Fluttershy crawled on the damp soil, holding a hoof out to a small creature. "All right, dear. I know you're scar-ed and hurt-- just- just come here and we can get you all fixed up."
The injured ferret squint his eyes at the bright daylight, hesitantly limping toward Fluttershy beneath the boulder he had scrambled under. Particles of dirt sprinkled down from the bottom of the rock as it shook, "H-hurry up mister ferret."
"Flut-- Fluttershy I need ya to get a move on! Ah can't hold this thing up much longer!"
Applejack groaned as she felt her muscles pulse while tilting the huge stone up. As the ferret limped just within reach, fluttershy scooped it up with her front leg and tucked it under one of her wings, holding it snug against her side. Her breathing was raspy and stuttered while she scrambled to crawl back out from under the rock. "I'm out! I'm out!"
The rock fell back down with a great thud. Applejack fell to her side, sprawling out her aching limbs. Her legs felt like they were rubber and her lungs drew in stinging, coarse air as her body scrambled for oxygen. She tested her muscles out to see if any of them would respond, with only dull pains as a result. The pegasus leaned up against the rock, heart still racing, as she examined her rescued friend.
"It looks like you didn't hurt yourself any more under there. As soon as we get home I can get your leg into a proper cast."
She gently tucked the ferret back under her wing for safe keeping. Fluttershy staggered over near Applejack and carefully lowered herself to the ground. Applejack used what little strength she had to turn herself to face the gentle pony. Her pastel yellow coat was dull and coarse with dirt, and her eyes stared into the distance, unfocused. "You okay, sugarcube?"
Fluttershy blinked before looking back at Applejack. "I'm fine. Just a little shaken." She smiled warmly at the earth pony, "I'm sorry for putting you through so much. You're the only pony who could have helped me."
"I think Big Macintosh coulda lifted it better for ya."
Fluttershy glanced away, "Well, even if he could lift the rock better,” she scratched at the grass sheepishly, “I don't think I would have been able to do it. "
Applejack tipped her head up, looking Fluttershy in eyes, "What makes you say that?"
“I would have just been too scared," Fluttershy mumbled.
Applejack laughed, "It took me almost a minute or so just to get ya to go under there you was so nervous."
Fluttershy turned to face Applejack, "Yes, but you waited for me anyway.” She swept her bangs from her face, “Nopony has ever been as patient with me as you are. Every time I end up holding everypony back, you have always been the one to keep me from being left behind."
Applejack chuckled, breaking eye contact, "Aww, shucks, I'm just doing what I think is right. Always felt wrong to me letting somepony be abandoned like that."
Fluttershy nuzzled the earth pony before standing up, "Still, thank you. I honestly don't think I would be able to do even half of the stuff I can do if it weren't for you.” She grinned bashfully, “Whenever you're around, I just feel like something is actually possible for me."
Applejack felt a faint rush to her cheeks as attempted to stand, "Anyways, I think we otta get goin--"
She stumbled back to the ground, face rubbing into the grass. Fluttershy startled, running over by Applejack’s side. "Oh, let me help. Just try to lean on me."
Applejack slid her legs back underneath herself, looking to Fluttershy “Don’t you need to take care of the critter?”
Fluttershy peeked under her wing, the ferret was fast asleep. “He’ll be okay. It’s just a simple fracture.”
She struggled back to her hooves as Fluttershy spread her other wing over her, gripping the orange pony’s side. Applejack’s heart skipped a beat when she felt the pegasus’s wing hold her. Fluttershy smiled to Applejack, "There we go, just let me know if you need to take a break."
The air around Sweet Apple Acres washed with the scent of apple blossoms. The sun was glowing a piercing orange on the horizon, bathing the orchard in nostalgia. Fluttershy still had her wing around Applejack, steadying the earth pony while they made their way to the front door of the Apple family farmhouse. "Thank ya so much for helping me back here. Guess my legs are more stubborn than me."
Applejack trotted a bit to see how well her legs were recovering. "I think I can handle it from here,” She looked down at her hooves, “Though truth be told, I think I was fine back at the market."
Fluttershy scuffed her front hoof on the ground, grinning sheepishly, "Well, I did kind of know when you stopped leaning on me so hard."
Applejack perked up and looked at Fluttershy as an awkward hush fell between them. She stared around Fluttershy, feeling wind flow through her coat, cool and fresh on her skin. Fluttershy avoided eye contact with the earth pony, kicking up small puffs of dust and passively watching as the wind carried it away. Applejack cracked a chuckle, "Well, I suppose I should probably turn in early tonight. Gotta let my legs recover as much as possible for tomorrow."
"Yes, and this ferret really does need to be tended to."
Applejack stepped toward the door, then hesitated. She turned back around and gave Fluttershy a warm neck-hug, "I really mean it, thanks for walking with me back to my house."
Applejack quietly savored the rough fur of Fluttershy's coat before she broke off and opened her front door, looking back at Fluttershy before going inside, "I really needed it."
Applejack stood quietly behind the closed door, dusting her hooves off in the entryway while trying to collect her thoughts. A series of thumps came from the other room as her little sister ran to her side. "You're back! You're back! I waited hours for you after you went missing but it's okay now!"
The excited filly leaned in to her hug sister affectionately, as if she had expected never to see her again. Applejack smiled as she pat her little sister on the back, looking into the next room where Big Macintosh peacefully enjoyed the scene. "Sorry for bein' so late. Something just sorta... came up."
Applejack smiled down her curious little sister, who asked, "What's the matter? You sound sad. Did you get in a fight with one of your friends again?"
Her big sister looked at her hesitantly, helplessly throwing together something to say. "Well dear, uh- When your friend- I mean-"
She stopped attempting to speak for a moment, took a calming breath, and tried again. "Nothin's wrong or anything, sugar. It's just, like when you've got one of your toys, and you have had it for so long that you think you know all there is to know about it, but then you find out that it's got a secret compartment filled with. Oh, that won't work."
Applejack shook her head, "What I mean to say is that I'm learning things I thought I already knew."
Applebloom pepped up, "Oh! So you found out a friend's secret or something? Did you read a diary? Is that why your friend is mad at you?"
Her sister sighed, "No, Applebloom, I wouldn't- why are you stuck up on the idea I got in a fight, still?" She scratched her hoof on the hardwood floor, "Either ways, I guess you could say that I was keeping some secrets from myself as well."
Applebloom tilted her head, "How can anypony have a secret they don't know about themselves?"
Applejack ruffled her little sister's mane, "It'll make more sense when you're older, kiddo."
She looked back up toward Macintosh, who was leaning on a counter. His face donned an impenetrable smirk and a twinkle in his eye. She chuckled awkwardly in response as she passed him by on the way to her room. Applebloom followed directly behind her big sister until a stern red hoof gently held her back. She glanced up to her big brother, who just smiled and shook his head.
Applejack closed the door to her room and let out a pondering sigh. She shook her hat off onto the nightstand and picked her tail band out, letting her flaxen tail hang free. With a labored grunt, the sore pony slid herself onto her bed, legs still stiff from earlier. "So now what? Back on the way home, I knew what I was doin. Where did that even come from?"
She rolled onto her side and gazed out the window at the last rays of the sunset. "Just felt so right next to her like that. I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the moment. It felt so... natural. Like it was nothing new."
She buried her face into a pillow, "Actually, now that I think about it, she has been pretty close to me for a while. Guess I just didn't think much about it 'till now."
A slow knocking on her door tore Applejack from thoughts. She sat up and tucked her legs under her. "Yeah, come in Macintosh."
The door creaked open as her brother came into the room, gently closing the door behind him. He smiled at his younger sister while he sat on the edge of her bed. "Fluttershy?"
Applejack sighed, then giggled, "Leave it to you to put two and two together."
He chuckled, " 'Secret about yourself?' Half surprised Applebloom didn't catch on."
"Yeah, laugh it up. You know I ain't the most subtle."
She scooched up next to her brother, "'Course, you practically being my living diary, you probably saw it a mile away."
She leaned against her brother, who put his hoof around her. "Earlier today. My legs were all noodly after helpin her out, so she helped me walk home. Used her wing to keep me up. Bout half way I noticed I was good enough to at least walk on my own, but I kept quiet about it."
Applejack cuddled her head into a more comfortable position, "Turns out she knew the whole time. I felt so content next to her. Felt so familiar, like we were long time lovers or somethin'."
Macintosh stroked her arm endearingly, "What makes you so sure you weren't?"
She sat straight up again, looking her brother in his big unassuming eyes, "That, well, the more I think about it, the more it looks like that. Just can’t recall when I actually began to feel, well, romantic towards her, but I can tell it’s nothing new. No way she doesn't feel it too. She knew what was up the whole time and she was awfully bashful to admit it."
She looked down at the floor, "I just don't really know what to do with all this now. Should I just ask her out or somethin? Try to keep this under wraps? Just wait for her to do somethin about this?"
Macintosh removed his arm from his sister, "Think about what you are to her."
She stared at her brother, "What is that supposed to mean?"
He stared back, grinning.
Applejack flopped back on the bed, "Oh, this is all weird now. I'm just glad we ended up living with Granny Smith. Old Grenadier wouldn't have any of this business. Remember when she called you a gelding last time we saw her 'cause you didn't have a filly?"
Macintosh grunted, "Yup."
"She'd probably call me a jackmare. Fillyfooler I can deal with, but not jackmare."
He looked back to his sister, "Least nopony around here would ever call you that. Most wouldn't think any different of you."
Applejack rolled on her side and grabbed her brother, pulling him down onto the bed, hugging him tightly, "I love ya too, bro."
Mac squirmed uncomfortably before surrendering to her death grip. He sighed contently, "Granny Smith sure raised us right, didn't she?"