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1 The Bird has Flown2,976 words
2 The Lies Begin2,859 words
3 Escape by Night2,874 words
4 A Prisoner to her own Conviction2,553 words
5 A Flirtation with Happiness2,055 words
6 The Last Drop of Love2,004 words

6 The Last Drop of Love

After having been given the brush off one too many times, Applejack started to take a closer interest in events at the cottage, and given that it wasn’t far from some of the orchards she tended, would take to walking past at odd times. One thing she noticed was that there was never any smoke coming from the chimney, and this meant the range was not turned on and so there would never be any hot food; this gave her an idea.

She went back to the woodstore at Sweet Apple Acres and threw a few bushels of chopped firewood randomly onto a cart; it didn’t have to be a lot, just enough to get the range alight again and give her a chance to see what was going on with her friend. Slipping herself into the yoke, she gave the cart a tug and found it moved easily, setting off on the short journey back to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Applejack looked at the homely little cottage as she approached and noticed that the drapes were all still drawn as they had been for weeks. Something about not following this simple act of housekeeping made her feel uneasy, but she parked the thought, telling herself not to get over-dramatic; Rarity was the one with the reputation for being a Drama Queen, after all.

She pulled up at the front door and unshackled herself from the cart. Everything was quiet. She’d never really stopped to consider how quiet it was here before, but put it down to her not taking any particular notice; there was no reason to think it was different, was there?

She strolled the few steps and found herself at the unpainted stable door, noticing that it could rightfully do with a coat of varnish and reached up a forehoof to knock. She paused to listen, forehoof suspended in mid-air as she tried to make sense of the sounds coming from inside; she wasn’t being nosey, just didn’t want to interrupt anything was all.

Once everything was quiet, she knocked and stepped back lest the upper half of the door swing out and catch her muzzle, or the lower half crash into her forelegs. There was no response, so she rapped again and this time she heard the unmistakable heavy footsteps of a large animal coming to answer the door. The upper half opened cautiously towards her and Harry’s face appeared, shielding his eyes from the brightness outside.

“Well howdy, Harry” she greeted, “Haven’t seen much of you lately. Is Fluttershy home?”
Harry growled softly, his eyes sparkling in recognition and looked round behind him before turning back to his guest. Applejack blinked; she could have sworn she saw a green flash from the darkened interior of the cottage, but it was over in the in the blinking of an eye, so she dismissed it since it was such a bright day. Next thing, she saw a very tired looking primrose pegasus come to the door.

“Hey there Fluttershy, haven’t seen you in a while” greeted the farmer warmly, ”I got me some firewood for your fire in case you were getting low. You wouldn’t want to run out, now would you?”
“Oh thank you Applejack. I’ve been so busy of late I think I had run out, so thank you.”
“Er … can I bring it in for you?” Applejack offered, “I’m a mite better rested than you, by the looks.”
“It’s fine” she protested meekly, “I can manage.”
“You sure ‘bout that?” pressed Applejack, “’Cos you look like you need a rest.”

Fluttershy took a look behind her to check on what form Chrysalis had taken.
“I can’t help it. I’ve been very busy looking after a poorly baby deer. It looks like she’s been hit by a cart and I’ve been nursing her while her bones mend. She doesn’t like too much bright light, so I’m keeping it as dark as I can in here. I’m hoping she’ll be ready to go back into the forest in the next week or two, but you can’t rush the healing process.”

“Oh, hey, I’m sorry” Applejack stammered in embarrassment as Fluttershy moved to one side so she could see the distinctive delicate shape of a fawn tucked up under a fluffy blue blanket, the soft brown fur still bearing a few large white spots down her back as proof of her young innocence and vulnerability.
“So sorry Fluttershy, we, er … well, I had no idea” Applejack fumbled for the right words, “Is there anything any of us can do to help?”
“No, thank you. She’s an orphan and she’s come to know me as her mother, but she’s skittish and very wary of others; I can’t begin to imagine what the poor soul has been through.”
“Oh … oh, right. Yeah, of course” said Applejack, “I’ll be sure to tell the others. Now, you sure about bringing the firewood in by yourself?”
“Yes thank you, we’ll manage. Now I must get back to my patient.”
“OK, but don’t forget to ask if you need any help.”
The two friends parted amicably and Fluttershy pulled the door closed, turning to look at Chrysalis just as she was bathed in a flash of green light.

“That was close” Chrysalis remarked, “I was barely able to keep myself in shape.”
“Yes, but you couldn’t have even done that much a few days ago” consoled Fluttershy, “You’re making good progress.”
“Thank you” said Chrysalis, beckoning to Fluttershy to come to her side and allow her to feed again, “Private Pansy would be proud of you.”
Although Fluttershy felt utterly exhausted, she did as she was bidden and limped slowly back as pain shot through all of her joints with every move. She had never felt so run down in her entire life and could no longer remember the last time she had slept.

She hesitated and just wanted to cry, but seeing the positive healing effect her love was having on her patient, she covered her pain with the best smile she could muster.

Chrysalis patted the rug next to her impatiently, a brief frown flashing across her face. Meekly, Fluttershy complied and lay down ready to be fed off once more.

***

Later that night, Fluttershy gasped as a sudden pain gripped her chest and started to creep through her body. Her breaths shortened and she felt horribly unwell. She had nursed animals with these symptoms before and trembled with the prospect of where it could lead.

“Chrysalis” she croaked, “Please stop - I don’t feel well.”
“Yes” she replied “I suspect I have taken too much out of you too fast, but the price was worth it, saviour. Had I taken more time, the risk of getting caught would have become too high.”
“What …?” asked Fluttershy, slowly succumbing to the relentless dizziness and nausea, “What do you mean?”

“I never finished the story about Private Pansy, did I?” she continued, “You see, she nurtured the changeling she saved, and it drained the last of her love to survive just long enough to set up a hive. Tragically, Private Pansy gave the last of her love, and along with it, her life, which is why she is so revered throughout the changeling race, and why you have always been protected.”

A sudden seizure gripped Fluttershy’s chest and she reached up with her forehooves as if that could somehow prevent the final inevitable act.

Chrysalis stood and watched impassively as the wide eyed pegasus succumbed to her heart attack.

“You have followed in the tradition of your ancestor and my new changeling hive will always honour your memory.”
Powerless to respond in any way, Fluttershy watched the newly restored Queen Chrysalis bow her head in respect as the light ebbed away from her world.

The next day, Applejack walked past the cottage on her way to the village and cast a wistful eye over to see if she could catch sight of her friend. What she saw stopped her in her tracks; her cart was still by the door and filled with the firewood she had brought round the day before; it hadn’t been touched. A quick look up at the chimney confirmed that the fire in the cottage remained unlit.

She shook her head and tutted, ready to take charge – this time she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Filled with resolve, she pulled her hat down and set off for the cottage with a purposeful stride.
“That Fluttershy” she muttered to herself, “I just knew she was too beat to do it for herself.”

As she drew close to the cottage, she saw lots of normally shy critters bounding down the path towards her, all squeaking and looking agitated. She had to break her stride so as to ensure she didn’t accidentally kick or trample any of them as they milled around under her hooves.
“Now what in tarnation is wrong with y’all?” she asked, fully aware that none of them would be able to provide her with an answer she could understand.

When she could finally move forward without the risk of injuring any of them, she headed on towards the cottage, noting the front door to be ajar.
“Now, that’s not like Fluttershy” she commented, fears beginning to rise for her friend’s safety.
She reached the door and pulled it open, as some of the critters darted in through the widening gap.

Although it was dark when compared to the outside, she could easily make out the shape of Harry rocking to and fro with a bundle of some kind cradled in his mighty paws, making heart rending whimpering noises, the likes of which she had never heard before. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the primrose colour and her heart sank, suddenly fearing the worst.

“Fluttershy?” she asked softly.
There was no response. Every creature was silent save for Harry.
“Fluttershy?” she asked again, moving closer.
Harry looked up; his eyes red with tears.

Applejack looked down at the bundle he was holding so tenderly, and could make out a wing and a tangled mat of pink mane. She raised a forehoof to her mouth, desperately praying that what she thought she saw was a sick prank of some kind.

Harry looked down again and tenderly stroked the soft fur of the lifeless body, hot tears of anguish falling freely.

“No … this can’t be” said Applejack, stunned. Then she saw the white form of a small rabbit wrapped in her mane, hugging her tightly, and she knew what she saw was for real.

“No …” she mouthed, dropping to her knees, “No …”
Applejack took off her hat, and reached out to hug the bear and the bunny, her tears mixing with theirs in recognition of the passing of the kindest pony ever.

***

At the florist’s stall in the town, a handsome stallion with a slight Canterlot accent was chatting casually with a raspberry maned earth pony mare, while she chose a selection of brightly coloured blooms for a bouquet. He was being more fussy than usual because he had been taking stock of his life and what he wanted from it.

After much thought, he had come to the conclusion that he had seen more than enough of the city life and had experienced a personal epiphany amidst the tranquil surroundings of Ponyville. He knew now, more certainly than anything else in his life, that he wanted to be here. He had even been rehearsing a short speech all throughout the long journey to try and keep his nerves under control, and was determined to tell her just how special she was and how he wanted to make a life together with her.

Once the spray of colourful flowers had been expertly tied with a length of ribbon, he bade Rose a cheerful farewell and set off along the winding road to Fluttershy’s cottage.

***

Far away, a Changeling Queen with striking enamel green eyes set about the business of rebuilding her hive.

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