At Sweet Apple Acres, days were spent hard at work, and nights were, usually, spent resting. Tonight however, a single light lit up one of the rooms on the upper floors. A candle, set on Applejack’s desk cast stark shadows on its surroundings; and the somber atmosphere didn’t stop there. The paint on the walls was flaking, there was only a single coat hook on the wall, holding a weather-worn hat, and the wardrobe held only a single dress. There was only one thing that escaped the doleful surroundings; a picture of six ponies smiling at the camera.
Applejack was tired. Economics had never been her strong suit. It wasn’t that she was terribly bad at it, but numbers had a tendency to start swimming all over the page if she stared at them for too long. Combined with the drone of rain against the window, and the evening mug of cider sitting in her gut, her eyes were begging her to let them rest. She wasn’t about to let them. Not even the headache which had set in a few hours ago would keep her from the calculations that needed to be done tonight.
Finances always needed doing and it was her turn to run the numbers. Normally she would have simply taken an hour every evening after dinner, but today was especially important. Tomorrow they would see the return on their investment into Braeburn’s Appleoosian orchards. They had sent him all the bits they could spare, and he had given them a solemn Apple Family vow that he would double every bit they’d given him.
Applejack didn’t know how much of his promise he could make a reality, but even if he only returned the bits they’d sent, they would have a big pile of bits to spend this month, and Applejack already had an idea as to what they would be spent on. Her bed creaked and her ears swiveled in the direction of a soft yawn. “A—Applejack...” a sleepy voice called out, “you promised you’d come to bed.”
Applejack sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Ah said Ah’d come to bed after Ah’d taken care of this.” She didn’t take her eyes off the ledgers until the bed creaked again and she was embraced from behind. Not that she had much of a choice in the matter, as a pair of yellow wings blocked her view of the swimming numbers in the books, something she was secretly grateful for. She leaned back and smiled at the sleepy, upside down face of her marefriend, losing herself in those azure pools of affection she called eyes.
“Ah’ll come ta bed soon, promise,” she said, giving her marefriend a light kiss on her nose.
Fluttershy yawned again and nodded, squeezing Applejack tightly before letting go and crawling back onto the bed. She didn’t want to interrupt Applejack when she was so obviously busy with something important, but she hadn’t been able to help herself when she heard the farm mare let out a frustrated groan.
Applejack knew that she shouldn’t let herself be distracted by her marefriend and figure out the numbers before she went to bed, but the damage had been done and she could no longer focus on the numbers. Darn things weren’t cooperatin’ anyhow.
She sighed again and smiled whilst looking at her drowsing marefriend. Fluttershy had fallen asleep again, and was shivering slightly. Cloudsdale had been sending out colder clouds ever since the Running of the Leaves and it wouldn’t be long before Rainbow Dash and her team announced winter with a layer of snow on the entirety of Ponyville. She hopped off the chair she had been using and stretched before climbing into bed with Fluttershy, unable to help the feeling of warmth that bloomed in her chest every time Fluttershy snuggled up to her.
Applejack didn’t consider herself to be dense. Nevertheless, it had taken Rarity’s intervention, a tear-stained letter, and Fluttershy nearly turning into a hermit, to clue her in to the fact that Fluttershy felt more for her than just friendship. She could have wallowed in the mistakes she had made, but if there’s one thing she was, it was pragmatic. She was proud of the fact that she had marched right up to that little cottage and told Fluttershy in no uncertain terms that she was willing to give it a try. It had been the best decision of her life.
That had been nearly a year ago. Eleven months and twenty-four days since Fluttershy had thrown caution, and herself, into the wind and stolen her first kiss from Applejack. It had taken her completely by surprise, but she could only look back at it fondly. Best night of my life, Applejack thought with a smile, looking at the tender smile her marefriend had while asleep, framed by that long pink hair of hers.
Come morning, Applejack woke up alone. There were some things she just couldn’t get used to, and Fluttershy’s uncanny sleeping needs were among those. Even when she was sleeping at the farm, the pegasus woke up earlier than Applejack herself did, rising before the sun was even out to check up on her animals. Applejack had told her that she would like to be able to wake up and kiss her marefriend, but hadn’t pushed when Fluttershy insisted that her animal friends needed her. She’d always had a hard time saying no to her demure marefriend, and Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind the thirty minute long trip back to her cottage in the least.
Today, however, she was happy that Fluttershy was gone. She had ponies to convince, and favors to call in. While Fluttershy was on her way home to prepare breakfast for the plethora of critters that lived there, Applejack was going to be making the single most important change in their lives.
Applejack sat upright and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked out the window and mumbled an ornery 'mornin' to the sun. Four hours of sleep might not have been enough to be fully rested, but she had things to do. Winter wasn't quite the break in work most ponies thought it was; there were tools to be sharpened, repairs to be done to the various buildings, and they still had to take care of all the animals in residence on the farm. But she was going to make sure that those weren’t the only thing she’d be doing this winter.
She hobbled down the stairs, her mind returning to home repair when she stepped on a particularly creaky step, and walked to into the living room to a chorus of greetings.
"Mornin'"
"Good morning, Applejack!"
"Yer late, Jackie."
“Mornin’.” She mustered a smile for her family, gulping down her nervousness and taking her spot at the breakfast table. She dug into the pile of pancakes the moment Granny set them down in front of her, silently thanking her grandmother for the reprieve. She had no doubt that they tasted as good as ever, but her she was too busy mustering up the courage to ask what she really wanted to ask of the ponies closest to her to really appreciate it.
She finished her breakfast in short order and found that she was putting her plate away just so she had some more time to prepare. Fluttershy must be rubbing off on me, she thought with a smile while she reflected on her own skittishness. She walked back to her spot at the table and looked to her family. Macintosh had already picked up on the fact that something was off, and was silently waiting for her to begin, just as he always did. Apple Bloom was still wrestling with her own stack of pancakes, getting herself covered in more than a little syrup, and Granny was overseeing the entire situation with a content look on her face. Applejack cleared her throat and took a leap of faith. “Listen ya’ll, Ah’ve got somethin’ important Ah wanted ta talk about.”
“Oh! Oh! ‘S ‘t about hearthswarmn’?” Apple Bloom asked, a few bits of pancake falling out of her mouth which immediately earned her a glare from all three of the older ponies.
Applejack softened her expression and gave her little sister a wry smile. “No, ‘Bloom, it ain’t about hearthwarmin’.” She watched Apple Bloom deflate before adding, “though it might be related if’n this goes well.”
“This ain’t about that marefriend of yours is it?” The Apple Clan’s matriarch raised a single eyebrow as she looked her granddaughter over, giving Applejack the distinct impression that she was on thin ice already.
She swallowed down her fears and shook her head. “It is, or at least it’s related to her.” She looked to Mac for support but he was apparently still undecided. He, too, was watching her critically, judging her with an intellect that belied his vocabulary.
Apple Bloom swallowed the next bite of her pancakes quickly. “What about Fluttershy?”
No goin’ back now. Applejack took a deep breath. “Ah wanna ask Fluttershy to move in with us... with me.”
To her surprise the first reply came from her big brother. Macintosh walked up to her and gave her a bone breaking hug paired with a smile. “Sounds good ta me, sis.”
Apple Bloom bounded up to her siblings as well to join in on the hug. “Yeah! She could help out on the farm, and you’d always be close—” She stopped mid-sentence and her eyes became as big as dinner plates. “Does that mean she’ll be my sister too?”
Applejack chuckled and gave her little sister a nuzzle. “Maybe a little bit, ‘Bloom.”
“Ah wanna know why ya didn’t ask her months ago,” Granny added. “She’s a lovely girl and s’far as Ah’m concerned, she’s been part of the family for a while now.”
Applejack laughed and wondered why she had ever expected her family to have a problem with it. Of course they would be supportive now; admitting that she liked a mare had been bigger news. She waited until the hug was over and walked over to her grandmother before continuing. “That’s the other thing Ah wanted to ask.” The older mare raised an eyebrow and Applejack quickly continued. “Ah want ta use the bits we’ll get from Braeburn ta expand the farmhouse. We’ll need a place for ourselves and mah old room is hardly big enough.”
“Is Fluttershy going to bring all her animals with her?”
“Ah reckon so, ‘Bloom. Sometimes Ah think she’s as attached to those critters as they are dependent on her.”
“So yer gonna make houses for all o’ them as well?”
Applejack nodded. Building so many hutches and birdfeeders wasn’t something she was looking forward to; precision work wasn’t one of her strong suits, but she’d make a hundred and then some if it made Fluttershy happy. “Ah guess Ah am.”
“AJ, what about mah new plow?”
Applejack turned to her older brother who was giving her a pleading look. Apple Bloom had learned how to use her puppy dog eyes to her advantage, but she had learned the trick from her big brother; his expression made her feel like she just kicked a puppy.
She sighed. “Ah’m sorry, Mac. Ah just...”
The playful glint in his eye told her that she’d been had, and she launched herself at him, laughing all the while. It didn’t take long for the three Apple siblings to roll around on the floor laughing and wrestling with one another while Granny watched it all with a bemused smile.
An hour later, Applejack walked down the road to Ponyville. The first big hurdle of convincing her family had been taken, which made her next task simple. In the last letter they had received from him, Braeburn had written that he would personally be making the trip to repay his investors, and that Ponyville would be his first stop. He would be arriving at the train station any minute now. Applejack picked up her pace and went to the train station to meet her cousin face to face.
She arrived just as the train pulled into the station and found that an ecstatic Braeburn was already waving at her before she had reached the platform. She noted that he looked slightly pudgier than the last time she had visited him in Appleoosa and couldn’t help but smile. Apparently he had taken to his supervisory role with great gusto.
He jumped off the train before it had stopped completely, stumbling when he landed because of the saddlebags on his back which Applejack could tell were heavy just by looking at them.
“Good morning, Applejack!” he said, coming to a halt in front of her and lowering his head for a moment to catch his breath. Even the short distance sprint had been enough to tired him out.
“Heya, cuz,” she said, giving him a quick, one legged hug. “How’re things?”
“Great!” He took a step back and nosed around in his saddlebags, taking out a heavy bag that jingled with the sound of bits. “‘Ere, thif if for you.” He set down the bag on the ground in front of her and smiled while waiting for her to pick it up. “I wanted to thank you for lending us the bits in the first place. Celestia knows it was a risky venture.”
Applejack gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “It ain’t a thing, the Apple family always sticks together.” Her eyes bulged when she tried to lift the bag. It was heavy enough to cover their investment three times over. “By golly, Braeburn, how much is in here?”
He smiled at her. “No idea. Strongheart has the head for numbers. She just said that this was the proper amount ta give back to y’all.” He followed it up with a laugh at her stunned expression.
She laughed with him, giving herself time to recover from the shock. “So ya’ll got hitched then?”
He shook his head. “Not quite yet. Didn’t think I’d do that without inviting the rest of the family, do ya? Still, she and I are together. The day she said yes was the best day of my life, cuz.” He looked back at the train when it whistled, signaling its impending departure. “Sorry to cut this short, Applejack; but as much as I’d like ta see the rest of the cousins, I’ve got a lot of bits to deliver. And I’d rather not spend a night away from my marefriend if I can help it.”
Applejack nodded and hugged him again. “Ah understand. It was good ta see you, Braeburn. Give her my regards, would ya?”
“Will do. Take care, cuz.” He turned and ran back to the train, which had already started moving again.
She waved after him, snickering when she watched him fumble and land on his face when he jumped onto last wagon. “Take care!” She watched the train for a few more minutes, waving after her cousin before taking the sack of bits and setting off for the market. She needed materials for her own little project, but since she’d gotten back so much more than she’d anticipated... Only fair Ah get Mac his plow, and maybe somethin’ fer ‘Bloom and Granny as well.
The sun had nearly set by the time Applejack stepped through the gate leading back to Sweet Apple Acres. Buying the materials had taken longer than she had anticipated, and having a new plow made was always a nightmare. Still, she had gotten everything she came for, and paying the few extra bits to have the materials delivered to the farm by morning was well worth it. She couldn’t wait to see the looks on her family’s faces when she showed them the gifts she’d bought.
She closed the door behind her and shivered. During the day the temperature had been tolerable, even pleasant. But in the evening the colder winds were starting to make their presence known. Stepping into the warmth of the living room where the hearth had been lit and she could get a mug of warm cider felt great, and it was about to get even better.
“Evenin’” she called out to her family, taking a few more steps and relishing in the warm air flowing over her coat.
Apple Bloom, who had been doing her homework in front of the fire, left everything as it was when she saw the bulging saddlebags on Applejack’s flanks. “Ooh, ooh, whatcha got there, sis?”
Applejack chuckled and shook her head; some things never changed. “These here are gifts for y’all. Ah saw Braeburn today and Ah thought Ah could get a few things to celebrate.”
“What do I get? What do I get?” Apple Bloom was practically dancing around her, trying to peek into the saddlebags. Applejack gently pushed her back towards the hearth and the filly relented; she would get her presents soon enough.
Applejack walked over to the table first, grabbing the mug of warmed-up cider that was waiting for her and emptying it quickly. It tasted great, and warmed her up the rest of the way. She smacked her lips and let out a satisfied sigh, setting down the mug and walking over to the rocking chair that held her grandmother.
“Ah got ya one of them special magical heatin’ blankets, Granny,” she said while reaching back to grab the covers from her saddlebags. She draped them around the elderly mare and smiled when Granny wiggled herself a little deeper with a satisfied smile.
“Thank ya, Jackie.”
Applejack leaned in for a nuzzle and a hug. “Yer welcome, Granny.”
She turned to Applebloom next and grabbed a hat from the saddlebags. It looked remarkably like her own, with the exception of the bow that had been fastened to the brim. “Here ya go ‘Bloom,” she said as she set the hat on top of the filly’s head.
The hat was three sizes too large and immediately sunk over her face, obscuring her vision. She used a hoof to tip it back and glare at Applejack which elicited a chuckle from the grownups “It’s too big, AJ,” she said, taking it off and looking at it with a frown.
“Then you’ll just have to grow up a little faster now, won’t ya?” Applejack replied, playfully tossing her sister’s hair.
Apple Bloom pouted for a moment before smiling when Applejack nuzzled her. “Thanks, Applejack.”
Finally, Applejack sat down next to her brother who had been watching the entire exchange with an amused grin. “Got somethin’ special fer ya too, Mac.”
His confusion was pallable when she handed him a miniature of a plow. “What...?” He looked at it from all angles and even turned it upside down, trying to decipher what it was. “What’s this, AJ?”
“It’s yer new plow,” she replied with a cheeky smile, setting the miniature down on the table where it actually looked a small plow was being dragged through the wooden surface.
Mac snorted and pushed it away. “‘S not funny, AJ. Ya know how awful the old one is to use.”
Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her big brother as far as she could. “Don’t worry, Mac, Ah got ya a real one. They’re deliverin’ it tomorrow, Ah just wanted ta have some fun with ya.”
That made his smile come back as he embraced his sister mumbling a “Thanks, sis.” into her mane.
After they let go, Applejack hid a yawn behind her hoof. “Well, Ah’m all tuckered out so Ah think Ah’ll go ta bed early. Got a lot to get done tomorrow.”
“G’night, AJ.”
“Sleep well, Jackie.”
“Night, sis.”
She smiled at all of them and stifled another yawn. “Goodnight.”
The next morning saw her along the same path, at roughly the same time. Today, however, she wasn’t going to Ponyville; she was going to see her marefriend. With the plan in motion and the materials in place, she now had to perform one of the hardest things she knew of if the new home was to be a surprise: She was going to have to lie to Fluttershy.
Jus’ a lil’ white lie, ain’t nothing big, she kept repeating over and over in her head, trying to make it seem less of bad idea. Lying never sat well with her, and ponies could easily tell when she was being dishonest. Fluttershy seemed to be the only one that either didn’t know or was shy enough that she didn’t say anything about it, though Applejack knew that her marefriend was far from oblivious. Her best bet was to keep her lie close to the truth. Granny Smith had been feeling a little tired lately, so exaggerating that a little was the best idea she had.
She watched the cottage come into view and noted the seemingly desolate state of the surroundings. While many animals slowed down in the winter, leading to a reduction of cacophony around Fluttershy’s dwelling, the biggest difference was the birds. After the Running of the Leaves, she had given Applejack a kiss on the lips and told her that she’d be back in a few days, before taking flight, followed by more birds than Applejack had ever seen in one place.
If anything, it had made her mentally check the amount of birdhouses she was going to be making for their new home. At least Ah’ll have plenty... Ah hope. She knocked on the door and perked her ears to listen for a response. Fluttershy had a tendency not to speak up when she was busy or afraid or... actually, she never really spoke up unless she was angry. That’s what Applejack told herself when she gently nudged the door open, convinced that she had just missed Fluttershy’s reply.
To her surprise, the cottage looked abandoned. Normally, even if their caretaker wasn’t home, the animals that lived with Fluttershy would dart, scurry, and flit around her cottage like they owned the place. Yet as Applejack stepped into the living room, she found it completely devoid of life. “Shy?” she asked the empty room. “Ya in here, darlin’?”
The only sounds in the room were the ones of her own breathing and, after a moment to let her ears adjust, the sound of cupboards being opened in the kitchen. Applejack poked her head in to see a bunny struggling to open a cupboard door six times his size. Somehow he had managed to crack it open and was now trying to widen the gap so that he could squirm through. She rolled her eyes and stepped into the kitchen, pushing the bunny out of the way and closing the cupboard. “What’s goin’ on here, Angel?”
The bunny glared at her and began pantomiming.
Normally she wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He had thrown a wrench in the works many times after Applejack and Fluttershy had started dating, and Fluttershy still had to put him outside whenever Applejack came to stay over. The bunny seemed to hold a burning hatred for Applejack, or anypony that could come between him and his comfortable lifestyle. Applejack for her part ignored him. So even after almost a year of regular visits to the cottage, she still had a hard time making sense of his ‘fish on dry land’ impression.
“You tryin’ to find the bait or somethin’?” she asked him curiously, to which the bunny replied by slapping himself in the face and then pointing to the stairs in consternation. She understood that gesture at least, and made her way up to Fluttershy’s bedroom.
When she opened the door, hundreds of little eyes turned to look at her, and she in turn was treated to a sight that was something to behold. Every single nook and cranny of Fluttershy’s room was filled with the creatures that lived with her. A couple of jays and other birds that had forgone the trip south to stay with Fluttershy over the winter had all crowded around the windowsill and were busy shoving each other for a place to sit; the squirrels and other rodents had taken their places near Fluttershy’s dresser; and even Harry the bear served as a seating arrangement for some of the smaller critters while he himself tried to be as close to her bed as he could.
In the midst of it all was her marefriend. Fluttershy lay in her bed looking white as a sheet, wheezing and coughing, and even that she did softly, daintily. Applejack rushed forward, sheer luck being the only reason she didn’t trample any of the animals. “‘Shy? What’s wrong, sugar?”
Fluttershy’s eyes fluttered open slowly. She smiled when she saw Applejack’s face, trying to hold back another coughing fit when she tried to sit up. “Hello, Applejack,” she said once it subsided. “Sorry I didn’t come to the farm today, but... uhm... I’m a little—” she was interrupted by a sneeze that rocked her whole body “—sick,” she finished lamely, smiling apologetically when she noticed the mucus on Applejack’s shoulder.
Applejack didn’t pay it any mind and helped her lie back down. She smiled gently and smoothed the covers before giving her marefriend a kiss on her forehead. “It’s okay, sug’. If yer sick, yer sick. Ya shouldn’t move too much, so Ah’ll take care of ya.”
“B-but... what about the farm? Don’t you have work to do?”
Applejack shrugged. “They’ll just have ta do without me fer a few days. Now...” She gently pushed the animals out of her way and grabbed another blanket from the closet on the other side of the room. She added it to the ones already draped around Fluttershy before walking to the door, opening it and making a sweeping gesture with her foreleg. “All of you. Out,” she said to the animals. When none of them moved, she stamped a leg on the floor and nodded to the door with her head. “Ah said: out. Fluttershy needs her rest, and if you’re all here crowdin’ around her, she ain’t gonna get any better.” That got most of the animals moving and before long the room was empty, with the exception of Harry who was giving Applejack a pleading look. She shook her head resolutely and with a whimper he followed his smaller friends, squeezing through the door and making his way down the stairs.
“Sorry for being such a bother, Applejack.”
“Don’t worry about it, ‘Shy. Marefriends are supposed to take care o’ their partners, ain’t they? You just sit tight, Ah’ll cook you up some soup.”
Fluttershy let out a dainty sneeze and nodded. “O-okay.”
Applejack returned to the kitchen, to find the door to the cupboard opened. Angel was standing on the counter, angrily shaking his tiny fists at a pair of mice who had apparently stolen his carrots. She snorted in bemusement and walked over to the counter, ignoring the bunny’s frantic waving while she took a pot out of the closet and filled it with water. She put the pot on the fire and gathered the ingredients she would need, brushing Angel aside when he tried to get in the way. Only when he stole the salt shaker did she pay attention, shooting him a disapproving glare.
“Now listen here, you varmint,” she said, snatching the salt back from him. “Ah know ya don’t like me.” Angel crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. “Ah don’t care much fer you either. However, Ah know ya care fer Fluttershy.” She waited for his emphatic nod before she continued. “This here soup is to help her get better. So what do you say we call a truce, at least fer now?” The bunny seemed to think it over, finally nodding and holding out a paw which Applejack bumped softly. “Good, glad we understand each other.”
Half an hour later, Applejack walked back into the bedroom, carrying a wooden bowl filled with steaming celery soup. “Ya awake over there, sugarcube?”
Fluttershy nodded almost imperceptibly and opened her eyes when she smelled the food. “Hmmm, that smells... nice, Applejack.”
Applejack smiled and with a little difficulty wrangled the spoon with her mouth to feed Fluttershy, which the pegasus gratefully accepted. “It weren’t just me; Angel and the other critters helped out.” She stepped aside and let Fluttershy see all the animals crowding in the door, Angel being the only one brazen enough to walk in after having pushed his way through the others.
Fluttershy’s smile was wider than even Pinkie could have managed, as she beamed at them. “Oh thank you all! I promise I’ll—” she let out another hacking cough “—be better in no time...” The next hour was spent with Applejack feeding Fluttershy her soup and talking in between until Fluttershy finally said: “I’m not very hungry anymore, Applejack.”
Applejack eyed the bowl for a bit before nodding. “Ya did finish about half the bowl. Ah reckon that’s good enough.” She got up from the bed and gave the bowl to a group of squirrels which carried it off while she tucked Fluttershy in. “Why don’t ya get some sleep? Ah’ll be right back.”
Fluttershy cleared her throat, and for a moment it looked like she was going to have another coughing fit. Thankfully, it subsided and she sunk a little lower into the covers. “Where are you going?” she asked in a tiny voice.
Applejack gave her a reassuring nuzzle. “Just gonna tell Mac that Ah’ll be stayin’ here.”
She turned around and lowered her head towards Angel, exchanging a look of understanding with the white menace. “You keep an eye on things while Ah’m gone, okay?” The bunny rolled his eyes and nodded.
“Right then.” Applejack perked up and made her way to the door. “Back in two shakes.”
The trip back to Sweet Apple Acres went by quickly, partially because she found herself cantering at a brisk pace, and a little because she was worrying about Fluttershy. Briefly she wondered if she shouldn’t ask Granny for an old family recipe that would help Fluttershy recover faster, but ultimately she decided against it. She reasoned that she shouldn’t leave her marefriend alone for too long, so the best thing to do would be to find Macintosh, tell him about Fluttershy, and then hightail it back to the cottage.
Things never went as smoothly as she wanted them to, however. The very first problem she ran into was yellow, orange, and white, and dangling from the barn’s anchor beam in a net that looked like it was designed for catching fish.
“I told ya this was a bad idea, Scoots!”
“Nuh uh, I almost had it!”
“Shouldn’t we be worrying about how to get down? Oh, oh! Hello, Applejack!”
Applejack groaned. Even though she was in a hurry, she couldn’t very well leave the three of them hanging up there. Then again, maybe it would finally make ‘em think twice. She chuckled and shook her head; she couldn’t see herself actually leaving them up there. She walked into the barn, pulled the net into the loft, and tore it to pieces. The fillies tumbled, out giving her just enough time to look appropriately cross with them.
Before long, the three fillies were standing in front of her, ears drooping and eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, Applejack,” Apple Bloom began, “I swear we didn’t know it was gonna—”
She was cut off by one of Applejack’s hooves pressed to her lips. “Ah ain’t got the time. You three’re just lucky Ah came by when Ah did.” She sighed deeply and nodded towards the barn doors through which the three quickly disappeared. Applejack herself cantered towards the farmhouse and cringed when she passed the site she had planned to build the extension on. The materials had been delivered just as promised, and if everything had gone according to plan, she would have been halfway through the groundwork by now.
“AJ?” She shook herself from her worrying and looked at the door to the house. Mac was standing on the porch, giving her a curious look. “Something wrong, sis?” he asked, rolling a hay stalk between his lips.
She walked up to the porch and gave him a quick nuzzle. “Afraid so. Fluttershy’s sick and Ah gotta take care of her.” She glanced at the broken fence and the barn which held all the tools that needed sharpening. “Ah was hopin’ you could take care of some of my chores.”
“Eeyup,” came his reply. “Reckon Ah still owe ya fer Applebuck season anyhow.”
Applejack nodded gratefully. “Make sure you get Applebloom to help you out.” The rest didn’t need to be said. It was shared with a simple look between siblings that had worked as a team for years. She stepped down from the porch, her body already heading back to the cottage when she decided it couldn’t hurt to ask for a little more. “And if it ain’t too much trouble,” she said glancing back at him. “Could ya also lay some o’ the groundwork for me? Ah’m behind as it is.”
He smiled and nodded lightly. “Eeyup.”
“Thanks, Mac. See ya soon.”
For the second time that day she made the trip to Fluttershy’s cottage; though this time she was galloping. She didn’t want to leave her marefriend alone for a moment longer than she had to. Unlike that morning, she stepped through the door to find the inside of the cottage in a state of complete chaos.
Angel was still chasing the mice that had gone runabout with his carrots. A young fox kit hid behind her legs away from its mother who was snarling at a menacing-looking porcupine. Said porcupine was busy waggling around on the cottage floor without a care in the world; and in the midst of it all Harry had found a bag of marshmallows which he was consuming post haste. The bear tried to keep it out of reach from the many squirrels that wanted a taste as well, but climbing a bear was apparently even easier for them than climbing a tree was.
Applejack stomped a hoof on the floorboards, its creaky deathcry audible throughout the cottage. All the animals paused in what they were doing, giving her a wide-eyed look. “If y’all don’t simmer down right now Ah’ll hogtie each and every one of ya,” she said simply. The only animal who dared move was Angel, who took two steps to the side and snatched his carrots from the mice. Applejack rubbed the bridge of her muzzle with a hoof and made a wide gesture around the cottage. “Fluttershy is sick and all o’ you are just makin’ it worse. So help me, if any of ya don’t sit yerselves down Ah’ll throw ya out of this place mahself.” She glared at Harry who was sneakily trying to eat the last of the marshmallows. “As fer the rest of ya... behave yerselves and Ah’ll take care of the food when Ah get back.”
When she was satisfied with the animals’ compliance, she went upstairs to check on her marefriend. Fluttershy was awake. She was coughing and burning up beneath the blanket she had draped around her while she tried to drag herself over to the window to feed the jays who had moved their nests there. Her ears perked up a little when she heard Applejack come up the stairs. “Welcome—h-achoo! W-welcome back, Applejack.”
The farm mare sighed and walked over to her marefriend, helping her back into the bed. She sat down on the edge herself and tenderly brushed a lock of hair out of Fluttershy’s face. “Sugar, you’re sick; how come ya ain’t asleep?”
“I uhm...” Fluttershy shifted a little beneath the covers. “I wanted to wait for you.”
Applejack shook her head with a bemused smile. “Darlin’, ya shouldn’t be up and about. Ya need ta rest if ya wanna get better.”
“I know... I know, I just...” Fluttershy sighed softly and drew the covers high to hide her face. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Tell ya what,” Applejack said, getting up from the bed. “Ah’ll make ya some tea with honey, and feed all yer critters for ya. But you have ta promise me you’ll try to sleep, alright?”
The lump beneath the covers nodded, followed by a meek, “I promise.”
She had taken care of the animals in the cottage before, but always with Fluttershy’s help. Figuring out where to find the food, and then figuring out who to give it to took Applejack the better part of an hour. Just as she finished up by putting the cheese down in front of the mice and exchanging it for Angel’s carrots, the front door opened, revealing her sister and Doctor Stable.
Applejack blinked twice and righted herself. “Uh... howdy.” She dropped the carrots in front of Angel and turned to the visitors while the bunny attacked his meal with gusto.
“Hey sis,” Apple Bloom chirped, “Doctor Stable is here to examine Fluttershy.”
The stallion snorted. “I don’t normally do this sort of thing, but your sister could melt a windigo heart with those eyes of hers. The patient is upstairs, I take it?”
It took the gears in Applejack’s mind a few moment to gain traction after having been so rudely knocked out of alignment. “Uhm... yeah, she’s right up there.” She pointed to the door at the top of the stairs and watched the doctor ascend before remembering that she had promised Fluttershy tea. She walked into the kitchen and put some water on the fire, adding a few of the dried herbs Fluttershy had grown in her own garden. Before long, the kitchen smelled faintly of cinnamon and mint, a pleasant aroma, even if it wasn’t her favorite. She turned back to the living room and regarded the filly standing in the doorjamb with a stern expression.
“‘Bloom, what’re you doin’ here?”
“I heard that Fluttershy was sick, so I wanted to help out,” the filly replied. “And then I thought about how it’s a good idea to go visit the doctor if you’re sick, but if Fluttershy had been to the doctor, then she wouldn’t be sick anymore, so I brought him here,” Applebloom said, looking very pleased with herself.
Applejack let out a bemused snort and shook her head. “Yer too much sometimes. That wasn’t the only reason ya came by though, is it?”
Her little sister shook her head. “I was wonderin’ why nothing’s happened on the new room yet.”
“Cuz Ah was gonna build it myself,” Applejack answered her. “But since Fluttershy’s sick, and I have ta take care of her and all her animals, Ah ain’t got enough time.”
“Oooohhh! In that case, could we help you take care of the animals?”
“No, ya can’t.” Applejack turned back to pot, checking to see if the water was boiling yet. “And don’t try yer tricks on me, Ah know all of ‘em.” She could hear her little sister huff softly and smirked. The water was boiling and she took the pot from the fire, pouring two cups and adding a little sugar for Fluttershy. “‘Sides, Mac’s gonna need yer help with the chores.”
Applebloom huffed again. “Can I at least say hi?”
“Yeah, just keep it short.”
Applebloom skipped up the steps, almost running into the doctor who came down. He looked at the filly for a second and shook his head before turning to Applejack. “She appears to have come down with the feather flu. Normally the body fights off the infection with a fever, but she doesn’t have any, so she’ll need to be kept warm. Somepony should stay close at hoof to take care of her, and she’ll need plenty of bedrest. If all goes well, she should recover in a week or so.”
“Is there anythin’ Ah should be givin’ her? Some sort of medicine or somethin’?” Applejack hadn’t thought that it was anything more than a cold, but if the doctor was right, which she figured he was, then maybe there was something to help Fluttershy get better more quickly.
The stallion shook his head. “She shouldn’t need any medicine, though if you can, make sure that she gets plenty of warm foods like soup and tea. And don’t hesitate to come get me if her condition worsens.”
“Thanks for taking a look, doc. Ah’ll take good care of her.”
The stallion nodded. “Be sure that you do. Good day.”
Applejack saw him off and closed the door behind him, sighing in relief. She had never liked doctors overly much, and although she was grateful to Applebloom for fetching him, she was glad to see him leave. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed the teacups, putting both of them on a tray and taking it up the stairs.
She found Apple Bloom on the hoof end of the bed, telling stories that captivated, if not Fluttershy, then at least the young jays in the windowsill. Fluttershy was smiling at the filly indulgently, even though it was clear that she was exhausted.
“Alright, ‘Bloom, that’s enough. Fluttershy needs her rest, and you need to get back to the farm. Mac’s probably waitin’ for ya already.”
“Okay, Applejack.” Applebloom scooted over and hugged Fluttershy, which the pegasus weakly returned, before jumping off of the bed. “Bye, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy waved meekly and watched as the filly bounded down the stairs and disappeared from sight. She coughed once and lay back down, rearranging the covers a little after the visit.
“How’re you feeling, sugarcube?” Applejack set the tray down and carefully handed Fluttershy one of the cups.
“I’m... nice—uhm... I mean, fine,” Fluttershy replied, a small blush forming on her cheeks. “It was ever so thoughtful of your sister to go and get a doctor.”
Applejack took a sip of her own cup of tea and smacked her lips, trying out the taste that her marefriend seemed to enjoy so much. “Yeah, she’s smart like that.” She drank her tea quickly and let out a content sigh when she finished. “Ah’ve gotta say, tea tastes a lot better than Ah thought it would. You want another cup?”
Fluttershy smiled over her cup and shook her head before taking another sip. She always took her time with her tea, but was especially slow today. When she finished, she put her cup back on the tray and coughed into her hooves. “Applejack?”
Applejack had intended to put the cups away and maybe make some more for herself, but something in Fluttershy’s voice made her stop and take another look at her marefriend. “What’s wrong, ‘Shy?”
The pegasus shivered beneath the pile of blankets that had been heaped onto her bed. “I’m cold.”
“Doctor said that might happen,” Applejack said with a nod. “He said to give ya some soup but Ah’ve got a better idea.”
A pair of yellow ears poked out from underneath the blankets and turned in Applejack’s direction. “O-oh?”
Applejack lifted up the covers and smiled when Fluttershy squeaked. “Scoot over, sugar.” She waited for her marefriend to comply before easing herself onto the bed. She then snuggled up to Fluttershy beneath the blankets and wrapped her legs around her startled marefriend. “Ah reckon this should keep you warm.”
“W-well... this... I...” Fluttershy sighed happily when Applejack nuzzled the back of her neck. “Thank you, Applejack. I love you.”
“Love ya too, sugar. Try and get some sleep.”
Applejack had her work cut out for her, the following day. She found out that taking care of an entire menagerie didn’t end at simply feeding them twice a day. It was a full time job that required a good deal of stamina, strength, and grade A negotiation skills. She figured that two out of three wasn’t bad.
Dealing with Angel’s antics alone wore on her nerves more than she would ever care to admit. Having a little sister meant that she knew a thing or two about pranks and tantrums, but the little white bunny had her sister beat at every point that mattered. It was like he had spent his whole life learning how to nag and harass ponies until they gave into his demands. Applejack was having none of it and eventually managed to lock him up in his hutch.
A little while after that Harry came to her, whining piteously at her until she gave up trying to understand what he was was trying to say and asking Fluttershy for advice. Fluttershy quickly told her that the bear always slept in weird positions which meant that the muscles in his neck and back were often stiff. Applejack wasn’t a skilled masseuse, but she somehow managed to fumble her way through a massage, and awkwardly accepted the hug Harry gave her afterwards.
But her problems didn’t end there.
While Fluttershy had learned to stand up for herself a little bit after she and Applejack had become marefriends, she still didn’t want to be a burden to anypony. After finding her shivering and coughing all over the kitchen while trying to make herself some tea, Applejack put her to bed with a stern talking to.
“‘Shy, ya can’t go around acting like nothing’s wrong with ya,” she said, tucking her marefriend in like she were a little filly.
Fluttershy nodded meekly. “I’m sorry, Applejack. I just wanted a drink.” She yawned and snuggled a little deeper into the blankets. Being sick took a lot out of her, and even though she had slept like a rock in Applejack’s embrace, her little trip to the kitchen seemed to have tired her out completely.
“Yer sick, so if ya need somethin’, ask me. That’s why Ah’m here.”
There was a knock on the door. Applejack leaned over to give Fluttershy a quick kiss on the tip of her nose before walking to the stairs. “You stay put, Ah’ll go see who it is.” She went downstairs before Fluttershy had a chance to respond, opening the door to find a mildly worried looking Rarity on the other side.
“Oh, hello, Applejack. I was just stopping by to see Fluttershy,” Rarity said, a hint of concern evident in everything from her voice to the way she kept trying to look past her friend. “We had a spa appointment today, and she’s missed breakfast this morning.”
Applejack opened the door further and stepped aside, trying not to step on the little fox kit who had made a game out of hiding between her legs whenever she stood still for more than a second. “That would be on account of her bein’ sick. She’s upstairs if’n ya wanna talk to her.”
Rarity smiled, visibly relieved. “I think I’ll do just that.”
While the unicorn trotted up the stairs, Applejack looked around for the little fox and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck when she found him. She carefully deposited the kit next to its mother before lowering her head. “Enough playin’ fer now.” When she raised her head again, she spotted Rarity tiptoeing her way back down the stairs, wincing when she stepped on a step that creaked. “That wa—”
Rarity stopped her by putting a hoof on her mouth and whispering. “Not so loud, she’s asleep.” She only let her hoof drop after Applejack nodded. “I have to go or I’ll miss my appointment at the spa, but I’ll try to stop by again later. Ta~” She waved and closed the door behind her.
Fluttershy woke up not ten minutes after Rarity had left. One of the young jays had fallen out of its nest and was jittering incessantly. Applejack put the jay back in its nest, and then put Fluttershy back to bed. The pegasus had already been in the process of trying to leave her bed to help out the crying baby bird by the time Applejack arrived at the top of the stairs.
She nudged Fluttershy back into bed and sat down beside her. “Hey there, sleepyhead.”
Fluttershy looked like a mess. Her hair was tangled in so many places that she could have been mistaken for a porcupine with a bad hair day. “H-hey.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Better.” Fluttershy yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I fell asleep.”
“Heh, that you did,” Applejack said with a smile. She leaned in for a kiss, but misjudged and ended up kissing Fluttershy on the nose, eliciting a giggle.
“Did anything happen while I was asleep?“
“Not much. Rarity came by.”
Fluttershy looked at the calendar in alarm, eyes wide, and scrambled to get out of the bed. “Oh no, no, no... I already missed our breakfast appointment!” She slowed down when she realised she was being held back by her marefriend. “Please, Applejack...” She struggled against the hooves holding her down. “I’m already late. Ohhh, why did I have to become sick...”
Applejack relented enough to let Fluttershy sit up but prevented her from moving any further. “‘Shy, darlin’, it ain’t like she’s expectin’ ya to show up.”
“But we always go to the spa together! The last time she went alone was...” Fluttershy shuddered and shook her head. “Please, Applejack, I know I’m sick, but can we please go?”
She opened her mouth to argue and tell Fluttershy that it simply wasn’t a good idea, but all that came out was a sigh. Applejack was a strong mare, stronger than most stallions, which was something she was proud of. But because she was strong, and had a strong sense of responsibility, she had one glaring weakness. Applejack had a hard time saying no when somepony asked for her help, no matter how crazy. And right now, Fluttershy was making it impossible for her to say no.
She sighed again and helped Fluttershy to her hooves. “Alright, darlin’, just promise me you’ll tell me when you feel cold or anythin’, okay?” Fluttershy nodded resolutely and took a step forward, only for her legs to buckle. She would have crashed to the floor if it hadn’t been for Applejack leaning over to steady her. “That’s what Ah meant.”
Fluttershy looked around in a panic, trying to stand upright and appear stronger than she must have felt. “Please, Applejack. Rarity really—”
Applejack silenced her with a kiss. “Ah said yes, and Ah ain’t gonna go back on that now. Let’s get ya into somethin’ warm and let’s get goin’.”
The trip to the spa was swift and easy. Applejack had put her hoof down and insisted that she could either carry Fluttershy to the spa, or put her back to bed. After a short round of pouting and fretting about what ponies would think, Fluttershy had agreed. She had subsequently spent the entirety of the trip atop Applejack’s back, covered beneath a veritable mountain of blankets. She had silently enjoyed the warmth of her marefriend’s back and shown her appreciation by nuzzling Applejack’s neck and clinging to her as tightly as she could.
Applejack hadn’t minded in the least, even though it had made walking a tad difficult.
They found Rarity in the spa foyer. The unicorn had just arrived herself, and she wasn’t alone.
“Heya, Twilight,” Applejack called out, startling her other friend.
Twilight turned to the walking two pony pileup with a look of concern. “Uhm, hello Applejack and... Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy waved meekly from her spot on Applejack’s back.
“Darling!” Rarity stepped forward and looked Fluttershy over with her own look of concern. “Applejack said you were sick. What possessed you to—no...” Rarity turned her gaze to Applejack, and for a moment the farm mare knew exactly how it felt to be hit by a freeze ray. She shivered involuntarily and shrunk a little under Rarity’s gaze. “What possessed you to bring poor Fluttershy here?”
“Uhm, Rarity? Fluttershy preempted a retort from Applejack with a confession. “I kind of... sort of... begged Applejack to bring me here.” Fluttershy looked down self consciously. “I didn’t want you to have to go alone. B-but I see that you found somebody to go with.” She flashed Twilight a small smile, which was returned. “So, I... uhm... I guess we’ll go back. If that’s alright with you?”
Rarity held Applejack in her version of the stare for a moment longer before she relented and smiled at Fluttershy. “Nonsense, darling. Now that you’re here, you might as well join us. Who knows? It might even do you some good to be pampered.” She smirked and shot a sidelong glance at Applejack. “Heavens know that she doesn’t even know the meaning of the word ‘pampering.’”
This time it was Applejack’s turn to glare. “Hey now, Ah know plenty about pamperin’.”
Rarity tittered, and Twilight stifled a giggle behind her hoof. “Only teasing, darling. Shall we?”
The spa twins came into view the moment their conversation ended and Applejack wondered if they had some sort of sixth sense when it concerned anything in their spa, and had simply materialized to bring them to the mud baths.
Mud baths. Applejack had never understood how Rarity of all ponies could be so happy while doing the exact same thing the pigs on the farm did. The mud was slimy, it had an uncomfortable consistency, and it left you in need of a shower. While growing up on the farm had taught Applejack that a little dirt was the cost of doing business and therefore nothing to worry about; she didn’t particularly enjoy being stuck in mud from the neck down, no matter how good it might be for her skin.
Still, Fluttershy seemed to be enjoying herself, conversing with Rarity in hushed tones while she soaked in the mud. On Applejack’s other side, Twilight had picked up a clump of mud with her magic and was spreading it out and pushing it back together again, probably trying to figure out how it worked or something.
Since she had nothing better to do, Applejack decided she might as well give her eyes a rest. Taking care of Fluttershy's extended family of animals, and the mare herself, was proving exhausting to the point of collapse.
After a few seconds, somepony shook her gently. Applejack opened her eyes to find that her friends had disappeared and only Lotus was standing next to her. “Excuse me, miss,” she said, softly prodding Applejack again to make sure she was awake. “It has been half an hour already. It is time for the sauna.”
Applejack blinked and shook her head. It can’t have been that long, can it? She decided not to dwell on it and stepped out of the mud, grabbing a towel, and cleaning herself up as best she could before Lotus could stop her. She handed the towel to the confused spa pony, who could only nod and lead her to the sauna. Inside she found Fluttershy sitting on the left side of the second rise, while Rarity and Twilight occupied the right side of the first.
“There you are, Applejack.” Rarity titered. “We were afraid you weren’t going to join us, darling.”
Twilight and Fluttershy both smiled at her and she averted her eyes, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “Yeah, Ah guess Ah haven’t been sleepin’ as well as Ah’d like.” She quickly climbed up to the second platform and settled down next to Fluttershy. “What’d Ah miss?”
Twilight mimicked her actions, scooting a little closer to Rarity before she responded. “We were just talking about how nice it feels to go to the spa after a hard day of working on—ow!”
“—A hard day of working on your fashion sense, yes?” Rarity said shooting a pointed look at Twilight which made the unicorn pin her ears to her skull.
“Uh... Yes, that’s what I was gonna say.”
“Uh huh, sure ya were.” Applejack knew when she was being lied to, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“Uhm, actually... I was telling them about my knitting,” Fluttershy cut in, running a hoof along her marefriend’s back which made her relax a little.
Applejack looked at the pair of unicorns curiously; they were both sweating bullets, but that could have just been the effect of the sauna. “Hmmm...” She decided that Twilight was definitely hiding something. And Rarity... well, Rarity was always hiding things, and a master at concealing it. She leaned against Fluttershy and listened to the rest of that particular conversation, keeping her gaze on the unicorns. Twilight kept scooting closer to Rarity though the latter didn’t appear to notice.
Before long, the spa twins came to get them. They were led to the same tub they’d bathed in after their run in with the poison joke, only this time it was filled with hot water instead of an antidote potion. Like the other three, Applejack let out a content sigh as she lowered herself into the tub and let the water envelop her. Fluttershy in particular looked like she enjoyed it immensely; she almost looked completely healthy.
Fluttershy and Rarity sat down together and quickly delved into another conversation, though Applejack decided that she needed a good scrubbing when Aloe came in with a brush and some extra bath salts. She didn’t realise Twilight had gotten closer until the unicorn spoke up.
“Applejack?”
“Whoa nelly!” Applejack spun around, miscalculating how she placed her hooves and slipped, only for Twilight to catch her in a magic field. She took a few seconds to find her hooves and turned to face her friend. “Thanks, Twi.”
Twilight smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay.” Applejack shrugged and returned the smile. “Not like anything happened. What’s up?”
“Well,” Twilight began. “I was wondering… how did you... you know...” She fell silent and looked at Applejack expectantly.
“How’d Ah, what, Twi?”
Twilight glanced over to her other friends, jerking her head back before mumbling. “...Ask Fluttershy to be your marefriend.”
“Ah just walked up to her and asked her to be mah marefriend.”
Twilight didn’t respond right away, looking at Applejack with disbelief instead. “Really? Then... what did she do?”
Applejack couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the way Fluttershy had gone from a miserable pile of pony to the happiest pegasus she’d ever seen. “She jumped me and stole her first kiss.”
“I... but... that’s not how things work, is it?” Twilight asked, looking more and more confused. “I mean, maybe in a romance novel, but not in real life, right?” She glanced to the side again, and it finally dawned on Applejack. Twilight wasn’t looking at Rarity and Fluttershy; she was looking at Rarity.
After a minute, Applejack nudged her friend in the side, drawing Twilight’s attention back to herself. “If ya want to tell Rarity that ya love her... ya could wear a nice dress, and take her out somewhere fancy, and she’d enjoy that. But Ah think you should just show her that you care about her.”
Twilight’s ears once again pinned themselves to her skull. “But I’m not... I mean I don’t...” She sighed, giving Applejack a pleading look. “Don’t tell her okay? Please?”
Applejack smiled and drew a hoof across her lips. “Mah lips are sealed.”
Twilight jumped forward and gave Applejack a short hug. “Thank you.” She let go and made her way over to the other mares, joining in on the conversation while Applejack decided that she should try and enjoy the bath while she had the chance.
Shortly thereafter, Fluttershy paddled over to where her marefriend was seated. Applejack greeted her with a smile. “Hey there, sugarcube. Had enough of talking to Miss Fru Fru over there?”
Fluttershy gasped quietly. “Oh no, not at all. I just wanted to see how you were doing... and maybe ask you something.”
Applejack angled herself and put her hind legs against the side of the bath, propelling herself forward and catching Fluttershy in a surprise hug. Fluttershy giggled helplessly and struggled a little, until a coughing fit broke the spell. She looked apologetic, but Applejack wasn’t having any of it. She nuzzled Fluttershy’s neck and then lifted her higher until the pegasus was giggling again.
“A-Applejack... s-stop!” Fluttershy shrieked in between peals of laughter.
Applejack smiled and lowered her marefriend, holding her close and whispering into her ear. “It’s been too long since Ah heard ya laugh.”
Fluttershy gave her a kiss on her ear and pulled back from the embrace slowly, leaving Applejack to wonder where she was going. Fluttershy swam to the edge of the bath and took a bottle of shampoo between her teeth. “Culd yuu wash mh back? Pwease?”
Applejack nodded and took the bottle from her marefriend, rearing up and balancing on her hind legs while she squirted a dollop of shampoo on each hoof. Fluttershy spread her wings and leaned against Applejack, letting the water carry most of her weight. It made things easy for Applejack as she could reach her marefriend's entire upper body without having to strain. She began with a careful massage of Fluttershy’s head. It was a small ritual she adhered to, Fluttershy’s long, luxurious mane was always the first thing she washed. The rest could wait.
Fluttershy looked so relaxed, it was hard to imagine that she was still sick aside from a slight pale sheen to her coat. She hummed appreciatively, which made Applejack smile and sneak in a kiss to her forehead. Coming to the spa was a good idea.
Their trip to the spa ended shortly thereafter and Applejack said goodbye to her unicorn friends. Twilight was, perhaps unconsciously, standing close enough to Rarity that she would only have to lean in a little for their coats to brush past one another. Rarity for her part didn’t seem to have noticed the rather glaring changes in her friend’s behaviour.
Applejack glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping pegasus strapped to her back. The washing of her mane had been a little too relaxing for Fluttershy who had fallen asleep near the end of it, and, unusually for her, stayed that way when they’d gotten out of the baths. Applejack had been worried about her marefriend right up to the point where Fluttershy had let out a dainty snore.
She waved at her friends one last time and took off towards the cottage. Their little outing had taken most of the day and it was starting to get dark. The weather had taken a turn for the worse as well, and by the time she was halfway there, the first snowflake landed on her nose.
It felt like a lead weight settled in her stomach when she looked up and got a good look of the snow bearing clouds hanging over the entirety of Ponyville. During the time she was taking care of Fluttershy, she had held on to the hope that the pegasus would recover quickly, giving her time to finish the extension to the farmhouse if she just worked hard enough. Now, she finally had to admit that it would be impossible; she wouldn’t be able to surprise Fluttershy on their anniversary.
The following morning came, and with it the first good night’s rest Applejack’d had all week. No coughing, sneezing or dainty mewls of discomfort from Fluttershy, no creaking of the old chair she had been using to keep watch if crawling into bed proved too uncomfortable for her marefriend, and even the animals kept blessedly quiet for once.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky, which made Applejack rub her eyes again; she wasn’t usually the sort to oversleep. Instinctively, she checked the bed for any sign of her marefriend. It was empty, which made her worry.
She quickly got up from the chair, knocking it over in the process and bounded down the stairs, taking as many as three steps at a time. When she didn’t see Fluttershy in the living room she made for the door. She had it opened before a noise from the kitchen drew her attention.
She closed the door and walked over to the kitchen, where she found Fluttershy struggling with all manner of pots and pans. Applejack sighed and leaned against the doorpost. She wanted to be angry with her marefriend for running off while sick, but the anger faded together with the fear now that she knew Fluttershy was safe. “What’re ya doin’, sugarcube?”
Fluttershy startled, spinning around and knocking over a pan filled with oats, making a mess of the kitchen. The mess was quickly taken care of by the rodents in the house, and Fluttershy’s beaming smile brought a smile to Applejack’s lips as well. “Good morning, Applejack~” the pegasus singsonged. “I felt much better this morning, so I thought I could bring you breakfast in bed... but... uhm...” Her smile turned bashful and she hid her face behind her mane. “I think I tried to make too much...”
The farm pony chuckled and stepped into the kitchen. “Then Ah suppose we’ll just have ta clean it up.”
Cleaning the kitchen was a cinch. Between the two of them and all the animals, it was spotless in no time at all. Breakfast, however, was a little more difficult. Taking care of a sick pony and several dozens of animals for a week without going into town for more supplies meant that there wasn’t a lot left. Fluttershy eventually settled on banana porridge with mint tea, and though Applejack had some serious doubts as to how edible it would be, she had no problem following Fluttershy’s instructions.
It was around noon by the time they finally sat down to enjoy their improvised meal. Applejack found, to her surprise, that banana porridge was a lot tastier than she had assumed. The mint flavor from the tea only made everything taste just that little bit better, which separated a good meal from a great one.
Once she was done, Applejack sat back and let out a content sigh. She felt full; another thing she hadn’t expected from the amount there was. She silently watched Fluttershy take dainty bites, taking three times as long to finish her meal. Applejack let her mind wander and it inevitably came back to the extension to the house. Fluttershy was finally doing better, but one glance out the window confirmed that it had snowed quite a bit. Repairing existing buildings in winter was difficult enough, but it was next to impossible to erect an entirely new structure with the snow being as deep as it was. Furthermore, Fluttershy would want to come by the farm again, and Applejack wasn’t about to keep her marefriend away for the entire winter.
Might as well get it over with.
Fluttershy, it seemed, was one step ahead of her. “Uhm... is something wrong, Applejack?”
Applejack looked away from the window and back to her marefriend. “Hmm?”
“You’ve been frowning ever since we sat down. Did I do something wrong with the porridge?”
Applejack flashed her a wry smile. “Nah, Sugar. Breakfast was great.”
Fluttershy wouldn’t relent, however. She looked concerned and reached over the table to place one of her hooves on Applejack’s own. “Then what’s wrong?”
“Nothin’. Ah’m just thinkin’.”
“About?”
Applejack sat up straight and smiled to herself. Heh, she really has rubbed off on me. “About us. We’ve been together for a year now.”
“Do you ever regret it?” Fluttershy already drew in on herself, as if expecting the answer to be an affirmative.
“What? No, of course not!”
“Sorry.”
This time it was Applejack who reached over the table to grab Fluttershy’s hooves in her own. “None of that now, Shy. It’s just that Ah wanted ta surprise ya with—”
She was interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door, combined with a muffled voice she knew all too well. “AJ! AJ! Come on, it’s finished!” Applejack got up and opened the door for her little sister. The filly was practically buzzing with excitement and kept hopping from one leg to the other. “Come on, come on, come on~! I need ta show you something.”
Applejack held up a hoof trying to keep her overexcited little sister in check. “Hold up there, Apple Bloom. What’s all this about?”
Apple Bloom was clothed in a scarf and boots to counter the snow. She was also wearing the hat Applejack had gotten for her, which kept sinking down over her eyes before being pushed up with a hoof once again. She looked to be on the verge of exploding, insistently tugging on her sister’s outstretched hoof. Applejack had to brace herself to avoid being pulled off-balance, and looked back at Fluttershy with a helpless expression, pleading for help.
Fluttershy smiled and set down her cup of tea. “Apple Bloom? Could you please let go of Applejack for a moment?” she asked, gently poking the straining filly in the side.
Apple Bloom stopped trying to force her sister out of the cottage and looked at Fluttershy. She was panting slightly from the exertion and her breath fogged as soon as it left her mouth. “Fluttershy, you need to come see it too!”
“It ain’t happenin’ Apple Bloom.” Applejack pulled her inside and closed the door behind her. “Fluttershy’s still sick and it’s way too cold out. Not to mention—” She halted when Fluttershy put a hoof on her back.
“I could just... dress warmly?” the pegasus suggested. “Whatever Apple Bloom wants to show us must be important, and...” Her smile grew a little wider, more hopeful. “I would like to go outside... if that’s okay with you, I mean.”
Apple Bloom for her part nodded furiously and tried a different approach; namely, pushing her sister out the door.
Applejack looked at her marefriend smiling hopefully, and then at her determined little sister before rolling her eyes and letting out a long-suffering sigh. “Alright, fine. Give us a minute to get ready.”
It took them a good ten minutes to prepare, though it felt much longer than that because of Apple Bloom’s incessant nervous energy. Finally, Applejack felt that Fluttershy was dressed appropriately for the weather, which meant that she was wearing about three times as much as she really needed to.
They followed Apple Bloom to the farm, watching the filly charge ahead before circling around to walk next to them for a couple of paces before her excitement got the better of her and the cycle began anew.
“What do you think she wants to show us?” Fluttershy asked softly, while watching Apple Bloom run ahead again.
Applejack shrugged. “No idea.” She was going through the possibilities in her mind but couldn’t settle on any one of them. Snow ponies were likely, or perhaps they found something interesting near the edge of Everfree again.
Instead she was stunned by the sight that greeted her when they reached the farm. Not only had the extension been completed, it had already been painted as well, a job she had planned to do in spring.
“Looks great, doesn’t it?” Apple Bloom asked, nudging her sister in the side.
Applejack took a second, trying to find her voice before she turned to look at her sister inquisitively. “Did you do all this?”
Apple Bloom nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Not just me though. Everypony helped!”
A soft, warm, wing draped itself across Applejack’s back and she looked from her sister to her marefriend. “You didn’t tell me that you were planning on expanding the house,” Fluttershy said, looking at the building with a mixture of awe and confusion.
“That’s cause Ah wanted it ta be a surprise,” Applejack mumbled.
Apple Bloom ran to the door and impatiently waited for the two older ponies to follow, which they eventually did after looking at the building for another few minutes. Fluttershy shivered, and Applejack quickly ushered her to the door.
Inside they found not just Granny Smith and Macintosh, but the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their friends as well; every single one of whom looked tired and dirty, as if they’d all been employed in a sawmill.
“Hey, y’all.”
“Applejack, Fluttershy. Welcome home,” Twilight said, smiling up at them. She was seated on the rug near the fire and gently ran a comb through Rarity’s mane. Rarity herself looked completely haggard, and only managed to muster a tired smile and a limp wave when she noticed Applejack and Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash had taken possession of the couch and sounded like she actually did work in a sawmill. Pinkie was the only one who didn’t look completely exhausted, and was currently having an eating competition in the kitchen. It was unclear who her opponent was, but with Granny as her cook, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle as enthusiastic audience, it didn’t look like she was going to stop anytime soon.
“Heya, Jackie, Shy-sie.” Pinkie waved with one hoof while the other was still shoveling all the apple turnovers Granny put in front of her into her mouth. “It’sh allllll finished!”
“What’s finished?” Fluttershy asked the room full of ponies. She had been curious ever since Applejack had told her that it was a surprise, but hadn’t had the chance to voice her questions.
“Come on, this way.” Applebloom led them down the hallway, past the stairs and to a brand new door which hadn’t even been varnished yet.
Fluttershy gasped when they stepped through the door. It lead to a big room spanning two stories in height, done up in the same style as Fluttershy’s cottage, mixed with a little flair, which was no doubt Rarity’s doing. It was filled with birdhouses, hutches and little hidey holes for all manner of critters, and even had a spot for Harry to rest comfortably.
“Me, Twilight ‘n Rarity took care of the inside,” Apple Bloom said, looking around with a proud smile.
Fluttershy took off with a giddy squeal. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! This place is wonderful!” She flitted from the bed which had a birdhouse nestled on each of its bedposts, to the wardrobe which had several smaller holes for rodents to play in, and on to the southern wall which was filled with more houses of all shapes and sizes.
The final touch was the small pond, in which Tank and Gummy were already playing around with one another, which meant that the toothless alligator was trying to get through the tortoise’s shell. This in turn led to another bout of Fluttershy gushing about how absolutely perfect the room was.
Applejack watched her marefriend with bemusement for a while. She appreciated the room for what it was, an extension to the farmhouse, and a big step forward in her life; but first, she had to do something much more important than simply admiring the woodwork.
She returned to the living room, and went about gathering her friends. Twilight and Rarity looked mostly aware and attentive, so she skipped straight to prodding Dash in the side until the pegasus woke up with a snort. After that, she yanked Pinkie out from behind the table, and a mountain of apple based pastries. Pinkie was going to have trouble fitting into her dress for the next Galloping Gala.
“Girls,” she began when all of them were seated. “Ah...”
“Don’t even start, AJ. You’d’ve done the same for us.” Dash interrupted her, getting approving nods from her other friends.
Applejack took off her hat and held it to her chest. “That doesn’t matter. Thank you all so much. It’s beautiful.”
“Hey! We helped too!” Apple Bloom piped up from behind her.
Applejack chuckled and wiped the moisture out of her eyes before giving her sister a big hug. “Thank you too, Apple Bloom.” The other crusaders joined in on the hug, and before long there was a big pony pileup in the center of the living room.
“Oh... uhm... did I miss something?”
Though Applejack couldn’t see Fluttershy from her position in the hug pile, a small ‘eep’ told her that her marefriend was now part of it as well. She smiled and closed her eyes, happy to stay and hug the best friends a mare could ask for.
When they finally separated, she remember that there was one thing she had forgotten. One very important thing which could still ruin everything. Sheepishly, she turned to Fluttershy and smiled. “Uh... sugar?”
Fluttershy looked at her with those soulful eyes of hers, which almost made her forget what she was gonna say. “Yes, Applejack?”
“Would you... like to...” She swallowed heavily. “...move in with me?”
Had she known what to expect, she would have braced herself. As it was, she was knocked to the ground by an ecstatic pegasus, who had decided that her face was lacking in kisses and was frantically trying to remedy the situation. “Yes!”
After Fluttershy settled down, they all moved to the new room. There, they talked about what would need to happen to move all of Fluttershy’s belongings to her new home. That is, until Macintosh brought out a barrel of cider and they instead swapped stories and funny anecdotes which kept them laughing and talking until deep into the night.
Before they all left, Granny Smith insisted that there was one last thing that needed to happen, and handed Fluttershy a plaque, telling her to hang it up.
Fluttershy found a prominent spot in the room which could be seen from most anywhere and knocked the nail into the wood herself. On it, she hung the plaque, which read:
Wood and stone may make a house, but only love can make it a home.