Applejack trotted down the streets of Ponyville with a smile on her face and two saddlebags on each of her sides, bouncing along with her body. The gentle noon breeze blew across her face, spreading the nearby fragrances; a flower shop to the right, fruit stands to the left, and a bakery at the corner. However, her gaze was fixed at the unique building at the end of the street.

Several ponies took the streets, in what it seemed like the rush hour. Some of them buying products, selling their merchandise, or just being common bystanders. Applejack was used to it, though. On weekends, she would set up an apple stand around a corner and sell some of her fresh, recently bucked apples.

Quickening her pace, Applejack made her way out of the sea of ponies and reached the front door of Carousel Boutique. She stopped and glanced at the fancy designs of Rarity’s place, which were as vivid as always. “Hey, Rars, you there?” she called, with a firm knock on the door. “It’s me, Applejack.” She stood there for a few seconds, waiting for an answer that never came. “Rarity?” Her hoof knocked on the door again.

“Come in,” a weak, clogged voice said from inside the boutique.

Applejack immediately recognized that voice, despite its atrocious tone. She opened the front door and stepped in, ringing the little bell on top of it, however, she was no customer. The closed windows barely let any light to peer inside. Applejack looked around the gloomy room and noticed the several dresses piled on top of the counters; most of them perfectly lined on top of each other. “I came to visit,” her voice echoed quite clearly across the foyer. It was certainly much quieter than the noisy streets of Ponyville, especially at noon.

“Oh, Applejack, dear, you didn’t have to bother,” the same raspy voice answered back. A sniffle followed and a sneeze right after.

“I ain’t leavin’ mah best friend all alone with a cold, ya hear?” Applejack’s hooves clopped against the marble floor of the boutique as she walked around. “Fluttershy told me you were sick. I can’t believe nopony’s takin’ care of ya!” She trotted upstairs, her hoofsteps echoing across the stairway, all the way down to the hallway. Even though she seldom visited, Applejack knew Carousel Boutique like the back of her hoof. She knew that right after reaching the hallway, she’d have to take the second door to the left in order to reach Rarity’s room. She was ready to open her friend’s door and barge in, but manners were something she had learned very well at Manehattan, back when she was a filly. Knocking the door, she inched her head forward. “Can I come in, sugarcube?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no. I simply cannot let you see me like this! I’m a mess! A disaster! I’d be Ponyville’s laughing stock if they lay their eyes on me.” Somehow, Rarity’s atrophied voice seemed to be back to her usual dramatic tone, until another sneeze cut her speech.

“C’mon, Rarity. Why did you let me in if yer not gonna let me see you?”

“Are you really sure you want to come in, darling? I don’t want to—” a sneeze escaped from Rarity. “Infect you,” she snorted. It wasn’t proper of a lady to snort or make any related disgusting sounds, but she couldn’t help it.

“Don’t be silly, Rars. I came here to take care of ya, and I ain’t takin’ ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Fine, if you insist… but don’t say I never warned you.” The door handle clicked, followed by another sneeze from Rarity. “Please, come in,” she sniffled.

Applejack didn’t hesitate to open the door and step inside. The first thing she spotted was the unbelievable number of scrunched tissues scattered all over the floor. Rarity could’ve easily used two or three boxes of them. Applejack looked up and noticed the big, unoccupied bed that she thought Rarity was in, with tissues over it as well. Her head tilted to the right, where she finally found the mare in question, who didn’t look like her usual self, at all. “Rarity! What the hay are ya doin’ out of bed?”

Rarity’s mane and tail were a total disaster. Not only they were messy, but wet as well. Her usual crystal blue eyes were replaced with two bloodshot eyeballs, half-closed and puffed-up. Her nose was no better than the rest of her body, and it had a small drop of green substance, leaking from one of its nostrils. “Oh, Applejack, dear, you look wonderful today!”

“I wish I could say the same thin’ about you, Rarity,” Applejack chuckled. “Now get your flank back to bed. You shouldn’t be standin’ up and doin’ stuff around if you’re sick.”

“No, no, no, I can’t!” Rarity spun her body and walked towards her desk, dragging a pencil over with her magic. “I must finish all these dress designs! There is simply no time to be resting.” Feeling her leg being pulled, she turned her head and looked at Applejack. The magical connection with her horn and the pencil was interrupted, causing the latter to drop on the desk.

“Oh, I don’t think so, missy.” Applejack dragged an unwilling Rarity to her bed. “You’ll stay glued to that bed as long as yer nose keeps dripping with… that stuff.” She wiped away the tissues on the bed with a hoof, making the floor more of a mess. She let go of Rarity’s leg and grabbed the bed sheet with her mouth, pulling it to let the unicorn in.

“But, but…” Rarity climbed on her bed, resting her head on the soft, fluffy pillow.

“No buts, Rarity. The work can wait, but yer health comes first.” Applejack covered Rarity with the sheet, save for her head, and stood right next to her. “There, now aren’t you feelin’ better?” She offered a smile.

Rarity snorted. “No, not really, dear.” Trying to at least get a comfortable position, she moved around in the bed. “But thanks, Applejack.”

“I’m happy to help mah friends.” Applejack raised a hoof and placed it on Rarity’s forehead. It didn’t’ take long until the hoof received the unicorn’s temperature. “Whoa, nelly. Quite the fever ya got runnin’ down there, Rars. You’re hotter than the dirt at the farm on a very sunny day.”

Rarity didn’t take that last comment so well. How could Applejack possibly compare her with dirt? “Thanks… Applejack,” she sniffled. “Am I really that hot?”

“We’ll see that.” Applejack looked at one of her saddlebags and opened it with her mouth, withdrawing a thermometer from it.

“Oh, I don’t think there’s really need of a—” Rarity’s words were cut by Applejack, quickly sticking the glass device inside the patient’s mouth. Thank Celestia she didn’t have the side Applejack grabbed the thermometer with in her mouth.

In a matter of seconds, the mercury rose. Applejack extended a hoof to grab the thermometer and check for herself, but a sudden sneeze from Rarity sent it flying across the room and crashing against a wall. The shattering sound caused Rarity to look at Applejack with a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Eh, I’ll clean that later,” Applejack sighed. “For now, we gotta do somethin’ ‘bout that fever of yours.” She tapped a hoof against her chin. “Ah, of course! Why didn’t I think of that before?”

“Ya know, Rars. It would be easier if you didn’t have that horn in the way.” Applejack struggled to get the ice pack in place, however, Rarity’s horn made quite hard to make the pack stand still without sliding down her face, right between her eyes.

“I-It’s c-cold, Applejack.”

“Well of course it’s cold. Fever’s ain’t goin’ down if the pack’s warm, y’know.” Applejack tried to put the ice pack on Rarity again, obtaining the same result as before. Tired of it, she grabbed the pack and placed it on top of the horn, obtaining a cringe from Rarity as an answer.

“Oh, wait. It feels… nice,” Rarity mumbled. The chilly, nervous sensation became a pleasant one. The pack refreshed the tip of her horn, soon extending down her head with a sigh of relief. She snorted and looked at Applejack. “Thanks, darling.”

“Aw, shucks. I told you it’s nothing.” Applejack raised a hoof and took off her hat, placing it on top of a chair in the room. “By the way, why is nopony here, taking care of you? Don’t they know you’re sick?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that,” she sniffled. “Well, yes, sort of, you see. I woke up this morning, covered in sweat. It was SO disgusting. My mane and tail were a mess and I kept sneezing like if someone had thrown pepper at me. I swear this is NO good for my coat. It’s all sweaty and sticky! I took a cold shower after a while, but I am just like I was when I woke up! ’The weather’s fine,’ I said. ’No need to cover yourself at night,’ I said. ’I’m not going to get cold,’ I said.”

Applejack listened to Rarity’s rant without saying a word. She didn’t want to bother with it, since she knew she wasn’t done, yet. It would do no good to say something, considering her current state, it was better for her if she just let it all out.

“Then, my eyes got this dreadful bloodshot, and they puffed-up like two cotton balls! My hooves hurt, my legs feel weak, and my nose keeps leaking this… this… ew! I look horrible! My head spins, and just look at my gorgeous mane! It’s wet and messed up! Why is Celestia punishing me with this? Why, Applejack, why?”

“Whoa there, partner. No Princess is punishin’ you or anythin’, yer just having a cold, like anypony would around this time of the year.”

“I guess I shouldn’t sleep without covering myself at night, then.” Rarity regretted the decision she had made last night. “Of course. ‘It will be a warm night,’ I said. ‘You don’t need to cover yourself,’ I said.”

“You ain’t a filly, Rarity. What are you gonna do ‘bout your business? You can’t run a boutique with your body drippin’ fluids from everywhere. You can’t even have Sweetie Belle ‘round here. What if you infect her? Poor filly ain’t gonna do any crusadin’ for a while.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Sweetie is with mom and dad. She only comes here in weekends.”

“What ‘bout Opal?”

“She’s at Fluttershy’s. She dropped by earlier this morning to deliver me some cat food. I told her I was sick, so she took Opal away so I couldn’t infect the poor dear.” Rarity sighed, relieved by the very pleasant sensation of the ice pack on top of her horn. Her face was still hot, though, but at least the sweating had stopped.

“Ah, that explains why she knew you were sick. She also dropped by the farm to buy some apples, and she happened to comment that she visited you before.” Applejack grabbed the ice pack and rubbed it against Rarity’s forehead, placing it back on top of her horn after a few rubs.

“So that’s why you came?” she snorted.

“Yup. I just couldn’t leave mah best friend alone with a cold.” Suddenly, Applejack’s eyes widened. “Oh, right! How could I forget about it?” She looked down at one of her saddlebags and opened it with her mouth.

“What? There’s more?” Rarity could hardly believe it. It seemed like Applejack had a whole hospital stashed in those two saddlebags. She would expect something like that coming from Fluttershy, but she never pictured Applejack as a great caretaker. Her gaze shifted towards the item Applejack withdrew from its bag. “What’s that?”

“Shoup,” she said, holding the thermo with her mouth. She placed it on top of the nightstand, next to the box of tissues. “As soon as I heard you were sick, I went to pick up mah old book of recipes and made you a yummy, homemade noodle and tomato soup. It’ll cure your cold faster than you can shout yee-haw!”

“Oh, Applejack, this is so nice of you.”

“It’s nothin’.” Applejack withdrew a spoon as well from the saddlebag. She looked at the thermo, then at Rarity, placing the spoon on the nightstand as well. “Well, shucks. This is embarrassin’, but I’m not a unicorn with fancy magic to grab things, and I got butter hooves. Ya think you could lend me a hoof, or in this case, a horn?” she chuckled.

“Certainly.” Rarity’s horn lit, creating a pale blue aura around it and the thermo. She opened it and levitated the spoon as well. “Don’t you have a bowl to pour the soup into? I think it would be quite hard to use the spoon like this.”

“Ah, right.” Applejack opened the saddlebag where the now broken thermometer once was. She took a small bowl out of it, being taken away by Rarity’s magical grip. “You unicorns got it easy with yer magic and all. Sometimes, I wish I had a horn.”

“Come on, Applejack. Being an earth pony isn’t bad. Sure, unicorns can do lots of things with magic, but you shouldn’t feel less because of not having horns, or wings.” Rarity poured the soup in the bowl, placing the thermo back on the nightstand, cancelling the magical connection with it. Steam rose from the bowl thanks to the hot liquid.

“I know, I know. I always envy pegasi who fly in the sky, free like birds, or unicorns that can build things faster or cast their fancy spells, like Twilight. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does.”

“Applejack. We’re all equal, regardless if we got horns, wings, or nothing. Although, I have experienced how a pegasus feels with those butterfly wings Twilight gave me when we went to Cloudsdale. Can you imagine what would happen if Pinkie were a unicorn?”

“Rarity, if that girl were a unicorn, Discord’s chaos would pale in comparison to what Pinkie would do,” Applejack chuckled, pleasantly joined by Rarity. “Now, how ‘bout if ya taste the Apple family’s soup?”

Rarity nodded and dipped the spoon inside the bowl, taking some of the soup. Unwilling to spill the soup on her bed, she carefully dragged the spoon to her mouth and took a sip. As soon as the first drops of liquids ran through her mouth and tongue, Rarity let out a squeal. “Waaah! Hothothothot!” She swallowed the remaining noodles and breathed with her mouth to cool it down.

“You okay? Ya should blow on it first. Or do you want me do it for you?”

Rarity pressed her lips together and sighed. “Would you?”

“Of course, just put the spoon near mah mouth and I’ll cool the soup for ya.”

“All right then.” Rarity took some more soup from the bowl and dragged the spoon close to Applejack, who gently blew on it, making most of the steam that rose fade away in the air. The spoon went all the way inside Rarity’s mouth and delivered the tasty soup. She hummed, slowly sliding the liquid down her throat. “Oh, my! This is absolutely delicious, darling!”

“I knew you’d like it. It was done with the best tomatoes I could find. Apples aren’t the only fruits we grow at the farm, y’know. We harvest plenty of more stuff. Carrots, potatoes, onions, you name it!”

Rarity smiled and took some more of the soup. Applejack gladly blew on it again for her and the unicorn drank it. “Dear, you simply have to share this recipe with me!”

“Will do, Rars. It’s the soup Granny Smith used to make for me when I got a cold as a filly, and it’s the one I make for Apple Bloom when she falls sick as well. I know I should be the one giving it to you, but what the hay.”

“Well, thank you so much for making this soup for me. It means a lot.” Rarity sank the spoon on the bowl, feeling an itchy sensation growing on her nose. “And I-I… really…” The familiar sensation grew stronger. She knew what was coming, and it wasn’t going to be nice, not with objects floating around with her magic. However, she didn’t have time to think about it and put the bowl down. Without advice, Rarity let out a loud sneeze. The sudden rush caused her to lose focus on her magic, sending the bowl flying across the room.

“Whoa!” Applejack jumped back, taken by surprise by the sneeze. She turned her head and looked as the bowl crashed and broke against the wall, splattering the hot soup everywhere.

“Oh, no!” Rarity dragged a hoof to her mouth and looked at the mess she had created. “Oh, Applejack. I’m so, so sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to do that, really! I broke your thermometer, and now, your bowl as well!”

Applejack chuckled and waved a hoof around. “Naw, don’t worry, Rarity. It’s okay. These things happen. Besides, I got plenty of bowls at home.”

“Oh, but just look at that horrible mess! The soup stained not only the wall, but also my recently washed carpet! If I don’t wash it soon, the whole room will reek of tomato soup! I can’t work like that!”

“Rarity, Rarity, calm down. I’ll clean that later, all right? Ya shouldn’t strain yourself. It will do no good. I think you should just take a nap, okay? Is there anything I can do for you, sugarcube?”

“Well, uh…” Rarity’s white cheeks acquired a red color in a flash. “Oh, never mind.”

“Nah, what is it? Tell me.”

“Well. When I was a filly, my mom used to sing me a lullaby while rubbing my belly whenever I was sick. So I was wondering if you could be a dear and—“

“Call your mother? Gotcha, just give me a minute and—”

“What? No, no, no, darling. I mean, that if you could… you know, sing for me, maybe?”

“You mean you want me to sing for you?” Applejack snickered. “Well, ain’t you the cutest little filly ever? You sure love to get pampered!”

Rarity dragged the blanket up to her face in a futile attempt to hide her blush. “Well, you don’t really have to if you don’t want.”

“Nah, it’s okay, Rarity,” Applejack chuckled and stood next to her friend. “I mean, you broke mah thermometer, didn’t get to finish yer soup, and you broke mah bowl, but if a song is all you need to get better, then I’ll sing better than the rooster down at the farm. Now, which song do you want me to sing ya?”

“Well… do you know the ‘Hush now, quiet now’ lullaby? That’s the one my mom used to sing for me. And could you also… do the belly rub part? You can hop on the other side of the bed.”

“Ah, eh… sure, Rars.” Applejack trotted to the other side of the bed and climbed. The first sensation she felt was the amazingly softness of the mattress. Her old one back at the farm was like a pile of rocks compared to that one. “Whoa, now I know how Rainbow Dash feels when she’s nappin’ on a cloud!” She couldn’t help but bounce a little.

Rarity let out a giggle, amused by her friend’s enjoyment. She pulled the blanket away and revealed her white, puffy belly to Applejack. “Are you sure you want to do this, Applejack, dear?” Her clogged nose snorted.

“Anythin’ for you, sugarcube.” Gazing at Rarity’s tummy, Applejack sat on the bed and extended a hoof. The moment she made contact with Rarity, she thought of the lyrics in her head. She knew she had heard it before, but she didn’t really sing it a lot. “Okay, now how does this fancy song go like? I think…” She slid her hoof across her belly, slowly going up from her chest, down to her flanks.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity closed her eyes and thought about nothing but feeling the soft, gentle strokes of Applejack’s hoof against her body. She wanted to give Applejack the instruction to start, but she found herself unable to articulate a single word.

“Ah, right, I think it goes like this.” Applejack’s rubs kept their slow rhythm, not going too fast or too slow. She thought of it as if she were petting Winona. She cleared her throat, with the first lyrics in her head already.

“Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay yer sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s… er… it’s…”

“It’s time to go to bed,” Rarity said.

“Right. It’s time to go to be—”

“No…” Rarity opened an eye and looked at Applejack. “Start over.”

Applejack stopped the belly rub for a second just to stare down at Rarity. “Really?”

“Yes, darling. You simply can’t pause the song and then continue just like that.” Rarity closed her eye. “Now start again, if you please.”

“Okay, okay.” Closing her eyes, Applejack sighed and resumed the movement on her hoof. She could have complained about Rarity being too prissy again, but she didn’t want to bring a long and unnecessary discussion to the table. Enough had the poor mare with being sick and devastated by own her image to fight over silly things.

“Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay yer sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed… Driftin’ off to sleep, the excitin’ day behind ya… driftin’ off to sleep, let the joy of dream land find you…”

Applejack started rubbing Rarity’s belly with circular movements, alternately switching directions. Her soft voice rang inside the unicorn’s ears, who answered with soft breaths and hums. Rarity’s soft belly went up and down, constant with her breathing. Applejack pressed a bit on it and switched from her circular pattern to single linear strokes.

“Hush now, quiet now. Lay yer sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed…”

Applejack hummed and opened her eye, her hoof stopping its movement. Looking down at the unicorn, she smiled. “Rars, you asleep?” she whispered, but received no answer from the fast asleep unicorn. Applejack let out a faint snicker. “Well, that was fast,” she muttered. Out of nowhere, she let out a weak yawn. “Aw, shucks. Now I got sleepy, too.” She looked down at the soft pillows, a thought running inside her mind. “Well, what the hay. I’m sure Rarity won’t mind if I take a little shut-eye while she’s nappin’ like a filly.”

Grabbing the blanket with her mouth, Applejack covered Rarity, save for her head. She looked at the other side of the room, noticing the stain of soup on both the wall and floor. “Oh, right. I guess I should clean that soup or…” A huge yawn interrupted her, causing one of her eyes to tear up. “Maybe… later…” She found herself pressing her head against the pillow, her eyes slowly starting to shut. “Wait… isn’t there somethin’… I should… worry ‘bout?”

“Achoo!”

“Applejack, darling. I told you that I’d infect you, but you didn’t listen, did you? ” Sharing the same blanket, Rarity and Applejack lay together on the bed, with ice packs on their heads. “But thank you for taking care of me, and for singing me the lullaby. That was so nice of you.” She rested her front hooves on the small bed tray in front of her. Applejack had one of them as well.

“Aw, you’ve thanked me enough for today, sugarcube,” Applejack sniffled, followed by another sneeze. “ I’m sorry I fall asleep on yer bed. I was sleepy, but I promise it ain’t happenin’ again.”

“Say nothing, dear. I’m not mad at you or anything.”

“Though, I should really get goin’ back to the farm.”

“Nonsense, darling. You are absolutely not going to put a hoof out of this bed.” A faint laugh escaped from Rarity. “Oh, the irony,” she chuckled.

Pulling a cart with two bowls of hot soup, Fluttershy came inside the room. “Are you feeling better?” She stood next to Rarity, grabbed a bowl with her hoof, and placed it on her bed tray. Both mares welcomed her with a smile and a nod.

“Yes, darling. Thank you,” Rarity glanced at the steamy soup with her tongue moistening around her lips. “I just can’t wait to try Applejack’s soup once again!”

Fluttershy moved to the other side of the bed and delivered the remaining bowl to Applejack. “Um… well… I did the best I could to make it like she does. Please forgive me if it you don’t like it…”

“I’m sure the soup will be as tasty as it can be.” Applejack stared at the noodles floating atop of the steamy tomato soup. She took a deep breath, savoring the fragrance of the soup. “Yup. Smells ‘bout right.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks changed from their yellow color to a red one. “Thanks, Applejack.” She grabbed the cart and pulled it away to the middle of the room. She stood there and looked at her patients. “I’m so glad you two are okay.”

“Lucky for us that Fluttershy came by, right, Applejack?” Rarity levitated a spoon and dipped it in her soup. She could already taste the noodles sliding down her throat. “Well, I knew she’d come to ask me about Opal’s favorite meal.”

“That reminds me, Fluttershy. Shouldn’t you be takin’ care of all the critters and animals at yer place?”

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s their nap time, so they’ll be okay for a couple of hours.”

“Aaah…”

Applejack’s eyes widened as she recognized the familiar sound. It could only mean one thing, a very bad thing. She glanced at Rarity, who had her bowl and spoon levitating with her magic. “Uh-oh,” she whispered to herself and looked at the pegasus standing in front of the bed, on Rarity’s side. “Fluttershy, duck!”

“Huh?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “Applejack… I’m not a duck…”

“Aaah…”

“No! Down! To the floor!”

“Wh-why? What’s going—”

“Achoooo!”