Always Together, Forever Apart

by bahatumay

Chapter 2

However, he was not dead the next morning, something he found quite comforting. Nor was she dead, which was also comforting. Instead, she was currently downstairs, very much awake, making pancakes. Her bird was perched on her shoulder, as if silently judging her cooking.

“You're up early,” he observed, glancing at the clock that read a few minutes before eight.

“I slept in,” Applejack corrected him with a grin. “Beds here are just as comfy as I remember.”

He cracked a smile at that. “They sure are. I could probably turn this place into a bed and breakfast if I needed to.”

“Not like you cook, you couldn’t,” Applejack remarked with a wink. “Most ponies don't think daisy sandwiches when they think breakfast. Besides, you’d be letting all the cherries go to waste, and I ain’t about to let that happen.”

“Well,” Ledger Line suggested, “maybe we could have ponies come and pick the cherries and keep the ones they pick.”

Applejack blinked. “Ledger Line?” she said.

“Yes?”

“Stick to your bookkeeping,” Applejack chided gently.

Ledger Line chuckled sheepishly as he slid into a seat at the table. “Fair enough. You, uh, really think you can do that? Save the orchard?”

Applejack chuckled as she deftly flipped a pancake. “I do; but if'n I can't, I'll help you turn this place into a bed and… not breakfast ‘afore I go.”

“You’re not staying?” he said regretfully.

Applejack shook her head. “I’ve got… business to take care of elsewhere,” she said. “I really just came here for some bits to get me there.”

“Bits are in short supply here,” he admitted.

“No, they’re here; you just can’t see ‘em yet,” Applejack insisted, setting down her spatula and walking over to grab him around the shoulders. She turned him to face the orchard. “They’re in the ground, just waiting to grow. See all that out there? That’s good land, fertile land. Land that we earth ponies…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes flicked up to his horn. “...can use, for, you know, growing stuff,” she finished lamely. She quickly perked up again. “Why, I bet with a little hard work, we can get this orchard profitable again, in Cherry Jubilee’s memory. What do you say?”

“I'm behind you a hundred percent,” Ledger Line said.

Applejack grinned. “Good.” She reached down and pulled up a cowboy hat, which she placed firmly on his head. “Work starts in ten, so eat fast.”

“At ten?” Ledger guessed, assuming she’d misspoken.

Applejack laughed and tipped the hat forward. “Ten minutes, sugarcube,” she emphasized. “Eat up, now!”

Ledger Line felt a cold chill settle on his back. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so eager to help.

* * *

Ledger Line panted as he hauled another bucket full of cherries back to the distribution line. This had probably been the longest amount of time he’d ever spent outside, and he was quickly remembering why he preferred to be indoors. Sweat streamed down his face, and he paused to wipe some of it away.

Applejack trotted past him, carrying two full buckets, one on each side of her body. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to; the little smirk on her face and the little swish of her tail said plenty.

She was leaning against the wagon, showing a little affection for her bird when he finally made it back. “Lookin’ good for your first day, sugarcube,” she said with a friendly eyebrow raise.

Ledger Line cracked a smile as he pushed the basket into the cart. “Thanks, Applejack,” he panted.

“Ready to stop?”

“Yes,” Ledger Line panted. “I'm… I'm ready to sleep. For the rest of the day.”

Applejack laughed. Threw back her head and laughed hard enough that her bird looked concernedly over from its perch. “Oh, no, Ledger, friend,” she said when she finally managed to regain control of herself. “It's only lunch break.”

“Huh?”

“Lots of work to do in a cherry orchard. And we’re just getting started.” Applejack reared up and kicked her forelegs into the air, as if stretching them. “We ain’t stoppin’ until dinnertime.”

Ledger Line’s knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Applejack chuckled. She stepped closer until she was standing over him and grinned. “Should I bring you your lunch here, or do you want me to drag you back to the farmhouse? Because either way works for me.”

“Just leave me here to die,” Ledger Line pleaded.

* * *

Thankfully, Applejack did not abandon Ledger Line to a forlorn and lonely death there on the ground in the orchard; and the lunch she made was good enough that Ledger found it in himself to keep working. Admittedly, at a much slower pace and carrying much less at a time than Applejack; but he did manage to keep working the whole day.

Finally, Applejack looked up at the sun and wiped the sweat off her brow. “Let’s get the last of these moved inside, and we can call it a day,” she said.

Ledger exhaled, relieved. “That's the best thing I've heard you say all day.”

Applejack chuckled. “I dunno. I'm partial to the solid sound of hooves on wood.” She demonstrated by scampering lightly over and delivering a quick, single-hoofed buck to a nearby tree. Ledger Line winced. How did she still have any energy left?

To add insult to more insult, a single cherry fell; and Applejack caught it on her outstretched tongue. She winked and pulled it inside her mouth.

Applejack's hawk screeched irritably.

Applejack rolled her eyes and spat out the pit. “Fine, Ardie, I like the sounds you make, too.”

Ledger Line could have sworn the hawk had understood. Then again, he was about to pass out from exertion, so it could have been a trick of his mind.

* * *

Ledger Line slumped in his chair. Only the smell of the dinner Applejack had made kept him somewhat upright, and even then it was a bit of a losing battle.

Dinner was delightful, though. Each bite seemed to fill him with a little bit more confidence and energy. By the end, he was sitting up of his own accord.

“Thanks, Applejack,” he said.

“Oh, it’s not done, yet,” she said. She returned to the kitchen, and came back out, bearing a cherry pie. She sliced a large wedge out and placed it on a plate. Beautiful, rich cherries oozed out onto the plate.

Ledger Line stared. “When did you have time to make this?”

“This afternoon,” Applejack answered. She paused and tapped her chin. “I think it was about the time you decided to start walking around singing about the daisies and the posies.”

Ledger Line froze. “Y- you heard that, huh?”

Applejack smirked. “Everypony heard that, sugarcube.”

Ledger Line groaned. He’d been hallucinating. Or, at least, he thought he might have been. He wasn’t really sure what had happened. Either way, any ill will he might have felt towards Applejack was quickly carried away on the hot smell of her pie, which she smoothly slid before him along with a fork. He felt replenished with the first bite. Frankly, with how helpful she’d been today, he was half tempted to offer her the main room.

And that definitely wasn't because he was considering just keeling over and falling asleep right then and there at the table.

* * *

Ledger Line had never been so grateful for a bed. He had thrown himself down on it and fallen asleep almost instantly.

He was then woken up again just as instantly by the sound of screaming. His eyes widened. It was dark, darker than it was when he’d first laid down. What was that?

Oh. That’s right. Applejack and her night terrors. He sat up-

Whoa!

Aching pain burned in his back. He groaned, but it didn’t seem to subside. Deciding to be like Applejack, he forced himself to get up out of his bed and amble over to the window. He pushed it open and took a deep breath in. The cool night air felt good, a shock to his system and somewhat soothing against his burning muscles.

Ugh. And he had another whole day of that to look forward to, tomorrow. His legs ached just thinking about it.

On the bright side, it was a lovely night. And there was a lovely rainbow, arcing by overhead before fading to…

Wait a minute. Rainbows didn’t come out at night. Weird.

Curious, he leaned his head outside. Applejack’s warning about him not going outside rang in his ears, but something told him he needed to defend his farm from anything funny going on.

But no matter how hard he looked, the rainbow did not reappear. Perhaps he was more tired than he’d thought. He stumbled back over to bed, and managed to pull the covers halfway over his body before passing out once again.

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Applejack's hawk screeched irritably.

Applejack rolled her eyes and spat out the pit. “Fine, Ardie, I like the sounds you make, too.”

"Ardie", huh?
Nice name for her feathered friend and companion.

On the bright side, it was a lovely night. And there was a lovely rainbow, arcing by overhead before fading to…

On another note, methinks that a certain rainbow-maned pegasus just put in her first real appearance .

Can't wait for Chapter 3 to see what happens next.

[Ze1a7in]

8119834 Seems like a connection may be a-brewin' here.

I read the link

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

8119939 Yep.

And cool.

[Tchernobog]

Fine, Ardie