The crow of the cockerel arrived far too early for her liking. When the ringing sound entered her ear and brought mind to a conscious state, Adagio did not take long to decide that it was far too early in the morning. Was the sun even up yet, or was it only a glimmer of light on the horizon? Goodness, it even still felt cold when skin was exposed to air outside the sheets! What on earth was life like when one was awake this early? There was no reason to even look at the clock and ascertain the time; one quick glance outside was enough to confirm her worst suspicions. There would be plenty of time left in the morning where she could awaken and enter into the day, especially in a more peaceable manner. Adagio gave a groan as she heard the rooster cry out through the air yet again with the power of its screaming shriek. Loud and shrill, perhaps not a thing for miles around would be able to avoid being roused by its miserable call. With a groan, the Siren threw a pillow atop her head and prayed it would soon be over. Better to fall back to sleep and forget it had ever happened.

It might have worked were it not for the knock that came upon her door a few minutes later, the gentle rap still sharp enough to ensure her senses could not ignore it. Oh heaven help her, people were actually up and awake at this hour. What did they want her for? A grumble carried on her lips as she rose to her feet and took a robe that hung on the closet door; used to striding through households naked was suitable for her, but perhaps present company would not be so fond of such things. Well- I hope one might be.

Door was swung open to reveal Applejack at the door, the beautiful blonde alight with a smile at the sight of the disheveled woman she adored. “Morning, Adagio,” she greeted; a twitch in her movements, a tic as she leaned forward with perhaps the hopes for further affection in her greeting. But still she held back, not yet willing to cross that line when so little time had yet to pass. “You ready for breakfast? Granny’s got coffee going downstairs too if you need it.”

“Breakfast? Already?” Adagio felt no twinge of hunger yet, nor would she for several more hours; the dark was her workplace, when shadows fell and not when they were beckoned to dissipate. “What time is it?”

“Just a bit past six. A late start, considering it’s a bit cold outside,” the warmhearted farmgirl answered. “Come on, Granny said you’ll be helping me and Big Mac out in the orchards today. Shouldn’t be too hard today, but you’ll need something in ya to keep moving. So get dressed and let’s get going!”

Adagio allowed Applejack the dignity of a nod and turn to walk down the stairs before she let the groan escape her lips. So this is what a farmer’s life was like: early rising, brutal days spent seeing hard work completed, and not an ounce of rest to be found before one collapsed on the bed so that they might repeat the process. That’s what Applejack wanted her to bind herself to, as if she didn’t actually recognize just what sort of shiftless, miserable person the Siren was.

There were many things Adagio suspected Applejack thought of her, but the likelihood that any of them were true was small.

It took more time to get herself together than what was likely wanted of her; the long locks of wavy hair she possessed took time to soothe when they were left so tussled from a restless night’s slumber, old habits dying hard as the luxurious Siren tried to get herself to a degree of appropriate presentability. Yes, she was not exactly showcasing her body, but she still felt the need to look good. And then there was the clothing she had been gifted; what was she to wear in the midst of such miserable work? With little idea of whether it would be hot or cold outside –and little desire to be sweaty- Adagio found herself floundering. A quick reflection upon Applejack’s own attire was the only hint she possessed before tossing on a loosely fitting button-up and a pair of jeans. Likely not the best, but still it would do.

Walking down the stairs saw her met with the fresh scent of cooked meat, the faint sizzle of a frying pan being put to use meeting her ears. Good gods, were others already up? The sun was still barely filtering over the horizon, who wanted to be awake at this hour? Adagio knew the scent of such wondrous concoctions was meant to entice her to a more awakened mood, but instead found it only making her more cantankerous. Applejack wanted her to conform to this, to want to live in this; what was making the foolish girl think she even could?

Sugar Belle and Granny Smith surrounded themselves about an ancient stove that looked more at home in the days of pioneers than today’s modern age, multiple skillets being put to use as eggs, bacon, and an assortment of other breakfast items were being cooked. No more bothered by the early hour than a flower by sunlight, the two were already dressed for the day and happily at work preparing the family their morning meals. Big Mac, Applejack, and Apple Bloom all held a place about the table and were swiftly clearing their plates; slices of toasts, eggs, pancakes and whatever else they could stab with their forks were being devoured in a matter of what seemed like seconds. With little time to spare and much to do, any moment wasted relaxing today would be a moment poorly spent.

The blonde farmgirl turned from her plate and caught sight of her dear love entering the kitchen, giving her a wave of greeting rather than daring to speak through muffled mouth. “Morning,” she managed at last. “Coffee’s- gulp, excuse me- coffee’s over on the counter, get yourself some. We’ll need it today.”

“Oh- OK,” Adagio managed; a glance at the rest of the table saw Big Mac not even regarding her and Apple Bloom managing an impressive stink-eye for so early in the day. Fleeing just as much as she was complying, a mug was soon laid in hand and filled with the contents of the percolator.

“Good morning, Adagio!” Sugar Belle’s cheerful greeting was too pleasant and too piercing even if it was genial, the young woman busied with the contents of a frying pan. “We’ve got some bacon and eggs waiting for you, there’s some pancakes and toast still on the table if you want some. Need anything in particular for them?”

The contrast of courtesies between family members was something of a marvel, constantly keeping the Siren disarmed. “N- no, thank you, just as is,” Adagio replied, her empty hand promptly filled with a steaming plate of well-cooked food. These smell amazing. Are these from their chickens?

“You’re welcome! Eat up, we’re all running a bit behind today. There’s a lot to do!”

“What has to get done?” Adagio inquired.

“Work,” Big Mac grunted, more concerned with the consumption of his breakfast than conversation.

“We’re going to the west orchard today to check on tree stakes and deer fencing,” Applejack explained. “It’s a lot of younger trees and they’re not in a favorable part of the farm, so they need a bit more care right now. Hope you don’t mind dirt under your fingers, it’ll be a long day out there!”

A long day? Adagio possessed a concept of long nights that involved rigorous work, but she doubted it would be of any comparison to what would be demanded of her today. Surely she doesn’t think I can do this, right?

Afforded little time to eat due to her late wakeup, Adagio had only just managed her plate’s worth of food before she was hurried along by Granny Smith as the trio were sent out on their duties for the day.

“Apple Bloom will come by with your lunch later,” Granny called as they strode through the door. “Got enough water?”

“We’ll fill up before we go out, Granny!” Applejack replied. “Oh yeah, Adagio, would you mind filling up a water cooler? I’ll grab a bottle for you for when we’re out there.”

A cooler? She looked about the slowly awakening farmyard and found nothing of the sort. “Where?”

“In the tool shed- just follow Big Mac, I’ll catch up!”

Adagio watched as her rescuer leapt back into the house and out of sight, leaving her to follow after the formidable man already at the doors to the shed. A quick tug saw the front bumper of a vehicle there awaiting him, its miniature garage surrounded by tools the likes of which she wasn’t at all sure she could name- and upon the nearby shelf, an orange water cooler.

“Here,” Big Mac said, reaching over to hand the ginger-haired woman the empty container. “Spigot’s next to the porch.”

The cooler filled as Adagio pondered the size of the thing; this wasn’t to be a small, weightless thing she was to carry. That’s a lot of water, she realized. How heavy is this going to be? Is five gallons a lot? An answer was soon found when she tried to lift the filled cooler off the ground and promptly found herself struggling to even lift it off the ground. Good heavens, how physically weak was she? Try as Adagio might, even when she gave her very best effort, the best she could do was to wobble along with the cooler in between her legs and barely a few inches off the ground.

Out from the shed and into the early sunlight came the sight of a four-wheeler, its rear bed brimming with tools and hatch down so as to accommodate one last item. Big Mac sat behind the wheel with his sister beside, the two driving out and soon catching sight of the struggling Siren.

“Oh hell- on the way!” Applejack leapt from her seat and came to the struggling woman’s aid, easily hoisting the sloshing cooler in her grasp. “Sorry, didn’t think it might be too heavy for you.”

You weren’t thinking at all, Adagio thought bitterly even as she bit her tongue to prevent speech. Applejack was trying her best to make sure she fit in, but immediately dropping her into a lifestyle for which she was unsuitable even on the best of days was foolhardy. She was an escort, a connoisseur of the elite and not at all used to any demanding physical labor. Why on earth did this lovestruck fool think she’d suddenly be capable of anything after just one night in her house?

The drive out into the orchard was a beautiful one even if her current mood was sour. The season was in full swing and the earth was eager to display the beauty that came with it; the cool air that was beginning to grow warm as sunlight continued to pour across the sky. Deep greens of leaves above and grass below were marked by the colors of wild flowers and blossoms, life having returned and intent on showcasing its fullest splendor. There was a sweetness on the breeze that came, a softness on the clouds that hovered above; perhaps the day would not be so horrible if it were to be like this.

“Big Mac, ease up. Look at the fence,” Applejack said, motioning for her brother to halt in their travels. On the edge of the property was an aged wooden fence, the miscoloring of fresh and used boards evident to its long upkeep. Despite the wearing of time it stood, save for a solitary picket that had rotted away and now lay toppled, the split-rails in between crashed into the ground. “Of course, that’s how the day starts. Come on, let’s get to it.”

“Probably means deer got in,” Big Mac grunted as they rolled to a stop, soon hopping out and following after his sister. A glance back at the uneasy Siren who had sat in their midst and he gave a quick jerk of his head; she was to join in this operation also.

Adagio gave a grumble under breath but said nothing audible, sliding out from the couch seat and onto the hard ground to where the work awaited them. She was still rather worn from her unexpected workout with the water cooler and not at all used to any physical labor like this. What do they even expect me do to?

What repairing a fencepost entailed soon was revealed in the form of unpleasant work, the numerous tools in the back of the four-wheeler put to fullest use by two experienced farmers and an inexperienced prostitute: a new hole for the fence post was created, sweat and effort poured in so that they could see it done. The post-hole digger saw the miserable thing removed and –thanks to Applejack’s strength- soon removed from its place in the earth. As Big Mac placed the new post back into soil, it was up to the two girls to see the rails put back in place; Adagio’s efforts were her very best but still only meager, minute aid so far as Applejack’s own skills were still available. With more huffing and puffing the repairs were at last done, and the Siren’s lovely face caked in sweat.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, her words little more than a gasp in the wind, “is repairing a fence always that hard?”

“Wait till you see what it’s like to get one started in the first place,” Applejack chuckled. Content with just the presence of her beloved, she gave little heed to the actual content of her countenance. “Trust me, there was a storm a few years back where we had to repair a whole bunch of it- how long did it take us, Big Mac?”

“A month,” Big Mac answered, “just working on fences.”

Adagio’s arms felt like rubber from just this single post and the day had hardly begun. This had been an inconvenience of work rather than their duties for the sunlit hours; it would be by a miracle that she even managed to get back to the farmhouse alive.

The rest of the day fared no better than what Adagio had expected, the thorough misery of farm life more than her tired, untrained body could withstand. A form meant for beauty was not apt for such difficult work and saw her drained with even simple tasks. Hours out in the sun, even light so pleasant and comfortable as this spring day could offer, were brutal when endured without end. Try as she might to keep Applejack’s spirit buoyed –or, at the very least, not completely burst her bubble- there was more time spent gasping for air and needing the opportunity to escape than what was likely to be helpful. But then again, considering the strength and capability of these two seasoned farmers, why was she even here? Applejack and Big Mac seemed to carry on fine during her frequent absences, wrapping trees in what guards they could and seeing safe measures for protection put up. A box of soaps that had once seem so unusual were revealed to have been brought for practical purposes when small sticks were placed around the more deeply consumed trees and made to hold the individual bars.

It was a relief when Apple Bloom came along on her bike, a set of bagged lunches extracted from within her backpack and handed to the dirtied, sweaty trio. At least for a little while, she would get the chance to take a breather- and maybe get an extra boost of energy before she actually did collapse.

“Everything good back up at the house?” Applejack asked of her younger sister, hand plunging into the brown sack and summoning forth a thick turkey sandwich. “How many eggs today?”

“About a dozen, but Abbott’s losing feathers on his left foot. Granny’s taking a look to make sure he ain’t picking at it again,” Apple Bloom said. As her sister was momentarily distracted by the juicy flavor of cold deli meat on her tongue, the young girl gave the exhausted Siren a cold glance; she may be surprised to see her still standing, but no one was more surprised than Adagio who had expected a sharp drop into unconsciousness hours ago.

“Crap, not again. The cows were fine at least, right?”

“A couple buckets full. Out in the field right now.”

“Alright. Thanks, Bloom!”

“See y’all later- maybe,” Apple Bloom replied, her last word hardly more than a mumble as she flitted away.

The youngest farmgirl had done well to display her dislike in every moment they had around one another, a reaction Adagio determined was probably the correct one. Considering that she was little more than a thief, a leech, and a potential threat to the family’s wellbeing there was little reason for her to be looked upon in a kindly light. It was rather reasonable for the young girl to think her elder sister was behaving like an idiot; Adagio even agreed.

“Ah…” Applejack polished off her sandwich in record time and soon took a hefty chomp out of the crimson apple that lay within, juice dripping down across her cheek as the ripe fruit exploded in a delicious spatter. “Ain’t nothing much better in all the world. A good apple, good company, a good day’s work- and home!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac assented, a quick glance over at the wearied Siren who had been unable to meet her beautiful beloved’s gaze.

“Just- just look at that view,” the blonde farmgirl declared. “Nothing but apples and apple trees far as you can see, all beneath a bright blue sky and a sunny day. Can’t ask for better!”

“Nope.”

Adagio, tired and unhappy as she was, could not help but to give some small assent. It was a lovely sight that lay sprawling across the wavy countryside all around them; waves of green that shifted like the surface of the ocean with every breeze, bright gleams of red and pale-green seen in the midst as the great trees displayed their bounty. The cool air caressed her dirtied face and tempted her to rest for a little while longer, to perhaps sit and let mind empty so that pleasure could be taken at the sight. This was a homeland for generations long past, and likely many more to come; beautiful and tranquil, safe and insulated from the troubles and hurts of the outside. Those who dwelled here could be happy no matter what trials came their way, kept afoot and made strong by the love of those around them. And all of that wondrous serenity was being offered for her to enjoy forever, if she so wished.

But we all know better, don’t we?

“Well, time to get started again,” Applejack declared, rising to her feet and tossing a crumpled bag into the floorboards of the four-wheeler. “Come on, Big Mac, on your feet, we got more work to do!”

Adagio never knew how she survived the rest of that miserable day. The coolness of the morning evaporated as the sun reached its zenith overhead and rained down its bolts of solar fire upon her skin, sending her internal temperature to monstrous levels as she forced herself to endure the pain of what these powerful children of the countryside could manage. Despite Applejack’s continuous attempts to keep her encouraged and offer aid when she could, the Siren could simply not muster the same level of continuous exertion to match; each new tree, every new effort of pruning and picking and construction of tree guards seemed to drain her all the more until it was little less than a miracle that she was even still standing. Were it not for the water they had brought with them in the four-wheeler and the breaks that came with consuming it, the beautiful prostitute knew she would have collapsed long ago.

She continued to watch the sun fall from its place atop the sky and crawl ever downwards, wondering if she would manage to make it to the end of the day intact. How did these two titans not falter underneath such burden of effort, she wondered? Even as the cascade of blue above turned shades of pink and orange as the sunlight faded, still they worked on. Just what it accomplished to see even more done was beyond her, especially when so much of her being absolutely begged for an end to this excruciating day. Every fiber and muscle Adagio possessed screamed its displeasure at the slightest continuance of use; if she did not get the opportunity for rest –real, genuine rest of body that would allow her reprieve- then who knew if she would even be able to make it back to the homestead alive?

“OK, that’s the last one,” Applejack declared at last, her words like the songs of angels in the Siren’s ears. A snug fit of wire about a young apple tree, still bound to stakes buried in earth so that no wind could see it easily broken had been the last of their tasks for this section of the orchard, likely the last tree to be examined. “And good thing, too, I’m starving. What did Granny and Sugar Belle say they were cooking tonight?”

“Beef stew,” Big Mac answered. “With some of Sugar Belle’s new seasoning added in.”

“So it’ll be the best thing we’ve ever had?” Applejack remarked.

“Probably.”

“Ha! Probably, he says. And it’s his own wife we’re talking about,” the farmgirl barked as she slid into the driver’s seat of the four-wheeler. “You’d think he’d have nicer things to say about-”

Her efforts to turn the engine yielded results in the form of a weak sputter, dry engine crying out as it begged for sustenance. A small rattle of the vehicle but nothing more was all it gave, unable to offer anything else and especially not movement. Time passed by as both sides said nothing, then brother gazed upon sister before glancing to the bed of the vehicle- only to find not a sight of the small red gas can meant to be permanently attached to its depths.

“You forgot the gas can,” Applejack said.

“It should’ve been in the back,” Big Mac retorted.

“Well then where the hell did it- oh hell, I forgot, I had to go get it filled up the other day, it’s still in the back of the truck,” Applejack said, her frustration with family lost when put face-to-face with the reality of her own mistake. “Hold on, I’ll be back. Gimme a few minutes.”

“Eeyup.” Burly farmer and the wearied newcomer watched as the beautiful blonde leapt from her place in the driver’s seat and ran as fast as she could manage, powerful body sending her hurling onwards into the seeping dark and on to where her prize awaited. Perhaps it would be swift, or perhaps longer to retrieve what would see them all home- it mattered not, as far as Adagio was concerned. This would be her chance to actually catch a breath. And it just so happened that such needs were under notice, the straw-haired man standing as her sentry catching sight of the battered girl in his company. “You can relax, she ain’t gonna be back for a bit.”

The call to relief was all she needed to hear; Adagio fell to her knees and gasped, a weakened cry of pain emitting from somewhere in the depths of her form as all strength left her body in a heartbeat. Utterly spent and incapable of doing more than rising back to her feet –maybe- it would be a miracle if she survived to the end of day. “Oh my god,” Adagio gasped, so utterly worn down that catching her breath seemed a monumental feat. “How do you do this every single day?”

Big Mac was not one to boast, less keen on braggadocio as his sister and only offering a shrug. “Just gotta get done,” he offered. “Ain’t nothing else to it.”

“I call bullshit,” Adagio spat. Too weary for platitudes, such a tranquil personality could only rankle her. “You and Applejack throw this stuff around like it’s nothing. I know how strong she is. This isn’t something simple.”

Big Mac mulled that thought over. “Fair ‘nough,” he admitted. “Still gotta get done. We’re just used to doing it.”

“And does she think I’m somehow gonna be able to be like you- or her?” Adagio asked. There was a laugh in her breathy voice, bitter when faced with the future of oncoming failure. “That’s not kindness, that’s stupid.”

“You don’t talk about her like that even if you’re right,” Big Mac said sharply. “She gave up too much to get you safe. You ain’t got the right to say a thing.”

“You’re going to defend this-”

“My sister’s an idiot about you,” Big Mac said, the powerful farmer at fullest height and suddenly brimming with a power that froze Adagio in her tracks; there was not an ounce of his form not made taut, a might that demanded her fullest attentions and fear. “I know she is and we’ve all tried to tell her so. But she’s made up her mind about you, and you’re not gonna say a word against her for it. Do you understand me? My little sister’s shamed herself too much to find you- more than she should have. And you ain’t gonna disrespect that.”

Adagio felt the rush of heat that came with his words. In this man was a danger, a might unseen yet unmistakable all the same; it might only take a moment for such fury to spill out and destroy all it found, the quiet persona of a simpleton cast aside and replaced with the wrath of an archangel in all its strength. He had only revealed himself for only a moment, the smallest glimpse enough in this swift chiding- but enough to bring the unhappy woman’s bitterness into check and remind her of her station. She was both guest and victim, spared the flames, allowed to rest in the home of one who was glad to be her rescuer and wished to be her lover also. Her criticisms of Applejack’s foolishness would not be welcome to her brother’s ears.

But she had to say something. Try as she might to let it go, the unhappy Siren sighed and sank back against the trunk of a tree. “What did she do to find me?” She asked.

Big Mac gave one short, barking laugh. “A lot,” he replied. “Didn’t go to college, fought some of her friends, kept searching for you. Even worked as a stripper to start finding your trail. Girl worked hard to get you here.”

And more than you’re worth, Adagio knew all too well, the voice ringing in her ears as cruel and cold as could be. She thought she had felt low before, but the combination of exhaustion and hunger allowed the impact to be magnified all the more. It was a good thing she was not standing, for the shame of the information could very well have cast her down. Applejack, that sweet and wonderful woman, had willingly entered the realms of her own world and tainted her spirit so that she might find the one-night-stand she’d fallen for years ago; it was beautiful and sickening all at once. “She shouldn’t have,” Adagio said bitterly. “She deserves better than me. You know that, right?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said. He reached into his back pocket and extracted a pack of cigarettes, seeing one alight and turning the darkening world about them a faint orange. “But she loves you anyway. And wants you here to stay.”

“And you think I could belong in a place like this?” Adagio asked.

Big Mac considered the question, allowing himself one long inhale and puff into the empty world. “Only if you wanted to,” he offered, “and you don’t.”

Adagio made no effort to respond to such a statement. If there was anything she could even say then the words eluded her. She remained on the ground in the hopes of regaining her breath, Big Mac continuing to enjoy his solitary cigarette for the evening as the two waited for the young farmgirl that united them both to make her reappearance, the sun’s last rays of weak light cutting across the sky in thin lines of color across a horizon of darkening blue.

Applejack returned before it was truly dark, a heavy load of gasoline in hand and she gasping from the continuous cross-country trek that had seen her expedient movement. “Sorry for taking so long, y’all,” she managed, grinning and standing tall despite her heavy breaths. “Come on, get in and I’ll get her filled up. Granny’s got dinner waiting for us when we get back.”

“Took you long enough,” Big Mac said, though his lips possessed a grin. “You’re slowing down.”

“Oh, don’t you even start with me, I already got an earful from Granny for not putting the gas can back,” Applejack snapped as the two siblings began their pleasant bickering, only for it to pause as the lovely blonde gave a series of hearty sniffs and wrinkled her face in disgust. “Land sake’s it stinks out here! Big Mac, were you smoking again?”

“Hush.” Big Mac slid into the driver’s seat and settled there as Applejack saw their chariot fueled up.

Applejack clearly had further words to say but thought better of them, more focused on returning home and seeing their workday brought to an end. Out of the corner of her eye, she took notice of Adagio struggling to rise back to her feet and wobble over to the four-wheeler. “Hey… you alright?”

Adagio had little energy to speak and the hollow feeling of her stomach allowed lesser emotions to have greater potency. Of course she was not alright, she had just been completely drained by a hard day’s work- the likes of which she’d never endured in all her life! To think that Applejack actually had believed she would settle in with no issues whatsoever, would actually fit in- when the rest of her family was desperate to make her see sense, too! Adagio had blatantly been told by Big Mac that he knew she would never want to belong and the Siren had agreed. As she struggled to slide into the seat of the vehicle, not a word was able to pass by her lips lest it betray her anger. As much as she wanted to vent into her misery, Applejack’s efforts had only been made in kindness.

And you don’t want to be mean to someone you love, do you?

“You’re gonna have to go to the cottage and wash that cigarette stink off you before you can eat,” Applejack told her brother as they rode back, the darkened world of the orchard passing them by in a brilliant whirl. “Especially when you’re sitting next to Sugar Belle, you know she hates it.”

“It was just one,” Big Mac remarked.

“And you’d been done before I showed back up, yet I sure knew you’d been smoking,” Applejack countered. “Quit being stubborn as a mule and clean up, for Pete’s sake. You’d think I was asking ya to go to war.”

The genial banter continued as they drove back along, faraway homestead soon coming into clearer view as the rolling hills of the vast farm began to level out. Adagio was glad to hear them continue on, the siblings focused on one another and allowing her to dwell in her weariness. Was food supposed to restore her and rejuvenate her spirit? The idea that stew could change her so dramatically was laughable. The whole day had been a simple revelation that she was incapable of conforming to such a life as this. Too weak to endure it, and too pathetic to change. The thought that she was only helping to set up Applejack for future disappointment was enough to make her heart shrivel; perhaps it would be better if she just tried to leave early. The farmgirl might be the definition of honesty, but she would have to stop this charade before it could give her any false hope.

The lights of the farmhouse offered warmth for those that crawled towards it, a duo of tired farmers slipping out of the four-wheeler and making their way towards the glow that beckoned them homewards. Though strong and conditioned to the difficulties of farm life, even ones as capable as they were seen to be sagging and eager for rest.

“Ooh, that was a long one,” Applejack groaned, giving her shoulders the best stretch she could manage in the hopes of alleviating their soreness. “I hope Sugar Belle’s stew is good as it smelled, she sure seemed excited about making it.”

“I hope so, too!” Sugar Belle replied, appearing at the threshold so as to greet them. “Goodness, you all look exhausted! You sure you don’t want to shower up first before digging in?”

“Tempting, but I think I’d struggle to get back down the stairs to eat,” Applejack said. “Hope you don’t mind if we smell a bit around the dinner table.”

Sugar Belle shook her head, locks of curled hair falling across her face and obscuring her smile. “Of course not, I know how hard you’ve been working. Come on in and get it, Granny’s just finished taking it off the… hold on-” Big Mac had strode up the steps and stood before his wife, leaning down so as to offer her a kiss in greeting. “Sweetheart, were you smoking again?”

Applejack’s laugh came from deep within, delighted at watching her unfazed brother now begin to squirm at this first hint of his wife’s displeasure. “It was just one,” Big Mac muttered quietly, head sinking into his shoulders as he gave his efforts another attempt. “I promise.”

“Just one? But you reek!” Sugar Belle’s expression was that of utter revulsion, backing away from her husband and struggling beneath the scent of one-time smoke. “I’m- I’m sorry, I can’t stand it! Go get a shower, you, and brush your teeth too! You know it makes me feel sick, come on, now!”

Utterly abashed by his bride’s chiding and irritated by his younger sibling’s laughter, the burly farmer had no choice but to comply with her wishes and trudged off to the farm's only bathroom so as to see himself cleaned up.

“Well… I guess dinner’s delayed for a little bit longer,” Sugar Belle sighed. “Applejack, can you please get through to him? I’m afraid he won’t listen to me and stop.”

“Ha! You think I didn’t say something already?” The blonde farmgirl countered. “You know he ain’t gonna listen to his little sister about a thing.”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to keep trying.” Sugar Belle let her words drop again, peering out into the darkness at the silhouette that stood in the midst of the yard and facing away. “Umm… is- is Adagio alright?”

“Hmm?” Applejack had assumed her gorgeous friend would be right behind her, just as eager for hygiene and sustenance as she would be. Instead, Adagio stood at a distance, staring out into the darkness and down the driveway that led to the world beyond the apple orchard’s borders. “Adagio, you OK?” Silence was given in response, the beauteous Siren slumped and seemingly struggling to stand on her feet. A quick glance between the two farmgirls before Applejack saw the gap shrink and came to her side. “Dagi…”

Adagio bit her lip. She was exhausted, unhappy, and not at all excited to say what so obviously needed to be said, but it had to be done now lest the pain only worsen. Time would not make it any better if she delayed the inevitable.

“Hey. Look at me.” A hand came and cupped her cheek, rough and calloused from years of hard labor yet so gentle in force as Applejack brought the Siren to meet her gaze. “You feeling OK?”

She had to do it. Right now. “I’m leaving, Applejack,” she muttered, though the words felt like they had exhausted her.

Applejack was non-plussed. “Umm- pardon?”

“The deal’s off. I’m leaving,” Adagio said again. She tried to summon what little strength was still in her body and see this through; better to go all the way and drain the venom than let it linger. “I don’t belong here.”

“What? You’ve- come on, it’s just been a long day,” Applejack said, panic evident in her green eyes and sending them wide. “It was even for me and Big Mac- I’m sorry about the four-wheeler, I messed up-”

“I’m leaving. You know I’m going to leave, you always knew.”

Sugar Belle stood at the edge of the porch as the sole spectator the growing disaster and wondered if perhaps she should recede back into the glow of the house. A few years around the Apple family had given her the sense of seeing an argument unfold, and Applejack had a penchant for creating explosive ones; this was to be charged right from the beginning and enough to devastate.

“Dagi-”

“Don’t call me that!” She hadn’t meant to sound so heated so soon.

“Adagio- look, please, you promise,” Applejack pleaded. “I know it was a rough day, I’m sorry for asking you to help with something so difficult. I probably should’ve seen if you could’ve helped out around the place instead of dragging you out to the orchards with me. I just- I wanted you to see the place, I didn’t think we’d be working so hard!”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I would’ve managed here, either,” Adagio said. “Applejack, you are deluding yourself. I know it, your family knows it, everyone knows it but you. Can’t you see that I’m not meant for this? I was never going to belong here.”

“You can- you will,” the panicking farmgirl insisted. “You can have a place here, it’ll just take a little getting used to-”

“Getting used to? I can hardly speak, much less stand!” Adagio said, her rising volume a direct contradiction to her words and only doing its best to further ignite her anger. “Don’t you get it? I don’t have a place here, you’re just doing this because you want me to stick around for you. But I am putting a stop to this, I am telling you the truth right now: I will never belong here and you should’ve known that from the start.”

“But I know you-”

The clearly obvious lie was enough to send her over the edge. The cauldron of bubbling emotions that lay just beneath the surface was struck by the flames of a match and set to ignition; long-dormant fury found life once more as well as a new target. “You never knew me!” Adagio shrieked, her voice reaching such a fever pitch that it was a wonder the whole world couldn’t hear her. The sight of Applejack visibly wincing at the remark was enough to twinge at her heart yet not capable of slowing her down. “Who do you think I am? Some sweet little idiot like your brother’s girl or something? Did you forget how we even met in the first place? I tried to kill you and every single ONE of your friends! You didn’t even want to talk to me when I first showed up here, don’t you deny it! You thought I was still a monster and the only reason you don’t now is because I fucked you! How do you not understand that the whole goddamn night was just an act?! I was working, that person you met wasn’t even real! The only real thing I did that entire time was leave! Everything you ever thought you knew about me was a lie, what you fell in love with was a lie! This whole bullshit plan of yours is just you deluding yourself into thinking all of it actually meant something when it was just made-up! Wake- up! Look at yourself and get it through your head that you literally lied to yourself so bad just because you were stupid enough to fall in love with the first girl who would ever sleep with you! I had to get paid to sleep with you, it wasn’t because I wanted to! The whole thing was about money in the first place! How on earth did you not realize that you were being a complete idiot in the first place?!”

She had so much to say. So many words to give life to her fury and unhappiness, to try and convince this wonderful farmgirl that all her compassion and kindness and love was being put to use on a fool’s errand. Applejack deserved better than she, deserved someone worthy of being loved by such a woman; Adagio knew full well she could never even hope to come close. Applejack needed to be loved by someone far better. The best person in the world, not a disgraced whore who’d once been one of the world’s most dangerous monsters. The unhappy, furious tirade could have continued on were it not for her exhaustion robbing her of strength to carry on- and the sight of tears muddying those strong emerald eyes.

Shame. Instantaneous, brutal in its heat and weight. Adagio turned her face, unable to bear the sight; now was the time for departure before anything else could be done. But one step was all she could manage before staggering, pushed to the very brink.

“I…” Oh, how the sound of tears in her voice tore at Adagio’s heart, spurring droplets of salt to form and see her own eyes held tightly shut. “I know it was all an act. I- I promise. I’m not stupid. But you’re right. I don’t really know you.”

Adagio wanted to keep moving. She needed to, lest these damp words broke her will.

“Was… your note part of the act, too?”

The catch in her breath came without a warning, forgotten memory suddenly resurrected. She had written Applejack a note, hadn’t she? So few words within it, but still filled with everything Adagio had needed to say. She’d said full well that Applejack was out of her league, that she wouldn’t ever be good enough. But she’d also made sure that farmgirl knew she was loved, too. “I…”

“Just- just come on inside,” Applejack pleaded, voice still so tremulous as she reached out a hand. “You’ll feel better with- with a little food in you. And a shower. Maybe it won’t seem so bad.”

Adagio knew to take this offer would be foolish. A further delay of the inevitable, kicking the can down the road to when she would leave for good. But Applejack was not asking her to stay forever right here and now; there was still time to reach finality that would see them separated. She was only asking her to go back into the house, to eat and to be made clean. To fulfill her end of the bargain, as promised. Didn’t this wonderful, naïve farmgirl deserve at least that?

Run. Start running and never look back. You know it’s what you need to do.

It’ll only hurt her, a small voice in her head reminder her, one of her own making and lacking the virulence of her demons. Please, just stay a little longer. It’ll make her happy- make YOU happy.

On tottering steps, struggling to keep tears at bay, Adagio staggered back to the farmhouse with Applejack at her side as she began to shrivel beneath the shame of her outburst. The evening had only just begun and this weariness would not allow her an early departure into slumber. It would be many hours to go before she would be able to escape it.

Author's Note

Same time tomorrow.

Enjoy, I guess.