Farmhand

Applejack was relaxing quietly in a worn rocking chair, the heel of the chair resting against the wall. Applejack might have been rocking if the wooden piece was not resting on the wall and preventing her rocking backwards. Should she try, she would be met with a jolt, far from the relaxing purpose for which the chair was designed.

Applejack wouldn't say it had been a long day, per se, but the chores as usual had definitely taken a toll on her energy. However, try as she might, she could not drift off to sleep, though her body was screaming at her to do so.

Yawning for what seemed to be the thousandth time, she gently shifted the book on her lap. Her vision was blurred, as though she had drank a few to many bottles of mulled cider. She no longer knew what book she had been reading, now could she check through her seemingly drunken state. After all, she really did feel drunk. Eyes blurry, hooves numb, dizzy, though she knew these were all being caused by nothing except for her weariness.

It was a peaceful night, outside the window, as far as the eye could see. Or at least, as far as she could see after rubbing her eyes, which wasn't far, even if her sight was temporarily restored by the rubbing. The trees were swaying in a gentle breeze, more just the leaves rustling than an actual, visible swaying. The reds, greens, and yellows of the apples were dully visible through the dark, though light from her window and light from the moon fell over the skins, giving them streaks of white or golden.

Again, Applejack wished she could curl up in her bed and fall asleep, but she didn't bother to try. Not only had her previous attempts to do so failed, she was now to tired to even move to her bed. At last, it seemed, she might be able to find some sleep, as her eyes started to close, lids leaden. Maybe she could slip in a few hours before the sun rose and it was time to begin the chores again, which would last until just before dinner on a good day, at which point the rest of the day would be free for her and Big Macintosh.

Applebloom had it lucky, she reflected as her eyes closed fully. Though she was starting to help with the chores more, she wasn't really doing much, all things considered. Big Macintosh had been all for the idea of passing her almost more work than she could handle, but Applejack had talked him out of it. Applebloom was sixteen, exploring more and more, and Applejack thought it best not to stand in the way of this. As far as what sort of exploration, Applebloom was making more friends, exploring the town of Ponyville more, widening the friends she had, expanding her horizons, trying new things, and more ways that Applejack could not recall from the top of her head.

Just a moment before Applejack could escape to the realm of dreams, a gentle tapping noise reached her ears. Her subconscious told her to ignore it. After all, nothing could be amiss at a time as peaceful as this...

Then she heard hooves in the hallway, and her eyes snapped open.

"H-Hello?" She called softly, casting her eyes to her almost-shut door. For a moment, no answer came.

"Just me, big sis." Applebloom's gentle voice floated back to the orange-furred mare.

"Oh...are you..."Applejack broke off to yawn, her muzzle temporarily forced open. "expecting a friend at this hour?" She tried to lace her voice with suspicion, but drowsiness leaked into her speech overpoweringly, and that was all that was noticeable to Applebloom.

"No, somepony was knocking. I was going to see who it was, so you could get your rest." Applebloom's face popped into the room, her fiery mane framing her face.

"Are ya..." Applejack broke off as the gentle tapping reached them again, then cut off a few seconds later. "c-crazy? It could be a...a...a..." Applejack lost her train of thought as another yawn broke her mouth open.

"Don' worry, Aj, I'll be careful. Ya get some rest now, sis. Love ya." Applebloom silently closed the door and her hoof steps retreated down the hall. Before she could pursue the thought line she had lost, yet another wave of exhaustion swept through her, and, at last, she drifted off to sleep. Her forehead gently fell against the window, her mane cushioning the tiny fall, and the tiniest of snores began to punctuate the silence, as did another round of tapping.

"Hello?" Applebloom laid a hoof on the door, pressing an ear to the plate of wood as well.

"Yes." came the simple reply. No name or request. Applebloom should have turned the pony away right then, but she was young and innocent, and this did not occur to her. Luck shone upon the filly right then, because the pony on the other side of the door bode her and her family no ill.

"Who's there?" She tried, flicking her head so her mane fell away from her eyes, letting her see clearly. Unlike her sister, she had woken up to the tapping, feeling fully rested, and was not tired in the least.

"Somepony who n-needs help." She noted the stutter, and assumed it was from tiredness. His voice was quiet, secretive, and at the same time persuasive and interesting. Could a voice be interesting? Either way, it was definitely a stallion. He sounded like the sort who could move millions with naught but a microphone and a few words if he set his mind to it.

"What sort of help?"

"I'm hurt. Very hurt. I saw l-lights, from a window, which turned out to be on the second f-floor of this charming house. I, of course, seeing the light, assumed somepony was awake, and chanced k-knocking." Applebloom was a kind mare, without a doubt, and if somepony was hurt, she would do all she could do to help. What was the first step to helping this pony? Opening the door.

That was exactly what she did, opening the door to see a pony who was, most definitely, hurt. Scarlet blood was practically flowing onto the porch, and he was favoring one side heavily. His eyes were clouded with fatigue and weakness. It was a miracle he was still standing.

Unfortunately, Applebloom couldn't see where the actually injury or injuries were through the mass of blood, so she pulled him in while touching as little of him as possible, relying only on luck to not bump a wound. Blood spilled onto the wooden floor, but she would worry about that later. She was leading him straight towards the bathroom.

"What in tarnation happened to you!?"

"A pack of...timber wolves...Everfree..."

"You were in the Everfree forest!?! A whole pack of timber wolves attacked you and you lived to tell the tale?!?"

"L-Later." He muttered as she eased him onto the floor of the bathtub. Running warm water until it was stained red and filling an inch of the tub, lightly brushing the stallion's lower lip. What was visible of his coat was light blue, and his mane and tail were brown. Naturally, not just from the mud staining them. She glanced at his flank, but any cutie mark was obscured by blood.

Gently starting to wash him, she murmured soft words of encouragement, telling him he was going to make it and that he had done well to reach the farm. Several cuts and bites ran the length of one of his sides, and a huge gash was on his stomach. Other then that he was unmarked, but those were grave wounds indeed. She honestly couldn't be sure that he would make it. That's why when his eyes started to close, she panicked.

"Don't fall asleep!! Come on, stay with meh!! Don't die on meh!!!" She didn't know why, but some gut instinct was telling her to help him, and she absolutely did not want him to die.

"Don't worry, I'll wake back up." He promised her.

"How kin ya be sure!?" She whisper-yelled. He just let out the tiniest of chuckles and weakly shook his head.

Then he blacked out.