Applejack attempted to shoo off the Crusaders, thankful, but wanting to speak to Rainbow privately, but they stubbornly insisted on accompanying them at least as far as Fluttershy's. They set off as an enlarged group, though Rainbow didn't seem upset.
"It's cool. We got the important stuff out of the way." She gave an odd bit of a smile towards Applejack. "Right?"
Applejack nodded lightly. "Reckon we did... Once we drop off this varmint and ah check in with mah brother, ya up ta goin' back fer more?"
Rainbow raised a brow. "You don't have that fancy thing anymore. You still want to hunt Everfree monsters?"
Applejack raised a hoof to her chest. "Why wouldn't I? It's still the right thing ta do. She wasn't wrong, we need ta take charge of ourselves, startin' with what scares us most."
Rainbow was about to ask a question when Fluttershy's cabin came into view, and the shy pegasus was in sight, watering her garden with a watering can with a big daisy on the side. She was looking especially adorable, though Rainbow still worried a bit for the girl. She raised a hoof. "Hey!"
Fluttershy glanced upwards quickly, spotting Rainbow, Applejack, and the smaller ones arrayed around them. She put down the can gently and approached. "Oh, hello... Are you back from your trip, Applejack? I missed you."
Applejack advanced and wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy tightly, hugging her. "Ah missed ya too, girl, but ah confess we came with somethin'. Take a gander at this here." She shrugged off the bundle that held the cockatrice, which appeared to be starting to rouse.
Fluttershy immediately recognized a cockatrice and flinched back, but realized it was securely bound and its eyes covered. "Why did you bring this here?"
Rainbow pointed at it. "AJ thinks you can tame it."
Applejack nodded lightly. "A far sight kinder than just gettin' rid of it, right? Can ya do it?"
Fluttershy tapped her forehooves together while sitting back on her haunches. "Well... I... If you really need me to? I can try..."
Applejack brightly smiled. "You'll be doin' us a huge favor. Ah'll be rustlin' up other beasts. Together, we can make the Everfree safer fer everypony."
Fluttershy became visibly alarmed. "You can't just... I mean... it's dangerous!"
Apple Bloom thrust a hoof at Applejack. "Mah sister can handle herself pretty good. She's amazing."
Applejack smiled with pride at her sister's words. "Ah'll be right careful, and ah'm goin' with Rainbow Dash, promise. No lone stunts here. Now ah don't want ta overwhelm ya, so how long do ya reckon it'll be ta tame the varmint, and how many can ya handle at once?"
Fluttershy carefully rolled the cockatrice into a position she hoped was more comfortable. "I... I'm really not sure. I never tried making friends with one before..." She suddenly smiled, an idea coming to her to give herself more room and slow down Applejack's alarming enthusiasm. "Why don't you let me see how long it takes with this one before you get any others?"
Applejack tapped her chin. "That's... perfectly reasonable. Ah'll find another project ta work on while ya get this straightened out. How are ya feeling, girl? Ah knew ya had it pretty rough, ya know, before?"
Fluttershy trembled softly at the memory, shrinking back. "I-I'm alright..."
Sweetie tilted her head. "You don't look alright, Fluttershy. We're your friends, you can tell us the truth."
Fluttershy looked at Sweetie, then the others. She sank to her belly. "I can still see her. She keeps laughing at me." She spread her wings timidly, drooping. "My wings still hurt sometimes, but I know they're not broken anymore. It's just me, being a silly mare..."
Rainbow winced even as she advanced. "Fluttershy, this isn't cool. I mean... You're fine, but you're... You're hurt, and we're your friends. Please, share with us."
Applejack nodded firmly. "We're here for ya, sugarcube."
Sweetie pointed at herself. "I know how you feel."
Fluttershy focused on Sweetie Belle. "How can you know how I feel?"
Sweetie took a slow breath before she let out her found voice, singing soft and sweetly and painting a story of her time in Everglow, and just how frightened she was by her time there, and the terrible things they encountered trying to find their way back. Fluttershy softly rocked to the tempo of the song, but looked concerned at its contents. "You really... I'm glad you're all alright."
Scootaloo puffed out her chest. "We had it under control."
Sweetie wrinkled her nose at Scootaloo. "Says you." She looked back at Fluttershy with a soft smile. "You have friends. They're the best for this kind of thing. Please talk to them."
Fluttershy looked between Sweetie Belle and the larger forms of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "I... don't want to be a bother..."
Applejack put a hoof over her chest. "Ya ain't no bother, Fluttershy. Makin' time fer friends in need is what friends do."
Rainbow bobbed her head. "Yeah! I mean... Sheesh, you all cried with me when I had to get one out... I can return the favor." She spread her hooves out. "Now come over here."
Such was the start of a warm group hug, with everypony, and cat, gently surrounding Fluttershy with care, and for a time, everything was alright.
As the group returned to Ponyville proper from Fluttershy's house, Applejack nodded her head. "Ah guess ah'll slow down on tha Everfree plan and give Fluttershy some space. Yer still with me, right?"
Rainbow perked an ear. "Always."
"Good! Ah have other ideas..."
The Crusaders went off on their own, only to encounter Willow near the town square. The older feline waved them over. "Sunflower, we have a house for ourselves now."
Sunflower looked surprised. "How did you get one so quickly, Mom?"
Willow shrugged softly. "I don't go over finances with you, kitten. I had some money saved up for an emergency." She pointed off to a one-story cottage. "That one right there. I want you back by sundown. Tomorrow, you and the girls are going back to school."
The Crusaders collectively sagged, but Willow was unaffected. "Don't give me that look. Education is not something to be laughed off. At least you'll be with your friends, hmm?"
Sunflower smiled at that. "That's true. It can't be that bad if Sweetie Belle will be there."
Sweetie giggled joyfully. "We'll do... oh! I hope Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are alright!"
Scootaloo waved a hoof. "They'll be fine! The girls know what happened. I bet Twilight's already working to get them back."
Apple Bloom swallowed softly. "Ah'm just glad mah sis is back ta normal."
Back at the library, Twilight was busy researching curse-breaking spells, not how to recover the fillies. She found a promising one and tucked the notes in a pouch before taking off in search for the others. She spied Rainbow and Applejack not long after. They were smiling at each other, and there was no sign of dangerous artifacts around at all. They waved at one another, and parted ways. She wondered what was going on.
She approached Rainbow Dash first. "Hey, Dash! What happened? Applejack looks fine."
Rainbow grinned. "We took care of it, Twilight. She sent it away herself through sheer power of awesome."
Twilight tilted her head. "Oh... Well that's good, right?"
"It's great!" Dash tapped her chin. "Oh, uh, did I mention Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Pinkie Pie are lost in Everglow?"
Twilight cringed, a new project heaped upon her. "At least I have my spellbook back. I'll..." she sighed loudly. "Get on that. I thought destroying the rune would end our adventures there. Are they together at least?"
Dash bobbed her head. "They should be? Applejack seemed confident they were, but hay if I know how to confirm that."
Twilight put a hoof over her face a moment. "Alright. Applejack's OK now?"
Dash bobbed her head. "Right as rain, as she'd say. Thanks, Twi." She grabbed up Twilight, giving her a powerful hug for a moment before bolting off, leaving nothing but a fading rainbow behind.
Twilight smiled a little before taking off back for her castle. Her work seemed to have no end, but there was no point in putting it off. Ponies were counting on her and she'd do her best to see them to safety.
She'd rescue those three, but that was another story.