Big Macintosh's Lesson
Part 10C: A House Divided...
by Neoraichu
Twilight Sparkle X Applejack (X Spike?), Dash X Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh X Fluttershy
...
Big Macintosh and Applejack returned to Sweet Apple Acres at about the same time, as Applejack didn't want to hear about doing any less work than him. Applejack fried up a quick breakfast for both of them plus Apple Bloom, who was also now old enough to buck apples like her Big Sister. She understood that she was ready to help in the field, and was just as proud as Applejack on her first day of applebucking. Both Big Macintosh and Applejack were both justifiably proud of the little mare.
Between the three of them, they made remarkable progress bucking apples. Bushel after bushel was filled and delivered to the silo for storage until they had enough to make a sales run to Ponyville. It wouldn't take long to gather enough for the first wagon-load of the season.
But Applejack felt a touch guilty about thinking about her Twilight when she thought she should have focused on applebucking. She could almost feel her Big Brother's gaze on her back as she paused in her bucking and thought about how much she wanted to be with Twilight instead. There was a flush in her face that she hoped her kinfolk would attribute to hard work, and not her deep desire to be with Twilight relishing another deep and passionate kiss.
But when he glanced at Big Brother, he looked away with a flush in his face. She was sure that he was ashamed of her dalliances with the violet unicorn. Perhaps he was now regretting that he brought them together over a kissing lesson. She wondered if he was embarrassed by his little sister and her being smitten by a unicorn mare.
In her mind, she feared that her nightmare was becoming real. She feared that she would jump out of her hide if Twilight should show up unexpectedly. That they would be torn apart by their separate tasks and their separate task masters: Big Macintosh and the Princess Celestia.
She continued applebucking in the heat as her apprehension chewed at her from the inside, leaving her feeling both overheated and nauseated. Her desire not to give Big Brother or little sister an excuse to complain kept her from taking a break. There was an urge not to take water or take a break for any reason as long as Big Brother kept working.
Neither objected to Apple Bloom taking a rest and a drink now and then, as it was her first day... and she was doing well for her first day.
But Applejack said nothing about her parched throat or her blurring vision. She said nothing about the dizziness or the nausea either. If she could make it to the end of the day, she felt she would be alright. She got an odd look from Big Macintosh when she saw double an bucked at the wrong tree, and from Apple Bloom when she saw two wagons and poured her apples onto the road instead of the back of the right wagon, but neither said anything because Applejack had said nothing. No excuses were asked nor given.
But then Twilight appeared from a flash of light, and she was alone. She appeared just behind a tree and stepped into Applejack's view. Unfortunately, the violet unicorn was looking the wrong way, and did not see Applejack standing there.
"Applejack?" she called out.
"Twi-" called Applejack as she turned to face her, but the root from the apple tree made her stumble and smack herself head first into the tree she was pretty sure was the tree that wasn't really there, but in fact was the one that was really there. "OW!" she cried before crashing to the ground, ripe red apples falling about her as she did so. About half the apples missed their buckets, scattering on the ground all around the tree.
Twilight's head snapped in Applejack's direction about the time Big Macintosh had caught sight of her falling, to the two of them arrived at her side about the same time. About a dozen seconds after that, Applejack was dimly aware of Apple Bloom's presence as well.
She tried hard to apologize to everyone, but it only came out as unintelligible mutterings as she lay on the ground. Her head was throbbing badly, and her ears rang from the impact.
"Applejack?" asked Big Brother, "Speak ta me little sister!"
"Applejack?" asked Twilight Sparkle, "Are you alright?"
"I'll git ya to the house, little sister," said Big Macintosh, "Ya can rest all ya wants there."
"No, it will be quicker if I just flash teleport us both to her bedside," replied Twilight.
"No, I thinks y'all done quite enough already, Missy."
"I haven't done nearly enough for my Applejack. Don't even TRY to STOP me," she added with a defensive growl in her voice.
"This here is a family matter an you ain't no family."
"No," murmured Applejack quietly, "don't ya fight none over me."
"It's alright," cried Twilight, "I'll have you safe in bed in just a second. I promise."
"If you do, you better not..." said Big Macintosh before Twilight touched her cheek to Applejack's cheek and teleported the two of them in a flash of light to Applejack's bedroom in the house. As she planned, Applejack was comfortably on the bed while Twilight was standing next to it.
"I luvs ya, Twilight," murmured Applejack, "but..."
"I know," she answered, "and I love you too. I couldn't just let you lie in the field like that no matter what Big Macintosh was saying. I just couldn't..."
Applejack continued to murmur as Twilight pulled the sheets and blankets over her with her magic and glowing horn, and then Applejack slipped into a quiet sleep before she could say anything else. The last thing she heard was Twilight whispering into her ear, "I swear you'll get all the sleep you need..."