"No, Angel bunny. No, please. Angel, please stop. Angel, please. Please, Angel, that's...." Fluttershy sighs. and settles her wings. Compared to her pet rabbit, Ursula and Bjorn had been perfect guests the last time they visited, and she still had to ask poor Mr. Davenport to honor his lifetime warranty after they left. For the moment, Angel sits atop one of Fluttershy's bookcases, holding a glass jar full of silvery-green bundles. He watches her intently as she rises to reclaim the jar, then plummets from his perch, diving between her outstretched forelegs to dash beneath her brand-new couch.

The pegasus lands and folds her wings against her sides, but they shift and twitch uncomfortably, never quite stilling. She takes a deep breath and holds it, letting the air curl around in her lungs before letting go. "Angel, that's not yours, and I would very much appreciate it if you brought it back to me."

The rabbit pokes his nose out from under the couch, staring up at his caretaker, and frowns, his whiskers twitching in irritation. He gives a firm shake of his head, then pulls back beneath the sofa and gives one of the cushions a solid thump of disapproval.

"Angel!" Fluttershy stops as soon as she hisses the name, cupping one hoof over her muzzle. Temper. She closes her eyes and breathes again, in through the nose, out through the mouth. "Angel, if you keep running away with my medicine, I'll have to go to Zecora's to get more. If I have to do that, I won't have time to get to the markets before lunch. If I can't get to the market, I can't make you that salad you wanted. I don't think either of us wants that, do we?"

Even as the words leave her muzzle, she can feel her chest growing tight, like a leather strap tied around her lungs. She sinks to her cannons, rests her head on one of the cushions of her new couch, and tries to get her breathing under control. She knows what will follow, what's always followed ever since foalhood, well enough that she can never quite tell if it's happening or if it's all in her mind. All she knows is that her stomach feels like it's ready to turn inside out and her face feels flushed. She scrunches her muzzle, squinting her eyes and gritting her teeth as though that will push aside the symptoms, but her breath comes in short gasps and her wings ache, like she's been trying to outfly the sunrise.

Fluttershy breathes in as deeply as she can, holds for a few seconds, then exhales again. She spreads her wings wide, until the tips quiver, then lets them fall back to her sides; they shiver and twitch, but she's used to that. Even the stomach upset and the shallow pant are just physical insults, and she can mostly ignore those. They're a discomfort, but she's worked through worse. It's the mental assault that she can't resist. At its best, it's merely a litany of her recent failures, recited to her over and over. At its worst, it's every mistake she's ever made, gleaned from the mutterings of others both overheard and imagined, all whispered back at her in her own voice turned callous and cold. She's heard that voice ever since she was a filly, long enough to give it a name, plucked from the pages of a storybook: the Dragon.

Pathetic. It's an old standby, so common in the Dragon's parlance that it almost doesn't have meaning any more. She's gotten so used to that one that it doesn't really hurt. Crazy. That one stings, but it's not objectively true, even if she did hear a few fillies at flight camp whisper it. Addict. Now that's a clean hit, striking right in the gut. Fluttershy's wings snap up as she ducks behind them, cheeks darkening and tears lining her eyelids.

Narrowing her eyes, Fluttershy straightens her back and forces her wings back out to the sides. "I am a grown mare, and I can make my own decisions." The words are weak, but they're there. "This is my home and I'm safe here. You can't get to me while I'm in here." It's a nice sentiment, even if it isn't strictly true; she's been rendered incoherent with grief, shame, and even rage all while hiding in her bedroom with the blinds drawn. Still, it's enough to push back the Dragon a little bit, enough for her stomach to stop trying to crawl out her throat.

She swallows heavily, then closes her eyes and forces herself to take as deep a breath as she can. "Angel, I don't want to have to ask again. I said I would make you that salad, and I will, but I'm in no shape to face the markets today without a little help."

The rabbit pokes his head out from under the couch, and a very different sort of frown crosses his muzzle. He sighs and drags the bottle over to his caretaker, then taps the glass against her forehoof. He waits patiently, then suffers to be swept up into a warm embrace, doing his best to ignore the few tears that drip onto his back and to hug her in return.

"Thank you, Angel." Fluttershy kisses the top of her pet's head. "Thank you for being so understanding." She trots into the kitchen, jar under one arm, and cranks up her oven. She melts butter on the stove, then adds half of the silvery-green leaves and stirs quickly, watching them swirl around in the pan. Leaving the butter to bubble, Fluttershy then flits up to her bedroom, ignoring Angel's exaggerated gagging routine as she passes through the living room.

In the drawer of Fluttershy's nightstand sits a glass pipe and a ceramic firestone, the latter painted in black and white stripes and etched with the Zebrican runes for "sun," "peace," and "joy." She grimaces as she picks it up, reminding herself to look — probably in vain — for something a little less tacky the next time she visits Vanhoofer. This, however, isn't the time to worry about social statements. She cracks open the window above her bed, then sits on its edge and prepares an emergency preparation.

She fishes a small bunch of leaves from the jar and drops it into her pipe, then taps the stone to call forth its flame. She breathes out, then brings the glass stem to her lips and puts fire to the herbs, drawing the smoke into her muzzle. It's rich and acrid, and it makes Fluttershy want to cough, but she keeps inhaling, until her lungs are full. She taps the stone again and sets it on her nightstand, then pulls the pipe from between her lungs and presses the frog of her hoof over the end to keep any extra smoke from seeping into her room. After a few seconds, her eyes begin to water, and she exhales sharply out the window, blowing most of the herbal scent outside. Twice more, she repeats the small ritual, until her lungs feel raw and her eyes are lined with tears. For now, though, the Dragon has retreated: her cramps have subsided and her wings no longer feel like they're fighting with each other. Then she shoves the firestone and the pipe to the back of drawer and slams it closed, noisily clearing her throat as she speeds back downstairs.

Thankfully, the butter is a glistening emerald by the time Fluttershy returns to the kitchen, and she sinks into the rest of her preparations. She pours it through the sieve, lightening to a creamy jade as she combines it with flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Eggs and vanilla follow, and then she whisks quickly, pouring the batter into a shallow pan that she slides into the oven. "Be good and watch the oven, Angel," Fluttershy says, her voice rough. "I'll be back before they're done."

True to her word, by the time Fluttershy returns, the house is filled with an herbal-sweet scent. Her rabbit is waiting for her when she steps inside. She slides her saddlebags from her back as she trots into the kitchen, then talks as she picks through heads of endive and romaine. "I'm very sorry about earlier, Angel. I'm just not at my best first thing in the morning." She peels carrots and cucumbers, then deftly slices them. "Today and tomorrow are going to be stressful and... well, what happened earlier didn't help. I tried talking with Rainbow Dash about this weekend, but she wasn't very helpful." She tosses oil and vinegar together with the vegetables, then slides the bowl in front of the rabbit. "There you are, Angel. Just as promised."

As Angel greedily tucks into his salad, Fluttershy pulls the fresh blondies from the oven, pausing a moment to breathe in their aroma. A pang of guilt stabs up from her gut, and she starts talking to try to mask it. "This isn't easy for me like it is for Rainbow," she says, a hint of the Dragon slipping into her voice. Then she sighs and drops the pan. "No, that's not fair, and I know it." She pours hot water over bulgur wheat, then starts slicing scallions and mint. "It's not easy for her, either, but she's just... she doesn't have to worry. When something bad happens to her, she doesn't stew on it for days or let it eat her up inside." Tomatoes and parsley come together with vinegar and a few drops of honey. "I can barely make it through a day without something upsetting me. It'd be nice to have that kind of confidence."

Angel looks up from his lunch, then looks pointedly towards her bedroom and waves his paw in front of his nose before glaring at his owner again. Fluttershy pouts in response and bites her lip. "Now, Angel, don't give me that. I'm not happy about that either, but I didn't have a choice!" She stomps one hoof, then turns back to her preparations, tossing everything together in a glass bowl. She makes it to the count of three before sighing again and looking back towards her rabbit. "Oh, Angel, I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap. I just feel awful enough about it without you getting mad at me, but it works, when everything else didn't. That's worth it, isn't it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Fluttershy finishes up her salad, then puts it in the refrigerator to chill. "Now, I have to check on Ursula and make sure she's alright, and then I have to visit that cardinal family that flew in yesterday; they're expecting their eggs to start hatching in a week or so and I want to make sure they're ready. Then I had better go stop by that raccoon nest I found and make sure she's not hoarding any more keys. When I get back, I expect to find that pan intact." She fixes the rabbit with a pointed look, not quite a Stare but more than enough to show she means business. "Okay?"

Angel rolls his eyes but nods, then hops over to hug his owner before scampering outside. Fluttershy lets her gaze linger briefly on the blondies, then turns away with a sigh. "Okay, then, Fluttershy," she says to herself as she approaches the front door. "Once more into the outside."

Applejack stands beside the road to White Tail Wood, her hat drawn down to shield her eyes from the trailing rays of Celestia's sun. The pack across her back bulges at the withers, with the ends of a blanket roll poking out of either side. At Fluttershy's approach, she lifts her head and smiles. "Howdy, sugarcube. I was startin' to worry."

Fluttershy's eyes go wide , wings quivering at her side with embarrassment. "Oh, Applejack, I'm so sorry! My errands ran long — Ms. Raccoon had a huge collection of keys and a few earrings I had to return — and then... " She pauses out of habit, but the Dragon stays blissfully silent; a whole blondie will quell even her temper. "Well, I was just so nervous, I ended up losing track of time." Applejack tips her hat back with a hoof — she's replaced the leather band, fastened with an apple-shaped charm — and wipes at her forehead. The farmer's eyes are a deep and familiar green, and Fluttershy cringes slightly at seeing herself reflected in them.

"Nervous? I was the one who asked you, remember?" Applejack chuckles, her own cheeks lightly flushed. "I'm the one that oughta be nervous; you're doin' me a great honor like this." She gestures to the pack on her back. "I made supper. I hope you're hungry."

"Famished," Fluttershy admits. She looks past Applejack to the trail ahead of them. "Did you have a spot in mind for dinner?"

Applejack's cheeks redden further. "Actually, I found a really nice hill 'bout a mile in, if you can hold out that long." Fluttershy nods, and the farmer holds out a foreleg, bent at the pastern. "Ma'am?"

Fluttershy's smile spreads as she takes the offered hoof in her own. "My pleasure." She lets Applejack set the pace, a gentle trot that carries the two of them towards White Tail Wood. Applejack walks in silence, seemingly content just to share in the pegasus' company, and Fluttershy revels in the lack of pressure to fill the void, glad for the silence both inside and out.

As they reach the trees, a steady wind starts to blow, tousling Fluttershy's mane. She lifts her face into the breeze, then her wings, letting it tickle her primaries. She tugs gently at Applejack's hoof, then slips her leg free and pumps once, rolling her shoulders as she rises from the ground. She flits along behind the farmer, a lazy smile spread across her muzzle.

Applejack looks back over her shoulder as she trots. "Everything okay there, Shy?"

"Mm," Fluttershy responds, her smile spreading. The breeze just feels so good flowing through her feathers and coat. She tucks her hooves against her chest and rises, then turns a slow and graceful loop before settling back to the ground beside Applejack. "This really is wonderful."

Applejack blinks sharply, then turns away and ducks her head. "Heh. Yeah, well, I wanted this t' be special, you know? Really... really special."

"It is special," Fluttershy insists. "It's a shared experience. It's not the experience itself, though this is lovely. It's the sharing that makes it special." She cocks one ear, then lifts a foreleg and whistles. A bluejay drops down from one of the nearby branches and settles on her pastern, then chirps back at her. "That's right, Mr. Jay," she says with a nod. "This is a special friend of mine, Applejack. Applejack, say hello."

Applejack lifts a hoof. "Uh... hi." She extends her hoof, and the bird hops inquisitively onto it, chirping more insistently at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand."

Fluttershy giggles. "He just said he hasn't seen you before, and whatever you've got smells wonderful, and I agree." Her stomach rumbles in accord, making her laugh some more. "Excuse me. I had a really early lunch."

"I ate late, but workin' the fields always gives me an appetite." Applejack lowers her hoof, and the jay takes wing back into the branches. "We're not far, just up that hill." She nods to her right, off of the trail into the trees. "Come on."

Fluttershy nods, and the two canter toward supper. As she breaks the crest, she gasps; the hill sits at the top of a small cliff, and the land falls away below, putting them just above the treetops. The forest canopy spreads out before them, brilliant greens dotted here and there with specks of blue and red as birds dance from branch to branch. The wind whistles over the hilltop, sending a shiver down the pegasus' back as she gazes out at the woods. "It's beautiful."

Applejack beams and rolls her shoulders, sliding her pack to the ground. "I saw this when I was out here helpin' set up the Runnin' o' the Leaves. I figured it'd be a great spot to take somepony one day." She spreads out the blanket, then starts laying out a mouth-watering banquet: a heaping bowl of pasta, a massive salad, and a heavy-looking tart. "Bloom tried t' help, so let me know if anything's burnt," she chuckles.

Fluttershy mock-scowls and lightly taps the brim of Applejack's hat with a wing. "Be nice; she's trying, really." She pulls out her own bowl of bulgur salad, along with tongs and some napkins. "It all smells delightful. What's in it?"

Applejack waves one hoof over her dishes as she extracts plates and glasses. "The pasta's an ol' Fillydelphia recipe, with apple, onion, an' celery. The salad's a Waldorf. The tart's a classic Neightalian specialty, with gorgonzola, pear, an' a little honey."

"Pears?" Fluttershy's eyes go wide. "Not apples?"

Applejack smirks. "Why's everypony think all I eat is apples? I like carrots, too, despite what Golden Harvest says."

Fluttershy giggles at that. "She only says those things because she's jealous of your success."

"I ain't got time for jealousy," Applejack says as she dishes up a little of everything, then takes a scoop of Fluttershy's bulgur salad as well before passing over the plate and serving herself. "I got too much to do."

"Well, I'm glad you had time to cook," Fluttershy says as she takes her plate. The pasta has slivers of fried garlic in it, little flavor bombs that erupt in her muzzle as she eats. The Waldorf has fennel and celery seed as well as apple and nuts, crisp and dense flavors that roll around inside her. Each nibble of the tiny slice of tart covers her tongue in sensations, sweet and salty and smoky. Even her own offering, a staple of her diet, seems rich and complex, the fruit and mint contrasting with the sourness of the dressing. By the time she's lifted her head, her plate is bare, and her stomach is warning her that she's pushed its limits. "Applejack, this was amazing."

Applejack grins, halfway through her own plate. "Hearty appetite. I always imagine you eat more like a bird, all delicate and dainty."

"Rarity eats like a bird." Fluttershy smiles, breathing in deeply and relishing the way she can actually breathe all the way down into her lungs. "I have to chase ferrets and rescue baby birds from manticores."

"I remember you dealing with those two bears last time I was over." Applejack nods and pulls an an amber bottle from her pack. "How'd those two end up, anyway?"

Fluttershy sighs and resettles her wings. "Bjorn and Ursula have things they have to work out. Every couple does. They just have to be a little more careful about when and how they do it." She lifts her glass so that Applejack can fill it. "What's this?"

"A little of the Apple family reserves from last winter." She fills her own glass, then lifts it in a toast. "To talking things out?"

Fluttershy nods. "To Bjorn and Ursula." The two clink glasses, then drink. The cider has hints of clove and nutmeg in it, and it sends bubbles into her nose, making the pegasus giggle. "This is really good." She sets down her glass, then clears her throat. "So... speaking of talking things out, I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions."

Applejack shakes her head. "Nah, not at all." She pauses a moment and takes another draw on her glass. "Well, maybe a little, but ask away."

Fluttershy chuckles and rises from the ground, floating over the blanket to settle in next to Applejack. She lifts one wing, then hastily snaps it back to her side; she'd been about to cover the other mare with it before realizing just how... committal... that might look. She turns to face the farmpony. "What happened between you and Rainbow Dash, anyway?"

Applejack's face freezes, and she quickly tugs down the brim of her freshly-brushed hat. "Ah... I didn't know you knew 'bout that."

"It wasn't much of a secret, really," Fluttershy chides gently. She reaches out one hoof to touch Applejack's, but the farmer pulls hers away. "I'm sorry, I did ask. I thought the toast was an invitation."

"I... I suppose it was," Applejack's voice quavers, but she clears her throat. "What's Dash told you?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I've heard her side. I'd like to hear yours."

Applejack sighs. "Not much t' tell, really. She was my first. I didn't know what in Tartarus I was doin' — excuse my language — an' I... I wasn't really comfortable talkin' about it with family at th' time." She waves one hoof back in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. "I got so nervous thinkin' folks might find out, and Dash had all the discretion of a brass band."

"Rainbow's not really subtle, no," Fluttershy agrees. "It's not always a bad thing, though; you always know how she feels." She reaches forward her hoof once more, leaving it in reach without pushing it against the other pony's. "So what happened?"

Applejack shrugs. "Dash started pushin', and I started pushin' back, up until I started thinkin' if I pushed too much, Bloom would end up hearin' about it, an'..." She shakes her head. "I made a mess of things. I just wasn't ready."

Fluttershy leans down until her head is near Applejack's ear. "Are you more ready now?"

Applejack's quiet for several seconds, but then she reaches out and takes Fluttershy's hoof in her own. "Yeah, I think I am." She pushes back the brim of her hat and lifts her head to meet the pegasus' gaze. "Are you sayin'...?"

"I'm just saying I've had a really nice time." Fluttershy pulls back and takes to the air, spreading her wings and letting the wind ruffle her coverts. "This whole evening has genuinely been wonderful, Applejack."

Applejack chuckles and finishes her glass. "You're makin' a mess o' your feathers, there, Shy."

"Oh, I don't mind," she replies. "I'll just preen when I get home."

Applejack grins. "If'n you don't mind, ma'am, I'd be glad to take care o' that for you."

Fluttershy's eyes widen as she drops back to the ground, her heart picking up at the thought. "You... would?"

Applejack nods and wipes her muzzle with a napkin, then deliberately licks her lips. "Call it a bit o' proof that I know a little more 'bout what I'm doin'."

Fluttershy can feel the blood pulsing in her temples. She bites her lip, shifting her weight between her hindlegs, which have begun to tingle at the idea. "I... I don't know. That's—"

Applejack rises and bows her head. "Fluttershy, I'd be right honored if you'd do me the courtesy of lettin' me preen your wings."

The earth pony's words send a shiver down her spine, her wings rising even as she tries to think of anything but. Her mind a near blank, she rises and turns around, then extends one wing. "Alright," she whispers.

The blanket shifts under Fluttershy's hooves as Applejack approaches, and then warm breath washes over the edge of her wing as the farmer catches one of her primaries between her lips. There's a brief tug, and then the slow, smooth caress of a tongue against the root as she straightens the feather out. Then another, and another. The pegasus' wing trembles as Applejack works her way along its length from tip to ribs, sending liquid warmth rippling up Fluttershy's side.

Fluttershy's muzzle hangs slightly agape as the farmpony moves from her primaries to the secondaries. She's gentler than the pegasus would be, but even the light tugs are enough to catch Fluttershy's breath in her throat. By the time Applejack's finished with each row, Fluttershy's almost gasping, panting shallowly as the sensations all flow up inside her.

There's a last tug at the leading edge of her wing, and then the brush of Applejack's cheek against it. "That one's done," the earth pony murmurs as she steps back. "Want me t' do the other one?"

"Please," Fluttershy whispers, closing her eyes. Her breath grows shallow; is it from Applejack, or is there something else? Her stomach clenches; she ate too much, and now it's sitting heavy inside her. She stretches out her other wing, but it shakes slightly, and she squints her eyes tightly shut as the Dragon wakes up, smirking up from inside her. Taking advantage of a friend, are we? "Applejack."

"Yes'm?" Applejack's voice comes from beside her, soft and low.

"Keep going. Please." The Dragon scowls, hissing her displeasure, but Fluttershy breathes in as deeply as rising disquiet will let her, forcing the air into her lungs as Applejack starts to straighten out the feathers on her other wing. This time, guilt mixes with the pleasure, knotting her stomach even as the rest of her body responds. Does she even know what this is doing to you? She pants, keening quietly as the farmpony works, struggling to keep her hooves firmly on the ground, to keep her breathing as even as she can.

Applejack nuzzles against the front of her wing again to signal she's done, and Fluttershy snaps it against her side as she turns to face her date. "You've done that before, haven't you?"

Applejack rubs the back of her neck, smiling abashedly. "I mighta studied up on it. It was one o' the few things I could do for Dash that didn't feel awkward."

Fluttershy nods at that, heat rising in her cheeks. "I had a lovely time. Thank you." Her voice is a whisper, her stomach still knotting.

"Pleasure's mine, sugarcube," Applejack replies, brushing her cheek against the pegasus'. "We better get back. It's gettin' late, and I said I'd help Bloom an' Belle with their homework."

Sweetie Belle, hmm? I wonder why she's at the farmhouse, the Dragon hisses in Fluttershy's ear. "Oh, is there a Crusader slumber party?" she asks, forcing herself to smile.

"Nah, that's tomorrow," Applejack drawls. "Rarity asked if I could take her an extra night so she could get ahead on that commission o' hers. Her folks're back from Whinnyapolis come Sunday afternoon, so I'm helpin' keep an eye on 'er 'til the pet picnic."

"Oh, that's—" Fluttershy's wings start to cramp, cramming in against her side, making it hard to breathe. "That's really kind of you."

Applejack tilts her head to the side and steps forward. "Somethin' wrong, sugarcube? You sound kinda tense."

Sweetie's going to tell Rarity. I hope Angel hasn't made a mess of things at home. You're all going to be angry at me, I just know it. That preening felt really good, and I feel really guilty. Is your family really so obsessed with foaling? That sounds so... stereotypical. Either you're confused about your breakup or Rainbow is; probably both. This is going to fall apart before any of it has a chance. I should've put half a blondie in my saddlebag. She shakes her head quickly. "Oh, dinner's just sitting a little heavy and I'm starting to get tired."

"It's gettin' late, yeah, 'specially for early risers." Applejack looks back at the picnic site, then chuckles. "Tell you what, sugarcube. If you don't need that bowl, I'll just bring it over later. I'll clean up here; why don't you head on back? You sound like you could use a lie-down."

Fluttershy opens her muzzle to protest, but the way her stomach clenches says she'd better accept that offer. "You really don't mind?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. You go take care of yourself, hear? I'll see you on Sunday. Winona'll be happy to see you again."

"Thank you, Applejack," Fluttershy whispers. "I'll see you then. I really did have a good time." That's why I'm so nervous. Then she takes to the air, making a beeline for home before the Dragon can make things worse.

Author's Note

And this is where I lose everypony. **chuckles** I've made a few minor edits to previous sections to ensure consistency of narrative; this is the joy of posting as I write. Many thanks again to Horizon for his feedback on everything.