Chapters Chapter 1 - Crash Landing
~~AppleJack~~
It was another bright, warm, lazy day in Ponyville. The sun beat down on the quiet little town, flooding every space it could with warmth and light. A cool breeze drifted through the heat every so often, stifling the humidity and redifining the day from hot to comfortable . Not a cloud was present in the sky; the solid, pacid blue showed forth like a giant blanket covering Equestria. Yet another lazy, late summer day had rolled around. August was suprisingly proving one of the most enjoyable months of the year so far. Colts and fillies were out and about, playing their everyday games, not a care in the world, unaware that their activities and relaxive days would be replaced by schoolwork and learning in just a few weeks. Adult ponies enjoyed the weather and lazy days while they could, for they knew soon things would get busy for them once September promptly arrived. For most of Ponyville, the day was just a two dozen more hours to do whatever you wanted.
For most . Unlike many of the Ponyville residents, the diligent work on Sweet Apple Acres had hardly slowed. The apples were ripening to their fullest, which meant as many as possible had to be bucked before the pleasant weather ended and they would begin to rot. But that wasn't the only preparation that needed doing. Everypony on the farm had something productive to do this time of year. Big Macintosh plowed the fields for the fall crops to be seeded. Apple Fritter tended to the barnyard animals, feeding them and caring for them almost as much as if she were Fluttershy. But for AppleJack and her younger sister AppleBloom, they recieved was the most important task of all - bucking the apples.
The orange mare slammed her hind legs into the trunk of the nearest tree. The apples it contained shook loose from their stems and fell, only to all be caught precisively in a bucket balanced on top of Apple Bloom's scarlet-maned head. The filly then proceeded to toss the bucket towards a pile of it's twins, all filled to the brim with fresh apples. It landed promptly in an empty space, right where Apple Bloom had aimed for.
"That's thirty-seven buckets!" she cried, her adorable farm-girl accent standing out through her words. "Is that a record, Sis?" She glanced back at the naked trees of the orchard and the volley of buckets their apples were sittiing in. "I've never seen so many bucked apples in all my life!"
"The trees sure did thrive this year," AppleJack replied. "I reckon we'll have a huge surplus, if these trees are tellin' any truth about the rest of the orchard." She marched over to the next tree.
Apple Bloom grabbed another bucket. "It's all so exitin'! And I just can't wait till the Ponyville County fair!"
"Can't wait to set up for it?" AppleJack asked as her sister whizzed around, catching the newly bucked apples. "Remember, we're the ones puttin' the whole thing up this year!"
The Ponyville County Fair was arguably the most popular event of the whole summer. Every mid-August, the Construction Committee turned the town square into a traditional fairground, complete with numerous food vendors, a Ferris Wheel, a carousel for the colts and fillies, even a dunk tank - not to mention hundreds of other fun booths and activities. It was quite the event; even Princess Celestia herself often came to speak a few words to the residents and enjoy the festivities herself. The fair normally lasted three or four days, after which the tedious clean-up job would begin.
But due to a lack of funding this year, the Construction Committee had not found enough in their budget to set up the fair this year, especially since they had spent quite a few bits on building the new Ponyville Wonderbolts stadium. They had been forced to cancel the fair, arousing outrage and disappointment among everypony in the town.
But, not wanting this important Ponyville tradition to be missed this year, the Apple Family quickly jumped in and offered to set up the fair themselves. The Mayor accepted their gracious offer, announcing that the long-anticipated event was back on! The problem? Organizing a whole fair took a lot of hard work, and with the surplus of apples this season, AppleJack wasn't sure they could fit it into their schedule. But Granny Smith assured her that with a little confidence (and a lot of sweat) they could pull it off.
"Set up for it?! Fiddlesticks, I forgot about that part." Apple Bloom snatched another bucket from the pile of empty ones. "I just wanna play at it! Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and I were gonna go for carnival cutie marks!"
"Hey, don't forget - Babs Seed is comin' down for the fair too! Just like she does every year!"
Apple Bloom's eyes widened in exitement. "I completely forgot! Babs is comin'! I just can't wait to hang out with her and ask her all about Manehattan!" The yellow filly was now bouncing up and down as if she was Pinkie Pie at the Grand Galloping Gala. "It's gonna be soooooo much fun!" The bucket fell off her head unceremoniously.
"She ain't the only one visitin'. Remember my cousin Braeburn? You met him when you were just a little filly." AppleJack trotted over to the next tree. "He's gonna help us with the set-up!"
After hearing of their overwhelming project, Braeburn had insisted on coming from Applooza helping out the busy-as-ever farm family. They gratefully accepted his offer, as they would need another stallion to help Big Mac with the heavy lifting. And besides, who wouldn't want to see an old family friend? AppleJack was especially anxious to ask him how her favorite apple tree, Bloomberg, was doing after his transplant a while ago to the Applooza orchard. Plus, Braeburn was a fun stallion to hang out with, and she always enjoyed his rare visits.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom picked up the bucket and struggled to remember the cousin of which AppleJack spoke. "Nope," she said after a minute. "Can't remember nothin' 'bout him!"
AppleJack smiled, slamming her back hooves into the trunk of another healthy tree. Her sister caught all the apples, and tossed the bucket into the pile. "Alrighty," the orange mare said, brushing the dust off her hooves. "I reckon that's good for now. Besides, now we gotta carry all thirty-eight all the way back to the farmhouse."
Apple Bloom grinned slyly. "'Kay, you take thirty-eight and I'll take zero!"
"Nice try, sis. How 'bout you take all of 'em?" AppleJack lunged at her sister, aiming to playfully tackle her.
"Hey!" she scurried away, laughing as AppleJack landed in the dirt. She quickly scrambled to her hooves, brushing the orchard dirt off herself. "You're gonna get it now!"
"Yeah right! Betcha can't find me!" Apple Bloom called as she disappeared behind a tree.
"Aw, this game?" AppleJack smirked. "I'm gonna fiiind yooouuu!" She pretended to not know where her sister was, checking behind trees that were on the opposite side from where the filly was really hiding. "Boo!" she yelled as she leapt behind each one. Unsuccessful she crept slowly to the next one. "Boo!" Soft giggles emulated from behind her.
Eventually, AppleJack gravitated toward her sister's true hiding place. As she got closer and closer, the filly panicked and AppleJack heard her scurry deeper into the orchard, away from the seeking mare.
"Alright, Apple Bloom!" she called out. "Seriously, we gotta haul these apples down to the farmhouse!" Silence met her words. "Come on out!" she repeated. Still, no answer. The filly was still playing the game. AppleJack could picture her in her mind, huddling in the shade of an apple trees branches, pressed against the trunk, giggling as quietly as she could.
"I'm gonna leave you here!" AppleJack threatened playfully, picking up a bucket of apples in each hoof. She was about to start walking away when she suddenly heard an ear-piercing scream.
"Apple Bloom?!" She shouted, dropping the buckets, the perfectly good apples spilling all over the ground. "Are you okay? Where are you?" the panicked orange mare dashed through the trees to her sister's supposed hiding place.
But the filly wasn't there. She must have moved further in when AppleJack wasn't looking! "Apple Bloom! Where the hell are you?"
"AppleJack! I'm over here!" the voice came from her right. It was loud, her sister wasn't far away. She ran toward the source of the shout.
There she was! Apple Bloom was cowering behind a large, unbucked apple tree. Her older sister clutched the filly to her chest in a quick hug. Then she held her out at an arm's length. "What was that all about? Are you hurt? Damn, you scared me half to death!" She wasn't sure whether to be angry at the young yellow filly or not.
"I'm fine." Apple Bloom was breathing heavily and was as white as a ghost. "But..." She trailed off, pointing past the tree into the space between the rows of twin trees. AppleJack's breath caught in her throat as she followed her sister's pointing hoof. A white pegasus was sprawled on the ground in the middle of the orchard. He wasn't moving. And he was covered in blood.
Chapter 2 - Showers Are Fun
~~AppleJack~~
It took several moments for the the fact that there was an injured pegasus in front of her to fully register itself in AppleJack's mind. For several long seconds it seemed quite unreal - like a dream; like it wasn't really happening. She had just been playing and laughing with her little sister, having a wonderful day. Then it had dropped to...this ...in an instant. "Sweet Celestia," the stunned mare breathed, staring at the blood staining the ground from the still stranger. He didn't look good. Slowly, reason began to leak back into her mind, and instead of There's a bleeding pegasus in my orchard - holy crap her thoughts became There's a bleeding pegasus in my orchard - I have to help him. Clearing the remaining scraps of shock from her mind, she leapt into action. "Apple Bloom! Go get Big Mac, now! "
"O-okay!" the filly was obviously still shock-ridden, and her big sister's panicked state only made her more frightened. Still, she galloped off toward the farmhouse faster than a stampeding buffalo.
AppleJack sprinted to the grounded pegasus. Splotches of his pristine white fur were matted with red blood. His wings were bent in awkward positions. AppleJack wasn't any pegasus, but she was pretty sure wings didn't get into those positions unless...unless they were badly broken. I have to get him to the farmhouse she realized. If I can get him there, Apple Fritter can help him. Tied up with her love of farm animals, AppleJack remembered her green-maned sister had taken some lessons from Fluttershy on medical care. If there was anypony who could help this stallion, it was her. But I'm gonna have to carry him all the way there...
Couldn't she do it? She'd carried many heavy things around before in her work on the farm. AppleJack could lug one measly pegasus, right? Well, she was going to give it all she had. His life depends on it.
The determined orange mare grabbed the pegasus's limp forearms with her front hooves and lifted his upper body off the ground. Her left hoof jumped down to support his chest. She then turned so she was at a right angle to him and (gritting her teeth, muscles straining - this was no light pegasus) slung him over her back so that his head hung off one side and his hind hooves off the other. AppleJack felt his warm blood seep over her cutie mark, obscuring the apples with it's redness. His weight was crushing her already. She could hardly move, let alone walk all the way back to the farmhouse. She considered dragging him all the way back but dismissed the idea, fearing that approach would tear open his cuts more.
She took several shaky steps forward. Her muscles were tense. Sweat coursed down her face. She kept up her task for quite a few yards, a considerable distance. Then she set her passenger down, taking a small respite to catch her breath. Her flank was covered in blood that was not her own. Damn, this stallion is bleeding a hell of a lot. She hoped desperately Big Mac was on his way. Body straining, she lifted the pegasus onto her back again. It seemed a little easier this time for some reason - maybe her back was getting used to his weight? She walked as far as she could again until she was forced to set him down once more. She repeated this procedure several more times, stopping about every ten trees to rest her muscles for a few moments. Finally, on one stop, she felt too tired to pick the pegasus up once again and carry him any further. Her back and legs were killing her. Luckily, it was then that Big Mac and Apple Bloom arrived. AppleJack's mind was immediately flooded with exhausted relief.
The maroon stallion stared at the injured pegasus in horror for a few seconds before AppleJack noticed his expression. "Just get him the hell back to the farmhouse. He's really fu-" she stopped herself. "Messed up." Her little sister was present, and she didn't want to teach the filly anything vulgar.
"Eeyup," Big Mac said simply, easily slinging the injured pegasus onto his back, seemingly without trouble. How is he so much stronger than me? AppleJack and Apple Bloom followed him as he hurried through the lazy apple trees toward the farmhouse. His pace quickened to a dash as the rest of the farm came into view.
"Is he gonna be okay?" the yellow filly asked worriedly as she ran alongside AppleJack.
"I think so," AppleJack assured her, although she was far from sure herself.
The siblings broke the treeline and ran through the pumpkin field dividing the orchard from the farmhouse, not paying any attention the the young crops that they crushed underhoof. The pegasus swung precariously on Big Mac's back, blood flying out of his back right leg, which up until now AppleJack had not noticed seemed to be the source of his red fluid loss. As they reached the farmhouse Granny Smith, Apple Fritter, and much to AppleJack's suprise, Braeburn, rushed out to meet them.
"Braeburn! You're...you're here!" The orange mare was astonished.
"Yeah, I literally just arrived," he explained. "What the hell is going on here?"
"We found this pegasus in the Apple Orchard. He appears to be badly wounded, we brought him back as fast as we could."
"Let me have a look," Apple Fritter insisted. She ran over to Big Mac (who still had the white stallion on his back) and observed his wounds. Granny Smith walked over, took Apple Bloom by the hoof, and led her inside the house, fearing the worst news, which the little filly didn't need to hear. "Well, it seems pretty serious," Apple Fritter reported quickly upon finishing her inspection. At the same time, the house's front door shut behind Granny Smith and Apple Bloom. "I'm gonna need to do a full inspection and possibly treatment on him." AppleJack paled with worry as her sister continued. "Big Mac, take him upstairs to the guest bedroom. Braeburn, grab my medical kit. AppleJack...just go get cleaned up. I'll take care of this."
"Good luck, sis," AppleJack told her. Her sister simply nodded back, then hurriedly followed the two stallions inside. But not before AppleJack noticed how she looked pale and quite nervous. She can do this, right? Apple Fritter knew how to care for small animals but could she really save a heavily wounded stallion? It seemed like a huge jump. Doubt cracked the levies of hope in her mind. What if she can't? What if he doesn't make it? But AppleJack quickly waved these dark thoughts away. Her sister knew what she was doing. It wouldn't do anything but give AppleJack gray hairs to worry about something she wasn't even involved in.
Heart still pounding from her strenuous exercise, she crossed the porch and slipped through the front door after several moments of simply standing alone outside, worrying. The living room met her, empty and quiet. Apple Fritter and the stallions were upstairs in the guest bedroom and AppleJack suspected Granny Smith was comforting Apple Bloom in her room. Poor filly. The nasty suprise of seeing a badly gored pegasus had scared her sister half to death. It's almost as bad as when she and the Crusaders went to see that horror movie. AppleJack chuckled to herself as she carefully traversed the living room, trying not to spot the carpet with bloodstains. Now that was a bad idea. She remembered the whole fiasco. Scootaloo had come up with the bright idea to try for bravery cutie marks, and suggested going to the closest showing of the supposed "scariest movie in town." After sneaking out of the house late at night, Apple Bloom had come home shaken and more frightened than ever to a bewildered Apple family. AppleJack hoped she wouldn't have to relive the weeks of Apple Bloom coming into her room crying from nightmares every night.
Heeding Apple Fritter's advice to get cleaned up, AppleJack entered the bathroom. She shut the door and tossed her hat onto the hook on the back of the door, shaking her mane loose out of it's braid. It was quite a nice bathroom, to say the least. A pearly white sink and toilet were positioned along the left wall and a large shower dominated the right one. A window faced the door directly across from it. The beautifully tiled floor rivaled even Rarity's master bathroom. The room was a little skinny, but AppleJack liked to think of it more as snug.
The mare walked to the sink and turned the faucet on full force. She splashed cool water in her face for several minutes. It felt extremely agreeable and refreshing after a morning of bucking apples and...what had just happened. What the hell did just happen? AppleJack was still wondering.
Finally, she turned off the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like crap. Her flank was caked with dried blood, her mane was messed up and damp with sweat, and her face was soaking wet. She rubbed her eyes, accidentally spreading the water across her cheeks. Well, I can't wash my bloody ass off in the sink, she decided. She moved to the shower and turned on the hot water, then stepped in.Aaah. If the water from the sink had felt good, this warm liquid was heavenly. AppleJack watched as the redness washed off her flank and swirled down the drain, cleansing her. All three apples of her cutie mark eventually became visible. The disgusting blood now off her body, AppleJack turned around, leaned her head back against the wall directly under the showerhead, and closed her eyes. This water did more than just cleanse her flank. All the worries, horror, and panic from the events of the day slowly leaked out of her mind. The only thing, the only feeling, was this placid feel of the water coursing down her body, making small rivulets through her fur, and the steam enveloping her like a seductively calming fog. It felt better than anything. She was totally relaxed and at one with the world.
AppleJack was half asleep when the water started getting cold. She had been in there for a while with the steamy liquid pouring out full blast, and she was beginning to use up all the hot water. Still only half-conscious, she groggily turned off the shower and shuffled past it's curtain. She grabbed a ready white towel from the sink countertop to dry her dripping body. Her respite was over; it was probably time to check on the others. How long had she been in there anyway? No more than half an hour, she hoped. Granny Smith was gonna be pissed if she had no hot water for her shower tonight. AppleJack finished drying off and tossed the towel unceremoniously in the general direction of the laundry basket. She hastily redid her braid and donned her hat before exiting the bathroom. When she walked into the living room, she found Apple Fritter, Big Mac, Braeburn, Granny Smith and little Apple Bloom lounging on the two perpendicular couches and chatting quietly amongst themselves. They looked as exhausted as AppleJack felt. But they also looked rather relieved, so nothing terrible could have happened to the pegasus she rescued, right?
"AppleJack!" her sister smiled as she noticed her now clean sister. "Have a seat, we were waiting for you."
AppleJack plopped down next to her little sister, cuddling her for a second before releasing her. "Sorry I took a while," she apologized. "It...took a while to wash off all the blood." She felt rather embarassed that she had fallen asleep in the shower, but Apple Bloom wrinkled her nose in digust at this explanation. "Yuck!" she whispered to Granny Smith.
"So....any news?" the orange mare asked hopefully.
"Well," Apple Fritter began. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and AppleJack were on the edge of their seats. She hasn't told anypony yet, the orange mare realized.
"He's...going to be okay," her green-maned sister continued. All the Apples present in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "He was badly hurt, but I managed to bandage him up and clean his wounds. Not too much different than caring for a sheep or goat." She chuckled.
"How badly was he hurt? Can ya give me a run-down?" AppleJack asked. Granny Smith quickly covered Apple Bloom's ears with her hooves.
"Both wings broken. Numerous cuts and slices, mostly on his upper body. And a pretty badly gored leg." Apple Fritter shuddered. "It was bleeding like hell. Almost cut to the bone." AppleJack suddenly felt sick at her words.
"Anyway," Apple Fritter continued. Granny Smith released her hooves from the ears of an annoyed Apple Bloom. "He's gonna have to stay and recover here for a while. He's in no shape to go anywhere anytime soon."
"Stay here?" Braeburn seemed suprised. "How long do you think his recovery will take?"
"Judging by the seriousness of his leg injury and broken wings, I'd say at least a month or two."
Braeburn's jaw dropped. "Two months? Do we have enough provisions to house a fully grown pegasus for two months?"
"Sure we do!" AppleJack cut in. She definitely didn't want the stallion leaving and hurting himself again before he was fully healed.
"We don't even know who he is! And what about the fair?"
"I think we can manage," Apple Fritter told him, glaring. Braeburn was being a little overcareful. "And we can just ask who he is, what happened to him, stuff like that when he wakes up. Speaking of that, we should have somepony check on him every once in a while. When he wakes up, I reckon he's not gonna know where he is and will probably be pretty confused. We can't have him trying to get away and end up even more hurt."
"I'll take the first shift," Big Mac immediately volunteered.
"Thanks Big Mac," Apple Fritter smiled at the maroon stallion. "Well, now we wait. When he wakes up, we'll know it. As soon as he's settled in, we'll ask what in Equestria happened to him."
What in Equestria did happen to him? The other mare's words sparked worry in AppleJack's mind. Gored almost to the bone...what the hell was he doing before he crashed here?
~~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.
~~Applejack~~
When Applejack arrived back downstairs, she found the rest of the Apples (save for Apple Bloom) lounging in the living room, still too shaken to get any work done. Granny Smith knitted away at her in-progress quilt, Apple Fritter was immersed in a book, and Braeburn and Big Mac were talking quietly, chewing absentmindedly on wheat sticks. The chattering of birds outside filtered through the open windows on either side of the front door. Warm lazy sunlight splashed into the room like a waterfall of gold. It would be as good a day as any to sit back and relax, except the Apple family had quite a lot on their hooves.
As the orange mare opened the broom closet and put the broom and dustpan back, Apple Fritter closed her book and looked up. "How is he?" She asked across the room.
Applejack shut the closet door and turned to face the rest of her family sitting in the room. "He's fine." She proceeded to walk over and collapse onto one of the deep cobalt-colored couches next to her sister. "Although..."
"Although what?" Braeburn sat up.
"He said his wing was hurtin'. I came down to see if you had any medicine for him, sis." She looked hopefully at the mare next to her.
"Let me check." The green-maned mare rose and trotted across the room toward the bathroom to retrieve her medical bag. Applejack got up a few moments later and followed her there. Upon entering the bathroom (Applejack right behind her), Apple Fritter opened the cabinet next to the mirror above the sink. There sat her medical bag. It was Fluttershy's old one, so it was yellow with a red cross symbol on it, slightly resembling Nurse Redheart's cutie mark. It was pretty worn down; the fabric it was made out of was beginning to peel and the carrying strap was nearly destroyed, but it was still usable, and more importantly, it was Apple Fritter's trusty bag. She had bandaged her first bunny with it's aid; she had learned everything she needed to know about medicine with it by her side. That was what really gave it it's value.
Anyway, the mare pulled it out, unlatched the buckle holding it shut, and began to rifle through it. Her hoof sifted through strips of gauze, band-aids, small wooden splints, and a number of other things that would boggle even Nurse Redheart's mind. But even as she dug through the other pockets along the outside of the bag, the medicine Gabriel needed was nowhere to be found. Applejack felt her heart sinking lower and lower as more time went by without them discovering it. Finally, after searching every possible pocket and opening, Apple Fritter set the bag down on top of the sink, defeated. "It's not here. I must have run out." Exasperated, she ran a hoof through her mane.
"Are you sure? Did you check everywhere?" Applejack tried to be hopeful.
"Every nook 'n cranny," the other mare sighed.
Applejack was crestfallen. If her sister didn't have the medicine, nopony in this house would. The two mares were lost in thought about what to do.
"I reckon I could make some more," Apple Fritter announced. "But it may take a while for me to get all the ingredients."
Applejack furrowed her brow. "How long's a 'while '?"
"Umm...two days max."
Two days? That wouldn't work at all. She could imagine Gabriel writhing in pain up in the bedroom, waiting desperately for Applejack to acquire the medicine. He couldn't wait two hours !
"That ain't gonna work," she confessed. "He needs it real soon." Apple Fritter sighed, defeated again. The orange mare went back to frantically thinking of other ideas. If only Twilight was here...she'd know what to do. Her purple unicorn friend was always a great help at solving other pony's problems.
Twilight.
"That's it!" Applejack cried suddenly, causing her sister to jump in surprise. "Twilight must have some medicine! Rainbow Dash crashes into her library at least once a week, after all!" It seemed like a significant ray of hope. "I'll head on over to her library right now!"
"Sounds like a plan!" Apple Fritter exclaimed. She grabbed a scrap of paper and a pen out of her bag. "Here's the medicine he needs." She scrawled it's name on the paper and handed it to her sister. "Good luck, we'll be here waitin' fer you to return."
After exiting the bathroom along with her sister, Applejack snatched a saddlebag off one of the hooks on the wall near the front door and positioned it over her midsection, placing the note in it as she did. "All right everypony," she called to the rest of the Apples, who were still sitting in their former positions. "I'm makin' a quick trip to Twilight's; I'll be back shortly."
"Have fun, dear!" Granny Smith called across the room, seemingly oblivious to much that was going on, as she hadn't brought her eyes up from her project since Applejack came downstairs.
"Thanks, Granny. See y'all." The other ponies waved goodbye and she returned their gestures as she stepped out the door. After pushing it closed with her hind leg, she trotted off the porch and started down the same dirt road Apple Bloom had been running on about an hour ago. The air was warm, but a breeze shifted through the farmland, lightly blowing Applejack's mane around. Several clouds had begun to clot in the sky; Rainbow was obviously lazing around somewhere again today and had skipped her daily cloud-busting duties. But who could blame her? It was as quiet a day as any other. Besides, nopony minded a little shade from the clouds above.
It took only about five minutes to reach Ponyville. The little town's streets were not as crowded as in other seasons, but still sported a fair amount of ponies milling around or walking to their various destinations. Applejack spotted several ponies she knew as she passed Sugarcube Corner, including Carrot Top (who often helped with the harvest during carrot season) and Blossomforth (who loved coming down to the farm every once in a while to attend to the Apple's flowers). They waved to her as she hurried past.
"Hi there, Applejack!" yelled a familiar awkward voice from above. The orange mare looked up just as Derpy, looking down at her and not where she was going, flew into a protruding sign. Applejack stifled a laugh and called back up to her. "Hey there Derpy! You okay?"
"Yeahhh..." choked an embarrassed Derpy. She rightened the sign she had knocked askew. "Hehe...um...seeya Applejack!"
"Bye now!" That poor mare . Derpy had been one of Applejack's biggest fans ever since that Canterlot rodeo competition. She must have been pretty embarrassed after showcasing her clumsiness in front of her idol. Applejack couldn't think of anypony who looked up to her more. In fact, the orange mare wouldn't be surprised if that pegasus started a fan club in her name. She smiled as she imagined a bunch of foals running around with hats like hers trying to talk with a farmer's accent. Take that, RD. Maybe one day, I'll have a fan club too. She wondered how that would go down with her cyan friend.
Five minutes later, Applejack was still so lost in her thoughts that she nearly passed right by Twilight's treehouse and completely forgot about her mission. Quickly rightening herself, she turned around, walked up to the building, and promptly gave three short (but loud) knocks on the door.
"I'll get it!" She heard Spike's muffled voice from the inside. Several seconds later, the purple dragon opened the wooden door, and Applejack could look into the library, multiple books scattered over the entire floor. It looked like Twilight was back to sorting her precious library again.
"Oh hey Applejack!" Spike exclaimed, his voice bringing the orange mare's gaze back to him. "Nice of you to stop by! Come on in!" He ushered her inside and shut the door behind her. She looked cautiously around the room, scanning for her friend behind one of these piles of literature.
"Twilight! It's Applejack!" Spike yelled into the room. He turned to his guest with an apologetic gaze. "Sorry about the mess, Ms. Organized over here thought it would be a good day to sort the entire library." He rolled his eyes. "You know her...TWILIGHT!"
The purple unicorn suddenly popped up from behind a book pile in the back left corner of the room. "Hey Applejack!" She hastily unburied herself from the texts draped over her body. "Sorry, I didn't hear you knock," she smiled sheepishly. "It's great to see you! How are things at Sweet Apple Acres?"
"Well...um...fine." Things were mostly fine, anyway. "I just came by to-"
"Would you like some cider? I believe I have some leftover from Pinkie's last party." The unicorn beamed.
"No thanks. Look, Twilight-"
"Oh, maybe I should clean up. Would you like to sit down? Spike, grab those pillows over there-"
"Twilight!" It was the third time somepony had yelled her name in the last minute. Applejack's friend immediately shut her mouth.
"Sorry," the orange mare apologized. "But look, I need somethin' really important."
"What's that?" asked Twilight, listening now.
Applejack handed her the note from Apple Fritter. "This medicine."
The purple mare scanned the message and raised an eyebrow. "Um...why?"
Great. Just the question Applejack hoped she wouldn't ask. It wasn't that she wanted to keep things from her friend, but Twilight was honestly terrible at keeping secrets. "Well...ya see..."
"Mmmhmm?" Twilight and Spike leaned closer to hear her story.
"It's just...because..." She sighed in defeat. "Dammit Twi, I can't lie to you! Look, today around noon a rogue pegasus crash landed on the farm. We took him in and we're caring for him. But we ran out of the medicine he needs. So if you could just kindly give me some...I'll be on my way..." She trailed off.
Unexpectedly, Twilight laughed. "And why were you so afraid to tell me this?"
"Well...no offense Twi, but...you're...not the best when it comes to keepin' secrets." Applejack bit her lip, hoping her friend wouldn't be offended.
Luckily, she didn't seem so. Instead, she pushed further. "Why do you want to keep that a secret anyway?"
"Well, if everypony knew, they'd swarm our lil' farm like a parasprite invasion!" Twilight looked quite surprised. "See, he's no normal pegasus," Applejack elaborated. "He survived a huge griffin attack, and he seems really..." - She forced herself not to say cute - "...Mysterious."
"Mysterious? In what sense?" asked the purple unicorn.
"Well, he doesn't seem to have any family around, he didn't really tell us anything much about his past, and his eyes are this stunning crystal blue! Like he's a crystal pony or somethin'!" She emphasized by waving her hooves around.
"Maybe he is a crystal pony...?" Twilight absentmindedly picked up a book lying at her hooves and began dusting it off.
"No, he's from Cloudsdale and it's only his eyes. Not his whole body."
Twilight gave the book to Spike to shelve and scratched her head. It seemed Applejack's description of this pegasus had baffled even her. "Odd," she murmured. She was lost in thought for several moments before looking back up at her friend. "Could I maybe see this pegasus?"
"Uh...I don't know...if he'd be up for that right now," Applejack explained. "You know...he's pretty badly injured...I reckon he's sleeping at the moment anyway."
"Maybe later?" Twilight looked hopeful. Anything out of the ordinary greatly interested her, and it was obvious she wanted to check out the Apple's new guest.
"Maybe later." Applejack nodded. "Now, could I have the medicine, please? I should be on my way...and it looks like you got work to do too." She glanced around at the mountain range of books dominating the treehouse.
"No problem," Twilight smiled. "Spike, could you grab the ointment we keep for Rainbow Dash from the cabinet upstairs?"
"Sure," the unicorn's assistant said, dashing up the stairs and disappearing into the hallway. Several seconds later he appeared again holding a small bottle. "Here you go!" He tossed it over the railing to Twilight, whose eyes immediately grew wider than ripe Zap Apple in surprise. She lunged forward, landing on the floor on her belly and just barely catching the flask of medicine before it shattered on the ground.
"Spike! What were you thinking?!" she cried in astonishment, getting to her hooves and brushing herself off, the flask clamped safely in one hoof. "Don't ever do that again!"
"C'mon Twilight," Spike laughed, hopping down the stairs to the ground floor. "I knew you would catch it!"
"I didn't! At least tell me when you're going to throw medicine down at me!" She sighed and handed the bottle to Applejack. "Sorry. I'll talk to him."
"No problem at all," Applejack smiled, tipping her hat politely at her friend. "Thanks again. See y'all later!" She waved goodbye to them and stepped out the door. Then she continued down the road, heading back to the farm, the medicine for Gabriel resting snugly in her saddlebag.
~~Gabriel~~
I opened my eyes.
At first I didn't even realize they were open - I still felt the same blackness, sleepiness surrounding me. But faraway colors etched their way through the thick darkness almost pasted on my retinas. Colors...so blurry. I couldn't focus. Thinking was out of the question. My thoughts were like mush - I wouldn't have been surprised if my brain was physically a pile of oatmeal inside my skull. There was a loud ringing in my ears - or was there? Was it really present? Did my ears even still work?
There. The sound of my breathing. So they did work! The ambient noise of my exhales and inhales filtered into my oatmeal brain. My sight grew more accurate. The colors became lines. The feelings became real. A room. I was in a room. And I was lying down. In a bed. And my leg hurt like fu...
Leg. Pain. The crash. They had been chasing me. Them. Everything came flooding back into my mind all too quickly. But...I definitely hadn't crashed comfortably in a bedroom. Somepony moved me. Somepony knows I'm here.
I mustered all the strength I could and sat upright, propping myself up on my pillow. I grunted in pain as a sharp sensation shocked my wings. They felt numbish and...wierd. I looked over my shoulder at them - they were wrapped up tightly in bandages. Looks like somepony did save my ass. But who? I was alone in the room.
Speaking of the room, I then turned around and scanned it (brain and eyes fully functioning now). It was a spacious, well-lit bedroom. My bed was in the middle of the room, with the headboard pressed up against the wall behind me. At the far corner of the right wall was a closed door. The wall across from me housed a dresser with a mirror on top, along with several other smaller cupboards flanking it as if they were the dresser's cronies. The left wall showed off a large, open window with beautiful patterned curtains blowing softly in the breeze that was filtering in. Against the wall behind me, on my left, was a large dresser similar to the one across from my bed, and on my right a bedside table with a lamp and several small pictures. All four walls were also strewn with several beautiful paintings of scenes from the most diverse places in Equestria, along with wallpaper, which was patterned with...apples?
Well, of all the crappy places to land, this definitely isn't the worst. Putting my hooves behind my head, I leaned back against the headboard and stared at my relection in the mirror directly across from where I was. My own stunning crystal blue eyes stared back at me. Enough to rival those diamond-like crystal ponies, they had said, although I'd never seen them like that myself. Many of the young mares I'd met had sure admired 'em, though. Anyway, the rest of my body wasn't looking quite so awesome. My dark blue, spiky-ish mane was crusted with dried blood and I had numerous cuts on my chest and forearms. And my leg was definitely not so hot. Memories of what had happened to it filled my mind, and I shuddered.
After staring at the room and thinking for about ten more minutes, I was beginning to wonder if I should get up and explore the house. Who's house was it anyway? Someone who liked apples, it seemed. Or apple-studded wallpaper, at least. I considered calling out, but I wasn't sure if I could find my voice. Plus, who knew if they were friendly? A horrible thought raced through my mind. What if they had recaptured me? No, wait. That notion didn't seem right. They wouldn't bandage me up like this.
I lifted up my sheets and took a peek at my leg. It was well-wrapped, but blood had soaked through even the gauze somepony had applied and had stained the sheets. Oh, yay, I'm sleeping in my own blood! Eh, not really.My brain was exaggerating. It wasn't that much.
I was about to adjust the bandages to a more comfortable format when the door creaked open. I immediately flattened myself into the bed, pulled the sheets up to their previous position, and pretended to be asleep. I heard light footsteps traversing the room. After a few seconds, my curiosity got the better of me. I cautiously opened one eye.
A little yellow filly with red mane and a bow had entered the room carrying a glass of water. She looked harmless, but who knew? You could never be sure with...them. I continued to lie as still as possible.
The filly was almost to my bedside when suddenly a sharp, knifing pain shot through my wing. I must have lain on it wrong or something, and it protested angrily. I couldn't help myself. I let out a cry of pain and rolled over slightly to get it into the right position. I tried to pretend I was unconsious again, that it was just a folly in my sleep. But it was too late. The filly knew I was awake. She dropped the glass she was holding, which promptly shattered at her hooves as it made sontact with the floorboards. Water splashed everywhere in a three-foot radius. Yet the filly didn't even seem to notice. Her eyes widened as she stared in suprise, but she didn't speak or move from her place.
"Hey there." I smiled weakly.
The filly continued to look at me, shocked. "Um, Applejack?" she yelled through the open bedroom door, still not taking her gaze off me. "Could ya come here a sec?" She had a heavy accent, I realized, that sounded similar to a farmpony's. The bow atop her head quivered as she turned to look at the door in wait for this 'Applejack'.
I heard the hoofsteps coming up the stairs seconds later. Three ponies then burst into the room, looking as anxious as the little filly. I waved at them casually as they entered, smiling sheepishly and hoping they weren't going to kill me. I can't even imagine what was going through their minds when they saw me awake. Present were a dull orange-yellow stallion with a cowboy hat, a young yellowish mare with green pigtails, and...hot damn. The most beautiful mare I'd ever seen. Like, ever. And I've seen a lot of mares. Her appearence nearly knocked me right out of the bed.
She was a stunning peach orange, with pale, flowing mane and tail in a hasty braid. She wore a cowgirl hat, and her eyes were a perfect green. I hoped I wasn't drooling as I stared at her, but I very well could have been. Looks like I crashed in just the right place. The words ran through my mind as I relaxed my body and continued to feast my eyes on her.
"You're...awake!" The green-maned mare exclaimed.
"Um...yep?" I wasn't sure how to react exactly. What, did they think I was dead or something? I wouldn't be surprised, I was sure I looked like a zombie when they found me.
"Apple Bloom, how long has he been awake?" The beautiful orange mare asked the filly. She even had an amazing voice! It too had a ridiculously cute farmgirl accent, similar to the filly's.
"Umm...um...I dunno! I just came up an' he was awake!"
"How are you feeling?" The green-maned mare asked me. By now everypony was crowded around my bedside.
"Um...okay. My leg kinda hurts, but...it's nothing serious." I reported.
"Actually, it is pretty serious. What happened to you?" the stallion cut in.
"Braeburn!" scolded the pigtail-clad mare. "Take it slow." she turned back to me. "Can you tell us your name?"
"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me yours first." I was going to have to be cautious with these ponies. I didn't want to give away too much information about myself. They could never know what I had really been through.
Luckily, the green-maned mare was fully willing to cooperate with my demands. "Of course. I'm Apple Fritter, that's Braeburn," she began, pointing to each pony in turn. "The filly is Apple Bloom and that there is Applejack." Applejack. Even her name was perfect! Why did she have to be so freaking perfect?
Anyway, I returned my answer to their question. "I'm Gabriel," I introduced. "Um...also...would you...would you mind telling me where I am as well? Because I have no idea..." I trailed off.
"'Course. You're on Sweet Apple Acres farm, in Ponyville," Braeburn answered. Well, that explains the apple wallpaper.
"Home of the best apple cider in Equestria!" the filly recited as if it was their motto. I couldn't help but smile.
"Apple Bloom, head on downstairs," Applejack ushered. "It's time fer the big ponies to talk now." Disappointed, the filly trudged out of the room, shutting the bedroom door behind her.
Apple Fritter took a seat on the edge of my bed while the other two remained standing. "Could you tell us where you are from?" She was building up to the big question Braeburn had asked before.
"Cloudsdale," I lied. I'd never even been to Cloudsdale, let alone been born there. But these ponies didn't have to know that. I'll be honest, I felt like crap lying to that beautiful Applejack pony, but I knew I had to keep my past a secret.
"Cloudsdale, huh?" Braeburn asked. For a split second I thought he suspected I was lying. But if he did, he didn't show it. "What were you doing down in Ponyville?"
Craaaaap. I should have thought up a cover story while I was awake and alone in here. "Just visiting."
"Do ya have fam'ly down here?" Apple Fritter queried.
"No, just wanted to....um...come to...Sugarcube Corner!" I'd heard about the wonders of that place before - walls lined with candy and sweets of all kinds. "You know, it's Equestria-famous..." They seemed to believe my tale.
"Well, if you were jus' down fer a visit to Sugarcube corner, what in the hay happened to ya?" Applejack furrowed her brow.
I was gonna have to make up something on the spot, and fast. Think, Gabriel, think. "Well...on my way there....I was attacked. By...griffins." Okay, I could build from this tall tale. "They just swooped out of the sky! I tried to fight 'em off, but there were too many!"
"How many? Where?" Braeburn questioned.
"Just outside Ponyville. Over the Everfree Forest. As for how many...there were too many to count."
"Too many to count?" Braeburn raised an eyebrow. Was he believing my story? He seemed pretty skeptical.
"Well, it's kinda hard to count griffins when your leg is being torn apart," I covered. The stallion seemed satisfied at this, and I silently breathed an internal sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Applejack had finally realized that the floor next to my bedside was carpeted with broken glass and spilled water from Apple Bloom's dropped cup. "I'm gonna go get somethin' to clean this up," she told the others, proceeding to leave the room. She slipped through the door and was gone. The butterflies in my stomach finally stopped flitting around and quietly settled.
"Do ya have any family members around? Anypony who might be wonderin' where ya are?" Apple Fritter continued with the questioning.
"No, nopony close." Yeah, really. Not close at all.
"Well, we've decided to keep you here for a while until ya can get better and be on your way," the mare continued. "Your leg and wings 're in pretty bad shape and you won't be able to get around too well until you've fully recovered."
"That's fine. I'd be glad to stay in your company 'till I feel better." I smiled brightly at her. She flushed scarlet and averted her gaze shyly. Whoa. What was that all about?
"Um, well, we should probably let you get some rest." She said, trying in vain to drain the redness from her cheeks. "I think that's enough...interrogating for now." She rose up from the edge of the bed and (Braeburn along with her) trotted out the door, closing it behind both of them. I was left in silence (save for the rapidly fading noise of their hoofsteps descending the stairs). After waiting several seconds, I relaxed onto my pillow, placing my hooves behind my head, reenacting the same pose I had been in before the filly came in.
"Well, these ponies seem fine.Definitely not hostile at all," I said aloud to the ceiling. And that Applejack, she's....she's something. I certainly felt a lot safer now that I knew these farm ponies weren't...them. Mind drifting from thought to thought, I vaguely mused over the recent conversation. The two mares seemed to believe my lies, but that stallion. Braeburn. I was gonna have to be careful around him. Not that I wasn't going to have to be careful around all of them. I hate lying, I really do. But if they found out who I really was...they'd kill me in an instant. Just until you're better, Gabriel. You only have to keep up the lies until you can get out of here. I told myself.
Turning over onto my side, I stared at the broken glass on the floor, waiting for Applejack to return.