. She opened her eyes and saw each of her friends standing around her bed. "Way to over exert yourself dumbass." Rainbow Dash growled. "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING? Shy didn't give you clearance to leave the med bay! You could've gotten yourself hurt!"

Applejack held her head, but looked Rainbow right in the eye as she said, "You're loud."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and she couldn't stay mad. She rolled her eyes. "Alright. Alright. But seriously A.J. you gotta not scare us like that girl!"

Applejack looked around and saw a pageant of expressions painted on the faces of her friends. Pinkie Pie seemed terribly concerned, Rarity gave her a knowing nod, Dr. Fluttershy wouldn't look at her, but Twilight stared as if she had something important on her mind. Applejack didn't have to be psychic to see she wanted to talk about something. "Yeah, I know, I know." Applejack finally said. "Just wanted to tell ya somethin." All eyes but Rainbow's snapped to Applejack's. 

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Well whatever it was you could've just called. So what was so important A.J.?"

Applejack remembered the words Rainbow had said before she'd passed out and gave Dr. Fluttershy a long look. "Ya know what? Ah can't rightly recall." The rest of the women sagged visibly in silent relief.

Rainbow Dash gave a mirthless laugh. "Well that's just great. Scare us half to death and can't even.~ Can you believe this shit?" She turned to Fluttershy and the doctor gave her a weak smile.

Twilight had waited as long as she could, but she couldn't contain herself any more. "Ladies if you would excuse us. The doctor needs to chastise her patient." Pinkie Pie began to protest but Rarity levitated her out of the room. 

Rainbow seemed confused but made to leave. "Ummm cool. Shy you wanna meet me in my quarters when you're done? Go planetside. Have some fun?" She wiggled her eyebrows. The doctor didn't respond. Rainbow gave her a peck on the lips, she didn't kiss back. Luckily for all involved Rainbow didn't notice and strolled in her usual swaggering gait out of the room. "Don't keep me waiting!" She called out behind her.

Twilight sighed hard. "Goddamned finally." She looked hard at Applejack's face. She was about to begin but Dr. Fluttershy flopped onto the bed crying. "I'm so sorry Applejack! I didn't know!" She wept pathetically in Applejack's lap and Twilight could only look on and sigh in empathy for the both of them. She could feel the emotional turmoil in both of them. Fluttershy was willing at the drop of a shell casing to leave Rainbow and transfer off of the Damocles. Anything for the knight that had saved her little Dashie.

Applejack on the other hand was in a negative feedback loop. She wanted to be mad. She wanted to be pissed. She wanted this woman to be shitty about it. She wanted this woman to be a stuck up cunt that she could hate the guts of. She wanted to challenge this woman to mortal combat for Rainbow's hand. She wanted to want this big titted usurpin ass bitch to fuck off and die. . . But she couldn't. Try as she might, she couldn't be mad at her. And it infuriated her. She raised her augmetic hand and gently laid it on Dr. Fluttershy's head. She snapped her head up in surprise. Applejack was smiling. In spite of the fact that she'd stolen the woman she loved, this woman was smiling. "Don't y'all worry bout it none. Ah missed the harvest. Don't want the crop to go to waste." She pulled Dr. Fluttershy into a gentle hug. The doctor could hear the tears in the knight's voice. "Take good care a her for me. Okay?"

Dr. Fluttershy grabbed Applejack and squeezed her tight. The two sat in this posture for a long moment. Twilight sighed, she still felt bad for her friend, but this was a better resolution than many that could've happened. A large part of her had expected Applejack to challenge her to mortal combat. "Alright, that's out of the way. Next on the agenda, Applejack!" The two disconnected and looked at Twilight in surprise. "Are you willing to work with her?" 

Dr. Fluttershy scrambled to her feet and both her and Applejack breathlessly asked, "What?!"

Twilight looked hard at Applejack. "I need to know that you can successfully work alongside this woman regardless of your personal history."

Applejack shook her head as if not understanding the question. "Twi, y'all are the Viceroy. Literally the head honcho a the whole military. It ain't mah place to tell y'all not to hire someone or not hire someone."

Twilight nodded. "Be that as it may, I still care about you. You're my friend Applejack. I don't want you to have to work with someone you might consciously or unconsciously have an issue with."

Applejack sighed. She turned to Dr. Fluttershy who had stood thunderstruck the entire conversation. "Doc. Ah hate lyin. Ah mean Ah really REALLY hate lyin. So ah won't. Y'all are real nahce. And ah can tell how much R.D. loves ya, and how much y'all love her." She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what needed to be said. "Ah'm jealous. Shame to say but Ah'm jealous as a mule is of a thoroughbred, and Ah'm always gonna be jealous. But Ah don't get ta choose who R.D.'s sweet on." Her face dropped and her voice lowered in sad realization. "Hell. . . She and Ah had fahve years to make a move . . . N. . . Nahther of us did. . ." She shook herself out of her introspection and addressed Twilight. "But if y'all think she's got the rahght fahght in er then Ah'll be happy to have er on the team."

Twilight smiled sadly and turned to the thunderstruck doctor. "And what say you? The empire calls for the hero of the siege of Cloudsdale to once again ride forth in her defence. Will you serve?"

Dr Fluttershy stared hard. She thought of the years of guilt over what she'd done. She remembered the words of her little knight. She thought about how much better Rainbow's life could've been if she hadn't been a pirate. Her face hardened with determination. She put a hand to her sternum and bowed. "I would be honored."

Twilight drew her sword. "Kneel." Dr Fluttershy knelt and she was knighted right there in Applejack's room. She rose and Applejack congratulated her newest comrade. 

They left and Applejack had a moment to think in silence. "Fahve years. . . I had fahve years to make a move."

"Five years or six months. Too late is too late." A soft voice said, startling Applejack out of her reflections. Rarity strolled in and sat down beside the bed. She produced a large bottle of brandy and two glasses. She poured them both a drink and toasted the glasses. 

Applejack stared at the glass in her hand and smiled. "Ah think Ah'd better not. Doctor's orders." She put the glass back down. 

Rarity looked in surprise at Applejack for a long while then smiled. "Suit yourself." She rose and exited the room.

Applejack stared for a long moment and whispered.



"Fahve years."