Applejack of My Eye

~~Applejack~~

As she headed downstairs to retrieve the dustpan and broom, Applejack's mind was still reeling from the encounter with the recently awoken pegasus. For the past two hours before Apple Bloom came running down the stairs in a panicked state to report the news, the entire Apple family had been worrying sick about their guest. The same nervous questions ran through their all of their minds. What would he be like when he woke up? Would he think they were trying to capture him? What if he had commited some horrible crime and had been trying to escape? The anxiety had been eating away at everypony.

But once interrogated, his explanation had calmed them down. At least, Applejack hoped she was calmed down. If she was, why was her heart still pounding? She tried in vain to avert her mind to other things. So, he's from Cloudsdale, she mused. I wonder if Rainbow would know anything about him? Her pegasus friend knew nearly every pony who lived in the majestic city in the sky. Maybe she was even friends with the stallion and could describe a little more about him. He hadn't told them much about his past, or his family. Applejack didn't mean to pry but she was wondering if anypony was looking for him, worried out of their mind as to what had happened to him.

She arrived downstairs at the broom closet and selected her needed supplies, still lost in her thoughts. Attacked by griffins...that ain't no way to go. But why had the creatures gone on the offensive? There was no reason to attack so vigorously, was there? Maybe they felt threatened...maybe he was invading their territory by accident. But they had nearly killed the poor stallion. If they had been protecting something, it had been something pretty valuable.

She was still lost deep in her thoughts when her little sister walked by, saddlebag on and heading for the door. She stepped in front of the filly and held out a hoof to stop her. "Whoa, Apple Bloom. Where are ya goin'?"

"I'm holding an emergency meeting with the Crusaders!" the yellow filly announced. "I've gotta tell them about this! It's so excitin'!"

"Excitin'?" the older mare raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were scared!"

"Are ya kiddin'? I never get scared!" Her little sister beamed.

"Riiight..." Applejack ruffled her sister's mane playfully with her hoof. "So you were jus' fakin' terror the whole time?"

"No! You must be seein' things, Applejack!" the filly laughed.

Applejack smiled, then remembered where the filly was going. "Hey, listen, could you hold off on tellin' Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle about the pegasus? They'll blow this up bigger than an Ursa Major!"

"Awww..." The filly looked crestfallen. "But I really wanted to!"

"I know, sugar cube. Just wait a lil', 'kay? Then you can tell 'em aaall about it."

"All right," the filly sighed and, finished with the conversation, continued on her way out the door. She waved goodbye in the doorway before dashing off down the porch and along the dirt road leading out of the farm grounds. Applejack watched her for a minute out the window, hoping desperately that she wouldn't disobey and tell the rst of the Crusaders. It wasn't that she wanted to hide Gabriel from those fillies, it was just that she knew they leak the news to somepony and it would spread like a parasprite infestation. And not everypony in town needed to know about this stallion - yet.

Continuing her retreival task, the mare slowly climbed the stairs and trotted down the second floor hall to Gabriel's bedroom. Upon reaching it, she quietly opened the door and peeked inside. The white pegasus was lying on his side, facing toward the door, injured leg propped up on a pile of pillows. His crystal blue eyes stared at the broken glass strewn on the floor. Applejack smiled in spite of herself. She had to admit, he was awfully cute. But she quickly brushed these thoughts away. She didn't even know this stallion yet, nor did she have time for this sort of thing. Besides, when I meet my very special somepony, I'll know it.

She stepped into the bedroom, dragging the broom and dustpan behind her. Immediately as she entered, Gabriel's eyes locked onto her. He sat up as she approached the mess of broken glass on the floorboards.

"Sorry 'bout this," she said as she began to sweep up the shards and wipe away the water.

"It's okay," the pegasus replied. "The little filly was just so surprised to see me awake. It's hardly blameable, you know?"

"I meant about your injury," Applejack said, pausing her task to look up at him. His crystal eyes reflected the light of the room. "It must be pretty tough bein' hurt like ya are."

The pegasus stared at her a moment before speaking. "It's not that bad," he said, rolling over onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "I can manage."

She knew he was trying to sound fearless. "Really? 'Cause it seemed like you needed this mare" - she gestured to herself -" to save your ass." She smirked slyly.

He chuckled and rolled back over so he could see her. "Okay. I sincerely appreciate your heroic saving of my ass. Now, I think I can take the show from here." He smiled and Applejack's stomach burst into butterflies.

"I dunno about that," she replied, at the same time trying to settle her airy insides. "You can't even get out of bed!" She finished cleaning up the mess and leaned the tools against the wall. "You have a long recovery ahead of you and I reckon you should make yourself comfortable here now. Don't expect to be goin' anywhere any time soon."

"You don't understand. I have to -" He stopped himself. "I have to get back to Cloudsdale."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you can't. You're seriously injured, so just get some rest for now, okay?" The mare moved to the door, about to leave the room.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" He glared at her and made to get out of the bed. He swung his hing legs off the side and was about to stand up, but the moment his injured leg touched the ground, he let out a cry of pain and collapsed. In an instant, Applejack sprinted over and caught him just before he slammed into the floor. She quickly lifted him up and pushed him back onto the bed. He landed on the sheets on his wings. He lay in that spot for a few seconds as both he and Applejack caught thier breath. Then, gritting his teeth in pain, he straightened himself out and flopped his head down on the pillow, caressing his landed-on wing, defeated.

"I-I'm sorry, Applejack. I just..." he trailed off, staring at the ceiling, a hurt look in his crystal eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking. "

"It's okay." The mare noticed he was still rubbing his wing. "Does it hurt?"

"What?"

"Your wing."

"Oh." Gabriel looked at the heavily bandaged appendage. It had been bent slightly out of place from it's normal shape. Applejack could tell he was about to reply that it didn't hurt again, that he could manage it, but he decided to give up on that "tough stallion" approach. It wasn't fooling the orange mare, anyway. "Yeah, a little bit."

"I'll get you some medicine. It'll help with the pain and the swelling," she assured him, collecting the broom and dustpan from their leisurely positions against the wall.

"Thank you." He flexed his wing to a favorable position and lay back down. "I could...really use that."

Applejack nodded and headed toward the door, tools in hoof. As she reached it though, the stallion called out to her again.

"Applejack? One more thing."

She stopped and turned around in the doorway. "Yes?"

He smiled again. "Can I call you AJ?"

"No," she replied. Only my best friends call me AJ. The stallion was far from that rank now.

Gabriel's grin widened. "Okay, AJ."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes and closing the door. She could imagine him still beaming to himself in there, deep blue eyes glowing more than ever. What an ass.

A second, deeper thought leaked into her mind, echoing the first. Yeah, really. A ridiculously cute ass.