//------------------------------//
// Tears 
// Story: Because Ponies Are the Size of Cats and They Love to Cuddle 
// by shortskirtsandexplosions 
//------------------------------//

	With a twist of the holo-key, my apartment door swishes open.  I walk in sideways under the dim purple glow of sunset, carefully cradling the slumbering bundle of orange fuzz in my arm.  Smiling to myself, I quietly close the door behind me, kick off my shoes, and shuffle across the foyer and into my living room.

Holding my breath, I carefully lower down to my knees and lay Applejack's body onto the leftmost couch cushion.  Once I release my grip of her, I lean back, squinting at the pony's tiny tiny figure.

Her body rises and falls in liquid motion.  Her lips are pursed open, inadvertently fluttering the golden ends of her wrap-around ponytail.

I sit there for a while, calm and quiet.  Eventually, I get up and walk across the apartment to my closet.  I pull out a tiny duvet and shuffle back.  With silk-like grace, I drape it warmly across her figure.

For once, Applejack moves.  A dumb smile drips across her soft face as she turns over, stretching with an inward trilling sound.  She turns her back to me, scrunching her body into the nook of the sofa, bundled up tight in the blanket.

I exhale.  I reach in and caress her bangs for half a minute.  Then, with utmost silence, I get up and walk away.

"...sugarcube?"

I freeze in place.  I turn around, blinking.  "Ahem..."  I shuffle back to the sofa.  "Uhm... yes, AJ?"

She's lying still, her back to me.  I see her orange ears twitching involuntarily.  Her body rises and falls with a sigh, and at last she says, "Ya reckon I'm weak?"

I furrow my brow to that.  "Weak?"

Her little head silently nods.

I shake my head.  "I... I don't understand.  How do you mean?"

"Just like it sounds..."  She twists her head from underneath the blankets.  Sad, sad freckles:  "Do y'all think I'm a frail pony?"

"Applejack, I..."  I fumble, then smirk.  "You're certainly a little pony, but weak?"

"Well, maybe right next to you."

"Aj..."  I squat down beside the couch.  "What's all this about?"

"Mmmm..."  Her hooves shift and squirm beneath the blanket as she stares away from me.  "Nothin'.  Forget I even said anythang."

"You do realize you're a horrible liar."

She bites her lip.

I wait silently.

At last, she mutters, "When this here sweatshirt first ever showed up in Equestria—what, with the note yer scientists wrote n'all—my friends and I rightly didn't know what to do with it.  Portals to other worlds have never been much laughin' business where I come from, ya see.  We were so plum concerned that we even got the Princesses in on it so that we could come up with an idea based on their wisdom."

"I... didn't realize it got that involved."

"Oh, it did.  And for a sec there, it sure seemed like Twilight was gonna venture to put on the jacket and make the trip here herself, what with her bein' a responsible alicorn n'all..."

"Erm... right..."  I nod.  "What changed her mind?"

"I did," Applejack said firmly.  "Twilight's a talented pony, and she means well, but I'd be darned if I let her put her neck in danger for no good reason.  Royal authority or not..."

I smile.  "That sounds awfully brave of you."

"Well, that's just it."  With a quiet groan, Applejack sits up, rubbing her squinting eyelids.  "Nnngh... I didn't become the most 'loyal and dependable pony' of Ponyville by accident.  I got there by puttin' my best hoof forward and carryin' the weight for everypony I care for."

"Well, I guess I can see why Twilight agreed to let you make the trip in place of her."

"She... uhm..."  Applejack fidgets and avoids my face.  "She didn't."

I raise an eyebrow at that.

"Maybe ya haven't quite figured this out about me... or if you have, y'all've been gracious enough not to latch onto it."  She gulps and gazes at me.  "But I'm quite the stubborn mare."

I giggle and lean my chin against my knuckles.  "You don't say..."

"Don't get sassy on me when I'm pourin' my heart out!" She frowns.

"Heehee... ahem.  Sorry, Applejack."  I clear my throat.  "Do go on."

"Well, there ain't much more to say, really..."  She gazes down at her hooves, kneading them in the thick duvet bunched around her.  "I put the sweatjacket on one night without tellin' anypony and came here..."

"And thus, the Article bonded to you."

"Right.  Even if Twilight wanted to teleport over to this world now, it was too late.  I done took the bullet for her—as it were."

"Again, I think that was very brave of you."  I chuckle.  "If nothing else, it was courageous for the wrath of Twilight you'd have to endure."

"She ain't like that, darlin'.  Sometimes I wish she was, but then she wouldn't be her, ya feel me?"

"Sure thing."

"I did it because... well... where I come from, it just makes sense," Applejack says with a wincing expression.  "I'm the one among our friends who takes the fall, who does the dangerous stuff.  I mean—not like Rainbow Dash—I put my head into it a lot more.  Cuz I gotta.  I need to bounce back so I can still take care of the ponies I care for."

I nod.  "You're strong," I say.

She blinks, her eyes growing misty.  "Am I, though?"  Her muzzle quivers as her ears fold on either side of her head.  "I mean... look at me..."  She gestures to the sofa and the blanket.  "Look at this?  I know I go on and on about lovin' my sister Apple Bloom to death, but it's like I've become a lil' filly again myself..."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Shouldn't it be, though?"  Applejack gulps.  She brings two shaky hooves up and fidgets with the end of her dangling ponytail.  "I... I-I came here under dishonest and false pretenses because I felt it was what needed to be done to protect my friends.  I sure didn't feel no good about it at the time, but I felt it was the strong thing to do.  But... b-but now?"

I lean my head to the side.  "Now, what, AJ?"

She sniffles.  "I've taken advantage of yer generosity.  And what's more... I've become a slacker..."

I can't help but chuckle slightly at one.  "You've become what?"

"Just what it sounds like."  She frowns, her eyes glossy.  "Used to be that all I would ever think about was the farm and tendin' to my crops.  My apples used to mean everythang to me."  A blink, and she rolls her eyes.  "Nnngh... well, sure, they still do, but—I swear—I think less and less about apple buckin' and more and more each day about... about..."  She fidgets.  "...the next ch-chance I'll have for c-comin' here..."

I shrug.  "You took your sweet time before your latest visit."

"Don't change the fact that my heart and my noggin' are in a different place than they used to be," Applejack mutters, her voice wavering.  "And... I'm afraid... I-I'm afraid I'm gonna lose sight of what I once was.  That I've changed from the strong and dependable pony who was sturdy enough to take the fall for Twilight.  That now—with all the affection you and yer fellow humans shower upon me—I'm... I'm turning into... into..."

"What?"

She shakes her head, seething.  "I dunno!  But t'ain't right!  I woulda slapped myself silly months ago if I knew I'd become a dainty mare who's become so addicted to op—... oppo—..."  Her face twists.  "...opium?"

I smile.  "Opulence?"

She swats my shoulder with a frown.  "Dun put words in my mouth!  I know what I'm tryin' to say!"

"Heheh... sorry..."

She immediately looks guilty, crouching down low until she's drowning in the blanket like a cat in quicksand.  "Mmmmmmm... I'm sorry to be so moody-like.  But it's been botherin' me for a while..."  She clenches her eyes shut.  "And it's been botherin' me even more to know that I've been fightin' the urge to say how much it's been botherin' me."  She sniffles and shakes her head with a squeaky tone, "T'ain't honest.  T'ain't honest at all."

I sit there beside the couch, running a hand through my hair.  After a long breath, I smile and gaze at her.  "Applejack, you really... truly are being too hard on yourself."

"Hmmmph..." She sighs into the blanket.  "What makes you so sure?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe all the relaxation you've done during our time together has been something well-earned?"

She grunts and stares blearily my way.  "I dun see myself sweatin' up a storm."

"So?"

She's silent.

I get up and sit on the couch cushion next to her.  Reaching over, I stroke her mane and say, "You wanna know what I think, AJ?"

"Hmmmm... what?"

"I think ponies have a purpose, as do humans.  And I believe that the inherent differences are what make them such perfect friends for each other."  I tilt her chin up so that she's staring at me.  "What if... just perhaps... every pony was secretly made to be cherished?  That's perfect, you see..."  I smile.  "Because every person—I believe—secretly wants to cherish something."

Applejack blinks at me.  She sniffles.  "You reckon it's that simple?"

I slowly nod.  "I like to think so."

She gazes down at the floor.  I choose this time to scratch behind her ear, and she shuts her moist eyes with an inward chuckle.  "Hmmmm... I would like to think so too..."

"Applejack, listen to me."

She looks my way, blinking.

"Don't you ever feel guilty about it, okay?  Whatever you do in Equestria—for your friends and everypony—that's all well and good.  You're a wonderful, strong pony, and you have many things to be proud of, and so do your friends.  So don't let fear and doubt ruin that, ya hear?"  I brush her ponytail back and lean back with a smile.  "You're welcome to be Apple Bloom here.  You're the one pony in this universe and the next that deserves it, I think."

She stares up at me.  At last, the tears flow, and her next breath is a quivering one.  Nevertheless, a warm smile hangs from her muzzle.

I lean my head down.  "Okay?"

"...okay..." Applejack nods, rubbing one cheek, then the next.  A slight giggle escapes her lips, and she plops forward, resting her face and forelimb against my side.  I drape two arms around her, giving her shoulders a slight squeeze through the hoodie.  She murmurs something unintelligible, but I don't bother asking her to repeat it.

A full minute passes by.  Maybe two.  She shudders and leans back.  I lower my hands and watch as she takes a deep breath.

"I... uh... I really should be gettin' back," she murmurs, still smiling faintly.  "Got lots to do in the morning..."

"I can only imagine..."

"Thanks for showin' me where you work," she says, sitting upright with a thankful smile.  "Thanks for everythang..."

"I'm more than happy, Applejack," I say.

She lets loose a little guffaw.

I blink.  "What?"

"Y'know..."  She sighs, looking at me tenderly.  "There was a time when I didn't believe you when you said that."

I'm silent.

She gulps and says, "Right... best be moseyin' along..."

"Here, allow me—"  I reach to her hoodie.

"Thanks, but no thanks, sugarcube."  She gently presses my hand away and pulls the hoodie over her blonde crown.  "I've got this."

"Heh... sure thing..."

"Until next time."  She gazes up at me.  A lasting smile.  Her hooves wrap around each of the strings and pull...

The hoodie becomes one with the duvet.  I'm suddenly aware of the apartment and all its cold shadows.

As my eyes adjust to the lack of color, I realize that I'm not smiling anymore.  I take a deep breath, pick the Article up, and slouch towards my room to recharge it.  When I reach the doorframe, I stop suddenly.  I feel stuck between two spaces with only the cold sound of my breaths to give cadence.  Hugging the hoodie to my chest, I press my back to the doorframe.  My legs give out, and I slide slowly to the floor.

I'm not sure how long I linger down there.  At some point, I sense darkness falling outside the apartment windows.  The closest I've ever been to Sol was a lackluster cruise around Phobos ten years ago, but the golden bundle of joy I carried for most of today makes me think otherwise.

I take a short, bitter shower and limp my way to bed.  I throw the covers over myself and commune with darkness.  Here, the tears last half as long as I do, and I don't have to think for much longer.