A knock came from the front of the house. Applejack sat up from where she'd been laying on the couch. With a sigh, she pulled herself from the cushion and walked into the hallway. The mirror reflected bloodshot eyes. The tired mare rubbed at her face with a forehoof. She had to stop sleeping in the living room.

The knocking came again, louder this time. Applejack pulled the door open and stepped back. She already knew who it was.

"Hi, Twilight." AJ smiled weakly at her friend.

"Hey, AJ." Twilight had been visiting every day to check on him. The dark purple bags under her eyes told Applejack that the Princess was even more worried that she was. She had been the one to decide that Strange would stay at the orchard, but it still had to be eating at her.

The sound of a door being opened caused AJ to turn around. Her brother stood in the hallway, pulling the door to the guest bedroom closed behind him. A set of sheets lay folded across his back.

"Good morning, Big Mac."

He turned towards her and smiled broadly. "Mornin'," he remarked before walking into the laundry room.

AJ gestured to the living room. Twilight took a seat in the recliner, almost melting into the cushions. Applejack went back to the couch, her spot still warm.

"D'ya hear anythin' back from the Princesses?"

"Yes. The royal physician is ready to see him, but..." Twilight shook her head. "She's very old. Far too old to travel, even by magic. We'll have to take him to Canterlot to have him treated." She at through the wall in the direction of the guest bedroom. "And it's not like we can just teleport him there. We have no idea how that would affect his condition."

Applejack stared at Twilight, then let out a deep sigh. "I owe Strange a lot. I can leave the farm to Big Mac for a few weeks it comes down to it."

Twilight raised her eyebrows. "Oh, well you don't have to worry about that. We can afford to just take a carriage or a train there."

"Don't bother."

Applejack turned towards the door to the hallway and gasped. The green giant stood propped up against the doorframe.

Strange ran a hand over his cheeks. No scars, marks, anything. Maybe ripping his own face off had just been a dream.

"Strange! You're awake!" Twilight leaps off the couch and wraps her forehooves around his waist. He looked at Applejack with a confused expression.

"She got over here quick, didn't she?" The morning birds were still chirping outside. "I couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours."

Twilight stepped back and looked up at Strange. She gave him an odd look. Applejack gave him one just like it.

"What's... what's going on?", he asked with a nervous tinge to his voice.

Applejack shook her head. "I'm sorry, Strange. I'm afraid it's been... nine days."

Strange stared at her, then looked down at Twilight. She retightened her hold around his waist and buried her face in his stomach.

"Nine... nine days?"

Applejack slowly nodded her head. "We've been takin' care of you here while you were unconscious. Big Mac has been doin' most of the work, bein' how he's the only man in the house."

The loud thud of hoofsteps echoed behind him. Strange turned back to see Big Mac coming out of the kitchen. The red stallion stared at the purple princess attached to his waist and smirked at Strange.

"Hey man. Thanks for takin' care of me."

Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup." He walked past Strange and opened the front door. Large saddlebags were strapped to his flanks, and the cast on his leg was now gone.

The stallion turned back and called out. "You comin', AJ?"

Applejack let out a sigh, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am." Big Mac nodded and headed outside, swinging the door closed behind him.

"Where are you guys headed?"

She glanced up at Strange then looked down at the floor. "We had planned to head upriver today. The water stopped flowing, and it's been that way fer a while." Her hoof scraped at the ground and she let out a nervous laugh. "I was real worried about going, but now not so much. I'm glad you're awake, Strange."

Strange grinned at her. "Me too." He rolled his solid shoulders backward, putting a hand on his bicep. "You guys mind if I tag along? I could really use a chance to stretch out."

"No!" Twilight detached herself from his waist and glared up at him.

"There is no way you are going with them!"

Both Strange and Applejack stared at their princess. The cowgirl spoke up, almost in a whisper. "I'll, um... give you guys the room."

She slipped past Strange and out into the hallway. Applejack put one foot on the stairs before cocking her head back to look at him. They locked eyes for a moment before she ran up the stairs to the second floor.

The sound of AJ's footsteps carried through the floor. Strange turned back to the Alicorn standing in front of him.

He crossed his arms. "Why shouldn't I?"

"You are in no condition to be running around the Everfree with Applejack. There's no telling what else might be wrong with your body, and that's not even mentioning the fact that we don't even know why you fainted in the first place!"

His forearms pressed further into his stomach. "Sparkles, there's nothing wrong with my body, I just wasn't getting enough sleep. Come on, it's not like I'm gonna be in any real danger."

Twilight stamped her hoof against the floor. "Sleep deprivation does not cause people to pass out for over a week!
Gods, you are such a selfish ass! We have been worried out of our minds for nine days wondering if you were going to be okay, and the first thing you want to do is rush off into danger?"

"Twilight, I—" Strange cut himself off.

The sound of running hoofsteps had started to come from above. Applejack ran down the stairs and shot Strange another glance before bounding out the door.

He took a deep breath and kept his voice low. "Twilight, listen: I am really grateful that you were so concerned about me when I was unconscious, but if something happens to AJ because I wasn't there, I won't be able to handle it."

Her purple eyelids narrowed. "Oh, so it's not dangerous, but you still need to protect her? I get that you want to fuck Applejack, but doing stupid macho shit like this is not how you're going to win her over. It's just going to get you killed."

"Shut up." Strange looked out the window, watching the siblings walk down the road. "You don't know what I want."

Twilight followed his gaze and scoffed. "Applejack is the Element of Harmony, and you are the last pygmy on Equus. You are both far too important to do something as stupid as fall in love."

She turned back to Strange, who stared at her with anger and hurt in his eyes.

"Fuck you. What the hell gives you the right to say any of that?"

The Alicorn straightened up and flared her nostrils. "By right of my status as a Princess, maybe? I'm the smartest pony in this town and I'm telling you that going with them is a stupid idea!"

"I don't give a shit, Sparkles! I don't give a shit what you think anymore. Going with them isn't any less stupid than taking care of their pest problem. The only difference is that this time it wasn't your idea. I'm out of here." Strange stormed out of the house, leaving the door open behind him.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

He walked in silence up the country road to the southern edge of the orchard. The strong wind blowing through the trees drowned out the sounds of his muttering. How could she say something like that to him? He knew Twilight was only been trying to keep him safe, but she didn't have to be such a cold bitch.

Strange was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost ran straight into Big Mac, who was standing in the middle of the trail.

"Damn!" He almost fell over trying to move his hulking body out of the way. "Didn't see you there, man."

Big Mac chuckled. The massive red stallion stood out like a sore thumb against the green landscape. "Called out to you. Somethin' on yer mind."

He put his chin to his chest and let out a deep sigh. "I got into a fight with Twilight."

"Because you wanted to go upstream with us, right? Not happenin', friend."

Strange looked up at him. The red stallion looked faintly smug.

"Turns out my leg ain't as healed as I thought. Gonna have to take it easy fer a while. At least 'till the two of you get back."

The green giant stood straight up. "So... it's just gonna be me and AJ out there?"

"Eeeyup," he replied, letting the word hang in the air before continuing his walk back towards the house. He took long, even strides. If his leg really was hurting him, he didn't show it.

"Stay safe, Strange. And hurry. Applejack'll try ta' carry all those saddlebags on her own if you let her."

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Applejack was standing on a small bridge that stretched over the river. The riverbed was almost totally dry, with only a few patches of mud to indicate that water had flowed there. Big Mac's saddlebags were stacked up next to her, coming up to her knees. The orange mare was looking upstream with a troubled expression.

Strange approached her without her noticing. The strong winds carried away the sounds of his footsteps. Her long, blonde hair flowed in the breeze. AJ ran a hair through her mane, accidentally causing the wind to sweep under the brim of her hat and carry it away.

She snapped around, ready to give chase, but Strange snatched it out of the air as it glid past him. Their eyes met and Strange gave her a broad smile. Applejack grinned and trotted up to him. He placed the hat back on her head.

"You dropped this."

"Thanks, big guy."

A warm feeling spread through his chest in spite of the cold winds. Strange walked over to the saddlebags Big Mac had left behind.

"Um... you sure you can handle this?"

Strange looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Who do you think you're talkin' to?" He picked up the leather bags with one arm and slung them around his shoulders. "See? No problem."

Applejack shook her head. "I mean do you think you can handle the trip? We'll be in deep shit if you pass out again out there."

He ran a hand over his face, tracing the spots where he'd felt his skin tear. Honestly, he had no idea if his dreams would come back, but he could handle any pain if she needed him to. Strange looked her in the eyes, and nodded.

"I can handle it."

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Applejack led the way through the forest, traveling along the riverbank. She kept a steady pace, sending a rhythmic thumping sound through the forest. The long brown grass brushed against her underside as she walked. Strange noticed that she seemed to be taking steps in a line in front of her, attempting to press the grass down before it had a chance to touch her stomach.

He snickered to himself. "Hey, Goldilocks. Are you ticklish or something?"

She glanced back at him before returning her gaze to the grass in front of her. "Can't imagine why you'd think I was."

His face bent into a smirk. "Guess it's just my imagination then."

The two of them walked for hours into the day. Strange was actually starting to get exhausted. The forest remained eerily quiet, as it had when he had returned the first time. The Everfree was supposed to be teeming with dangerous creatures, yet he could scarcely hear a songbird.

The sun's light began to retreat beneath the horizon. The tall trees turned to mangled scarecrows, with twisted limbs raised high in prayer to some unseen god. The silence only added to the eerie feeling occupying Strange's head. Applejack's steady footsteps were drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat.

He turned his head towards the sky. The bright moon seemed to mock him, as in spite of its clarity it did nothing to pull away the darkness that surrounded them. Strange kept his eyes on their pale watcher and let his mind drift away. The stars in the sky seemed to fizzle out one by one until only the single white disc remained, glistening like the white flesh in the eye of a giant.

A voice rang out in his head.

"Death will remake you."

"Excuse me?"

Reality seemed to crash through his mind as his senses returned to normal. Strange looked around for the speaker before finding Applejack standing directly in front of him.

"Did... did you say something?"

She let out a frustrated snort. "Dammit, I knew you weren't listenin' to me. I said, we should make camp. I's too dark ta' keep walkin', so let's set up here."

He shook his head, casting away the cloudiness lingering in his head. Strange gave her a nod and got to work.

The saddlebags around his neck contained most of their supplies. He set it down on the ground and pulled a small green tent out of one of the pouches.

"You go ahead and get that set up, and make sure you don't put it on top of any rocks. I'll get the fire goin' so we can have somethin' ta' eat."

Strange nodded silently and began to unroll the cloth, revealing a set of metal stakes at the center. He examined his surroundings and realized that they had stopped in a small clearing. Tent in hand, he walked around the perimeter and checked the hardness of the ground with his feet. He found a spot beneath a tree where the dirt was slightly damp and springy.

Orange light appeared to light up his surroundings. The ground was brighter and Strange was able to remove a few hidden rocks from the site he'd picked out. He looked behind him and saw Applejack crouched by a small firepit. She was blowing into the base of the flame. In her hoof, she held a strange rock with unusual markings on it.

Three sticks held up the center of the tent while the stakes pinned the edges to the ground. It was in a classic triangular prism shape with entrance flaps at the front and back. Strange put his hands on his hips and admired his work before glancing over at Applejack.

She had started to boil water over the fire. A small metal contraption held the pan directly over the flame, keeping it steady with three points of contact. Smoke trailed around the pan's edges and drifted off into the black sky.

He took a few steps towards the fire before Applejack called out to him.

"Strange, can you get the chairs from my saddlebags? They should be in the largest left pocket."

Her bags were lying closer to the entrance to the clearing. Strange stepped out of the fire's light and crouched down by the soft cloth bags folded on the ground. He unclipped the top of the pouch and dug around with his hand. His fingers touched something stiff so he pulled it out and examined it. A large plastic square with easy-tear edges. There was something written on one side. He held it out for the firelight and could make out a single word.

"Studly?" he muttered to himself. The pouch held another three squares like the first one, all different sizes. Whatever these were, they weren't the chairs. He put them back in the saddlebags and kept looking.

"Hey, did you say the left or the right pocket?"

"The left. No! The right! The right pocket, don't look in the left one!"

Strange's eyebrows went up. "O-okay. The right pocket."

He fished around in the saddlebags and pulled two metal contraptions out of the right pocket. They each folded out into a small stool with cloth seats. Strange set them both down by the firepit and eased himself onto one. The alloy frame flexed under his weight. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but it was much better than the ground.

Steam rose from the pot over the firepit and a faintly sweet smell filled his nose. Strange leaned towards the fire to take a peek and took a faceful of smoke for his efforts. He coughed and waved the smoke away from his hand, nearly falling back in his chair.

Applejack put a hoof over her mouth and laughed at him. Any apprehension Strange had felt was now gone, and his face warped into a smile.

"That's what you get for tryin' ta' get a sneak peek. If ya' can't take the heat, stay outta the kitchen!" She took the stool from his hand and sat back on it, continuing to stir the pot with a long wooden spoon.

Strange rolled his eyes before putting on a devilish smirk. "You shouldn't be so mean, Goldilocks. After all, I know your secret."

Her emerald eyes went wide and flickered towards the saddlebags she'd brought with her. She stared at Strange while chewing on her bottom lip.

"You're ticklish."

The nervous look in her eyes turned to fear.

"Am not."

"Oh, yes you are. I can tell."

Applejack spread her forehooves to her sides to leave her chest and stomach unguarded, daring him to attack. She was putting on a brave face, he could give her that. "I am not."

Strange scooted his stool closer to hers and started examining her up and down. Applejack's face slowly turned redder and redder as he ran his eyes along her torso. He looked up at her face and stared into her glimmering eyes.

"You're a shit liar."

He shot his hands forward and began mercilessly tickling the sides of her stomach. Her laughter filled Strange's ears like music, and her twitching muscles seemed to dance under his fingers. Applejack jerked her torso away from him and fell backward onto the ground. Strange followed her and continued his assault.

She started to gasp and slap at his arms, and desperately rolled away from him. He grabbed her and rolled with her in the grass, laughing all the while.

The two of them stopped rolling with her body on top of his. Strange brought his arms around her torso and felt her chest rise and fall against his. Her damp, hot breath warmed his skin.

Strange slowly sat up, keeping Applejack pressed against him. She buried her soft muzzle into his chest. The mare began to pur as he started to stroke her hair. The mare's thick, blonde mane felt like silk between his fingers.

"Strange?" The woman in his arms whispered his name. His heart beat a little faster.

"Yeah, Goldilocks?"

She tilted her head back and looked up at him. Her large emerald eyes glittered in the firelight, and a red blush ran between the white freckles on her cheeks.

"Are you gonna kiss me or wh—"

He pressed his mouth against hers as delicately as he could. Her eyes widened for a moment before closing, and she matched his pressure. The mare's lips were soft and sweet, tasting lightly of apples. After what seemed like hours, the two of them separated.

Strange gasped for air with wide eyes.

"Damn." He gave her a sheepish grin. "I forgot to breathe."

Applejack rolled her eyes before touching her lips back to his.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Author's Note

And that's where the story is going to sit for a while.

I had a realization last night that the story as I've written so far is fundamentally flawed. The reason I've spent so much time rewriting previous chapters is that I keep trying to shape gold from straw; if I want to make this story any good I'll have to rewrite it from the ground up.

Shit, it sucks having to type that. I do like this story, but I wrote a lot of what's here before I really knew what it was going to be. If you ever felt like the story was meandering or lacked clarity, now you know why. But now that I've essentially finished the outline, I realize that what I've written so far isn't good enough.

So instead I'm going to start writing something else. I need to step away from this story for a while so that I can come back to it with a clear head. I came up with a few super cool ideas as I wrote this story, and I think I can probably do them justice.

Do keep in mind that I will return to this story at a later date. It'll just be... a super long time from now. And when it does come back, it'll be mostly unrecognizable.

Remember to follow if you give a shit about my next project. Thank you for reading, and I will see you all in the future.