Big Mac rested against a golden delicious tree. The day’s work took its toll on the stallion, but he was used to it. He’d been working alone for over a month now and was happy that his little sister was home.
He got to his hooves and began to walk toward the library. A cool breeze comforted his sweaty coat as he lumbered along. As much as he wanted to know how Applejack was doing, he knew she wasn’t going anywhere. He’d find her right where he left her.
The road into Ponyville was busier as ponies were returning from the market. Big Mac paid little attention to them except to get around a few slow-moving groups.
It didn’t appear to rain soon, but Big Mac knew that could change at any time. His thoughts returned to the farm, and he created a mental checklist of duties he would work on should it rain.
When he arrived at the library, he took a deep breath before knocking.
He waited patiently, knowing that Spike would open soon enough.
“Hey, Big Mac,” Spike said, “Come on in.”
Big Mac nodded and smiled at Twilight.
“Any word,” he asked.
Twilight nodded, “Yes. I was able to confirm that the energy still inside of her was stable. The problem is I don’t know if it will flare up again or how soon.”
She waved Big Mac over to the couch.
“She looks fine to me,” he said.
“On the outside,” Twilight said, “She’s perfectly healthy. She’s healthy on the inside as well. The problem is the trapped energy. Being trapped so close to vital organs means it’s too dangerous to try and dispel.”
“What’re you getting at,” Big Mac asked, “Can she go home?”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Twilight said, “I don’t want to keep her here forever, but I think she should stay. At least overnight.”
Big Mac nodded, “Okay. You know what’s best. I’ll come by tomorrow to check on her.”
Twilight smiled, “That sounds great. She should be awake, and I’ll bet she’ll be eager to get back to work.”
“I think so, too,” Big Mac said.
He turned to leave and said, “Thanks for taking care of her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Twilight smiled and nodded, “I’m happy to help a friend.”
Spike let Big Mac out and closed the door.
“He looked tired,” he said.
Twilight sighed, “I can imagine. He’s probably the only pony capable of working the farm right now.”
“Still, it probably distracts him from everything,” Twilight said, “I’ll do another quick scan before dinner.”
Spike nodded and entered the kitchen.
Twilight began scanning Applejack and noticed the energy growing stronger, so she focused the scan for any patterns. The energy felt familiar, and she recognized it as the spell from the Storm Mansion.
Pushing the memory aside, she focused the scan on the energy. It continued to grow stronger, and Twilight realized the reason too late.
“There’s not a lot of food here,” Spike said, entering the main room, “I haven’t done any grocery shopping...”
“Spike,” Twilight shouted, “Take cover.”
The young dragon ran to Applejack and gasped as the earth pony began to glow.
“Spike,” Twilight called, but the dragon was transfixed on Applejack.
“What is this,” he asked.
The room suddenly lit up as the magical energy within Applejack was released.
The blast was powerful enough to knock away the nearby tables and chairs, but all the energy focused on Spike, who remained standing.
“Spike,” Twilight asked, “You okay?”
“Okay,” Spike said, “I feel awesome. What was that?”
“The energy inside of Applejack,” Twilight said, “I should have noticed that it was feeding off the magic I was using to scan her. This is my fault.”
Spike laughed, “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know.”
“Maybe,” Twilight said, “But I should have been careful. Get me some paper so that I can note this down.”
Spike nodded, “Okay, let’s do it.”
He grabbed the writing supplies and turned to Twilight, who shrieked when she saw the dragon.
“Spike,” she shouted, “Your eyes.”
Spike tilted his head in confusion, “What’s wrong with them?”
Twilight levitated a mirror to Spike, who smiled at his reflection.
His usually vivid green eyes now burned brightly with pure magical energy.
“Well,” he said, “That’s new.”
He laughed, walked to a table, and set the quill and parchment on the table.
Twilight was still stunned by Spike’s sudden change, that she hadn’t fully processed everything.
He studied his reflection and smiled.
“This is weird,” he said, “But I also feel weird.”
Twilight snapped from her stupor and turned him around.
“How do you feel,” she asked.
Spike shrugged, “I dunno. I feel like I’ve had too much coffee. Like, I have a ton of energy, but I’m not jittery.”
Twilight glanced at Applejack and back to Spike.
“So,” she began, “You were able to absorb the energy that she released. Was it because you’re a dragon? Could you have absorbed the magic in the mansion?”
Spike sighed, “Great. You mean I could have saved Applejack instead of being useless?”
Twilight hugged Spike, “Stop thinking like that. You did the right thing, and even if I knew that you could absorb the energy, there was no way that I would put you in harm’s way.”
Spike nodded, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll get your coffee. Looks like it’ll be another all-nighter.”
Twilight smiled as the dragon walked toward the kitchen. The smile vanished when he fell over.
---
“All right, kid,” Rainbow Dash said, “Let’s get you home.”
She glanced back to her kitchen table where the books still were and laughed.
“I guess Fluttershy was right. Taking a nap does help.”
Rainbow returned her attention to Scootaloo. She nudged her, and the young girl began to stir.
“Uh,” Scootaloo groaned, “What time is it?”
She looked around, confused for a moment, before becoming scared.
“Mom,” she called, “Where are you?”
Before Rainbow could react, Scootaloo ran toward the front door.
“Mom,” Scootaloo cried, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bad pony. Come back!”
Her blind panic caused her to forget where she was, and she nearly ran off the clouds that made up Rainbow’s home.
Rainbow Dash lived up to her name as she caught Scootaloo just as the girl was about to fall.
“Hey,” Rainbow said, “Take it easy. Your mom didn’t bail on you.”
Scootaloo struggled against Rainbow Dash, but it was a futile effort. She broke down and began to cry.
“I knew it,” she whimpered, “I’m a bad pony, and my mom doesn’t want me anymore.”
“Oh boy,” Rainbow said, “Okay, I can handle this.”
She carried Scootaloo back inside, closed and locked the door, and sat her on the couch.
“Scootaloo,” Rainbow said, “Look at me.”
Scootaloo nodded, “Okay.”
She wiped her eyes, “Why did my mom leave me?”
“Hey,” Rainbow said, “She didn’t bail on you. You were taking a nap, and I told her to leave you here. I woke you up because it’s time for you to go home.”
“Back to the orphanage,” Scootaloo said, crestfallen.
“No. To Fluttershy’s. She didn’t want to leave you here, but I insisted. It’s getting close to dinnertime, and I bet she’s got something really good in mind.”
Scootaloo smiled weakly, “So, she still wants me?”
Rainbow laughed, “Trust me, kid, there’s nothing in the world that’ll make her give you up. You two are a family, now and forever.”
“Thanks,” Scootaloo said, “Sorry for freaking out like that.”
Rainbow waved a hoof in the air, “Don’t sweat it. You got a lot on your mind. You’re probably still thinking about what my mom said, but don’t sweat it. Nopony will let you be like Grey.”
An uncomfortable silence fell, and the ponies made their way to the door.
“Rainbow,” Scootaloo asked.
“Yeah?”
“Why did you set her up with him?”
Rainbow Dash froze. Her first thoughts returned to a nightmare she had weeks ago.
I wanted her to leave me alone. I hated her, okay? I never wanted to be her protector or savior.
She smiled at Scootaloo, “I thought she could use a special somepony, and Grey had us all fooled.”
Scootaloo nodded, “That’s what mom said.”
“What’s that?”
“She said that Grey could be charming when he wanted to.”
Rainbow sighed, “Yeah, I wish I could have seen through it.”
She opened the door and said, “Okay, kid. Hop on. Time for some real flying.”
Scootaloo glared at Rainbow for a moment before climbing onto her back.
Once Rainbow was certain Scootaloo was secure, she ran and dove from the cloud.
Panic welled up inside Scootaloo as the ground got closer with each passing moment. She wanted to close her eyes but gritted her teeth and kept looking forward.
Rainbow had done this dive several times, and this would be no different. With practiced grace, she flared her wings into position, allowing her to spiral into an ascent. She quickly ascended to the height of her home, paused for a moment, and then took off toward Fluttershy’s cottage.
All this time, Scootaloo kept her death grip on Rainbow’s neck. She wanted to shout in excitement, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Once Rainbow began to fly straight, Scootaloo began to think back to how Fluttershy flew.
There was something comforting with Fluttershy’s flying, and as much fun as she was having, Scootaloo looked forward to flying with Fluttershy again.
It didn’t take long before Rainbow arrived at the cottage, and Scootaloo jumped off as soon as they landed.
Rainbow smiled as the young girl ran inside.
Inside, Fluttershy was sitting at the dinner table reading a novel she borrowed from Rarity. She enjoyed a slowly cooling cup of tea and smiled as she heard her front door open.
“Mom,” Scootaloo called out, running toward the stairs.
“Over here,” Fluttershy said, “In the kitchen.”
Scootaloo skidded to a halt and ran to the kitchen. As soon as she saw Fluttershy, she nearly tackled her with a hug.
Fluttershy giggled, “I missed you, too.”
Scootaloo smiled, “What’s for dinner?”
“A surprise,” Fluttershy said, “Have you washed up?”
Scootaloo sighed, “I’ll be right back.”
She ran up the stairs and waved at Rainbow Dash.
“She’s a good kid,” Rainbow said, joining Fluttershy.
“Thanks for taking care of her,” Fluttershy said.
Rainbow Dash laughed, “It was easy since we were both sleeping.”
“You just woke up,” Fluttershy asked, “I hope Scootaloo doesn’t have trouble falling asleep.”
“Don’t worry,” Rainbow said, “I think I can help you out with that.”
---
Scootaloo quickly and messily washed her face. She thought back to the night before and considered taking a bath before dinner.
“Nah,” she said, drying her face, “Maybe before I go to bed.”
Scootaloo ran down the stairs and hopped onto a chair.
Fluttershy was serving a casserole and a salad.
“What’s this,” Scootaloo asked.
Fluttershy smiled, “It’s a family recipe. The only one my mother taught me, but it’s really good.”
Scootaloo took a cautious bite and began to happily eat her meal.
The pegasi all ate in a comfortable, happy silence.
---
“Twilight,” Spike protested, “I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy.”
“And that’s not normal,” Twilight said, “I have to know what happened, so I’ll ask you again, how did you feel right before you fell?”
“I don’t know,” Spike said, “One second, I was feeling super energetic, and the next, it was like walking through sand.”
“I think the magical energy you absorbed doesn’t last very long,” Twilight said, “Your eyes are back to normal, too.”
She helped Spike back to his feet, “You should be okay, but I don’t want you near Applejack for a while. I don’t know what effects it might have on you.”
Spike nodded, “You got it. I’ll get your coffee on a tray.”
Twilight smiled, “That’s my number one assistant.”
Once Spike entered the kitchen, she returned to Applejack and began to write down what she could. He was right. She was up for a long night.
---
“Well,” Rainbow said, laughing, “I might not be able to fly home after that meal.”
“That was good,” Scootaloo said.
She looked around and asked, “Where’s the basket Pinkie gave us?”
“I think it’s back at my place,” Rainbow said, “We kind of left in a hurry.”
Scootaloo sunk into her chair, “Aww man, I could really go for a cupcake right now.”
Fluttershy smiled, “Dessert does sound lovely, but I don’t have everything I would need to bake something. I have an idea.”
“Oh,” Scootaloo asked, “What is it?”
Fluttershy walked to the counter and opened a small bag. She fished out some bits and passed them to Scootaloo.
“What’s this for,” the young girl asked.
“Well,” Fluttershy said, “As long as you’re careful, I don’t see why you can’t go to Sugarcube Corner for your dessert.”
Scootaloo hopped off the chair, “Really?”
Fluttershy nodded and smiled as Scootaloo ran out of the cottage, followed by the familiar sound of a certain red scooter taking off.
“She is a good girl,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah, she is,” Rainbow said, “But don’t go spoiling her. The last thing you want is another Angel.”
This prompted the white rabbit to sit up from his cushion, and he glared at Rainbow Dash.
“Well,” Rainbow asked, “You gonna just look at me, or are you gonna do something about it?”
Angel continued to glare at the blue pegasus, weighing his option, before shrugging his shoulders and laying back down.
“That’s right,” Rainbow said before returning her attention to Fluttershy.
“Hey,” she said, “There’s something I should tell you.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, “What’s that?”
Rainbow scratched the back of her head, “I’m not sure how to say this, and I’m not even sure if I should.”
Fluttershy placed a hoof on Rainbow’s, “Is this about Scootaloo?”
Rainbow nodded.
“Then I want to know,” Fluttershy said.
“Okay,” Rainbow said, “When I woke her up to come back here, she freaked out.”
“Why,” Fluttershy asked, “She knew where she was, and that...”
She paused before asking, “Was it because she couldn’t find me?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “How’d you know?”
Fluttershy smiled softly, “Because I was like that, too. Sometimes, I would be scared that my parents had left me when I woke up from a nap.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “But let’s be honest here, your parents were jerks.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy scolded, “They may not be perfect, but they are still my parents.”
“Heard it all before, Shy,” Rainbow said, “They’re still jerks. What I’m getting at is you had a reason to think your parents bailed on you. Scootaloo doesn’t.”
“No,” she continued, “I think it’s because of what my mom told her. She’s got it in her head that she’s a bad pony and will wind up just like her Grey.”
Fluttershy cleared the table and placed the dishes in the sink.
“I’ll have a talk with her,” she said, “But I don’t think I’ll be able to convince her.”
She looked outside and said, “All I can do is be here for her. She’s my daughter, and I will make sure that she knows that.”
Rainbow leaned back and smiled, “Yeah, I knew you’d be a natural at this.”
Fluttershy sat back down and said, “But now it’s time for us to talk.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “I know. How’d you do it? I can’t get much sleep because of it.”
“Well,” Fluttershy said, “I had you. You were always there for me, and now I can finally repay you.”
Rainbow Dash smiled, “I guess so. Well, let’s get to it.”
Fluttershy nodded and waited patiently.
“What do I do,” Rainbow asked, “Mom asked me some questions, but how do you want to do this?”
“Well,” Fluttershy said, “I’m not a doctor, so just tell me the first thing that pops into your mind.”
Rainbow nodded, “I keep thinking about how weak I was to get caught like that.”
Before Fluttershy could respond, Rainbow continued, “I get it. You know, in my head, I know that Grey got me by surprise and had the leverage, but I keep thinking that I should have been more careful.”
“And now you think you have to watch every corner or shadow,” Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow nodded, “I know it doesn’t make any sense. We’ve lived in Ponyville for years, and nothing like this happened. Heck, you just let Scootaloo go to town on her own because it’s safe here.”
She smiled sheepishly at Fluttershy and said, “This is the part where you say the right thing, and it’s all back to the way things were.”
Fluttershy slowly shook her head.
Rainbow sighed, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’ll just have to live with it, don’t I?”
“Remember Mr. Stork,” Fluttershy asked.
“Shy, how many animals have you taken care of, and how many do you think I remember,” Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy giggled, “That’s a good point. A few years ago, I was taking care of a stork. He was flying through the Everfree Forest and was caught in a sudden storm.”
Rainbow stared at the table as she tried to remember. Freak storms from the Everfree Forest weren’t common, so she had a better reference to try and remember.
She suddenly lifted her head, “Was that the bird you had to operate on?”
Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, the poor thing was knocked into the trees, and the branches mangled his wing. I had no choice but to remove the wing.”
“So what’re you getting at, Shy,” Rainbow asked.
“It took a long time for Mr. Stork to get used to being unable to fly anymore. He was so upset, but he eventually accepted his new life.”
Rainbow sighed, “Is that it? I have to live with nightmares and being paranoid?”
Fluttershy gently placed a hoof on Rainbow’s cheek, “For now, yes, but it will get easier as time goes on. It’ll never go away, and you’ll have bad days. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know you will,” Rainbow said, “And I think I should finally use that journal Twilight gave me. It might help.”
“A diary helped me out a lot,” Fluttershy said, “May I make a suggestion?”
Rainbow laughed, “Just say what’s on your mind.”
Fluttershy smiled, “Don’t treat the journal like homework. Write down your thoughts and see where they take you.”
“And what if I don’t feel like writing about something,” Rainbow asked.
“Think about why you don’t feel about writing it, and ask yourself if it’s something that we can talk about.”
Rainbow nodded thoughtfully, “Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Shy.”
She got up and said, “I better get to work on that plan.”
“Plan,” Fluttershy asked, “What plan?”
Rainbow Dash winked at Fluttershy, “You’ll see. Just make sure that you and Scootaloo are on your bridge tonight.”
She didn’t wait for Fluttershy to respond before leaving.
Fluttershy smiled as her old friend left the cottage, comfortable knowing that she could finally repay the loyalty she was shown.
She hummed a happy tune as she washed the dishes and waited for Scootaloo to return.
---
Scootaloo parked her scooter in its usual spot and ran inside the bakery.
Pinkie Pie was cleaning up some tables and had her back to the door.
“Just a second, Scootaloo,” Pinkie shouted, “I’ll be right there.”
Scootaloo hopped on a stool and muttered, “How does she do that?”
“It’s a gift,” Pinkie said, now behind the counter, “What’s up?”
“How’d you do that,” Scootaloo asked, “Weren’t you over there?”
Pinkie nodded, “I sure was, and now I’m right here.”
Scootaloo smiled, “Okay. I’d like a cupcake.”
“One cupcake coming up,” Pinkie said.
She placed the cupcake on the counter, “And don’t think about paying for it. This cupcake qualifies for the Silly-Pony-Who-Forgot-Their-Special-Basket-At-Rainbow’s discount.”
Scootaloo stared blankly at Pinkie for a moment before saying, “That’s a lot of words.”
“And a lot of hyphens,” Pinkie said, giggling, “Now eat up. You don’t want to get caught in the rain.”
“I didn’t know about any rain,” Scootaloo said.
She ate her cupcake but waited for Pinkie to go to the kitchen.
A grin appeared on her face as she quietly placed her bits next to the plate and ran out of the bakery.
Scootaloo felt quite proud of her sneakiness and grabbed her scooter.
“You don’t seem to listen too well, do you,” Pinkie asked, standing before Scootaloo.
“What,” Scootaloo stammered, “How’d you get here?”
Pinkie didn’t answer. Instead, she handed the bits back to Scootaloo and gave her a bag.
“What’s this,” Scootaloo asked.
Pinkie narrowed her eyes at Scootaloo, “Your punishment for ignoring the discount.”
The young girl shivered and asked, “What’s the punishment?”
The pink party pony continued to stare at Scootaloo before smiling broadly.
“A couple of fudge brownies for you and Flutters,” Pinkie said, “Now get going, and always respect the discount.”
“I will,” Scootaloo said, dumbfounded, “I promise.”
She took off toward the cottage as fast as her small wings could push her.
“That is one weird pony,” she said.
“You got that right,” a voice whispered.
Scootaloo glanced around but saw nothing.
She shook her head and continued on her way.
---
Applejack slowly stirred and tried to sit up.
“Easy there,” Twilight said, “Don’t get up too fast.”
“Twilight,” Applejack asked, “What happened? How long was I out?”
“Big Mac brought you here after you collapsed at the farm,” Twilight said, “Why didn’t you come here when you felt symptoms?”
Applejack sighed, “I thought it was nothing. At first, I was tired. Then I was having trouble catching my breath.”
She offered a weak smile, “I was coming to see you. I promise.”
Twilight stared flatly at the earth pony, “Yeah, but when it was already too late. The energy still trapped inside of you was released and violently too.”
Applejack winced, “I cause a lot of damage?”
“Not from what Big Mac told me,” Twilight said, “The explosion knocked him down, but he didn’t appear injured when he was here, and before you ask, you’re staying here for the night.”
“And I’m not going to argue with you,” Twilight added, “Your health is too important. The only thing I need to know is what you want for dinner?”
Applejack sighed, “Okay, Twilight. You win, but I’m leaving tomorrow. I can’t let Big Mac do all the work.”
Twilight nodded, “We’ll see. If you’re still stable, I won’t keep you here. If something changes, then you’ll stay.”
“That’s fair,” Applejack said, “Think I’m okay enough to help with dinner?”
“I think Spike can use a hoof,” Twilight said, “But there isn’t much food in the pantry. I’ll need to go shopping tomorrow.”
Applejack got to her hooves and stretched.
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” she said, “I’m sure we can whip something up with what we got.”
“Well,” Twilight said, “Let’s get to it.”
They entered the kitchen, and Spike waved at Applejack.
“Feeling better,” he asked.
“Still standing,” Applejack said, “For now, at least. What do we have to work with?”
Spike pointed to the pantry, and Applejack studied the supplies carefully.
“Looking mighty bare,” she said, “But we can work with this.”
Applejack pointed to the stove, “Spike get the oven going. I got some prep work to do.”
Spike nodded and turned on the oven, “Okay, now what?”
“Now,” Applejack said, “You chop up these.”
She placed various fruits and vegetables in a basket and passed it to Spike.
“What can I do,” Twilight asked.
“Give me a hoof getting a crust ready,” Applejack said.
“Are we making a pie,” Twilight asked.
“Kind of,” Applejack said, “But this will be a meal, not dessert.”
Twilight and Applejack made a crust while Spike cleaned and cut the fruits and vegetables. He had Applejack check his progress, and she told him to chop them a little smaller.
Once everything was prepared, Applejack poured the filling into the pie and covered it with the remaining crust.
“In about an hour,” she said, “We’ll have us our dinner.”
“Thanks,” Twilight said, “But you should be taking it easy.”
“If you really meant that, you would’ve stopped me,” Applejack said.
“She’s not wrong,” Spike said, “Besides, it was either I try to mash something together or go out and eat.”
He pointed to the window, at the pouring rain, “And I’m not going out there tonight.”
Twilight laughed, “Fair point. What should we do while we wait?”
“I say we relax,” Spike said.
Applejack shook her head, “I’ve had enough relaxing. Hey, Twi, can we have a word?”
Spike left the kitchen, “Well, that’s my cue. I gotta check on some stuff in the basement.”
“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight called.
She sat down and asked, “What’s up?”
Applejack sighed, “Look, I’m mighty grateful for you looking after me and all, and I hate to impose on you.”
“But there’s something you want to ask,” Twilight said.
Applejack nodded, “More like I need some advice.”
“Well,” Twilight said, “I might be able to help. What’s the problem?”
Applejack took a breath and paused. She walked to the oven and adjusted the temperature.
She returned to the chair, “It’s about the talk I’m gonna have with Fluttershy. I want to get back together, but I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.”
Twilight smiled, “Are you thinking about how you reacted to what she did?”
“No,” Applejack said, “Don’t get me wrong, that made things worse, but I mean how I behaved before. I was putting too much pressure on her.”
She sighed, “I guess I didn’t realize just how much hurt she was still carrying around.”
“Applejack,” Twilight said, “You may think you put too much pressure on her, and maybe you did. You are the most dependable pony I know, so are you asking for advice, or are you asking me to talk you out of this?”
“I guess a little bit of both,” Applejack said, “I still feel guilty for abandoning her like I did, so a part of me feels like I don’t deserve another chance.”
“You might be right,” Twilight said, “But it’s up to Fluttershy to decide, and I think you should talk to her.”
“Got any ideas,” Applejack asked.
“Nothing you don’t already know,” Twilight said, “Be honest and be patient. It’s all you can do.”
Applejack smiled, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. No point in beating around the bush. I’ll talk to her tomorrow and see what happens.”
“That’s good to hear,” Twilight said, “You know, she stopped by earlier today.”
“Did she,” Applejack asked, “I guess she was surprised to see me laid up like I was.”
Twilight nodded, “She sure was. She wanted to stay, but she had to take care of Scootaloo.”
“Why’d she come by,” Applejack asked.
“She wanted some advice on how to talk to you,” Twilight said.
Applejack smiled softly, “She say anything more?”
Twilight shook her head, “All I know is that she was upset about not being able to talk to you. If you’re stable, I think you should go first thing in the morning.”
Applejack nodded, “That sounds like a fine idea.”
The time passed, and the pie was finished. Applejack carefully removed it from the oven and placed it on the stovetop to cool.
“Let’s let it rest for a few minutes,” she said, “Let’s get Spike.”
The ponies walked to the basement and began to descend the stairs.
“Is the food ready,” Spike called.
“Sure is,” Applejack said, “So you best come and get it.”
Spike ran up the stairs, and the three went to the kitchen.
Twilight cut the pie into equal servings, and they all enjoyed their dinner.
“This is really good,” Spike said, “How’d you figure this out?”
Applejack smiled, “It’s no big deal. Grannie Smith taught me a few quick recipes for when food gets low. Trust me when I tell you that an Apple can make a meal out of just about anything.”
“Well,” Spike said, “This is great.”
They finished their meal, and Spike began washing the dishes.
Applejack and Twilight went to the main room.
“Hey, Twi,” Applejack said, “How bad was it?”
“For now, it sounds worse than it really was,” Twilight said, “But it seems that when the energy is released, it comes with a shockwave. Big Mac said that he was knocked on his flank.”
“Dang,” Applejack said, “Well, I hope it don’t happen while I’m minding the stall.”
“That shouldn’t be an issue. As long as you come by the moment you feel any symptoms,” Twilight said.
“And I mean it,” she added, “I don’t want to hear any stubbornness. Is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Applejack said, “Don’t you worry. I learned my lesson. Didn’t think it would be as bad as it was.”
They sat down on the couch and listened to the rain.
“Twi,” Applejack asked.
“Yeah?”
“You think she’ll want to get back together?”
Twilight smiled, “I think the odds are in your favor. She was upset that she couldn’t talk to you. I think she’s ready.”
“Good,” Applejack said, “I just gotta remember to take things nice and easy.”
“You’ll be fine,” Twilight said, “Just be you and let her be her.”
Applejack nodded and got to her hooves.
“Seems like that meal’s fixing on knocking me out,” she said, “I’ll head up to the guest room.”
Twilight got to her hooves, “Okay, good night, and Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Please wake me up if anything happens.”
“Twi,” Applejack began.
“No buts,” Twilight said, “Promise me that you’ll wake me up if anything happens. I don’t care how minor you think it is. If anything happens, you wake me up.”
Applejack sighed, “I promise. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night,” Twilight said.
Spike entered the main room, “Where’s Applejack?”
“She went to bed, and I need to get to work,” Twilight said.
Spike nodded and placed the tray of snacks on the table.
“The coffee is being made,” he said, “I’m gonna hit the hay, too.”
“Good night, Spike,” Twilight said.
She watched the dragon climb up the stairs and then began to write down everything she could remember about the Storm Mansion spell. She had a long night ahead of her.
---
Scootaloo got to the cottage and ran inside.
“I’m back,” she called, running to the kitchen.
“Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, “You didn’t have to come back. You should have enjoyed your dessert at the bakery.”
“I did,” Scootaloo said, “Pinkie gave me these brownies for the two of us.”
Fluttershy nodded but stopped.
“Did you ignore a discount,” she asked solemnly.
“Uh, yeah,” Scootaloo said, “Didn’t know that was a thing.”
“Oh, it’s a big thing,” Fluttershy said, “Pinkie takes her discounts very seriously, and I bet those brownies are your punishment.”
“What’s with that pony,” Scootaloo asked, “How is giving us brownies a punishment?”
Fluttershy giggled, “It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. You have nothing to be scared of.”
She looked outside when lightning flashed.
“It looks like you got back just in time,” Fluttershy said, “But it’s not raining.”
“Pinkie said that it was going to rain,” Scootaloo said, “Maybe it’s not here yet.”
“Maybe,” Fluttershy said, “Unless...”
She smiled, “Rainbow.”
Fluttershy turned to Scootaloo and said, “Let’s go outside. I think I know what’s going on. Oh, and bring the brownies.”
Scootaloo nodded and followed her mom outside. The pegasi walked to the center of the stone bridge.
“This was her plan,” Fluttershy said.
Scootaloo placed the bag on the floor, “What plan?”
“Rainbow said that she would have a plan for us tonight. Look around.”
Scootaloo turned her gaze upward and saw what Fluttershy meant. All around the cottage was a ring of clouds pouring rain. The cottage, however, enjoyed a clear spot with a view of the night sky.
The stars twinkled, and Luna’s moon shone brightly, but these were not what the pegasi were meant to enjoy.
“Over there,” Fluttershy said, pointing to the field on the other side of the stream.
Fireflies danced and played in the field.
“Wow,” Scootaloo said, “They’re so pretty. Uh, mom?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy asked.
“I was thinking,” Scootaloo said, “If you still want, I’d like to live here. With you.”
Fluttershy hugged Scootaloo and asked, “Of course, I want you to live here, but is this what you really want?”
Scootaloo smiled, “Yeah, I want to be with my mom.”
“That’s wonderful,” Fluttershy said, “I’ll have to get you a room made.”
“My own room,” Scootaloo asked, “Never had that before.”
Fluttershy giggled, “Well, that’ll be a while. It takes time to build something like that.”
“I can’t wait,” Scootaloo said, hopping up and down.”
She settled down, and they watched the fireflies while enjoying their brownies. As they watched, Scootaloo began to nod off, and she soon was fast asleep against Fluttershy.
The yellow pegasus nuzzled Scootaloo gently and carried her inside the cottage.
She carefully climbed the stairs so as not to wake the sleeping pony and placed Scootaloo on the bed.
Fluttershy tucked her in and gently kissed her daughter on the forehead.
“Good night,” Fluttershy whispered as she closed the door.
She turned off all the lights and climbed onto her sofa. Before she drifted to sleep, she smiled, knowing her baby was here to stay.