Seven Days

by KingdaKa

Rating: mature
Tags: Human, Granny Smith, Drama, Apple Bloom, Romance, Applejack (EqG), Equestria Girls, Sex, Adagio Dazzle, Big Macintosh
Length: 72144

An outstretched hand and a proposition; Adagio, given a chance at happiness once more, finds herself struggling to accept.

She'd meant to never be seen again. Disappear, be lost in the masses and forgotten forever. It was the safest, best decision she could have made. Adagio knew that for a fact.
But someone who loved her said otherwise- and suddenly she was running too slow.

Found by the one person she'd tried so hard to flee, a once-proud Siren is offered an unthinkable chance to escape the lonely existence that has overtaken her world. All she has to do is take Applejack's hand and return with her; come back home, spend one week amongst good people, and see if a life beside her favorite farmgirl is something she could be happy with.

It should be so easy to say yes. She'd never even have to leave the farm. But old habits die hard, and she so desperately wanted to stay afraid.

Published 2023-04-03 21:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-04-09 19:01:50 UTC

Prologue: Callgirl

The lively group of six had first convened at Rainbow’s house, the one closest to their end destination and best suited to whatever prep that was still required of them. Though Applejack certainly had the superior kitchen between them all, to begin machinations for a surprise party at the place where it would be held was deemed unwise. There would be no dishes to put away, no mess that would require cleaning. This was to be a party for her benefit and amusement, and work after celebration would not do.

And there would be more than just a birthday to celebrate, anyway.

Pinkie stood at the edge of the island in the kitchen, eyes darting back and forth between opposing sides and waiting for one’s will to override the other. Her next choices would, after all, be determined by the outcome that came of this argument; the cake was all but done, one piping bag yet to be put to use and made to etch lettering atop the icing layer. The words that would be proclaimed, however, had yet to be decided and neither party seemed willing to cede ground just yet.

Rarity tried not to let her sigh echo too loudly. Frustrated as she was, it would be better to be in good spirits for the oncoming celebration rather than to arrive in a sour mood. What sort of good friend would do such a thing? But she needed to hold her ground on the matter, lest Rainbow potentially ruin everything. It was little more than crass humor that she desired, and would most certainly not do. “Rainbow,” she said, each word spoken slowly, “You cannot possibly think that such a thing would be appropriate. This is her birthday party.”

Rainbow Dash saw no reason to let the matter rest so easily. She knew just as well as anyone what would have transpired in Applejack’s house just last night; to call this just a birthday party seemed foolish. “And why not?” she challenged. “Jeez, she’ll think it’s funny, for gods’ sake. It is funny! Don’t pretend like we’re just coming over because she turned eighteen-”

“Darling, we are not going to write ‘Congrats on the sex’ on Applejack’s birthday cake!” Rarity said, perhaps a bit too hotly than she intended. Rainbow had a point that there was more to this celebration, but loathe was she to admit it. “That is beyond crude and she would be mortified. We will not ruin this party for her with off-color humor.”

“You helped buy Applejack a prostitute so she could get laid. How are you being self-righteous about this?”

“I am not being self-righteous!”

“Rainbow, it’s just not fitting. We should be just focusing on her birthday, not anything else,” Twilight countered, adding her voice into the mix. “If she wants to talk about anything that happened with Adagio, then that’s up to her.”

The prismatic girl scowled at this new interruption, displeased that her girlfriend was so swift to take a side against her. “Why are you on her side? You should be helping me out here-”

“No, I shouldn’t. You’re being ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous. Me?”

Pinkie possessed a front-row seat to the growing argument and found she disliked every facet of it. She had been eager to help plan a party, especially when given the opportunity to bake the hearty confection that would be the centerpiece of the affair. But now faced with the rising tide of displeasure, there was genuine fear that the fun might be long gone before the party even had a chance to start. A quick look over to the corner where Fluttershy stood, the quiet girl keeping herself at a distance so as to avoid the crossfire. When the two made eye contact, the unhappy confectionist gestured to the arguing group in a subtle plea for help.

Fluttershy could often be a source of calm in the midst of their wild group, her tranquil personality like water to a fire. But today she held no courage in her heart and gave a shake of her head; getting in between this argument seemed, at least to her, unlikely to help anyone. Especially when a couple was no at odds.

Pinkie scowled and gave up, deciding that her best option would be to just ignore the row and wait for it to be over. Seeing as Fluttershy had decided to be utterly useless, there was little else to do; and all she’d wanted to do was be helpful, but noo…

There came the sound of a door opening somewhere in the house and footsteps striding back towards the kitchen; Sunset Shimmer appeared from the entrance to the living room and found herself suddenly standing at the edge of a proverbial minefield without a clue as to why. When she’d left to use the bathroom only a few minutes ago, things had seemed fine; now three of her friends were practically shouting at each other and apparently keen on continuing. “Oh for the love of- what are you all doing?”

“Darling, would you please tell Rainbow Dash that her idea for Applejack’s cake is completely idiotic?” Rarity asking, beseeching the help of her girlfriend in the matter. “She would love to be her crass, uncultured self and degrade this birthday party into base debauchery-”

“Aw, you act so high and mighty. You helped buy AJ a hooker, what have you got to be uppity about?” Rainbow sneered.

“It’s a birthday cake. Not a sex party, it’s not about her virginity. Why do you want to make this weird?” Twilight asked.

“It’s gonna be funny, that’s why!”

“It absolutely would not b-”

Sunset had been looking forward to the weekend for a reason. She and Rarity had enjoyed a pleasant date just last night, they’d all combined their efforts to help give their dispirited friend a boost, and today they would celebrate her initiation into adulthood. To see it all come crumbling down because of this nonsense was displeasing at best, and enough to leave her rankled. “Oh for shit’s sake, are you all seriously doing this? It’s not about any of you!” She groaned. “Will you all just- hey shut up!”

The whole room did fall quiet, though a few stares remained mutinous. Rainbow felt certain that she was about to lose her case, Twilight thought the same, and Rarity was left unhappy by her girlfriend’s brusque manner in ending the argument. Sunset, however, could hardly care less.

“Pinkie!”

The baker had been swiping through her feed and doing her best to tune out the disaster, now summoned back to her senses by the call of her name. “Uh-huh?”

“Put whatever you want on there. Leave it blank if you want. I don’t care, just- do it, OK?” Sunset said.

“Yes, thank you,” Pinkie said, instantly rushing over to the untouched piping bag and beginning her work.

“You all need to chill the hell out. This is Applejack’s party, and if your bad moods ruin it, then I will ruin you,” Sunset warned. “Take a few minutes to calm down and when Pinkie’s done we’ll go. Agreed?”

None of them did, but there was little left to be said and their leader was not in the mood to brook an argument. Neither side had been satisfied, nor did it seem they would be. “Agreed,” came the collective sigh.

Fifteen minutes later and the six girls were off, heading out of town and into greener country. Pinkie led the way in her aged pickup, with Sunset following close behind. It would have been better if they’d all been able to pack into one vehicle, but the numerous games and foodstuffs meant that a whole seat would have to be occupied; one car ferried people while the other was stuffed with party supplies.

The journey over was quiet, though not of a serene nature. Sunset knew she was the cause of her girlfriend’s displeasure even if she had yet to say it; so what that Sunset had called both of them unreasonable, and rightfully so? If Rarity wanted to be angry, then hell nor high water could hope to dissuade her. It would only be a matter of time before she spoke her mind and the matter would have a chance to be put to rest.

As if on cue, Rarity gave a grumble. “You dealt with that poorly,” she remarked.

Sunset rolled her eyes, a small sigh escaping her lips as she braced herself. “Neither of you were handling it well. If I have to come in and play lawman, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“But Rainbow was being unreasonable! Why on earth she thought we should-”

“She had, at least, a fair point,” Sunset interjected.

“Excuse me?”

Sunset gave her girlfriend a side-eyed glance. “What did we all pool up to buy Applejack as a birthday gift? Be honest now.”

Rarity knew the answer but was not in the mood to yet admit it. “So you think we’re heading out here to celebrate Applejack losing her virginity,” she said drily.

“I mean… a little. I am a bit curious to see how different she’s gonna be now that she’s gotten laid.”

“Darling!”

“What? I’m being honest,” Sunset said. “Besides, we can celebrate both. It’s not like that’s bad.”

“But don’t you think that’s rather indecent?” Rarity countered.

Sunset mulled the thought over for a moment before simply shrugging. “Is what it is, I guess,” she said. “Besides, I just wanna have some fun. You’re not going to ruin it by trying to stay mad at Rainbow, are you?”

“I will not, thank you,” Rarity huffed. “And don’t you do the same by staying mad at me.”

Sunset sighed and accepted the outcome. There was no likelihood she could get a better result by arguing further.

The ride carried on in silence, Sunset keeping eyes on the road while her companion allowed her gaze to drift out to the countryside that flew by them. It was lovely, really; the rolling hills of green occasionally marked by open fields and what animals dwelt in them. Horses would meander by the fences, perhaps watching the cars go by in the hopes of amusement. It was a peaceful thing to see; no wonder Applejack loved her homestead so deeply.

“I was wondering something,” Sunset said aloud.

Rarity still begrudged her, but took the bait nonetheless. “And what’s that?”

Sunset bit her lip, pondering if she should even say it. “What… uh, what are we gonna do if- well- if she’s still out there?”

“Sunset, she lives out- oh.” Rarity hadn’t fully cottoned on at the start, now swift to connect the dots. “Darling, I highly doubt she would be. Whatever would make you think she might?”

“Eh, just a thought. Because Applejack might try to be nice or something. No good reason, really,” Sunset answered.

They arrived as stealthily as car engines would allow, the group of secretly gathered girls moving up towards the farmstead with numerous items in hand, Pinkie in the center and holding a hefty chocolate cake in her arms. The tension from earlier had all but dissipated and now replaced by excitement. There was so much fun ahead, and they would have plenty of reasons to keep it going all day long. But most of all, they were glad their friend- well, would not feel quite so lonely any longer. There was just the matter of pulling off the surprise now, and then-

Twilight leapt out of the pickup cab and instantly became rigid. “Uh-oh.”

It took no time figure out what had drawn her attention. The door was left ajar, simply hanging open. The eager excitement dissipated instantly, its void now filled by anxiety. Had something happened? They knew Adagio had been something monstrous in the past, but certainly she hadn’t-

“Applejack?” Sunset was the first at the door and dared to poke her head through. “You OK in here?”

The group of girls slowly entered the house and thankfully found nothing much amiss. No sign of a struggle, no mess. What looked like a half-drunk glass of bourbon sat on the coffee table in the living room, but that was all. What was going on?

Sunset and Rainbow moved into the kitchen and found Applejack at the table. Sitting quietly before an empty tabletop, dressed in an old grey robe and staring down at a cacophony of notes and scribbles the likes of which they couldn’t imagine. Their ever-strong friend looked absolutely feverish, if not stricken; the despair in her eyes held their attention- and the longing just beneath it. “Applejack..?”

The blonde farmgirl took note of her companions at last, no flicker of surprise upon her features. She remained absolutely fixated on something else, far away and not present in their midst any longer yet one that still held the whole of her attentions all the same. Perhaps she still saw out beyond this place or hoped for a word that would help her find it, for out into the world came a croaking voice ravaged by unhappiness as Applejack said, “Where is she?”

~Six years later~

“Found you.”

She had done everything possible to avoid ever hearing those words from that voice. Made every effort, done whatever she could to prevent their existence. So much time, so many, many miles across a world that seemed far vaster than the one in which she had once belonged. There was no more she could possibly have done to prevent seeing that face again, right up to the very end; now here they both stood, amidst this unwelcome reunion that had been well-delayed for oh so long.

Adagio wanted to recompose herself; she needed to be the one in control here, maintain the tone and fire in which they would speak. This was a moment that needed to be cut short, and soon; the longer Applejack was able to speak, the more likely the farmgirl was to win out. This was not to be a game of wills, not if she could help it. Better to be curt and swift. But oh, the struggle of it! The Siren was used to the finest of things in life, at ease amidst the elite more than she was anywhere in the world. Lavish décor, fine clothes, resplendent jewelry, nothing less than the absolute best that money –if not more- could buy; opulence was a key facet of her world.

And then there was Applejack. Beautiful, wonderful Applejack who stood out like a sore thumb amidst all this excess finery. Lightly tanned skin that coated a tall figure, a few more inches added to her height since they had last met; that blonde hair glowing like the colors of pale gold, knotted into an elegant braid and falling to just beyond her shoulder. The red A-line dress that fell to just below her knees suited her so perfectly, all of it put together and giving the farmgirl a natural, classical beauty that so eloquently clashed with the modernity all about them. She was, and of it Adagio was sure, one whose loveliness went far beyond the simple appearances. And she so deeply needed to not be here.

“You should leave,” Adagio said, words so flat they may as well be final. She had tried to retreat to her room, the opulent mansion having been her home for the past several days. Some of the girls had been hired to provide entertainment and company for the party alone, but as one whose reputation preceded her- well, Mr. Maremmano had been interested in knowing her a little more personally. To have agreed was a mistake, one that she feared would come to bite her; to see Applejack potentially be harmed by the fallout was something her conscience couldn’t handle.

“Why?” Applejack asked.

Adagio hesitated. This woman would know a lie no matter how well she tried to spin it; should she just bite the bullet and be honest? “Because it’s dangerous to be here.”

“Then you shouldn’t be here, either,” Applejack replied. “Is it dangerous for you, too?”

Across her mind like a bolt of lightning were flashes of last night and the Siren knew that she visibly winced. The floor-length gown was the least sensuous of her entire wardrobe, showing as little skin as she could manage; to showcase the aftermath of Maremmano’s work might be taken as an act of rebellion and lead to even worse consequences. If Applejack even had the smallest hint of such a thing…

“It might be,” Adagio admitted in a tight whisper.

“Then I can’t just leave you here,” Applejack insisted. “Let me get you out here, please. We’ll go back home and you can take all the time you need to rest, no one’ll make you do a thing-”

“Home? What home?” Adagio asked; she fell back against the edge of the bed, exasperated by this woman’s ridiculous insistence. “Applejack, I don’t have a home, OK? I’m a whore-for-hire, how is this something you don’t remember? I go wherever I’m paid to.”

“You do have one. Well- if you want to,” The blonde said. “I’ve got a bed waiting for you at the farm. Clean sheets, there’s even a whole new wardrobe for you if you feel like it. You’ve just got to come with me.”

The old memories were flooding back with a vengeance despite how fiercely she fought to hold them at bay. It had only been one night, not even a full day’s worth of time. But the warmth of a place that felt so thoroughly lived in was hard to forget; and how Applejack had treated her, tried her absolute best to be the perfect host, even unwittingly romanced her. She had meant to only provide a simple service and then leave, but the farmgirl had seen fit to offer her a place to stay for the night- she’d even offered to make her breakfast. It had been more than what Adagio knew she was worthy of, even memory feeling too heavy for her heart to bear. A place like that, especially when it would now be brimming with family she had avoided, was not somewhere that the Siren belonged.

“I can’t,” Adagio said. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not leaving you here,” Applejack said again, voice so calm yet firm all the same. “If this place isn’t safe for me, then I don’t want you to stay here either. I can’t just leave.”

“Well you’d better, because I really doubt you got an invitation to be here,” Adagio said; try as she might to contain herself, her words were leaving her lips tinged by emotion slowly unraveling. This was taking too long already, will crumbling the longer they spoke. “How did you even find me, I’ve known you were on my tail for the past six months-”

“I thought might have seen me at Manehatten. You caught me sneaking around the top boxes, right?”

“That doesn’t matter! None of it matters! You shouldn’t be here and you need to get out before someone finds out. Why are you even here in the first place?” Adagio cried.

The calm fervor in the farmgirl’s jade eyes flickered, gaze faltering as she was faced with professing a long-buried secret. “You know why,” she murmured.

Of course she did. Because she felt the same, had so stupidly fallen in love with the first person who had wanted to treat her as more than just a piece of meat or a sex toy- had wanted to tend to her needs, see her satisfied, actually cared for. For the first time in all her life, she’d actually been valued simply because, no conditions or strings attached. But that was a pure, gentle love that Applejack held in her heart- too good for one so deeply smeared as her. Every lash, every blow upon her body, all her use and so much more was exactly what she’d deserved. To assent to the farmgirl’s will would be to deny what punishment needed to come her way.

“That’s a stupid reason and you know it,” Adagio said, finding her voice thick as she had to give a watery sniff. “What do you think that’s going to change? Like I’m somehow actually going to be that girl you remember from years ago? I’m not worth this trouble, I’m just… you are too good for me.”

“There ain’t no such thing as ‘too good,’” Applejack said softly, coming to lean against the dresser from across the bed and perhaps catch the Siren’s jeweled eye. “I’ve made up my mind, and no one’s gonna ever change that. That can matter to you, if you want.”

It mattered more than anything else in all the world, but to admit it would be an acceptance of defeat. She had to keep fighting, hold her crumbling will up even if it killed her. Adagio would not be the harbinger of another death, not again; she was where she belonged, no matter what this wondrous woman could possibly say. “Please get out of here,” Adagio whispered. She kept her head bowed, hoping that the tears would remain unshed for just a moment longer. “I do not belong in your world, and you know it. You chose wrong, please just admit it.”

“I’m not changing my mind. And I never will.”

“Because you’re stupid,” Adagio countered.

“Just stubborn,” Applejack said.

“That, too,” The Siren sniffed. “Please, Applejack, just… you deserve better than anything I could give you.”

“Can I try to change your mind?” Applejack asked.

She gave a short, bark of a laugh, feeling the tears stain her makeup and burn at the skin beneath. “What could you possibly say that could convince me I’m wrong?”

“Will you listen to me for a bit? Just for a little bit?” Applejack pressed. The moment’s hesitation between them was enough for her to recognize assent, even if only given half-heartedly. “Try this. OK? Just for a little while, and maybe you’ll think a bit better about it. You- come with me. Come live on the farm for just a week- just a week-! And see what you think. If you like it, you can stay for as long as you want. You’ll live there with me, you’ll have a home for the rest of your life!”

“And if I don’t?” Adagio challenged.

Applejack hesitated; the cheeks turned pale beneath those spattering of freckles. “Then… then you can go. And I won’t try to stop you ever again. I won’t follow, I’ll say my goodbyes and that’ll be it. I promise.”

It was too much of a risk to take. Seven days did not seem like much to the farmgirl, but Adagio knew it would feel like eternity for her. A whole week was plenty of time to be persuaded, to feel comfortable and let emotions take hold where rational sense had once gripped tight. And to spend it beside the one she loved, who loved her in return…

But to stay here was dangerous. Applejack needed to leave here, sooner rather than later. If she was found out and Adagio had to watch her die- the thought was too horrible to finish. The safest thing she could do was to temporarily accept; endure the week of time in Applejack’s company and not allow herself to be swayed by any emotional crescendo. Stay firm, stay true, and then disappear into the night forevermore. But for now, she needed to acquiesce lest she lose this girl to eternity.

“Why do you even love me?” Adagio asked.

“I’ve got my reasons. I’m hoping to find a few more.”

“You’re stupid.” A bald-faced lie, but she felt the need to say it nonetheless. “We need to leave. Quickly, as quietly as we can.”

Applejack’s face split into a grin, smiling so wide it was as though she might burst from happiness. A temporary victory, a battle won even if the war raged on- but she’d won! “I’ve got my truck waiting for us outside the gate. How fast you think you can move in those shoes?”

“Screw them,” Adagio said, chucking her platform heels into the corner. “I’ll go barefoot.”

“Do you need to grab anything? A wallet, phone or-”

“No. Please, let’s go,” Adagio insisted. She’d been gone from the party too long already, her presence too heavily required for absence to not be noticed. “When we get back into the crowd, don’t make eye contact with anyone, do you understand? Especially not anyone wearing a rose lapel.”

Applejack nodded and said nothing, merely rising back to her feet and offering an outstretched hand. “I missed you.”

The words arrived just as she took that hand in her grasp, potent and so full of warmth that her heart hurt from their presence. Someone had missed her, for the first time in her life.

The two women reappeared at the perfect time, though they were too anxious to take note of it. All eyes were upon the magnificent cake that had just been wheeled out from the kitchens and into the crowd rather than upon two women who made towards the doors. The security that had manned the front entrance were too occupied with the smoking of their fine cigars than to heed the twin souls that departed the festivities much too early in the night, even if one of them was a red-haired beauty that their employer so violently adored. Out into the depths of the night did they walk, waiting for the gloom to consume their silhouettes before they at last dared to run, dashing off past the gates of the estate and into the cab of an aged pickup that was so unlike the decadence of vehicles that surrounded it.

“Drive. Get us out of here,” Adagio pleaded.

“Doing just that,” Applejack replied, engine coming to life and soon seeing them speeding down the road and away from the terror.

So it was done. She was to walk free, even if it were only for a little while. But once this retreat was done, who would it be that would demonize her next? Another soul, another monster, shadowy figures of her imagination enough to make Adagio fret. Her desperation for continued survival was beginning to put her in harm’s way, and one day it might be too much for her to escape from.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Applejack told her as they drove alone. “You should get some sleep, we probably won’t get back until morning.”

All night? How was she supposed to sleep when the fear in her bones was still shooting through her so powerfully? Adagio couldn’t imagine how on earth she might find sleep. But the more she lay there, feeling the comfortable rumble of the truck atop road, the slight warmth against the cool night air, the more her heartbeat slowed and weariness crept in to fill the void. She felt so heavy, so deeply tired. Maybe she should still be afraid, keep watch for anyone that might make pursuit of them. But she was with Applejack, and her mind told her that was safety enough. Maybe she could close her eyes after all.

Author's Note

I promised I'd get it done, didn't I? Enjoy the road, I guess.

Next update tomorrow. Expect one each day until completion.

Monday

The sun was only a glimmer of light on the horizon, weak beams illuminating a multicolored sky. As the Siren awoke to take in the early dawn, she found herself still in the seat of the cab and driven along the sprawling highway. It had only been the beginnings of the depths of night when they had left her last client’s mansion, the new day having not yet come to pass. Yet now she saw the streaks of red and softened gold making their way across the canvas of endless blue, turning the grey clouds into strings of candleflame.

A small movement of her leg and Adagio felt stiffness bite deep into her joints. Whatever position she had been sleeping in must have fared horribly for her to feel so uncomfortable, these issues meant for the aged and broken- well, she was admittedly one of those things. Perhaps just not physically. And she could feel her dress sticking to her legs, her time within the garment not a pleasant one. If she got the chance to see it burned, the sooner the better.

“Morning,” Applejack said, allowing only a momentary glance from the road to take note of her companion’s newly conscious state. “You alright?”

“Mmf… why wouldn’t I be?” Adagio asked. It was too early in the morning, she too fresh from sleep to want to answer any questions.

“You looked like you had a nightmare for a little bit, that’s all,” Applejack replied.

The sensuous woman felt her blood chill; the memory was as dim as the nightmare that now tried to flit away, but she still recalled the incident all the same thanks to the cigar burns that had seared her feet. Any nightmare born of memory was not something she wanted this purehearted girl to know. “I’m fine,” she said swiftly, her tired voice hardly more than a croak. “Where are we?”

“Just passed town. We’re about thirty minutes from home.”

The distance they’d traversed was not small, at least by her measurements. “How long have we been driving?”

“Seven hours and some change,” came the answer.

Was she far enough away to not be followed? Adagio prayed she was so that at least her fears might at least be quelled. But now she was racing towards a much more painful destination and the discomfort would be of a much more personal kind; the memories of Applejack’s home were warm and soft, gentle to her spirit and enough to make her heart ache. She would be ill-fitting in decent places, as well as among its denizens.

“So… things have changed a bit since you were here last,” the farmgirl began.

“I’m not surprised.”

“Well, Big Mac –my brother- he got married. Sweet girl named Sugar Belle, you’ll like her. But anyway, he’s moved out from his room, built a decent little cottage house next to ours since they want a family. You’ll be taking his old room for when you’re here.”

“Not gonna make me sleep in your bed this time?” Adagio tried to sound humorous, perhaps more like the confident and flirtatious version of herself that went over so well with clients; she hadn’t meant to sound disappointed.

“No. That’ll be up to you,” Applejack answered, even daring to cast a side-eyed glance. “Do- do you want to share a bed?”

It was too early into her awakening for emotions to be fully in check. Adagio blushed and turned her face, unwilling to admit that she just might be bothered by the separation- even if she tried to tell herself she wasn’t supposed to be.

“And, umm… I did tell them that I was going to get you, too,” the freckled blonde added. Was there a tension in her features at that confession? Adagio was swift to take note of it; perhaps her presence wasn’t to be entirely welcome after all. Someone had protested the farmgirl’s act of rescue. “So they know you’re coming and everything.”

“And they’re OK with that?” the Siren asked, gauging the girl for a reaction. “A person they’ve never met coming to live in their house, especially when it was the prostitute who came in and slept with you while they were gone…”

“They were a bit- uncertain about it when I first told them,” Applejack admitted. “But they agreed to it. So you don’t need to expect any sort of bad welcome or nothin’.”

Adagio would be the judge of that when the time came. Just because this blonde angel had managed to convince them of allowing her to sleep under the same roof did not mean she was welcome in the slightest. Maybe she could use that as an excuse for an early departure if she played her cards right.

“This is our exit. We’re not far, now,” Applejack declared, easing the truck from the highway and onto the exit, heading on into the depths of the foliage.

Adagio had taken this very exit all those years ago under the cover of darkness, and her early morning departure had been too miserable for her to give any thought to taking it all in. But how different it was from the worlds she’d known for so much of her life in this world; the pale, flat colors of urban jungles were nonexistent here, the shades of green all around here so lush and vibrant that the Siren wondered if she dwelt now in a jungle. Her early years had known the many colors of aquatic blue, the fading gasps of color as reef and life were turned grey before her. And here was this vast, wild country just a short drive away from the thousands who traveled. The deep verdant green of the trees, thick grass that turned dark and bright as they traveled along; the further she went into its depths, the more it felt as though this place were a haven from prying eyes. Adagio did not believe in safety just yet, but this deep country beckoned for her to come and believe, to see that she might belong in it.

The asphalt road turned to dust as Applejack pulled off the county road, sprawling rows of trees brushing against the border fence and casting their shade before their arrival. Adagio could see the first fruits beginning their growth on the branches above, bright colors like spangles amidst the leaves. She had known this place was an orchard farm thanks to her companion, but its vastness had not quite sunk in by mere word alone. “How big is this place?”

“About fifty acres,” Applejack said, the enormous breadth of space spoken with as much significance as yesterday’s weather. “We were hoping to buy Mr. Morgan’s property sometime last year, but the frost came early and stayed till just last month. That, and Apple Bloom’s college raised their tuition rates...”

“But that’s huge already,” Adagio breathed. “Is it just your family work works out here?”

Applejack shrugged. “For the most part, yeah. We hire some extra hands during the harvests just to make it go a little faster-”

“That’s insane. How long do you work every day?”

Again, the farmgirl could only shrug. “I dunno. Long? No need to exercise or nothing, we do that enough working out here.”

Adagio wanted to remain cold and detached, aloof amidst this place so she could not grow roots and try to feel attached. She knew she did not belong, would never belong, but how difficult a task it was when there was a marvel like this that enticed her! Though she doubted the farmgirl could see it, there was pride in her eyes when she spoke of her home. By her hands, her effort, she kept family and livelihood afloat- working alongside those she clearly cherished. It was infectious, begging for others to join in the fun. If only she didn’t actually know better.

“Here we are. Home,” Applejack said, at last giving a yawn after the long night and allowing herself to feel weary with task now accomplished. How long had she been awake, eyes peeled for the woman she sought to find? Adagio had been able to sleep the night through while Applejack continued on almost indomitably as though exhaustion was a choice rather than mandatory.

The two women descended from out of the cab and trudged over to the front door, farmyard quiet and only filled with the beginnings of early activity. The nearby henhouse was brimming with the clucking of its denizens though none had yet to make an appearance, the figure of a young girl moving about behind the wire mesh giving them reason to stir. The lights from the farmstead shone bright onto the darkened wood of the front porch, silhouettes of people clear through the glass and seemingly taking in the sight of their arrival. As the Siren quietly followed her companion towards the door, the entrance opened from inside as the matronly figure of a weathered old woman came into view, soon followed by the tall, muscular form of a straw-haired man trailing just behind.

“Morning, Granny,” Applejack said, up on the porch in a heartbeat and there to give the aged woman a hug; tension fell from the blonde’s shoulders as she did so, a lightness to her form as though this were the signal of good tidings. “Sorry I was gone for so long.”

“Good to have you back, child,” Granny Smith murmured, the reigning matriarch of the Apple family seemingly satisfied to see the entirety of her banner under one roof once more. A quick glance over to the silent Siren who waited a few feet away and watched the reunion unfold- enough for realization to kick in and see eyes narrow. “You found her.”

Adagio’s fears that she would be looked upon like a mouse held beneath a cat’s paw were unfounded, but only slightly; this scrutiny was as brutal and thorough as a fetid thing under a microscope. Perhaps never in her life had she been so thoroughly examined, nor so quickly. She only knew the name of this woman, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Granny Smith knew her far better than Applejack did; what would come of it she could only dread.

“Just last night. A place just outside of Big Easy,” the farmgirl reported, turning about and gesturing for the Siren to come to her side. “I know I’ve said her name before, but this- this is Adagio. Adagio, this is Granny Smith, head of the house and the whole Apple family.”

The inspection continued even as she took the wrinkled hand for a shake, those bleary eyes piercing through her façade at will and straight into her heart, able to decipher so much of Adagio’s genuine self without either of them having spoken a word. Adagio had spent many years of her life fooling the clever, the intelligent, even many of the wise- in whichever way she could manage. But now she was faced with one who possessed a wisdom of its own kind; tinged by sorrow and the mistakes that could only be found in many long years. Applejack thought of her as something wonderful, but Granny wouldn’t ever be fooled by any of her machinations.

“What you all dressed up for?” The straw-haired man Adagio had noticed earlier finally spoke, a deep baritone emanating from him and giving the impression of a slower, more ponderous being. But just as Granny had done, the sharpness of his gaze was darting this way and that as he put pieces of the puzzle together. Perhaps he was merely wanting confirmation of the answer he already suspected.

“Snuck into a party at the place. Some kinda event or something,” Applejack answered. A quick kick and her heels were tossed onto the nearby bench to await another day for their retrieval. “Had to look the part to get in.”

The man heeded the words, reading between the lines as he tried to decipher what hadn’t been spoken aloud. There was a protective nature to him, Adagio surmised- and right now, he was furious that his younger sister had put herself in harm’s way for someone who was more or less a complete stranger.

“Come on, then,” Granny said, stepping aside and pointing them towards the door. “Suspect y’all are hungry. Sugar Belle’s got breakfast going, go grab yourself something.”

“Gonna change first, if you don’t mind,” the farmgirl countered. “We’ll only be a few minutes.”

A quick flash of a moment where the matriarch pursed her lips; disapproval that her granddaughter would be alone with this strange prostitute in her house once more. But quickly as it came, the expression vanished and returned to tranquility, Granny merely giving a nod. “Be quick about it. Food’ll get cold.”

Adagio trailed behind her rescuer, trying her best to ignore the memory that told her where to head. It had been years since that one evening had been spent in this place, but the one with whom she shared the memory had assured its potency for all time. Much as Applejack’s family may not like it, she knew the layout of this house intimately.

“Here you are,” Applejack said, nudging open a wood door emblazoned with a bitten apple to reveal a comfortably furnished room within. It was similar in style and size to what she’d remembered the farmgirl’s being, the Siren recalling the almost rustic appearance of the place. Old, décor and style as though something from pioneer days, yet well-cared for and possessing the strength to endure centuries more. But this had most definitely been a male’s room, fewer decorations and simpler colors held within: a bed accompanied by a nightstand, a dresser, and a rocking chair was all that awaited her. “Why don’t you change? There’s some clean clothes for you in the drawer.”

Adagio felt her eyes widen by reflex; yes, the farmgirl had mentioned it something during the night, but she hadn’t actually thought it was a legitimate offering. A quick extraction of the top drawer revealed pairs of nightclothes, as well as whatever socks and underthings she might need. Another pull and she found a wardrobe, each drawer stuffed to the brim with fresh clothes that awaited her use. Had this been scrounged up from Applejack’s wardrobe, donations perhaps? Surely she hadn’t bought all these for her! “Applejack-”

The blonde turned a shade pinker beneath the freckles but shrugged the forming words away. “I tried my best to get you some decent stuff- you know, that you’d be alright with wearing. Hope I did alright.”

Her rescuer and her provider, all in the span of a mere twelve hours. Adagio could hardly stand beneath the weight of her shame, wishing that this wondrous woman hadn’t gone to such monumental efforts. All she could offer was looks- a pretty face who knew how to offer the heights of physical pleasure. But all of it could be done with a coldness, no care or intentional thought into any action or word spoken. This was just another addition to the excess, love put into action and given form; far, far too good for one such as herself. “I- why?”

Applejack tried to meet those jeweled eyes, hold them steady within her gaze as she spoke from the heart, but could only last a few moments before she had to give a laugh and allow the embarrassment flow from her form. “You know why,” she muttered. “Cause… I love ya. And want you stay here with me. That’s all.”

That’s all. Said so simply as though it were a thing of no consequence. But for one so alone, Adagio could only see the magnitude, the weight of such an admission. She was loved, genuinely loved- and she could offer nothing in return that could ever hope to be considered equal. This was a love unearned and most definitely undeserved, Applejack too enamored by beauty and pleasurable memory to truly see her for what she was. It would be the spell that would have to be broken before week’s end.

“Now hurry, if Sugar Belle’s cooking I wanna grab some of that honeyed ham before Big Mac eats it all,” Applejack declared, smile tinged by weariness yet genuine all the same. “See you down there in a few minutes?”

Hot guilt bubbled in her stomach, but she knew the truth would be better than a drawn-out lie. “I’m… not hungry,” Adagio said.

The farmgirl took pause. “Huh?”

“I- kinda need a little bit,” she continued. “Alone. If that’s alright.”

The admission was crushing to the poor blonde’s mood, but against it she would not argue just yet. “And you’re sure?”

“Mhm. I just want some time to-” Belittle herself? Calm down? Not go into shock and start screaming? The mere fact that she was here in this safe haven once more was both nightmare and dream, the epicenter of her greatest mistake and deepest happiness all at once. She knew this was a good woman, and all those down below were of the same mold. Adagio was the outlier in their midst and had not yet the strength to face them just yet. “Adjust. For a little bit.”

“Oh. Alright, then,” Applejack replied, pulling herself away from the bedside and back to the door. “I, uh, might be going out and about working once I’m done eating, but just ask for Granny- or Sugar Belle if you need anything.”

She would do no such thing but the Siren nodded all the same. “OK.”

A half-smile and Applejack closed the door on her dearest love, allowing the beautiful being to be alone with her thoughts. It was only the immediate moment after she heard the latch of the door close did Adagio understand how deeply she would rather be anything but alone with her thoughts. This was not a place in which she should spend time thinking; the changes of environment, the hostility of Applejack’s family, and the mere fact that she was around Applejack at all was enough to push her into overload. This was more emotion than she could confidently handle even on a good day, guilt and love and shame and pride all combining into a miserable mishmash of muddled feelings that were of no service to anyone.

She could feel the violet sequins pull away from her flesh, sweat and the long period of time spent within their sheath enough to make the mermaid gown stick to her form. It had been a gift from her former client, meant to be worn as she adorned his lap and was displayed as a trophy; if it weren’t for the vast sum he had spent upon her company, Adagio wouldn’t have deigned to spend another night in the place. Had fear kept her rooted to his commands- or had she felt like there were no other path for her to take? The more she pondered her choices, the more desperate the Siren became in extracting herself from the garment, eventually shredding it to bits and leaving herself naked as she sat atop the bed in a gasping mess.

“I shouldn’t be here,” Adagio murmured, quietly so as to ensure none who might wait at her door could hope to hear her. “This was a mistake.” Her deepest fears assured that such words were fact, impossible to miss; it was more than just being out of place, she didn’t belong here in the slightest, nor did she even want to be here. This was not a place of comfort or safety, the very walls condemning her as they gave testimony to the pain she had both endured and unleashed. To be used as a toy was all she was fit for, despite whatever nonsense Applejack might try to convince her of otherwise. No longer was she monstrous, her teeth having long since been pulled- but she was something pathetic, and that sort of misery could make those around her sink. She would have to convince Applejack to end this agreement early.

From outside the door came the sound of wood creaking, footsteps falling hard as slipper and boot strode by her room and towards the realm of her savior. A quick knock came from aged knuckles and Adagio heard the muffled murmurs of Applejack calling out to her family. This was to be a reckoning of sort between kinfolk, if she was correct. Perhaps she should try to ignore the sounds that would filter in- so of course she crept over to the door and gave strength to her listening ear.

“Don’t look at me like that, I did the right thing.” Applejack spoke in a proud tone, if not outright frustrated; just what sort of arguments had come before this one?

“You’ve been gone for a few days this time around.” Granny Smith’s creaking drawl was thin, but perfectly audible even through inches of solid wood. “I’m surprised you found her.”

“I was too, really. Thought she’d sneak away like the last time when I was at the ballpark in Manehatten.”

“Were you in danger?” Her brother spoke bluntly, not hesitating to attend to his core concerns.

“She worse than me,” Applejack replied, sounding sullen. “I said I did the right thing. I had to get her out of there, she even thought so.”

Partially true, but she would have survived- maybe. There had been the fearful thought that she would have been kept there as a prisoner, but Adagio had endured such threats before. Her last client had only acted on a few more impulses than most.

“AJ…” Big Mac’s voice came in a dulled groan. “What if someone comes looking for her? Someone who wants to cause trouble?”

“They won’t.”

“Were you followed?” Granny asked.

“I don’t think so- no! No, we weren’t,” the farmgirl insisted. “I know so. Besides, so what if I was? Should I have left Adagio to just deal with it?”

“Did- did she even want to leave in the first place?” Big Mac pressed. “What did you say to make her want to come down here? Look at that dress she’s wearing, it probably cost more than the house-”

“I didn’t pay her to come here, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Applejack’s voice was frigid even through the door, cold fury evident as a long-standing argument seemingly came to life once again. “I just asked her to stay a few days. And see.”

“See what?”

“If… if she wanted to stay here for good,” Applejack replied rather lamely, her hopes likely sounding more foolish when spoken aloud.

The silence was all too palpable, enough to make the silent Siren squirm in its midst. She shouldn’t be listening but couldn’t resist all the same; if there was to be evidence that could be used to convince Applejack she should be allowed to leave, it would be from what words would be said now.

“Applejack…” Big Mac’s voice remained low, but now rang deeper with a tinge of something else- was it sympathy? “I’m glad you’re safe. But you’re wasting your time-”

“So I should’ve left her there. To get hurt by that- that- you should have seen her last night, she was scared-”

“I’m not saying you did a bad thing, but- you’re like this cause you slept with her. Not because she wants to stay. You know this, you know what she does for a living.”

The fury in Applejack’s voice was barely constrained as she spoke. “You don’t know nothing. I know her, you’ve not even said a word to her yet-”

“You know her? How? You spent one night with her. AJ, just- no, listen to me,” Big Mac insisted. “Don’t spend your time hoping for something that won’t come true. You did a good thing- if it was really as bad as you say, you did the right thing. But she’s not gonna stay; she doesn’t want to. You know this.”

“That’s- well that’s just…” Applejack’s voice was failing, struggling to keep in check for reasons only sight could have explained. “What do you think? Am I just being stupid, Granny?”

The weathered matriarch gave a long sigh, having been more or less silent as the two siblings sparred. “You’re my girl. And I trust your judgment for now,” Granny finally said, “But she’s not been honest with you about much. Not yet.”

“What makes you say that?”

“She act the same way here as when you found her?”

“Well… no. She wasn’t.”

“Then she’s not being honest yet,” Granny assured her. “That girl’s holding secrets she don’t want you to know. And she just might run rather than have to tell you a single one of them.”

What words came next hardly mattered, little more than frivolity as the family trio discussed other matters beyond herself. Adagio slumped down against the wall, grateful for the cold sharpness of the aging wood against her bare flesh that distracted her from the anguish within her mind. There was no way for her to hide out here in this place; Applejack knew too little and would want to rectify that while her family already had the Siren well figured. And to make matters worse, Applejack’s family hardly seemed to hate her for it; they were willing to give her the opportunity to remain, be judged fairly. All their concerns were, for now, focused upon their kin- and wisely so. It only hurt because everything they’d said was true.

She allowed the rest of the morning to pass her by through the bedroom window, Adagio kept from sight by her own will. Was it dread that kept her hidden behind these four walls and away from prying eyes? She knew not how to interact with these people. They were so vastly different from her usual company; Adagio knew the desperate, the pitiful, the dangerous and powerful. Applejack had been lonely when they had first met, but still brimming with a dignity that allowed her happiness nonetheless. Her usual clients were shameless in their unhappiness- or worse, greedy for more than what their hearts could consume.

But this family? These were good people, and her presence would be poisonous. It would not be long before Adagio would be found out.

From the window she watched the family tend to their various chores and tasks, Applejack’s bright blonde hair shining like waves of pale gold beneath the sunlight. Even after what must have been an arduous day and an entire night’s driving, still she seemed to press on as though limitless. Memory resurfaced and spoke to the strength the young woman possessed; Adagio recalled just how well-toned the farmgirl had been, enough to be desirous in her own way. Never had she considered that the strength may truly run this deep.

The day grew bright, and the sun grew long. Shadows began to fall across the landscape as the final hours of sunlight came to a close, a sky of blue becoming scattered with shades of pink, red, and gold. It would be night soon, and Adagio had done her best to keep hidden away from the good people below. It had been the best option available to her.

Or so she’d thought. A knock came on the door, gentle raps as the handle turned and Applejack poked through. “Hey there,” she said, a faint smile on her lips- one that vanished, eyes wide as she took in the beauteous Siren’s bare form. “Ohmygosh, I’m sorry.”

Considering what experiences they had shared together, the idea that Applejack was actually embarrassed about seeing her naked was too much for her to take- especially when it was merely her bare back. Adagio found herself laughing in spite of herself. “I think this isn’t your first time seeing me like this,” she remarked.

“I just thought you’d be- umm, can you please put something on- later, I mean? Like when I leave?”

She complied, still too tickled by Applejack’s flustered reaction to argue; it had been far too sweet to react in any other way. “I will. What did you want, Applejack?”

“Well… dinner’s about ready,” came the answer. “So I was letting you know so you could come down. Well, get dressed and come down.”

Dinner? And that would be with the rest of Applejack’s family, wouldn’t it- to include two members she hadn’t even met yet! Such a thing had to be avoided. “I’m- I’m sorry, but I’m really not hungry today…”

“Umm, well,” Applejack hesitated, “Granny said you had to come down and join us for this one.”

Or else. The threat didn’t even need to be mentioned for the Siren to get the message. So she would not be able to just hide away and see this day go by. Unhappy and frazzled as she was, she would have to make Applejack’s family endure her company, meaning that her best chance for survival was simply to dwell there in silence. “OK, then.”

As the door was pulled closed, Adagio forced herself to rise from her seat atop the bed against her mind’s protests, extracting a simple button-up shirt and a pair of sweat pants and giving them a quick examination. Not exactly something in common with her usual attire, but the feel of it against her skin was something comfortable; Applejack had somehow guessed her size perfectly. When she gave herself a quick look-over in the mirror atop the dresser, the Siren had to bite her lip to hold back the grin. Though red and black were not typically her colors, the look made her seem as though she were a part of the Apple family already. Like she belonged…

She bought this entire wardrobe just for you. The though made Adagio pause, force her to consider its weight. She so badly wants you here, to stay. She wants you to belong. Why not give her what she wants? The offer was so delectably tempting, but too weak when faced against the cold reality that Adagio’s mind could not shake. This was only a costume, an adornment gifted by a once-client; she did not belong here, nor would she ever. Better to not try and fool herself.

Maybe you could belong, if you tried.

It didn’t surprise her when Adagio opened the door and found Applejack awaiting her, nor did the small flush of pink upon her cheeks. “Oh, you- you look pretty,” she said in a stumble. “Well… you always look pretty.”

Words said and meant, genuine enough to wound. “Thank you for this, Applejack,” she murmured. “You didn’t have to give me these.”

“I wanted to.”

“Well… thank you again.”

Farmgirl and Siren stood together at the top of the stairs in silence, each waiting for the other to make their move. Something needed to be done to break the tension, the gap between them charged with electricity and desiring release. But with Adagio too weighed down by shame to say much else and Applejack not quite brave enough to act, all that came to life was an awkward silence.

Until a quick glance down that made Applejack blanch. “Umm, uh- Adagio, you might want to…”

“Want to..?”
“Umm- you shirt, maybe it’s a bit-” The blonde gulped, unable to resist one final flicker before turning her head aside to prevent temptation. “Just a bit too much.”

A quick dart down provided the answer; too used to promiscuity in her actions, Adagio had left a good portion of her top unbuttoned and thus allowed ample exposure of her cleavage. Perhaps, considering present company, such appearance would not do. “Oh right, sorry- there. Sh- shall we?”

The moment she turned the corner into the dining room, Adagio felt every pair of eyes fall upon her and remain there. She was certainly the odd one out, whether it be in appearance or novelty mattered little. Her early arrival this morning, and the story that had likely come about because of it, ensured that she was to be the center of the Apple family’s attention.

Two she recognized, and two unfamiliar; a young girl that was certainly Applejack’s younger sister, a wiry teenager with vivid red hair held in form by a bright-pink bow. And then a woman a few years older that sat next to Big Mac, a somewhat plush woman with soft features and frizzy hair that fell down her neck in sweeping cascades of color. Hadn’t she mentioned this woman’s name once before? Adagio couldn’t recall.

“Well, everyone’s here,” Applejack declared, taking spoon in hand and eyeing the hearty bowl of chicken and vegetable broth that lay steaming before her. “Let’s dig i- oh, right, I almost forgot. Dagi, this is my sister, Apple Bloom. And this is Sugar Belle, Mac’s wife. She and Big Mac live in the cottage next to the house.”

Sugar Belle seemed keen on friendliness even from the moment they’d lain eyes, a bright spirit within causing her smile to beam as she greeted the uneasy Siren. An unusual fit when it came to the Apple family, or maybe a light that had shone so bright that the mild-mannered young man had been unable to resist. The sight of her made Adagio feel a little more at ease- until she turned and found Apple Bloom staring at her with open dislike, hostility and suspicion incapable of being mistaken for anything else. Whatever the young girl had against her would likely reveal itself in due time, but she was a strong reminder of how unnatural she was amidst these good people- one that would not be easily forgotten.

“Make sure to thank Sugar Belle for this one, y’all,” Granny declared as the table of six tucked in to their evening meal. “Got the vegetables from the garden this afternoon, all of it’s been her work.”

The frizzy woman ducked her head and smiled. “It’s nothing. Just- I hope it’s good,” Sugar Belle said. “I know it’s nothing compared to what AJ and Mac have been up to today.”

The two siblings simply shrugged it off, though Applejack’s more worn features seemed to be struggling the longer the day had rolled on. Adagio couldn’t imagine just how tired her rescuer was at this point- and so in control, emotions collected and not yet left reeling by the weariness. How was she doing this?

It had been a fool’s hope to think that she might escape this meal unscathed. As the small talk between family came and went in its spatterings, Adagio had dared to believe her presence would be given a reprieve from any unwelcome questions. But before too long, the talk of work and household chores came to an end, leaving her the sore thumb that could not be ignored.

In fairness, Sugar Belle had likely meant well. Turning from a quick word with her husband, she faced the downcast Siren and said, “So… Applejack’s been talking about you for ages now! I’m so glad I finally get to meet you, Adagio. Were you two friends from school at one point?”

Applejack grimaced as Adagio tried to not let her face grow pale. The idea of them having been friends in high school was impossible- just being acquaintances was laughable. Considering their past history and what had eventually seen them be quite intimately intertwined…

“We, uh- we knew each other- pretty well for a little bit,” Applejack said, coming to the Siren’s rescue in the midst of a growing silence. “She’s gonna be staying with us a few days until she decides what to do next.”

“Oh! Well that’s lovely, I hope you enjoy your time here,” Sugar Belle remarked. “I hope we don’t scare you off. I know it’s like its own little world out here, but it’s real nice. I bet you’ll fit right in.”

It was so easily said, without hesitation or a hint of irony behind it. Sugar Belle lived up to her name in fullness as her natural sweetness filtered through. Adagio found herself unable to resist a half-smile to the warmhearted woman, grateful even though the words were a surefire miss.

“Thank you,” Adagio murmured as her spoon filtered through broth, “But- but I really doubt I’ll fit in here.”

The frizzy-haired girl pondered that thought. “What makes you say that? I know Big Mac and I are a bit different, but we’re alright. I bet you and Applejack would be great together!”

So it was discovered that she was wildly forward. The two aforementioned women lost control for a good span of time, trying to recover from the shock of being so openly paired together and the embarrassment that came with it. Each of them came to be under watch, eyes wondering what they would do next in response to this obvious inspection.

“Sugar Belle, you- umm.” Applejack was a vicious shade of red, smiling wide as her own affections were determined to be made known. “Look, that’s a bit of a ways off, Adagio hasn’t said- nothing about- and you can’t just say that…”

“She shouldn’t- won’t,” Adagio added, recovering from her sputter as she tried to regain control. “AJ’s great but she can- there’s better girls than me, I know it and-”

The self-deprecation did not receive a warm welcome from the freckle-faced girl beside her; Applejack’s face turned dark, indignation quick to respond. “And what’s that mean?” She challenged. “I know we only knew each other for a little bit, but you ain’t bad as all that-”

“Yes she is.” The cold remark came through clear as day, bringing the awkward conversation down several degrees. All eyes turned to Apple Bloom, the young girl’s gaze fixed on her sister and beginning to burn bright as the fight within came to life. “And you know it. You can’t just ignore this.”

The blonde farmgirl gave a sigh, escaping in a hiss that spoke to the past history of this argument. “Apple Bloom, listen to me,” she began, “This ain’t like old times, alright, things have changed-”

“I remember what she did at school. How come you don’t remember?” Apple Bloom pressed. “You were in bigger danger than I was, why you just letting this pass by like it’s nothing?”

The awkward tranquility that had existed during the early moments of the dinner were quickly evaporating in the face of the young woman’s open hostility. Adagio, the target of all this attention, tried her best to keep averted from any gaze that might try to catch her eye, lest they seek an answer from her own lips. What could she say that wouldn’t damn her further? It wasn’t as if it wouldn’t be true.

“What are you two talking about?” Sugar Belle asked, ignoring the hand of her husband that came to rest on hers and advise against the query. “Applejack, I thought you said you’d met Adagio right before you graduated…”

“We met her before that. When she and her sisters tried to take over the whole freakin’ school,” Apple Bloom said. “Cause they needed to act like a couple of monsters. But look, now she’s here alone. Wonder what happened.”

“Apple Bloom, that is a long time ago,” Applejack said, the first tinge of heat in her voice now clearly evident and made moreso by the subtle rise from her seat. “Now, everyone makes mistakes and it ain’t right to hold them against folks forever-”

“Mistakes? She tried to suck everyone dry! Do you even hear yourself right now or are you too obsessed with sleeping with her to have any common sense?”

“Enough, AB,” Big Mac cautioned, his sharp gaze darting between parties and catching every shift of feature that came. Not one to end the sparring but a referee all the same, determined to keep the two heavier of his sisters personalities in check. “Drop this-”

Applejack, however, had taken the insult personally. “This ain’t about that and you know it! She’s with us cause she’s worth the effort- and is a good person, too! Do you really think that I’d bring in someone I don’t trust into our own house-”

“I think you fell in love with the first girl you fucked and that’s it! Come on, she’s conned everyone for years whether it be for fun or survival! She’s a hooker, AJ, why are you just ignoring that?”

“Watch yourself, now-”

“Talk about her like that again, Bloom, I swear,” Applejack sputtered.

It was time for her to enter a voice into this growing melee, even if she was going to have to turn against her rescuer. “Look, Applejack,” Adagio began-

“Enough.” The quiet, solitary word that came from a wrinkled voice was all it took to see the fiery conversation be instantaneously cooled. Angered faces turned from their duel and went to the edge of the table where the wizened form of Granny Smith now stood, tall and proud amidst her family’s descent into a base fury. “We don’t talk like that to one another in this house. Not ever. That understood? We don’t always get along, but we love each other. There is no person or thing on this planet that is ever going to change that, no matter how we feel about anything.”

Sister looked upon sister and their anger rising tempers quickly began to dissipate. Too unhappy –and too determined to remain unmoved- Applejack and Apple Bloom slumped back into their chairs and said no more, each absolutely convinced they could outlast the other.

Granny watched the table for further outbursts or what mutiny may come but found her expectations satisfied; no one would defy her when furious word was spoken and strong enough to ring them into silence. But she was not yet done, determined to have her own way in this evening for a little while longer. Turning to the miserable, silent Siren and giving a jerk of her head towards the hallway that led to her bedroom and simply ordering, “In.”

She so desperately wanted to ignore the command but worried that doing so might bring about far more dangerous consequences than death. Rising up on trembling legs, Adagio unwillingly followed the aging matriarch from the now-silent table and into quieter quarters. Away from the others, down the hall and past the door where Granny Smith stood at sentry and awaiting her presence.

The door closed behind her but the Siren found herself unable to notice. In her only visit to this place, Applejack had been wary to approach this part of the house as though it were kept concealed by a spell, or perhaps too hallowed a grounds to be worthy of her footsteps. Within the place was likely the original bedroom upon which the whole house had been founded, an ancient bedframe founded into the very floor of the building held and held down by a spacious mattress. Upon the walls surrounding the simply decorated space were numerous photos and tapestries, faces and names of all kinds so excessive in their number that Adagio would have needed hours just to read them all. Was this why her room was so protected? It felt more akin to a library than sleeping quarters.

“Sit.” Granny Smith pointed to the decrepit rocking chair that sat in the corner next to a miniscule table, she taking an opposing space on the bed so as to keep eyes on her guest. For a time, neither of them spoke; Adagio was unwilling to break the silence in hallowed grounds that were not hers by right and Granny seemed perfectly willing to take her time. Was it cruelty? Not likely. She seemed to be content to be slow in her examinations, whatever fruit that came from them incomprehensible to the younger woman.

“Do you know what my granddaughter’s famous for?” Granny Smith asked.

Adagio had a few answers to give that would have been fun, but none of them were likely very fitting. “N- no,” she admitted.

Was that a new wrinkle on her face? Granny’s expression gave little evidence for much of any emotion, if she possessed any to express. “She’s known for her honesty,” the aged woman said. “Even when it hurts her. So to hear her talk about you like that means something. Means either she’s telling the truth or you fooled her good. Which is it?”

She was intricately bound to the blonde woman who had all but forced her return to this place; whatever answer she gave would reflect back on Applejack, more likely than not. Adagio weighed her options for a time, wondering which would bear the worse fruit. “I… we slept together,” she said after a time. “I got hired by her friends a few years back. I was on the job.”

The old woman’s breath escaped in a long, slow exhale, eyes turned downwards as head gave a nod. Was she disappointed in the answer? Angry? Adagio knew how to read people, but the wisdom of this woman seemed inscrutable. “It was like a game,” she surmised.

“For a little while.”

“Why not all the while?”

Adagio hesitated. “She treated me like a person.”

Granny Smith pursed her lips, considering the answer. “Nothing you tell me is going anywhere, do you understand?”

Partially, but a whole answer to that question felt doubtful. So she could speak truthfully without consequence, even if this woman’s granddaughter was involved in her answers? That seemed too good to be true. “OK.”

“You know she loves you. Don’t you?”

A small stinging in her eyes that begged for attention, Adagio biting her lip in the hopes of preventing release. “I do,” she admitted.

“Then why don’t you say the same?” Granny asked, one single eye held wide as she scrutinized her unhappy prey. “Cause you love that girl too, don’t you?”

She’d been read like a book. Whatever intuition this woman had was beyond the scope of her magic and senses, streetwise intelligence and her own wits incapable of keeping herself hidden. What had given her away? The wide-eyed look at Applejack’s love, the fact that she wore Applejack’s own clothes, that she’d even returned to this homestead in the first place? Of course she loved Applejack; there were too many reasons not to, just as there were so many reasons why she shouldn’t.

“Speak up, now,” Granny Smith advised, “I won’t let my girl marry a liar.”

“She deserves better. Than me,” Adagio said, unable to meet that piercing gaze and slumping low.

“What makes you so bad?”

Adagio could feel those eyes burning into the back of her neck, wondering how much worse it would be to hold their gaze. “Your other granddaughter was right, you know,” she said. “Don’t you remember me? I remember you.”

“I remember. And what you did,” the old matriarch replied. “Does that still need to matter?”

“Of course it does.”

“Why?”

“Because people get hurt around me.”

Granny Smith saw as the shoulders slumped all the more; Adagio was beginning to melt into her own self, unwilling to endure much further punishment. Though the sight was pitiable, there could be no chance for mercy- not yet. This would need to be drawn as poison from a wound. “I remember you weren’t alone, too,” she remarked. “Where’re they?”

“M- my sisters?”

“Were they actually your siblings?”

“No, not- not really. Not my blood,” Adagio said. “But they were my family. And I was supposed to keep them safe.”

Granny allowed her sharp, clear eyes to bore in all the deeper. “Then where are they now, if they’re not with you?”

If she answered truthfully, there would be no going back. It would be the opening of a Pandora’s Box that would never be undone. The wound would reopen, the blood would flow, she would have to feel every inch of the pain again until the day came that such scars could finally fade. “I- well. I hope… I honestly hope that they’re dead.”

A single raised eyebrow. “Hate them that much?”

“Sometimes dead is better.”

Granny Smith’s expression did not truly change, but the cloudiness of wisdom on her features lessened somewhat, a new sharpness to be found instead. “What happened to them?”

She didn’t want to revisit the memory. It was her greatest mistake, deepest betrayal. There was so much she’d done wrong in such a short time, every single failing too difficult for her to overcome. How could she turn back time and see them rectified now, when so many days had passed by since? “When we got ran out,” Adagio began, “I borrowed some money. We had nowhere to run and we couldn’t trick anyone. If I tried threatening anyone for a place to stay, they called the cops. So a guy I met offered me cash so we had a place to stay for a few weeks.”

Granny Smith was old, but time had done nothing to dull her senses yet. “A loan shark,” she guessed.

“I kept borrowing. For as long as I could. We were desperate, and we had everything we needed. But then they wanted us to pay up,” Adagio said- and then her voice caught. Shame, fear, the cold memory of that day burned into her mind like fire upon wood, unable to be forgotten no matter how great a distance there could ever be. She would not escape its claws, the pain of everything she had done wrong and all the more that she was about to confess. “They threatened to kill me… and I panicked, I said they could take whatever they wanted. They figured that included us.”

Granny Smith’s sharp focus did not waver, but a paleness overcame her weathered face as the gears shifted, putting persons into place and making guesses at the logical conclusion. “That included you and your sisters…”

“They took them. I never knew where, they kept me and made me watch them get dragged out- I never should have said anything, I should’ve just let them kill me instead-”

“What happened?”

“I got taken. And I got to stay. So long as I worked hard paying off the money I’d borrowed,” Adagio continued. “I got drugged a lot at first. They’d come in, use me, and then leave. But once I got older, I got… I got good at it. I paid off my debt and just stayed. I could take care of myself, at least.”

She was nodding as she listened, Granny clearly displeased but still clearly listening- but now turning stark, words rolling back across her mind as she tried to find where her skills had stumbled. “Older- older,” she murmured, a quick breath sucked in. “Child, were- how old were you when this happened?”

It had been a fool’s hope that she wouldn’t actually react. She knew each memory too well, even the ones so drugged that motions and sound were little more than a blur before her half-conscious senses. Now Adagio felt the sting of salt in her eyes, trying to keep a smile even as her whole world fell to ruin at her feet. “I was kept tied down most of the time. But they made sure I stayed pretty. Apparently people liked that about me. When I grew up, they kept me around since I was so good at seducing people. And then a couple years later, I got paid to visit here with Applejack.”

“Child… how- how old were you?” Granny Smith asked. “When you first met my Applejack?”

“In human years?” A bitter chuckle at that remark. “Seventeen.”

“… And when you came here?”

“I’m twenty-five now.”

Granny Smith said nothing for a time, simply reaching over for her reading glasses and spending time seeing them wiped clean. Adagio, too exhausted for much else, sat slumped in her chair and unable to answer any further. What more could she say that would be of any use? Too weak to carry on, unable to illuminate more of her sad story. And it wasn’t as though each word hadn’t cut at her own flesh throughout it all…

The sound came to her ears of a deep, wearisome sigh as the longtime matriarch of the Apple family slowly rose to her feet. Though Adagio was worn from her confessional the weight of her crimes hung on her shoulders no longer, its burden now transferred to this frail, seemingly unbreakable woman who now chose to bear them on behalf of another. On staggering feet she walked over, head bowed, and put a bony hand upon shoulder. “I’m sorry, child,” she murmured.

Adagio couldn’t have held that gaze for more than an instant, gaze immediately clouded from a cacophony of emotions; she wanted to look up at that shadowed face and see what she could find even though shame demanded she not even try. “Please don’t b-”

“It’s alright to let it hurt. For a little while longer,” Granny continued. “But you can’t live among the ghosts forever. Not one so young and loved as you.”

“I’m not lov-”

“Be quiet and listen,” Granny Smith commanded, words arriving sharp to cleave through the interjection. “My granddaughter loves you. She loves you, child. And she wants you to stay here more than she’s ever wanted anything in her life. I don’t know if she’ll ever want anything like she wants that for you.”

She knew. Of course Adagio knew, she couldn’t know anything else. Just as she so desperately longed for the exact same ever since she had forced herself to depart from this safe place and back into the life she deserved. She would never belong here, no matter how many years and moments and changes came by to transform her. The shell would never be broken to allow in something new.

“Stop trying to die to your mistakes, child. Someone’s asking you to live, even if you’ve got more mistakes than you wish,” Granny said. “Stay here. Learn about all the mistakes me and my kinfolk have made across the years; I promise you’ll fit right in. No matter how many ways you wanna try and say otherwise. You might even be happy.”

“I doubt I’ll ever be happy again, ma’am,” Adagio whispered.

“Well… do you even wanna be happy?” She hadn’t expected such a question, Adagio darting up to stare at her companion who she found smiling in response to the confusion. “Take your time here. You won’t even have to ever leave again, if you don’t want to. See if loving someone don’t make you happy again.”

Author's Note

Next chapter tomorrow, same time. I think you get the idea behind this.

Enjoy, I guess.

Tuesday

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.

Wednesday

She awoke earlier than she had wished yet again. The arduous day before had done well to exhaust her, this long and dreamless slumber critical for her to survive. Though Adagio was unwilling to so easily rise at such an early hour, at least the sound of the rooster’s song was not so unexpected. In fact, with the deep sleep she had enjoyed, such an awakening was not so difficult this time around. A slow, smooth rise of her head from the pillow upon which she lay to look out into the darkened world just beyond the window and upon a sky on the fringes of darkness.

A moment was all it took for the memories of yesterday to come flooding back into her consciousness; weakness, anger, and shame that had been so intent on hounding her right to the last moments of her miserable wakefulness. With little ability to hold back the flood from crushing her spirit, Adagio merely sat atop her bed and let them pass before her eyes and ears yet again. Emotions, still raw and unguarded by slumber, possessed not the strength to see the matter settled.

It’s going to be another rough day, Adagio counseled herself. A small stretch came and immediately registered her body as the definition of sore; muscle all but forgotten cried out to her senses to report their misery. And I’m guessing Applejack will want me to help her and her brother out in the orchard again… Her early morning that had begun so peacefully was swiftly becoming filled by the negative. If she had to go out amidst those trees and struggle beneath the sun, the beautiful Siren wasn’t sure she’d be able to go the distance- which would only let down her rescuer even more.

As though on cue, upon the bedroom door came a series of swift knocks that spoke to Applejack’s presence at the door. Even if she tried to rise from her place on the bed and answer, Adagio wasn’t at all sure she even should; perhaps it would be better if she avoided the warmhearted farmgirl for a little while longer.

Another small knock, but then the sound of the door creaking open met her ears. Head swiftly turned to the sound, wincing right after, and eyes took in the sight of a tall, hearty young woman making an appearance. “Sorry if I’m intruding,” Applejack murmured. “Well… morning.”

If she’d had any decency, Adagio would have ignored her weariness and risen to greet the lovely woman with a smile and a kiss. Didn’t Applejack deserve plenty of affection for all that she’d done? So kind and courteous, positively romantic, even putting herself at risk on her behalf and inviting her to come and live on this gorgeous farm! Though she did her best to keep her feelings masked, the lush Siren couldn’t ignore the rush she felt at the sight of her mighty rescuer- so instead she only bit her lip and let eyes fall away, unable to bear the sight of one so good transformed by fear and worry.

The fall of countenance did not go unnoticed, Applejack coming to sit upon the side of the bed and more closely examine her companion. “Hey, you OK? Feeling alright?”

“Not at all,” Adagio answered before biting her tongue. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud! A dry, empty thought in the silence, now released and given life so that it might furrow that freckled brow in concern. The day had only just begun and already she was bringing harm.

“Yeah, I… I wondered,” Applejack sighed. “I’m sorry for asking so much of you yesterday. Out in the orchards, I mean. Big Mac was right, I should’ve helped you get used to the place first rather than just making you dive right in.”

Adagio stared at her beloved with such a confusion that it may as well have turned her brain upside-down. Why on earth was this bright jewel of the country apologizing to her? It wasn’t Applejack’s fault that she was miserable and weak, not in the slightest. Everything that had occurred was by her own failings- hers and no other. There was no reason for her to have done this at all!

“But-” She sputtered, “But- but why, though?”

“Oh, I just… got a little too excited, I guess,” Applejack explained, a bashful half-smile on her lips, “Wanted you to see the whole place and what it’s like out there. And just to spend the day with you, too-”

“No- wait, that’s not what I meant,” Adagio interjected. “Applejack, why are you even apologizing at all? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The farmgirl blinked. “Yes, I did,” she insisted. “I got too caught up in having you around that I wore you out and made you miserable. That’s on me.”

“No, it really isn’t,” the ginger-haired beauty replied. “Look, I need to be the one saying I’m sorry. Especially for the outburst, that was- that wasn’t fair.” Shame that had kept her from sleeping had done well to help reveal that conclusion, a late-night pondering all it took to find. Applejack had been given a charade as a new first impression and Adagio was masterful in playing her role. And hadn’t she enjoyed herself that night, also? And there was the note… “I’m really sorry for screwing your life up.”

“Umm, I- don’t quite follow,” Applejack remarked, left befuddled by this latest statement. “You couldn’t have screwed up my life. You’ve made it better, come on now.”

“Your first time should’ve been with someone special,” Adagio said. She treasured that memory, allowed a time of genuine intimacy and comfort that had been denied to her for so long; she’d been given the chance to feel at home, safe. But still she knew that she had robbed this woman of something beautiful. “You deserved better than me.”

It was the most rational, sensible argument her unhappy mind could conjure, yet its logic was clear as mud to her audience. “I’m glad it was you, though,” the green-eyed farmgirl said simply. “You were someone special- still are, too. Quit saying things like that.”

“It should have been someone you knew. Not some made-up person like me,” the young woman muttered bitterly. “You don’t know who I am.”

Applejack pondered the thought for a time, mulling it over so as to find the best response. “Well… I get to know you now,” she surmised, “and you were right last night. I guess I’ve been acting silly, but I don’t regret any of it. I’m glad you’re here with us- with me. And I want this to be your home. I want you to be happy, sugar, and I really do believe you can be here. You’ll fit right in with us no matter what you’ve done, because- well, we’ve all messed up, too. It’s OK to screw up if you learn from it. And I promise you, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but you aren’t one of them.”

Adagio’s memory of the uncertain young woman she’d made love to all those years ago was a far cry from the strong beauty who reached out and comforted her now. She could speak, say words of wisdom and kindness that would reach out and caress her heart; what a change from one who had once been terrified of even receiving a kiss! The belief in her eyes glowed with the brightness of the sun, illuminating her smile and making her radiant. There and able to see such fervent faith up close, the woeful Siren felt a rush of affection she hadn’t known in all her life. Applejack was so sure of herself, so confident in the truth of her words- words about her! And if Applejack believed she could have and be all those things…

Well, could she maybe try believing, too?

She wanted to reach out and see their hands wrapped together, a softened kiss placed upon those lips. Adagio allowed her body to give the smallest twitch, but no more; vulnerable emotions were not good material for wise decisions and she was still firm in her belief that this experiment would fail. Best not to get lulled even by words she wanted to believe in.

Applejack gave another smile before leaning in and placing a kiss on the cheek of her beautiful companion. “Well, breakfast is downstairs,” she declared as she rose to her feet. “Come on, get yourself dressed. Think Granny was asking for you to do something today.”

Perhaps she should have heeded the call then and there, but the Siren needed a few moments before she could collect herself. Feeling the comfort of Applejack’s kiss had been unexpected, and the delight of its presence all the more so; a small part of her wanted to act like a stupid teenage girl again and giggle aloud at the pleasure. Goodness, why was she so happy all of a sudden? Even though the flare lasted only a moment’s length, Adagio knew she would remember such a thing for the rest of the day- and perhaps beyond. When her senses at last were something she had control of, the time came for the day’s garb. If the sunshine outside was any indicator, it might be yet another warm day and that would mean sweat. A thin button-up and a pair of shorts seemed the best fit.

Down the stairs she went, coming to the ground floor and greeted by the smell of breakfast freshly begun, simmers and sounds reaching her ears as the early morning feast began. In the kitchen at the table were Big Mac and Applejack, each tending to their own mug of dark coffee and discussing amongst themselves the chores for the day; Sugar Belle stood in between the stove and the countertops, busied by the crowd of skillets that remained occupied upon the stovetop.

Adagio’s stomach began to rumble at the sight; her tired, battered body was in need of sustenance, especially since she’d forgone such things last night. If she was to perform the same caliber of work as yesterday, she’d need a good helping upon her plate.

Perhaps hearing the sound, the frizz-haired girl attending to the cookware turned from her work and found their newest arrival gazing down at her coming masterpieces. Sugar Belle smile and said, “Good morning! Sorry that you’re up a little earlier, but Granny’s not going to be around much. Do you mind helping me get breakfast ready?”

So she wasn’t even going to be able to eat? The sight of such delicacies before her eyes, yet so far away, seemed torturous. For a moment Adagio wanted to let a scowl form and ill temper begin to grow- but not yet. This is Applejack’s family, she told herself. And she’s not even being mean. Calm down.

“Umm- sure, I can,” Adagio murmured, though the sheer number of skillets and frying pans being put to use seemed intimidating. “What… what do you want me to-”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry-” Sugar Belle, so used to her culinary duties, hadn’t taken note that her skills might not come so easy to others. “The eggs and bacon on the right-hand side, can you keep them going, please? I’m going to get to work on the flapjacks and biscuits.”

What had seemed so intimidating only a moment ago had been effortlessly compartmentalized; the stove had been cut in half, and what would be required of her was rather simple. With a nod, the glorious Siren took the egg-laden frying pan in hand and filled the other with a spatula.

“Applejack likes hers scrambled,” Sugar Belle whispered, “And plenty of cheese and bacon added to them!” Before there could be a reaction, the young woman gave a smile and a wink, turning back to her mix of batter and the biscuits she had heating in the oven.

She was the one member of the family that hadn’t been around the first time she’d met Applejack, and therefore the one her farmgirl had talked about least. Adagio slowly tended to her task, adding what condiments she could to magnify the yellow dish’s flavor, all the while giving her newest companion a confused side-eye.

Granny seemed willing to give her a place to stay, though obviously had admitted to her reservations. Apple Bloom seemed willing to openly dislike her, and Big Mac believed she would eventually run away- Not a bad guess, too. But Sugar Belle, the one who seemed most naïve and innocent of the lot, was treating her as though there was no reason to not be kind. She’d even offered a suggestion to be more in Applejack’s good graces.

Was- was this bright-eyed girl trying to motivate their romance? But that’d be idiotic; Adagio knew she was a terrible match for Applejack, just a pretty face with hardly anything to offer beyond her body. She was a poor fit for this life and absolutely had no reason to hope she could be such a wonderful farmgirl’s dream girl. Sugar Belle was being foolish, especially since the affection between them was most definitely one-sided.

She felt where Applejack’s lips had found her cheek, nerves awakening and breathing life into the memory. The glow in her stomach induced a smile before she could even try to dampen it. You’ve become a terrible liar.

“Ladies- a couple slices of toast?” Big Mac called out. Downing the last swig of brew from his cup, the caffeine had done wonders in awakening the mighty man’s ravenous appetite. “Think I might want something to go with those eggs.”

“I’ve got biscuits in the oven right now,” Sugar Belle replied to her husband, “I can heat up some more if you want any.”

“That’ll do fine. Thanks, hon.”

“You’re welcome.”

Adagio, gently turning over bacon in a skillet, found herself marveling at the simple exchange. Was this what a married couple was like? She’d expected a cantankerous response, discontent that would brim over into an argument. There’d been so many examples that had played out before her eyes over the years that it had become the standard expectation of what a marriage was like. Strange to think that not every word didn’t always end in misery. It wasn’t some saccharine thing, nor was it a false happiness to cover over the dreary wound- it just seemed comfortable. Sugar Belle and Big Mac seemed perfectly at ease with one another.

Perhaps her gawking was not so subtle, for Sugar Belle turned from her work upon the stovetop and realized she had an audience. “What?” She asked.

Not quite sure of how to put it all into words, Adagio shook her head and returned to her duties. She felt like she’d just witnessed something marvelous but wasn’t quite sure what- or why.

“Here we go,” Adagio said, a pair of plates in her hand, the contents steaming their aroma into the air. “Big Mac, this- this one’s yours… and Applejack-” She felt a small tremor try to take hold and the Siren forced it to remain deadened down below. No, she had no reason to enjoy this simple gesture, nor should she desire to do it again.

I- umm.” The two siblings eyed the contents of their plates for a moment; eggs over hard upon Big Mac’s plate with a trio of bacon strips nestled snugly beside, and upon Applejack was a heaping helping of scrambled eggs, the pile fit to burst with bits of bacon and strings of cheese scattered throughout. Big Mac scrutinized his first course, that of his sister’s, and then the cook who had seen it done- and then split into a grin.

Adagio couldn’t help but flush. How had she not realized that the level of care between the two might be so distinctive? It hadn’t been on purpose.

“I… uh, thanks Adagio,” Applejack said, stabbing at the full plate of eggs with her fork, a faint smile on her face as the melted cheese slowly tore into thin strings. “This looks- I forgot you and I made that meal together last time.”

“Yo- you’re welcome,” the Siren quickly managed. Oh, how she wanted to back away from this table and go very far away-

Big Mac gave a laugh, a tiny shove from the broad-shouldered man almost enough to send his sister toppling to the ground. “Now you know how it feels to have your girl cook you breakfast,” he remarked, content to dig in to his own plate and await the rest of his breakfast that still required his bride’s touch.

Adagio would have paid good money for the farmer not to say that, and even more if she could have prevented the smile from spreading across her lips. Applejack was blushing a brilliant shade of crimson beneath her freckles and doing what she could to focus on the contents of her plate rather than the beautiful woman who had gifted it to her. Though such affections were gladly received, perhaps such things were not quite ready to be said openly just yet.

The sound of footsteps from down the hall was a needed relief, attentions brought elsewhere as Granny Smith made an appearance, dressed in a long plaid dress and a denim jacket about her chest. “Good, you’re already down here helping,” she said as her eyes first fell on Adagio. “Was worried we might’ve worn you out yesterday.”

“Nearly,” the still-scarlet Siren mumbled.

“You sure you don’t want anything to eat before you go, Granny?” Sugar Belle inquired as she lifted high a plate of freshly-made flapjacks. “If you really won’t be back till after noon, that’s a long time for you…”

“Doctor’s orders. I’ve gotta be empty,” Granny insisted. “Alright, so I’ll be gone for most of the day. Applejack, make sure Apple Bloom gets her chores done- and tell her to clean up the mess she made in the barn, it’s been almost a week.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Big Mac, would you take a look in the bathroom at that floorboard? It’s gotten loose again.”

“Oh, we can take care of that, Granny!” Sugar Belle said, coming in between before her husband could say a word. “Don’t make Big Mac get it, that’ll be easy.”

We?

“Alright, then, just don’t forget. Nearly kicked it free when I was getting ready this morning.” The weathered matriarch gave a sigh before she turned to her newest arrival; though she knew this wizened woman meant no harm, Adagio couldn’t help but feel she cut an intimidating figure. Afforded to her was a respect that went far beyond title. “Sugar Belle’s going to be in charge of the house while I’m gone,” she explained. “Since I won’t be around, you help her out however she needs you to. Understand?”

“Y- yes, ma’am,” Adagio stammered. Part of her wanted to give a little sound of relief; she wasn’t going to have to go break her back out in the orchards again? To be inside with the shade and the air conditioning seemed like heaven in comparison!

Granny pursed her lips for a moment as though she wanted to say more. Was there further instruction she wanted to give, just to her? Adagio wanted to be offended by such a thought but couldn’t deny the wisdom behind the choice. Newest to the house, most likely to buck at the reins… she had every reason to speak further. Instead, she only said, “You’ll be fine. Y’all be safe, y’hear?”

“Bye, Granny! Have fun in town!”

The magnificent woman said her goodbyes to her kinfolk before disappearing out of sight, the creaking sound of aged wood and metal all that remained to speak of her departure before she was gone for good. So she was to be absent all day? Adagio wondered what that meant for the rest of the Apple family, considering what an intimidating presence the old woman possessed; just what sort of effects did she have on the family even when she was not to be seen?

The effects were felt in due time, Applejack and Big Mac downing their meals in record time before setting dishware aside so that they might attend to duties far beyond the security of the farmhouse. “We’ll be out in the north orchard today,” Applejack declared, speaking on behalf of her more solemn brother. “Shouldn’t be as long a day today as yesterday was. Think we’ll be done somewhere around five in the evening.”

They’d worked longer than that yesterday? Adagio had assumed she only had fallen behind in her timekeeping, weakness slowing down she and her beloved in their efforts to see familial duties done. I hope it’s not cause of you they’ll be done faster, she considered. A good possibility, but Applejack didn’t seem quite the type to conceal such things without a little struggle; it might actually be just less work to be done today.

“What time would you want Apple Bloom coming by?” Sugar Belle asked. “Anything you’d like for lunch?”

“Apples?” Applejack said with a chuckle. “Something with a lot of bacon on it. And make sure it’s made by Adagio, looks like I’ll eat well if she’s around.”

A blush couldn’t be held back, nor could the smile, even as the blonde farmgirl said her goodbyes. Away from the breakfast table did she go alongside her kindred, away and into the depths of an orchard that they called home perhaps even more than the home in which they rested. For a moment, Adagio thought nothing of it. But then came the realization that she was to spend an entire day upon this farm without the beautiful Applejack at her side; it would be quite a feat if she could see it done and not cause a ruckus.

And you’d better not, Adagio furiously counseled herself. This is her house. You said you wanted to be a trophy wife once, why not try and practice on that for a little bit?

“Well, there they go,” Sugar Belle sighed, gazing wistfully at where her husband had once been. “All that rippling muscle… It could make you go mad, couldn’t it?”

It seemed an impossible question to answer. “Umm-” Adagio paused. “Do you mean your husband, or- or-”

“Ohmygosh- yes, both of them. I’m super attracted to his physique, are you the same with Applejack? I swear she could lift an entire house over her head and not feel it.”

The blunt simplicity of the statement was difficult to ignore, and enough to make the Siren want to laugh. “I- I do not know, actually,” she managed. “I just… she makes me happy.”

It had slipped out so quickly, so naturally that the sumptuous woman hadn’t noticed her lips were moving before it was too late. She hadn’t meant to say anything! Her affections for Applejack were meant to be a deeply buried, dark secret that were held beneath her chest until her dying days came about. They weren’t meant to be said out loud!

“Aww, I knew you loved her!” Sugar Belle cried, all smiles and not an ounce of sarcastic feeling to be found upon her visage. “And even Applejack had her doubts sometimes, but I knew you wouldn’t just let her pass you by. Would you go in the fridge and get a little more bacon? Apple Bloom isn’t down yet and you n’ I haven’t eaten.”

She shouldn’t say anything- or do anything. But the beautiful woman complied all the same as she saw a trio of new meals begun to be prepared, slices of bacon and numerous eggs on the skillet and set to sizzling. It felt too natural for being so early in such a relationship, but she couldn’t quite deny that it was easy all the same.

“Isn’t Apple Bloom taking a while?” Adagio inquired. She’d come to assume all the Apples were early risers.

Sugar Belle grimaced. “She can be… a bit of a slow riser,” she remarked. “Apple Bloom’s been trying to decide what to do with herself lately and hasn’t quite made up her mind. And she’s been a night owl for a few years now, too.”

There was a hesitancy in which she spoke; uncertainty, or uneasiness? Adagio wondered if her presence had upset a natural balance to be found upon this tranquil farm, considering that the youngest family member had been lively and awake the last morning. To consider that she might just be mad at her presence- well…

“And there she is!” Sugar Belle suddenly declared. At the bottom of the steps and the threshold of the kitchen came forth a grim-eyed, wearied form covered in tussled red hair as Apple Bloom displayed herself to the world for the first time. Yawning wide and rubbing one eye so as to see it made clear, she hardly seemed capable of withstanding the work that likely awaited her for today.

Yet soon came the sight of Adagio in her sights, the image of the beauteous Siren enough to elicit a scowl on her features. “You’re still here,” she grumbled, not at all too kindly. Clearly, the sight of this unwanted presence was enough to set her into a foul mood.

Adagio felt the venom, and the instinctive need to fight back came without a thought alongside it. Yet rather than strike, the sweet words of Sugar Belle were there to see that she not sink her fangs in just yet. “Yup! She’s been helping me make breakfast this morning!” The cheerful woman proclaimed. “Eggs scrambled with bacon and biscuits?”

“Sure,” Apple Bloom muttered, lurching over to the kitchen table and doing her best to ignore the presence of the one she despised.

Adagio bit her lip and said nothing. She completely understood why the younger girl had no desire to see her; it weren’t as though such dislike was an unfair belief. But good heavens, how she wanted to fight back against it! But what on earth for? Well, beyond the obvious.

“OK, so that’s everyone!” Sugar Belle surmised as Apple Bloom’s plate was stuffed full of bread and meat. “I hope you’re hungry! We can always save the best just for us.”

The bright girls’ cheerful demeanor had yet to fade, even as the morning tasks came to an end. Two empty plates were soon made full with the farm’s greatest delicacies, Siren and young housewife digging into their respective platters with hungering abandon as their youngest companion did whatever she could to ignore current company. It had been quite a while since their awakening, and there was still more to be done.

“Ooh, Applejack’s right, you really can cook,” Sugar Belle muttered through a mouthful of eggs. “These taste great, thanks for getting them done!”

Adagio couldn’t hold back the smile though she wasn’t at all keen at receiving the praise. “It’s just eggs and bacon,” she mumbled. “That’s not difficult.”

“It’s till tasty, though!” The frizz-haired girl replied. “Just the right amount of salt and pepper –pour me a little more coffee, please?- make it perfect. No wonder she brags about the meal you helped her make.”

There was nothing to take pride in. Siren did what she could to avoid the compliments of her companion; it had been too little and nowhere near enough to be worthy of words. “It was her recipe. I just helped.”

“If you say so. But goodness, she’s been so happy to have you back,” Sugar Belle remarked. “You’re going to marry her, aren’t you? You keep looking like you want her to ask you!”

Now that wasn’t at all a welcome remark! Adagio struggled to put down her mouthful of eggs and bacon, scowling between tears as Sugar Belle tried to politely stifle her laughter. Beneath the weight of obvious disapproval, the young woman had to know her words were not acceptable just yet.

“Sorry- I just couldn’t resist,” Sugar Belle said after a time; for far too long, she had needed time to regain her composure. “But it’s so obvious you adore each other. Would it really be so bad if you showed it? You might even enjoy it.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake.” Apple Bloom gave an almighty groan and swiftly cast aside her half-consumed plate of breakfast, departing away and out of sight before a single remark could come her way. “I’m going to get the chickens fed!”

“Make sure to clean up in the barn!” Sugar Belle called after her, brusquely ignoring the displeasure that had come alongside such remarks. “But you look so at home in her clothes! And she can never take her eyes off you, I bet-”

“Why does Apple Bloom hate me so much?” Adagio demanded of her. It had been a boiling question in her mind since day one, even if she felt the young farmgirl’s disgust was a justified emotion. “She never seemed to notice me when she was at school, why does she not like I’m here now-”

“You’re not answering the question, you!” Sugar Belle’s gentlehearted remark came almost as though a distraction, eager to keep the lovely Siren’s attentions elsewhere. “You seemed so at home here last time… why not be the same way again?”

So this was to be a friendly interrogation of sorts. What on earth could she say that would help such a sweet girl understand the sort of monstrosity from which she’d been birthed? Wickedness and deception had been the norm, vile deeds and seduction as common as sunlight in the desert. Adagio wasn’t quite sure how to make it all seem sensible to one so sweet. Surely Sugar Belle was of the same mold. “I…” She began and promptly faltered; words would be difficult today. “She deserves better.”

Rather than sympathy, sadness, or perhaps confusion, instead came gentle laughter to meet her ears; the sweet girl could only see the Siren’s despondent words as something humorous rather than anything to be taken seriously. “Goodness, but she loves you- and you’re both so sweet on each other,” Sugar Belle said. “Who cares if she deserves better or not? She wants you!”

The simplicity of such an argument was enough to leave every sort of philosophy in the young woman’s mind utterly shredded; she had so many reasons and thoughts and arguments to be made, yet they all seemed positively futile when put in comparison to words like that. Adagio had thought Sugar Belle to be little more than a rural simpleton, perfectly at home in the world of the Apples as though she’d been made to belong there. Now she wasn’t at all sure if she was a genius or an idiot. “But… Sugar- is it alright if I call you Sugar Belle?”

“Of course! We’re practically sisters at this point!”

Oh for heaven’s sake, this naïve little girl-! “Sugar Belle,” Adagio muttered, “Do you know- you must know how Applejack and I first met. It wasn’t exactly the best of circumstances, I was- and I was a horrible person before I even met her.”

“Oh, that’s alright. Everyone starts somewhere,” Sugar Belle replied in her ever cheerful tone. “At least you know. I’ve met tons of people who thought they were perfect and flawless all the way to the end and they never even considered they might be wrong! You’re just not willing to accept you could be happy after all your mistakes. It’s alright that you fell flat on your face- you know you did, and you don’t want to be that way even if you’re not sure of it yet. Once you figure that out, you’re going to be Applejack’s dreamgirl in every way.”

Oh for heaven’s sake, this bright-eyed idiot simply didn’t get it! Sugar Belle seemed just as determined as Applejack to see her in a good light, dead-set on providing words of good cheer and hope to buoy her spirit. “Sugar Belle, I was a whore, don’t you understand-”

“Of course I do. I was in a cult!”

And then her words promptly died on her tongue, bitter taste unable to be cast aside. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, actually,” Sugar Belle explained. Pulling at the sleeves of her dress, she revealed bare skin that had been visibly blackened by burns and scars; countless places that had known the cruelty of humanity and what violence they could bring about. Though only a small hint as to her past, the simple act had been enough to strike the unhappy Siren dumb. “So… when I was a teenager, I- I sort of got roped into something stupid. I wanted to be just like everyone else. And I guess that meant not being anything special, either. So when this woman came to me, she offered me a chance to be just like everybody else in her town. So I went with her.”

Adagio knew how tempting it could sound. How could she not know the symptoms, the similarities in the words? Each villain always ended up sounding the same.

“I tried to convince myself I was happy at first; just being whatever anyone else needed me to be, doing whatever I was told to do- and nothing else. But I kept wanting to do things for other people there,” Sugar Belle continued. “I kept wanting to see people fed with good food. To make them all happy, and bring a smile to their face! But I kept getting punished for it. When that miserable place got shut down, I didn’t know what to do! So I came to town and hoped someone would tell me what I was supposed to be doing, and- well, I met Big Mac one day, and… and he thought I was the best thing ever.”

She said it as though it were the most simple, obvious statement in the world. No arrogance, no cocky braggadocio, it just was. Adagio couldn’t quite believe she’d heard it spoken aloud. “Were- are you?” She asked.

“Of course not! I’m not very smart, I’m super emotional, and I have a whole lot of other things I’m not good at, too,” Sugar Belle promptly said, not missing a beat and keeping her wide beaming visage intact. “But Big Mac thinks I’m kind. And gentle, and that I’d be a good mother someday. He believes, every day, that I’m capable of doing something good. And since I love him, I believe it, too.”

There was absolutely no logic to be found in her argument. No rational pattern of thought, no chain, nothing. Sugar Belle’s words made as much sense as a speech spoken in another language and Adagio wondered if she was supposed to believe in a single word of it. “But- I’m sorry, Sugar Belle- what does that have to do with me?”

Sugar Belle laughed. “Because Applejack thinks you’re wonderful, silly!” She declared. “She thinks you can be warm and kind and gentle someday, just like me! She’s spent so much time talking about how you kept building her up and making her feel ten feet tall- that you make others be strong! And that you’re a place to be vulnerable and safe. And… well, Applejack’s never wrong about people! I bet she’s right about you!”

The litany of arguments she wished to bring against such simplicity were numerous; Adagio couldn’t keep track of them nor would she have been able to say them aloud without stumbling over her words and falling flat on her face. Sugar Belle would either not listen to reason or she was so absolutely certain of her convictions that any countered voice could not hope to crack through and make any sort of impression. The morose Siren couldn’t find herself willing to believe in any of it, but she couldn’t quite keep herself from feeling grateful all the same.

“So… you’re in charge today,” Adagio remarked. “What- what do we have to do today?”

“Oh, just a lot of housekeeping, really,” Sugar Belle answered. “Laundry will need to get done, so that means clothes and the bedsheets- wait, you didn’t pull yours off your mattress, did you?” When given a shake of her head, the friendly bride merely shrugged. “Oh well, now you know. So there’s that, we’ll need to make some more biscuits, get the bathrooms cleaned- oh, and make sure Applejack and Big Mac get lunches, too. That should be simple, we’ll be able to get dinner ready without any issue. That doesn’t sound too bad, right?”

“I… guess not,” Adagio said. It seemed like a good deal of work to endure even if might not turn out in such a way. A lot of cleaning, which would mean a lot of exerted effort; considering how tired she was still from yesterday, the desire to fulfill such a task was low. But she was here, and it would be for Applejack’s benefit…

“That’s great! Come on, I’m finished with breakfast, are you? Let’s get everything cleared and we can get started.”

The rest of her day saw the wondrous Siren engaged in numerous tasks of manual labor, in varying degrees of exertion as she pushed through the house and saw it made spotless. Her initial assumptions of Sugar Belle were deemed to be completely unfounded despite what appearances might suggest; the young woman’s undefeatable good cheer was pleasant to be around and helped to make even grimy work more tolerable. It was, as Adagio came to realize, a good attitude to emulate.

“Jeez, this is filthy,” she grumbled. Pushing hard with a sponge against a layer of grime in the tub, the young beauty didn’t allow her mind to imagine what sort of nastiness could have created such a stain. “What on earth have y’all been doing in here?”

“Oh, it’s just the one bathroom, unfortunately,” Sugar Belle explained as she took a hand towel to the toilet. “Big Mac and I have been wanting to put a shower in our cottage, but… well, it’s- we can only afford a bit at a time. And we need to pay off the loan for the house before we add any furnishings.”

The vast farmlands that had greeted her and the almost robotic expertise of those who tended to it had made her assume there were riches to be found amidst this household. Adagio hadn’t considered that the Apples might have to forgo a few things to scrape by. “You don’t have a bathroom in the cottage?” She asked.

“Oh, we do. It’s just not finished yet,” Sugar Belle answered. “Big Mac and Applejack got the toilet set up soon as we moved in, and we just finished getting the sink ready a bit before Christmas. Once we get everything finished, Big Mac and I… we’ve talked about kids. It’d be nice to make this place a bit more lively- and Granny Smith deserves some grandkids.”

“I can see you being a good mom,” Adagio said- and then promptly returned to her scrubbing. That had been a looseness of lips, not anything she had meant to say aloud!

Fortunately, the sweet young girl only laughed in delight. “Thank you! I certainly want to be. I used to dream about having a big family when I was a little girl. Now that I’ve moved here, I keep thinking that it’s only a moment away. With Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Applejack, and a whole bunch of my own little ones- and then you as their favorite auntie! I know it’ll feel like heaven.”

She always spoke of the Siren’s permanent place amongst them as though it were certainty. Sugar Belle’s endless confidence in a happy ending felt like it should be grating on her nerves. “Why do you think I’m going to stay?” Adagio asked. “Or that I’d be any good with anyone here?"

“Why not think that way?” Sugar Belle countered lightly; tossing her hand towel out in the hallway along with the rest of the dirtied laundry they had accumulated, she hardly seemed stressed with giving any sort of answer. “You could be if you want to, you know. You don’t have to be miserable and mean and unhappy if that’s who you want to be.”

“Do… do you think I will be?”

“Hmm…” Sugar Belle considered the question for a moment. “You love Applejack, right?”

No answer came across her lips, but she flushed red and looked away as the bashful smile came to life once again. As if she could say such a thing so easily-!

Sugar Belle smiled. “You’re going to make her so happy,” she said. “She’s always dreamed of having a pretty girl at home waiting for her- and you’re beautiful, so that’s even better! Come on, the biscuit mix should be done by now. Will you go to the garage and grab the buttermilk..?”

The day continued on in the same vein as the morning, simple labors and household filth before her eyes over and over again as she saw the ancient farmstead cared for in every which way. Food was tended to, clothing and linens that required her attentions were seen made right, small odds and ends that arose through their traipsing were settled and corrected. Granny returned home in a wearied state and requested some privacy in her room for a time, her minute gathering of things an unexpected chore- the muddied trail of Apple Bloom’s things as she returned from animal husbandry far more unsurprising. Though she had expected herself to be miserable or worn out, Adagio was left surprised that she still maintained a good deal of genial spirit come the sight of sunset; it hadn’t really been all that bad a day, all things considered.

Sitting out on the porch, Adagio had been granted the privilege of watching the stellar ball fade beyond the horizon; dinner had been Sugar Belle’s charge, she only there to aid if necessary. Whatever was being done now apparently didn’t require her hands. Instead, she could simply sit back and enjoy the view as numerous colors of gold, red, and pink scattered their way across an endless skyline that held firm above a beautiful layer of green below. Had it been like this yesterday? Perhaps she’d been too tired to take notice, more concerned with breathing and survival than anything that transpired above her. Now, with a cup of iced tea in her hands, the lustrous Siren was able to enjoy this daily ritual of natural beauty.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Sugar Belle said. From the threshold of the farmstead did she appear, dropping down to the steps so as to take a seat beside her day’s companion. “I never got to take time to see anything like it when I was… I think it means more now. Because of everything that’s happened, you know? I’m here to see it, and I get to spend it in my husband’s home. I think that’s something nice.”

“I…” Why even bother dissenting? It was too pointless. “Yeah. I guess so,” Adagio admitted. “Thank you, by the way. For… putting up with me.”

“Don’t be silly, you were such a huge help!” Sugar Belle protested, all smiles as she took in the words. Her unrivaled good cheer refused to let any apology be made, certain that any help, no matter how meager, had been given willingly. “Thanks for everything, it’s usually just me and Granny. I know she’s glad you’re here to help out, especially since you make Applejack so happy.”

“Speaking of…” Adagio looked out onto the edge of the farmyard and saw the blazing headlights of a familiar four-wheeler coming into view, the high-pitched whine of its engine soon meeting their ears. Oh thank God, a distraction. “Looks like we got done just in time.”

“Looks like it.” The two remained silent as the siblings turned towards the shed and saw their ride neatly tucked away; shoulders sagged, bodies moved slowly as they held the weariness of their day’s toil. With one last glance in their direction, Sugar Belle rose from her seat beside her newfound friend only to pause and whisper, “Give her a kiss when you go to say hello. She gets super cute when she gets flustered.”

I-” A pause. “Wait, what?”

Sugar Belle winked and strode to meet her husband as the dirtied man arrived back home, his soiled grasp coming about feminine form so as to greet her properly. Not for a moment had she lingered or allowed any sort of questioning in the slightest, merely giving advice for offering an example to follow.

Adagio, still left a little confused as to what she’d actually heard, found herself staring at her blonde farmgirl as Applejack took in the sight of her brother’s affectionate gesture. Eyes lingered upon them for only the smallest time, a small flash of emotion in her green gaze as she watched them embrace- and then turning away, finding a smile once more as she caught sight of her Siren seated on the porch.

“Hey!” Applejack called, a wave of a gloved hand as she trumped towards the farmhouse. “How’d everything go today?”

Adagio felt her face burn- and for no reason at all! She knew Sugar Belle’s eyes were on her, encouraging her to show a little initiative even if the thought was terrifying. What- goodness, how could she behave like a decent spouse without it seeming like a performance? She wasn’t Sugar Belle, Applejack wasn’t Big Mac, nor was this any sort of stupid sitcom; how on earth was she meant to behave and it be seen as something natural? But the allure to go and greet her was palpable- and those lips that she knew would taste so sweet…

“H- hi,” Adagio said, and found herself speaking a bit too breathlessly. Goodness, get a grip on yourself, you fool! A swift dart to her feet and she was soon before her rescuer- on tiptoes, both of them uncertain what to do next. Applejack did not dare to put her arms about the luscious woman without certainty, Adagio hardly believing she’d even shown the slightest daring-

It was a good middle ground she decided on. A swift kiss on Applejack’s sweaty cheek and an embrace, doing what she could to ignore the sensation of sweat and grime that she so promptly felt. As if she hadn’t been more disgusting when Applejack had found her in that nightmarish mansion! The feeling of being in her arms once again made the Siren lose track of herself. It was such a comforting, pure thing, no matter how each of them were; no judgment, not an outside voice to be heard, they just were… it was intoxicating, if she didn’t know any better.

Oh my gosh, I forgot how good her muscles feel.

“I… guess that’s a good sign?” Applejack murmured.

Oh. Right, they were still hugging. Adagio pushed herself away but only just, content to be held within the bounds of the freckled beauty’s grasp for a time longer. “Sorry I was such a grump yesterday,” she said, suddenly feeling the need to plead for forgiveness before she lost her nerve; she only hoped the tinge of red in her cheeks wasn’t a shade too deep. “I know it wasn’t fun.”

Applejack shrugged. “I already forgave ya,” she said. “It’s alright. Hope today was better.”

“It was,” she said, surprising herself as she pressed against Applejack’s neck with the soft touch of another kiss. Had it been instinct, natural urge- or the simple desire because she’d wanted to? “Hungry?”

“Starving. Just what have you and Sugar Belle got for me today..?”

Dinner turned out to be a pot roast with green beans, the wondrous scent of succulent meat pairing well with the salty tang of freshly snapped vegetables. Adagio had followed along with Sugar Belle in what manner she could best follow, not much of a maestro when it came to the preparation of meals. The beans had at least been easy, only a trace of oil in the pan along with some salt; helping with the roast had been a bit more difficult. At least she hadn’t been the sole provider, or a rather magnificent portion of beef would have been swiftly ruined.

“How’d everything go at the doctor’s office today, Granny?” Sugar Belle asked. Gathered around the dinner table, each member of the family had their own day and stories to share now that the communal meal saw them reunited once more. The meal itself hardly mattered to the family, despite their need for quality sustenance after an arduous day of farmwork; being together and enjoying the company of loved ones was the critical aspect.

“Good as it can be, I guess,” Granny replied.

“You were complaining about your hip last week,” Applejack remarked as she chewed through a bite of beef. “What’d they have to say about it?”

The aged woman’s eyes gleamed with wry humor. “That I’m old,” she chuckled. “Recommended taking Epsom salt baths for soreness, but told ‘em I can’t sit down in a bathtub no more. So he tried to tell me to get a new bathtub.”

“Might as well fly to the moon right now,” Big Mac muttered. “Getting that cottage made took enough out of us, we ain’t got enough to fix the floorboards upstairs for months- if we’re lucky.”

“And you still don’t have the bathroom done in the cottage yet, either,” Granny said. “I told that doctor it wasn’t enough to worry about so long as I can keep myself moving. Some painkillers and a shot of whiskey every night oughta be enough.”

Applejack bit her lip and gave a dim growl in the back of her throat that could only be displeasure. Trying to dissuade her grandmother when the matriarch’s mind had been set was a feat long to be found impossible, and attempting to do so usually ended poorly. For one so dedicated to her kindred, allowing discomfort was a tall order, and certainly not easy to accept. “I wish you’d at least let us help you a little more,” she murmured. “You’re walking around too much, we’ve got the farm under control. Why don’t you try to rest a little more, relax? You don’t have to sit around and do nothing, but…”

“Yeah, I’m fine with the animals,” Apple Bloom added. “Sugar Belle basically runs the house fine, Big Mac and AJ handle the orchard. Why not just stick to keeping the money in order? Not like your mind still ain’t sharp as a tack.”

Big Mac had remained silent throughout, long ago having decided to debate with his grandmother was a fool’s gambit that he allowed to his more reckless siblings. To the stoic man’s surprise, he found that the great woman actually seemed to be considering the offer.

“I might,” Granny drawled. “See what I can do to tighten the budget up a bit better. Maybe we can get the cottage finished up a little faster so this family can keep on growing some more.”

The suggestion didn’t go unnoticed and left the young couple a little flustered at its brazenness. Rather than be occupied by the risqué, Applejack found herself more concerned with this surprisingly easy settlement of wills. “Didn’t figure you’d go for it,” she said. “What gives, Granny?”

The great matriarch looked about her ancient table and took in the surroundings; hardened wood of house and home, set down and made with care by the hands of her marvel of a father; the table that had been his own design, crafted with his bride’s specific details in mind. Everything she could find in the home she had always known had been made and set there by a member of her clan, and all of it built to last. Though perhaps the family that now sat about her table was not quite as whole as she wished, but the sorrow that had been present in so many hearts was being comforted. Big Mac’s distance from the world had been made small by a shining star, Applejack’s anxious heart had at last seen the love of her life secure and kept safe; though Apple Bloom had yet to truly decide what course she wanted to take, the old woman knew that the wisdom of the young girl’s siblings would be enough to guide her right. They had a home in which to find shelter, a family that would forever look after them, and a future made to last; everything she’d wanted for her grandchildren was being taken care of- and all of it without her hand in any of it.

“I’m old, that’s all,” Granny said simply. “And I’m not worried about you no more.”

The blonde farmgirl didn’t quite follow. “Granny, I- I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You’re glad to be at home again. Not worried about what’s out there.”

Oh. Four pairs of eyes turned from their familial leader and instead fell upon the self-conscious form of a beautiful Siren, odd woman out in such a rustic mix and wondering why she was being so highly valued by one so much better than she. Adagio wished Granny hadn’t said such a thing; yes, she was glad that Applejack was happy because of her, but surely that wasn’t a good thing. She still didn’t fit here, there were so many reasons why she should leave before doing real damage. Why was it just assumed that she could belong?

“Granny,” Adagio said slowly, “I’m not really all that helpful-”

“This pot roast is good,” the wizened woman said lightly. “Green beans are real good, too. Done just right.”

“She was a huge help today,” Sugar Belle added in, smiling from ear to ear as she caught the Siren’s protest starting to form. “Honestly, it made everything so much easier. It was great to have her around.”

“I- I only did what you told me to! I didn’t do much of anything.”

The frizzy girl shrugged. “You still helped. You’ll know how to run this place just as well as I do soon enough.”

She was unable to bear the weight of those faces that supported her; Adagio couldn’t look over at Applejack’s delighted gleam that made her beauty radiate, not the purehearted smile on Sugar Belle’s lips, not the smirk Granny held. It was too much encouragement to remain and stay when so much of her will still demanded she flee from this place before she somehow saw it all burned down. The praise made her weak- and want to really believe it.

“I think I’m done for the night,” Apple Bloom muttered. It was a relief to the Siren that a dissenting voice came to life, the scowl on the young redhead’s face a stark contrast to her sister’s contented look. “I’ll clean my dishes so y’all don’t have to.”

The night passed by quietly, Adagio’s full stomach –and far superior mood- allowing her to enjoy the serenity of an evening in the countryside. The spring air was cool across the skin, spurring the lightly adorned Siren to seek more comfortable attire. A short shower and a quick trip into the bedroom soon saw her enwrapped in a rather comfortable pullover and pants; true, the pullover was a little large on her rather tiny frame, but it gave a sense of comfort all the same.

Wait a minute. Adagio paused as she set foot on the stairs, a slight scent of something sweet alerting her senses. Pulling her garb up closer for inspection, the lustrous girl found her nostrils filled with the pleasant aroma of apples and spring rain. She closed her eyes and allowed the comforting smell to envelop her; part of her had forgotten that this was once Applejack’s clothing. How it seemed to radiate her presence! Memories of that first night together flooded through her mind: Applejack’s hair falling gently across her shoulder, the faint glow of her bright-green eyes, how her smile was something so delighted and yet so bashful; of how that magnificent farmgirl had held her close throughout the night…

“Umm- excuse me.” Eyes promptly went wide open once more. Standing before her and trying to make their way up the stairs was Applejack in the flesh, patiently waiting for her desired one to awaken from her daydream and step aside.

The flood of embarrassment at being caught in such a mood was something she didn’t have the vocabulary to define. Flushing a shade redder than even the ripest of apples, Adagio dropped the pullover from her grasp and promptly took a few steps back so as to be a hindrance no longer, wishing she could fall through the floor and somewhere into the darkest pit of the earth.

“I’m… I’m glad today went better for ya,” Applejack remarked; slowed pace came to a halt as the farmgirl leaned back against the wall. “Sugar Belle likes you a lot. Had nothing but kind things to say about you.”

“She probably has something kind to say about everyone,” Adagio countered, feeling the sweet girl had the personality akin to a golden retriever.

“Yeah, she usually does,” Applejack chuckled, “Sugar Belle’s kind like that. But she’s not usually wrong, either- and don’t you go saying nothing, too. Just let it be.”

It was a blatant lie that she wouldn’t even be allowed to object to? Adagio scowled, wondering why she couldn’t get this beautiful girl of the countryside to see sense. What kind of spell she’d managed to put upon her sensible mind and leave her deluded clearly had to be undone, it just wasn’t logical. Applejack had sacrificed too much for one such as her, degraded herself far too low. She’d even gone off and been a stripper just to maybe find a hint of where-

Wait, that’s right. Big Mac had said it so swiftly, given it so little weight that the remark had almost been forgotten. Applejack had been so desperate to find out where she’d gone that the freckled blonde had actually performed a small descent into the underworld so as to find her. A stripper, her? What on earth had she been thinking?

Applejack blinked, scrutinizing her love’s distressed expression. “What’s the matter?”

“Applejack,” she began slowly, “What- what did you have to do to find me?”

At first, the query was answered only with confusion, Applejack standing there and trying to make sense of why she’d even asked in the first place. But no dim mind dwelled within her and soon the connections were forged. “I guess Big Mac told you a little bit the other day, did he?”

Should she confess? It almost felt sinful to do so. “I…”

“It’s alright. Not like I don’t know what I was up to.”

“Please tell me it wasn’t at Lady Luck’s,” the ginger woman pleaded.

“Uh, no. I- I found out you’d spent a few months over at Cabaret,” Applejack answered. “Was there for… a month, I think? One of the girls finally told me that you’d gone up to Manehatten to work for some sleazeball.”

It had been a poor move on her part, made out of pure desperation to flee. She could still feel the wounds from that ‘modeling gig’ somewhere in her soul, and most definitely where the cut had gone across her right breast. Her time at Cabaret hadn’t been terrible, but the manager had been a notorious pig- and a wannabe pimp. “Why did you go there?”

“I needed to find you,” the blonde explained, so simply as though it hardly needed to be said at all. “Every trail my friends gave me had gone cold, and… I knew I needed to start thinking like you a little.”

She despised the thought. Someone so good as Applejack, with good family and good futures ahead of her- so many better opportunities and better girls to pursue. Yet what had she done, for Adagio’s sake? Cast aside her dignity, displayed her naked bodies to strangers and lustful brutes that would dream of a cacophony of miserable things they could do to her. The thought of Applejack at a stripper’s pole and being catcalled by the heathens was enough to make her sick.

“Granny wasn’t super happy about it, obviously,” Applejack continued, perhaps catching wind of her audience’s unhappiness. “Made Big Mac pick me up every night to make sure I was safe. Wouldn’t let me do anything with the money I got, made me promise I’d quit soon as I found out where you’d gone to-”

“You never gave Moustakas any of your real personal info, right?” Oh God, please don’t have done that.

“Big Mac made me swear not to. And one day I walked out and never went back.”

“Just- you were there for just one month?”

“Just one month,” Applejack assured her. There was hesitation; perhaps yesterday she might not have dared, but after today’s more positive outcome… slowly, her arms went about the trim girl and brought her in close for an embrace. “It’s alright, I’m OK. Nothing happened to me and it was only for a little while. Don’t you worry none.”

“I’m sorry you had to do any of it,” Adagio murmured, burying herself in Applejack’s chest before she actually began crying from the shame. “Don’t you ever do something like that for me, do you understand? I’m not worth it-”

“That’s a lie. And don’t you ever say anything like that again,” Applejack said fiercely. Extracting Adagio from her bosom and forcing those glistening eyes to stare right back into hers, ensuring she felt her iron will. “You are. Whatever you’ve been through, whatever you were- I don’t believe in none of it anymore. You can be a good person, you don’t have to be- evil or, or broken or whatever it is you think you are. You can be good. Good and happy, if you want to! So stop trying to put yourself down, it’s not ever gonna help you. You understand me?”

She didn’t want to believe it or agree with any of it at all. Adagio knew what she was, how impossible it would be to change. But heaven help her, if she didn’t stare at that beautiful blonde with stars in her eyes and give the tiniest of nods! It was impulse, emotional crescendo given far too much potency to be real. How could she resist?

“You can help me with something right now, actually,” Applejack said, releasing the Siren’s face from her grasp and instead leading her by the hand. “Since it got brought up, I was hoping you might have an idea for all this.”

“All this what..?” Adagio’s answer came when she was led into Applejack’s room, the young blonde dipping down and extracting a heavy wooden chest from beneath her bed. With one click of the lock, the lid was lifted back to reveal the color green- in a wild, unbelievable pile. Hundreds- no, thousands of dollars had to be within this single chest, bills of all kinds just sitting there! It wasn’t the most amount of money she’d seen in her life; working for the elite had allowed her to see millions cross before her eyes on the regular. But for such a simple farm, this amount had to be staggering- and potentially life-changing.

“It’s all the money I made,” Applejack said, a small tinge of pink as she smiled. “I didn’t want to keep any of it, and Granny won’t let me put it back into the farm. So I guess I can give it to you instead and you can figure out what to do with it all.”

It didn’t take her a single moment to ponder. “I don’t want it,” Adagio said flatly. Never would she be able to use a single cent of it, the money earned at the cost of her dreamgirl’s pride and dignity. It would be impossible for her to put such shame aside and see it put to good use. “Give it away, burn it, I don’t care. It’s your choice.”

“OK, then,” Applejack said, shutting the chest closed and seeing it hidden back beneath the bedframe. “I can donate it, I guess. Maybe- yeah, I’ll do it in your name! There’s a women’s shelter in town that’s been asking for help a lot lately, I can go-”

Adagio kissed her. Instantaneous, irresistible, undeniable desire and desperation for that farmgirl’s lips too much for her to not act upon. One hand upon her face and the other about her neck so as to draw her close, the beautiful Siren leaned up and saw the gap between disappear. Perhaps it was the wrong choice, but how could she not reward such a wonderful woman? Applejack deserved this kiss- this one, and a thousand more for having sacrificed so much of herself. She deserved a kiss for her selflessness, her loyalty, and for her love to be met if only in the slightest of measures. And Adagio herself could not ignore the attraction, of just how deeply she’d needed to feel her again. She could feel Applejack’s muffled cry of shock turn faint and fall, letting only the sweet taste of her soft lips encompass her senses. How the moment seemed to freeze as they united together, time coming to a standstill so beautiful Siren and her wonderful rescuer could enjoy one simple union together in peace…

And then the spell broke, embarrassment causing Adagio to flee before she could do anything else her heart so desperately desired.

Author's Note

I didn't think it'd get this long.

See you tomorrow. Enjoy, I guess.

Thursday

When did she awake? Try as she might to sleep through the depths of night, Adagio found herself constantly awakening at the edge of a pleasurable dream. Too many moments were spent at Applejack’s side in some manner or another, whether it be in sexual intimacy or something far gentler. No matter how she awoke the memories would not fade, leaving the luscious Siren struggling for further slumber when the cockerel’s crow threatened to break the placidity of the early morning. The call to rise and be active was so close now, waiting for her to come and see duties done; why bother going back to sleep now when there would be so much more to do? Adagio took in the scenery of her quiet room that was so delicately lit and tried not to fantasize of the beautiful girl just next door.

You could go downstairs and start getting breakfast ready, you know, she told herself, the wholesome thought rather unwelcome for one who wanted little more than to sleep on. You know how she likes it, and you didn’t do too bad a job yesterday. Why not give it a go? The thought was an appealing one, really; Applejack and Sugar Belle seemed so certain that she could be good and kind without having to struggle for it, surely it wouldn’t be so difficult to prove that true. Really, why not get up a little earlier and see her girl fed? Maybe it could help convince herself that all of this fear and worry about being worthwhile was little more than nonsense.

Just when she’d managed to convince herself to get up and be adorned in the day’s attire, the sound of the rooster’s shrill crow met Adagio’s ears and set the Siren to grumbling. So much for a little spontaneity! Now the whole Apple family would be awake and ready to see the day’s work begin. Maybe if she rushed down now before Sugar Belle and Granny were set to go, she could get things started…

But then again, you needed help with the whole freaking meal, didn’t you? Adagio reminded herself, the thought like cold water on her spirit. If she went down there and screwed up something so simple as breakfast, heaven knew how that would go down. Applejack needed a good meal, something hearty and filling so that she’d have enough energy for the rest of the day. Perhaps, despite her initial eagerness, she would be better off not taking such initiative.

“Yeugh… Oh, morning.” Applejack was there at the threshold of the bathroom and yawning up a storm when Adagio made her first appearance, the sleepy-eyed blonde suddenly alight at the sight of her. “Surprised to see you up so early, I was gonna go get ya after I’d gotten ready.”

“Didn’t sleep so great,” Adagio muttered. “How about you?”

“Like a rock, thanks to you,” came the answer. “You look real pretty, by the way. That dress looks nice on you.”

Whether it had been an assumption of her day’s duties or something else entirely, Adagio found herself adorned with the fabric of a soft-brown dress, eyelet lace falling to just above the knee and giving her a far more country air than she’d ever possessed. To think that it had once been Applejack’s clothing was a shocking concept to her. “Is it nice for today? I don’t really know what I’m going to-”

“It fits you perfectly, honestly,” Applejack continued, all smiles and speaking as though she hadn’t heard the interruption. “About as pretty a girl as I’ve ever seen, for sure.”

It was too early for such friendly compliments and Adagio found herself dazzled by the warmth of the young woman’s words, slightly pink and all smiles. “Thanks to you,” she muttered, “But I’m glad you think so.”

“Wait, really?” The beautiful farmgirl remarked. “I didn’t think you’d actually agree with me or nothing-”

The warmth of affection hadn’t dimmed beneath the coolness of the night, Adagio leaning up and meeting her darling halfway with a kiss on the lips. So what that they both carried a tinge of morning breath, body and emotion not quite up to snuff for the romanticism of the moment? It was still her farmgirl, her rescuer; maybe she should start getting used to little unions like this, small kisses that made sure Applejack knew just how desperately she was loved-

The bathroom door opened and out from the pale light came Apple Bloom, the youthful redhead given a front-row seat to the meeting of lips between her sister and the Siren she despised. Both their eyes closed, hands coming together and locking together as they cherished a simple time together in the dawn’s early light-

“Oh god…damn it,” Apple Bloom growled, her raspy snarl sending the two older woman into the air with a start. Pushing past them both and back into her room did she go, the heavy door pushed close with a slam.

Broken away from one another did they find themselves in the aftermath, Adagio and Applejack still bound together by the hand and staring at the trail of their accuser. Siren looked away from it and struggled to recompose herself; Apple Bloom was the constant reminder, unpleasant as it were, of what she truly was. To be so romantic with Applejack was not something that would benefit them both. After all, do you really want more misery for your conscience to carry?

“I’ll talk to her,” Applejack said softly, seeing her beloved’s retreat as one of fear rather than truthful condemnation. “She’s been like this ever since she knew you were coming back and it ain’t right. I’ll see if I can get her to see some sense-”

“And if she’s right?” Adagio swiftly countered. “That I really am something bad for you?”

“Then she doesn’t know what you can be,” the lovely farmgirl replied, added emphasis coming about with a kiss upon Adagio’s forehead. “Come on, then. Time for something to eat. Mind if I fix you some breakfast?”

“What- no, you can’t!” Adagio didn’t know if she could bear the shame of such a thing; such a wonderful lady making her morning meal and then carrying off into the orchard to perform burdensome work? “I was gonna get up early and get you- please don’t…”

“Uh… you sure?” Applejack inquired. “You’ve never had my flapjacks, have you? What’s your favorite kind?”

In the end would be a concession between the two, blonde and ginger hair side-by-side as they saw the stovetop put to good use. Sugar Belle arrived to the kitchen and found herself pleasantly surprised by an early relief of duty, a rarity when those about her had so many duties to attend to. She could spend her morning beside her husband and relax, the young couple preferring to sit outside and take in the misty dawn in solitude together.

“This was a good idea,” Applejack said. The pancakes she made looked especially heavy, their scent dangerously enticing to the hungry Siren. “Sugar Belle and Big Mac never get to spend mornings together. I should’ve done this for them a long while ago.”

“Thanks for… letting me be a part of it, I guess,” Adagio added. She hadn’t considered such things- but then again, when was marriage ever something she’d considered? It’s not like the thought had ever entered her brain until perhaps just the other day, or maybe it was the first time she and Applejack had ever spent a night together-

Oh for heaven’s sake.

“Here. Mind taking this outside to them?”

The moment she opened the door to the outside world, Adagio was met with the pristine beauty of a glorious dawn. On the far corner of the farm did the first rays of stellar gold shine, prisms of light working their way across the skyscape and leaving behind gleaming trails of pink and gold as it went. Though so much of the sky still remained clouded and grey, the damp masses of droplets that hung above were tinged by the beauty and could only illuminate the beauty even further. For a time, all she could be was starstruck.

“Oh, is that for us?” Sugar Belle asked, taking note of the plates in the young woman’s hand. “Thank you so much, that’s wonderful of you!”

“Thanks, Adagio,” Big Mac said as he accepted the stacked plate offered to him. “Tell AJ thanks for the flapjacks, too.”

“You’re- welcome,” the beautiful Siren stammered, her smile genuine even if it was still uncertain. It was nice to do something like this for someone even if it wasn’t Applejack- but then again, she’d seen it done with Applejack’s help. That made it rather special, especially since it was for her family. “… Need anything else?”

“Hmm? No, not right now, thanks,” Sugar Belle replied.

“Mind giving me a refill?” Big Mac gave his emptied mug of coffee a pitiful shake. “I’m a little dry.”

Truth be told, she actually hadn’t expected a response at all. “Oh! Uh, sure, coming right up,” Adagio said, back into the house and towards the percolator that held the glorious juice of the bean. As the sound of the screen door’s creaking came to a halt, somewhere in the house she could hear the sound of raised voices- and by her estimation, not much of it was very pleasant. A few steps closer to the kitchen and the young beauty could hear it all in full detail, Applejack and Granny Smith in a rather heated conversation with the youngest of their family, and Apple Bloom in no mood to listen to whatever it was they had to say.

“I don’t care if you want her to get used to it! I’m not going to have her helping me with my animals!” The young girl said hotly, the sound of a foot being stomped arriving soon after.

“First off, they’re not your animals,” Applejack replied, sounding as though her patience was being put under serious strain. “And secondly, she needs to know how everything’s done here. We all know how to do each other’s jobs around here, and she’s gonna be the same way-”

“She’s not staying here, AJ. You’re out of your mind if you think she’s actually gonna stick around. Why would she? What on earth are you gonna offer that she’d even want?”

The remark was so intentionally cruel that the hidden Siren almost revealed herself from her hiding place in the dining room and confronted the young Apple. How dare she say something so awful about Applejack! Yes, this farm life was rustic and simple- but Applejack was everything a girl could want and not anything could persuade her otherwise. She was peaceful, caring, loving, romantic, beautiful, strong, generous, tender, and so many other superlatives that listing them all might take forever. If Apple Bloom had any issue with her sister, then she’d better take it up with her right now-

But it’s not really Applejack she’s mad about, is it?

“Applejack’s right. If she’s gonna stay, then she needs to know how to help run the place,” Granny Smith said, her words far less heated and more measured than that of her hot-blooded kin. “Taking care of the animals is part of that. You know ‘em best, you work with them the most. Show her the basics and let her help out for the day.”

“But why? She’s not gonna stay!” Apple Bloom insisted. “You know she’s not!”

“Until she proves otherwise, we’re gonna act like she will,” Granny said. “What we believe doesn’t matter. It’s up to her to make that choice. Now stop being a brat and accept it.”

“That’s not even-”

“Accept it.” The first tinge of heat in her voice was enough to radiate through the air and burn even her concealed frame, Adagio glad she wasn’t in the room to see it firsthand. Granny Smith’s temper was beginning to boil, her family knowing better than to be so openly mutinous. “It ain’t our job to condemn anyone for their past. Anyone who wants to be here can call this home. We build them up, we help them be good, but we don’t tear them down. Is that understood?”

Adagio swore she could hear the sparks in Apple Bloom’s brain. Fiery spray as she so desperately wanted to continue in her rebellion even if the fear told her to comply. For a while, all that could be found was a charged silence. And then-

“She better not try anything stupid,” Apple Bloom said, her words followed by footfalls as she trod out of sight and up the stairs.

“Well, that… wasn’t good,” Applejack said, more than a tinge of fury in her voice. “She ain’t ever gonna be OK with it, is she?”

Granny sighed. “No one’s gonna convince her of it ‘cept for herself, at least,” she admitted. “Up to her. And Adagio actually proving her wrong, of course.”

“And she will. You know she will,” Applejack said.

“I don’t know if she knows what she wants yet. One day she’s got all the fury of a storm in her- and all of it directed at you. The next day, she’s… right as rain, sort of.”

“She won’t let me convince her of anything yet. Just keeps believing that she’s awful.” Adagio could hear the morose in Applejack’s voice, enough to wrend her own heart and make her yearn to be at her side. “What she says and… and what she does are just-

“Like I said. She doesn’t know what she wants yet,” Granny echoed. “Shes gonna have to decide if she wants to be your girl or keep herself shut away. And that’s a hard thing for anyone to decide- it’ll be just the same for her.”

For a moment, only silence. “Granny,” Applejack began, sounding hesitant as though fearful of continuing on, “When you- when Adagio was talking with you the first day she got back…”

“You know better than to snoop,” Granny remarked. “Ask her yourself sometime. But that girl’s gone through things I don’t think you or I can really imagine. So be gentle with her, and treat her right. It’s all you can do.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nestled in the corner of the dining room and hearing the footfalls of this wise matriarch as she left the scene, Adagio wished she hadn’t heard any of it at all. This was an altercation between family that was of her own making, whether she’d intended it or not. This sort of hurt and distrust shouldn’t be happening at all, not in the midst of such a good family. Should she just tell Applejack to throw her out and hold fast to her family instead? Surely it would be better than having her presence around to consistently make things worse. Especially since she was just being a snoop and listening in when she shouldn’t be at all…

She couldn’t remain in hiding forever. Turning the corner and heading into the kitchen, Adagio found Applejack in the corner of the countertops with her face turned away from sight; muscles of the shoulder remained taut, body tensed as she continued on in her thought. The sound of footsteps alerted the beautiful woman to the presence of another and she turned to meet Adagio with a melancholy smile.

“Oh- hey,” she said, trying to sound bracing and failing miserably. “How… you heard a lot of that, didn’t you?” Of course she said so, how could one so honest pretend to think otherwise?

“I’m sorry. I thought it’d… that I should stay out of the way.” She felt her heart twist, if not curl somewhere in her chest. The actions she’d taken felt so much worse now than before…

“I’m sorry about Apple Bloom. Really, I am,” Applejack said. “She- I don’t know why she seems to hate you so much, but it’s-”

“It’s OK,” Adagio cut through. “Really, she can hate me if she wants to. She’s not the first.”

“But it’s not OK…”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, if that’s what she believes of me.” A quick visit to the percolator to at last see her duty done before turning back to the entrance- only to pause as she stood beside her beloved. Applejack seemed so morose, far too sad for so early in the morning. How was she supposed to work if she was in a state such as this? It was too much to ask that she spend the day in a state of melancholy. On tiptoes and hesitating even as she summoned the thought, Adagio leaned up and saw those soft lips caressed by a kiss. “And for the record, you’re better than any girl I’ve ever met.”

Applejack promptly flushed a glorious shade of scarlet and hurried over to the stovetop, desperate for her wide smile not to be seen by anyone alive.

The morning carried on peacefully enough, though the early spat between family was enough to dilute the tranquility that had settled on them; Adagio tried to carry on as though the incident hadn’t transpired at all, at least for Applejack’s sake, but found herself disquieted by the event all the same. Her rescuer was intent upon her remaining on this farm as a permanent fixture, an eventual member of the family- yet her sister was absolutely insistent that she could not be part of their world and seemed willing to ignite real discord to ensure it. If Apple Bloom was that vehement in her arguments, and Applejack was just as unwilling to cede ground, then her presence might cause a genuine problem. Was it good that she even be here, if that were so? Were it right? The two were bonded by blood and genuinely cared about one another. Should her being in their midst cause that to sever…

“You should probably put on some boots before you go on out,” Applejack counseled her beloved as they quickly made their way through breakfast. With the rest of the family fed and already out the door, the two had been graciously allowed a little more time to see their morning end with a full stomach. “Might be messy being out there, especially with the cows. Stalls need cleaning every day.”

“Umm, where would I get some..?”

“Oh, yeah, you don’t have any. Let me ask Sugar Belle if she’s got something you can borrow, her shoe size ain’t that big,” Applejack said. “Might be the only person who’d have something that’ll fit you for being in the pasture all day-”

“Don’t feel any rush,” Adagio said quickly. “If that doesn’t work, I can just- you know, help elsewhere. It’s alright.”

Freckled features were left befuddled by the seeming hesitancy to work. Adagio had been –for the most part- a good sport about their little arrangement. She hadn’t bucked or been unwilling to do any work asked of her before now. Then realization clicked in and Applejack bit back a frown. “If she gives you any grief, let me know. Don’t even engage with her, just let me or Granny deal with it. She’s a grown adult and she’s not supposed to be acting like a child-”

“I’m not worried about how she treats me.” Dare she admit her concerns aloud? The thought of potential repercussions might not have even occurred to the farmgirl just yet.

“Then what’s the matter?” The question was offered in earnest, she wanting a genuine answer to help allay the beautiful Siren’s fears. If it wasn’t Apple Bloom’s foul mood that worried her, then only the truth spoken aloud would be enough to illuminate the mystery.

Adagio felt half-tempted to actually comply, but decided that it would be better not to say. It was an issue she’d helped to cause and the only person who should have to see it resolved was herself. Apple Bloom despised her? Fine, let her do so. But she would not let the two sisters be at one another’s throat while she remained her, even if it meant allowing herself to be subjected to the full force of the youngest farmgirl’s wrath. “Never mind. It’s not a big deal, anyway,” she finally muttered.

The sun was well on its way to the high point of the sky when the beautiful Siren joined in with the rest of the farm’s morning ordeal; adorned in a knee-high, clay-colored dress and –per Applejack’s suggestion- a pair of worn-down boots that were a bit unstable beneath feet that were more used to heels than attire of such a kind. Goodness, look at me now, she found herself thinking, a smile of humor on her lips as she imagined her reflection in the mirror. You’re like a regular country girl now, aren’t you? If it didn’t feel so much like a façade, she might actually enjoy the sensation.

Out in the farmyard and just at the threshold of the wire fencing stood Apple Bloom awaiting her newest charge, a potent sour look upon her still-youthful features and holding a pair of baskets in her hand. Clearly in no mood for additional hands beneath her care, the young girl looked keener on sending one of the baskets in her hand flying into human flesh than being put to use elsewhere. Adagio felt her stomach twist and forced instinct back, lest her more natural self come to life to and begin prodding the younger woman’s fury to life. She’s Applejack’s sister. You will be nice, or so help me.

“You should have worn something different than a dress. We’ll be around crap all day,” Apple Bloom remarked, eyes and voice as cold as the winds of winter. “You sure you wanna do this?”

“No. But Applejack asked me to help,” Adagio admitted. Perhaps a little honesty would help the poor girl ease up? It wasn’t like she could blame her for the attitude.

“Yeah, and she made me take you along,” Apple Bloom said as she was left entirely unfazed. “Come on, we’re gonna spend most of our time in the henhouse today.”

Following her leader into the man-sized doors of the chicken coop, Adagio’s senses were immediately assaulted by a cacophony of smells that were almost potent enough to see the beautiful Siren knocked flat off her feet. Goodness, these animals smelled! There were more pleasant odors than just the scent of feces to be found, but the entirety of them all at once was overwhelming. Bedding and straw, feathers and food, aged water, chicken feed, and heaven knew whatever else was in here. Adagio felt like she’d entered into an entire ecosystem all of its own.

“Good morning, everyone!” To hear Apple Bloom speaking aloud in a cheerful voice was enough to make the gingerhaired girl take pause, turning to see the young woman be swiftly surrounded by a herd of clucking poultry. “It’s lovely to see you! I hope you slept well. Did you leave a bunch of good eggs for us to take care of?”

The gathering of chickens seemed eager to investigate their human arrivals, Apple Bloom arousing particular interest as the group of hens greeted their longtime caretaker. A rather robust-looking rooster slowly trod through the crowd of feathers to keep them in line, but all seemed to be rather gregarious and in good cheer. Though they belonged to the Apple family as a whole, it was clear the animals held special affection for the youngest of the clan.

Though their newest arrival was intriguing all its own. Unsure what to do next, Adagio remained still as some of the crowd began to come about at her feet and give her a slow, thorough investigation as though judging her capabilities- if not more. The quiet clucking and noises of the birds gave her the impression of aged humans, a group of old women talking amongst themselves of a brand new thing. Though uncertain, the chickens seemed rather eager to get to know their newest companion even if they maintained a respectful distance.

“They’re not shy, are they?” Adagio asked, wondering if it would be rude to laugh as the local rooster took a standing position atop her boot, his own scrutiny of her physique beginning. They seemed so thoroughly sure of themselves that she couldn’t help but feel charmed. They continuously clucked and made noises of all kinds, as though they were actually speaking and talking amongst themselves! She felt rather sure they had opinions of her to share and couldn’t help but have a good conversation about it. Though maybe the smell of their abode was not superbly wonderful, these lovely little animals were quite wonderful.

“They’re always on the lookout for potential threats,” Apple Bloom remarked. “Come on, get your basket filled up. Look in the nests and grab the eggs.”

The first surprise Adagio found was the warmth of the eggs within her palm. Goodness, how could they be like this? Still fresh, right from the depths of the chicken and likely delectable if any of the past couple days had anything to say about it. If this was where Applejack and her family got their eggs, it was no wonder they consumed them from nowhere else. The great number of them that awaited her hand were more than she expected.

“Do- do we need to look at any of these?” Adagio asked. “You know… if they’ve got chicks?”

“We don’t. Not anymore, Apple Bloom said. “Abbot stopped mating with the hens a while back and we don’t need to worry. He’s about the best rooster we’ve ever had, keeps all his girls in line and don’t allow them to do something stupid.” She couldn’t help but feel that was directed at her, but was it worth enough effort to start a fight? Adagio enjoyed the work with these inquisitive, rather genial animals and said nothing in response. If Apple Bloom was to keep this fight up, she would have to be honest and tell the Siren the truth; Adagio felt no desire to help her.

The work within the henhouse was filthy and dirty, but Adagio didn’t find herself irritated or unhappy about it in the slightest. These chickens seemed so pleasant and friendly that, despite her instinctive fears of repercussions from such an action, she couldn’t help but reach down and try for a quick stroke of feathers. These animals were just so genial! Water was refreshed, feed as ensured as full, bedding was replaced and made new, and throughout it all did the gaggle of good-natured hens keep to their human caretakers. It were as though there was a constant critique of their work that had to be continued, the chickens needing to comment on and criticize every aspect of her performance. Keeping these animals in good spirits was lovely; it was little wonder that Apple Bloom enjoyed her duties so greatly.

“Are all chickens like that?” Adagio asked as they exited the miniature house, her basket filled with eggs that were primed for many a wondrous breakfast; she could even still feel the warmth of them. “They all seem super sweet around people.”

“Huh? Like, are they all friendly?” Apple Bloom seemed stunned that her aide had come away from the work in such a good mood- if not outright displeased in the outcome. Their work had been foul and dirty, straw and bedding covered in feces that had required their efforts to see dispelled. It was not something that one would expect to find charming.

“Yes! They seem like a bunch of old girls talking together,” Adagio remarked. She hadn’t minded her work in the slightest, completely comfortable in her adoration of such a genial group of animals. “How long have you had them all? Do you breed them here of buy them instead?”

The young farmgirl appeared thoroughly disquieted by the remark, no desire to answer -apparent in her. Perhaps she had hoped that this foul-smelling duty and its work would be enough to wear out her hated foe; had she been foolish to think it was enough? Perhaps so, but there was still more to be done. The chickens had only been the morning, and there was plenty of sunlight left in the day.

“They- come on, help me get their yard cleaned up- we’ve had a continuous group for long as my folks have been here,” Apple Bloom explained. Tossing a rake to her counterpart, the two took to the dirt outside the henhouse and began to see it made purified of the filth that so often contaminated the dust. “Abbot’s a new rooster, so this group is a bit different. The rooster always dictates how the rest of the group acts.”

“Like an alpha male, or something?”

The younger girl paused; there was a shrivel to her lip that seemed eager to curl into a sneer. “Yeah, like an alpha male. Keeps them all in line.”

“Well, he’s done a great job,” Adagio said. “You’ve got a bunch of nice chickens.”

“We do,” Apple Bloom said curtly. “Come on, the cows are in the barn. Don’t complain if it smells.”

A strange warning by the Siren’s judgment; it didn’t seem like it was a building in need of dire aid, nor did it appear particularly unclean on the outside. And if the chicken coop was anything to go by, Apple Bloom likely cared for the Apple family’s cows just as tenderly as she did their feathered friends. What could this spacious abode of crimson possess that could make it so difficult to endure?

The answer came soon when the barn door was cast open and air flowed outward from within the shaded realms inside, a pungent reek so potent that Adagio felt tears try to form in her eyes. Goodness, what on earth was that? Surely a bunch of animals couldn’t produce an odor so foul, it was enough to knock one senseless. She’d never conceived of a stench so bad even during her days in the realms of the aquatic; the henhouse had been nothing compared to this. “Oh wow,” she spluttered, the Siren taking a step back so as to deal with the bile that burned against her throat. “That is ba-a-ad…”

“Don’t you start complaining, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Apple Bloom said fiercely, eyes afire even though she appeared pleased to have evoked a negative reaction at last. “Come on, you need to know how to do the basics, so follow me and just suck it up.”

There wasn’t much choice in the matter as far as Adagio could see. Though still a relentless reek of foul air and feces, a shake of her beautiful head and into the barn did she stride, finding Apple Bloom already attending to one of the stalls- and the resident therein, a sizeable heifer a lovely shade of clay-brown and eagerly enjoying the affection the young girl graced upon it. With her knowledge of cows more accustomed to their culinary potential than the behavior of the animal itself, Adagio was surprised to see the beast acting so… well, docile.

“Yes, it’s lovely to see you, too,” Apple Bloom said as she continued with her scratching of the animal’s ears. Her voice was chipper and bright, the effect of this little moment a boon for her countenance, something immediately evident. In one simple action the farmgirl had been transported away from her anger and taken to a gentler place, just she and her beloved animals in a content little world. “I hope you’re feeling better, I know you’ve had it rough this week. Did you sleep well tonight?”

The young cow blinked and gave a slow, quiet moo before trying to give her caretaker’s face a lick.

The farmgirl laughed, her good cheer elevated by the seemingly sentient response. “I’m glad to hear it, you sound a lot better, too. Did Miss Elvira keep you company last night? I know you always sleep better when you can talk to your friends…”

Watching the scene unfold, Adagio had meant to keep herself at something of a distance. The younger girl was clearly well-bonded with her animals and deserved some time with them that would not be blemished by her presence. But the sight of such a joy was difficult to stay away from! Even as Apple Bloom continued in her tender care of her favorite cow, so many other horned heads appeared from nearby stalls at the sound of her voice; the barn came alive with lowing cattle calling for their beloved person, eager for a little bit of affection of their very own.

“Yes, I’ll see you all, don’t worry!” Apple Bloom called out, her voice warm with laughter as she took in her dear companions. “Goodness, you’re all being so needy lately!”

She doubted the smell had faded much, especially when a quick peek over one of the stall doors revealed a sizeable mound of cowpies, freshly made, lying in the middle of the floor. But for one who possessed little knowledge on the world’s animals and had never even given much attention to even a housecat, Adagio found herself unable to resist the allure of these crying animals that so obviously wished for attention from a human spirit.

Standing before her and eyeing her with a darkened stare was a rather sizeable animal, a traditionally colored cow of black-and-white that stood just as tall as she did. For a moment, the Siren hesitated; those horns were likely not just for show, and this animal was big enough to be able to deal legitimate damage if it wished. Would it be hostile to her simply because their favorite person was, also? Maybe I shouldn’t do anything at all, she thought even as a trembling hand reached out to press it against living flesh. A gentle touch across the nose at first, just the slightest gesture- but then the animal leaned forward, following her fingers as they tried to fall back!

Her heart melted and the beautiful woman took it upon herself to greet the lovely animal properly, lathering it in what affection she could offer and left warmed when the cow was left seemingly delighted! Oh, what a sweet thing it was! Those soft, dark eyes that gazed up at her beneath those lush eyelashes, how it leaned in against her hand as if begging for more, more, more! Adagio had never been one for animals, even possessing a slight fear of dogs, but these cows were some of the sweetest-looking things she’d ever known in her life. No wonder Apple Bloom enjoyed spending so much of her time amongst these wonderful creatures, both cattle and chicken alike, when they could be so soothing to one’s soul.

“Oh, you’re just so hungry for attention, aren’t you?” Adagio whispered, so intent on her thorough scratching of the cow’s chin that she didn’t notice the smile she now wore. “I know, you’ve spent an entire night and morning all alone-”

“Wait, are you serious?!” The sharp voice of Apple Bloom’s displeasure was enough to shatter the miniscule moment of joy and drag Adagio back into the real world. Whipping around, she found the young farmgirl standing behind her with a pail in hand and an expression that would have curdled milk.

“What? What’d I say?” Adagio ran her words through her mind once more, trying to find out what she’d done wrong. What had been said that would run afoul of the youngest Apple so deeply? Was she not supposed to be friendly with these creatures?

“They already like you! They never do that with anyone!” Apple Bloom cried, her voice swiftly rising in strength and beginning to echo across the spacious abode. “It took me months with each one for them to be comfortable with me, they don’t ever trust strangers! Why are they so desperate for your attention?”

“I was just-” She’d been legitimately interested in meeting these animals, she’d been enjoying this quiet interlude between duties. “They’re not like this with everybody? But they seem so sweet!”

A half-choked scream of displeasure and the pail flew from Apple Bloom’s hands and slammed into the wall, the clanging ring of metal giving the host of cows a start and setting them on edge. The young girl ran fingers across her scalp with a violence, bent over and bursting with fury as she let loose a violent stream of curses. “Goddammit, it’s just not right!” She roared, “Everyone likes you and it’s like they don’t care what you even are! It’s like everyone and everything is just suddenly OK that you’re a horrible person and everything you’ve ever done to hurt people doesn’t matter! Why is the whole world ready to fall at your feet?! What’s the reason?! Because I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t want you here before you ruin everything again!”

The pause for breath was a pregnant thing, Adagio wondering if this was a summons for her to speak or that it would be better if she remained silent. Apple Bloom clearly had been needing to spill this diatribe for a while, this one last incident enough to send her over the edge. Her grandmother had given Adagio permission to stay, Sugar Belle was glad to call her a friend, and the elder sister she’d always adored was infatuated with one who she’d once called enemy. It was hardly surprising that at least one of the family had an objection to the matter.

“You ruined her life!” Apple Bloom snarled, eyes locking onto her prey as her teeth lay bared; in those eyes was a hatred that burned like fire, barely concealed beneath the waters of a sorrow only she could name. “She was fine before you got here, she was happy! All you did was come in and make her lose every bit of sense she had and make her miserable- for –years! Our parents are gone- dead! Applejack’s been getting hurt by everything and everyone for too long now! She’s had to give up way too much for the sorry of excuse of a person that you are- she’s lost almost every single one of her friends! She gave up college! She worked as an actual stripper, for God’s sake! And the whole time you’ve been here all you’ve worried about is yourself! It’s like I’m the only one who knows you just hurt her! And I know you’re not going to stay. You’re going to leave again! Sometime, someday! You’re going to leave and crush my sister all over again just because the only thing you’ve ever really cared about is yourself! You won’t even care how much it hurts her to see you leave because you won’t ever even think about it!”

The absolute avalanche of accusations she faced was more than even her negative outlook had been able to conceive of. Apple Bloom had looked for every knife in the drawer and seen it thrown, deeply imbedded in the skin and made to bleed; how on earth was she supposed to respond to such vehement hatred, especially when there was so much that she agreed with herself? Applejack deserved better than she, Applejack had sacrificed far too much to rescue her-

She would hurt Applejack again someday when she eventually left. Wouldn’t she?

“Say something!” Apple Bloom raged, so deep in her anger that no scenery or concerns of others would be enough to make the young girl forgo the depths of her emotion. “Well? Aren’t you going to apologize? Do something, say something! Say anything!”

“Why? What can I say that’ll make you happy?” Adagio fired back. Was it anger that made her counter this righteous fury? “What do you want me to do? You haven’t said anything I don't already know!”

So you are going to leave her again!” Apple Bloom seethed. “What, is making her fall in love with your sorry self not good enough?”

“I know she deserves better than me! God, you little brat!” Adagio simply had no other means at her disposal to counter this rage beyond fire of her own. “You think I haven’t tried to tell her to let me go? I’ve done everything I can think of to make her choose someone better- she deserves the best person in the world, of course that’s not what I am! What am I supposed to say when nothing works?!”

If Apple Bloom had something to say in response to such vehemence, she couldn’t find the words to speak it. Much to the relief of the cattle, the violent argument appeared to have come to a standstill and offered no more shouting that could be heard. Adagio remained rigid, awaiting a response that she herself could react to; Apple Bloom stood still as a statue, trying to decide what to do next.

“Open the stalls so they can go on out to the field,” Apple Bloom eventually remarked. “They need some sunshine.”

All but one of the cattle stalls was flung open and its inhabitants was granted brilliant life, the happy beasts trotting through knee-high grass and out into the depths of the open world that was free for them to explore. Perhaps it was simple, animalistic joy that made them so eager to frolic- perhaps it was the desire to be far away from the anger of their human caretakers that drove them instead.

Apple Bloom spent further time attending to her favorite young heifer, a thorough check of hooves and whatever else she could bring her hands to before letting the young animal loose. As she watched the beautiful creature gallivant off with the rest of her awaiting companions, so Adagio did wait outside the stall for the young girl’s judgment. What could she say that would appease such anger, especially when it was justified? There were no words that would heal such a wound.

“She had a crush on a couple of her friends before you came around,” Apple Bloom sighed. Leaning against the gate, her sad eyes watched as the silhouettes of her favorite animals crawled slowly away in the open sunlight. “One or two seemed like a good match. But then you came along and actually had sex with her. So of course she decided she needed to fall in love with you.”

An accusation, and a just one; Adagio knew full well that Applejack’s initial attractions had been solely because of carnal passion rather than any good sense. That problem seemed unavoidable now. “What happened to her friends?” Adagio asked. “Rainbow Dash was the one who reached out to me way back then; what are they up to now?”

Apple Bloom merely shrugged. “Who knows. That’s how life is, right? They were all dating at the time, and when they fell apart, well… you know how it gets. Twilight and Rainbow wouldn’t even talk to each other, Sunset and Rares couldn’t be in the same room together without being embarrassed- Fluttershy and Pinkie were alright, but…”

“But it wasn’t the same.”

The young girl nodded. “And through it all, she still loved you. Even when she had so many examples of how bad it could get. A couple of her friends kinda- resented her for that, I guess. And they- we tried to tell her to drop you, but she just- no one could tell her no.”

“Not even me,” Adagio murmured sadly. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“I- I don’t know. Hell, what am I supposed to say when you agree with me?” The young girl inquired, frustrated by this lack of objections that continued on. “I mean- you love her, right? What’s supposed to be best for her?”

“That I’m not here. But… that means she shouldn’t have ever loved me in the first place,” the gorgeous Siren said. “I don’t really know how to put a stop to that.” She regarded the young girl and found her to be, in a strange way, an unusual sort of equal. Both of them valued Applejack more than themselves, more than their very lives; they admired her, wanted to be like her, and wished for nothing more than her happiness. Of course it was a difficult thing to figure out how. “I want her to be happy. But she’s made up her mind that she’s only going to be happy with me.”

“… Which means you have to stay. Or else she’ll only ever end up miserable,” Apple Bloom murmured. “But you don’t want to stay, do you? Because you think you’re not good enough for her, since all you ever think about is you.”

A cruel, yet apt, observation that was unable to be overcome. With little reason to say much of anything else, Adagio did only what she must to aid the young girl in her tasks for the rest of the day, saying what little she could manage all the while. What words she had to say would offer nothing good any longer, not here; there was too much for her to consider now.

But- perhaps not quite. It was the burning question in her mind that had been present ever since her first foray into the gorgeous farmgirl’s world, unable to be shaken off and ever-demanding of an answer. Was it tactless for her to inquire? Likely so, but she had to say something. As the sun began to crawl down towards the edge of the horizon, she found that escaping its maw was something of an impossible task. “Apple Bloom, where- where are your parents?” She asked softly.

The young girl acted as though she’d expected the inquiry, only a small sigh escaping her lithe frame. “Not far from where they got married, she said, pointing out into the orchards as though she could see clearly where they lay. “Died a bit after I was born.”

Oh God. “Apple Bloom, I’m sor-”

“You’re not the first who’s asked. Why should that matter?” Such an accusation for her to deliver!

“That doesn’t make it right,” she said in the hopes of backtracking. “Is… I- I bet they’re proud of her, aren’t they?”

“Of course they are,” Apple Bloom said, and the tears that cut at her throat could not be mistaken any longer, even as she shifted about the hay on the ground and kept her eyes hidden from view. “Who wouldn’t be proud of Applejack?”

“No one. I’m- she’s wonderful.” Adagio said it and meant it; Applejack was the best person she’d ever met, enticed her to leave behind her old life more than anything else in the world could possible hope to equal. That golden girl was more beautiful and precious than riches or power- and all she could think about was how unworthy she was of even holding the farmgirl’s hand. Did Applejack think about her in the same way, a similar vein? That she was unworthy for someone she loved, or that she was too good for one who had sunk so low? The idea was one to consider, but only for a moment. No, Applejack was not one to dwell upon such matters; she simply loved Adagio with all her heart and said as much.

Quite the difficult example to follow.

The silence lingered on within the barn too long, no longer interrupted by the sounds of livestock and their shuffling. What hurt that lay between the two women had only just been revealed and had yet to find any healing quite yet. For now, mere agreement on Applejack’s excellence –and Adagio’s failings- was to be their first unified conclusion.

“We should get these stalls cleaned out. And see if we need to bring in new bedding,” Apple Bloom sniffed, an ungloved hand brushing aside the wetness that stained her youthful features. “Come on, grab a pitchfork or a shovel, I’ll grab the wheelbarrow. And hold your breath, a couple of them have been a little sick lately. Might be bad.”

“OK.” Adagio turned to the corner of the barn and put her hands upon farmtools even as her eyes remained on the young woman for a time longer. Apple Bloom wasn’t a bad person by any means, nor unfair. She’d judged her sister’s beloved with extraordinary accuracy, combining present examination with past behavior and found the unhappy Siren to be a poor match for her older sister; seeing as no one else in the family had been willing to state the obvious, the youngest Apple was allowing herself to be considered unpleasant so as to protect her older sibling from a potentially disastrous error. Who could fault her for that? The only way her line of thought could be proven wrong would be if Adagio actually started to believe she was everything Applejack believed she could be. “Apple Bloom?”

The crimson-haired girl, wheelbarrow in hand, eyed the older woman with a glance that suggested she expected trouble, a tinge of bitten lip as she prepared for some form of rebuttal to their current deeds.

“Thank you for being honest with me,” Adagio said, at first struggling to put her words into form. “And I… I do love your sister. And I’m not going to hurt her. If I can help it.”

It was a first step, nor did it allay any of the fears that still lay within her mind- but it was something, the first and fleeting glimpse of something more than the misshapen character she’d once been that was still so obvious to all. Apple Bloom gave a nod and continued on her way towards the stalls with wheelbarrow in hand, ready to move forward with her duties rather than spend more time amidst unhappy speech.

The work of the day was dirty, Adagio wondering if she’d ever be able to scrub her hands clean enough to eat without worry again. The cows were lovely beings, all of them, but animals they were all the same and that meant mess. Hooves were checked for issues, recovering cattle were given meds alongside what treatment Apple Bloom could prescribe, and a rather sizeable bucket was made full with white milk for later care. Adagio did her best to aid the younger Apple in what ways she could, speaking little and allowing more room for listening instead. It was her chance to get to know this fiery girl a little better, understand her strengths and motivations; more hot-blooded than even her sister and perhaps more cantankerous, but caring deeply for the creatures of the world.

“We had a dog for a good long while,” Apple Bloom said as they walked back to the house, pail in her hand and doing what she could not to spill. “Winona died a bit before I graduated and we haven’t gotten one since. I think Applejack didn’t wanna get a new puppy since she’d just have to feel sad all over again.”

“Would- would you want another dog?” Adagio asked.

“It’s a farm. We need a dog around,” said Apple Bloom. “Besides, if Big Mac and Sugar Belle end up having kids after all, they should grow up with a dog around. Every kid should.”

“Yeah…” Her words drifted away as the sound of an engine’s high-pitched whine came into range. A small kickstart of her heartbeat and Adagio turned to see the headlights of the four-wheeler off in the distance, bright and coming ever closer to where the tranquil farm awaited. Applejack would be here soon, tired and worn down from a miserable day’s work in the orchards beneath the heat and haze that came from above. She deserved a reward for all that effort; would a kiss be too simple, or be something that the beautiful farmgirl would appreciate? I hope I don’t smell too bad- or look too bad, actually. She should get greeted by a pretty girl like her brother does.

Apple Bloom squinted out towards the light and whining sound that grew closer as though her instincts found something amiss. “Is- I only see one of them,” she remarked. “Look, it’s just my brother driving. Where’s Applejack?”

The fluttering in her stomach came to a standstill- and quickly replaced by a dread. What would make Applejack not come back with her brother? Surely she hadn’t decided to walk back; had they argued about something and Big Mac had left her behind? Also unlikely, he didn’t seem anywhere near that kind of person-

Rather than make the turn into the nearby shed and see the vehicle parked, Big Mac roared right towards the edge of the farmhouse and came to a swift halt, killing the engine as he leapt out and turned to the back of the vehicle where a darkened figure lay motionless and awaiting his care.

Her heart sank. “Applejack!”

“AB, get over here. Take her other arm,” Big Mac commanded, his voice a deep rumble that emanated across the yard as he spoke with the authority of urgency. “Help me get her up, come on now.”

“Big Mac, I can walk myself from here,” Applejack protested, trying to wave away her younger sibling before any further aid could be provided.

Immediate relief and Adagio felt a stinging in her eyes. She was alright! The sight of he leaning back in the bed of the four-wheeler, all dark and featureless beneath the shadows of the encroaching night, had been something out of an unimaginable nightmare. Applejack was still alive, even though her voice sounded strained by the weight of pain. She was OK- well, not OK, but alive!

“Quiet. You’re going to get looked at before you do anything,” Big Mac snapped. Perhaps this argument was one that had played out a thousand times in countless ways, leading him to be finite in patience. “End of story. Accept it.”

“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked as she slid beneath her sister’s weight, the two siblings helping the middle Apple to her feet and up towards the porch.

“Broke her foot,” Big Mac grunted. “Slipped on mud and caught it on a root, bad luck is all. Come on.”

As the trio of kin made their way up miniature stairs and into the living room, Adagio followed just behind and remained silent to that she might hear every spoken word. Applejack was hurt and she had no clue how she could help, but she was going to listen. She watched as the blonde beauty was lain upon the couch, watched as Sugar Belle and Granny did what they could to ease the pain, watched as they diagnosed the fracture with a swiftness that could only come from years of experience. Though she could offer no assistance herself and dare not get in the way, Adagio watched and listened all the same; they knew just what to do to help with the pain and stem the discomfort until tomorrow morning arose, allowing a doctor to dispense further wisdom. So swift and sure, not to mention capable of keeping Applejack’s protests to a minimum. They knew just what to do to care for her, and the Siren could only watch as she wished the role was one she knew how to play.

Author's Note

I liked this one. I think.

Tomorrow. Enjoy, I guess.

Friday

Sleep had taken time to find; concern about Applejack’s welfare and the worries that plagued the beautiful blonde a potent mix at keeping drowsiness at bay. What had eventually come was a restless, poor substitute for actual recovery that hardly felt like sleeping at all; only a periodic check of the clock that lay on the nightstand offered any sign that the night was steadily moving on.

Adagio awoke as the last shrill sound of the rooster faded off into the darkened world of early morning, the boisterous sounds of Abbot’s dawn call finally enough to bring her from a miserable slumber into the awoken world. Returned to consciousness, she felt as though sleep had passed her by- or perhaps only just begun. Her mind dragged, her body felt heavy, nothing seemed to function as it should. If she had not been elsewhere, a part of her mind would have considered it a hangover.

“Heaven’s sake,” Adagio murmured, stretching herself out and forcing body to rise from beneath the comfort of the covers and into the coolness of the morning. She took her time to see herself together, no haste in her actions to be found whatsoever; if one was this drowsy, best she come to life slowly. “That was miserable.” Another long stretch as feet landed against wood; ooh, to take her time and actually see the body awaken! What a miserable start to the day, she didn’t even know what Granny and Applejack would ask of her today-

Applejack! Downstairs, left on the couch so as to not struggle with the pain of maneuvering up an entire flight of stairs; she’d been more or less content with some painkillers and a little bourbon to help ease pain until she could reach the doctor come sunrise-

Whatever decorum she was supposed to possess was left behind the moment Adagio flung herself from the bedroom, down the stairs in a flash and out into the living room only to find that the once-occupied couch was empty and bereft of life. What on earth had happened?

“Oh, good morning!” Sugar Belle, senses roused by the sound of rushing footsteps, had exited the kitchen to find the source of the commotion and espied her newest friend amidst the clatter. “Don’t worry, she’s fine. She and Big Mac got up early this morning so they could be at the doctor’s first thing.”

“How was she?” Adagio demanded.

“Kept waking up through the night, is what she told Mac,” Sugar Belle answered. “Her foot’s still really sensitive, I guess. And as per usual, she keeps trying to pretend like it’s not a big deal and just push through it. She’s a tough girl.”

“Yeah, she- she is…” She hadn’t been invited along? Been asked to bring Applejack herself? Hopefully none of them had been trying to shunt her out of the issue so that she wouldn’t be in the way-

“She asked me to tell you good morning, by the way,” Sugar Belle added, pausing from her whisking only to speak a little bit longer. “And that she loves you, and hopes that you’re not fretting too much about her. If she wanted you to help with anything today, she didn’t say it. If you want to fill up your time, mind helping me get the grocery list together?”

Anxious for anything that would occupy her mind, Adagio was made occupied by the formation of words upon paper; Friday, it seemed, was the shortest day in the Apple family’s itinerary, and was best put to use as a restorer of supplies rather than any hard work. The pantry needed to be refilled, the fridge and freezer had contents that would be missing, and any other odds and ends that had come about during the week needed to be marked down. Adagio hadn’t been one to keep track of such comings and goings, especially when so out of the loop to such specific needs. What lay before her once she was done was a rather sizeable list of needs and necessities that would see the farm sustained for a little while longer.

“It’s budgeted for. Big Mac, Applejack, and Granny work on the yearly income for a long while before they’re willing to buy anything,” Sugar Belle said. Perhaps she’d taken note of Adagio’s pause, a small pressure put upon lip as the heady host of words began to sink in. “This farm’s never come close to going under ever since Granny’s been in charge of the money, and they won’t mess it up now.”

“Is- it’s not, like, tight, or anything,” Adagio muttered, “Is it?”

Sugar Belle shrugged. “We all learn how to do different things to help keep us afloat,” the sweet woman answered. “Darning socks, knitting, self-repair… anything we can to do look after ourselves. And when you know how to fix things yourself, that’s a little more money you can save.”

It seemed like good logic; self-sustainment was never a poor course of action, especially when life skills were developed. But Adagio found herself wondering if the budget had kept account only for four rather than for another mouth to feed. “Umm… I’m not-” A small flash of Apple Bloom’s accusation of her own self-absorption came into thought. “I’m not making this worse, am I?”

Sugar Belle regarded her companion, pausing in her making of pancakes. “You mean, like eating away at the budget? No, of course not! Don’t be silly-”

“Did they plan for me?” Adagio countered swiftly. The possibility that this was a lie was rather large.

The frizz-haired girl began to falter, steam immediately lost in the face of this challenge; apparently she hadn’t expected anyone to call her bluff “Well… I mean, they always plan for buffer space…”

Adagio felt a thrill of shame and focused on the eggs before her rather than the misery that beckoned for her to feel sorry for herself. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” she eventually murmured. “I know my being here is a big surprise. If there’s anything I can do-”

“Oh, don’t feel bad or anything! You make AJ happy by just being here!” Sugar Belle cried, seemingly appalled by the thought of this sorrowful Siren being left miserable by such a revelation. “She’ll be fine, this farm always has been! Honestly, Applejack getting hurt is a harder hit than you showing up- and they even plan for injuries, too! And once you get into the swing of things and know how this whole place works, you’ll be able to help out wherever you can, which will make you so awesome to have around!”

Unlike their last period of camaraderie, Adagio knew better than to try and argue against such a relentless optimism. A smile of gratitude and a small shove that set Sugar Belle to giggling was all she could manage before returning to her work; the rest of the family needed feeding, and there was work to be done after that. Best just to see to it rather than try to argue. Besides, Sugar Belle was so certain- would it be so bad if she went along with those hopeful thoughts?

Breakfast for four was an easy task, though her time within the pantry and its numerous items took her quite some time- and more than a few questions in need of answers. The spacious place clearly had been built with greater items in mind for days long gone and now found itself put to use for vast quantities of goods, the likes of which Adagio hadn’t encountered yet. The amount of cooking ingredients alone was enough to make one stagger; was all their food made from scratch here? Adagio hadn’t seen a brand-name meal once yet in this family’s household. No wonder Applejack always looks so good.

The half-conscious smile, alive of its own doing, faded the moment the Siren became aware of her drifting thoughts. She hadn’t meant to think that. Or had she? Besides, it wasn’t as though it was a lie; Applejack was attractive. Green eyes that shone with a bright light, straw-colored hair only helping to add to their glow; tall, a sweetly shaped face that always seemed to hold good countenance, and all those muscles she possessed! Strong arms that could make you feel so safe within, those abs- those delicious, delectable abs…

The imaginings were too strong to resist. Powered by memory of a night far too long ago, Adagio’s vision was made murky and filled by the images of a beautiful girl who’d been so nervous and hesitant in her first time- yet so eager to please, driven by natural desire to ensure her partner was loved and cared for, inviting her into a better life and not once pretending to be something she wasn’t-

“How are we looking?”

The leap she took was a good few inches off the ground, Adagio giving a swift shriek as she whipped around to find Sugar Belle standing at the threshold of the pantry. Her own fright came soon enough, the unexpected sound of terror causing the sweet-faced girl to leap back from the source as though it might bring about harm.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Sugar Belle fell away from her fear and quickly moved to laughter; she’d only come by to check because of Adagio’s constant uncertainty on the matter. “Goodness, you scared me!”

“You’re fine- I just got a little lost for a moment,” Adagio said, hoping there was no flush on her cheeks that could give away any further reasons why. “Umm- you’re out of beef broth entirely, I didn’t see any…”

“Well, just write it down on the list. I guess this one will be a little larger than last month’s,” Sugar Belle murmured. “And everything’s gotten a little more expensive lately, too.” A little further consideration on her part before simply shaking her head. “Well, it’s up to Granny what we get. Just go and give it to her, OK?”

The delivery had been easy enough, though Adagio now found herself rather task-less. Her entire time here upon the farm had always been spent amidst one duty or another, all the way to the sun’s setting and sometimes a bit beyond. What was she supposed to do now? With little more than to ask Sugar Belle if she needed-

The creaking ream of sound alerted her to movement at the front door, the shuffle of feet and muttering of low voices arriving only moments after. Her heart pulsed as she recognized the fairer and lighter of the two whispering spirits; Applejack was back!

“Hey! Sorry for not waking you up this morning,” Applejack greeted. From about the corner did Adagio rush, finding herself met by Sugar Belle coming from the kitchen to greet her returning husband and catching the two siblings speaking amongst themselves. “I figured you might wanna sleep a little longer, since working with the animals and all can take a lot outta ya. We were both up real early since the doc’s a fair bit away.”

“It’s fine- how is everything?” Adagio said. Just seeing Applejack standing there was enough to make any efforts at frustration be rendered pointless. She was here, in good spirits, and whole- save for the dark-blue cast that now wound itself about her left foot. “Oh no…”

“Ah, it’s only for a little while,” Applejack replied, a bit bashful as she tried to wave away any concerns. “I’ll be fine. Just a small fracture, thankfully.”

“Enough to sideline her from working for three weeks,” Big Mac said, grinning as he added, “and she won’t be able to work out in the orchard cause of it. Watch, she’s gonna try to go for a run for some made-up reason.”

“I can still help out,” the blonde protested. Not one to simply sit out on the sidelines, the thought of being even the slightest resemblance of dead weight was intolerable. “Just cause it ain’t in the orchard don’t mean that I’m just gonna lounge around.”

“And what did old Doc Mead have to tell ya?” Granny asked, making an appearance from her bedroom to assess the situation. “Doubt he gave you the green light to keep going along.”

Protesting against her brother was one thing; teasing banter and friendly arguments had been their norm ever since they’d been young. Raising a stink with Granny was about as advisable as diving with pissed-off sharks while covered in steak sauce and Applejack knew better than to even try. “Umm.”

Granny raised a solitary eyebrow. “Be honest, now.”

Defeated before she’d even raised a hand, the farmgirl could only sigh. “No work for the first three days, gotta try and keep weight off it. And gotta take some painkillers before bed, too.”

“Then do that. Adagio, go get her set up on the couch-”

“Oh, I- Granny, I was going to vacuum up the living room today,” Sugar Belle interjected. “It’s been a while since the furniture got cleaned, too. I mean, I can put it off…”

“Nah, I’ll go back to my room and keep out of your way,” Applejack said, turning towards the stairs and promptly receiving a glare from her elderly matriarch. The suggestion to not be independent so early was obvious. “Umm… Dagi, would you mind-”

“Oh, she’s got a pet name, now,” Big Mac remarked.

Applejack went pale, Adagio went red, and Big Mac laughed at them both because of it. It had been an easy slip of the tongue, hardly anything to remark upon were it not for the apparent growth of familiarity that continued to rise between the two young women.

“Stop being children. Adagio help her out,” Granny ordered. “Big Mac, do what you can out on those fences today, but don’t try to work overtime. Apple Bloom and I are going to the grocery store once she’d done checking on Little Bits.”

“Yes, ma’am.”
As though hands had been united and told to break, Adagio and Applejack were left alone at the foot of the stairs as the rest of the family was suddenly off to what work awaited them. Hesitation came between them for only a second longer, Applejack again making towards the first step of the stairs- and then finding Adagio by her side.

Her hand about the woman’s waist and body just below arm, Adagio couldn’t completely hold back a tremble. Oh my gosh, she is so strong. The feeling of such potent muscle beneath her hand was intoxicating as though safety had become physical form. This girl was beautiful and strong, so willing and capable of providing so much of a good life that any fear she had of being incapable of it was rendered moot; for half a moment, all Adagio wanted was to beg Applejack to take her away and make her a bride, render her little more than a doting spouse whose whole heart was bent to the farmgirl’s will.

But then reality returned to her senses and saw things made right. She was still a person, capable of all the sorts of wrongs and failings that any other human could be; the thought that she could be a prize of a spouse was preposterous, especially when so much of her nature was bound to the worst of human nature. To be bound to Applejack’s side was still, no matter how many ways she tried to convince herself otherwise, a bad idea. Best to just tend to her and then let the feelings die.

Or maybe not. “So I’ve got you alone again,” Applejack said, the grin on her features suggesting that she was in good humor. “Taking me to my bedroom, too. I didn’t know I could be this smooth.”

Oh brother! Applejack earned a swift dig in the ribs for such a measure, even though such a maneuver was rewarded by little more than laughter. “You’re too confident in me,” Adagio said.

“I might be,” the beautiful farmgirl admitted, “But I still think you’re too hard on yourself.”

“And what makes you say that?” Adagio asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Well, Granny didn’t kick you out on day one, for starters,” Applejack answered, “So I guess that matters. Cause if she thought you really were awful then she’d have tossed you right from the moment she saw you.”

“You’re all too nice, that’s all,” the Siren replied as they entered Applejack’s bedroom. It was a space she knew intimately even if she wasn’t willing to say so; the simply kept room, the comfortable colors that adorned the bed, the rather grand mirror and seat that had lasted for generations long past them both. She knew this place by heart, so much of it bound into indelible memories that would never be smeared by anything foul or horrible; they lived on by their own merit.

“I mean…” Applejack released herself from her beloved’s grasp, taking to standing on her own feet as she staggered over to the bedclothes that lay atop her tussled sheets. “Granny hasn’t thrown you out yet. That’s a good sign.”

“She’s too nice, that’s all,” Adagio countered.

“Big Mac and Sugar Belle don’t seem to mind you too much. I know Mac had his doubts,” the farmgirl continued, “But he doesn’t mind having you around. His girl likes you, and that’s enough.”

“But that’s stupid. I’m-”

“And even Apple Bloom told me yesterday that you were great with the animals. And that you weren’t just this horrible person that she thought you were. That maybe you were just a person who’d done a lot of rough stuff, and had a lot of-”

“Applejack! For goodness’ sake, listen to me for a bit!” Her vexation at this continued, if not incessant, praise was going too far. Applejack’s vision of her had to become unclouded even if she raised hell by doing so. Keeping the young woman half-clothed by the force of her emotions, the beautiful Siren pushed forward before the expression of frustration upon Applejack’s face made her lose all nerve. “I’m not- I’m not this good person. Maybe your sister was right, OK? It’s like you’ve stopped caring about what I’ve done with myself- all my life. Don’t you remember what I’ve done to you and your friends? Or what I took from you? I don’t understand why you pretend like it never happened, or that it just doesn’t matter. I’m still that person. I’m still just as surly, and- and miserable, and foul, and… I am not a good person. I’ve never known how to be.”

It was so much akin to her outburst only a few days before, though the fire she had possessed that day was nowhere to be found just. Instead it was a panic, a fear in her heart that made the beautiful woman certain all her efforts to convince them both were failing; Applejack really was going to win her over and make all of her reasonable objections be pushed to the wayside! What on earth was she supposed to do when all of her just wanted to swoon? She might just be stupid enough to let Applejack remain loving the one woman in all the world who might just be her worst possible match.

But rather than falter and break beneath the weight of this latest emotional outburst, Applejack held her ground; half-clothed, with still a simple t-shirt on and one unbroken foot now held within a pant leg, she did not fade from the assault of her love’s intense objections. “You know,” she began in a small voice, “You can be all of that. And then be a good person, too. It doesn’t have to be both.”

“You can’t be a leech on human life and be a good person,” Adagio reminded her. So much of her wanted to just focus upon the beauty of Applejack, how those thin lines of hair fell across her face like blades of wheatgrass upon the sun’s great light. She was intoxicating! “How do you expect me to be someone good when I don’t know how to?”

“Well… you’d learn how. You’re even learning how already,” Applejack said. “Sugar Belle wants you to be her new sister. And Apple Bloom doesn’t think you’re too horrible, so long as you keep working on yourself. You just… act like if you have flaws, then- then it means you can’t be any good. But everyone has failings, we’re all trying to fight against ‘em. Maybe that’s what makes us good or bad; so long as you keep trying, not who you are after knowing they’re bad.”

Adagio hated the argument that lay before her; this was something she didn’t know how to counter, much less fully comprehend. It was too easy to accept, too difficult to argue against, and damn well too willing to extend grace towards the unworthy. Applejack was willing to accept her unacceptable qualities so long as she –at least outwardly- pretended to be decent? It didn’t make sense. “But- the whole thing could still be a lie…”

The gorgeous blonde grinned; the idea of real falsity passing her by was something beyond the realms of the genuinely absurd. “You think you could really- really- fool me with a lie?” She mused. “Come on, now.”

It seemed a little less preposterous when she’d first thought of it. “Well…”

A satisfied grin was upon her lips even as she gave a vicious yawn. “Heaven’s sake, today felt early,” Applejack muttered. “Wanna relax with me for a bit? I feel the need for a nap all of a sudden.”

The bait was blatantly obvious, but for one who stood upon ground so shaky it might well be enough. She was weak-willed for so many reasons, unable to say no; sliding in the bedsheets beside the girl she loved, Adagio marveled at just how comfortable- how right her presence felt when it was alongside Applejack. There was nowhere else in the world that she belonged, even if she tried to think otherwise; it was just impossible to resist. So many of her deepened nights in the lonely dark had been spent reminiscent of those moments she had spent within Applejack’s grasp, wondering the numerous what-if’s that might have been if she’d simply stayed instead. To be within it again was a blessed hurt that pained her spirit just as deeply as the comfort rang true.

“I love you,” Applejack murmured softly, “You know that, right?”

“And I always will,” Adagio said as she let her eyes close; sleep called to them both for a little while longer, and too good was her position for it to be ignored. Maybe, in a time when she felt brave enough to admit as such, she might just return the affection with equal measure.

They slept only a spare few hours, but it was enough to bring upon her spirit a warmth that came from only the deepest contentment. The world outside had grown more comfortable and brought some of its loveliness to the confines within; the delicately lit bedroom shone with the sunlight from beyond the thin curtains, Adagio’s eyes looking about to find it all so tranquil and at ease. There was so much of this view that seemed so similar to what had come before, even the taint of guilt that promptly tried to shimmy its way in and ruin so much of this peace. But the sleepy Siren’s contentment was not to be defeated so easily; Applejack’s grasp was not about her, for in their slumber she had turned about and awoke to see her beloved there before her eyes.

It was enough to soften even the most potent heart of stone. Applejack, that unbreakable, undefeatable paragon of effort and labor, was so innocent when she slept; freckles beneath her eyes seemed to glimmer now that her emerald stare was held dormant, like sparkles of sugary dust across a coating of bronzed skin. There was so much sweetness in her, so much of a goodness that could not be defined by any words of the world. She was honest, yes, and good also- but what made her so deeply wonderful was beyond Adagio’s capability to describe nor understand.

For a moment, only just the slightest sliver of time that could be found, she looked upon the fair farmgirl as though she were her bride. And how deeply did that moment linger in her heart, to feel like it transpired across an eternity.

Perhaps she sensed the gaze that pierced into her own, for the dim eyes of Applejack fluttered, and the drowsy delirium of entry into the conscious world was apparent within her shining green. “That feels better,” she murmured, her sleepy features brought to life within a newly formed smile. “Sleep alright?”

“I think so,” Adagio replied, too enamored with the beauty of their solitary peace to do anything but lean forward and see her farmgirl’s lips kissed. “How’s your foot?”

“It don’t hurt too bad right now. Guess the painkillers are working alright.”

“Good.” The idea came into her head, and for a moment she hesitated. “Would… feel like something to eat?”

A small start from the farmgirl. “You- wanna bring me lunch?”

Adagio wasn’t at all sure it was a good idea, but she gave a nod all the same. “You probably shouldn’t be going up and down the stairs a whole lot right now,” she said. “Come on, let you girl take care of you today.”

The slip had come without intent, without knowledge the words had been on the tip of her tongue. For a split-second, the Siren feared she’d made a terrible mistake to promise something she wasn’t at all certain she could be. But then came the softened delight in those green eyes, crinkling into a smile born right from the heart. Though perhaps she was not the best candidate for such a role, Applejack had no qualms in keeping her there.

“Only if you make something for yourself, too,” Applejack replied. “Thank you… what do you want me to call you?”

Adagio, already on her feet and heading towards the door, was left confused by the question. “I don’t- you mean like, a pet name, or something..?”

“Is- is just ‘Dagi’ alright?”

She’d been granted a nickname. The thought that someone was treating like a cherished girlfriend and it not being a game or roleplay was not something she’d beheld before. So many times she’d donned the role as though she were onstage, or for the benefit of another’s ego so that they might endure a night not quite so shamefully. But now it was… an intimacy. A choice of words and names between two people alone, and granted to no one else. For a woman who’d spent so much of her life in the midst of sexuality, this experience was a novelty.

Adagio bit her lip, trying to hold back the smile, but only ended up finding herself giggling for half a million different reasons. “I don’t think I’ve ever really had a nickname before,” she remarked. “Yeah… yeah, Dagi works fine. But only from you!”

Applejack glowed. It was a strange, miniscule victory but one that she’d clearly wanted to have. Even if it was only for a few days more, she had a girl. “Thanks- Dagi.”

“You’re welcome… Sweets.” A quick rush out the door before she could change her mind, Adagio flying down the stairs before the silliness truly overcame her. It was getting so easy to fall into the role now. She enjoyed it, enjoyed being the reason Applejack smiled; the lovely farmgirl deserved so much better, but Adagio was the reason she smiled! How could that not fill her heart with gladness?

When feet made contact with the ground floor, Adagio was met with the serenity of an unusual quiet. There was little sound of clutter or activity in either the house or out in the farmyard, a stark contrast to the constant movement and life that Sweet Apple Acres seemed to consistently possess. With a glance out the window, she saw that no sign of anyone was found anywhere. She hadn’t been asleep for that long, had she? A quick glance at the nearby clock mentioned only three hours; where had everyone gone to?

A partial answer arrived when she walked into the kitchen; Sugar Belle sat at the table with a book in hand, quietly reading while the bright light of the oven streamed forth to bear testimony to its use. On sight of the beautiful Siren came a smile and a wave. “Hey, where have you been?”

“Umm… napping. A little bit,” Adagio muttered; there was a small flush to her features, wondering if she’d committed a wrongdoing by spending time with her farmgirl.

“Ooh, good idea. I can’t wait to get a little shut-eye once I’m done with these cookies,” Sugar Belle remarked. “Something to go along with dinner tonight, we try to have a really nice meal every Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.”

“Oh. OK. Where- where is everyone?” The Siren inquired.

“Apple Bloom and Granny went into town to buy groceries for the week,” Sugar Belle answered. “They left a little bit ago, so they’ll probably be gone a couple of hours. Big Mac is in the cottage, I was actually about to go over there soon as I’m done.”

“Would I be in your way if I made anything?”

The sweet woman shook her head. “Only if you needed the oven right this minute. Applejack say what she wanted?”

“Umm- no, actually. Any suggestions?” Adagio asked.

“You ever made a croque monsieur before?”

Adagio had not, and the Siren soon found herself guided through a simple, yet deliciously inviting sandwich recipe by her bright-spirited friend. As Sugar Belle continued in her baking efforts, she continued to find moments in which she could lend the ginger beauty a helping hand. It was all too easy to make mistakes with an unfamiliar meal, but there seemed to be no concoction Sugar Belle could not master. With her own cookies sitting atop wire trays to cool, the pair of companions were able to see the splendid dish made ready and fit for eating.

It was little more than bread, meat, some cheese and a simple sauce; Adagio had put the sandwiches together by hand, yet now found herself positively drooling over this new accomplishment. The heat made the scent positively radiate across the room, beckoning for her to take a bite. “Ooh, I hope Applejack likes it.”

“She loves this sandwich,” Sugar Belle replied. “There was a sandwich shop she used to go to in town a lot during high school and she’s loved it ever since. I like to think mine is the best version she gets, but I bet she’ll say yours is better!”

“Hardly!” Adagio’s protest still came with a smile and she did her best to ignore the gentle laughter of her companion. It was too good a thought to think that Applejack would prefer her handiwork to anyone else’s. “Thanks so much, Sugar Belle.”

“Of course! We’re friends, there’s no way I wouldn’t help!” The frizz-haired woman said. “Now, I’m in the cottage if you need anything, OK? Hope you and Applejack can enjoy a little more quiet time together!”

Oh, heaven help me. The implication of potentials was all it took for her emotions to override the sensible portion of her brain, imaginations and buried desires spurned to life by the simple words of a sweethearted woman. Adagio watched Sugar Belle stride towards the front door, back to the private quarters she shared with her husband, and wondered if those warm words she’d spoken had been intended to hold something a little more within them. Had she truly meant just that: a little time in the quiet of the house, together as a couple that shouldn’t be? Or was she deliberately leaving so that she and Applejack might…

She even mentioned Apple Bloom and Granny would be gone for a few more hours, Adagio recalled. Perhaps Sugar Belle really was trying to play matchmaker between the two; considering her friendliness for the two of them, and the eagerness she seemed to possess to persuading the Siren to remain at the farm, it might even be likely. But- Should I even try?

“Ooh, that smells good. That- no way.” Applejack gawked at the plate that now carried her scintillating meal, fresh cheeses and steaming meat held within oven-toasted buns and beckoning for her to come and have a taste. “How- who told you I love these?”

“Sugar Belle.” Adagio handed the eager woman the plate and tried not to delight so heavily in the expression Applejack now bore; her cooking –albeit, by someone else’s guidance- was making her happy! “Sounds like the rest of the family is out and about somewhere.”

“Really? Where’s Big Mac?” Applejack inquired, taking her first bite and ensuring it was a massive one.

“Back in the cabin. And Granny and Apple Bloom are out grocery shopping, apparently,” Adagio said as she answered all further questions. “Do y’all always make Fridays your short days?”

“I mean… if we can,” Applejack answered. Words came infrequently, now that she was deep in the midst of her meal and eager to enjoy it; the call of food had awakened her appetite and found it to be ravenous. “You never know what a day’s gonna end up like. But me and Mac have always wanted to have more time with the family if we can help it.”

“What do y’all do on weekends, usually?”

“Simple work. Tidying up, a quick go-through the orchards and see if there’s anything that needs fixing. Nothing heavy-duty, if there’s nothing big that needs us. But if something comes up or we can’t get done during the week, then… well, who else is gonna get things done?”

Perhaps it was her antiquated state of mind that had made her think otherwise; maybe an urban concept, a lack of understanding she had possessed which had always made seem farm life so simple and quaint. Only a few days had she spent with Applejack and her family, yet that was all it had taken for her preconceptions about the rural world to fade away; she’d worked her own fingers to the bone, known weariness, come away from a long day’s work exhausted and it wasn’t even the end of the weekday yet. Considering that Applejack had been taking part of this life for several years now, she couldn’t quite fathom as to how she accomplished it.

“You really work hard,” Adagio murmured. Her eyes fell to the singular sandwich in her grasp and pondered just how much effort she’d put into it; a drop in the bucket compared to what this wonderful blonde beauty did for her family every single day. Despite the toil she’d given since her arrival here, it was all totally inconsequential. Applejack could perform every facet of this life without even blinking, and all on her own. Now wasn’t that remarkable? “Don’t you give yourself a rest? A little break?”

Applejack stared at her as though her words were another language; for a time, all the two did was eat and let the silence settle about them until only empty plates and full bellies could be found. “Who else is gonna get it done?” She asked. “I mean… Apple Bloom knows the trade, but she’s not quite got the endurance that Mac or I do. Sugar Belle’s always looking after the house, and Granny… we’ve gotta get it done. Bills don’t pay themselves. And we’ve been racking up a few lately.”

“And you seem to just barely get by…” So much effort; so much blood, sweat, and tears that helped keep this vast and beautiful farm afloat. Applejack’s love for this place was obvious, flowing out through every action and word so potently that even she wished to see it made better. Perhaps –someday, somewhere- there would be a role for her within this place if she wished for it. “But- aren’t farms supposed to be rich? Everyone relies on you! Whole companies would want your orchards!”

Applejack’s expression turned sour, memory doing its work and turning the present into a bitter taste. “A couple of people have tried to buy us out, actually,” she murmured, “But we always say no.”

“No? But- the amount of money-!”

“They wanted us to move out. And give up the house, too. They’d turn the whole place into something… something-” Whatever words Applejack’s anger could conjure were not worthy of being spoken, the furious fixation upon her face not spoken aloud and instead left to die rather than poison the air with its influence. For one who could seemingly make the world appear so sensible and organized within her view, the lovely woman was struggling to find her tongue again.

Adagio had no connection of understanding upon which to lean, but Applejack’s fury was enough to make her see that this place was important enough. Adding to that, would she have found it a safe haven if it had been within the city’s walls? A simple suburban home, the likes of which she’d poisoned so many times before? Here, so far from influence and the venom of her own making, she’d found a sanctuary; maybe that was a reason of her own to understand Applejack’s anger.

“My… my Daddy was a wild child,” Applejack began.

The Siren went rigid; out of all things, she hadn’t expected a revelation like this. If she didn’t straighten up and pay attention this very instant-!

“He was Granny’s son. She raised him good, though she’ll always tell you all the ways she messed up instead,” Applejack continued on. “But he was… well, a lot like me. He kept wanting to go places and do things- and when so much of his kin kept demanding he stay here and keep the family farm afloat, he didn’t take to it too well. He acted out- I guess that’s the way to put it. He met my Mom about then, but he just didn’t seem to stop. And so it kept going and going until he made such a fool of himself that he ended up getting arrested.”

Now that was not something she’d ever expected to hear of Applejack’s kinfolk- much less her father! The very idea that Granny’s only child could end up running afoul of the law was something so outlandish that it couldn’t even be conceived of within the human mind. How could one of her children achieve such a thing without Granny Smith not trying to kill them for it? “How- what did Granny do to him?”

Dragged him in by the ear, from what she told me,” Applejack chuckled, recollection of the tale turning her green eyes soft. “Made him remember who he was, put him to work. Didn’t let him go until Daddy was able to stand on his own two feet. And when he did, he walked right into my Mom’s arms; they had Big Mac, got married, and suddenly Daddy couldn’t stand to leave home ever again.” A sparkle in her emerald eyes was there to be seen, those green jewels shimmering beneath the cover of memory and sorrow that so deeply was intermingled with joy. “He was the best man I ever met. E- even Big Mac says he was, and he got more time to be with him than I did. Both him and Mom were amazing; you’d never meet anyone who was so good and kind to everyone.”

Her heart hurt to see it even though so much of her begged to be elsewhere; this was an intimacy that could not be ignored once witnessed, forever able to demand her emotions if such recollections ever came alive again. Applejack was likely speaking of something she’d never said to anyone else in all her life, and Adagio –most unworthy of all peoples- was being graced with the gift of hearing the story be put to life. Before such an honor she could never, ever stand.

“I want to keep that legacy going,” Applejack murmured softly. “That everyone who comes here, they- they can come away a little better. Because of us, because of this place- it’s all for everyone, whoever needs it. Maybe you did, maybe you needed to feel like you belonged somewhere. But I wanted you to feel like it could be your home and that you could just be safe here without anyone judging you. I- I know we messed that up a bit, especially because of me…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t you ever, ever tell yourself otherwise,” Adagio said with a ferocity that brought the farmgirl’s words to a standstill. Tears were in both their eyes, green eyes locking with their deep jasper pair as softened hands came about a freckled chin. “You’ve been amazing, all of you. I wish I could be part of this place.”

“But- but you can- you could, this is- it could be your home if you want it to…”

“Even after everything I’ve done. To your family- to you,” Adagio reminded her. “Or is this just because I was the first girl who slept with you?”

For a little moment longer, their world was silent as it waited with bated breath for a further answer. “I… it can be both,” Applejack admitted. “Maybe there were other people elsewhere who would’ve been easier to find. But you’re my girl. My girl- and don’t you ever forget it. I made up my mind a long while ago, and nothing’s gonna shake me from it. So either you choose me, too, or I’m a goner forever.”

“You won’t be.” Adagio knew not what she meant; promising riches nor treasures nor loyalty of any kind, she only knew that Applejack’s heart called to her so clearly that any refusal of its beating plea was an impossible thing to ignore. All that she could do was heed, and so before any other word or tear could fall, there came upon those beckoning lips a kiss of unyielding fierceness and love.

The first lasted oh so long; Adagio didn’t allow Applejack to escape her grasp, not even for the air her lungs craved after lips had seen it all flown away. Never, not in all her life, had she so desperately felt the need for another’s touch upon her body; this intense craving was a spiritual thing. Was it the desire to see so much of the farmgirl’s hurt and anxieties fade away by her touch? The longing for the feel of her lips? Adagio knew not, wondering if it might be both. Applejack called for her like nothing in the world could, and so she kissed her.

At last, the sorrowed blonde forced herself to rise for air and set herself free from the Siren’s grasp. A gasp for air came as the one became two once more; falling back against the pillows, Applejack held the expression of one who’d just seen the whirlwind pass before her eyes. One moment, then another, before a fierce shake of her head and the farmgirl found her senses once again. “Adag- Dagi, what on earth-”

“Shuttup,” Adagio hiccupped. Before another word could come to life she was on the bed and atop the girl she loved once again, her hands streaming across that freckled face as she poured out affection in a relentless stream of kisses. It was a roaring flume she couldn’t hold back any longer, so much emotion at a crescendo that all her actions were beyond any thought. Adagio kissed Applejack’s lips, her neck, her cheeks, her forehead, any part of her body that she could find- all of it was in need of worship, even if so many marks were becoming stained by her salt. She needed to see this beautiful, magnificent, wonderful woman adored lest something in the fabric of the world begin to break-

“Whoa- easy, now. Easy…” Applejack’s words at first came through muffled, flesh seeing them kept subdued to the ear. But hands that had been rigid from the shock came to life and came to caress the fine form of a frenzied Siren and gently pull her away from the tumult within. Adagio’s tears fell upon weathered fingers as she was pushed back; held in place, firmly but gently so that Applejack might consider her clearly. “You’re alright. It’s alright, it’s OK…”

“No. No, it is not OK. You deserve this- need this,” Adagio begged, appalled at this lack of understanding. How could Applejack not know that she was overdue for this sort of affection? She needed to be ravished, worshipped, not an ounce of her left untouched by the one she’d desired. Adagio was determined to see this through.

But instead came the chuckle, small and gentle as a familiar grin formed upon those freckled features. “What do you think I’m gonna say, huh? Take a guess.”

Because of course she would. She would think of her partner, just as she had the very first night they’d ever spent together, because Applejack couldn’t be selfish and simply take. How she loved would not allow it. “You’re being stupid.”

“I love you,” Applejack breathed, gently bringing her head close and seeing their whole world curtained by ginger waves. “And if we’re gonna do this, I need to make you happy. Ain’t no other way about it.”

The frenzied rush that Adagio felt her clamoring heart demanding was being pushed to the wayside; in this small little world that would house only two had she been flung, wild pulse starting to slow. Her partner’s calm was as soothing to her nerves as the sound of waves upon the beach at night, the sound of rain amidst the spring leaves. Though her guilty conscience demanded she press on, what beckoned for her was too beautiful to resist. One breath, two, three… their secluded realm had brought her to serenity, Adagio able to open her eyes and stare into the beautiful greens of her dearest love.

“There’s my girl,” Applejack murmured, emeralds crinkled by a smile. “Feel better?”

“A little,” Adagio replied. “But- kiss me to make it all go away?”

So Applejack did. A slow, deepened thing that spoke so powerfully of the loneliness and hurt that had come upon her over all their years apart at last fading away. So much yearning for the feel of this Siren within her arms, wrapped tight about that petite waist and holding her close. The sigh of relief from them both that passed by like a dove’s coo, two uniting as one in true, harmonious balance. In the beautiful farmgirl’s arms did Adagio melt, she falling further into that lap as her own grasp came about head and waist. She could be nowhere else in the world, even if the mightiest had summoned her. This, despite the knowledge being only the most momentary flicker, was where she wanted to belong forever.

The union of lips broke apart for a time, a slow release as though the two women needed the moment to look upon one another more clearly. It were like seeing clearly for the first time, no smeared glass or faded eyes to tarnish this loveliness they each beheld- only for the empty space between to be made full once more by a new kiss that was all the more wondrous.

A slight quiver through her form as Adagio pulled away from her paramour’s grasp for a time, only her lips continuing to find Applejack and see that their outpouring of kisses did not fail to continue on. Now was the time to come free from her dress; she pulled at the straps that lay beside her neck and slowly freed herself from clothing’s grasp, the simple undergarments that lay beneath the rust-colored fabric tossed aside just as easily. She was free, free for Applejack to gaze upon and enjoy however she wished.

And yet, her attentions had been so deeply focused upon her own necessities that the actions of her partner had gone amiss. Applejack had done the same, and for the first time in so many unhappy years her body was laid bare. In the midst of a softly lit room, Adagio could at last behold the magnificence of this wondrous apple farmer’s body in all its glory. Oh, how those muscles rippled! There was no flaw to be seen no matter where she looked, each aspect of Applejack’s naked form a marvel in its own right; the strength within, the beauty of those freckles that cascaded down from her cheeks and to just below the breasts like a dusting of cinnamon before fading into carved abs. Her smaller, less shapely bust was flawless for her, befitting her in ways it could not adorn anyone else. No matter where those jeweled eyes flitted to, all she could see were all the things that made Applejack beautiful.

And so very, very unlike her partner. Adagio had not lost her physique by any means; the curves remained, her bust still splendid, everything about her form the zenith of sensuous perfection. But the long days of running in fear had taken their toll in the form of indelible marks. A faded lash on the outside of her left thigh where a knife had pierced deep into muscle, a faint scarring of red across her stomach where a sadist’s dream had been put to life in oil, the right nipple left blackened by a scorching tongue of fire. What was kept hidden beneath the covering of clothing could not be secret any longer, and the start that Applejack gave was enough to give life to shame. Adagio knew she shouldn’t have run, and each mark upon her once-pristine body was proof of it. Her suffering was inconsequential, left to memories long gone. But Applejack deserved someone flawless, and she- she simply…

“I missed you,” Applejack breathed, a dazzling glow on her features as she pulled her Siren back to her lips so that they might kiss once more, and not caring at all when this first meeting was tinged by tears.

It could have been the only gift she was graced that night and still would it have been more than enough to satisfy her dormant longings. In Applejack’s strong arms that provided a grasp so gentle, she could only melt at each new touch. Whether it was a kiss to her lips that saw her heart stop, or a gentle press upon her neck that gave life to moans mattered not; the feel of her farmgirl upon her was all that mattered. Adagio only wanted to know more of this care, return every ounce of it in equal measure, see all of Applejack’s love reflected and made good by her own actions. Upon her mouth was left that sweet coating of orchard fruit? So there would be a nibble of those lips, a slight tingling of tongue that would occasionally dart out so that they might dance. A gentle kiss upon her neck? Adagio rewarded each one with a hickey. If a gentle knead came to her breasts and saw them cared for, so she would reach out and give the farmgirl’s petite mounds a gentle lathering.

She had begun her efforts with the intent of seeing this wondrous woman utterly ravished; Adagio had always called herself a maestro in the art of lovemaking, and not once had she failed to live up to that title. But her burning desire for Applejack had turned her into something weak, easily vulnerable- and oh, how that sweet blonde took advantage of it! As though the long years of separation had been spent refining her finesse, honing craft down to a refined edge that was meant to please only one in the world. For a Siren who had given herself and pleasured so many, this unrestrained love was doing its magic and seeing her made weak.

“You feel just as good as last time,” she gasped, leaning against her lover’s form as Applejack continued to lather upon kisses to her naked body. “Oh, Applejack…”

“I guess I still need practice,” Applejack chuckled. “It’s been a while, but I- I tried to remember what made you happy.”

“No. It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” Adagio insisted, adding her own ferocious kisses to the joyous flow; a deepened plunge into that sweet mouth did she go, her tongue slithering this way and that so as to better enjoy the flavor of what could be found within. This apple of her eye could not possess a single flaw, continuously giving so much love and warmth that needed to be rewarded. Their small moment together on a simple afternoon was something the Siren would treasure forever.

But even kisses were not enough. Adagio frolicked with her love within that mouth, their joyous play unable to be contained and falling out into the world where slick, syrupy tongues continued to enjoy their ballet, and still was it not enough. She sucked upon that morsel until Applejack was left desperate, worked up to the point of absolute desperation and her gaze put into a bleary haze that could only be called lovesick- and still was it not enough. Adagio turned to her body, placing hickeys and gentle teases wherever she could find a freckle until the farmgirl was a quivering mess left riddled by the marks of affection; petite breasts were licked, nibbled upon, flicked and teased until hardened nipples could hardly take another second of worship without making their mistress scream. And still, it was not enough.

“Hey- easy, Dagi…” Though aroused into a splendid fervor, Applejack’s attentiveness to her beloved’s needs was not willing to falter just yet, and so she pulled away the ginger beauty from her frenzy and brought her back up to find awaiting lips that saw her kissed yet again. “You don’t have to ask for it, OK? Just- however you want to is fine with me.”

Had she really needed permission? Some subconscious fear deemed it so, and Adagio could smile now that that last, great prize awaited her. Sliding herself from Applejack’s lap, but only just, so that their legs might intertwine and see body press together. For only a moment did she bear the sight of Applejack’s pristine flower- more than enough for her to appreciate its beauty. Such a simple delicacy they were, well-trimmed and kept marvelously lovely to the eye; the slight sheen of fluid that had begun to dribble down across darkened folds only added to their exquisite appearance. Countless nights spent apart had not dimmed the memory of their sole union, nor the pleasure that had come because of it. She had given Applejack a joy unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and in return had managed to steal Adagio’s heart.

“I still remember how- how you felt,” Applejack breathed, shuffling closer and pulling her beloved in towards her until no distance between them could be found. “I know that’s silly to say.”

Adagio could only laugh. “And I remember everything about you,” she replied, taking the first stroke and seeing to that first unified rub.

Their reunion all but broke her spirit. Perhaps it was something simple and clichéd, no more unique and wild than any other night she’d spent with a woman before- but the feel, the force, the joy that was Applejack! From only the first few strokes, Adagio found so many of her senses in overload. As though every nerve in her body had been electrified by the merest touch, Applejack’s continuous rhythm was heightened in pleasure the longer it ran. This feeling of her farmgirl all about her, ever-present as folds fell against folds over and over again in that magnificent grind! It could shatter anyone’s resolve, see them utterly rent until their very soul cried out. Adagio wanted to plead for Applejack’s hand right that very instant; become her bride, be little more than a trophy wife that doted upon the farmgirl’s every need and desire until all their days were utterly spent. Even if the world was what she had to sacrifice she would do it! Oh, oh, how she longed to hold this woman close until the end of her days~!

Lest she cry out and reveal herself as the lovesick fool she had been reduced to, Adagio threw her arms about Applejack’s neck and saw those blonde strands brought close, green eyes going wide before she was forcibly kissed and all sounds of shock made silent. Adagio needed someone to hold back her desperate pleadings lest she truly fall forever, and only Applejack would have the strength capable of holding back her cries. Within a muffled, concealed mouth, she could only moan and make sounds of happiness that would satisfy her lover, no words allowed that would eventually come back and bring harm. Instead, what arose between them was a symphony of dampened sound and joyful coos that spoke to their delights. Each new shrouded squeak set Applejack to tingling; every hasty breath was a sound of life to Adagio. Though the friction down below had not ceased for even a moment, the two women saw fit to resume their kissing yet again; tongues needed to frolic, to enjoy every ounce of flavor and softened, velvety delight that they could bring for one another.

Adagio knew not how long they made love together- and how greatly did it make her chuckle when she deemed their union just that. So many times had she reduced an act of ultimate intimacy down to a task, a duty; but with Applejack it was a pleasure, a joy that could not be found with anyone else. She was tended to, cared to, held close and made to feel so safe that no thought of darkness could ever hope to find its way in and corrupt a treasured union. Applejack became one with her, just as she had been kept within the blonde’s spirit so many years ago, and the intertwining made a simple act something heavenly. She went on and on, enjoying every second Applejack gave her; all the way until her body turned tense and began to rock with the tremors that came before the crash of the wave, Adagio gave the very best effort she could. Her own pleasures mattered not to her, not when this wonderful, magnificent rescuer was still not satisfied. Even as the quake came and made her cry out at last, still did she forced herself to carry on lest the tempo fail and no crescendo be reached.

But oh, how did it go on? One brilliant shudder was all she could have expected, but another came just as easily and even brought tears to her eyes. How could one person feel so good, be so magnificent in the craft Adagio had once claimed to master? Applejack had overcome her in every single aspect, loving her so perfectly that there was no way she could have seen her beloved be made right first. Nevertheless, she would push on; not until she heard that wondrous, broken sound of delight that had haunted her dreams.

It did not take long, nor did Applejack restrain her ecstasy, for Adagio would not allow such things any longer. Even if she had begged for reprieve from the orgasm that enveloped her senses, the Siren would have continued until all the happiness one could feel was spent entirely in that singular moment. Only when the weakness fled, when trembling hands that had gone to the mattress so as to steady herself returned back around her waist did she relent from her joyous grind. At last were they both made whole, fire quenched and body allowed to cool, and so they held one another close and allowed breath to fill their lungs once more. Oxygen was needed to fill the void now, at least for a little while longer.

When their senses at last returned to fullest control, two halves of a whole looked upon one another for a time and suddenly found themselves gently laughing as they fell into each other’s embrace. Perhaps there were words to say, stories and feelings to share that would help ease this passing back into the mortal realms; none came, and none were asked for. Maybe they were not needed after all- at least, not now. For the sun still shone outside, family had yet to return back to the homestead and see this quiet space shatter with the sounds of life. There was plenty of daylight left in which they could, if either one felt brave enough, truly speak their mind.

Saturday

Adagio awoke and promptly realized that her bed was empty, just as it had been last night when she had closed her eyes. Why did she find that so unpleasant, despite it being exactly how she’d left the world before entering her slumber? The twin bed upon which she lay was not big enough for two; it was almost as if she was hoping someone else might have slipped in during the night and seen to severing her loneliness-

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Adagio muttered, leaping out of her bed and moving towards the dresser so as to be clothed for the day. Had her union with Applejack been so impactful that her entire worldview had been shifted? It was almost as if she saw herself as one half a whole now rather than a whole person; there had been so much day that had passed by since then, so much of a night. Why was she thinking like this?

Because you’re in love with her and have zero guts to admit it, she soon realized. The self-confession wasn’t a novelty, nor was it welcome. Being in love with someone like Applejack was one thing, but being good enough for her was another- no matter what that perfect farmgirl said. A life together was far different from one night spent in the midst of perfection. There would be days neither of them could stand the other’s voice, or even to look at one another. What sort of person was she to understand what that was like?

But then again, she could find out. Adagio wasn’t sure how she felt about that rumination, preferring to spend more focus on getting dressed than further thinking. She’d pulled out another knee-length dress again, a garment she continuously found more comfortable than pants of any kind; floral in pattern, marked by the soft colors of wildflowers in bloom. Why, she almost felt the need to have a pair of knee-high boots to go along with them! The thought of how differently she was dressed made her spirit chuckle, Adago admiring herself in the mirror and wondering how her beloved would like the view. Who else was she getting dressed for, after all?

But then came the pause that rendered such happy thoughts adrift. Not for herself: she was doing these things for Applejack and not even thinking about it. She was trying to focus upon Applejack’s needs without thought of her own fears and concerns. Was… had she actually begun to be convinced that she might actually belong in this world?

“Oh! Mornin’,” Applejack muttered. Pushing through from her door and out into the open world as Abbot’s piercing crow ripped through the morning air and bid the family to arise, the blonde found her ginger sweetheart already within the bathroom and seeing to a measure of self-care. “You’re up early.”

“I just decided to get up, that’s all,” Adagio murmured, though she remained focused upon her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “I… do I look weird without makeup? Be honest.”

Applejack pondered the thought, but decided to simply answer with a shrug. “Been like that since you got here,” she said. “I like how you look, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“But do I look better?” The Siren inquired. “What do you like to look at?”

“You, no matter how you look,” the blonde farmer answered. “Come on, now, I just woke up. Let me get straightened out, would you please?”

It was a fair request and one she was willing to oblige. “Sorry. Guess I’m a bit out of sorts today,” Adagio said, retreating from her reflection and turning towards the open hallway. “All yours.”

“Just a sec.” As the two crossed paths, a hand reached out so as to cup the face of the sweet Siren and bring her close, two pairs of lips uniting into a kiss that was so comfortable and familiar to them both. Even though Adagio had not been prepared for such a thing, the feel of her farmgirl upon her mouth was something she was entirely content with. Who else should be kissing her, anyway? “Morning, Dagi.”

“And good morning to you, Sweets,” Adagio replied. The swiftly chosen name from yesterday seemed to stick in her mind, a perfect fit for the young woman’s consistent optimism about her character. If Applejack was willing to be so affectionate, maybe she could try and be the bride this beauty imagined her to be. “I’m gonna go down and get breakfast going. Anything special you want?”

“Chocolate pancakes, with chocolate chips,” Applejack answered, and soon after giving herself a shake of the head. “Sorry- my Mama used to make them for me when I was a kid, and I guess you remind me of her a little. My bad.”

Rather than be perturbed, the young runaway felt her heart melt. Oh goodness, Applejack looked at her and saw a hint of her mother! Considering how reverential that title had been, the compliment was to be held in highest regard. “Well, I- I don’t quite know that one,” Adagio said, “But I bet Sugar Belle can help me out.”

It was a prediction that lived on to be true; from the moment her gingered companion gave voice to the idea, the sweet lady of Sweet Apple Acres was delighted to help egg on the blossoming romance between farmgirl and runaway in this small endeavor. Though she’d never done more with a pancake than put them in the microwave, Adagio carefully tended to her friend’s guidance as the skillet before her was made full with the proper ingredients. Goodness, the sugar in these flapjacks! How could one so strong and capable as Applejack eat them?

“There’s some Bailey’s in the pantry, too, by the way,” Sugar Belle added as Adagio tended to the rest of her Applejack’s morning meal. “It’s a great weekend treat for everyone.”

“Bai- isn’t that cream liqueur?” Adagio asked.

To her surprise, the frizz-haired woman only shrugged. “It’s made for coffee. Haven’t you ever had any? Add some yourself and see what you think!”

The result was a sweetness and creamy texture to a piping hot drink, Adagio finding herself in love with the texture and wondering what she’d been missing out on for all these years. The alcohol mattered not when the flavor and care of the beverage was now so delicious. Goodness, why didn’t she have cream in her coffee all the time?

“Wait, really? You’ve never had cream in your coffee before?” Applejack inquired over her mountainous breakfast plate, stuffed full with pancakes and bacon and eggs; considering the excellence of her provisions, this new normality was not something she seemed to have an issue with. “Goodness, we make our own, I’ll show you how sometime. The cream liqueur is just something extra fancy.”

“Would it- should I even bring it out? There’s still some work to do around the place, isn’t there?”

“A little,” the blonde farmgirl answered. “I told Big Mac yesterday you’d help him do a quick run-through of the orchards just to make sure there wasn’t nothing wrong. Beyond that, looking after the animals, and whatever else sorta nonsense around here needs doing… Saturdays are pretty easy. Don’t feel bad about what you’re drinking.”

“Shouldn’t be a lot of work to do, anyway,” Big Mac said, adding his voice in to the gregarious cacophony that was the Apple family’s morning meal. “We’re just gonna check the fences and on a couple of trees that need looking at. Not gonna be much.”

“I… I guess I kinda thought you all just worked hard every single day,” Adagio admitted.

“Only when we have to. Gotta know how to rest, too, if you wanna keep it up.”

Considering how exhausted she’d continuously felt, Adagio had all but assumed it was something one became used to in such a life rather than there actually being any sort of real time off. With a better perspective on her morning now gifted to her, the Siren was able to grin and bear the day’s duties with delight. Goodness, she’d be able to spend the day comfortably! What should she do? Just tend to Applejack and flirt with her favorite blonde? Be a giggly girl with Sugar Belle? Help Apple Bloom with the animals and enjoy the livestock’s company? There were too many options for her to be sure of what. Maybe after she was done working alongside the sturdy farmhand of Sweet Apple Acres, she might have an idea.

“Make sure to grab some gloves,” Big Mac said as he and their newest arrival strode towards the shed, breakfast now a thing of the past and work their current duty. “If we gotta work with wire, don’t wanna get your hands cut.”

“Where are they?”

“Hanging just above the tool box. Apple Bloom’s black pair oughta fit you.”

They were a bit snug, but more fitting for her dainty grasp than what Applejack’s could offer; Adagio slid into her seat alongside the eldest of the Apple siblings and let the cool morning breeze whip by her face as they raced out into the orchards once more. At least the prospect of brutal work was not very likely for them ahead.

“Sorry if I’m not as big a help out here,” Adagio said. “You’re probably used to doing all of this with Applejack there to help, aren’t you?”

Big Mac turned from his machinations at the wheel and eyed her with an expression of great surprise; for what reason, Adagio wasn’t sure. He considered her for a little longer before giving a shrug and saying, “You’d be used to it all if you’d done it more. Ain’t no fault in that.”

“Well… I guess we’d better hope nothing requires a whole lot of strength out here.”

“I’ve got enough for both of us. Just follow my lead.”

Thankfully –especially for Adagio, though she preferred not to admit it- there was little within the great maze of trees that required their attentions. Occasionally Big Mac would let the four-wheeler come to a halt so that he might check the condition of one of the apple trees, examining leaves, fruit, and trunk for signs of damage or infestation that she knew not. He performed his duty in silence and the action drove the Siren to a burning curiosity; just what was he looking for that she couldn’t see? His diligence was remarkable, but it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t help.”

Perhaps the burning stare she possessed bored a hole into him, for Big Mac turned from his work and over to his companion to say, “Looking for rot. If one’s got a pest, it’s usually best to check the tree itself.”

“Would they spread that quickly?” Adagio asked.

“They can. Then you gotta either clean the tree, or cut it down. Can’t let one poison the whole orchard.”

That felt like a biting comment against her. Adagio tried not to let the words wound too deeply; after all, they were a justified assessment. She could do a lot of damage to Applejack if she didn’t make the correct decision come sundown on the morrow. Why shouldn’t her brother be concerned that there might be a great bleeding of the heart to endure? It was better that she relent from her egotism and accept the criticism.

But to her surprise, the mighty farmhand took note of her glum countenance and added, “We can clean them up a lot of times. Might just take time. Only seen a few we actually had to tear down. Most just need a little love.”

“Or a lot of it,” Adagio added with a bitter chuckle. Why did she find that so funny, especially when it referred to herself?

“Still can get done,” Big Mac said. “Come on, we’ve got the northern fence to check. Keep an eye out for deer.”

This kindness the tranquil farmer showed her was disconcerting; Adagio had expected further ambivalence rather than this quiet acceptance; just what had caused him to change his mind about her? Or rather, had he actually changed his mind at all and instead this was a wicked sort of humoring? She wasn’t at all sure. But when this considered one who rarely had much to say…

“Umm… Big Mac?”

The sturdy giant looked over at his companion. “Eeyup?”

“Why are- is there-” She wasn’t at all sure how to start, lest she sound like an insecure fool. “Do… you don’t seem to hate me.”

In typical fashion, Big Mac only shrugged. “Never hated you. Had some ideas about you, but that was it.”

“But they weren’t good,” Adagio pressed, “And you even said you thought I’d ditch your sister. But you- you’re treating me like I’m alright now. Have you changed your mind, or something?”

He paused so as to consider the question for a time, taking what moments were available so that he might give a proper answer. It was something Adagio had come to rather like about the man; no matter what sort of answer you received, Big Mac would not give you anything less than his honest opinion. He was rather like his sister in that regard.

“Sugar Belle likes you,” he said at last, a statement so short that it may as well have been nothing at all.

That was the best he could do? “But Sugar Belle likes everyone,” Adagio said, “D- doesn’t she?”

“Yeah, but… not like that, I guess,” Big Mac said slowly. “You’ll get what I mean someday. Maybe. But she thinks you’re sweet on my sister.”

Not an untrue observation, considering what had transpired between she and Applejack only the afternoon prior. She could still recall the feeling of Applejack’s lips upon her own, caressing her skin and sending her spirit to exultation. Oh, just how good yesterday had been-

Through her recollection came a deep, slow laugh as Big Mac’s humor forced her back into the world of conscious thought, his heavy features alight with laughter that came at her expense, albeit good-natured. “I guess I was wrong about you,” he said with a grin, “My little sister is actually gonna win you over.”

Adagio blushed and tried to hide her smile, lest she give her whole self away. Two days was still plenty of time for her to make a sensible decision. “Oh, shut up. You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

The remark could only be answered with a dry and sarcastic response, which Big Mac was happy to oblige. “Because you’re so good at hiding your emotions.”

Adagio scowled but said nothing more; her comfort level with Applejack was not something that extended to her siblings just yet. If she somehow ended up staying perhaps she’d have enough familiarity- but for now?

“What have you liked so far?” Big Mac asked as they continued to drive along. Time amongst the orchard was good for slow conversation, the snail’s pace at which the mountainous man spoke a perfect tempo for both work and thoughts of the heart. “You ain’t experienced everything yet, but you know how the farm works. Sort of.”

Beyond Applejack? The question seemed a bit too broad for her to give any sort of definite answer, Adagio finding herself pondering the thought longer than what was likely considered polite. Sugar Belle was irresistibly pleasant and a buoy to one’s spirit, the serenity of the farm and its isolation from the wildness of the world was soothing to her soul. There was the comfort of a home-cooked meal, a family that genuinely loved one another, the sound of the birds as they flitted through the sunlit leaves, the sweet animals that inundated the farm- and Applejack… Adagio found it difficult to pin down anything particular out of her experiences, particularly when they still possessed a stain that was her personal melancholy. But she did love this place; just how was she to describe it?

“It’s safe,” she said, her words slipping free and surprising even herself. “Like… I’m out of reach. And nothing can get me here, even if it’s something I did. Does- does that make any sense?”

Big Mac nodded, a sorrowed tinge to his usually stoic features as he regarded the petite woman beside him. “You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?”

“It was all my fault, anyway,” Adagio replied. Best to just shrug away such sympathies, considering that she hadn’t earned any of them. None of her darkest days were tragedies.

“Doesn’t make it any less rough,” Big Mac remarked. “I’m sorry. You… ain’t told my sister yet, have you?”

The shake of her head came swiftly. “That’s a bad story to tell.”

“She’ll want to hear it because it’s yours,” the farmer countered. “You should try a little. Sometime soon, so she can help you get a little more better.”

“Even if it’s terrible?” Adagio asked.

“She’s already made up her mind; let her help you out a bit.”

There were so many stories to tell that the gorgeous Siren didn’t know where on earth she would be able to start. Her first pimp had been a nightmare, the day her sisters had been ripped from her a scene right out of Hell. There were such a cavalcade of horrid scars across her brain that deciphering which was easiest to explain was unfathomably difficult. Even if she knew where to begin, who was she to say which would be easiest for Applejack to bear?

But there had been last night. Applejack had seen so many scars and marks, disregarding them all and calling her beautiful all the same solely because of who she was. Maybe she was overthinking this; that perfect girl might just be willing to accept her no matter what.

“How is it out there? Anything we missed from the other day?” Applejack was there on the porch awaiting their return, anxiously eyeing her more experienced sibling as the two souls returned from their trek through leaf and limb. Despite her family’s insistence that she try to recover from injury, a full departure from the working mindset was too insurmountable a task for her to accomplish.

“Ain’t you supposed to be resting?” Big Mac said lightly, though the dry anger in his eyes was unmistakable.

“I can ask questions, so how’s it look out there?”

“Fine. Your brother showed me a little of what he was doing,” Adagio answered. “I didn’t realize just how much went into your life here.”

“Ain’t ever a true day off. There’s been times in the past where I didn’t get any downtime for months. Easy for it to happen during harvest.”

“And you do all the work by yourselves?”

“We hire extra hands for the season if we need to. No way we can get it all done in time otherwise,” Applejack said. “North orchard’s set for harvest come summer, so you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

“I guess I will, then,” Adagio murmured before she even realized what had slipped through, gaze flared wide at the realization of such a thought. Her subconscious was, despite her absolute insistence to remain aloof, demanding she become a permanent fixture.

For the blonde farmgirl, the simple statement was both a shock and delight. Adagio had been so consistent in her outlook upon the future, not daring to be swayed from her intent on an eventual departure. Even if the words were in jest or not her final answer, just to hear a hint of desire for belonging spoken aloud at last was like fresh rain upon the desert. For a time, those green eyes could only stare, lips remaining sealed even as they gave way to a strange sort of smile.

Big Mac, bearing no emotional attachment to the matter, merely gave his low rumble of a laugh and walked by as he said, “Told ya. I’m getting a beer.”

The unintended confession left the two women uncertain as to any next move. Applejack could not pounce upon such words without being seen as too aggressive, nor would Adagio try to deny them and instead provide a panicked credibility. Besides, how did she feel? Staying sounded wonderful even if it was a horrendous idea; she’d have to become so much more of a person than who she was now, and the effort it would take…

“I’m- I’ve been standing up for too long, I think,” Applejack muttered as a slight wince came to her freckled features. “Come on, sit down. You ain’t… really had much time to just sit and relax around here, have you?”

“No. No, you’re right, I haven’t.” Adagio hadn’t realized as such yet, more time spent in consideration of this wonderful woman and half a million other things. Downtime only meant more opportunity for her brain to wring itself dry with endless fretting; why bother to be still? But Applejack was beckoning for her, that casted foot clunking against the old wood of the spacious porch as she toddled over to the nearby rocking chair and slowly leaned back. A seat meant for just one, and an action she couldn’t have taken unwittingly. After the slight give the Siren had let slip, this beautiful girl was providing no further pressure.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you just be still,” Adagio said. The sight of her beloved simply lying in the aged chair and allowing motion to tilt her back and forth was strangely warm to her heart; perhaps there had been countless of her kin before her who’d done the exact same, quietly resting after toil and labor and pain, finding their mind made happy by something so simple. “What do you do when you’ve got no work to do?”

“I… I’m good at playing cards a lot,” Applejack answered, musing over her answer as the gorgeous Siren came to stand by her side. “Me and Apple Bloom would have a few games that would keep us going. Or we’d all play a board game together. Or play music… and dance. Sometimes we don’t really need to do much of anything.”

“You just be…”

Applejack smiled. “And enjoy the view,” she said, with a gesture to the countryside that sprawled out before their eyes. Gleaming shades of deep green of vegetation, the simplicity of quiet and serenity dotted only by the sounds of nature and beasts of burden, all of it held together beneath a brilliant sky of blue that glowed with light. It was something simple, likely so common to the freckled beauty that the sight could be seen as little more than a daily norm. But it was home, and that transformed it into something priceless.

Adagio said nothing for a time that saw quiet hours pass by, letting the scene simply be soaked in. For the first time in so many years, she was in the midst of a place where she could feel safe. She’d only ever known the lights of urban industry, of concrete jungles and darkened pits of sensuality that had been her realm just as it had been her prison. Never, not even once, had she ever considered that such a withdrawal away from the screaming cacophony of human vice would be how she could take a new step forward. She could breathe here, let the clean air fill her lungs, let wind pass by her ears and sing to her soul the song of this world and all its life. There was no reason for her to leave- to ever, ever go back. And if she wanted to stay, she didn’t even have to remain here alone.

“I didn’t know you knew how to dance.”

Too heavily occupied with nothing at all, Applejack’s serene trance was broken by the remark. “Hmm?”

“You said your family would play music for you to dance to,” Adagio explained, eyeing her beautiful blonde curiously. “Where’d you learn?”

“Oh! Uh, Granny and my folks taught me, mostly,” Applejack answered. “You know. Square-dancing, line dancing, stuff like that. Pretty easy, so long as you don’t think about yourself too much. It’s a lot of fun when the whole family’s together –and I mean everyone, all the cousins and such- and we get everyone playing music and have just big groups of folks together. It’s- well, you’ll see. Soon enough.”

“Well… I don’t really know how to dance,” Adagio remarked. A teasing grin was upon her lips as those green eyes peered up at her, shrewd in their guess as to where she led. “I’m afraid I’ll just have to pass on that offer, I think.”

“Oh, no you don’t. I can remedy that just fine,” Applejack grunted, rising back to her feet and taking the ginger-haired beauty in hand. “Now, we’ll just try something real simple first…”

Adagio knew she shouldn’t be happy. Ever since their first true moments together, one-on-one and away from the companions who could so easily distract them, she had been a poison in this wonderful woman’s life. Applejack’s attraction had been bought with money and ensured by effort; she’d never let a client find her anything but desirable before, why should she have been any different? Even though there had been a spare few moments where the sweet girl had behaved of her own accord and struck deep to the vulnerable woman within the shell, it had never been a real thing. What the farmer had fallen for was a puppet, a role meant to seduce and be enjoyed… and then discarded; there was no substance to love within it. Yet here she was, even years later, amidst this familial sanctuary and requested simply to be at peace and enjoy herself. Adagio was asked to be a part of a family, to allow herself to be loved, to simply belong- all the things she shouldn’t be allowed. And even now, here she was with the gorgeous, strapping young woman who she’d so unintentionally ensnared all those years ago, learning the simple footwork of a dance. She shouldn’t be happy, but happiness was all she could feel about her now.

The Saturday passed them by so peacefully. For one who had been so keen on activity to keep her unhappy mind occupied, the first moments of true nothingness were a bit difficult for Adagio to endure. She’d spent the entire week hard at work until it seemed all her energy had been burnt down to the most finite crisp; a whole day dedicated to the artistry of doing nothing at all made her mind feel ill at ease. Wasn’t there a task she could perform? Something she could do? Even simple invitations that games and camaraderie provided seemed to pale in comparison to her disquiet. But the longer it endured –and the more Applejack urged her to relax- the easier the task became. A simple lunch saw the family come together from their various modes of recreation for a time, and then onwards to what beckoned for their fancy next. And for Adagio, the thought of a nap didn’t seem so bad.

“Need me to grab anything for you from upstairs?” The ginger Siren inquired as she marched up the steps.

Applejack mulled over the question and let slip an answer that she swiftly seemed to regret. “Eh… there’s a book on my nightstand? Wait, but you don’t have to-”

“I’ll grab it, don’t worry,” was her assuring reply, not at all discomforted by the thought of providing for her blonde beloved. Try as she might to ignore the sensation, acts of love felt too good for her to resist. Surely Applejack didn’t think it was too much to ask of her!

“But then again…” Adagio knew it would be impolite of her to laugh so loudly, but the text within her grasp practically begged for her mirth: a romance novel! Not even a Jane Austin classic or of a similar like, but some modern, vapid piece of trash that didn’t even offer the slightest ounce of titillation to offset its mediocrity. What on earth was that brilliant farmgirl doing in reading such a thing as this?

It was of little surprise to find Applejack out on the porch and of an unease composure, a slight tinge of pink beneath her freckles as a sideways glance caught the smirk playing across the ginger woman’s face. Both knew the joke too well to make any remarks upon it; better to not expound upon the subject in depth.

“Why did you even buy it?” Adagio asked, settling in beside her girl on the porch swing and dropping the paperback into the blonde’s lap. “I’m surprised you can even keep reading it.”

“Something from Rares I borrowed, way back when,” she admitted. “A bit after you left. I kinda got in… a mood? I guess would be the way to put it. She thought it was cute and gave me it to help out a little. A pick-me-up.”

“Oh.” It was the first time she’d heard Applejack mention their names since she’d returned; perhaps a strange thing, considering how close they’d all been. But Apple Bloom’s words resurrected themselves within her mind… “Do you see her any, still?”

“Rarity? Every now and then, when she’s in town,” Applejack answered. “We’re friends whenever we’re around one another, but… you know, we don’t really keep up a ton. It’s just fun to cross paths once in a while.”

She hoped she wasn’t prying, but the prior conversation with the youngest Apple spurred her to keep going even still. The catalyst for a great deal of the young blonde’s life had been- well. “What are your friends up to, nowadays?”

Applejack pursed her lips for a time. “Dunno about some of them,” she admitted. “I talk to ‘Shy some. And Pinkie a whole lot, too. They’re the only ones who stayed in town, everyone else is- elsewhere, I guess. Just what happens when you grow up.”

Please don’t say it. “I- I heard they didn’t like your being fixated on me much…”

The truth was preceded by a sigh. “A little. When Rainbow and Twi broke up, yeah- Rainbow got bitter about it for a while. Sunset didn’t like it much either, but she thought I was being stupid about it all. Kept trying to convince me it was all just about the money.”

“She would’ve been right, back then,” Adagio murmured.

“Even after your note?” Applejack challenged calmly. “You say it like you’ve changed your mind.”

“I have. I gue- know. Sometimes I know,” the beautiful Siren said, struggling to give a truthful answer while balancing her emotions. “And sometimes I can’t make up my mind. I’m… I know that’s an awful answer.”

“Is it the honest one, at least?”

“I think so.” A partial truth, perhaps? The whole? So much of her common sense seemed to be at war with the desire that had been growing all week long, a festering growth that refused to be swept away despite all her mental efforts to the contrary. She’d hoped to remain a recluse and keep away, not allow an ounce of temptation to seep in and, in doing so, fool her. But she had begun to plant her roots in the earth of this farmland haven and even allow it to feel like home. She’d made connections- a friend, even! How was she supposed to know what she wanted when rational sense and heartfelt desire refused to cede to the other?

“Then just… don’t feel any pressure,” Applejack murmured, an arm coming about the gorgeous Siren’s waist and bringing her in close. “Even if this was only for a little bit, I did enjoy having you here. It’s nice. All… all I really wanted, honestly.”

Me, too. But Adagio kept her lips sealed and chose to simply lean her head against the blonde’s sturdy shoulder, closing her eyes so as to see the afternoon pass by without her.

It weren’t as though she needed the short period of slumber for any sense of rejuvenation; weekends as lovely as this one simply demanded that she find a time for slumber beneath the noonday sun. Applejack’s sturdy frame made for comfortable sleeping, and just enough body heat to counter the cool breeze that would sweep past the porch every so often. This small moment of rest was exquisitely lovely amidst all the nothing they’d accomplished, Adagio’s awakening coming forth comfortably and leaving no hints of drowsiness within her eyes.

A quick check of her surroundings came soon after, habitual action performed subconsciously; the sun was starting to lose its might, a weakness to the afternoon light as it crept closer towards the horizon. The shade of the porch was going to hold for just a short time longer until the stellar ball would lie low enough to spill across the ancient wood slats. Judging by the sound of Applejack’s breathing as she lay beside her, the farmgirl was still comfortably asleep; Adagio found no reason to wake her and let her head lean back against her shoulder. This was a sanctuary amidst all the noise and chaos and monstrosities of the world, and there was nothing that could possibly hope to persuade her otherwise. To be at Applejack’s side was the safest place in the world, for there was no one in the whole breadth of existence that would ever love her so fiercely.

To her ears came the slow, quiet creak of the screen door and out poked Sugar Belle. The frizzy girl must have known they were outside and sleeping, for her movements were cautious and performed with care. One short glance at Applejack before turning to find the Siren now awake, and to her did she give a warmhearted smile. Such a simple sight meant nothing to the uninitiated, but Sugar Belle knew just how deeply her sister-in-law had desired these small acts with the one who now dwelt beside her. There was little room for sweeping acts of romanticism upon this farm, no grand gestures that would set the whole place aflutter- but for quiet kisses, tender touches of the hand, and the comforting presence of a love one beside you were always welcome.

One step forward and Sugar Belle did the best she could to let the door close slowly, taking continued care not to awaken the still-slumbering blonde; turning back to face them, Adagio found she carried a glass of tea in each hand and placed them upon the railing of the porch just beside them. She hadn’t even asked for such a thing, much less imagined someone would bother! “Thank you- you didn’t have to do that,” Adagio breathed.

Sugar Belle smiled and gave a wink. “Dinner’s in about two hours,” she said. “Baked potatoes and chicken. You look right at home.”

“I feel right at home,” was her reply; emotions, softened by sleep and made vulnerable, were easily spoken aloud in places such as this. As with every one of its like that had come before, she hadn’t really meant to say it- but resisting felt so difficult. She couldn’t feel all that mortified that they’d slipped out.

Those sweet eyes crinkled even deeper into a smile, Sugar Belle reaching down to the give the gorgeous woman’s hand a small squeeze. “And don’t you forget it, too. No matter what else you try to tell yourself.”

She was the sweetest soul the young woman had ever known; Sugar Belle simply seemed utterly intent on being as kind and caring for everyone around her as she possibly could, no matter how unworthy or unwilling they were to receive it. She gave, and gave, and gave a little more even when she was nigh exhausted. Every action she performed seemed to be done with someone else in mind- and she seemed to revel in it. What sort of person could find so much happiness when they created happiness for others? It was little wonder why Big Mac had found her so irresistible. What I would’ve given to see them meet for the first time, Adagio mused. I bet she had him flustered good. The idea of the mighty man trying to woo her seemed humorous.

So deep in her thoughts was she that the sound of movement beside her did not immediately register. Applejack gave a groan and stretched out her arm, a tad slower to re-enter the waking world than her ginger beloved. “Oof, that felt good,” she muttered. “I hear you talking to someone?”

“Sugar Belle was out here a bit ago,” Adagio said, turning around and grabbing one of the icy glasses so as to place it in that freckled hand. “Here.”

The blonde chuckled. “Because of course she did,” she remarked, “just the perfect thing for a Saturday afternoon.”

“How’s your foot feeling right now?” A distant memory of words spoken came ringing back in her ear; hadn’t Applejack needed medication for a short while? She would have sworn it was something of the like “Weren’t you supposed to be taking something, or..?”

The freckled beauty shrugged the question aside and gave it little heed. “I’m alright. It only hurts when I’m walking around a lot.”

And of course that was the sort of response she gave. “Applejack…” Adagio felt a flicker of impatience; her perfect beau was as strong as an ox, but to pretend she was invincible was foolish. “Come on, you need to get better so you can get working again. That means actually doing what the doctor told you to do.”

“But I’m fine! Come on, you don’t need to worry bout me like that-”

“Where are they? In the bathroom, or in your room?” Adagio said, already on her feet and speaking as though the matter were settled. “I’ll go get them for you, since apparently you’re hurting when you walk.”

“I didn’t say- Dagi, it’s not a big deal,” Applejack continued to protest.

“Quit being stubborn. I want my girl back on her feet- both of them, and both of them working.” Hands on her hips and determined to have her way, Adagio was not going to cede ground and allow her favorite person to continue on in suffering, not without her having something to say about it.

Pursed lips and a sigh escaped her, but Applejack decided to give way after all. “Sitting on my nightstand,” she admitted. “Thank you, but you don’t need to fret over me.”

“Looks like I have to do it for the both of us,” Adagio surmised, striding back into the house and off for her next-

Or perhaps not. Coming out from the dining room stood Apple Bloom, moving as though she’d been sitting –or standing- near the window that looked out onto the porch and now gazing at the family guest with an odd expression on her face. She seemed intent upon studying the woman before her, searching for an answer of sorts, the likes of which Adagio could hardly guess.

She tried to keep that gaze and hold it steady, but the awkwardness of it was too much to take for very long. “Umm… yes?”

Apple Bloom studied the Siren for a little while longer and then said, “You’re even starting to argue like you’re married.”

Adagio swiftly turned towards the stairs and raced up as fast as she could, hoping no one could see the flush of her face or the smile that had blossomed upon it.

How was one supposed to define themselves when their spirit was cut between two worlds? Were they more one, or the other? Would it even be possible to tell the difference between them? If a ball lay on the middle, which way would it lean- and why? Adagio found herself consumed by the thoughts of such things as the night carried on, though desperately did she try to continue with her contented mood all the same. Applejack was happy as could be, why should she go and ruin such a thing? This momentary happiness that was as close to spousal bliss did not need to be marred by any sense of melancholy. And, truth be told, Adagio couldn’t find it within herself to ignore that teasing joy anyway.

Dinner was a delight. Sugar Belle and Granny had taken a meal so simple as grilled chicken and baked potatoes, transforming them into one of the finest meals that any person could ever receive. Adagio had known finery in her life, spending more than one meal in the service of high society. But to say that any of their highest fare could contend with this pleasantry would be laughable, if not outright folly. The Apples were her safe haven that she would have to leave, though all of her heart wished she wouldn’t.

Each moment retaliated against the other. Each sorrow was meant to be borne with the help of another, and meant to be borne alone; there was no way to make a decision when so much of herself could not decide upon anything at all. The whim and will of others was all she knew to be.

“So I’m thinking,” Apple Bloom began, “I might take Miss Elvira in for the fair this year. She’s been so good lately and producing such good milk- it could be a long shot since she’s older, but I think I could come back with a ribbon on her neck. What do you think, Applejack?”

“I like the idea,” Applejack assured her younger sibling, earning a beaming glow from the crimson-haired girl. “She’s calm and quiet, and’s never minded taking orders from someone. I bet you’d do well, since you’ve gotten so good with animals lately.”

Apple Bloom’s face was as bright as the sun. “If I get a ribbon –any of them, really- I think I might reckon that as a sign. You know, that I keep this up. Start making all of the animals my own care, and see what comes of it.”

“You mean that you’d try ranching?” Adagio asked. “Just raising animals, not focusing on crops at all?”

The young girls appeared surprised by the knowledge of the onetime outcast, but nodded all the same. “Yeah… I’d- I like them. More than I do just being around trees all day,” she admitted quietly. “And since I can keep them here, I can just keep it up. And make the farm proud- my own way, I guess.”

“And we’d be mighty proud of ya,” Granny said, pausing from her meal so as to ensure her granddaughter received adequate praise. The aged matriarch had allowed little to escape past her lips throughout the day, no more than quiet murmurs and softened speech echoing across the empty space towards those she loved. But these simple words were enough to make Apple Bloom melt, her eyes turning soft and becoming liquid. “Ain’t never been a generation of Apples that wasn’t good with livestock. Bet you’d make us all proud, no matter what you do.”

“You’d make a lot of money with animal husbandry, too,” Applejack added, keen to pour out further praise for her young sibling. “Keep it up and you’d get good breeding stock.”

“And plenty of fresh milk for the farm,” Sugar Belle added. “So we can make fresh cream, and cheese, and- goodness, who knows what else?”

“And we know you’d do it well,” Big Mac finished. “You always do.”

Apple Bloom had spoken hesitantly at first, her words coming forth in an unsteady tremor that had been afraid to make aware her desires. The family was a traditional one, past history unwilling to budge in the face of the new- but how good it was to find herself a novelty not at all! Her trade and skills were as meant for the orchards as they were for the farmyard, and could bring honor the family name without a departure from it. She would be able to bring pride, glory, and –yes, money- to the home that she loved, all while making them proud. It had been such a tenacious fear for her, yet now rendered so simple. “Th- thanks, guys,” Apple Bloom mumbled, doing her best to busy herself with the contents of her baked potato rather than face any eye that had settled upon her sleek frame “I’m glad you’re my family.”

Family she was not, but Adagio felt the goodwill of those about her infectious, and loathe was she to not join in the fun. everyone else had enjoyed their share of praise, why not she add her words to the mix? “I loved spending time with your chickens and cows,” she said blusteringly, “I bet anyone else would feel the same. They were all so sweet.”

The young girl who had been so effortlessly hostile was left wide-eyed by the remark; this ginger city-slicker, who had been the bane of existence for years gone by, had gone out of her way to provide her with a compliment? Why, it hardly seemed possible to even be true. But goodness, Adagio seemed to mean it and even seemed to be aware that she’d said it; why else would she look away with a blush and a shamed face?

“… Thanks,” Apple Bloom said. A quick twitch of fork in the midst of potato, but no grimace or sign of any hostility whatsoever. “I- thanks, Adagio. I’m glad you liked them.”

“I kind of wondered… the eggs your chickens give. Are they just naturally going to be better than anything you buy from a store?”

The groan that surrounded the table came in an instant, all parties save for one red head leaning back and letting their fatigue be known.

The Siren, unaware of her mistake, was left befuddled. “What? What did I do?” She asked.

“You got her started,” Big Mac groaned.

And indeed did Apple Bloom rise up and become strong, an encyclopedia of animal husbandry whirling about in her brain as she considered the myriad ways of answering such a question. “I’m glad you asked,” the youngest farmgirl began, and soon she began to expound upon the subject in great detail.

She didn’t mind hearing what came next; Adagio was so content to spend these last few hours amidst the Apple family that any time hearing their words was akin to the glorious sound of spring rain upon the deadened world. What hurt could from it? What wounds could be gained? There was only healing and rejuvenation to be found; a spirit that spoke happily for happiness’ sake could never go wrong. The dinner passed them all by so splendidly, and the melancholy Siren was eager for every ounce she could find.

“I didn’t think you’d do it,” Applejack remarked. Bedtime rituals were beginning amongst their number, the long yet empty day exacting its toll of their energy and seeing them all weary.

Adagio, more intent on putting on her pajamas, had to pause. “Do what?”

“Get my- hold on.” Applejack spat out the froth of toothpaste and began to wash away her mess. “Get my sister to smile at you. She’s been so intent at being mad at you, I just… you’ve really got a knack for it, now.”

Oh, brother! To treat anything she’d done as something remarkable was the height of foolishness. “I just did what I’m supposed to-”

“No, you didn’t,” Applejack replied, a quiver in her voice making the ginger beauty halt and regard her love more seriously. “You’ve- you’ve done good. You’ve changed, and for the better. You’re everything I love and more. I need you to know that.” A small pause as she put away her things and cleaned up what mess she’d made. “I… you- I’m so glad you agreed to come here.”

Adagio knew her next words would carry a vicious weight. What could she say that would not sway one way or the other? When so much of her heart couldn’t decide to hold steady or relent, any sort of final decision felt useless. How could she convince herself of anything, now? She could not wound Applejack, but she would wound her if she stayed- yet a wound would she deal if she left! Oh, how to make this sort of miserable decision!

“Thank you. For everything,” Adagio murmured softly. One hand caressed that freckled face while the other found the fingers that she cherished, glad to feel their weight intermingled with her own grasp. No matter what she decided come the morrow, this sensation she would never fear.

“I- I love you,” Applejack whispered. For a moment so impromptu and so inadequate, the bathroom had suddenly become their sanctuary, heads bowed together as they held one another. Eyes closed so as to better breathe in the heartbeat of the other, forced darkness allowing the sensation of human connection to fill in the gaps. This was the one she loved, was it not? To feel those locks of hair between their fingers was like pulling upon the threads of harmony. The smooth touch of freshly showered skin brought forth the memories of smooth glass that pulsated with the warmth of sunlight. The small, gentle puffs of breath that each gave was the living heartbeat of the wind itself, a life of its own that could not be forgotten or extinguished from the sensations of heart. Though each experienced their intimacy in their own way, both were entwined about the other and unable to sever the experience that they found together. This was their heartbeat, their sight, their feelings and touch and joys that existed so far beyond any sort of realm; love alone had made them, and love alone could ever see it be rent.

“Well, I’ll,- I’ll see you in the morning,” Applejack said, pausing only to give the hand of her beloved a kiss as they went to their separate bedrooms. One last sleep together was all that stood between their happiness and their doom, and not even she knew which would be decided.

But Adagio found herself fearing the empty space of her quarters. Her room had never really been hers, just a temporary space in which she had dwelt until comfort could be found. And oh, how she had found it- just in the arms of another! Not one more night in this place would she spend kept apart. “No. You won’t.”

The wound was ready to be dealt, and upon that face came the look of despair. “But it’s-”

“I’m sleeping with you tonight.” Adagio’s word was final, irrevocably resolute. There was no way she could even hope to find slumber lest she was cradled in those spectacular, comforting arms of her sweet apple farmer. Or else, she really might have to run away during the night.

But for Applejack, it seemed too good to be true. “And- and you’re sure-”

“Take me to bed, goodness!” Adagio breathed, practically leaping in her beloved’s arms and surrendering all will to that of the one she cherished. “I can’t spell it out any clearer. How else am I supposed to sleep without you next to me?”

Applejack looked as though she’d been slapped. Non-plussed, shocked, utterly left unsure as to what to do next- any sort of definition seemed inadequate in comparison to the expression upon her freckled face. But with this priceless treasure in her arms, she felt loathe to find responsibility elsewhere, and so she saw them both to the comfortable twin bed that had seen fit to hold them both twice before- and now, for one last time.

Adagio let her eyes close without hesitation the moment she felt body hit mattress. This was safety, especially as- oh, the feeling of Applejack’s arms about her body! The warmth of body heat, that gentle heartbeat that tended to her very spirit. This was unlike any place in the world, unmatched in serenity. She could fall asleep in the span of a heartbeat and not even take the slightest heed, If the light was switched off, she didn’t pay heed. Only the feel of Applejack gently spooning her was of any consequence.

“I love you,” Adagio breathed, and though the words slipped past her she did not regret it. For too long had they been kept buried, and glad was she to finally set them free.

“You mean it?” Applejack asked.

“Forever and always.”

“Well, then…. Love you, too.”

Though she had not expected it, summoned the will to find it, nor had she wanted to relive such horrid memories, the safety that was Applejack granted the Siren a strange sort of courage. There was grief in her bones, yes, but also a strength that was trying so valiantly to become her own. Perhaps if she spoke now and gave it life… she might be able to talk about it a little.

“Applejack, did I ever tell you what happened to me since I first saw you and your friends?”

“No. Do- do you want to talk about it?” The farmgirl inquired.

“If you’ll listen to me,” Adagio whispered tearfully.

“For as long as you want to speak.” And so for every new shudder, Applejack was there to set the pain and terror at bay, allowing the whole terrible story to escape into the darkness and be lost forever in the miasma that was the ever-endless symphony of night.

Author's Note

Just a little further now.

Keep reading, I guess.

Sunday

So it was the day at last. It only took a few momentary breaths to escape her lungs for Adagio to know that this would be the worst day of her life, nor would it ever be eclipsed. Every good feeling she’d enjoyed these short few days was now meant to be cast aside and put to rot. Every joy, every happiness, even to the most mild of contentment, had been destined for an eternal desolation. The inevitable was awaiting her now; departure was coming.

She awoke early, though much of her brain would have been content to go on sleeping; after all, she was still in Applejack’s grasp, this world was comfortable, why not relax and let slumber take her further on? What did she have to wake up for? But the grim reality was not going to relent so easily, not when years of fearful running were capable of seeing it supported. She had to go and leave this safe place behind, no matter how she wished otherwise.

It’s the right thing to do, the sorrowed Siren counseled herself; though she hated every single word that passed from that demonic being’s lips, there wasn’t an ounce of absurdity to be found within their reasoning. You’re not a good match for her and her whole family knows it. Even you know it. What could you provide her but more pain?

Happiness could be provided, though the likelihood was slim. Her presence had made that wondrous woman joyful so far, what would change if she continued to pour out affection? Give her a kiss and see Applejack woken up, spend the earliness of this morning in a pleasant makeout session; it wasn’t as though such a thing could go wrong, right? Be damned the darkest of her voices, they had no right to steal from her this serenity!

It’s what I have to do, Adagio believed. So get it over it. Leave her behind and give her the chance to actually be happy. Because so long as you’re here in her life, all she’s ever going to know is misery. It’s what your DO.

Adagio could only see the cloudy grey colors that existed in the outside world; there was no light that could seep through, no great mirage of joy or terror that would beckon either which way. All she could do was stew and suffer in the most comforting presence she’d ever know and let the early rays of dawn pass by before her eyes until the rooster crowed and saw them all to awakening.

But- awakening! Applejack would know she’d tried to depart, and the hour of Abbot’s sound was so close. There wasn’t enough time to try and whist herself away even if she tried, for surely the beastly things of this perfect place would lay eyes upon her trail. Maybe the early morning hours were not her place of departure; for now, she would only arise and try to say her goodbyes. That might be enough.

When she heard the sound of that brilliant rooster’s crow, Adagio was already down amidst the kitchen and hard at work, unable to do much else when there was so much of herself that could not be at peace. Eggs, pancakes, waffles, toast, anything she could hope to bring to life beckoned for her efforts! The whole family deserved the most fabulous of thank-you’s for allowing her to stay; maybe this was why she’d lingered.

To her great surprise, there came to her ears the sound of gentle footsteps. Amidst the soft sizzling of frying pans was the quiet creaks of wood being pressed down by weight, and soon did Applejack appear in full form, though tired and bleary-eyed she was. Adagio took in the sight of her and found a heart to be racing. Even though she had just entered the world of the waking minds, this powerful and precious being was unlike any other.

“You’re up awful early,” Applejack groaned, her words stretched thin and offering no weary tone to be heard amidst her dreary mind. “You OK?”

Ye- no. No, I’m not,” Adagio said, though she hadn’t intended to admit it. Why should she lie any longer? This day’s departure would see her ripped away from home, unable to ever return. There wasn’t any happiness to be found, no excitement of any kind. This whole day would be a long and drawn-out death that would be suffering to the soul- but like hell would she allow it to escape her lips. “Mind helping me get everything going?”

“No, just- one thing,” Applejack said as she sidled up to her beloved.

“What’s-”

But of course she knew, for the touch of Applejack’s lips against her own was the unforgettable symphony of precious flavor that could never be forgotten no matter how much time could pass. This world had ensured she would never forget it, nor would any soul on earth ever know love without their tinge having been cast in the midst. Farmgirl and unworthy Siren had been bound together by heart and hand no matter what attempts at freedom may come; to escape the sensation was impossible now.

For a while, Applejack only tended to the work before her and gave regard to nothing else. Her beloved Siren had asked such duty of her, why give credence to anything else? But soon came the willful actions of the self, and her mind drifted from simple acts of cooking and onto greater things. If this was to be there last farewell today, many words had still to be said.

“Dagi?”

“Mhm?”
“Thank you… for last night. For telling me everything,” Applejack said, turning from the stove so that she might better take in the beauty of her one true love. In her eyes was a sorrow, a joy, and a pain all unique in their own, for none could taken from the other without one being severed. “I can’t imagine what it was like, but… I’m glad you thought it was safe to tell me.”

It hadn’t been safe, but there was nowhere else in the world to turn. To whom else could she find refuge, if not Applejack? It was the only sensible decision she could make. So Adagio merely smiled and kissed her, finding nothing else to be done. Her girl deserved every bit of affection she could give before the parting that awaited so shortly down the road. “Applejack…”

“Mhm?” The beautiful girl, bleary-eyed and a tussled mess even still, stood beside her and gazed so deeply into her soul that Adagio wanted to drop everything and be consumed by her love. That temptation that had come ever since her first parting was desperate to win out in the end, pushing against her will and see it give in to the most pleasurable of desires; ooh, why couldn’t she just be this perfect woman’s trophy wife and be completely focused on her happiness? She knew how to- sort of! She could make Applejack happy! All it would take is for this worthless ego to be dropped and rendered useless, caring not about what she’d done and rather who she wanted to be. And oh my god, how she wanted to be this perfect beefcake’s girly-girl!

So strong was the temptation that Adagio decided it was best not to say much of anything at all. The tongue was a slippery thing, and especially loose so early in the morning. There were better ways to be of use now, and what her hands could craft were a fantastic place to start. See to breakfast, see to the welfare of the family that had loved her all week long; put speech to the wayside, lest she say something truly stupid.

“That oughta do for now,” Applejack murmured, taking a step back from the stovetop to admire their preparations. So much of a wholesome meal had already been made, kept on skillets for warmth and ready to be served come the awakening of the rest of the house. “We’re kinda some late risers on Sunday, honestly, so this is good. Why don’t we go outside for a bit, enjoy the sunrise? Coffee’ll keep us warm.”

Adagio nodded, and that was far too swift even for her liking. Emotions were speaking faster than sense still, and she’d been awake for a good minute. How on earth was she supposed to say anything aloud if this was how she was behaving? A mug in hand and soon she was out the door, sitting beside her perfect beloved as they enjoyed the cool colors that were scattered about by the mist of dawn.

“Wow.” It was a genuine sound, one that took the Siren for a momentary pause; Applejack was looking out into the world of her family’s orchard, taking in the sights and shapes of the familiar places she had known all her life, yet in her eyes was a wonder that could only be gifted by newness. “I’m not usually out here to see it. Like this, I mean. Me and Big Mac are too busy getting ready for work to think about taking a second to relax. By the time I’m out here, all of this is- gone. It’s nice to just have a second and take it in.” A calm inhale as though the sight was one that could be taken in by all senses, a sweetness to the spirit that had to be fully breathed in. “You- do you wanna make this a thing? Just between us, every Sunday? We wake up a little early and just enjoy the morning together?”

The temptation to say yes was beyond agonizing, but a single sound or movement of affirmation would be assent to her permanent place amidst this sacred realm. She had to say nothing, merely reach over and give Applejack’s free hand a squeeze and let silence carry on unless she was somehow taken to have finally been won over.

To their ears came the sound of wood being put to movement, though more distant than the door that stood just to their side; from the cottage that sat beside the ancestral home was the sound of movement, and in the fading darkness were two shapes that could be seen moving towards them. Sugar Belle and Big Mac strode together and the sound of hushed voices were in their midst, whispering together in a hurried tone until the sight of Siren and farmgirl were there before them.

“Oh- good morning, you two!” Sugar Belle said, eyes wide and smile strangely absent from her features as the sight of Adagio came into view. Her eyes glanced over at Applejack who gave a shake of her head, and then came the sight of that familiar gleam as she came forward to give the ginger beauty an embrace. “You’re both up early, I figured we’d be the first. What are y’all up to?”

“Just enjoying ourselves for a little bit. We’ve got breakfast ready to go if you’re hungry,” Applejack said.

“Sounds good. Won’t you join us?”

The invitation was met and the two couples retired to the kitchen so as to feast upon the works of prior labor; Adagio enjoyed the scents and sounds that surrounded her- yet the taste of food was ash in her mouth. Her company was cheerful and loved, but it tore at her soul. How was anything supposed to bring color and life and loveliness to her world if she had to leave this place behind? How on earth was she ever supposed to be happy again?

“So…” Sugar Belle took a slow stab of egg and played with it, all of her words and motions delayed as she tried to collect herself. “Do- do y’all mind keeping a secret for a few days? At least from Granny?”

Secrets were forbidden enough in the house, but that last addendum to the request was one that gave the beautiful farmgirl pause. “Ain’t heard words like that since I was a kid,” Applejack muttered. “What’s this about?”

The young couple pushed away their meals so as to better compose themselves, a shared glance between them seeing the two united in thought and intent. It was the first time Adagio had seen the two be hesitant about anything together, a strange scene to soak in when they had always been so calm and at ease.

“This one’s important,” Big Mac said, his low voice hardly more than a distant grumble. “You gotta not say nothing about it. I mean it.”

“Then what’s this all about?”

Sugar Belle bit her lip and took in a breath for preparation- and perhaps luck. “So… we’ve not been super sure the past couple days,” she began, “but I’ve been waking up and- and not feeling 100% my best. For a little while, now. And when we talked it over the other day, I… maybe have gone into town while Granny was gone. And picked up a pregnancy test.”

If any of them were still drowsy before, the proclamation was enough to see them fully awake now. Applejack’s freckled beauty was turned pale, she left gaping at her sister-in-law. “No way.”

“I confirmed it last night,” Sugar Belle affirmed. “I’ve- I’ve got a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday to see how everything is, but… I think I’m actually pregnant this time.”

“And- I thought you wanted to wait until you finished up the whole cottage,” Applejack stammered. “Wasn’t that- oh jeez, and you don’t wanna tell Granny about it? Why?”

“Because I want to make sure everything’s OK first,” The frizz-haired girl replied, and in her smile was a tinge of sadness that did not escape the Siren’s notice. “Don’t want to get her hopes up for nothing. But we- well… I wanted to tell someone.”

“I’m happy for you,” Adagio said, her words catching everyone off-guard to include herself. “You’ll be a good mother- good parents, really. I can’t see how you’d do a poor job.”

Sugar Belle beamed, for what reasons Adagio did not allow herself to guess. “Thank you,” she murmured, reaching over and giving her friend’s hand a squeeze. “I can’t imagine a better place to raise a family. Three aunties to help look out for her? It’ll be the safest baby in the world?”

“You already know it’s a girl?!”

“A Momma can hope, can’t she?”

Applejack’s immediate assumption at Adagio’s remaining allowed the conversation to carry on, and for Adagio to struggle beneath the weight of it. Everyone believed she was going to stay in this resplendent place, save herself. What was she going to say when she had to go and prove them all wrong?

The morning should have been so easy, especially when the rest of the family awoke and came to the kitchen so as to join them. There was good cheer in the air, the soft glow of morning sunlight was piercing through the windows and providing such a radiance, they were happy. She was happy, she felt so comfortable as to believe she actually belonged here! The cold, miserable reality that she was going to have to leave was like a searing metal against her heart; how was she supposed to endure this?

Then don’t. For Gods’ sake, don’t! A quiet voice that was so often silent within her brain was erupting, coming back to life and seeing her unhappy tirade be put to the test; rather than the sounds of her sisters, rather than all the condemnation she’d given to herself over the years, this new sound was of her own making, brisk and clear as she’d ever known it. You can actually stay. They want you to stay, Applejack wants you to stay. This whole idiocy doesn’t have to carry on. Who cares about worthiness here? None of them do, and they never will! She wants you as you are, so stop caring so much about what you’ve done and choose to do something good NOW!

But she knew she couldn’t. To stay would be the beginnings of her life as a virus, old habits unable to be fully cast aside and thus turning her into a fetid rot that would infect this sanctuary; she would grow and fester, turning cold and bitter until everything her hands touched would be poisoned by the malice of her selfishness. Applejack’s gentle love would be forever tainted, the peace of this place would fracture- this family would be wounded indelibly by one they’d chosen to love, and had only lashed out in return. What a sick thing she would be if she remained. So she had to go.

No. No, you really don’t. You don’t have to be that person. Have you been that person much at all this week? You’ve been sort of alright this week, you even somehow made peace with Apple Bloom a little. You can be who Applejack thinks you are- you even want to! You can be the gentlest, sweetest, sexiest thing this farm has ever seen and hold to that magnificent girl until your arms fall off! Care about her, rock her world, drive her up the wall and make her need you 24/7, but my god, STAY! Stay, damn you!

“So… is it OK if I borrow the truck today?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I mean… sure, but what for?” Applejack countered.

“Sweetie and Diamond texted me last night, said they got tickets to some sort of concert going on downtown and asked if I wanted to come. Would it be OK if I went?”

Granny considered the matter. “They want you as a DD, don’t they?”

The remark was a shrewd one. “We drink around here. We’ll be responsible!”

“So that means nothing for you, too. Right?”

“Of course! Jeez, don’t y’all trust me?” The younger girl seemed genuinely wounded by the matter, staring at her aged matriarch with an anger in her eyes.

The query was a fair one, and Granny Smith smiled as she gave her nod of approval. “Just checking. When are you going?”

“I was thinking I’d leave about five? That alright?” Apple Bloom said.

“Say hey to your friends for me, then.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

It was such a perfect day, everyone having some manner of joy to hold to and be grateful for. Apple Bloom was at ease and eager for a night with friends; Sugar Belle was secretly expecting, eager to carry a child into a safe realm of family; Granny, aged though she was, looked out upon her family and found them settling comfortably into roles and lives that would carry on without her. This household was so serene, yet Adagio knew she was about to ruin it all.

“Well… we ain’t got much we need to get done for today,” Granny said, pushing her empty plate aside and turning her attentions to that of her kindred. “Just make sure nothing’s out of order with the animals, and… hmm, which orchard’s gone the longest now?”

“South orchard had one I wasn’t so sure about,” Big Mac answered, a swiftness in his speech so that he might ensure his sister did not try and rise to the challenge- soon proven right when Applejack sank back into her seat with a scowl. “Wasn’t sure if it’d got disease or bugs in it. I might take a bit to get it taken care of.”

“Then see to it. How’s the barn looking?”

“Still some sort of scuzz in Little Bits’ hoof that I can’t seem to get rid of,” Apple Bloom reported, and the expression upon her face was one quite morose. “She’s able to put some weight on it, but I’m worried its some sort of rot. I think I might need to get the doc to look at her and see what we can do, it just won’t stay away.”

“She behaving any differently?” Applejack asked.

The younger girl shook her head. “Still pleasant as can be, and doesn’t seem to be limping. I’m not sure what I can do to help her out.”

“If it was something really wrong, she’d let you know,” the wizened matriarch said, soothing her youngest granddaughter’s fretful tirade, calm and experience the best opposition to a worrying mind. “She might just need a little extra help you don’t know how to give, that’s all. Call the vet and see what he has to say; that’ll help best instead of worrying.”

“Y- yes, ma’am,” Apple Bloom murmured before turning to the last of her waffle. “Thanks- for the meal, y’all. I’m gonna go out to the barn for a bit if that’s alright.”

“Any of them need milking?” Sugar Belle asked.

“One or two.”

“Great! Bring me the pail when you’re done, OK?”

“Sure thing,” and Apple Bloom pushed back her seat so as to depart from the table. As she rose to her feet, a scant glance was given to the ginger woman in their midst, and for only a moment did the young girl consider this stranger that was so terrified of becoming family. Brief, momentary, yet that was all it took for the accusation –no, the challenge- to pierce her heart. Apple Bloom guessed all so easily what she was thinking. What Adagio meant to do next…

Was her next step going to prove the girl wrong or right?

“Well… I probably should’ve asked before Apple Bloom left, but is there anything special y’all want for lunch today?” Sugar Belle asked aloud, looking about the table and eagerly awaiting a sign from any one of them. “Today’s Sunday, after all! I was just going to do some fried chicken and the works, unless anyone had something else in mind-”

“I’ll take it.” Applejack and Big Mac’s voices combined for the power of a forceful symphony. When the result left the frizzy sweetheart a bit staggered, Granny gave a smile and added in her small nod.

It was such a sweet smile to see upon such lovely features, the plush woman flushed from delight that her barest suggestion had been so readily accepted. Adagio recalled their conversations, to include what little had been said regarding Sugar Belle’s unhappy past. She had always wanted to provide for others like this, see want and need cared for by her hand. Keep stomachs full, love unconditionally, and oh how glad was she that the Apple family was eager to allow it. They valued her, not just for who she was, but prized her talents and skills as well; to this happy household, they were better because of her culinary brilliance- and time, time again, were they glad to be cared for by her acts of love.

“Alright, then! I’m- I’ll probably be a little while, since I’ve got to mash the potatoes, but it should be done in time for a decent lunch hour,” Sugar Belle said. A rise to her feet so that she might brush the crumbs off her skirt, leaning over to give her husband’s cheek a kiss, then one wave goodbye. “Thank you so much for making breakfast, you two! It was delicious, by the way!”

“Sure thing, Sugar Belle!” Applejack held a grin of particular smugness as she watched the family chef depart from their midst, as though there had been a secret victory none had yet to take note of. “Delicious, she calls it. I always knew I was good, but it’s nice to get confirmation every now and then.”

“You sure it wasn’t her?” Big Mac said, nodding towards Adagio and ensuring the Siren paid heed only to the contents of her coffee mug. “Sugar Belle taught her how to cook; bet that’s what makes it so good.”

“I’ve always been a good cook!” Applejack protested.

“You’ve been a decent baker. You’re not even the best cook in the family.”

“Boy, you could find a way to screw up ramen!”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, am I going to hear this argument again?” Granny sighed, exasperation heavy in her voice- though the look on her face was one of good cheer, turning the fear upon her grandchildren’s face to that of laughter. “Now, we all got work to do, so let’s get to it. Big Mac, get the four-wheeler out there and check out the south orchard. You gonna need help, or-”

“I’ve got it.”

“Then good. Applejack, I need your help with something in my room, so you’d better come with me.” A slight look over to the Siren’s presence before that wizened gaze settled upon her completely. “Mind cleaning things up in here?”

“N- no, not at all,” Adagio said, and knowing that she meant it. Did Granny know this would be her parting gift to the family, perhaps? Allowing her this last semblance of grace, to depart after an act of kindness and be remembered with as much fondness as such a heart-wrenching choice could offer? Adagio had to believe it was so, because the alternative was too impossible to believe. So when the trio of Apples departed from the table, she turned to what dishware had been left behind and saw to the room’s total cleanliness; there would not be the slightest hint of grime in this kitchen when she was done.

But then came the emptiness. As the last fork was put back in the drawer and slid into cover, the totality of silence fell upon Adagio’s ears and she felt her pulse quicken. Sugar Belle was occupied elsewhere with meal prep that would likely take the rest of the day, if not into the afternoon. Big Mac was out in the orchard and tending to the family’s crops; Apple Bloom was tending to her animals- and Applejack was occupied helping Granny with some mysterious errand in her bedroom. If there was a time she needed to depart and not be met by an ounce of protest, then the window of opportunity was going to be very slim; it might have to be right now.

“Please don’t do this,” Adagio whispered, and already she felt the sting of salt in her eyes as the sinking weight fell to her stomach. “Please just stay.”

But you know you can’t. You know what you’ll do if you remain, came the unbidden voice of those twin snakes. They’d never relent, always be present in the darkest recesses of her mind, and forever would they be glad of inciting her pain; if she remained, they would only sink their fangs in all the deeper. So long as she tried to find a way to belong here, she would forever let their venom seep out through open wounds and poison this resplendent place.

Should she change back into her old clothes? The scant dress she’d worn when Applejack had found her wasn’t exactly in any sort of serviceable condition, so that was out; just leave as is? To pack up the wardrobe that had been gifted to her felt like leaving a lasting insult. No, it would better if she just escaped as is, leaving little more than whispers to testify to her presence. A note, perhaps? To explain why she’d chosen to leave? Even that seemed like it would only be twisting the knife further. Adagio knew full well what she had to do, and that it had to be accomplished now; the longer she waited, the more hesitation would sink in and bind her feet to the floor. She might actually not leave, and thus do indelible damage.

The spear of sorrow in her heart was unimaginable as Adagio took in this shelter she’d so desperately wanted to call home. Pain beyond pain, unimaginable heartbreak; she had actually felt safe here, she’d fallen in love within the confines of this home. Why, oh why, did she have to leave it all behind? If only she’d been someone else, someone better- maybe she could have stayed and never left.

“You still could stay,” she whispered. “Please don’t go. Please, don’t go. Go talk to Applejack right now, I’m begging you.”

You don’t need to do that, said her serpents as she began to walk down the hallway and towards the front door. You’ll make it worse. Even if you stayed, would you really change? What sort of transformation could overcome the might of a monster? Have you forgotten what you are?

“But I don’t want to be a monster.” Adagio knew it, meant it, but could not quite overcome her sorrow. She wanted to be everything Applejack thought she was- but if she failed, the results would be catastrophic; there was no doubt that she would find a way to tear this family apart.

Then you know what you need to do. Go; get out. Leave this place before you find a way to make things even worse. You never should have come here in the first place, look at what you’ve done! You’re going to tear her apart just because it’s what you’re good at! You’ll even be doing the right thing- what sort of horrors would you conjure if you stayed?

The door was right there, horrific as it was liberating. All it would take was one step outside and she would be on her way to the endless path of solitude that befitted her- one that would rend her heart into pieces. She would never be able to feel anything again, lest it be the death of her. But Adagio didn’t want to become an unfeeling, useless mass- no, she didn’t!

But you’d better be. After all, how many other people are going to want you dead, in the end? How many people will die because of you? It’s all that you’re ever going to be good at.

Yet she wanted to change. She even had people who would help her. She could be something good, for the first time in her life.

You will never change. And don’t you forget it.

Her trembling fingers fell upon the door handle; from her eyes came two fat tears that scored along her cheeks even as she tried to hold in the rest. “Will somebody help me,” Adagio breathed.

“Caught you.”

Breath escaped her lungs in an instant, her hand gripping about the handle and holding tight as though it were her last lifeline to the world she had almost entirely rejected. She did not turn around to take in the sight, for perhaps that would be all it took to break her- but Adagio knew that, sitting on the foot of the stairs and staring into the back of her head, was Applejack. Sweet, wonderful, gentle, loving, perfect Applejack, who had so cleverly guessed that she would try and make her getaway in the absence of so many spying eyes.

What could she say? What should she do? There was nothing she knew that would be able to explain herself; besides, what did she need to explain? It wasn’t as though her actions weren’t obvious. Applejack had come here knowing what she would try to do.

“You really thought you could leave without saying goodbye again,” Applejack murmured, and the tinge of sorrow in her voice was almost enough to make the Siren give in at once and beg for forgiveness. Oh, how could she wound one so precious? “I hope I’m wrong. You’ve been too nice to let that happen lately.”

“Applejack…” She hadn’t wanted to speak, but what else could she do? “I’m- I’m so sorry.”

“You’re forgiven,” was the reply. “But what for?”

“Fo- you know I can’t stay,” Adagio said, and every syllable was enough to make new tears spring to life in her eyes. She needed this moment to cease, lest the pain consume her very being and kill her- but then again, that might be better. “I’m not what you need.”

“Hmm… and what makes you think that?”

“You deserve better than me. I’m not- you know what I am, what I’ve done! What sort of person like me could ever belong here with you? You deserve someone who’d actually make you happy, and not just for a moment! I mean for a lifetime- how on earth could I do that? You know I can’t!”

“Do you still think you’re a bad person, Dagi?” Applejack asked softly. “Really, down at your core? That you’re rotten from the inside-out.”

“Yes,” Adagio rasped, and nearly did she fall to the ground from the pain of it. Oh, if she would only die right this very instant!

“Then quit talking to whoever’s telling you that. Whoever’s lying to you and keeping you down on the ground, because they’re dead wrong: you can be a good person, if you so much was want to. You’ve even started showing it since you’ve been here.”

“Like I haven’t been fooling everyone!” Was her bitter retort.

“I’m not talking to that snake!” Applejack said hotly, and so close to the mark were her words that Adagio felt her stomach drop. “I’m talking to my Dagi- and her alone. Everyone on this farm believes in you. Every single one of us thinks you don’t have to be a bad person, that you actually, truly could be happy here. But you’re scared to believe it because you might be wrong. But guess what? I won’t be perfect. You’ve heard Sugar Belle’s story, you’ve come to know us a little. We’re a big, fat mess of people who’re just trying to do the right thing, day in and day out. We’re sure not always making the mark, but we keep trying. It’s OK if you mess up a little, because… well, we’ll forgive ya. I’ll forgive ya. You know I always will.”

“Even if I run off again?” Adagio asked. “Or cheat on you, or- or do something totally wretched? Because you know it’d be so easy for me, don’t you deny it.”

“Only if you keep listening to whatever’s in your head that tells you you’ve got to be that way. Maybe you should start listening to the people who love you, cause they might want to help you be happy. I want you to be happy- and I want you to be happy with me.”

Adagio could feel sweat across her palm, staining the door handle as she continued to hold to its pulse. One swing and out into the cold world would she go, forever a lost soul, a lost cause that none would be able to save. But if she let go, relented from her fears…

“I’m- I’m not who you think I am,” she breathed tearfully, trying to find some means of objection that she hadn’t yet said. “I’m never going to be the girl you think I am.”

“You’re the girl I love. The one and only woman I’ll ever, ever love, no matter what else comes next,” Applejack said simply. “For good or bad, no matter what on earth ever happens, you’re my girl. And that’s all I’ll ever ask you to be. An- and if you love me, too, then I want you to stay. Then maybe we can figure out who you want to be together, and we can all be there for you when it gets difficult. Cause whatever’s been keeping you company all these years doesn’t have- it…” For a time, the steady farmgirl struggled to find her words amidst the growing maelstrom of emotion. “Adagio, who do you want to be? Where do you want to go?”

And there, lurking just behind her like a beast awaiting the final strike, did this last unrelenting question demand she turn about and face it. It should be something so simple to answer; she even knew what she would want to say! Or did she? There were a multitude of ways that she could respond, each as valid as the other. But then again, which one would be the honest truth? She was everything and nothing, all feelings and thoughts and desires rolled into one miserable package, unable to tear any single one away from the other. She’d been a beast of the ancient world, an exile, a terror to the masses, a castaway, a prisoner, a prostitute, a runaway… the titles Adagio had borne were almost as numerous as the many lives she had known, all encompassed in the body of a young girl whose days had been so bleak and empty. When all the horrors she had known had stared her in the face, when she had looked into the void, she’d been unable to bear the gaze that had stared back. And so, like a panicked, weary soul in the midst of the ocean, she’d begun to drown. But out reached a hand, and this agonizing choice was being turned into something so simple: she’d been so many wicked things before… did she now, at long last, want to be something good?

It would be such a simple answer.

Applejack forced herself to remain seated upon the steps, to not reach out and interfere with the tumultuous decision that transpired before her. If she butted in and influenced it, Adagio’s choice would not be fully her own. This Siren, this gorgeous, magnificent angel from another realm, had to choose who she wanted to be without aid from another. And even if it was the answer she dreaded hearing, not once would she be able to protest; the deal had been final, and Applejack was one to honor fair play. If only she could get her heart to stop beating, for all the pain and fear in her to reach its crescendo before she had a heart attack and died-!

Adagio closed her eyes, taking one final inhale before allowing the breath to escape in a long, wet, shuddering wind as her grasp slid from the door handle once and for all.

Applejack sat straight up when she saw Adagio turn around; that beautiful face was there in her eyes, wet with tears and struggling beneath the weight of her terror, but never had she seen her so resolute. This was it- she’d actually decided! “Dagi-”

The cry came, and Adagio crashed into Applejack’s arms before a word could be said, the two women slamming into the stairs and doing a magnificent job of jamming hardwood into the farmgirl’s back. A sharp yelp of agony, momentary, was magnificent at ruining the rising crescendo.

“Oh jeez- I’m sorry!” Adagio tried to take a step back and instead faltered, falling down to the end of the stairs in a messy heap of tears and salt-stained hair. “I didn’t mean to- I wasn’t doing that on purpose, I promise!”

Though likely the throbbing hurt had yet to dissipate, Applejack could only laugh, allowing her hobbled self to slide down the stairs and settle in beside her beloved and thus throw her arms about her weeping, overwhelmed Siren who had found her way home at last. “It’s OK, it’s OK. You’re OK…”

Adagio couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, whether it be exhaustion after so many years of long running or the joy at finally returning to the one she’d love for so long. She had so many things she needed to say; all the words of affection that had been stored up in her brain ever since she’d been held Applejack in her heart, all the love that needed to be brought to life by the works of her lips, apologies for making such a perfect girl wait so long! There were a million things upon her mind, yet none of them could push through the tears unless it came in the form of a wailing sound. Only when Applejack’s lips found hers did she fall silent, their twined tears falling together in relief and happiness.

She’d never been so glad for a kiss to be so slow; that firm, gentle press that pushed away all sorrow and pain until all that could be found was bliss immemorial. Oh, how she’d never known the feeling of Applejack before now, the feel of her! What had changed to make her so wonderful- save everything? The rapid beat of her heart slowed, wild thoughts cooling and allowing something better to seep in. At last, at long last, she was free of herself.

“And don’t ever scare me like that again,” Applejack whispered, her words spurring the two to a strange laughter that was infectious to the spirit. “I thought I wasn’t gonna catch you in time, or- or something!”

“I’m sor- thank you for waiting for me. Even if it took forever,” Adagio breathed. She needed to caress that face in her hands, to feel where the dimples formed when her smile began, the curvatures of her features across the whole of her body; Applejack was hers, and in that was a newness to be explored. What would they be to each other now? What sort of person was she to this perfect woman, save-

Oh.

“So… is it alright if we sit up? I hate to be a buzzkill, but my foot’s kinda hurting, laying down like this,” Applejack requested, and to her knees did she go, a hand bringing her beloved along with her. So overjoyed in her good fortune that the farmgirl knew not what to do next, seemingly at a loss now that she held on to what she had longed for these many long years. “You- we’ll get you settled in- for good, this time! Take a look through that dresser and we can toss out anything you don’t like. And we’ll get you some new shoes and everything! You’re gonna need some good boots for- well, a lot of things, and- and then Granny’ll want your picture up with the rest of the family’s, so that’ll mean-”

“So I can stay? Really?” Adagio just needed to hear it, to make sure she wasn’t actually dreaming. “Even if I never wanted to leave the farm again, would that be OK?”

“Of course not! This is your home!”

She was in a reckless mood and the longing inside was like an avalanche gaining speed as it moved downhill. “Then you’d better marry me- today.”

It was like a bolt of electricity had struck to the core of her system and rendered her stunned, the beautiful farmgirl unable to quite believe what she’d just heard. “Beg pardon?”

“Applejack, are you going to marry me or not?” Adagio demanded, coming to her feet and giving an anxious huff with hands on her hips. “Because if I’m going to be the trophy wife I said I would, you’d sure better put a ring on my finger!”

“What? I- yes, of course we can!” Applejack cried, trying to leap to her feet as best as her weakened limb would allow. “Granny can- she married Big Mac and Sugar Belle, she’s got the license and everything, let’s go ask her right now-”

“Applejack, I am not leaving this spot unless you bring me to a wedding altar!”

The most delighted, uproarious laugh the ancient house had ever heard in all its years echoed from her lips, Applejack unable to contain all her joys and excitement that now cascaded out from her soul in such wild, unrelenting abandon. “OK- stay right here, I’ll be- it’ll be just a minute!” And as though she had no injury to hinder her, the ecstatic farmgirl rushed down the hall to the occupied bedroom, and the sound of a door opening came just before a frenzied shout of, “Granny? I need you here now!”

And so the great farmland came to a screeching halt as the most awaited, unexpected delight saw all work and frolic come to a standstill. Hand in hand, surrounded by the sounds and presence of delighted family did they walk through leaf and grass until they found themselves before a beautiful, twisting sanctuary of legacy, bright and shining beneath the midday sun as though the very souls of those who had first cast their seeds to earth now looked down upon this most unlikely of unions and sang out their delights. For in that binding promise was the everlasting happiness of their daughter, the serenity of a wayward bride, and a love that swore to never waver even until the end of days- for what upon the wide, wild world could ever hope to sever it?

Author's Note

Just one more now.

Epilogue: Trophy Wife

Six Years Later~

She’d long learned to wake up just a few moments before the rooster crowed. Had it been instinct that had driven her to such a mechanism, or did her mind anticipate the sound? It didn’t matter all that much, really; there was work to be done, and that meant morning preparations. Before she put hands to work upon anything, a girl needed to be presentable.

Her body had retained its slender figure even after the years of work and toil amidst this heavenly world had taken soft muscles and made them strong, the delicacy with which she could move not having been lost through the reams of time. Adagio made hardly a sound as she pulled herself from out beneath the covers and put her feet to floor, tingling toes seeking out her worn pair of slippers that she always seemed to have to look down and find. A few more swift movements and into the bathroom did she fly with clothing in hand, the only pause she made was to peer back at the darkened bed that stood amidst the room and take in the sight of the still-sleeping beauty that lay upon it. She’d seen such a thing a million times now, and not once had it failed to make her smile.

She always got herself up a little earlier if she could help it. Apple Bloom and Sugar Belle had laughed when they’d found out; the idea that the once late-riser was the first of their family to see the sun rise! But despite their friendly teasing, Adagio was resolute that her choice was the correct one; she wanted to look her best at all times, even if she was out beneath the trees and providing aid that saw her body caked in a thin layer of sweat. Why not be lovely? It wasn’t for her own needs that she did such a thing, after all- well, perhaps a little. She did enjoy that little thrill that would eventually come…

Years amidst natural beauty had pushed away the long minutes, if not hours, that she would spend before a mirror. All that fuss and extravagance held no place out here, not when she could possess some of the very same loveliness herself. A slight touch there above the eyes, a faint tinge of pink upon her lips, only the smallest dusting to her cheeks was all it took for her features to be set right. Try as she might, her hair was oft-intent on becoming tussled and a thorough combing was a daily ritual; a quick shake of her head once finished, and then a final assessment of her reflection that was rewarded with a smile. Feminine to the core, but the chestnut colors of her eyelet lace dress was a perfect match to her home’s aesthetic- and just the kind of look to drive her bride wild!

For a time, breakfast was a charge given solely to her own hands; with Sugar Belle more occupied than ever, a ready hand that could assume some of her duties was the least she could be. Besides, it wasn’t a difficult task for her to complete at all: get coffee started, pull the eggs from the fridge and get them ready, fry up some bacon and add it to the omelet mixes, unfreeze the biscuits she’d made last night and wrap them in tinfoil while she waited for the oven to heat up. That’d hardly take more than a minute.

Adagio had only taken her first sip of the chicory brew that now filled her mug when the sound of Abbot’s haggard crow filled the outside world with its unpleasant din. Though he was as loud as ever, the ginger beauty felt her usual twinge of sympathy; Apple Bloom did what she could –and she’d done marvelously!- but the rooster’s age was simply catching up to him. And he’d always been so good for the hens, too…

The sign had been given, and Adagio was busy amidst her usual assortment of bowls and skillets and pans, spreading ingredients as needed for each member of the family: bacon, ham, some cheese in each mix- Sugar Belle’s with no peppers, Big Mac’s with extra, and Applejack liked a small helping of mushrooms in her omelet. Now, just to see the eggs put to a proper texture… “Oh, right, the cinnamon rolls, too,” she breathed, leaning down and extracting the cake tray from beneath the oven. Crispin had asked her last night, and she had promised; what sort of auntie would she be if she didn’t hold up her end of the bargain?

So intent on her efforts that the sound of footsteps lumbering down the stairs did not register until they came to the very threshold of the kitchen. When the pinprick of a gaze began to burn into the back of her neck, Adagio whirled about and smiled as she took in the still-drowsy sight of Applejack standing there, fully dressed but not yet fully sentient after yesterday’s long ordeal.

“Good morning, Sweets,” Adagio sang, offering out her hand so as to bring her bride closer, the gap between them promptly sealed shut as blonde came to her side and was met with a kiss for her lips. “Still sleepy?”

“Very. Morning, beautiful,” Applejack mumbled, trying her best though wearied body would not relent to mind just yet. Green eyes were clouded with sleep even still, looking out into the day’s chores that would require her very best and finding them unpleasant even at a distance. There was a lot to do, and much of it would require her very best. “Sorry.”

“Oh, no need to be! Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll get you your coffee.” She’d insisted upon this little ritual almost from the very beginning; if they did not make the meal together, then Adagio was going to see her golden girl provided for as best she could.

“Mmf… mind adding a little somethin’ extra to it?”

Adagio laughed, but gave her wife a wag of her finger. “You know that’s just for weekends, silly,” she said in a playful reprimand. “But I’ll crack open that bottle of Angel’s Envy tonight, if you don’t have to stay out too late.”

“Guess that’ll do.” It wasn’t a consolation prize, but rather something to look forward to. “I tell you you look pretty?”

She had, but receiving compliments from that freckled angel was something she’d never tire of; Adagio flaunted herself as she leaned back against the countertops, eager to let Applejack soak in her loveliness. She loved to see those green eyes come to life, the small catch of her breath that would be just on the edge of hearing, how her lips would tug upwards in the beginnings of a wondering smile- all because of her was this wonderful matriarch happy, and how she reveled in that joy. “You might have,” she remarked, “but if you wanna tell me twice I won’t say no.”

“How about a third time?”

“Flatterer.”

It was easy for them to continue, no matter which way the compliments fell. There would be times that the rest of the farm would walk in and find them interlocked, busier with one another than the necessities of work or morning meals; the honeymoon phase had been alive and eager right from the beginning of their marriage and not a moment since had it shown any sign of losing steam. All that could see their loving banter come to an end was an interruption. And in today’s case, that meant the sound of rushing feet as they crashed through the front door and raced into the kitchen.

“Are the cinnamon rolls ready yet?” Crispin cried out, eyes on his lovely aunt and eagerly awaiting the deeply desired treat. “Come on, Auntie Dagi, you promised!”

“Easy, Crispin.” Applejack’s soft chiding came forth and did its magic, bringing that wild energy to a halt rather than allowing it to cascade across the entire farm; it was so easy for one as energized and eager as him to become obsessed and lose focus upon the bigger picture. “What did you forget to say?”

Though Sugar Belle was his mother, Crispin’s guidance came from all of them, and this included the occasional reminder of proper formality; the young boy held a look of momentary abashment as he realized his error. “Oh right- morning, Aunt Dagi! Are the cinnamon rolls ready yet?”

It was not what Applejack had hoped to fully hear, but a boy kept separate from his sweet treats would of course struggle when faced with a barrier. Adagio only laughed and went to a crouching position, arms outstretched so that she might receive a fierce hug from the young child. “Good morning to you, too, Crispin,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek that left the lad squirming and eager to polish off the mark. “I’m just waiting for the oven to get hot enough, OK? Do you need anything else while you’re waiting?”

“Can I have some chocolate milk- umm, please?” he added as he took note of his aunt’s raised eyebrow. He held all the sweetness of his mother, but it was easy for manners to be put to the wayside when eager hunger was on the forefront of his mind.

“Yes, you may.”

The rest of the farmland’s crowd came trickling in soon after; Ginger toddled in to their midst with the aid of her father’s guiding hand, happily reaching for her family and giving each one of them a joyful embrace- to include her brother, who tried his best to resist. Sugar Belle carried Ambrosia upon her chest in a gentle wrap, the newborn beauty wide-eyed and taking in the sight of her not-yet-familiar world with an eagerness that only an infant could possess. Apple Bloom’s spot was left absent for now, but only for a few days longer; there were ribbons to earn in lands far beyond here, and that meant travel. Heaven knew she was making the family proud.

“Thanks for getting everything done,” Sugar Belle said softly. Sidling up to her sister-in-law as she reached for a new mug of coffee, the wears of motherhood were obvious upon her face in the forms of dark circles and lines about her eyes. “I know it must be a lot for you to handle all on your own.”

The very thought of it. “Of course not!” Adagio cried, apparently horrified that there was even a worry in her closest friend’s mind. “You know I love doing it. Besides, you’ve got your hands more than just a little full, it’s the least I can do!”

“Well, then, would it- would it be OK if you looked after Ginger and Crispin for a little bit this afternoon? Ambrosia will need a nap, and, well-”

Adagio could have seen the words a mile away and still she would have gladly run towards them; an hour with her niece and nephew was hardly enough time for her to enjoy herself. “Take as much time as you need, I’ve got all the time in the world!” She said.

Tired though she was, the warmth in her smile would not be so easily abated by exhaustion nor weariness, and so Sugar Belle offered another fresh glow. “I can’t imagine how we’d do without you,” she murmured, giving Adagio’s shoulder a squeeze before returning to the kitchen table where her rowdy children called for her presence.

Mornings were rambunctious, and often loud; the sound of children in their midst had taken the Apple family’s level of conversation and turned it into something frenetic, though offering all the more joy because of it. There was chaos, yes, and tumult to spare, but the house could use a little liveliness to fill the void that had been left behind. And with Apple Bloom not quite decided on her own marriage proposal, there was a wonder if yet another cottage might be in need of creation in the near future; for the first time in many a long year, there were days of wild creation ahead for Sweet Apple Acres.

“Sugar Belle asked me to look after Ginger and Crispin this afternoon, so you’ll probably need to come back in and grab your lunch today,” Adagio said as Applejack put on her boots. At the door was where they typically said their morning goodbyes and exchanged what news as required, and today saw fit to add a few more minutes to their schedule.

“And we’ll be busy planting today, too,” Applejack muttered. In her voice was a weariness that sounded akin to despair, this spring season seeing the end to many an aged tree and the formation of many new ones; more days had come to an end well beyond sunrise rather than before it. “Gonna slow us down pretty bad.”

“Please make sure to eat something this time, OK, Sweets?” Adagio pleaded. She adored her farmgirl to the end, but that often meant she had to worry for the both of their welfares. “You know I hate to see you like this, all tired and worn out. When was the last time we had any fun together- and Apple Bloom’s not even in town.”

“Then pencil me in for Saturday,” Applejack said with a chuckle, finishing the last lace and taking to her feet. “I know I’ve been gone a lot, just… just a lot to do.”

“I know. So don’t you and Big Mac go trying to wear yourselves out, OK? We can hire a few hands if that’s what we really need.”

“You’re right, I know.”

“Aren’t I always?” Adagio asked cheekily.

“Every now and then,” Applejack admitted, leaving her bride with a kiss and turning to the awaiting world outside. “Love, you, darling!”

“Love you, too!” Adagio cried, and in her heart was the same thrill she’d felt right from the very beginning. She could watch Applejack come and go, to and fro and no matter what side she saw, she adored the view. Freckles or toned body held within work clothes mattered little when the girl was such a magnificent goddess of physical excellence!

Morning came to an end with a sponge in hand and more than a few towels used up and covered in grime, Adagio hard at work cleaning up every space that had been put to use in the family’s hearty meal. Dishes required thorough cleaning and were left to dry so that they might be ready for her come tomorrow morning, but the entirety of the kitchen usually required a decent wipe-down, not to mention a good sweeping. Young children found a way to make crumbs even if they wolfed down their food, and Crispin had somehow turned it into an art form. Considering the state of their bathroom every morning, apparently it was a trait learned from his auntie; Applejack was a notorious slob so far as hygiene was concerned. The whole of it took work, but Adagio considered it a matter of pride- for herself, and her lovely bride. Applejack was in charge of forging new connections for the family business, and that occasionally meant in-person visits; if she didn’t help keep this place looking its very best, what sort of wife was she?

A trip through both barn and coop was next on her agenda, and not once had Adagio been left displeased at the duty. Both cow and chicken still were a delight to her, a pleasant presence in her life that never failed to bring about joy no matter what foulness they could leave behind. Apple Bloom had milked the herd just the day before so there was little need today, but the coop was positively brimming with fresh eggs, some more than a little smeared by feces. Much as they reeked in her grasp, best not to break their seal just yet. Put some of these to work in Apple Bloom’s birthday cake next month, the lovely woman counseled herself.

Sack lunches were her next item on the itinerary- but one left interrupted when the sound of the screen door being slammed rang in her ears and was soon followed by the eager cries of young children. Crispin’s exuberance had yet to fade despite a morning with his mother, and so infectious was his attitude that even Ginger was unable to resist joining in. only Ambrosia, tied to her mother’s chest, seemed content to carry on at her own pace and merely giggle at her siblings’ antics. So of course at the appearance of her kindred did Adagio proceed to see young stomach made full, she and Sugar Belle working in tandem as they nurtured this new generation of Apples. Peanut butter sandwiches were the demanded favorite for the day, perfectly paired with crisp apples from yesterday’s crop and some tasty potato chips; for a time, Adagio was the favorite aunt in the house as she focused all her attentions on her niece and nephew while their mother saw to the care of her youngest.

“I was going to make your Daddy and Aunt Applejack some lemonade for their lunch today,” she remarked as Crispin finished off the last of his sandwich. “Would you mind helping me finish up?”

“Yeah!”

Her smile was wide, impossible to be held back; oh, how she loved to see them smile! Adagio had never given much thought to the young of this world, but how these two had done wonders in changing her heart. “Well, soon as you’re done we can get started, OK? So make sure to get your plate completely clean!”

“And remember, what do we say to Auntie Dagi for making us lunch?” Sugar Belle added.

Thus came the shining reply, made with genuine fervor and all the joy only a young child could bring to life. “Thank you, Aunt Dagi!”

She’d never once minded looking after them- well, perhaps that was not true. Crispin’s entry into their world had set her a bit topsy-turvy, so inexperienced was she in the ways of the very young. At first, the poor boy would promptly shriek whenever Adagio so much as laid a finger on him. But a little growth in experience and a confidence boost had done well in seeing her heart melt; this was Sugar Belle’s little one, part of her family. How could she not adore this sweet morsel? When Ginger had come along, Adagio had the effort down to a perfect rhythm. If anyone was to ask the tiny terrors of Sweet Apple Acres who was their favorite family member, Adagio’s name was sure to ring loud and clear.

More doting and gentle than she was any manner of disciplinarian, Sugar Belle’s departure from their midst back to the cottage with Ambrosia was the signal to Crispin and Ginger that the fun had really begun; for a time, loud noises and all sorts of shouting could be heard across hall and room as Adagio romped with the young Apples and saw to their surplus of giggles as games of tag and chase nearly put the world to a frenzy. But even youthful energy had its limits, and soon the two children were at Adagio’s side and struggling to remain awake. A quick show on the TV saw an end to their wakefulness and soon gave them the time they needed to fall into slumber.

Though she did her best to keep one eye upon them, there was still work for her to do; Adagio meandered throughout the house while young souls slept, seeing to whatever work she could perform in the relative quiet as best she could. There was the whole chicken in the freezer that needed to thaw, for one thing; would sweet potatoes or baked potatoes go best with it? Hmm… I might ask Big Mac if he’ll grill some corn cobs, she wondered. It would depend on how long he and his sister worked out in the orchards today. Oh well, one thing at a time.

Each day held a specific task, and today that meant a thorough sweeping of the floors. From the top floors down to the edge of the back doors did she travel with broom in hand, seeing everything made spick-and-span and not even the slightest hair to be seen. Goodness knows how they managed this much dirt when their boots didn’t even make it past the front door; did it just breed itself? Rarely did she ever wonder as to the how when the sizeable piles she would eventually create would be there for her to sweep away.

Halfway down the hall to her bedroom, and Adagio paused. This was a special place for her family; faces and names and memories of all kinds rested upon the walls, bright eyes full of life looking down upon her as she saw to the upkeep of the ancestral home. She knew all their names by heart now, even if there were so many she’d never arrived in time to meet. She knew their exploits, their misdeeds, all the good and unbelievable that was to be known about them; they were her kinfolk, after all. Why shouldn’t she know every story by heart? But one always seemed to grab her attention whenever her heart became somber, the picture of a young girl with silken pigtails that fell across her chest and seemed to lighten her smile a striking thing- perfectly held next to the sitting pose of a wizened woman surrounded by family, with her first great-grandchild in her arms.

There were memories of her that would belong only to her alone; no matter how many times Applejack had asked, she’d felt it would be disrespectful to share absolutely everything there was to know about such a person as Granny. The words that had passed between them when they’d first met had been the first shock to her system that even Applejack could not provide, the sign of life outside her miserable world. That maybe, just maybe, the rest of this family would be gracious enough to offer her a place in their hearts also. Though there were so many times Adagio wished she had been around to witness just a little more, what she had been in time enough to experience had been so very good all on its own. When her eyes looked from beyond the hall and to the quiet, young spirits that now rested in the living room, she wondered what sort of stories she would one day be able to tell. Their mother would have such wonders to provide; Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom would have stories to spare. But even if she only had a word or two that would sneak past her lips, Adagio was determined they would know that one trickle of gentleness only she could recall. It was part of their legacy, too, just as was all the bravery and selflessness and foolish thought that plagued them all right until their dying days.

A sound of boots at the front door came to her ears and Adagio rushed from her work so as to intercept, seeing Applejack’s wearied entry into the slowly-cleaned world be put to a halt. But weren’t there more important things to be made aware of? “Kiddos are napping in the living room,” the glorious bride whispered, tenderly but forcefully pushing her farmgirl back out into the open world so that heavy footfalls might not intercede. “Sorry, I wasn’t able to get your lunches out to you.”

“You’re fine. Thanks for helping out Sugar Belle today, she’s been exhausted,” Applejack replied with a smile, pressing against Adagio’s cheek with a kiss. Sweaty and filthy though she was, not once had the ginger beauty ever blanched at the affection. “It helps out Big Mac a bunch, too.”

“Like I would say no. I’m going to try and teach Crispin Chutes and Ladders when he wakes up. See if he thinks that’s any fun,” Adagio said.

In those green eyes was a softness that continued to grow, warmth and love seeing to the birth of a fresh adoration that both knew so well; familiar, continuous, yet every moment of its arising a unique and extraordinary thing. “You’re wonderful. You know that?” Applejack murmured as she put a hand about her wife. Together did they lean back against the house wall, a momentary pause in time as the two beheld one another. “And to think you were worried you wouldn’t fit right in.”

She had worried. Fretted, feared, dreaded some days more often than she might ever confess to. There were days she’d fought with Applejack, whether the matter be trivial or something of genuine importance; she’d been at fault some, and her bride the others. There had been mishaps, mistakes, frustrations, uncertainties and gloom all in abundance, but never once had she regretted her decision to stay. Where Applejack belonged was where she belonged also, no matter how unsteady her steps may be. By her side would she stand, and no where else would do. So even if there were plenty of failings awaiting her in the future, not one would be able to overcome what had her firmly planted in this sanctuary she called home.

Could she even recall the last time she’d left? Even that memory felt dim. Sights and sounds of the outside world felt so far away; a life that had once haunted her felt truly like a forgotten existence of eons gone by, faded and distorted as though borne from a far-forgotten realm. What was there for her to remember? Applejack held her fast. That seemed good enough.

“Are- are you really here? Did you really stay with me?” Applejack asked.

“I really did. As if I could leave my perfect bombshell,” Adagio purred. About her bride’s waist did she tighten her grip, making sure that strong form could feel every curve and softened portion that was for her alone to enjoy; there had been nights galore, and many more to come, that would be theirs for the taking. “Why, you’re not doubting me, are you? I might just need to give you a little reminder.”

Applejack did not protest, nor would she ever, as her kiss was met in the midst of their green and glorious world.

Author's Note

I'll always doubt myself, but I feel like at least I hit the story beats well enough. Think my wordsmithing kinda sucked, though. Also sucks it didn't get much reception.

Oh well. Enjoy our girls, I guess.