Wi-no-na

by BurningMockingJay

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Slice of Life, Winona, Sad, Applejack, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5684

Winona is the Apple Family's new pet sheep dog. However, when she begins acting out of the ordinary, Applejack seeks to find out why. The truth is far from what she expected and breaks her heart. An unofficial origin story.

Winona is the Apple Family's sheepdog puppy. They adopted her from a shelter after she was abandoned by her previous owners and left to fend for herself as a stray for a while. The dog has been displaying strange behaviour during the fall of night and after this odd behaviour pattern carries on for a few weeks, it's blatantly obvious something isn't quite right with her.

When the family grows concerned for their family pet, Applejack and her two siblings decide to take her along to Fluttershy's cottage in hopes that she can communicate with her and find some answers as to why she is acting so strangely. Unfortunately, what they find out turns out to be rather heartbreaking.

DISCLAIMER: This is an unofficial origin story. It was inspired by a true story of similar events.

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Credit for cover art: https://www.deviantart.com/tsitra360/art/Winona-645824133

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Featured: 16/02/21 - 18/02/21

Published 2021-02-16 03:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-02-16 03:00:01 UTC

There's No Such Thing As A Bad Dog, Only A Bad Owner

Author's Note

This is actually an old story. I never bothered to finish it up until now because I simply didn't know how. I finally did something with it and here we are: Wi-no-na (rhyme with 'no owner').

Based upon a true story that I no longer have the link for. Events are very inspired and similar to said story, also about an abandoned dog.

Side Note - Fact in story: 'Bess' was the name of my grandmother's dog, the same dog I spent the majority of my childhood with. I thought it was a nice touch to add her name in the story. Still miss that dog and still find it odd without her here.

There's No Such Thing As A Bad Dog, Only A Bad Owner

She's doing it again.

The young sheepdog known as Winona was staring at her again.

It was deep into the night and the world had long grown silent, left in the bask of the glow of the moon's white light. In the Apple Family household on Sweet Apple Acres, all of the family were in their respective beds. The youngest of the three siblings in the house, Apple Bloom, was tucked beneath her pink bedcovers, her head turned towards the entrance to her bedroom, the door open just a crack. She had left it like that prior to climbing into bed to turn in for the night. However, she simply couldn't sleep.

She was tired, but the feeling of unease was suspending her wishes to drift off as she found herself watching Winona, returning her non-relenting gaze. She was stood in the doorway, ears propped up in full attention, as if curious or worried. In her dark brown eyes, there was an emotion like stained frosted glass staring into Apple Bloom's golden eyes. She looked a bit pained, the same way when a heavy weight is on a pony's heart. Apple Bloom had seen it before in the eyes of ponies who had just had a relationship burst at the seams, prominent and painful but hidden behind layers of other emotions, obscuring it yet it shines through as if it was porous.

The family had adopted the young dog around a couple months ago, perhaps a tad over that. In the time that the family have owned the dog, they have become aware of her odd behaviour. It only ever happened during the hours of the night, which struck the family as odd. It had become as regular as clockwork.

It wasn't just Apple Bloom that had witnessed this weird behavioural patterns of the dog - Both Applejack and Big Macintosh have mentioned, too. They would leave their bedroom doors open for Winona at night incase she wanted something or if she wanted to sleep comfortably in their rooms with them, she would only stand in the doorway and stare at them intently. Beneath her covers, Apple Bloom gave a sigh as she watched the sheepdog. She wasn't too old, and nopony knew her exact age, but her appearance could only gather enough information to lead them to the conclusion she probably wasn't past the age of two or three.

Her coat was a mix of dark brown with white patches, her snout, inner ears, paws and tail adorned with patches of white fur. She was an adorable and playful girl, but she seemed a little edgy in the later hours. Giving a soft shuffle, Apple Bloom lightly pulled her pink sheets towards her, making it so that her cream-white mattress was made visible to the dog and she gave it a soft tap with her hoof, inviting Winona over. However, Winona only tilted her head and gave her small brown ears a soft shrug as she eyed the filly, almost questioningly. The young filly in front of her only tugged a frown to the pet, gently lifting herself from the warm, cosy confines of her bed to approach the dog. She stopped in front of her and sat down.

''Aw, Winona, what's the matter, girl? You've been doin' this for a while now,'' Apple Bloom said, giving the dog a small scratch under the chin, prompting a wag from its tail. ''Y'all wanna sleep with me tonight, Winona?'' The filly asked, her response being delivered with a nuzzle from Winona's warm black nose.

Apple Bloom giggled at the display of affection and picked herself up, moving back over to her bed and climbing back into its invitingly plush, body-warmed confines. As she climbed in and pulled the sheets back over her figure just shy of her neck, Winona slipped herself beneath the sheets with her, curling up into a pocket of free space where she snuggled into the filly's side, adding a rather comforting sensation of bodily warmth. The sheepdog let out a yawn and nestled its head into her white paws, tail whipped around her cheek and tickling her nose before closing her eyes as she peacefully drifted off into the world of sleep.

''Goodnight, Winona,'' Apple Bloom said with a yawn, watching Winona for a brief moment before she nestled her cheek into her pillow, finally able to get some well-needed rest for the night.

*** *** ***

The following morning, the grandmother of the family, Granny Smith, was in the kitchen with her granddaughter, Applejack. The two were engaged with preparing breakfast, a routine that was swapped between the three siblings to help their grandmother with the daily chores. The eldest sibling, Big Macintosh, was already out working in the orchards, getting himself a head start on the harvest of the iconic apples the family was known for.

Apple Bloom was downstairs in the living room, sat with Winona, where the pair was currently engaged in a game of tug of war, the young yet impressively strong canine teeth of the sheepdog able to keep a firm, tight grip on the red play rope. The pair played around for a while before Winona eventually ceased, wagging her tail to the red-maned filly in front of her before rolling herself onto her back in beckoning of a belly rub, to which Apple Bloom gladly granted her request by gently reaching a hoof to the dog's white-furred belly and midsection, her hoof giving it a joyful ruffle, enhancing the wag factor of Winona's tail.

''Apple Bloom! Come now, youngun', it's time to leave Winona to get a little rest while we set the table. She's only still a pup, after all,'' Granny Smith said, standing at the entrance of the kitchen and facing into the living room where her youngest granddaughter was sitting.

''Oh, sure, Granny,'' Apple Bloom said, her ears drooped at having play time cut short. ''Ah''ll be right over,'' She said, picking herself up from the wooden flooring, much to the dog's disappointment, which was evidenced by the whine she gave at having her belly rub being put on a postpone. ''Don't worry, Winona, Ah'll be able to play some more later,'' Apple Bloom told her pet, yet she didn't shift her expression. ''Now, go an' rest on your bed, girl. Ah won't be long.'' She said, motioning to a small brown dog basket with a sky blue blanket placed next to one of the sofas in the room. Winona reluctantly slugged over to it, her paws creating small clacking noises as her nails touched the floor.

In the kitchen, Applejack was busy with the stove as usual, and Granny Smith was currently occupied with laying out the tablecloth to spread over the table. Upon entering, Apple Bloom loaned a hoof to help her grandmother unfurl the cloth and neatly and gingerly set it out across the table top, straightening any pesky creases with a simple stroke of her hoof.

Once the table was finally set and all of the plates were positioned in their places, one for each member of the family, it didn't take too long until everything was ready and the family had begun to seat themselves on the chairs around the table, with Applejack next to Apple Bloom on one side of the table with Granny Smith sat on the end near Apple Bloom. The missing member, Big Macintosh, was still working the fields, and although he had been called only minutes ago by Applejack, he said he'd take just a little longer to finish harvesting the remaining trees. Big Mac never could rest until he got something done from start to finish. Granny said he was just like his father.

On the plates in front of them, Applejack and Granny Smith had been making the usual apple fritters with apple butter glazing and her famous apple pancakes with zap apple jam. Apple Bloom could remember when her friends came over for a sleepover a while back and when it was time for breakfast the following morning, she recalled how both Sweetie and Scootaloo told her that they were jealous that her family had such great baking and cooking skills. Back at their own homes, their breakfast would be nothing more than a bowl of cereal, toast or a simple stack of pancakes with butter drizzle and a small hoofful of berries on the side.

In the corner of the kitchen next to the back door was a small blue bowl with 'Winona' written on the front in simple black text, a pattern of black cartoon doggy paw prints running around the bowl from either side of the name. It was empty for the moment, but Winona knew that she had to wait until everypony else at the table was done before somepony was allowed to feed her.

Apple Bloom, with an apple fritter in her hoof, about to take a bite from it, stopped for a moment, looking through the doorway to the living room where she saw Winona's face from where she was curled up on her bed. She looked at her for a moment and then she glanced towards Applejack, wondering if she should tell mention anything to her. She felt like asking why Winona kept doing what she was doing every night, or if they had been having similar experiences with her. Eventually, Apple Bloom spoke up.

''Hey, Applejack? Can Ah ask you something?'' She asked, slowly lowering her apple fritter back to her plate. Her older sister offered a smile.

''Sure. What's on your mind, hun?'' Her sister asked warmly, also placing down her apple fritter to show that she was at full attention for her little sister. Apple Bloom glanced momentarily towards Winona for a moment before turning back to face Applejack, looking into her emerald eyes.

''Applejack, has Winona been actin'...strange around you? At night, Ah mean?'' Apple Bloom asked, raising a brow. Applejack's lips tugged into a small. thoughtful frown.

''Well, come ta think of it, not really. All she does is sit outside of my door sometimes and then she walks off. Don't rightly know why, but Ah don't really seem ta notice much else,'' Applejack said, looking back to her little sister with curious eyes. ''Why'd ya ask? Somethin' wrong?''

''Ah don't know, Applejack. Winona jus' keeps staring at me in the middle of the night when Ah try ta sleep. Ah offer for her ta sleep in my bed sometimes, but she won't always accept. Ah mean, Ah know she's probably still settling in and gettin' used to us and everythin', but she seems to be worried about somethin','' Apple Bloom said, her face saddened and worried for her beloved pet. ''Ah'm concerned about her.''

''Well, youngin,'' Granny Smith began to say, catching both Apple Bloom's and Applejack's attention. ''Come ta think of it, Ah do remember somethin' about a dog we used ta have way back when we first settled on these parts, and her name was Bessy, an' she did somethin' similar to Winona each night shortly after we took her in,'' Granny Smith explained, and Apple Bloom's ears perked.

''Ya'll had a dog named Bessy?'' She asked, to which Granny Smith nodded. ''Howcome we haven't heard this story yet?''

''Actually, now that ya'll mention it,'' Applejack said, thinking to herself, tapping her chin with her hoof. ''Ah think ya'll told me about Bessy when Ah was little, jus' before Apple Bloom was born.'' Granny Smith smiled at that.

''That'll be it, Applejack,'' Granny said. ''Bessy had apparently come from a bad home. Accordin' ta what my Ma and Pa told me about her, her previous owners were not so kind to her, but they never told me what. Suppose Ah can't blame 'em. With an adorable and affectionate little thing like Bessy, Celestia only knows what they mighta done to her,'' Granny said. ''But anyway, Bessy was probably around the same age as Winona when we first got her, an' what a dog she was. She was trained, she could run as fast as a Timberwolf, she could fetch, an' she could play dead. Bessy was a whole lotta fun, an' she was the best friend Ah ever had when Ah was still a filly.''

''Aw, that's sweet, Granny,'' Apple Bloom said with a smile. ''But what happened to her?'' She asked, and Granny became visibly saddened and her eyes became glazed over.

''Well, Bessy lived with us for around a few years before Pa had to take her away,'' She said with a sad sigh. ''Never did understan' why, and when Ah asked him, he never said anythin' to me. It wasn't until Ah was older that Ah asked him again an' he told me that Bessy had been diagnosed with cancer, so she had to be put down, bless her soul,'' Granny said with a soft sniffle. ''Ah still miss that dog.''

''So y'all had a best friend in your pet dog like me an' Winona?'' Apple Bloom asked, suddenly feeling a realisation pop up in her head after hearing her grandmother's story. ''But what if the same thing happens to Winona? Y'all won't take her away, too, will you?'' She asked in a momentary tizzy, to which Applejack laid a hoof to her younger sibling's shoulder.

''Of course not, little sis. Winona is here ta stay for good,'' She glanced out of the doorway and towards the curled up dog on her bed. ''She's family.'' She said before looking back towards Apple Bloom. ''But Ah wonder why she keeps watchin' us sleep sometimes. Y'all don't think that she was treated badly, do ya, Granny?'' Applejack asked as she looked towards her grandmother, seeing her give a small shrug.

''Ah don't reckon so, Applejack, but it's hard ta say what her previous owner was like. When we took her in from the shelter, they didn't know anythin' about her owners. Heck, even Ah don't know who they were, or where they are. If'n Ah did an' Ah knew they mistreated her, Ah'd most definitely give 'em a piece of my mind!'' Granny said, lightly giving the table a thump with her hoof, which probably was intended to be a lot harder, be given that Granny was getting on with her old age and tired bones, it was the most she could manage.

''What's all the shoutin'?'' A deep voice called out, followed by the sound of the back door of the farmhouse opening. When Granny Turned to face Big Mac, she suddenly brightened up once again and told him to sit down. ''Ah can hear ya from outside. What's all that about?'' Big Mac asked as he obeyed his elder and took a place down before taking a few apple pancakes and a couple apple fritters, munching on one as he waited for somepony to bring him up to speed.

''Granny was jus' tellin' Apple Bloom about Bessy. Remember?'' Applejack said, recollecting her memories of the family's old dog. Big Mac smiled.

''Eeyup, Ah remember that story,'' Big Mac said upon swallowing a bite of his fritter. ''But why are we talkin' about her? Somethin' Ah missed when Ah was gone?''

''Nah, not really,'' Apple Bloom said. ''We were jus' wonderin' what's wrong with Winona. She keeps starin' at me when I'm tryin' ta sleep, an' Ah don't have a clue why.'' At this, Big Mac looked thoughtful as he tried to think of any point where he witnessed Winona acting strange.

''Actually, Ah reckon Ah do remember when she was actin' all weird. Ah always leave the door open for her before Ah go to bed in case she wants to sleep in my room with me, but she always sits an' watches me. y'know. Like somethin's botherin' her, but Ah'm not sure what.'' He then glanced over his shoulder to see the sheep dog curled on her bed, staring at him with those beady little eyes, her ears perked at attention. It was that same look she always gives any of the family members when its bedtime and she chooses to stand by the door. As adorable as she looked with that face, it brought a sense of worry.

It was hard to understand Winona, seeing as she couldn't physically communicate with ponies in any way, shape or form, and that made it all the more difficult for the Apple family to understand her in the slightest. The most they could do is guess what they are saying as indicated by the tone and sound of her barks, but that was about it.

''Oh!'' Apple Bloom piped up, an idea suddenly coming to mind, and the whole family turned to her, waiting in suspense for what she was going to off. ''I know! What about Fluttershy?'' She asked, looking to her older siblings and grandmother, all of whom gave blank stares, still trying to get what she was hinting at. ''She can talk to animals, right? Well, maybe she could talk to Winona and see what's wrong with her! If there's anypony out there that can help, it'd be Fluttershy!'' Apple Bloom finished, turning to face Applejack, seeing her give a warm smile.

''Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, Apple Bloom,'' Applejack said. ''Fluttershy has a great gift with animals in a way that Ah've never seen, an' she's met Winona before, so Ah think if there's going to be anypony to help us in this case, Ah suppose it'd be her. We can take her around for a visit shortly. Ah jus' hope that she can help the poor girl,'' Applejack said, looking towards Winona, seeing her ears propped up at full attention as she stared back with a curious expression.

She gave a small wag of her white-dipped tail as Applejack came over and gave her a rub between her small ears, enjoying the display of affection. Winona licked Applejack's hoof and the mare smiled at her. Taking her lead which was resting on a nearby table to her dog bed, Applejack went ahead and hitched it onto her collar.

''Come, Winona, we're taking you to see Fluttershy. Remember her?'' She asked and the small sheepdog tilted her head curiously before barking upon hearing the name of the nice mare with the yellow coat and pink mane. The yellow mare was a nice mare. She always had dog biscuits, and Winona loved dog biscuits. ''That's my girl.''

*** *** ***

Arriving at Fluttershy's cottage on the borderline of the Everfree Forest, probably the last place anypony would expect a timid mare like herself to settle down, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Mac stood outside of the pegasus mare's front door with Winona held in place by a red lead, secured around Applejack's hoof.

They all shared a glance, each of them hoping that they would be able to at least turn up something to explain the reasons for Winona's restlessness and strange behavioural patterns. With Fluttershy's knowledge of animals and their behaviour, she was the only hope they had in finding out what was wrong with their beloved dog. Eventually, Applejack gave a mental sigh and brought her hoof up to the door, giving it a series of light taps before awaiting a response.

It didn't take any more than a minute before she heard hoofsteps approach from the other side and unlatch the door, revealing the butter pegasus on the other side. Upon seeing who was on the other side of the door, Fluttershy opened it wider to fully reveal all three of the Apple siblings and she looked at them with warm turquoise eyes.

''Oh, my,'' Fluttershy began. ''All three Apple siblings at once?'' She then directed her attention towards the young sheep dog by Applejack's side, noticing her after hearing her give a happy bark. ''And Winona, too!'' She leaned down and gave the sheep dog a small nuzzle and a pat on the head.

''Howdy, Fluttershy,'' Applejack began. ''Do y'all have a minute or two? We've come to see what's wrong with Winona.'' Applejack said, and Fluttershy gave her a confused, momentary glance before looking back to the dog, giving her a quick inspection.

''She seems healthy to me,'' Fluttershy said. ''What's the problem?''

''Winona's been actin'...strange, for lack of a better word. We were jus' wonderin' what she was actin' this way for. It seems that every night she doesn't want to go to sleep, or something. We're all awfully worried about her.'' Big Mac said. Fluttershy cocked her head at that.

''What do you mean by 'strange'?'' She asked.

''Winona won't look away from me even for a split second,'' Apple Bloom began. ''Every night, she stays at my bedroom door an' stares at me. It's like she's afraid that I'm gonna disappear if'n she looks away,'' She said, sadly glancing over to her pet sheep dog. ''She's been doin' the same with all'o us.''

''Oh, dear,'' Fluttershy mused. ''I'm afraid that I've not really heard of any kind of animal with this kind of behavioural pattern. It's certainly odd, that's for sure,'' The mare said, giving Winona a curious stare, inspecting her features. ''In the case of canines, especially. Has she at least been eating and drinking properly?'' She turned her attention towards Applejack.

''Not as much as usual,'' Applejack said, shaking her head. ''She only eats and drinks when she wakes up and maybe only once more before she goes back to sleep. Other than that, she hasn't been as active as usual. As in, she isn't as playful as she normally is, and she's been this way ever since we took her in,'' Applejack explained.

''Hmm, well, I know that most domesticated animals usually take a little time to adjust to a new owner or a new environment, and that might be the same case with Winona. How long ago did you adopt her?''

''Around a few months ago. We got her from an animal shelter just outside of town. Nopony there knew much about her previous owners or where they used to live, an' they jus' told us that they had ditched the poor girl right there on their doorstep!'' Applejack said, a hint of anger boiling up on her face, but it quickly subsided.

''That's dreadful!'' Fluttershy's own face appeared hurt. She loved animals so much they could be considered her adoptive children, especially so with her own pet, Angel Bunny. In her line of work as an animal expert and with her veterinarian training, she has come into contact with a number of animals, abandoned, mistreated and feral.

Even a healthy puppy left behind on their own, left to be subjected to cold and without a way back home or a place to stay in the wilderness can drastically alter their mental state and develop future trust issues. In some cases, it may be so severe they may be beyond domestication. Betraying a dog's trust is no different than beating it with a large, heavy stick. The scar will stay and it will never fade. Fluttershy has sadly bared witness to some of these cases, so when the subject of abandonment hits her ears, it's as if a long, jagged piece of glass is being gradually dragged across her heart.

Fluttershy beckoned the family into her home and shut the door behind them. She requested to take Winona's lead from Applejack and she said that she'd be a little while with her, asking for some privacy. She was the only pony known so far in Ponyville and surrounding areas to be able to understand wild and domestic animals, so if she was going to get to the bottom of Winona's strange behavioural patterns, then some privacy would be required.

''Do ya think she'll figure out what's wrong with her, Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked her big sister hopefully, her orange eyes wide, worried and holding hints of sadness. Winona was close to her, the one sibling of the trio whom she spent the most time with. Knowing that her faithful canine was suffering and that it might not be fixed hurt the young filly.

''Of course she will, sugar,'' Applejack assured her little sister. ''Ah have every ounce of faith in Fluttershy to get through to Winona. She'll be alright, Bloom,'' Applejack said with a sincere smile to lighten the mood and soften her sister's concerns, although behind that mask was a layer of her own uncertainty. Anything was possible, after all.

Fluttershy had been on her own with Winona for a short while, in a back room of the cottage where she usually performed most of her home nurse procedures, such as bandaging, stitching, cleaning wounds and physiotherapy. She had pretty much gathered enough knowledge and experience in her years as an animal expert to transform one of her rooms into a mini patient treatment area of sorts. Not quite an office nor a surgery, but rather a cosy little room with a table for animals to lay down or stand up on to be inspected along with a few medical supplies and the like. It was all she needed for her humble abode.

The clock on the wall in the living room was ticking just past fifteen minutes after three in the afternoon, meaning the siblings had arrived and been waiting patiently for roughly a half hour or so. Or maybe it was longer. Between the worrying and trying to reassure Apple Bloom, Applejack had more or less lost track of the time as a whole. In the meantime, the trio had made themselves at home and had taken their own respective seats within the living room. Big Mac on one of the very plush armchairs across from a two-seater sofa which Apple Bloom and Applejack were seated upon.

The little filly was sat close by her sister's side and was awaiting word from Fluttershy whenever she returned. Her worry levels had gotten so high that even her pink bow tied into the back of her mane had wilted, somehow mirroring her mood. Applejack was sat without her hat atop her head, resting it on her lap. Big Mac watched his two sisters, glancing between them and the direction Fluttershy had departed to every now and then.

It was as if they were eagerly awaiting some critical news about a severely hurt family member and the verdict was still out for whether or not they were going to make it or not. It wasn't anything of the kind, of course, but in the months they've kept their family pet, it sure felt like it a whole lot. Although, it was best not to say anything to exacerbate the situation or to further sadden Apple Bloom, whom Big Mac knew had a very tender heart for those she cared deeply about. She was so excitable yet so fragile in the emotions department.

Finally, after another ten minutes ticked away, Fluttershy had slowly returned to the living room and her face was blank. Her turquoise eyes held a ghostly expression of sadness and the moment she approached the three in her living room, Apple Bloom was the first to pipe up, coming over to her in a hurry.

''Fluttershy! Is Winona okay?" she asked concernedly. Fluttershy patted the filly's mane and gave her a soft smile, but her disturbed expression remained.

''Of course, she's fine. She's in the back room. Go on, go see her if you'd like,'' She said, and Apple Bloom was off like a cream-coloured dart. Now that she was gone, that expression of disturbance and sadness was more highlighted in the presence of the two remaining Apple siblings.

''What? What happened?'' Applejack asked worriedly, her nerves unsettled by that cold and almost dead stare within Fluttershy's lagoon blue orbs. ''Y'all look like y'ave seen a ghost.''

''Fluttershy, what did she say to you?'' Big Mac also asked, now unsure himself over the wellbeing of his dog.

''I, um...'' Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder for a couple moments, checking that Apple Bloom wasn't within earshot or standing behind her for what she was about to say. ''Applejack, Big Mac...Winona is fine in terms of physical health and she is a healthy doggy, but...''

''But what?''

''She says she's been watching you sleep because she's very scared and very uncertain about her new home. I know how well you take care of her and she told me that herself, but it's because...'' Fluttershy eyes glazed over and she wiped them with a hoof. ''as much as she loves you for taking such good care of her, she's so tentative because her previous owners weren't very nice to her,'' She began with her explanation and both Applejack and Big Mac didn't know what to do but watch and listen to the mare with flabbergasted expressions.

''They didn't...hurt her, did they?'' Big Mac asked slowly.

''No, not physically,'' Fluttershy shook her head thankfully for that not being true. ''Emotionally. Badly,'' She clarified and took a moment, giving a heavy sigh before continuing. ''They left her during the night. She woke up and couldn't find them. She waited for days and even a couple weeks but they didn't return. She managed to get outside through and open window and then she became a stray, right before she was taken into the shelter up until you came and adopted her,'' Fluttershy told the sad story of Winona's abandonment.

Winona, that small little puppy, a happy and adorable ball of joyful fluff, was abandoned in the middle of the night? Just like that, all of a sudden? Oh, mercy, no wonder she's been so restless during the night!

''That's why she...she watches us all night? Because she's scared we'll leave her like her previous owners did?'' Applejack asked, a little hurt at the idea. ''We'd never to that ta her!''

''I know, Applejack, but betraying a dog's trust, especially in a puppy at such a young age, can lead to lifelong trusting issues. Not all animals think the same way, but they do act the same once they've been hurt or abandoned by somebody they once trusted. Mostly, they don't gain that trust back without effort to prove they're wanted,'' Fluttershy explained. ''Give her time and spend time with her and she'll start to understand you'll never leave her.''

''Apple Bloom! Come on, we're leaving!'' Applejack called to behind Fluttershy, right before she addressed Fluttershy again. ''Thank you, Fluttershy. If that's what y'all think is best, then Ah'll do all Ah can to let Winona know we want her ta stay for sure. Ah'd never let her go, an' neither will Apple Bloom!''

Speaking of the youngest of the three, in walked Apple Bloom with Winona by her side, the dog giving the filly affectionate licks to her cheek, prompting the child to giggle. She stopped and noticed the adults in the room and their expressions, prompting curiosity for what she had missed.

''What'd Ah miss?'' The filly asked, before Big Mac came up to her and told her to follow him out of the cottage, saying he'll tell her once they were back at the farm.

''Ah'll go an' walk ahead with Bloom, AJ. Ah'll see ya back at the farm,'' Big Mac said to his sister. Applejack nodded in understanding and the two left the room, leaving only her with Fluttershy.

''Applejack,'' Fluttershy began. ''Winona has been dealing with a lot of stress and trust issues like I've told you about. She does trust you, but not enough at the moment to believe you'll be there the next morning when she wakes up. She told me she's been having reoccurring nightmares where she's finding you all missing when she wakes up. The poor girl's already suffered so much on her own for such a young puppy,'' Fluttershy said softly and sadly, her lower lip trembling.

''Ah'll take care of her, Fluttershy. We all will. If'n Ah need to bring her over again, would ya mind? We'll never leave her on her own like those awful ponies who had her before did. Winona is as much a part'a this fam'ly as you are,'' Applejack gave the pegasus a smile and briefly hugged her, to which Fluttershy gave her a grateful and warm smile in return.

''Thank you, Applejack. That means a lot. And I know you'll give Winona all the love, care, support and attention she desperately needs. You're a good pony, Applejack,'' She said kindly to her friend.

''Thank you kindly, Fluttershy. So're you.''

''Take care, AJ.''

It was then that the duo said their final goodbyes and Applejack left the cottage to catch up to her other siblings and their little dog. The visit was sure to haunt her for the next few days, possible throughout the next couple weeks, but she knew she was never going to give up on Winona. She loved that dog in the same regards as Apple Bloom. She had no intentions of giving her up.

From this day forward, Applejack and the rest were sure to let Winona know she was a proud and cemented member of the Apple family. She was no longer a stray and she was never going to be alone again. Winona was going to be their dog.

~ Fin ~