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My Only Friend

by ConnVolpe

Chapter 6: 6. Escape

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6. Escape

'Please can we go back inside? We can find Scootaloo tomorrow, for now, let’s get out of this horrendous storm.’

‘Come on, Rurrity. It’ll only take a 2 minute gallop ta get ta the tree house. We’ll be there in no time.’

Applejack had to keep slowing down for Rarity to catch up. The two mares had been galloping in the rain, trying to reach the tree house before the storm became worse. As the late Jammy Sod’s laws of universal explanations indicated, it got worse the moment they started to worry about it. It had taken only seconds for the white face of the unicorn to become covered in brown splodges and blue and black smudges. Her makeup had run and she wanted nothing more than to reapply it before any pony saw her.

‘AJ, darling, please? We’re going to catch a cold…’ Rarity pleaded. Almost on cue, Applejack sneezed and went head first into a muddy puddle. Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle as she stopped next to her fallen comrade, until she had to sneeze too and involuntarily shoved her head into the same puddle. She pulled up as tears swelled up in her eyes.

‘I’m hideous…’ she whispered to herself, almost crying at the thought. Applejack, soaking and muddy trotted past her and opened the door to the nearby barn. She gestured for Rarity to head inside, which brought a smile to her face.

‘Tha-Achoo…’ Rarity sneezed once again, turning to face her ‘saviour’ from the storm. She sniffled and sat on a nearby hay pile. She adjusted her hindquarters to make herself comfortable. Once she looked up, she saw AJ lighting a lantern. She turned and blew out the match. The illuminated space was smaller than it should have been, mostly because several dark brown barrels of apple juice, labelled ‘Property of Sweet Apple Acres’, took up the same space as all the guests at one of Pinkie’s parties. A large order had come in recently from Manhattan, from Applejack’s Aunt and Uncle Orange. They had recently interested a local shop to start selling it.

‘Do y’all know what we ought ta be doing now?’ Applejack, as determined as she was, did look the slightest bit annoyed at the worsening of the storm. A storm that they should have been told about by the repeatedly absent Rainbow Dash, who usually had an inside look at the weather schedules up to two weeks in advance. It was how Applejack avoided being caught by a storm when out bucking her family’s apple trees.

‘We could tell stories. Or we could-’ Rarity stopped and suddenly turned to the source of a sudden noise that had come from behind her. She tuned back, one eyebrow raised and opened her mouth looking for something to say. She didn’t need to because Applejack was up and standing tall.

‘Come out now, and y’all won’t get hurt!’ Applejack projected her voice and it echoed of the back of the barn, yet nothing stirred except for a high-pitched ‘eep’.

‘Ah said, get out now and y’all won’t be a hurtin’ when ah come over there!’ She seemed really determined and fairly angry. Whether it was the storm or something else, Rarity had noticed Applejack become more and more short-tempered without Dash around to kid with. However, the back door opened with a creek and shut again slowly, with only a flash of blue in between. It seemed to Rarity that the wind was playing with them, taunting them. Applejack though was convinced that it had been some pony that had entered and exited. She leaped over the barrels, leaving Rarity alone in the small illuminated part of the barn, while she chased after the apparition. Rarity sighed; at least she wasn't stuck with Pinkie Pie like last time.

‘Hey, come back here!’ She saw only dust being thrown in the air as her target escaped over the horizon. Even if they were a Pegasus, they could have flown due the torrent of rain hammering into the body of the element of harmony, who was concentrating on catching up. As she ran, the dust became higher and she caught the occasional glimpse of a hoof. The escaping pony was being blinded by the rain; she was swerving around the dirt track, leading back to Ponyville. Luckily, the trusty Stetson that sat atop her head was preventing this from happening to AJ. As soon as they passed the entrance gate to Sweet Apple Acres, they swerved to the side and ran straight for the cottage that sat upon the hill, still throwing up dust behind them. She was definitely fast and agile, and Applejack knew of only one pony that could make that turn as sharp as they did.

After another 200 meters or so, AJ crossed the bridge to Fluttershy’s cottage. Just over the top of the hill, the cloud of dust set at the foot of the door to the cottage and revealed nothing to be there. Fluttershy don’t let just any pony through her door AJ thought. It almost confirmed her suspicions on who it was. As soon as she reached the front door, she knocked gently, hopeful the yellow and pink Pegasus would be home. And as luck would have it she was.

‘H-hi A-applejack.’ Fluttershy peeked out from behind the door. Her mane was soaking and she looked cold. She smiled and tried to put on a brave face but AJ saw through her disguise.

‘May ah come in?’ AJ smiled back and, knowing her friend would protect the culprit at any cost, played along with her game, ‘It’s raining.’

‘Ummm…’ Fluttershy stammered before a faint whisper came from behind her and told her to say, ‘N-no, I’m doing my…ummmm…laundry.’ A sigh originated from the same place as the whisper.

‘Sugah cube. I know when you’re lying. Please, may ah come in?’ Applejack knew her friend would usually give in to any pressure, but she wasn’t and she wanted to know why, ‘You seem a bit lonely.’

‘I’m sorry, Applejack b-but….’the Pegasus was panicking; something Applejack didn’t want her to do.

‘Fluttershy, don’t worry. I’m just here for you know who…’ Applejack hinted, winking at her friend.

'She’s not here. Rainbow Dash left a second or two ago.’ Fluttershy blurted out and instantly covered her mouth to stop any other problems arising, ‘Sorry Dashie!’ she screamed, after seeing the Rainbow-maned Pegasus galloping away into the distance. Applejack turned to look but it was too late. She was gone. She turned back and sighed. She looked at the Yellow Pegasus, who slowly retreated into her house, with a reluctant frown on her face.

‘Sorry…’

Next Chapter: 7. Mare-nap Estimated time remaining: 34 Minutes
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