//------------------------------// // Wings and a Horn // Story: Applecorn // by tokyooranges //------------------------------// "Oh Angel. I'm sorry, it's only for a little while." Fluttershy told her rabbit companion. The rabbit in question was perched on a fencepost with his front paws crossed over his chest and a sullen expression on his face. His mistress was currently scooping out chicken feed and scattering it in front of her large red chicken coop. "I know we had a picnic planned for today, but um, we'll have to postpone it until after I get back from Applejack's. Pinkie said it was important, she sounded worried about her." The rabbit rolled his eyes, unconvinced. He hopped off the fence, dodging the plump white and brown bodies pecking eagerly at the feed on the ground and followed the timid pegasus inside the coop. "Now, um, don't give me that look," Fluttershy said, glancing at him. She then stuck her head into one of the nests and delicately picked up the egg with her mouth. Gently she put it into the basket at her hooves. Angel did the same, having retrieved one from the other side of the coop. "Pinkie might have been acting like her usual goofy self, but she um, wears her heart on her hoof, even when she doesn't think anypony else can tell what she's feeling. Um, at least that's how it seems to me." She said sheepishly, scuffing her hoof on the hay strewn floor. Angel sighed and gave his mistress a look that seemed to say 'if you say so.' He hopped over to gather another egg, as Fluttershy placed another two in the basket. "I do hope that Applejack isn't sick or injured or anything." Fluttershy's gaze swept through the coop making sure that they had not forgotten any of the nests before picking up the basket and trotting out of the coop, Angel hopping beside her. She mumbled a muffled thanks to the chickens. They barely acknowledged her, still pecking happily at the ground. A light breeze began to blow and she could smell a faint trace of the apple orchards on the wind. Back inside her cottage she set the basket of eggs on her counter and looked around, making sure she had taken care of all of her chores for the morning. "I'll be back soon Angel. Be a good boy and watch the house while I'm gone okay? We'll go on that picnic as soon as I get back." The rabbit nodded, still looking a tad sullen. as he watched his mistress leave the cottage. Fluttershy soared over the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, the crisp scent of apples perfuming the early autumn air. Suddenly she heard a strange sound. Startled by the noise, she fled to a low hanging cloud, curling up and making herself as small as equinely possible. The noise continued, but the more she listened to it the less it sounded like anything that might hut her, in fact it sounded like a creature in pain. She couldn't possibly let it suffer. She flew down from the cloud and landed daintily on the ground next to an apple tree. Carefully she trotted through the orchard in the direction of the noise. The closer to it she got, the more it sounded like somepony crying. She quickened her pace, a small knot of worry growing in her chest. She halted abruptly, not 10 hooves away from her, she saw Applejack huddled against Big Macintosh, sobbing into his chest. Briefly she glanced at the wings and horn her friend seemed to have sprouted. These changes to her appearance were not the most shocking thing about her. She had never seen the stubborn farm pony looking so vulnerable before. Her first instinct was to comfort her friend, but she felt she would be invading something extremely private, not meant for equine eyes. She was about to head towards the barn, pretending that she had not seen anything when Big Mac caught her eye. She froze, her wings flaring, ready to take flight at a moment's notice. The large stallion gestured subtly with his head for her to come over. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment before cantering over to her friend. Big Mac gently lifted his hoof from his sister's shoulder and stepped back a couple paces. "Oh, Applejack." Fluttershy said, taking in the mare's appearance. Applejack looked up at Fluttershy, her eyes were red and puffy from crying and long dark trails running down her cheeks showed where tears had flowed freely. Her trademark Stetson was askew and her mane was disheveled, several pieces of hair had come loose from their ties. Her wings looked pathetic, streaked with dirt and some of the feathers were bent at odd angles. "F-fluttershy?" Applejack hiccuped. She gave a hearty sniff and said, "Ah must look a real mess." "Oh no, you look um, nice...?" Fluttershy said, scuffing the ground with a hoof. "You don't have to try and make me feel better Sugar cube." Applejack said, giving a watery chuckle. "But, um, you would look nice once you cleaned up a little, I bet your wings would be especially pretty, just like the pri-" Applejack shot the timid pegasus an angry glare, she quailed beneath it. "These wings are pretty, useless that is. All they do is flop around and get in mah way! Ah can barely move them as it is. The only time they've done anythin' at all is when Pinkie Pie spooked me." She kicked a rock on the ground in frustration and watched as it hit a tree a few hooves away with a satisfying thunk. "I-I'm sorry." She squeaked. "If um, you want, I can help you with your wings." She dipped her head, her long pink mane obscuring most of her face. "No." Applejack said. "Ah can figure this out on my own." "I-if that's how you um want to do it." Fluttershy mumbled. Applejack strained, attempting to force the limp appendages to move, trying to use muscles she had not possessed twenty four hours ago. Fluttershy shook her head, internally berating herself for not being more assertive. She reached out to touch one of the farm pony's bedraggled wings. "Please, let me help. I Know you don't want to accept it, but-" "GET YOUR HOOF OFF MY WING!" Applejack snapped. She felt a strange energy course through her body and a bright red burst of energy sparked from her horn. With a crack like a whip, Fluttershy was sent crashing into a tree. Big Macintosh was at the pegasus's side in a moment, with a shocked expression on his face. Applejack merely stood there, breathing heavily and feeling drained. Had she just done magic? She began to tremble, her mind was racing at a dizzying pace. She did the only thing she could think of when she heard the sound of four sets of hooves cantering towards them. She bolted, thinking only of getting away from them. Twilight Sparkle cantered up to where Fluttershy lay, followed by Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. She glanced up at Big Macintosh. "What happened? Is Fluttershy going to be alright? I just felt a powerful surge of magic. Why does Applejack look like an Alicorn?" The unicorn said this all very quickly. Big Mac opened his mouth and was about to say something, but just as he was about to speak, Fluttershy began to stir. She blinked open her eyes and managed to sit up. "Take it easy Fluttershy, don't push yourself." Twilight said, glad that the timid pegasus seemed to be no worse for wear from whatever had happened to her. "I'm fine, but, um I'm more worried about Applejack, did you um, see her at all?" Fluttershy asked, looking from one pony to another. "I only caught a glimpse of her before she ran off. At least I think I did. It almost looked like she had a horn and wings." Twilight said. "She does. I was only trying to help her fold her wings when she got mad, and um she- I'm sure she didn't mean to launch me into that tree with magic." Fluttershy said, hiding behind her bangs. "She couldn't have meant it." Twilight said. "It was probably an involuntary reaction triggered by stress. But she could be a danger to herself and others if she doesn't get a hold of herself." Rainbow Dash snorted, "How can you just say that she needs to get a hold of herself Twilight! I don't know about you but I'd be pretty freaked about this whole thing." The rainbow maned pegasus said in frustration. "T-that's not what I meant." Twilight said, her ears drooping. "She's got a lot of magic that she has no idea how to control. If she doesn't at least try to calm down, it could keep bursting out of her without any warning. Next time things might not turn out as well as they did this time." "Then why are we still sitting here?!" Rainbow said, a faint trace of worry in her voice. "We should go and find her!" Big Macintosh glanced down at the four mares. "If you want to find her she's probably in the clubhouse that Applebloom and her friends use. Applejack used to hide in there a lot as a filly after our parents passed." "Thanks Big Macintosh." Twilight said. "Eeyup." The red stallion replied. Fluttershy got to her hooves, gingerly testing the weight on her limbs. She would probably have a few bruises in the morning, but was otherwise no worse for wear. "On the way to the clubhouse, I can tell you a little more of what happened. Pinkie Pie probably knows a bit more though." "I Pinkie Promised Applejack I wouldn't say anything until she told you herself." Pinkie Pie said. "But Pinkie dear, we all know already why Applejack wanted to see us in the first place." Rarity said glancing at the party pony. "If there's anything else you know it might help." "I know, but breaking a promise is the fastest way to lose a friend's trust and A.J. is more important at the moment. Let's go find her!" Pinkie Pie said bouncing off through the orchard. "Pinkie's right about Applejack. We need to find her before something else happens." Twilight added. The other four ponies had little choice but to follow the eccentric pony to where Applejack might be.