Author's Notes:

THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN FOR LENGTH AND QUALITY.

...GIGGITY.

I laid on my back, staring up at the barn's rafters. I felt...hollow. Defeated, just as I had for the past years. For the second time in the last month, I'd nearly died. And, for the second time, it was because of my own stupidity and poor judgement. Groaning and shifting to find a more comfortable position, I lazily glanced at the door, now closed with a padlock. 'It's fer yer own good', Applejack had said. Applejack was a terrible liar. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

It had been five hours since I was thrown and locked in here. Dusk now, I was sure. I turned onto my side away from the door, trying to get at least some sleep.

-----

For the second time, I awoke in the middle of the night. However, unlike the night prior, it was not of my own accord. I'd been woken by the jostling of the door and padlock. I clenched my eyes shut and kept as still as possible, hoping beyond hope that whoever was trying to break in wouldn't be able to make me out from the hay in the darkness. After several seconds of jostling and an ever-greater sense of dread, I heard the telltale click and creak of the door being opened. The rhythmic thuds of hooves directly approaching me threw any hope of remaining undetected out the window, and I tensed up to make a run for it.

However my thought-process completely derailed when I felt something climb on top of the hay I was laying on. Warm fur pressed into my back, and a pair of forelegs pulled me even tighter against the warm body. My heart raced, and my instincts were screaming at me to get out of there.

The mumbling of a muzzle pressed into the back of my neck identified it as my warden. But...why would Applejack do this? Why was she...dare I say...snuggling? She had been behaving erratically since she'd taken me here, but this was a new level of weird. I could deal with her strangeness up to now in exchange for food and shelter, but this was—

"Awful warm fer a critter without any fur..." ...Nope. Hastily pulling her hooves from my neck and standing before she had a chance to object, I bolted for the open door. "HEY!" Nope. I was not looking back. I ran as fast as I could, fueled by panic and dread of what would come to pass if I were captured. Hearing the pounding of hooves and heaving breath slowly but steadily closing in, I pushed my legs as fast as I could.

It wasn't enough. I heard a lunge from behind me, and next thing I knew I was face-down in the dirt with a rope around my ankles. I scrambled to dig my fingers into the dirt, but there were neither roots nor rocks I could find purchase on. With a scream of futile rage, I was pulled back.

-----

I glared up at a gasping Applejack, the mare having just finished tying me to one of the wooden pillars helping to support the barn's roof. My arms were bound by my torso, and the rope was strong. I wasn't going anywhere, and Applejack knew it.

The orange mare raised a hoof, the back of her fetlock lightly brushing over my face. I attempted to jerk out of the way, but I had very few places to go. She looked disheartened, almost heartbroken.

"Why d'ya keep runnin' from me?" She sounded just as desperate as she looked. "Ah...Ah'm sorry! Ah've been tryin' ta show Ahm sorry since Ah cut ya outta that tree! Ah've fed ya, housed ya, everythin' Ah know ta do!" She reared up, placing both forehooves on my shoulders and leaned in, a pleading expression on her face. "Please, let me make it right..."

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. It was obvious how eaten up she was about this, but...there was no way I could forgive three years of Applejack's treatment because of two days of kindness. I dropped my head, closing my eyes. "I—" I coughed, a dry hacking that left my throat feeling raw and painful. I didn't think much of it and continued. "I can't. I know you mean well, but...what I've been through...there is no way I could forgive anyone that quickly. Even if I wanted to."

Applejack slumped slightly, and with a sigh she sat beside me, almost leaning into me. "What have you been through?" Her voice was softer than I'd ever heard, holding a tone of resignation and regret. Despite myself, the familiar southern twang of her voice lulled me into relaxing against her.

I told her everything. My arrival, my utter failure at finding a job, and being turned away or outright attacked by every pony I asked for help. I told her about the dank, dim cave, my dumpster-diving, and the near ceaseless abuse from the more aggressive ponies. From beginning to end, the story had taken roughly three hours. Dawn was swiftly approaching, and neither one of us had gotten a decent night's sleep in days. Having given up on staying upright herself, Applejack had leaned fully against me halfway through the story. Once it was over, she had barely managed a single sentence.

"We've been pretty rotten to ya...Fer what it's worth Sugarcube...Ah'm sorry."

I fell asleep before managing a reply.

-----

When I awoke, it still felt like I was dreaming. my eyes wouldn't focus, and every sound was muffled and far away. I tried to sit up, but I didn't have the strength. I gave a light huff of irritation. Why has this been happening so often?

I winced as soon as the air passed through my throat. The breath came out as a ragged, labored wheeze, and my throat felt like it was on fire. On second thought...my entire neck was uncomfortably warm and felt incredibly swollen. I slowly opened my mouth and tried to call out for Applejack, but the sound was hardly audible to my own ears and the effort left tears stinging my eyes from the pain. Nonetheless I tried again and again, each time managing to get louder and louder until it was a hoarse, crackly whisper. Still nothing.

My throat was pure agony now. Finally going silent (except for the unpleasant wheezing of my breathing) I quickly slipped back into blackness.

I don't know how long I was out, but the creaking of the barn door brought me back to semi-alertness. Shifting my eyes to look at the intruder, I saw Applejack with a plate of sliced apples having tumbled from her back onto the hay-strewn ground. Her eyes were wide, her face twisted into the same mask of horror I'd seen when I had jumped from the branch to hang myself. I tried to call out, but my abused throat would no longer cooperate. The mare stood silently for several seconds, before slowly backpedaling, Applejack turned towards the door and galloped away fast as she could, leaving me with a chunk of ice settling in my chest.

Was I contagious? Would she come back? Why did she run? Was I no longer worth the effort to keep alive? My tired body began weakly trembling, my labored breaths coming quicker and shallower. A tear streamed down my frantic eyes, still staring at the open door.

Please don't leave me!

-----

Applejack's legs were burning, but she didn't dare stop her sprint. Ponyville was within sight now, and she NEEDED a hospital—

No...No, Jason had only been out of the hospital for a matter of days, if she brought him back, she doubted they would release him into her care again. But if not a hospital, then who? Fluttershy was too terrified to be anywhere near him, sick or not, and she was the only veterinarian Ponyville had. Applejack groaned aloud, if only she could heal him herself! There had to be some kind of book that...could...help...

The library. Of course! Golden Oaks had thousands of books, there had to be at least ONE that detailed how to cure an infection! And Pinkie Pie had already drilled the importance of keeping secrets into Twilight's mind.

Losing a friend's trust is the quickest way to lose a friend, after all.

Applejack eyed the shrubs and trees warily, somewhat paranoid of what could be hiding behind them. Shaking her head, she continued galloping full-tilt towards the library. She was being ridiculous, Pinkie may have been...odd, but she was just another pony.

Applejack quickly made her way through Ponyville and towards Golden Oaks Library. Letting herself in, she looked around for Twilight. "Twi? Ya in here?" After a moment of scanning the massive room, she remembered to look up. Twilight may have still been a little wobbly, but she COULD fly...somewhat. "Twilight?"

"Hey AJ, what brings you around?" Applejack turned towards the voice, her gaze following up a nearby ladder until her eyes locked onto a small dragon whelp, dusting and arranging a massive stack of books held precariously in one of his claws.

"Spike! Thank Celestia yer here, d'ya know where Twilight is? It's urgent, Ah mean REAL urgent!" Applejack swiveled her head to look over the library once again, hoping the lavender alicorn was just hidden away somewhere with a book.

"Uhh...Sorry, but she'll be out for another hour or so. But I can take a message!" Climbing down the ladder and grabbing a quill and parchment, the purple baby dragon waited for Applejack to begin.

"Okay, well Ah've got a...a sick critter at mah farm, and Ah think he's got an infection. Ah need a book on how ta cure it afore it takes 'im!" Spike finished writing, and rolled the parchment up into a scroll. Sticking the note behind one of his ear-fins, he gave a thumb's up to the farm-mare and smiled.

"Done and done! As Twilight's Number One Assistant, I'll make sure she gets it." The baby dragon puffed up, and Applejack lightly patted his head.

"Thank ya Spike, but I gotta skedaddle...Poor critter pro'lly thinks I up n' abandoned him!"