My worst enemy...
Fanfic by Englishwitch
Chapter 9
Applejack’s jaw dropped as two mud covered fillies trotted up the dirt road toward the farm. Then her teeth clenched and her face tightened in anger. “I don’t believe it!” she yelled. She raced over to Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, who had the gall to look calm and casual at her. “Y’all been fightin’ again! I warned y’all what would happen if you didn’t get along-”
“Relax, Applejack,” Diamond Tiara interrupted, “we weren’t fighting. We just had a little accident.”
“Which wouldn’t have happened if y’all hadn’t tied us together.” Apple Bloom pitched in. It was true, more or less. If Applejack hadn’t bound them to each other Diamond Tiara’s tooth wouldn’t have been broken and they wouldn’t have ended up in the Everfree forest running for their lives.
Diamond nodded her head, “but hay, no worries, it was just one or two little pitfalls”
Apple Bloom smiled, even giggled lightly, “nuthin’ we couldn’t handle.”
Applejack looked at the two of them, neither one was trying to blame the other, it had to be the truth. “What happened to you?”
Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara shared a look. They didn’t want to mention that they’d been in Everfree, or bring up the circumstances which had led them there.
“We’ll explain later,” Diamond said dismissively, “but right now we need a shower. C’mon, Apple Bloom.”
Before Applejack could stop them the two fillies raced off toward the farm house. The adult pony could only stare after them, hardly able to to believe what she’d just seen. Yesterday they’d been at each others throats, now they were getting along. She had expected tying them together to work but not so quickly. They’d only been tied together this morning.
A figure emerged out of the orchard; Filthy Rich. He’d decided to come home early from Barnyard Bargains to see how Diamond Tiara had coped with her night in the cowshed and day being tied to Apple Bloom. “Well...” he smiled at Applejack, “I have to admit, when you told me what your plan was, I thought you’d gone a little crazy. But it worked, it really worked.”
Applejack nodded, her eyes still fixed on the house, which the two fillies had vanished into. “Yeah...it really did.”
...***...
Diamond Tiara massaged the shampoo into her mane while Apple Bloom stood under the shower stream and washed herself. The hot water was welcome on her body, her legs and back were sore and starting to ache.
The muck of the day’s adventure ran off her face, down her legs and away down the drain, carrying her worries with them.
Diamond tugged on the rope gently, “okay, you ready to switch?”
The two ponies traded places, Diamond washed her hair while Apple Bloom started to rub more soap into her fur, there was a little mud being stubborn.
“Hold on,” Diamond tapped her shoulder, “pass me the soap, you missed a spot on your back.”
Apple Bloom passed the cake of soap to Diamond and looked over her shoulder to see the spot she was referring to. “That’s one hard to reach spot,” she explained as Diamond started to scrub the area of her lower back, just above where her flank began. “Ah always struggle to wash it.”
Diamond shook her head lightly, “You should use the shower brush once in a while. That thing hanging on the wall out there,” she pointed toward the shower curtain. Apple Bloom knew beyond was a long-handled wooden brush with soft bristles. “it reaches all the spots you can’t.”
“is that whut that’s for?” Apple Bloom rinsed the soap off her body. “Ah thought it was decoration.”
Diamond Tiara just rolled her eyes and said nothing.
...***...
The two filled shared one large towel to dry themselves off.
“Do your legs hurt?” Diamond asked, “my legs feel stiff.”
Apple Bloom shook her head, but realised that with the towel over their heads they couldn’t see each other. “I’m a little tired but ain’t that bad. But then, you ain’t worked your legs all that hard until today. You’ll be real stiff tomorrow, but after that you’ll really feel better; stronger.”
They separated from the towel, Diamond Tiara took her hairbrush in her left hoof while Apple Bloom pushed her hair into place and grabbed her bow.
“Hold up,” DT stopped her, “You’re just going to put the bow on? No hair brush?”
Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “My Mane’s dry and looks fine, ah jus’ need the bow to keep it outta my eyes.”
Diamond shook her head. “No way,” she grumbled, “I won’t put up with this. If I have to stay tied to you, you need to at least try to look presentable. Turn around, let me show you what a brush can do.”
With a sigh of resignation Apple Bloom decided to surrender, it would be easier to just let Diamond do what she wanted this time rather than listen to, yet another, rant about being forced to live on the farm.
“The key to a good mane,” Diamond explained as she began brushing. Her progress was slow, Apple Bloom had a lot of knots in her hair, “is to brush it at least a hundred times.”
The brush snagged on one large and tight knot. “OW!”
Diamond smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. In your case, lets just try to brush it once,” as carefully as she could she worked the brush free of the tangled mane. “Don’t you have any kind of mane-care routine?”
Apple Bloom looked at Diamond via the mirror. “Ah wash it.”
Diamond looked at her in despair. “Oh dear, you have a lot to learn.”
...***...
“Girls, dinner’s ready.” Applejack called up the stairs. She wondered if the peace between the two fillies had lasted. She hadn’t heard any fighting or arguing in the last couple of hours. Either they were getting along, or they’d knocked each other out. The former would surprise her more than the latter.
She looked back at the table, laid out with a generous meal of oat cakes, salads, hay fries and some fancy thing Filthy had brought home and had insisted on cooking; a vegetable patty made from soybeans, lentils and tofu; he called it Soylent. Filthy said it was good but Applejack didn’t hold with such fancy food.
Filthy was sitting at the table, talking with Granny Smith, "it really was surprising to see them in such a state," he said to the matriarch of the family, "I was certain they'd been fighting. When Applejack asked what happened I expected arguments and blame being thrown around and maybe even more fighting, but no, I saw Diamond smile and the two girls were getting along pleasant as you like."
Granny Smith nodded along, "well shucks, I knew those two could get along, iffn they had the right motivation."
Rich nodded, "well it looks like tying them together really was the best idea." He glanced to Applejack, "I'm sorry I doubted you," he said humbly, "I thought tying them together like that would make things worse, not better."
Applejack shook her head as she took her place at the table. "To tell y'all the truth I didn't think it'd work this well, least wise not this fast. Them two is actin almost like friends now." Then a thought occured to her, "maybe it's a trick. Maybe they're just pretendin to get along so we'll take he rope off em."
Granny Smith gave Applejack a hard look. "Shame on you, young un, thinkin yur own sister capable of bein so devious."
"I ain't sayin she's tryin to be bad Granny," Applejack rushed to explain before Granny Smith got too riled up. The mare was frightening when she was angry, "I'm jus sayin she might try anythin to get herself untied from Diamond Tiara."
Granny opened her mouth to respond but at that second came the sound of hooves coming down the stairs. The conversation quickly died and nopony else could think of anything to say.
Applejack stared at the filly who looked vaguely like her sister. Apple Blooms hair had lost its usual frizzyness, now it was smooth and straight. It had been tied back in a ponytail, her bow holding the whole thing in place.
Diamond Tiara had a bow in her own mane, taking the place of her tiara, which was still missing. It was an old silver coloured bow, smaller than Apple Blooms huge accessory. Applejack recognised it as a bow Apple Bloom had worn for a Hearths warming eve party a few years ago.
What surprised Applejack the most was that the two fillies were still smiling. Without a word of argument they took their seats at the table.
Diamond’s eyes brightened at the sight of the Soylent patties. “My favourite, thank you daddy.”
Rich smiled and nodded, “it’s no problem princess.”
Without saying a word to each other; no trading of information by expressions, body language or any other kind of signal, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara reached across the table with their bound hooves, each took one side of the plate of Soylent patties and lifted over to themselves.
The whole family found themselves staring at the synchronisation that had somehow developed between the two fillies over the course of the day.
Applejack cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. “Well, ah jus’ wanna say we’re all glad y’all managed to learn to get along. How’d y’all manage to put aside your differences so well?”
Apple bloom and Diamond Tiara shared a look. Apple Bloom shrugged. “It ain’t no big thing.”
“yeah,” diamond agreed, “when you’re both stuck in the same problem you have to learn to work together or neither one of you is going to get out of it.”
Filthy Rich tapped his hoof on the table enthusiastically. “hear, hear.” he smiled at his daughter. "who knows, maybe this'll be the first steps in you becoming friends."
"Doubt it!" both fillies chanted at once.
Apple Bloom gave Diamond a sideways glance, "She's still annoyin',"
Diamond gave her the same look. "She's still a loser."
"prissy."
"crybaby."
"Okay." Applejack yelled over them, breaking the argument before it became too heated. "Lets just chow down in peace. If y'all can behave yourselves the rest of the night I'll consider untyin' y'all in the mornin' in time for your chores."
Diamond Tiara's mouth dropped open, "Chores? we still have to do chores?"
Applejack, nodded, "darn right. Y'all got responsibilities and you've been shirkin 'em while y'all been fightin'. We ain't pickin up your slack no more."
Apple Bloom sighed as she helped herself to another portion of Soylent. She'd need the energy for tomorrow
....***...
Dawn. The animals stirred and the farm ponies woke around the same time.
Diamond Tiara stirred, feeling warmth spread through her body, her brain began waking up.
it was an early, unholy, hour when any reasonable pony would still be asleep. Yet, she didn't feel too bad, not as refreshed as she'd like but not as drained and exhausted as she had been the first time she'd been forced to wake up on the Celestia-damn farm.
The smell of cooking rose up through the floor, a large breakfast was already started. Diamond felt her stomach growl. She knew she should get up but the bed was comfortable and the blankets warm and tight.
A flash of red in the corner of her eye. Diamond glanced down and felt her heart stop. Apple Bloom was still asleep, her forelegs were wrapped around Diamond, holding her like a teddy bear. Diamond was doing the same in return; while they'd been asleep they'd hugged each other and hadn't let go.
Diamond shuffled, trying to loose herself from the grip of Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom's eyes snapped open. She looked around for a few seconds before her brain engaged and she realised the situation they were in. They stared at each other, unblinking, for what felt like a whole yeah.
"Uh...hey."
Diamond sighed deeply. "We never talk about this again."
Apple Bloom untangled herself from Diamond Tiara. "Agreed."
They said nothing else, the awkward silence pressed down on them as they prepared themselves for the day ahead. It was preferable to talking about things. More specifically it was preferable to talking about their unusual sleep arrangements.
...***...
The two of them, tied together, descended the stairs and moved to the breakfast table. As always the Apples had laid down a veritable feast. The two fillies began helping themselves to generous portions of hay bacon and hash browns.
“Morning, Diamond Tiara.” Rich smiled at his daughter as he sipped at his coffee.
Diamond actually managed to smile back, a feet she would have thought of as impossible just 24 hours ago. “Good morning, daddy.” she was silenced as she stuffed her mouth with portions of hay bacon.
"Remember Sugar cube," Applejack took her place at the table, "today’s the day ah take off the rope," Both Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara looked pleased to hear that. "but first, y'all got chores."
Apple Bloom jumped up in protest, “AJ, y’all said you’d take the rope off before our chores.”
Applejack nodded, “Ah did say that. Ah admit it. But Filthy agrees that we ain’t really seen y’all workin together on sumthin yet. Y’all said kind works and ain’t been fightin but can y’all work and get along? If y’all do your chores without fightin, then I’ll take the rope off.”
Diamond looked at her father. “Daddy!”
Filthy bit his lip, his face was strained like he was forcing himself to shake his head, “now, Diamond Tiara, Applejack is right, I would like to see how well you can work with Apple Bloom before we end your punishment.”
With a dejected sigh the two fillies finished their meals, Apple Bloom wolfing down her portions with gusto, while Diamond continued to take small, ladylike, bites and chewed properly before swallowing. Both of them wondered if Applejack would shift the goal line again and come up with another excuse to keep them bound.
Diamond glanced at Apple Bloom's gorging and felt her appetite wane. "How long before we can go back home, daddy?"
Filthy laughed lightly, her experiences on the farm hadn't changed his daughter all that much. "Well, it depends sweetie," he sipped his coffee, "our bedrooms weren't damaged by the fire, so if you want you could back in right away," Diamonds eyes brightened, it broke Rich's heart to disappoint her, "but we wouldn't have a kitchen, nothing to eat at all really. The insurance ponies are still making their decision on when to pay, so repair work hasn't started yet. If you want to go home to a half burned, cold house that'll soon turn into a construction site we could do that honey, but if you'd rather wait until everything is repaired then we still have another few weeks here."
"Few weeks?" Diamond's ears flattened against her head. "I don't have to spend another night in the barn do I?"
Applejack chuckled, "S'long as y'all behave yourselves you can stay under this roof and never have to look at 'nother piece of rope again."
...***...
Apple Bloom trotted toward the barn, "Kay, first thing is to feed the pigs," she glanced at Diamond Tiara, "I know you can't go do somethin' else, but y'all don't have to help, you can leave this to me if you want to. I done it by myself lotsa times."
Diamond was surprised, her expression betrayed that much. she thought that being tied like this would have been the perfect time for Apple Bloom to say something like, y'all ain't gots no choice but help me now, no choice no how, y'all, or whatever it was farm pony hicks would say in such a situation.
"No," she sighed, "if I'm stuck here the next few weeks I've got to do this, whether I want to or not."
Apple Bloom was obviously impressed, "Alright, just do what I tell ya and we'll be done before ya know it."
...***...
Apple Bloom pushed the mop back and forth across the kitchen floor while Diamond followed close behind, carrying the bucket of soapy water.
"Ya see, y'all gotta squeeze out the mop every time you dip it in the water, put 'er down." Diamond put the bucket onto the floor and Apple Bloom dunked the mop, "and wash it often, else y'all just spreadin' dirty water."
Diamond nodded along as she surveyed the freshly mopped floor. "You missed a spot." she pointed toward a corner.
Apple Bloom frowned at her. She was suddenly tempted to see how good a mop Diamond Tiara's head would make.
...***...
"Get 'em!" Apple Bloom screamed. the two fillies raced across the field toward two fleeing rabbits. the bunnies grabbed their bounty of carrots and made a run for their holes. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara were right on their heals.
The rabbits made a dive into their warren, Apple Bloom leapt, her hoof outstretched. She slid along the dirt, dragging Diamond Tiara with her. She slid into the warren up to her shoulder. she moved her hoof around the dirt but felt nothing but cold earth.
"Dang it." she growled under her breath.
"Can we go now?" Diamond moaned. she brushed mud off her coat. "before you embarrass us in front of the local wildlife any more?"
Apple Bloom rubbed herself down as she climbed to her hooves. "Yeah, didn't mean to take your job away from you." She snorted through her nose.
Diamond glowered at her, she opened her mouth to throw a few insults at her but she managed to bite her tongue, you never knew if Applejack was listening. She wanted out of her rope by the end of the day, not spending another night in the cowshed.
"Let's just go, we'll be late for school."
Something shiny caught her eye. Diamond's head whipped around in time to see a brown rabbit, wearing her tiara, the bunny blew a loud and long raspberry. Diamond growled under her breath. "My tiara." she made for the rabbit but Apple Bloom yanked her back.
The farm pony smirked, "C'mon, we got school."