Busy Days to Peaceful Nights

Rainbow Dash sat as still as she could while not once taking her eyes away from the dancing flames, unaware that the clock’s hour hand had moved slightly past the twelve. With her head still on her shoulder, Fluttershy had fallen asleep quite soundly thanks to how nice and cozy she felt by Dash’s side. After concluding that the snoozing little mare was surely asleep, Dash had covered her shoulders with her wing and ever so gently nuzzled her blue cheek against her yellow cheek.

As she slept, Fluttershy would sometimes rub her nose against the nape of Dash's neck. Each time she did, Dash mustered every bit of her resolve to not kiss the top of her head. She wanted to so bad. Her strange growing feelings had not changed or wavered in any way, but she was extremely worried how Fluttershy might react if she acted upon them.

The fire slowly began to simmer around the hot embers, and the flames grew smaller and smaller as the night progressed. Dash let her mind wander through her memories that they shared together while occasionally yawning as quietly and as motionlessly as she could. She knew she snored, and as tired as she was, she didn’t want her usual tossing and turning in her sleep to disturb her dear friend. Instead, she thought about what Fluttershy had confessed to her.

She said she was lonely. Her constant care for others had always been Fluttershy’s passion, but it was clear that not enough love and care was received by the very mare who thought so highly of others. It nearly broke Dash’s heart just to think about the paradox.

She spent her whole life surrounded by her family and friends, and as a filly, her parents had always been a huge boost of support for her, something that Fluttershy probably never had. When she moved to Ponyville, her constant friends like Applejack and Pinkie Pie always made her feel at home with kindred spirits.

Maybe she was over thinking this, but did Fluttershy even have friends like that? Sure, she was one of the group, but there never really was anypony else that she really bonded with on the same level. She and Applejack understood each other through their love of competition, and Pinkie understood her through her love of all things fun. There wasn’t a single pony-else that Fluttershy could wholly relate to.

Was she a bad friend? Dash hardly spent any time with Fluttershy these days. They just weren’t into the same thing, and that now started bothered her. Why did she have to be so insensitive sometimes, and to her best friend no less?

In a very quiet whisper, Dash muttered, “I promise to be a better friend from now on, Fluttershy. I promise.” There was no response in return. Instead, Fluttershy rolled onto her side with her back against Dash with her hooves curled up under her chin. Dash wrapped a hoof around her, pulled her close, and nuzzled her cheek.

After a while, a crackling noise came from the fireplace, and a shooting ember landed mere inches from her hooves. Dash became startled and nearly jumped when she noticed the red ember releasing trails of smoke into the air. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed in a hoarse whisper, “No no no!” Once she smacked the ember away from her, she noticed the floor now had a dark burnt spot. The stench from the burn was strong enough to assault her nose.

Wondering what that peculiar sound was, Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She looked at Dash with her eyelids barely open. “Whah…?” She tried to speak through a yawn.

“Fluttershy, sorry, did I wake you up?” Dash asked, returning her wing to her side with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry about the floor. I can fix this.”

She groggily looked down. “It’s no big deal.” She reasoned, wanting to go back to sleep in Dash‘s warm embrace. “It happens sometimes. Don’t worry. I'll just close the gate." She stretched out a hoof lazily to close the metal gate in front of the fireplace.

"Oh...so that's what that's for..." When Dash glanced at her sleepy face, innocent smile, and tired eyes, she gave her a small pat on the head. “You look really tired.”

With a yawn, she replied, “I am…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

“Hey, if you’re tired, you’re tired.” She said in a no-big-deal attitude. “You really could use the rest anyway. Besides…you look so happy when you sleep.”

Fluttershy contently nodded. “Thank you…I am feeling pretty good right about now. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”

“R-Really?” Dash asked, letting the darkness of the room hide her rose tinted face. “That’s…cool. Glad you’re feeling better.”

“Are you cold?”

“Nah…not really. Are you?”

“Maybe just a little.” Fluttershy mumbled, wanting desperately for Dash to place her wing over her again. She didn't have the courage to actually ask for that outright, but a mare can dream.

“Want to lie down in your bed? I’m sure the floor isn’t very comfortable.”

“That does sound nice.” Fluttershy yawned again, pondering how much trouble it would be to walk all the way up the stairs. “Maybe we can just sleep on my couch, if that’s ok with you.”

Anything with some form of cushions sounded good to her. “Sure.”

The both got up, stretching their stiff limbs. Dash stretched out her wings while yawning up at the ceiling without a shred of shame, her body curving and arching in full view. Fluttershy rubbed her nose with a hoof before smacking her lips, unaware in her sleepy state that her face had turned three shades pinker. After flopping down on her tummy, Dash placed her chin in her hooves. Seeing an open spot, Fluttershy slid next to her before lifting Dash's blue wing over her like a blanket. Dash opened one eye to watch her intently as she got comfortable.

“Um…Dashie?” She asked after yawning again.

“Yeah?”

“Do…Do you ever get…lonely?”

That’s tough to answer. She certainly got bored a lot by herself, but was that the same thing as loneliness? Probably not. “Um…I don’t know…sometimes…I guess.”

“Well…you can always…come…here…If you do…”

“R-Really?”

“I mean…only if you want to…I don’t want to make you feel like you have to.”

“N-No, it’s cool. I want to.” Dash said with a bit more enthusiasm than she intended before clearing her throat to compose herself. “I mean, sure. I’ll keep that in mind.”

They sat snuggled up against each other for a nice long few minutes. The air around them was cooler than when they were by the fire, but now their body heat against each other was much more noticeable. Dash couldn’t decide where to plant her gaze. Closing her eyes felt strange because she still wanted to keep talking, but what else was there to say? Fluttershy just wanted to feel closer and more loved like a small filly after a bad day. Her mindset was retreating back to a younger state, and she wanted to be treated as such. She pressed her whole face against Dash’s neck before nuzzling her very affectionately. An audible gasp could be heard from the blue mare. "Whoa…"

There never ever had been a time when Fluttershy found herself resting under the wing of somepony else, and now discovering the joy of such an experience, she never wanted it to end. The gentle touch of Dash’s feathers against her soft yellow coat made all the tender embraces of her little friends pale in comparison. The thought of never feeling this again scared her. What if Dash never let her do this again? Would it be strange to ask her to in the future? It was disheartening to realize that she lacked the courage to do so, and only now could she experience this because luck favored her during this particular moment.

She could feel something else stirring in her heart that made her ears burn and her chest tighten up. It wasn’t just an endearing fondness from her beloved friend next to her, but something much more. Fluttershy could feel a sense of longing towards her. Some need that she never knew she had craved for now started to outweigh her timid hesitation. Although she pressed her small frame against her friend, it still felt as if she wasn't close enough to satisfy her longing desire. As she sat there wondering what she could possibly be feeling, she suddenly found her voice.

“Dashie?”

“Mhm?” Came a delayed reply.

“Can we…spend the day together tomorrow? Only if you want to…I’m sure you’re very busy…”

“W-Well…I only have a couple things to do tomorrow, but…yeah. That’s cool with me.”

Fluttershy could burst from joy. Just the thought of being able to spend the day with her again gave her happy relief. “Thank you.”

“Heh…” Dash could hear the delight in her friend’s voice. “You’re welcome.”

--o0o--

Her eyes suddenly opened up, and she sat up straight in her bed. Rarity could feel cold sweat against her damp coat immediately followed by a nearly intolerable headache. Applejack had been right about all that cider. It was a good idea at the time, but the regret that followed was something she hadn’t counted on.

She glanced down across the bed at Applejack with great envy. She was still asleep on her back with her mouth open wide, snoring to her hearts content. One of her hind hooves would twitch with each exhale like something was tickling her side. Despite the lousy headache, Rarity found amusement in her friend’s sleeping position.

“Silly Applejack.” She giggled before rubbing her head with her hoof. “I do hope you don’t sleep like this every night.”

After quickly kicking off the blanket around her waist, she placed all four hooves on the floor. The room felt like it was gently shaking, so she stood there from a few seconds to allow the spinning walls to slow down. Once able to walk, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. While standing there levitating a glass, she heard the light trot of a filly walking down the stairs.

Scootaloo yawned, nearly tripping over the last step. “Hey, Rarity.” She said, waving her hoof in the air while regaining her balance “Sorry, did I wake you?”

She shook her head. “You’re quite alright, dear. Having trouble sleeping?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Is Sweetie Belle snoring again?”

“Her and Applebloom.” She laughed.

“I’m terribly sorry, dear. She tends to do that regularly.”

“It’s cool. I don’t really mind it that much. I was thirsty anyway.”

“Here, let me get you some water.” Rarity floated a glass towards her, and she gratefully accepted.

“Thanks.” She gulped a couple of times. “You’re still not mad at us about yesterday, are you?”

Rarity giggled. “I have come to terms with the three of you and your, shall we say, destructive antics. As for Applejack, she may still be slightly bitter in the morning.”

“I hope not.”

“Don’t worry, dear. She may be rugged, but she is no way discourteous.”

“Dis-uh-what-now?” Scootaloo asked, head cocked to the side.

“I mean she isn’t harsh. I’m sure Applejack will forgive the three of you by breakfast.”

“Cool.”

The finished their water, and Rarity took her glass. “You might like to get some more sleep, dear. As I recall, the three of you have a busy day tomorrow.”

Scootaloo sighed. “I didn’t forget.”

“Good. Now run along back to bed. If Sweetie Belle is still snoring, try placing a pillow over her face. She hardly ever notices.”

“Thanks. I’ll try that.” She said while trotting back up the stairs. “Nighty night.”

“You as well. Oh, Scootaloo, dear?”

“Yeah?”

“Please remember that you are always welcome here. I never want you to think you ever overstay your welcome. As much as the three of you sometimes…vex me…I do enjoy having you around.”

“That’s…really nice of you. Thanks. You’re pretty cool.” Scootaloo, in her youthful attitude, did not know how to take that. Instead of pondering, she just went back to bed.

Rarity rinsed out both glasses before quietly making her way back to her bedroom. Upon entering, she noticed her bed was empty. Before she could look around, there came a flushing noise from the adjacent bathroom. With her golden mane completely messed up like a stack of hay, Applejack meandered her way out. Rarity found herself too tired to poke fun of her appearance.

“Ah might sorry, Rare.” Applejack said. “Ah didn’t mean to wake ya.”

“It’s quite alright.” She sighed, rubbing her head. “I was already up.”

“You too, huh?” She asked. “Ah didn’t think Ah drank that much. Ah was sleepin’ great, then all the sudden, Ah got this headache like my head was bein‘ cracked open like a walnut.”

Rarity looked her over, making note of her painfully tired and pale face. “Are you alright, dear? You look absolutely dreadful.” She asked, walking over to her to put a hoof on her forehead.

“Ah think so. Just tired is all. Maybe kinda hungover ‘n warm.” She felt Rarity’s hoof grace her forehead with the most tender touch, causing her to gasp and turn red.

“Goodness! You really are warm.” She exclaimed, now placing own cheek on the mare’s forehead.

Applejack sneezed again. “Ah’m sure it’s nothin’ Ah can’t sleep off. Ah’ll be fine.”

“I’m not entirely sure.” Rarity cupped her cheeks with her hooves. “Darling, you appear quite ashen…”

Applejack suddenly shivered. “Ah said Ah’m fine, Rare. Really. Ah ain’t comin’ down with nothin.”

“Here, please lay back down.” Rarity levitated the blankets back in place. “If it happens that you are indeed becoming ill, I refuse to have you up and about.”

She sighed, too tired and weary to argue. “Fine…” She got back under the covers, much happier thanks to the warmth remaining in the sheets. Rarity quickly slid next to her and pulled the blankets over them both. “Wait, Rare, ain’t that a bad idea? If Ah am sick, Ah don’t make ya catch somethin.”

“Darling, we have shared this bed nearly all night. I hardly think another few hours will make much of a difference at this point.”

“Ah guess Ah can’t argue…” She sighed. “Thanks Rare. Sorry Ah’m puttin’ ya out like this.”

“You most certainly are not doing any such thing. It is my duty to offer you what I can for the improvement of your health. What kind of friend would I be otherwise? Besides...I was the one who pushed us to drink..."

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, ya sure were downin' those glasses like a thirsty hog in dry dirt.”

“Please go back to sleep.”

“Fine…”

They lay with their backs against each other, and a few minutes went by as Rarity’s headache receded to a more bearable intensity. Her eyelids became very heavy as sleep knocked on the door of her tired conscious. However, before she could drift into slumber, the mare next to her violently shivered.

“B-Brrr…” Applejack grimaced.

Rarity sat up. “Are you cold?”

“M-Maybe…j-just a little.”

She pushed one of her blankets over Applejack. “Is this any better?”

Applejack shivered again. “Ah…Ah guess.”

“Oh dear…You really are sick…”

“Ah am no such thing. Yer just bein’ a worry wart.”

Rarity huffed. “You can protest all you like.” She said as she climbed out of bed. “You are without a doubt sick.”

“Ponyfeathers…” She groaned, trying hard not to accept that fact as Rarity walked into her bathroom. “What ‘er ya’ll doin?”

“Medicine, dear.” She opened the cabinet behind the mirror and pulled out a small bottle.

“Ah ain’t takin’ no medicine.”

With a scowl, Rarity returned. “Applejack, so help me Celestia, you are going to take this medicine and behave.”

She sighed heavily with an amusing growl. “Fine….”

Rarity filled the cap of the bottle with its contents and held it out. Applejack sniffed it, stuck out her tongue, and surly gulped it down. It was clear the medicine was suppose to taste like cherries, but there had never been anything so revolting to grace her lips in all her years. “Blech!” She stuck out her tongue farther this time and frowned. “With a taste this strong, ya’ll could kill a whole family a cats.”

That certainly was not a pleasant image. “Do you always complain this much when you’re sick?” Rarity asked, putting the cap back on the bottle before setting it on the nightstand.

“Ah’m sorry, Rare. Ah ain’t tryin’ to be rude.”

She sighed while climbing back in bed next to her. “It’s alright, dear. Nopony enjoys being ill.” Another shiver overtook Applejack’s body, and Rarity put her hoof up against her forehead again. “Hm…At least you’re fever isn’t getting worse...I hope.”

She brushed her hoof away and rubbed her forelegs against her hooves. “Guess that mean’s Ah’ll be right is rain ‘n no time then.”

“Good.” Rarity yawned while laying her head back down. “I’m going back to bed. Please don’t hesitate to ask for anything else if need be.”

“Alright…” She sighed while pulling her blankets over her shoulders. “Night, Rare.”

In response, she simply nodded. Drowsiness was overwhelming her, and her body was screaming for a least another hour of slumber. Unfortunately, much to Rarity’s grave disappointment, she felt Applejack shiver again. “Ugh…Applejack.” She rolled over to her side, wrapped her hooves around the orange mare, and pulled her abruptly against her chest.

“R-Rarity!” Applejack exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. “What are ya doin?”

“I can’t sleep with you shaking all night. If this is the only way to keep you warm, then so be it.” She said with an almost angry tone. “Now go to sleep.”

Even though she felt incredibly awkward at being told off these past few minutes, the new warmth she felt in the embrace of her friend’s hooves was just what she needed. There was no denying it. Rarity may be somewhat assertive at times when things don’t go her way, but she still cared deeply no matter the circumstance. Also, there was no denying that the feeling of Rarity’s warm white coat against her little orange muzzle was more cozy and warm than anything she thought possible.

She could feel Rarity’s chest press against her face gently over and over as she breathed. Applejack tried to look up at her, but the thought of their eyes meeting was too much. This felt strange enough.

How glorious and amazing did this feel…Being held close like this was never something she had grown up with. Her parents were more of a past relic to her than a reality, and Big Mac was never one for long intimate moments. There never was anypony else that treated her like this. Being an independent big sister all her life, she never had a big sister of her own to make her feel loved in such a way.

Her white coat in the pale moonlight was exquisitely beautiful. Applejack just wanted lean up and kiss her neck more than anything…….

That’s gotta be the fever talking.

Once she accepted the fact that she was now under the care of her friend’s tough love, Applejack closed her eyes while rubbing her nose against her new source of warmth. “Thanks, Rare…Yer right…”

--o0o--

The morning sun through the window felt nice, but the light against her face made sleeping in very hard. Instead of fighting the urge to go back to sleep, Dash groaned and opened her eyes. This time, to her surprise, she was the one with a blanket draped around her shoulders.

Fluttershy had already gotten up an hour before to feed all her little friends that returned. The birds quietly ate their seeds in their little homes, and the small furry animals had taken their food back to their little nooks and corners around the home so they wouldn’t have to share.

Dash rolled off the couch, yawned incoherent noises, stretched the length of her body across the floor, shook out her back legs, swished her tail around in a low arch, and walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Dashie.” Fluttershy said, feeling much happier and more energetic than before.

“Morning…” She looked her over. “Wow, Shy.”

“Um…is there something on my nose?” Fluttershy asked, feeling exposed by Dash’s gaze.

“No. You just look better today. A lot better. I’m glad to see you feeling better.”

“Thank you. I don’t think I would be in such a good mood if it wasn’t for you. I can’t tell you have grateful I am.”

“Don’t mention it.” Dash glanced at the toast. “Can I have a piece?”

“Of course.” She slid a piece of toast with a butter square to her.

“Thanks.” Dash picked it up, stuffed the corner into her mouth, and chewed.

“How is it?”

“Good.” She replied, thoroughly engrossed in her new food.

They ate silently for a while, occasionally drinking from glasses of water when Angel hopped down the stairs. Without asking, he snatched a piece of toast and ran off back upstairs. “So, I was thinking…” Fluttershy finally said, paying no heed to Angel’s bratty behavior. “Maybe we could take our pets out for a picnic later…If you want, that is.”

“Sure. That’s sounds like a good idea. I’m sure Tank wouldn’t mind spending the day flying around instead of sleeping at home.”

“Is he going to be ok after being home alone all night?”

“I’m not worried about him. Yesterday was meal day for him.”

“Meal day?”

“Yeah. He only eats once a week, but when he does eat, it takes him all day. After that, he sleeps for like, ever.”

“Sounds like you two are getting along nicely.”

“Heh…Sure are.”

Dash kept returning her gaze to her toast, giving Fluttershy ample opportunity to steal glances at her. Her rainbow mane was completely teased in all directions, making her look wildly comical. Her scarlet eyes and bright morning smile gave Fluttershy an urge to walk over and hug her. Would that be alright? She supposed that after last night it would be ok.

“Hm?” Dash looked down when she felt the small mare’s gently embrace. “S-Shy?”

She retreated away and rubbed her hoof against her foreleg. “Sorry, Dashie…”

“It’s…ok, no worries.” Dash put the rest of her toast down. “It…It was kind of nice…”

Fluttershy sounded flustered. “Oh…Well, if you don’t mind…I mean, if you’re ok with it…”

Dash pat her on the head . “Yeah, I’m totally cool with it. No sweat.” With a giggle, Fluttershy hugged her again, and Dash gave her one of her own. “I’m really glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me too.” She looked up at her after stepping away. “Um…do you want some orange juice?”

“Well, I’d love to…but I kind of have to get going... Sorry…” She placed her dishes in the sink and turned to the front door. “If I don’t get to work soon, I’m probably gonna get scolded. What time do you wanna have our picnic?”

It was inevitable that Dash had to leave, but Fluttershy fought back her gloom. “How about noon? We can meet for lunch, if you like.”

“Sounds good to me.” She said, opening the door before stretching out her wings in a crouching pre-takeoff stance. “Later, Shy!”

“Bye-bye.”

Dash took off into the air, and Fluttershy watched with admiration as her rainbow trail looped past the patchy cloud floor. Once the trail disappeared from sight, she closed the door. At least Dashie would be coming back soon, and knowing so made her smile and hum to herself as she began washing the dishes.

After she got all her morning chores out of the way, she stole herself away to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Her mane was still well maintained somehow with only a few crazed strands here and there. With a large wide bristle comb, she began to brush using long slow stroking motions that utilized both her forehooves as she sat on her butt.

It wasn’t until nearly a minute past did she realize how silly she felt. Was she actually focused on her vanity? Usually, her appearance was not a big priority for her, but here she was, grooming herself with butterflies of anticipation in her tummy. Why did she want to present herself as well as possible like a giddy school-filly for Rainbow Dash of all ponies? Dash was the last pony to care about such things.

Then why did it bother her so much? She could show up with her mane cut all chopped up like a stallion, and Dash still wouldn’t really care. She might laugh about it for awhile, but that’s about it.

She put the brush down, walked up to her room, and sighed. There was no denying her giddy excitement for the upcoming afternoon, but for the first time in her life, she felt unsure how to act or look in front of her longtime best friend.

“Oh, Fluttershy…” She whispered to herself. “You’re such a ditz.” Angel sat on a pillow, paws behind his head, sunbathing away the morning. When he noticed her solemn look, he got up and hopped over to her. “I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

He looked up at her perplexed as if to ask what had her tail in such a twist.

“I’m ok.” She said, giving him a forced smile. “See?”

He shrugged and returned to his sunbathing.

As Fluttershy toiled with her conflicted inner thoughts, Dash pondered one of her own that irked her. As she flew across the sky towards her house, all she wanted to do was make a quick turn around and fly back down. With great puzzlement, Dash felt an incomprehensible need to be in close proximity to that yellow mare that now owned a piece of her heart. She felt peculiar not being completely in control of her sentiments, but she also felt assured that of all ponies, it was the kind and caring Fluttershy who had such an emotional hold on her.

But…Fluttershy. Did she really mean so much to her that Dash almost ached not being there with her?

With a growing significance of embarrassing mushy emotions, Dash forced all of her thoughts out of her mind as much as she could before braising herself. With force enough to create visible ripples through the air, she jetted herself as fast as she could upwards through the highest clouds lairs before leveling out towards her home.

--o0o--

The three crusaders played hide and seek on the ground floor of the boutique. Between hiding in the dressing rooms, clothes racks, and large hat boxes, their game continued into the late morning without any sign of stopping. To make it interesting, they had come up with an additional rule. Anypony who was hiding had to sneak up behind whoever was “it” and tag them before running off to hide again. If the “it” pony caught up in time to tag back, then that pony would lose. Whoever could tag the most won. Unfortunately, there was no real way of keeping accurate score while playing, so the game had ended in a little argument.

“I tagged Appleblooom three times!” Scootaloo whined.

Sweetie Belle nearly scoffed. “Just three? Try five times for me.”

“Five!?” Clearly, Scootaloo did not like to lose. “That’s a lie!”

“Girls!” Applebloom interjected. “Instead of fightin’ why don’t ya’ll just ask me who got more, ‘n Ah’ll tell ya.”

“It was me, huh!” Scootloo put a hoof up in the air.

“You wish.”

“Ah hate to break it to ya, Scootaloo.” Applebloom said, obviously not sorry to say.

“Aw, c’mon!” Scootaloo shouted. “That’s no fair! Sweetie Belle lives here! She knows all the good hiding spots!”

“Snooze, you lose.” Sweetie Belle taunted with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. This cause the little pegasus to growl.

They all decided that Scootaloo would be “it” next, much to her disapproval. She began to count to 10, but before the other girls could run away into other rooms, Rarity came walking down the stairs. Her mane was a dreadful disaster that the crusaders all gave each other puzzled looks.

“Good Morning, Rarity.” Sweetie Belle said first. “What happened to your mane?”

Rarity glanced into a mirror next to her and frowned as she tried to smooth it out. “Good heavens! I look horrid!” During the wee hours of the morning, Applejack had tossed and turned more than she cared for. She couldn’t quite blame her though. Trying to sleep while sick does cause strange dreams.

Even though her sleep the night before left a lot to be desired, she did feel quite happy to hold her dear friend close to her the entire time. Her embrace was the product of a deep, almost motherly concern she did not know she had. Although motherly wasn't quite the right word. Applejack was usually so independent and tough, but her weakened state and warm presence against her chest stirred something in her heart that she did not know existed.

However, she was too tired to dwell on such thoughts. The day had just started, and it was not a good idea to let such things dwell on the mind. It might cause even more stress than needed.

Everypony gasped when they at last saw Applejack slowly trod down the stairs with heavy hooves. Her eyes told all they needed to know, slightly bloodshot and purple around the edges. Scootaloo even discourteously stuck out her tongue. “That bad, huh?” Applejack asked in a hoarse crackling voice, aware of her appearance.

“Oh my gosh, sis!” Applebloom ran up to her and place a hoof on her foreleg. “You ok?”

“Yeah…*cough*…Ah’m fine. Just a bit under the weather is all.”

Scootaloo tilted her head. “A bit? More like completely buried in storm clouds.”

Everypony gave her a scowl.

“Ah said Ah’m fine. Ain’t no need to get all worked up.”

“You should probably get home, dear.” Rarity rubbed her back gently. “I would hate to see you get worse.”

Applebloom nodded. “Yeah. We could take care of ya til yer better.” She winked at her friends.

“Oh no ya don’t. Yer not gettin’ outa yer extra chores just cause Ah ain’t feelin’ good.” Despite her disheveled appearance, she still managed to pull off a snarl. The crusaders all sighed with a nod before Applejack hacked once more rather painfully.

“You really need to go home and rest.” Rarity said, feeling incredibly guilty for dragging her out the day before. “I’m so terribly sorry…Maybe I shouldn’t have had you escort me to the spa yesterday.”

“Don’t say that, Rare. Ah’m right glad ya’ll wanted to take me. Ah ain’t sick cause of that. Probably been buildin’ up all week.”

“Then by all means, please take care of yourself and go. You absolutely need to wash up and get better.”

“Thanks, Rare. Ah‘ll do that as soon as Ah get home. Just…right after Ah help Big Mac ‘round the barn.”

“Oh you most certainly will not!” Rarity huffed. “I’ll come by later today with some soup to check up on you. If I find out that you tried to do chores, I will personally force you into bed myself.” She turned to the girls. “You three be on your extra best behavior today, for what it's worth. I don’t want to hear a single bad remark when I come by to visit.”

The three crusaders all sighed, “Yes, mam…”

“Very well.” Rarity nodded in approval as she opened the front door. “Time to rest up and get better, dear.”

“See ya later, Rare.” Applejack tried to muster a smile at her while trudging outside. The three crusaders followed behind. “Thanks again, fer everythin’ yesterday.”

“My pleasure.” She waved goodbye to all four ponies before closing the door. With everypony gone and her home now empty, she suddenly felt the urge to open the door to go after them. But what good would do? Why did she feel like that was necessary? Was she that worried about Applejack? She was a tough grownup mare, so why worry so much? Still, Rarity couldn’t shake off a faint sense of unease. For some reason, she was really worried about her. Almost terrified, in fact. What if something happened to her? What if nopony was there when she got thirsty in bed and needed water?

“Heavens alive, Rarity!” She verbally scolded herself. “Must you be so demonstrative?! You are poised! You are collected! Compose yourself!”

She sighed, now feeling even more silly for scolding herself in such an undignified manner.

With strong resolve, she decided that she would visit Applejack as soon as possible, but not too soon lest she think she indeed was, in Applejack's words, a worry wart. There was just a bit of work to be done here first. Besides, Applejack would probably want to get comfortable at home first before being bothered by visitors.

And yet…now that she was alone, she couldn’t shake off the intense memory of holding Applejack so close. If she admitted to herself that her feelings were just worries for her dear friend and nothing more, it still didn’t quite explain that other small sentiment she felt that would not shake off of her no matter how hard she tried to dismiss it. What was it?

Fear suddenly coursed through her. It was not a feeling of terror at a scary sight, but an intense worry like a pony could gt when they accidentally say the wrong thing in front of their friends. Was it perhaps infatuation that drove her desire to pursue after Applejack? Celestia forbid such nonsense! What a most ridiculous thing to suggest! There was absolutely no way in all things frilly and pretty did she think of Applejack that way…

She cleared her throat.

Her mind continued to ponder. That beautiful flowing blonde mane, her perfectly rounded eyes and lashes, and even her gorgeous little freckles against those tinted orange cheeks continued to spin in her head. The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize how easy it would be to make a little shrine showcasing Applejack’s features. She had done something like that before…

When she finally snapped out of her little daze, she turned towards a mirror and growled angrily at herself.

"Rarity..." She snarled at her own reflection. "...you are a fool..."