Twilight shook her hind leg off as tingles went up it. A few apples fell into the barrels set up by the trees. Her coat took on a red color closer to her feltlocks from the pain she felt, while the rest of her stayed her natural colors.
“There ya’ go! Just give it a bit an’ you’ll be able to get ‘em in one! I’ll keep goin’ on’, you just keep workin’ ‘ere!” Applejack said as she continued her part of the field. Twilight nodded dutifully, reeling her legs back again and giving a kick to the bark. Almost immediately, apples collapsed atop her in a heap. Making her groan as she would now have to pick them up and put them into the barrels by hoof. She almost thought about cheesing the workload by using magic, but a reminder of the hectic afternoon she had yesterday squashed those thoughts. She groaned and just did her best to scoop the apples by the forelegful without bruising them.
Twilight suspected she was about halfway done after about two hours if Applejack bringing her water twice so far was an indicator of an hour passing. Which just meant two more hours to go if she kept up the same pace.
…
“Oh-” Twilight quickly looked around.
“-frick-”
“ -that!” She shouted as she formed the determination to finish faster.
“All I’ve gotta do is kick a bit harder, then I can finish with this, and hopefully do something a little less taxing.” Twilight said as she began stretching. She turned around to face her hind legs to the tree and did a small trot in place to warm up her legs. She reeled back, and mustering all the force she could she let loose a set of kicks to the bark of the tree, and heard a sharp crack. She froze.
She carefully pulled her legs back and stretched them one by one. Maybe it was the tree bark that had split. Nope, it looked fine, and all the apples were in the barrel so what happened? The answer was revealed when she settled her weight onto her hind legs fully. Then pain exploded in the right leg.
Applejack was walking out a cup of apple juice for Twilight when she heard a shrill whinny of pain. She dropped the cup in a panic and ran out to the fields where Sparkling Cider was supposed to be working. When she found her, the filly was twitching in pain and foaming at the mouth a little with one of her hind legs held in the air, colored a pale yellow.
“Oh Celestia, looks like ya’ cracked yer’ hoof!” The orange filly said, taking the hoof on her own and inspecting it. Twilight made unintelligible noises of pain on the ground. Applejack gently touched where the split was, lighting teasing the wound. Twilight twitched in pain every time.
“Sheesh. Alright, don’t you move one bit sugarcube! I’ll bring somethin’ back ta’ help!” Applejack said trotting back toward her house.
“eeEeEeEehhhh…” The pale mare whimpered.
Shining Armor stretched as he sat up on the air mattress he and Cadance setup for the night. Mare, his head hurt, he was really hoping that little pink filly didn’t have cider ready at the party last night and that someone snuck it in. Even worse he feels like Twilight may have just said a swear word wherever she is. As he got off the rubber bed he looked over to the smaller air mattress that was set out for Spike, and the kind little filly who had taken to caring for him. It was about time for little fillies to be up by now anyway so might as well wake them.
“Her, Sparkling, time to wake uuuup~!” Shining Armor said with an amused tone as he nudged the lump shaped like a little pony. He nudged it again. Then a third time. Then a fourth.
“Ok, come on! Up lazy pone- what.”
It was a lamp. It was a stupid lamp conveniently shaped like a filly.
“Why would anyone even- THEN WHERE’S SPIKE?!” The white unicorn said in panic, now rushing through the library in search of the dragon. Cadance woke up from the clatter of books, groggy and confused.
“Wha? W-Why did someone put a lamp to bed…” She muttered, rubbing her eyes and reapplying her mustache.
“Cadance! The filly and Spike are gone!”
“WHAT?!”
Twilight inspected her right hind hoof after Applejack finished. The orange filly had spray something that stung like hell on it and then bandaged it.
“There we go, it’ll be better in no time! Though granny says it’ll take longer than it does for me.” Twilight hummed in response. She was then suddenly lifted and held atop of Applejack’s back.
“Wh- put me down!”
“Nope! Granny says you should walk on that leg as little as possible for ya’ ta’ heal up fast!” Applejack said as she trotted Twilight back toward the farm house.
“Then, can you take me to Rarity’s? I wanted to give her a visit later today anyway.” Twilight said with a sigh. Applejack obliged and they changed directions. As they walked the streets toward Rarity’s boutique Twilight couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed as some older ponies looked at them and chuckled. Twilight’s fur turned as pink as her cheeks as they trotted their way past Sugercube Corner, where Pinkie was outside.
“Hiya Sparkling! Pink’s a good look on you!”
“Th-Thank you.” She muttered at a barely audible level. The sooner they got to Rarity’s the better. The thumping of hooves rapidly approaching brought the filly-corn’s attention to her side, where she suddenly found herself being tackled off her friend’s back.
“WAAUGH!”
“WHERE’S SPIKE-”
Fluttershy was grateful for the peace she had in her cottage this morning. She had a sleepover with a friend, and was left just the cutest baby dragon to learn about!
“O-Ow! O-Okay Spike, we don’t throw food in other ponies' eyes please!” She said softly to the hatchling who had his hands covered in foal food. Spike was about to throw another glob, but settled for listening and decided to stuff his hand into his mouth, sucking off the mashed pears. Fluttershy sighed in relief. Spike wasn’t very high maintenance, but she should’ve remembered what Sparkling said about feeding him a bit earlier so he wasn’t in such a playful mood when he ate.
She looked around her kitchen that had more globs of food. As well as a chicken that had wandered in who was caught in the crossfire of the assault. Her squawks weren’t happy.
“Oh dear…I think it’s time to clean up a bit.” Fluttershy muttered as she lifted Spike out of a high chair she used for some animals, mainly rabbits. She fluttered the hatchling into the living room after getting him wiped up, and set up a makeshift barrier of numerous pillows around the baby dragon.
“Alright Spike, give me a moment and I’ll be right with you. I promise. In the meantime, I have a very special job for you!” She said going back into the kitchen, and retrieving the chicken that was attacked by his food fight earlier.
“Can you watch Ms. Eggtilda for me Spike?” The baby crawled closer, outstretching his arms for the chicken. The hen didn’t look too pleased as she looked back at Fluttershy. She knew that the subjects in the sentence were reversed and the request was really meant for her. Eggtilda gave her best impression of a sigh as she gave a cluck of resignation to the role of babysitter.
Spike giggled as the chicken was put into his arms and he held it carefully. Its feathers tickled and it smelled like pears!
Fluttershy zipped into the kitchen and got to cleaning as fast as she could, already nervous about taking her eyes off the baby.
And right she was because Spike somehow was already outside and locked in the chicken pen.
“Whew, okay. You really should stop disappearing on ponies! You’re just a filly, and even though this place is pretty safe, something could happen! In fact, where are your parents? I think somepony should talk to them about how long they’ve left their daughter unattended!”
Twilight fidgeted where she sat on the floor, pawing at the ground, her colors having shifted to a dark blue.
“C-Canterlot…”
“Hm?”
“Excuse me Ms. Carl but uh…” Applejack interrupted and brought her aside. “M’Granny says they may have, um, ‘not wanted’ her anymore.” The farmer whispered into her ear. Cadance’s eyes softened as she looked at the blue filly that was scratching words into the dirt.
“U-Um, Spike is being watched by Fluttershy. She lives in a cottage that way, I’m sure he’s safe!” Twilight spoke up nervously. She outstretched a hoof in the direction that Fluttershy lived. Simultaneously she began climbing back onto Applejack’s back.
“I’ve gotta go, when you get Spike make sure to bring him to the Carousel Boutique though!” Twilight said, patting Applejack to let her know to continue moving.
“Spike? SPIKE?!” Fluttershy whisper-yelled in a panic when she returned to her living room.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no! I-I couldn’t have lost him! Sparkling Cider and Shining Armor will be so mad! And that poor baby dragon! How did he even get out?!” She said in a panic as she inspected the area, finding the pillow barrier had been breached. Then she noticed the chicken door she had. Ah. That wasn’t good.
“Spike! Spike, please be a good little dragon and come here!” Fluttershy said as she made a swift exit and looked around the outside of her cottage. She rushed over to the chicken coop only to find the gate open. The chickens inside were all fine, but there was no sign of the hatchling.
“Oh heck…”
Meanwhile residents of Ponyville were treated to the amusing sight of a chicken walking a baby dragon attached to some rope in the form of a makeshift harness. Eggtilda had a very bored expression fixed on her beak as she allowed the baby to lead her around town for the time being, planning to start leading him back to Fluttershy’s cottage once Spike seemed to be losing steam. Though she was already starting to regret it because the baby seemed very energetic. A sharp yank and change of direction snapped the chicken from its thoughts as Spike began crawling toward a particular bakery.
The door was pushed open with the ring of a bell, and bouncing to the front counter was Pinkie Pie.
“Hi, Ho, hello! What can I- oh! Hi Spike!” She said, getting down on the floor to the baby dragon’s level. Spike giggled as he grabbed her mane and began gently tugging. The chicken huffed as this clearly meant that this little excursion would be taking a bit longer.
“Wow! Looks like you’ve made a new friend there Spike! Isn’t she just the cutest little chicky-chick-chicken!” She said, picking up the chicken and nuzzling it, much to Eggtilda’s dismay.
Fluttershy trotted through the town, frantically looking through for the missing hatchling. She was mentally bucking herself for losing a baby so fast. She didn’t even get to bathe him! She had to find him fast before he got hungry, or worse! Hurt!
“Sparkling Cider, darling are you sure you’re fine to walk? Applejack said-”
“I’m fine! I can just walk on three legs, I said I wanted to help and here I am!”
Twilight and Rarity emerged from around the corner causing the butter yellow pegasus to gasp and hide behind some boxes swiftly. She waited until they passed before peeking out.
“Or even worse, Sparkling Cider or Shining Armor finds him before I do! She’ll be so upset with me and so disappointed!”