Applejack…
Octavia’s consciousness flickered on, her senses slowly recovering. She could feel that she was lying on her back and on something soft. Most of her body felt warm from what felt like a blanket draped over her. The sounds of ponies walking around and talking, as well as some moans and groans, reached her ears, but she could not make out any words from her dazed state.
She let out a groan of her own when her body started registering the soreness it was feeling. A gasp and a shuffling of hooves came from her side.
“H-hey… Are… are you awake?” a muffled voice asked from the same side as the other sounds. Even though she had not yet regained full clarity, there was no mistaking who the voice belonged to.
“Applejack…” mumbled Octavia.
A relieved sigh was heard followed by, “Thank goodness… You’re gonna be alright. You’re safe, sugarcube.”
It was a bit of a struggle, but Octavia slowly opened her eyes, only to shut them from the sudden intake of light. She let out a whine and turned her head towards the side before trying again. This time, she was able to keep them open to see a blurry, orange blob.
She closed and opened her eyes several times to try and clear her vision. She drew a sharp intake of air when the orange mass eventually took on a more defined shape into Applejack. Her friend had a small bandage on her right cheek with several more on her body, and she was not wearing her usual stetson.
“Hey,” Applejack quietly greeted with a small smile, staring right into Octavia’s eyes.
Octavia swiftly sat up from the bed she was in, propping herself up with one forehoof. “Applejack, you’re—” She let out a groan, clenched her eyes shut, and quickly brought her other forehoof to her head when the room started spinning.
“Easy there, sugarcube,” she heard Applejack say before feeling her friend’s hooves help keep her up. “The doctor said you took a pretty hard hit in the head. You’re supposed to—Whoa!”
Despite still feeling a minor bout of vertigo, Octavia flung her hooves around Applejack’s neck and brought her friend in for a much needed hug. She felt Applejack stiffen up for a moment, but her friend quickly returned the embrace.
“You’re okay… I thought…” whispered Octavia, her eyes starting to water up.
“Ah’m fine. We’re both fine,” Applejack reassured, patting Octavia’s back.
The two of them remained in each other’s hooves, neither one of them making a sound except a few sniffs from Octavia.
Octavia let out a sigh as she sank further into the embrace. This was not the first time they had given each other a hug, but this one was somehow different. She could not pinpoint exactly why that was, but she liked it.
She felt a pang of disappointment when Applejack gently broke their hold and asked, “How you feelin’?”
“Much better,” Octavia answered as she rubbed her eyes.
She shifted her position, resting her back on the bed’s headboard. Glancing around the room, she could see they were shielded from prying eyes by ocean-green curtains. The walls and ceiling were of the same ocean-green, and a small nightstand was beside her bed with Applejack’s hat resting on top of it.
“Are we in a hospital?” Octavia asked.
“Yea, you were found injured in the middle of the streets and brought here,” Applejack explained, her small smile vanishing.
“What happened to the changelings? Did you and the others get rid of them?”
“Sort of. When we went to get the Elements of Harmony, a whole mess of changelings got in our way. We tried to break through, but there were too many of them,” Applejack answered.
Octavia flinched, feeling a shiver run down her spine.
“We were brought back to the ceremony hall,” Applejack continued, making no sign that she noticed Octavia’s reaction. “Princess Cadance and Princess Celestia were trapped, and Shinin’ Armor was still under Chrysalis’s spell. Ah gotta admit, things looked pretty grim, but Twilight managed to sneak up to Princess Cadance and freed her. The princess went on to break Shinin’ Armor out of Chrysalis’s control, and then combined their magic to reactivate the giant shield. The spell knocked every single changelin’ clean out of Canterlot.”
Applejack let out a light chuckle. “So in all fairness, it was Twilight, Cadance, and Shinin’ Armor who saved all of us.”
“That doesn’t mean you didn’t do anything. You helped fight off the changelings. Regardless, I’m just glad it’s all over,” Octavia stated.
Applejack nodded. “Me too.”
Octavia took a moment to look over herself. She still felt a bit sore and tired, but they were slowly ebbing away, and like Applejack, she had a few bandages applied to her body. Remembering what happened before she blacked out, she gingerly reached up towards her head and winced when she felt a jolt of pain. Sure enough, she felt another bandage where she had collided with the wall, and it was still tender.
“Careful,” Applejack warned, gently pushing Octavia’s hoof down, “you took a nasty hit over there. The doctor wants you to let it be and take it easy.”
“How long was I out?” Octavia asked.
“Just overnight. It hasn’t even been a full day since the weddin’ started.”
“What’s going to happen with the wedding?”
“It’s been delayed, but the princesses don’t want to put it off for too long. They plan to make it even bigger, so that it would double as a celebration for our victory, and help cheer everypony up.”
“That does sound like a great idea. It also gives me the time to recover and come up with something better for the occasion,” Octavia said as she took another glance around their enclosure, seeing no signs of any other pony. She could hear other ponies from outside the curtains, but none she could recognize. “Where’s the rest of our friends?”
“Twilight and Spike are takin’ care of Princess Cadance and Shinin’ Armor, while the others are helpin’ out wherever they can,” Applejack answered.
“Speaking of Twilight, how is she?”
“She’s doin’ good now. First chance we got, we sat down with her and had a nice, long talk. We apologized for everythin’, and told her we would do anythin’ she wanted to make it up to her.” Applejack smiled. “All she asked was that we remain friends forever.”
Octavia giggled. “That certainly sounds like her. I must make sure to apologize to her myself the next time I see her.”
“Don’t worry about that, sugarcube. She knows you got hurt, and you didn’t leave her like we did.”
“But I still doubted her,” Octavia pointed out. “She deserves an apology from me face to face.”
Applejack shrugged. “If you say so. Ah’m sure she’ll be glad just to see you’re fine.”
“Well, first things first, I need to be discharged from here before I can go find her. Could you ask one of the doctors how much longer I have to stay here?”
“Um sure, but if you don’t mind, sugarcube, could you first tell me what happened to you after we left the ceremony hall and how you got hurt?”
Octavia froze. “I suppose I could…”
“If it’s too difficult for you to talk about it, you don’t have to. Ah was just curious,” Applejack added.
“No, I can tell you. It’s just that… Well, I’ll just start from the beginning,” Octavia said before launching into her retelling.
She told how she ran out of the ceremony hall not too long after they left and then losing her cello before she made it out of the building. She went on to describe how she joined a group of ponies that were trying to escape, only to get scattered by more changelings.
“After that,” Octavia continued, “I happened to stumble into an apartment building and hid in a room that was located on one of the higher floors. When I looked out of the window, I saw all of you at the base of Canterlot Tower.”
Applejack’s eyes widened. “Wait, you were watchin’ us fight?”
“I believe I was jumping around and cheering,” Octavia replied with a quiet chuckle. “You all certainly can handle yourselves in a fight.”
Applejack grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “Yea, you kind of pick up a few things along the way with what we go through.”
“When you defeated that group of changelings, I was practically ecstatic.” Octavia’s smile faded, and her gaze dropped down to the bed. “That is, until I saw another group of changelings flying at you.”
Applejack sighed and slowly nodded, also averting her eyes from each other.
“It quickly became obvious you were all getting tired. It was horrifying to watch when each one of you went down.” Octavia bit her lip “The worst part was when you were the last one standing. It was pretty much unbearable, and I was practically screaming for you to get away. When the changelings finally got you…” She paused when her breath hitched. “Well, let’s just say I got really upset.”
She looked up when she felt a hoof on her shoulder to see Applejack give her a comforting smile.
Octavia smiled back before continuing. “It took me a long time, but I finally managed to pull myself together, and not a moment too soon, because I suddenly heard noises from outside the room. I peeked out and saw a few changelings were about to break down the door. I ended up charging out of the room, catching them by surprise, and knocking all three of them out.”
Applejack’s eyes bulged. “Wait, really?”
Octavia shot her friend with an unamused glare and a raised eyebrow.
Applejack cleared her throat and averted her eyes. “Um, keep goin’.”
“Anyway, after dealing with those changelings, I made my way towards Canterlot Tower. On my way there, I ran into a large group of changelings and had to make a run for it. Eventually, one of them tackled me from the side, hitting my head against a wall. That’s when… yea…” Octavia finished with a sigh.
“Well, Ah’m just glad that you didn’t get hurt too badly. You sure gave me a big scare. There is one thing Ah found odd about your story though, why were you headin’ to Canterlot Tower? You knew that place was swarmin’ with changelings. Why didn’t you just look for another hidin’ spot?” Applejack asked.
Octavia leaned back more into the bedrest and stared straight up at the ceiling. “That probably would have been the smart thing to do, huh? The thing is, I don’t really know what happened to me, but when I saw you go down, something in me snapped. Before I knew it, the only thing I could think of was to go and find you.”
“Hold on a minute!” Applejack cried out, planting her forehooves into the bed and pushing the scowl on her face close to Octavia. “Are you sayin’ that you put yourself in danger because of me?!”
Octavia reeled back with widened eyes. “W-what?”
“You said that you went to look for me even though you knew that changelings were all over the place,” Applejack seethed, her voice getting louder.
“Well um, yes,” Octavia meekly replied, “I know it was rash of me, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Consarn it,” Applejack grumbled as she sat down. She clutched her head in her forehooves, muttering indistinguishable words tinged with annoyance.
“Applejack?” Octavia scooted and leaned in closer to her friend. “I’m sorry for worrying you, but—”
“Ah can’t believe you actually did that!” Applejack suddenly yelled, making Octavia jolt back. “Of all the stupid things you could have done, this—”
“Applejack, quiet down this instant!”
A white mare wearing a nurse cap over her pink mane tied in a bun had suddenly parted the curtains at the base of the bed, sternly glaring at the loud mare that would halt just about anypony in their tracks. “There are ponies who need their rest, and I will personally throw you out if you don’t settle down!” she scolded.
Applejack turned to the nurse with a frown. “But—”
“Applejack…” the nurse warned as her glare somehow grew more intimidating.
Applejack let out a huff before closing her eyes. She took several deep breaths, each one taking a bit longer to perform. When she took her last one, the scowl on her face had just about disappeared.
“Are you going to behave now?” the nurse asked, her terrifying gaze still locked on to Applejack.
“Yea, sorry, Redheart,” Applejack replied. “Ah think Ah need to step out for a bit.” She turned her head toward the bed and mumbled out, “Sorry, Octavia,” before quickly donning her stetson and exiting through the curtains.
During the whole time, Octavia remained silent and gawked at her friend, still in shock from her friend’s sudden mood shift.
“Are you feeling alright?” Redheart asked, breaking Octavia’s stupor.
Octavia let out a sigh. “Yes, yes, sorry. I was just taken by surprise. I didn’t expect my friend to shout at me like that.”
Redheart offered a sympathetic smile. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that. She’s just concerned about you. I believe she’s just a bit on edge and tired.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“As far as I know, Applejack hasn’t left your bedside since she got here last night.”
Octavia’s eyes bulged slightly. “R-really?”
Redheart nodded as she grabbed a clipboard hanging at the base of the bed and examined it. “Anyway, since you’re up, I can give you an update on your condition. You had a couple of small cuts and bruises, but those have been easily treated. The main issue was that you had a minor concussion, but fortunately, there’s no sign of any long-lasting effects.”
Octavia breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. So does that mean I will be let out soon?”
“Possibly, but for now, I need to ask you a few questions to see how you’re doing,” Redheart said before asking a series of questions asking how Octavia was feeling and if there were any signs of discomfort or pain.
Octavia answered each question honestly, telling the nurse that for the most part, she was fine and any lingering effects of her injury was fading away.
“Well, it seems you’re recovering just fine,” Redheart concluded, placing the clipboard back in the bed’s baseboard. “I’ll go consult with the doctor to decide your next course of action,” she explained as she turned around.
“Um, just a minute,” Octavia spoke up.
Redheart turned back around. “Yes?”
“You seem to know Applejack, and now that I think about it, I believe I have also seen you around Ponyville.”
Redheart nodded. “I normally work in Ponyville Hospital, and as for Applejack, just about everypony in town know who she and her friends are. I’m here because Canterlot sent out a call for medical personnel to help with all the injuries because of the invasion.”
Octavia frowned. “Is the situation really that bad?”
Redheart sighed. “In a way, yes, but it’s much better than what could’ve happened instead. From what I heard, the changelings were careful to keep everypony alive, probably because they wanted to feed on ponies. Unfortunately, it didn’t mean they were gentle either. We’re overloaded with injured ponies.”
“I see…”
“I hate to cut our talk short, but if you don’t need anything else, I really have to excuse myself and check up on other patients.”
“Of course, I’m sorry for holding you up. Thank you,” Octavia answered, waving goodbye to the departing nurse.
After Redheart left, Octavia flopped backwards into her bed and let out a sizeable groan, her thoughts switching back to her friend. In all their time together, she had never seen Applejack get that mad.
And it’s all my fault, Octavia lamented. If I didn’t act so foolishly, I would probably have made it out safely and save Applejack a lot of trouble. I still don’t get what came over me. I knew I was going up against an army of changelings, yet I did it anyway. Why?
She only had one more brief moment of thought to herself before Applejack poked her head through the curtain.
“Hey,” Applejack quietly greeted, averting her eyes from Octavia and no longer having even a hint of anger in her voice.
“Hey,” Octavia greeted back, quickly sitting back up. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yea,” Applejack sat back down at Octavia’s bedside and hung her head. “Ah’m so sorry about lashin’ out at you like that.”
“It’s alright, from what I understand, you were just worried about me. I carelessly put myself in danger and just ended up causing you a lot of grief. I’m so sorry.”
Applejack shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t have to apologize for that. You did nothin’ wrong. You were just bein’ a good friend.”
“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that my good intentions only managed to land me in the hospital. I imagine it must’ve been very upsetting for you to see me like this.”
“You have no idea…” Octavia barely heard Applejack murmur.
Before Octavia could ask what she meant, Applejack looked up at her and spoke up at a normal volume. “Ah really didn’t mean to get mad at you like that. It’s just that findin’ out you got hurt because you went lookin’ for me was the tippin’ point.”
Applejack sighed. “As soon as Ah heard you were in the hospital, Ah rushed right over. Ah almost lost it when Ah saw you lyin’ here…” Her eyes stared back down at the ground. “Ah thought you were…”
“But Redheart told me all I had was a minor concussion,” said Octavia.
“Ah didn’t know it at the time, but Redheart eventually calmed me down and told me you were just restin’. Still, that period before she came in was painful… very painful…” Applejack’s eyes clenched shut. “I-it was like seein’ my mom in the hospital all over again.”
Octavia gasped, covering her mouth with her forehooves. “Applejack, I—”
“Ah don’t want to go through that again,” Applejack quietly continued as tears started to escape her closed eyes. “Ah can’t… Ah just can’t…”
Octavia got out of bed, and despite her limbs still having a tinge of soreness and weakness, she ignored it and quickly embraced Applejack in a hug.
“When you didn’t budge when Ah got here, Ah thought you…” Applejack choked out as her tears started flowing freely.
“It’s alright, Applejack. I’m safe, you don’t have to worry about me anymore,” Octavia replied, gently rubbing her friend’s back.
“But you got hurt searchin’ for me. It’s all my fault that you got hurt,” Applejack lamented.
“No, no, no, don’t blame yourself,” Octavia affirmed. “What happened was out of our control.”
“Ah just don’t want to see you like that again,” said Applejack. “Please promise me you won’t do somethin’ like that again.”
Octavia’s first instinct was to immediately agree, but she stopped herself. As much as she would like to assuage Applejack’s anxiety, she still did not understand what possessed her to take such a drastic measure.
“I-I’ll try,” Octavia stammered out her honest answer.
Applejack’s only response was a sob.
Unable to come up with anything else to say, Octavia just held her friend silently as Applejack cried into her shoulder. It was painful to see her friend in such sorrow, and it felt like an eternity had passed before Applejack’s crying finally subsided.
“Sorry…” Applejack apologized a moment later as they ended their hug. She sniffed and dried her eyes with a forehoof. “This whole invasion thing has taken a lot out of me, and Ah don’t do well in hospitals.”
“It’s alright,” Octavia replied. “This has been a trying time for the both of us. The good news is that it’s over, so we can concentrate on recovering.”
“Yea,” agreed Applejack, “it would be nice to relax for a bit. It sure has been rough.”
Octavia nodded as the two them descended into a silence. While she was recovering physically, the turmoil she just went through with Applejack had been quite the emotional drain. Looking back at her friend, she saw that Applejack was blankly staring at the wall, seemingly lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about now, Applejack?” asked Octavia.
“Sorry, but Ah just can’t help but wonder why we went so nuts for each other,” replied Applejack. “You recklessly charged through a horde of changelings to try and save me, and Ah got really torn up seein’ you here in the hospital.”
“It’s true that our actions were on the extreme side, but isn’t that what friends do for each other? Besides, it’s also plausible that our emotions have gotten a bit out of control with the whole invasion thing going on.”
Applejack sighed and folded her forehooves across her chest. “Maybe… It’s just that you mentioned that Ah was the main reason you did what you did. As for me, do you remember when Rainbow broke her wing and also had to go to the hospital? Sure Ah was worried about her, but Ah didn’t go all crazy like what Ah did with you.”
Octavia cocked her head. “So, what are you getting at?”
Applejack’s face scrunched up in thought, but after a moment of silence, she shook her head and answered, “Ah dunno. Maybe it really is just because we’re good friends, and Ah’m just overthinkin’ it.”
Octavia let out a hum as she slowly closed her eyes. Now that Applejack brought it up, she could not help but ponder on it for a bit as well. Could she be on to something? From the way she put it, it almost seemed like our friendship was beyond what we share with the others, but that doesn’t sound right. Yes, we have spent a lot of time together, but she’s supposed to have a special bond with the other girls because they are the Elements of Harmony, the epitome of friendship. The only thing I can think of that might trump friendship is…
Octavia’s eyes flew open, and she let out a gasp. Could it be?
“You thought of somethin’, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“I’m not sure,” Octavia slowly replied.
“Want to share what you learned? Maybe we can work it out together.”
Octavia opened her mouth, but then slowly closed it. “No, I think I would like to contemplate about this by myself for the time being. I promise to talk about it with you later when I’m ready.”
Applejack stared at her for a few seconds before replying, “Ah guess that’s alright. Take your time.”
The sound of a pony clearing her throat caused the two of them to turn their heads to see Redheart standing in front of the curtains.
“Hello again, you two,” Redheart greeted. “I just discussed with the doctor about what to do with you, Octavia. Do you think you will be well enough to leave in a bit?”
Octavia quickly nodded. “I believe I’m feeling well enough to leave right now actually.”
Redheart chuckled. “Sorry, but we still need to keep an eye on you for at least another hour or two, just to be safe. Under normal circumstances, we would like to have you stay longer for observation, but we really need to free up space for other patients. Would there be anypony willing to look after you for the rest of the day?”
“Ah was already plannin’ to do just that,” Applejack answered.
“Alright then, that’s everything for now,” Redheart stated with a nod. “Assuming nothing changes, I’ll come by later to discharge you.”
Octavia and Applejack thanked the nurse before she left to resume tending to other ponies.
“Well, that’s great that you’ll be out of here soon,” Applejack remarked.
“I can’t wait. It would be great to see the others again, especially Twilight.” Octavia sighed as a frown appeared on her face. “I also have to see if my cello survived the invasion. I do hope it’s alright.”
Applejack groaned and slapped her face with her forehoof. “Ah can’t believe Ah almost forgot,” she said before reaching for something underneath the bed. “Ah got distracted by all the fuss.”
Octavia gasped when her friend brought out a very familiar instrument case and opened it, revealing none other than her cello. She still remembered how her beloved keepsake was knocked away from her and hit the floor with a sickening crunch. She had been dreading to see what harm had befallen her cello , but here it was in Applejack’s hooves, not a sign of any damage, and it had been meticulously cleaned.
“Y-you found my cello and kept it safe?” Octavia wondered out loud.
Applejack chuckled and held out the instrument. “Actually, it was Pinkie who found it once things started to settle down. It got pretty banged up, but Twilight and Rarity helped me fix it up.”
“Thank you so much,” Octavia said, taking the instrument in her hooves. She smiled at her cello before looking back up at her friend.
“Ah’m glad we were able to get it back to you. Ah know how much it means to you.” Applejack got up on her hooves. “Anyway, Ah’m gonna go find one of our friends really quick, so Ah can let them know you’re alright and that Ah’ll be stickin’ with you for the rest of the day. Will you be fine by yourself for a little bit?”
Octavia nodded. “Don’t worry about me.”
They bade each other goodbye before Applejack left through the curtains.
Octavia smiled at the music instrument her friend helped rescue before carefully stowing it back into its case. She had at least a few moments alone to herself. It was the perfect time to go back to her thoughts and maybe figure out what Applejack meant to her.
“Dang nab it,” Applejack grumbled when she nearly toppled over because of the cello case that was slipping off her back.
Octavia giggled before pushing the heavy luggage back into position on Applejack’s back. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take it?” she asked as they walked down the streets of Canterlot.
“Redheart said you are supposed to take it easy and get a lot of rest,” Applejack replied. “Ah can handle it.” She let out a grunt as she shifted her body around. “Still, how the hay are you able to carry this without fallin’ over?”
“Aww, is the cello a bit too heavy for Applejack?” Octavia asked with a smirk.
Applejack rolled her eyes and gave a dry, “Hardy har har.”
Octavia giggled again. “Just like learning how to play, it takes practice. I have spent years carrying it around. You’ll eventually figure out how to balance it without much thought.”
The two of them continued their walk back to Octavia’s place, occasionally pausing for Applejack to accommodate her awkward gait. Along the way, they had to weave their way around huge piles of collected debris and construction workers running around.
A number of buildings had already been patched up, and others had teams of ponies working on them. Unfortunately, there were many more structures that were in dire need of repairs. It would be a long time before the restoration effort was complete.
They eventually found themselves passing by a small park. Other than a few craters and piles of debris scattered around, the area managed to stay in a relatively good condition. In the middle was Fluttershy sitting on a bench as she watched Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle play with each other. As they walked closer to the group, Fluttershy noticed them and waved them over.
“It’s so good to see you’re alright, Octavia,” Fluttershy said with a smile after they exchanged greetings. “We were all concerned for you when we heard you were in the hospital.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you all. Fortunately, I was just knocked unconscious, nothing serious,” Octavia replied as she took a seat next to Fluttershy.
“You foalsittin’ the fillies?” Applejack asked, setting down Octavia’s cello next to its owner.
Fluttershy nodded. “Since I was already looking after Apple Bloom, I offered to take the other two.”
“Thanks again for takin’ her. Ah knew Ah kind of left in a big rush,” Applejack replied.
“It’s no problem. I’m happy to help. You two have become really good friends to each other, and I think it was really sweet that you went to see her so quick,” said Fluttershy.
“Hey, guys!” a voice called out from above.
The three of them looked up to see Rainbow Dash fly towards them and land in front of them. “Oh cool, you’re already out of the hospital, Octavia. Bet you were bored out of your mind while you were there.”
Octavia giggled. “Not really. I was out for the most part, and Applejack was kind enough to stay with me when I woke up.”
“Sugarcube, nopony gets as antsy as you when they have to stay in one spot for a few minutes,” quipped Applejack.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Whatever.”
“Was there something you need, Rainbow?” asked Fluttershy.
“Oh yea, there’s a bunch of ponies whining about their pets or something, Fluttershy. I figured you might be interested in taking a look.”
Fluttershy covered her mouth with her forehooves and let out a soft gasp. “I hope the poor dears are alright.” She quickly got up but froze as a frown appeared on her face. “Oh, but I’m supposed to watch the fillies.”
“Don’t worry about that, sugarcube,” said Applejack. “You go ahead and help the animals. Octavia and Ah can watch over the little ones for a while.”
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked.
“It’s alright. We don’t have any urgent matters to tend to, and I’m supposed to take it easy,” Octavia remarked.
“Well, if you two are sure…” Fluttershy turned back to the other pegasus. “Okay, Rainbow, I’m ready.”
“It’s this way,” Rainbow directed as the two of them started flying away. “Catch you guys later!” she shouted back at Octavia and Applejack.
“I’ll be sure to come back as soon as I can. Thank you!” Fluttershy added before flying after Rainbow.
Once the pegasi were out of sight, Octavia and Applejack turned their attention to their new charges. The three fillies were running around, occasionally pausing next to a pile of rubble and pointing at it.
“Looks like those three are already up to something,” Octavia pointed out. “Did I really say I was going to be able to take it easy watching them?”
Applejack took a seat next to Octavia and chuckled. “You sure did. Don’t worry, you can rest. I can handle them by myself, but let’s hope they behave for once.”
The three fillies seemed to be involved in some sort of discussion until Apple Bloom broke off from the group and headed towards the benched ponies.
“Hey, Apple Bloom,” Applejack greeted her sister. “Not gonna keep playin’ with your friends?”
“Na,” Apple Bloom replied as she took a seat, squeezing between the two mares. “Ah wasn’t too interested in tryin’ out Scootaloo’s plan.”
“And what was she thinking of doing?” asked Octavia.
“Somethin’ about gettin’ cutie marks in buildin’ new towers to defend us in case there was another invasion.”
“Wait, what?”
Octavia and Applejack looked back towards the remaining two fillies. In the few moments they had their eyes on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo somehow erected a makeshift tower, standing a few yards tall, and were now standing proudly on top of it. The structure was no more than a pile of stones stacked on top of each other and was teetering precariously.
“Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! Get down from there this instant!” Applejack yelled after she sprang off the bench and rushed towards the shaky construct.
Octavia watched as her friend continued to shout at the two fillies, jumping up at them from the base of the tower, before turning back to the filly next to her. “Not that I’m condoning the activity, but why did you decide to sit out? I thought you were pretty interested in building and designing things.”
“Ah do, but to be honest, Ah’m actually pretty beat. It’s probably because of all the runnin’ around we had to do yesterday,” Apple Bloom confessed.
“At least you seem fine,” Octavia noted, looking over the filly’s body. “Did you manage to find a safe spot?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Yep, a nice guard took care of us. He brought us to what Ah think was a guard station where we waited it out with a bunch of other ponies.”
“Were you scared?”
“Kind of,” Apple Bloom confessed. “But Ah knew that Applejack was out there, and she always saves the day with her friends. Nothin’ can stop her!”
At the sound of Applejack letting out a yelp, the two of them looked up to see that the orange pony was sprawled on the ground with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looking sheepishly down at her from her back.
“Ooh, Cutie Mark Crusader Pony Pile!” Apple Bloom shouted before she ran towards the body heap. With a cheer, she jumped on top of her sister amidst the giggles of her friends.
Octavia chuckled. She could practically hear the air knocked out of Applejack’s lungs.
“Hello, Octavia,” a familiar voice greeted from her side.
Octavia turned her head and let out a small gasp. The pony who greeted her was Twilight, and she was wearing a saddlebag, but standing right next to her was Princess Cadance, the real one.
“P-princess,” Octavia uttered. She made a motion to get up, but stopped when the pink alicorn halted her with a hoof and a smile.
“Please, there’s no need for that,” Cadance assured. “Twilight mentioned you were just in the hospital. There’s no need to strain yourself over such trivial things. Besides, any friend of her’s is a friend of mine.”
“Well, it’s still an honor to finally meet you,” Octavia replied, relaxing back into her seat, but not before bowing slightly with just her head.
Cadance tittered before taking a seat next to Octavia, while Twilight stood in front of them.
“Twilight,” Octavia began, “I need to apologize to you. Yes, I know I wasn’t there at the rehearsal, but I still doubted you and should have listened to your concerns better.”
Twilight let out a groan. “Not you too.” She gave Octavia a sympathetic smile. “I appreciate the apology, but like I already told the others, it was my fault. If I actually took the time to calmly explain things and present evidence, I would not have looked so crazy, and we could have avoided this whole mess.”
“Twilight always did have a bit of a stubborn streak when she sets her mind on something,” Cadance chimed in. “When she was little, she would make quite the fuss at times when I tried to drag her away from her books.”
“Cadance…” Twilight whined over Octavia’s giggle.
“Sorry,” Cadance said with a smirk, “but it’s my job as your foalsitter to share embarrassing stories about you to your friends. I’m so glad you finally opened up and made some wonderful friends to allow me to do that.”
“So, what are you two doing out here, and where’s Shining Armor?” asked Octavia.
“Shining Armor is back at the castle, organizing the royal guard.” Twilight’s horn lit up, and her bag opened up, a hefty scroll floating out of it and unraveling in front of her. “Cadance and I are going around checking for stuff that needs to be done and fixed.” She sighed and frowned. “This is one list I really don’t enjoy making.”
“It’s alright,” said Cadance. “It will take time, but a city can be rebuilt. The important thing is that we’re all safe and sound now.”
Twilight nodded, and the scroll went back into her bag. “You’re right. Thank goodness I found you, and everything worked out in the end.”
“What did happen to you and Princess Cadance?” Octavia asked. “Applejack told me what happened after you left to get the Elements of Harmony, but where did you disappear to after the rehearsal?”
“Shortly after I was left alone, the fake Cadance came to me. Before I knew it, she teleported me to an abandoned mine somewhere beneath Canterlot,” explained Twilight. “There’s a huge network of tunnels down there, but with a stroke of luck, I found the real Cadance.”
“Chrysalis was able to sneak into Canterlot shortly after Shining Armor conjured the barrier, and that’s when she replaced me,” added Cadance. “She kept me alive, but barely. I tried to escape many times, but I didn’t have any strength left to get past any of her guards. I’m so glad Twilight found me. Without her help, I would likely still be down there.”
Octavia rubbed her chin with a forehoof. “But why would Chrysalis send Twilight to the same place Cadance was? If she didn’t, we might have not found out was going on until it was too late.”
Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure. If I had to guess, I would say that she deemed me too much of a threat to her cover. Even though I was going at it all wrong, I still managed to see things she did not want me to. With how expansive the abandoned mines are, she was probably hoping that I would get lost for who knows how long and that her guards could handle us. We got lucky that her precaution ended up exposing her instead.”
Octavia slowly nodded. “It really is frightening how one wrong move can have such an astounding impact.”
“At least it makes for a memorable reunion with Twilight,” said Cadance. “Hopefully, the next time we get to see each other again, there won’t be some villain trying to take over the world.”
As Cadance and Twilight shared a laugh, Octavia’s eyes drifted down to the pink alicorn’s cutie mark. It was a heart made out of a teal crystal and had two golden fringes bordering its bottom half. An idea came to her when she recalled Twilight telling her about Cadance’s special talent.
“Um, excuse me, Princess Cadance. If it’s not too much trouble, would it be alright if I talked to you privately for a few moments?” Octavia asked.
Twilight glanced over at Cadance and received a nod. “Alright then, I’ll just go help Applejack with the filles,” she said and headed towards Applejack who was suffering from a brutal tickle assault from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Looks like she could use a bit of help.”
After thanking Twilight, Octavia turned her attention back to the alicorn. Unlike Chrysalis posing as her, the real Cadance had a more relaxed posture, yet still maintained a regal air. Instead of wearing her imposter’s constant face of indifference or a small scowl, Cadance always seemed to have at least a small smile. It was quite the contrast between the two.
“So, what would you like to talk about?” asked Cadance.
“Well, if it’s not too personal,” Octavia said as she played with her forehooves, “could you tell me how you and Shining Armor got together?”
Cadance’s smile grew. “I don’t mind at all. It started shortly after I began foalsitting for Twilight. Her parents were both hard workers, so I would often be called on to take care of her until Shining Armor came home from his classes.
“Even at a young age, he was chivalrous and quite the gentlecolt. We became good friends, and I soon found myself seeing the both of them more, even when I did not have to foal sit. By the time Twilight no longer needed a foalsitter, I had to spend more time learning about my princess duties, while Shining Armor commenced training as a guard.”
“How did the two of you deal with it?” Octavia asked.
A playful smirk appeared on Cadance’s face. “Simple, we made time to see each other. We would adjust our schedules to be able to meet up, and I also would be lying if I said we didn’t break a few rules as well. When he became an official guard, I would always request him as my bodyguard, even when I wasn’t required to bring one.”
“Oh my,” Octavia said, stifling her laughter with a hoof, “you two sure put in a lot of effort to stay together.”
“We sure did,” Cadance agreed. “Our friendship was special to the both of us, and it was worth all the trouble.”
“So, when did you two realize you were in love with each other?” Octavia asked.
Cadance sighed as her smile became more subdued. “Sometimes you don’t realize how precious something is until it’s gone.”
“I’m sorry?” Octavia cocked her head at the odd response.
“One day,” Cadance continued, “Shining Armor found out that he was going to be assigned to a guard post in another city. Even though it was only temporary, we were both upset by the news. We spent all of our remaining time together, and on our last night, we fell asleep in each other’s hooves. On that night, I thought about all the things we had done over the years. That’s when I realized how close we have become, and that I actually loved him.”
“Did you tell him?” asked Octavia.
Cadance shook her head. “No, I kept quiet instead. He was going to leave the next day, and I did not want to let him leave with that hanging over his head. It would distract him and possibly risk his position in the guard. I resolved to wait until his return to tell him.
“While he was away, I became a bit of a recluse and spent a good deal of my time just sulking in my room. The wait was unbearable, but I refused to do anything that would put his dream at stake. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait too long. Less than a month after he left, he arrived at my door. He had appealed directly to Celestia and the former captain of the guard to let him come back to Canterlot. Turned out that he started to also think he was in love that night before he left, and his time away from me only solidified that. He confessed his love to me right then and there.”
“Amazing, he risked a lot just to come back to you,” Octavia remarked with awe.
“He said that he wanted to be a guard because his dream was to protect the ones he loved. He didn’t have to remain as a guard to do just that. He was prepared to throw it all away just for me.”
Their friendship blossomed into love, noted Octavia. They were willing to go through such extreme lengths just for the sake of the other. Could it really be the same for me?
“So, did you enjoy the story?” Cadance asked.
Octavia quickly nodded. “Oh yes, it really was wonderful. I can tell that you really do cherish him, and I hope the two of you will have a happy life together.”
Cadance giggled. “Why thank you. While I am always happy to retell that part of my life, something tells me that you might have another reason for my story.”
Octavia let out a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of her neck with a forehoof. “Well… I was hoping that talking to you could help me figure out my own problem. Twilight did mention that you had a talent dealing with love. “
“She is right, for the most part,” Cadance replied. “I do understand it a bit better than most ponies because of my ability to help nurture the love between ponies, but that does not mean I know everything. Love is a powerful and complicated thing, and it is impossible for anypony to fully comprehend it.”
“Oh,” Octavia said with a bit of disappointment.
Cadance giggled. “It wouldn’t really be love if it could be easily fixed with a simple answer or spell. Still, this is certainly not the first time I helped a pony about the subject. So, how may I help?”
“Well you see, I am friends with this pony. Even though it has only been a few months since we first met, we have really gotten close to each other. At first, I thought it was just because we were good friends, but I’m starting to think it might be more than that.”
“And what brought about this revelation?”
“It was the invasion we just suffered through actually,” Octavia replied. “To put it simply, all I could think about was to run and hide, but when I saw my friend get captured by the changelings, my instincts changed. Even though my chances were practically nothing, I rushed out to try and save my friend. I never been in an actual fight before, but somehow my drive to rescue my friend allowed me to knock out a few changelings.” She let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, there were too many of them, and I was eventually knocked unconscious.”
“So you think that because you allowed your emotions to control your actions, you suspect that you have feelings for Applejack?” queried Cadance.
“That’s right, I—” Octavia’s eyes blinked several times before shooting wide open. “Wait, you know I’m talking about Applejack?!”
Cadance nodded, a smirk plastered on her face.
“H-how? I haven’t told anypony about this! I even did not know about this until a few hours ago! Is this because of your talent for love?” Octavia asked, her mouth agape.
“As tempting it would be to say yes to that, the truth is that Twilight and I spent the entire day catching up with each other. She told me about you and your friends, and that includes her thoughts on your relationship with Applejack.”
“She thinks we’re in love with each other?” Octavia’s eyes kept on opening wider, threatening to pop out of her head.
“No, no,” Cadance replied with a giggle. “She said you two do spend a lot of time together. Although, she did mention some of your friends do tease you about that very idea. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has her suspicions as well.”
“Oh.” A blush appeared on Octavia’s cheeks. She and Applejack dismissed their friends’ jokes about them as harmless fun, but if Twilight, the least socially aware one of the group, thought that there might be something going on between them, there just might really be some merit to her falling in love with Applejack.
“What do I do?” Octavia asked. “How will I know for sure if I really do love Applejack?”
Cadance sighed. “I’ve been asked that same question many times, and I always tell everypony the same thing. There is no answer that fits everypony’s situation. This is something you have to figure out for yourself.”
Octavia frowned. “But what if I’m wrong? It could put a strain on our friendship. I do know that losing Applejack as a friend would be devastating.”
“Love isn’t without its risks. You cannot have a relationship unless one of you takes the first step. If it doesn’t work out, then yes, things might become awkward or even painful, but you said it yourself that you have become good friends. It might not seem like it at first, but I believe that your friendship will survive regardless of what happens. “
Cadance pointed a hoof towards Octavia. For the first time since she arrived, the alicorn did not have a smile, replaced by a stern glare. “The question remains, do you love Applejack, or is she just a friend to you? If you do not figure out what you truly want, it will only end up hurting the both of you.”
Octavia bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Applejack.
“Just relax,” said Cadance, her face softening back to a comforting smile. “Think back on all the times you spent together. What makes her special to you?”
Octavia nodded before taking taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes.
This all started when I asked her to help me with my music. She did not have to help me, but out of the kindness of her heart, she took me in, even though all I could offer was some meager help with her chores. Despite some complications, she stayed loyal to my cause. During our time together, she always managed to bring make me smile and laugh, and even before letting my stay at her place after the whole garden party fiasco, she has been generous to me with her time.
A frown appeared on Octavia’s face. Applejack certainly has displayed many admirable traits, but aren’t those all the same things a good friend would do? What sets her apart from the others? What makes our relationship special?
With a sigh, she reopened her eyes and looked back at where her friends were. Twilight and Applejack were now sitting at the base of a tree, chatting with each other as they watched over the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Applejack turned her head to Octavia and upon seeing her, shot her a smile along with a wave.
Octavia returned the gesture as another memory came to her. That’s right, I first saw her that night when I stumbled onto her secret spot while she was playing her fiddle. To think that simple accident would allow me to discover things about her that even her closest friends and family don’t know.
Octavia let out a gasp. Of course! Honesty and trust! That’s what we share! She’s the only pony I could really open up to, and I’m the only one who knows her full story. I’m the only one she can be fully honest with.
I want to be there for Applejack, so she would never have to suffer like that again. I want to be able to continue to enjoy the good times we share together. I made a promise to be there for her when she needs me, and I want to keep that promise by staying by her side.
A grin appeared on her face, and it slowly grew bigger, eventually evolving into a laugh. She did it. There was no longer any confusion or uncertainty. She knew what she wanted, and admitting it felt like a weight had been lifted off her heart.
“I’m guessing you reached a decision,” Cadance said with a smile.
“I love Applejack… I actually love her… I really do…” Octavia proudly stated between laughs.
Cadance let out a small squeal and clapped her forehooves together. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you!”
“I couldn’t have figured it out without your help,” Octavia replied as her laughter subsided. “Thank you so much.”
“I just merely pointed you in the right direction. The rest was all your doing,” said Cadance. “So, what are you going to do now?”
Octavia hummed as she began tapping her chin with a hoof. “Well, I do want to confess to her at some point. The question is when and how. As tempting it would be to walk over there right now and tell her, we’re all still recovering from the invasion. I don’t want her to overwhelm her or pressure her. If possible, I would also like to do something special for her.”
Only a moment passed before Octavia had an epiphany. “Princess Cadance, have you set a new date for your wedding yet?”
“We haven’t announced it yet, but from the looks of it, we would be able to have it in about two weeks,” Cadance answered.
“Perfect” Octavia stated with a grin. “That should be more than enough time for me to prepare my idea.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“If I told you, that would ruin the surprise,” Octavia teased. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”