//------------------------------// // Everything Laid Bare // Story: The Sweet Taste of Apple // by Icecane //------------------------------// The darkness seemed so vast, so empty. Just a black nothingness, stretching onward with no end or beginning in sight. There was no sound, no sensations, nothing at all. The young pegasus could only feel himself stuck there, with no meaning of time or purpose. As if trapped in the consuming abyss. Then, he saw the light. It was a wondrous, beautiful thing. A bright, white light. So much brighter than the sun itself, and even more magnificent. So far away, it was like a speck. But as he watched it, it began to grow. More and more it grew, growing all the brighter. It banished away so much of the darkness, and the pegasus felt himself drawn to it. Something so wonderful, it was something he wanted, yearning just to reach out and take it for his own. As it grew, so too did his need for it. It was all he wanted now, no other thought came to him but reaching the light that was so far away. Even as he tried to will himself toward it, its intensity only increased further. It became blinding, painful to look at, but he couldn't stop. The black abyss around him was gone, only small remnants of it, and he felt himself closer to the light than ever. Just about to reach it, basking in the comforting warmth it offered, Trader's eyes fully opened to stare at the white ceiling that hung above him. Senses returning, thoughts racing, he blinked as his gaze shifted across the plain surface of it. Almost instantly, he became aware of the softness of the bed he was lying on. Every part of his body suddenly felt stiff, like his muscles were made of steel, throbbing aches and pains jabbing into them. With effort, he slowly turned his head to try and grasp his surroundings. A startled gasp then rung in his ears as his first coherent sound. “He's awake!” a voice exclaimed, followed swiftly by other surprised breaths. The stallion did his best to move his sights to where it was coming from, looking out to spot a group of familiar mares surrounding his bed. All wore elated smiles, faces beaming with joy. “What... Where... am I?” Trader managed to groan out, regaining a small bit of movement in his body. “You're in a hospital,” Twilight explained, looking just as overjoyed as the rest of them. The answer gave Trader cause for examining his surroundings more. Spotting the size of the room, it was what one would expect from a hospital room meant for a single pony. The décor was something else entirely however. Nearly every inch of wall was covered in decorations of varying colors. Streamers and balloons hung everywhere, a multitude of vases of flowers dotted the area, with several looking as though they were made up of different balloons tied together. Right in front of him on the far wall, there hung a large banner reading 'Get Well Soon' across it. Fluttershy stepped forward, her own expression given her usual timid touch. “Are you alright?” she asked, genuine worry in her voice. “You've been unconscious for four days.” “F-four... days?” the stallion breathed, hardly able to comprehend what she had said. “That's right,” Twilight confirmed. “The doctor told us you had started stirring in your sleep, and he figured you might wake up today.” With time given to fully adjust, Trader's wandering gaze fell onto himself. His difficulties and pains were made all the more obvious the moment he got a look of his own body. Thick bandages wrapped around most of him, blending in with the natural white of his coat. His broken leg was in an even thicker cast, being propped up into the air by a sling attached to the ceiling. His injured wing was as encased as the rest of him, the appendage stretched out with a splint against it. It took a few moments for him to feel the patch against his cheek as well, covering the cuts that were left by a gryphon's claws. Seeing his condition, his mind returned to his last few memories. What had happened in the forest came back to him in full force. His eyes widened immediately as he bolted upright in his bed. “Applebloom!” he shouted frantically, struggling to pull himself up. “Where is she?! Is she alright?!” A magenta aura became wrapped around his body, Twilight's magic keeping him from jumping out of bed. “Applebloom is fine, Trader,” the unicorn said, waiting for him to calm down before gently setting him back on the bed. A light chortle was heard from the room's entrance as the doctor came trotting in, matching the expression of the others as he eyed the pegasus. “She's quite right,” he said. “Applebloom was released from here shortly after arriving. Though she'll have to continue wearing a brace on her leg for the next day or so, her injuries were minor. You, on the other hoof, are very fortunate.” Approaching his bedside, the doctor's horn lit up as he used his magic to examine the pegasus. “If Rainbow Dash and Applejack hadn't brought you here when they did, I'm afraid we might have lost you.” Trader remained still as the doctor did his work, letting the fully gravity of the situation dwell on his mind. “Applebloom told us what happened,” Twilight then said, looking to the others who all nodded their heads. Rainbow Dash hovered in the air, taking up the airspace as the floor seemed too crowded. “Yeah, she told us all about what that rotten gryphon tried to do,” she said, brow furrowing at the mere thought of him. “Then how you kicked that manticore's tail!” Still in the air, she flipped and kicked around energetically, as if reenacting the events that had transpired in the forest. “Why, you saved Applebloom's life,” Rarity said, the alabaster unicorn batting her eyes dreamily. “You showed such heroism. I shudder to think what might have happened to the poor dear if you hadn't acted the way you did.” Another groan escaped Trader as the doctor finished what he needed to do, jolts of pain coursing through his body again. “I don't... feel like much of a hero,” he murmured, his constant misery evident to all of them. With a happy giggle, the pink-coated Pinkie Pie jumped into the air, landing on Twilight as she stared down at the pegasus happily. “Don't you worry, Tradie,” her bubbly voice called. “You're gonna get all better really fast! I'll make sure you get plenty of laughs so you heal up nice and quick. It is the best medicine after all!” A light cough escaped the doctor then, getting the attention of the others. The room fell into silence as he examined a clipboard without a word. After a few moments of letting things calm down with the stallion's return to the waking world, he eyed his patient with a serious look. “Well, that's it then,” he said plainly. “From what I've seen, your recovery is moving along nicely. The worst of it's done and over with, and now you'll just need plenty of rest to allow yourself time to heal. But... I am afraid there's something I must tell you...” His expression dramatically shifted to one of sympathy, pausing briefly as he thought on exactly what to say. “Trader... you must know... you were in bad shape when you were brought in. We did all that we could to save your life and repair the damage that had been done. The worst of it was caused by the manticore's claws, to your side as well as your wing. The wing itself was the most difficult to heal, both with the broken bone as well as the severe cuts it had received.” Again he paused, looking unsure of how to continue. “Trader... I am truly sorry, but your wing won't fully heal properly. Given enough time, with proper conditioning and therapy, you may be able to fly again. But the muscles have been left too weak, you won't be able to sustain any kind of speed or agility.” The room was devoid of any sound. Everything had gone quiet, still. Across the room, the many ponies there wore similar expressions, horrified as they heard the devastating news. Rainbow Dash herself looked particularly haunted by it, understandable given who she was. But all eyes were soon drawn to Trader, whose own expression was a stark contrast to their own. Trader remained still, his face a complete and utter blank. He didn't move or make any sound of the sort, not even making a single twitch of a facial reaction. It almost became unbearable for the ponies to see it, thinking something wrong had just happened. But the pegasus surprised them, his head tilting down just slightly, forming a weak nod of his head. “Alright...” he murmured, his tone just as emotionless as the rest of him. “Thank you, Doctor... for everything...” The Doctor simply gave a nod of his own, his face showing that he too hadn't expected the stallion to react the way he did. “I'll leave you here to rest,” he replied, trotting toward the door. “The nurse will come shortly to assist you.” Then he was gone, leaving the pegasus alone with the others. “Ah well...” Trader then said, shoulders slumping as he heaved a sigh. “I never really used them that much anyway, right?” “Are you going to be alright, dear?” Rarity asked, uncertainty written on her face. The pegasus simply shook his head, eyes blank as if locked in deep thought. “No,” he murmured. “Everything's fine... But, thanks for being here... It's good to see everypony again.” “Well, we should probably get out of your mane so you can get your rest,” Twilight said, gesturing her friends toward the door. “We'll also tell Granny Smith and Big Macintosh that you're up, I'm sure they'll want to visit you too.” Trader waved his hoof to them as the stepped toward the door. “Don't let me be a burden,” he said to them. A simple smile came from Twilight as she returned the wave. As she left, her friends followed, each giving their own waves and saying their good-byes. In almost an instant, the small room seemed to get larger. But as soon as the ponies were gone, the stallion became aware that there was still one pony left. It brought great shock to him, not noticing the orange-coated mare prior, seemingly hidden in the larger group. Applejack was a complete mess. Her blonde mane was a matted nest of hairs, many strands sticking out of her ponytail in random directions. Eyes sunken and bloodshot, a series of heavy lines traced underneath of them. Even her coat seemed to have lost its bright orange color, looking dulled. The stallion could already guess the reason however. Her little sister had narrowly escaped danger after all. It would worry him to no end as well. For the longest time, the mare just stood there, staring at him. An uncomfortable itch developed on the back of the pegasus' neck as her saddened gaze lingered. Becoming worried himself, he was prompted to speak. “A-Applejack... are you okay?” he murmured. Looking on the verge of tears, Applejack approached his bed. Before he could react, the farmpony latched onto him, hugging him tightly. “Ah'm so sorry,” she whimpered out, nearly crushing the pony in her grip. Then, just as immediately as it had occurred, the mare let go of him, turning away from the bed and rushing out the door. “Applejack, wait!” he shouted. Though he tried going after her, his body immediately seized up, his sudden movements sending more jolts of pain throughout his battered body. Just a moment after Applejack had left, the nurse stepped into the room, the two nearly crashing into one another. Her eyes followed the mare as she disappeared down the hall, returning to Trader with a soft smile. With her, the nurse carried a small platter with a pill and glass of water to wash it down with. “Medicine from the doctor,” she said, holding a cheery smile that could give Pinkie Pie a run for her money. “It will help dull the pain now that you're awake.” With a nod, the pegasus took it and chugged the simple drink. Every drop was sucked down, surprising himself over how thirsty he was. The medicine itself must have had some magical properties to it, as even after just swallowing it, he felt his aches and pains slowly fade away. Breathing a sigh of relief, he managed to relax himself. Taking the tray away, the nurse's gaze moved toward the door. “I'm glad you've finally managed to wake, Trader,” she said offhandedly. “I was worried the poor dear wouldn't last much longer.” The pegasus looked at her peculiarly. “Who?” he asked, following her gaze. “You mean, Applejack?” With a nod, the nurse turned back to him, her smile seemingly growing larger. “Why yes,” she said happily. “After you were first brought to the hospital, she wouldn't dare leave your side, even as the doctor assured her you'd make a full recovery. She wouldn't sleep or eat a thing, she just sat here in this room, keeping you company. Not even your other friends could convince her when they visited. Why, we had force her out of the E.R. when you had arrived too.” Trader stared at the mare in shock. “She was worried about... me?” he murmured aloud. He had thought it was because of Applebloom. But even as it ran through his mind, he remembered what the doctor had said. How the filly hadn't even stayed in the hospital for long. Applejack's condition was for him. “You're fortunate to have such a good friend,” the nurse said, interrupting his thoughts. “But I am glad she can finally relax.” With her job done, the nurse trotted off toward the door, turning back to the stallion for just a moment. “Speaking of relaxing, you should get your rest.” Trader didn't respond to the nurse, he had hardly noticed her absence. All that held his attention was what she had said to him. The knowledge of it played back in his mind over and over again. He could still barely believe it, to think she would be so worried about him. As the seconds piled up, his brow began to deepen, his eyes hardening into a look of pure determination. It took a grand amount of effort, but even in his weakened state, there was little that could stop the stallion as he managed to swing his broken leg out of its sling. Turning himself over, he brought himself to the edge of his bed and rolled off, just barely landing on his three working hooves. His own exhaustion hit him hard, making him realize how weak he was, even without pain coursing through him. But none of that stopped him as he hobbled out of the door. Perhaps it was the medicine going to his head, or the overhanging shadow of his brush with death, but Trader couldn't waste another moment, he had to find Applejack. Luckily, the hallway was empty, no nurse or doctor passed by, letting the pegasus go on unchallenged. Just down the hall, there was a small waiting room, with chairs and tables for ponies to rest. There, the orange-coated mare stood, her back turned to him as she trembled and shook. “A-Applejack!” Trader forced out, barely able to talk through his own heavy breathing. Her ears twitching, the mare turned, tear-stained eyes widened in surprise as she immediately ran to his side. “Trader!” she shouted frantically. “You're hurt, you've gotta get back into bed!” She tried pushing him back toward his room, but the stallion shook his head furiously. “No,” he quickly said. “I'm sick and tired of being too afraid to talk to you, to tell you what's going on and how I feel! I-I'm not even really certain myself but... you have to know this!” “What... what are you talkin' about?” the farmpony asked, meeting her friend's gaze. Taking several breaths to steady himself, Trader kept his eyes locked with Applejack's as he said, “I... I've never met a mare who could make me happy just by seeing her smile, or wound me so badly by being upset. I've never felt so flustered and confused when thinking about anypony else.” He smiled softly. “We've been friends for ages, and I've always cared about you, as much as I ever could. We might have been apart for so long, but ever since I've come back, I've been able to see what a strong, beautiful and dependable mare you've become.” Trader's ears fell against his head, his flank dropping down to the floor as he sat there, staring at her. “But... what am I in comparison?” he murmured. “Sure, I've traveled around, I've been to nearly every city, town and settlement in Equestria. I've tried my hooves at almost any job you can think of. But... I haven't done anything... I have nothing... The only thing I've ever had to my name was my debt, and you... you cleared that away, without so much as a second thought... All the while, you've run an entire farm with your family, accomplishing so much, more than I could ever dream.” “But that wasn't the only reason,” the pegasus continued. “I didn't want to admit that I had feelings for you... that I could see us as being more than just friends. Working here, with you and the others, has been some of the happiest days I've had. But it's just so... so easy for something to go wrong for me, especially at times like this. I couldn't bear the thought of me messing up and hurting you and the farm, or ruining our friendship because all I was was a screw-up to you...” Having said all he could, the pegasus just sat there, his soul bared to his old friend. His stomach felt as though he could be sick at any moment, a large lump expanded in his throat, his very skin felt uncomfortable to wear. Eyes broken away from Applejack's long ago, he only stared down at the floor, not daring to make another move or sound. Then, he felt a hoof on his chin, lifting his head up to face the mare. A large, heartwarming smile splayed out across her face as she leaned forward and kissed him. As their lips met, Trader felt his heart suddenly skip a beat, fluttering in his chest. It didn't last very long, but it didn’t' need to. Separating, the pegasus' cheeks practically shined with a bright red, his eyes wide as he could only feel surprise from the sudden action. Applejack looked the same, save for her eyes, a half-lidded, loving gaze looking back to the stallion. “Ah guess Rainbow Dash was right...” she murmured, stepping forward again to nuzzle him affectionately. “Applejack... you...” Trader began to question, his thoughts in a daze. Applejack simply nodded, practically glowing despite her haggard appearance. “Ah was surprised myself when Ah started gettin' sweet on ya,” she said. “You've been such a carin', hardworkin' pony.” She blushed slightly as her smile grew. “And... Ah did notice how cute you've gotten since we were foals... But Ah never thought you'd look twice at a simple earth pony like me... Ah guess Ah was wrong, huh?” “Of course,” Trader said, smiling himself. “And Rainbow Dash did tell me plenty of what was goin' on with you...” the farmpony explained. “But, Trader, you don't need to feel like that. Everypony messes up, especially us here in Ponyville. You've just not been here long enough to see what kind of trouble we can get into. The thing is, we help each other, that's what friends do.” Slowly, Applejack's smile began to shrink, fading away until her lips began to quiver. Trader was shocked as he saw tears falling down her cheeks, the mare leaning in closer against him. “But... Ah am sorry, for how Ah've acted,” she murmured, her voice beginning to shake. “Ah don't even know why Ah got so mad... Maybe Ah was jealous of Trixie... even of Rainbow Dash... Then you wanted to leave, Applebloom disappeared and then... when she came to us... When I saw you lyin' there... Ah though... Ah thought you were...” She didn't finished, instead latching onto the stallion again, holding him in her hooves as she whimpered into his shoulder. “Ah thought Ah lost you... like Ah lost mom and dad!” Trader remained still for a moment, letting the mare take as long as she needed. Eventually, he wrapped his forelegs around her as well, holding her just as she was to him. They remained like that for sometime, until a small smile appeared on the pegasus' face. “You know, Applejack, you're forgetting something,” he said, causing her to look up at him curiously. “I'm still indebted to you and your family. Until I've cleared that, I can't go anywhere.” Applejack smiled at that, holding him even tighter, almost possessively, nestling herself against him as she silently murmured, “Then Ah don't want you to ever pay us back...” With a small chuckle, Trader returned the favor, unable to remember a time he's ever felt happier. “I wouldn't have it any other way.” It was two weeks before Trader could even leave the hospital. So many long days, stuck doing nothing but resting in bed, it nearly drove him stir-crazy. If it wasn't for his friend's occasional visits, and Applejack's especially, he would have lost it. But, his broken bones and wounded flesh healed and he was allowed to leave, returning to the farm as the thought of ever leaving never crossed his mind. Back in the field, wanting to return to the work he shirked for so long, he kicked out against the apple tree behind him. Though his leg still felt stiff, there was hardly any pain to be felt, allowing him to buck the apples from their branches without a worry. Though his wounds were healed, he couldn't say there weren't any lasting effects. Across his side, where the manticore had struck, one could see five faded scars where the wounds once were. Thankfully, his wing covered most of it, only showing small fragments to anypony looking carefully enough. The worst of it came from the wing itself, barely able to move the stubborn appendage. It felt numb more than anything, the stallion having to stop every now and then to make sure it was still attached. Despite everything that had happened though, it was nice to be out in the fresh air, bathed in warm sunlight Of course, his work was slowed with his body still sore and weak, not as recovered as he would want, he wasn't about to let it bother him. The apples still fell from their perches, falling into the baskets with little going wrong. Wiping away the sweat forming on his brow, the pegasus saw a lovely sight approaching him, caught in Applejack's gaze. The mare approached him dutifully, looking up for a moment to admire the progress he was making. “Good work,” she said. “But it's time for your break.” “Oh?” Trader questioned coyly. “Since when do we take breaks so early?” “Doctor's orders,” she responded, taking another step forward to nuzzle against him. “But don't worry, Ah'll be here to keep ya company. Ah get a break too.” “That's all the incentive I need then,” he said, nuzzling her in turn as she laughed lightly. Trader was a screw-up. Though he could try and do his best, something was likely to go wrong and he'd fail. It was a cruel fact that was as plain to see as the cutie mark on his flank. But, as his eyes fell on the mare of his dreams, seeing the smile on her face that he helped put there, he knew that he could at least do something right.